New English Translation
Deuteronomy 21:8
8Do not blame your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed.
Deuteronomy 21:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
- New International Version (NIV)Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person.” Then the bloodshed will be atoned for,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Provide atonement, O Lord, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.’ And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:8
6and all the elders of that city nearest the corpse must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. 7Then they must proclaim, “Our hands have not spilled this blood, nor have we witnessed the crime. Do not blame your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed. 9In this manner you will purge out the guilt of innocent blood from among you, for you must do what is right before the Lord. 10When you go out to do battle with your enemies and the Lord your God allows you to prevail and you take prisoners,
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:8 word by word
כַּפֵּר֩ לְעַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּן֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֖רֶב עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הַדָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be mercifulכִּפֶּרkâphar · to atoneH3722
- O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- whom thou hast redeemedפָּדָהpâdâh · to ransomH6299
- and layנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- not innocentנָקִיnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- chargeקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:8
- Numbers 35:33“You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.
- 2 Samuel 3:28When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!
- 2 Kings 24:4Because he killed innocent people and stained Jerusalem with their blood, the Lord was unwilling to forgive them.
- Psalms 19:12Who can know all his errors? Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.
- Jeremiah 26:15But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!”
- Ezekiel 23:3They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there.
- Jonah 1:14So they cried out to the Lord, “Oh, please, Lord, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, Lord, have done just as you pleased.”
- Matthew 23:35so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:8
- 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 21:8
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
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Commentaries