Deuteronomy 21:22

Deuteronomy 21:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
• New International Version (NIV)If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole,
• English Standard Version (ESV)"And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

Context of Deuteronomy 21:22

20They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 21:22 word by word

וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְאִ֗ישׁ חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת וְתָלִ֥יתָ אֹת֖וֹ עַל־עֵֽץ׃Read the interlinear

• Ifכִּיkîy · forH3588
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• has committedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• a sinחֵטְאchêţ' · sinH2399
• worthyמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• of deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194
• and he is putמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and you hangתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518
• him on a treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:22

• 2 Samuel 4:12Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
• Joshua 8:29He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening; and at sunset Joshua gave command and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the city gate, and raised over it a great heap of stones that stands to this day.
• Joshua 10:26So afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees; and they hung on the trees until evening.
• Numbers 25:4The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”
• Deuteronomy 19:6otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.
• Deuteronomy 22:26But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case.
• 1 Samuel 26:16This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, all of you must surely die, because you did not guard your lord, the Lord’s anointed. And now, see where the king’s spear is and the jug of water that was at his head.”
• Matthew 26:66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
• Acts 23:29and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.
• Acts 25:11If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
• Acts 26:31and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment.”
• 2 Samuel 21:6let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”
• Luke 23:33When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
• John 19:31Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:22

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22There were four methods of execution in use among the ancient Jews; stoning (Exodus 17:4; Deuteronomy 13:10, etc.), burning Leviticus 20:14; Leviticus 21:9, the sword Exodus 32:27, and strangulation. The latter, though not named in Scripture, is regarded by the rabbis as the most common, and the proper one to be adopted when no other is expressly enjoined by the Law. Suspension, whether from cross, stake, or gallows, was not used as a mode of taking life…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-23Verses 22-23 By the law of Moses, the touch of a dead body was defiling, therefore dead bodies must not be left hanging, as that would defile the land. There is one reason here which has reference to Christ; "He that is hanged is accursed of God;" that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach. Those who see a man thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either. Moses, by the Spirit, uses this…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22hang his body on a tree: This was not the method of execution, at least in this text. It was a shameful display of those already put to death for severe crimes punishable by death. This was probably to show the Lord's hatred of sin. It also warned others about committing similar acts (see also Genesis 40:19, 22; Joshua 10:26; 2 Samuel 4:12; 21:12; Esther 2:23; 7:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. if a man have committed a sin ... and thou hang him on a tree--Hanging was not a Hebrew form of execution (gibbeting is meant), but the body was not to be left to rot or be a prey to ravenous birds; it was to be buried "that day," either because the stench in a hot climate would corrupt the air, or the spectacle of an exposed corpse bring ceremonial defilement on the land.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 21:22

• Hanging
• Punishment
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• Controversy
• Crucifixion
• Divers
• Gallows
• Hanging
• Rebellious
• Wrought
• Atonement, Day of
• Burial
• Criticism

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