Deuteronomy 21:7

Deuteronomy 21:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and they shall testify, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then they must say, ‘Our hands did not shed this person’s blood, nor did we see it happen.

Context of Deuteronomy 21:7

5The 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. 6Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8Accept 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, 9and you will have purged from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 21:7 word by word

וְעָנ֖וּ וְאָמְר֑וּ יָדֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א שָֽׁפְכוּ֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵינֵ֖ינוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they shall answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Our handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• have not shedשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: killH8210
• this bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• neither have our eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:7

• Numbers 5:19Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you.
• 2 Samuel 16:8The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!”
• Job 21:21For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end?
• Psalms 7:3Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:7

• 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 21:7

• Church
• Government
• Heifer
• Homicide
• Inquest

In the dictionaries

• Ablution
• Controversy
• Crucifixion
• Divers
• Murder
• Rebellious
• Wrought
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

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