New King James Version
Deuteronomy 21:6
6And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
Deuteronomy 21:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
- New International Version (NIV)Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
- English Standard Version (ESV)And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
- New Living Translation (NLT)“The elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:6
4The elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with flowing water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5Then 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. And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. 7Then they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. 8Provide 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.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:6 word by word
וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And all the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of that cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- nextקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- unto the slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- shall washרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
- their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- over the heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- that is beheadedעָרַף‛âraph · to break the neckH6202
- in the valleyנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:6
- Job 9:30If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap,
- Psalms 19:12Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
- Psalms 26:6I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
- Psalms 51:2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
- Psalms 73:13Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence.
- Jeremiah 2:22For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,” says the Lord God.
- Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
- Hebrews 9:10concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Shall wash their hands over the heifer - Washing the hands, in reference to such a subject as this, was a rite anciently used to signify that the persons thus washing were innocent of the crime in question. It was probably from the Jews that Pilate learned this symbolical method of expressing his innocence.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6wash their hands: In the ancient world, people sometimes washed their hands to show they were innocent. This action showed that they were not guilty of wrongdoing (compare Matthew 27:24). In this case, the community washed their hands to declare that they were not responsible for the crime. The crime had taken place near them, but they had not committed it.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 21:6
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries