God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 21:4
4The leaders of that city will bring the heifer down to a river, to a location where the land hasn’t been plowed or planted. At the river they must break the heifer’s neck.
Deuteronomy 21:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:
- New International Version (NIV)and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:4
2your leaders and judges must go and measure the distance from the body to each of the neighboring cities. 3When it has been determined which city is nearest the body, the leaders from that city must choose a heifer that has never been put to work and never worn a yoke. The leaders of that city will bring the heifer down to a river, to a location where the land hasn’t been plowed or planted. At the river they must break the heifer’s neck. 5The priests, the descendants of Levi, must come forward. The Lord your God has chosen them to serve him as priests and to bless people in the Lord’s name. Their decision is final in all cases involving a disagreement or an assault. 6All the leaders from the city which was nearest the murder victim must wash their hands over the dead heifer.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:4 word by word
וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־הָֽעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־שָׁ֥ם אֶת־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה בַּנָּֽחַל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of that cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- shall bring downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- the heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- unto a roughאֵיתָן'êythân · strongH386
- valleyנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
- which is neither earedעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
- nor sownזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
- and shall strike offעָרַף‛âraph · to break the neckH6202
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:4
- 1 Peter 2:21God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps.
- 1 Peter 3:18This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley - איתן נחל nachal eythan might be translated a rapid stream, probably passing through a piece of uncultivated ground where the elders of the city were to strike off the head of the heifer, and to wash their hands over her in token of their innocence. The spot of ground on which this sacrifice was made must be uncultivated, because it was considered to be a sacrifice to make atonement for the murder, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Eared - i. e., plowed; compare Genesis 45:6 note and references. The word is derived from the Latin, and is in frequent use by English writers of the fifteenth and two following centuries. Strike off the heifer‘s neck - Rather, “break its neck” (compare Exodus 13:13). The mode of killing the victim distinguishes this lustration from the sin-offering, in which there would be of course shedding and sprinkling of the blood.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The stream would be an ever-flowing brook. It would be located in an isolated area, away from people and animals. This would help keep it free from contaminants (anything that makes something unclean).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91-6. If one be found slain ... lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him--The ceremonies here ordained to be observed on the discovery of a slaughtered corpse show the ideas of sanctity which the Mosaic law sought to associate with human blood, the horror which murder inspired, as well as the fears that were felt lest God should avenge it on the country at large, and the pollution which the land was supposed to contract from the effusion…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 21:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21
- 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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