New English Translation
Deuteronomy 22:6
6If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, you must not take the mother from the young.
Deuteronomy 22:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:
- New International Version (NIV)If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young;
Context of Deuteronomy 22:6
4When you see your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again. 5A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor should a man dress up in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive to the Lord your God. If you happen to notice a bird’s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, you must not take the mother from the young. 7You must be sure to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. 8If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it.
Read all of Deuteronomy 22Deuteronomy 22:6 word by word
כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפּ֣וֹר׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵ֣ץ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים א֖וֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If a bird’sצִפּוֹרtsippôr tsippôr · birdH6833
- nestקֵןqên · nestH7064
- chanceקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: chancedH7122
- to be beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- thee in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: journeyH1870
- in any treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- or on the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
- young onesאֶפְרֹחַ'ephrôach · youngH667
- or eggsבֵּיצָהbêytsâh · eggH1000
- and the damאֵם'êm · motherH517
- sittingרָבַץrâbats · to stretchH7257
- thou shalt not takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- with the youngבֵּןbên · son: young animalH1121
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 22:6
- Leviticus 12:6“‘When the days of her purification are completed for a son or for a daughter, she must bring a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to the priest.
- Genesis 8:17Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!”
- Genesis 32:11Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.
- Leviticus 22:28You must not slaughter an ox or a sheep and its young on the same day.
- Proverbs 12:10A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel.
- Hosea 10:14The roar of battle will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be devastated, just as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 22:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 These precepts are designed to cultivate a spirit of humanity. Compare Deuteronomy 25:4; Leviticus 22:28; and 1 Corinthians 9:9-10. Deuteronomy 22:8 The roofs of houses in Palestine were flat and used for various purposes. Compare Joshua 2:6; 2 Samuel 11:2; Acts 10:9, etc. A battlement was almost a necessary protection. It was to be, according to the rabbis, at least two cubits high (about 3 ft.).Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-12Verses 5-12 God's providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God's law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God's people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and not to the vain fashions of…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. If a bird's nest chance to be before thee--This is a beautiful instance of the humanizing spirit of the Mosaic law, in checking a tendency to wanton destructiveness and encouraging a spirit of kind and compassionate tenderness to the tiniest creatures. But there was wisdom as well as humanity in the precept; for, as birds are well known to serve important uses in the economy of nature, the extirpation of a species, whether of edible or ravenous…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 22:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 22
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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