Deuteronomy 22:8

Deuteronomy 22:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.
• New International Version (NIV)When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof.

Context of Deuteronomy 22:8

6“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; 7you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. “When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it. 9“You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled. 10“You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Deuteronomy 22:8 word by word

כִּ֤י תִבְנֶה֙ בַּ֣יִת חָדָ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מַעֲקֶ֖ה לְגַגֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֤ים דָּמִים֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־יִפֹּ֥ל הַנֹּפֵ֖ל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When thou buildestבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• a newחָדָשׁchâdâsh · newH2319
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• then thou shalt makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• a battlementמַעֲקֶהma‛ăqeh · parapetH4624
• for thy roofגָּגgâg · roofH1406
• that thou bringשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• not bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• if any manנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 22:8

• Exodus 21:28“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.
• Exodus 22:6“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
• Romans 14:13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.
• 1 Corinthians 10:32Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
• Philippians 1:10that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
• 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
• 2 Samuel 11:2Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
• Isaiah 22:1The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops,
• Jeremiah 19:13And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” ’ ”
• Matthew 10:27“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
• Mark 2:4And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
• Acts 10:9The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
• Ezekiel 3:18When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
• Ezekiel 32:2“Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: ‘You are like a young lion among the nations, And you are like a monster in the seas, Bursting forth in your rivers, Troubling the waters with your feet, And fouling their rivers.
• Matthew 18:6“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
• Acts 20:26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 22:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8A battlement for thy roof - Houses in the East are in general built with flat roofs, and on them men walk to enjoy the fresh air, converse together, sleep, etc.; it was therefore necessary to have a sort of battlement or balustrade to prevent persons from falling off. If a man neglected to make a sufficient defense against such accidents, and the death of another was occasioned by it, the owner of the house must be considered in the light of a murderer.Read the comment
• 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. 88. thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence--The tops of houses in ancient Judea, as in the East still, were flat, being composed of branches or twigs laid across large beams, and covered with a cement of clay or strong plaster. They were surrounded by a parapet breast high. In summer the roof is a favorite resort for coolness, and accidents would frequently happen from persons…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 22:8

• Battlements
• Homicide
• House

In the dictionaries

• Astray
• Battlement
• Chance
• House
• Husband
• Rise
• Architecture
• Assassination
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism

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