God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 21:5
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.
Deuteronomy 21:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
- New International Version (NIV)The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:5
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. 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. The 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. 7Then they must make this formal statement: “We didn’t commit this murder, and we didn’t witness it.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:5 word by word
וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִי֒ כִּ֣י בָ֗ם בָּחַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְעַל־פִּיהֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה כָּל־רִ֥יב וְכָל־נָֽגַע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- the sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
- shall come nearנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- for them the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- hath chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
- to ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
- unto him, and to blessבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- in the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- and by their wordפֶּהpeh · lip: wordH6310
- shall every controversyרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
- and every strokeנֶ֫גַעnega‛ · plagueH5061
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:5
- Deuteronomy 10:8At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s promise, to stand in the Lord’s presence when they serve him as priests, and to praise his name, as they still do today.
- Deuteronomy 18:5Out of all your tribes, the Lord your God has chosen the Levites and their descendants to do the work of serving in the name of the Lord forever.
- Numbers 6:22The Lord said to Moses,
- 1 Chronicles 23:13Amram’s sons were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his sons were forever designated to dedicate the most holy things ⌞to God⌟, to offer sacrifices to the Lord, to serve him, and always give the blessing in his name.
- Deuteronomy 17:8There may be a case that is too hard for you to decide. It may involve murder, assault, or a dispute—any case which may be brought to court in your cities. Take this case to the place that the Lord your God will choose.
- Malachi 2:7“A priest’s lips should preserve knowledge. Then, because he is the messenger for the Lord of Armies, people will seek instruction from his mouth.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:5
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-8A family member seeking revenge could not blame the entire community (19:6–7; Numbers 35:16–29).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 21:5
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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