God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 19:12
12If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die.
Deuteronomy 19:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
- New International Version (NIV)the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.
- English Standard Version (ESV)then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
- New King James Version (NKJV)then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
Context of Deuteronomy 19:12
10That way, innocent people won’t be killed in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you won’t be guilty of murder. 11Suppose someone hates another person, waits in ambush for him, attacks him, takes his life, and runs to one of these cities. If someone does this, the leaders of your city must send for that person. They must take him from that city and hand him over to the relative who has the authority to avenge the death. He must die. 13They must have no pity on him. The guilt of murdering an innocent person must be removed from Israel. Then things will go well for Israel. 14Never move your neighbor’s original boundary marker on any property in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Read all of Deuteronomy 19Deuteronomy 19:12 word by word
וְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֔וֹ וְלָקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מִשָּׁ֑ם וְנָתְנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּיַ֛ד גֹּאֵ֥ל הַדָּ֖ם וָמֵֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of his cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- shall sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- and fetchלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- him thence, and deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him into the handיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
- of the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
- of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- that he may dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:12
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:12
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-13Verses 1-13 This and the next two chapters contain enactments designed to protect human life, and to impress its sanctity on Israel. In Deuteronomy 19:1-13 the directions respecting the preparation of the roads to the cities of refuge, the provision of additional cities in case of an extension of territory, and the intervention of the elders as representing the congregation, are unique to Deuteronomy and supplementary to the laws on the same subject given…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13Cities of refuge were placed in different parts of the land (19:2). They were located carefully so people could reach them easily. A person accused of killing someone could run to one of these cities for protection. There, the person would be safe until a fair trial took place (see 4:41; Numbers 35:6–29).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-132. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land--Goelism, or the duty of the nearest kinsmen to avenge the death of a slaughtered relative, being the customary law of that age (as it still is among the Arabs and other people of the East), Moses incorporated it in an improved form with his legislative code. For the protection of the unintentional homicide, he provided certain cities of refuge--three had been destined for this purpose…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 19:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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