Deuteronomy 21:23

Deuteronomy 21:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
• New International Version (NIV)you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
• English Standard Version (ESV)his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
• New King James Version (NKJV)his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.

Context of Deuteronomy 21:23

21Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid. 22“If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree, the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.

Deuteronomy 21:23 word by word

לֹא־תָלִ֨ין נִבְלָת֜וֹ עַל־הָעֵ֗ץ כִּֽי־קָב֤וֹר תִּקְבְּרֶ֙נּוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־קִלְלַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים תָּל֑וּי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמֵּא֙ אֶת־אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• His bodyנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
• shall not remain all nightלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
• upon the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• but thou shalt in any wiseקָבַרqâbar · to buryH6912
• him that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• for he that is hangedתָּלָהtâlâh · to hangH8518
• accursedקְלָלָהqelâlâh · curseH7045
• of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• that thy landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• be not defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
• which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• an inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:23

• John 19:31It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.
• Deuteronomy 7:26Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.
• Numbers 25:4The Lord issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the Lord in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”
• Joshua 7:12That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.
• 2 Samuel 21:6So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the Lord at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord.” “All right,” the king said, “I will do it.”
• Romans 9:3for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.
• Galatians 3:13But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
• 1 Corinthians 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!
• 2 Corinthians 5:21For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
• Leviticus 18:25Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out.
• Numbers 35:33This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree - Its exposure for the space of one day was judged sufficient. The law which required this answered all the ends of public justice, exposed the shame and infamy of the conduct, but did not put to torture the feelings of humanity by requiring a perpetual exhibition of a human being, a slow prey to the most loathsome process of putrefaction. Did ever the spiking of the heads of state criminals prevent high…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23He that is hanged is accursed of God - i. e. “Bury him that is hanged out of the way before evening: his hanging body defiles the land; for God‘s curse rests on it.” The curse of God is probably regarded as lying on the malefactor because, from the fact of his being hanged, be must have been guilty of a especially atrocious breach of God‘s covenant. Such an offender could not remain on the face of the earth without defiling it (compare Leviticus 18:25…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-23Verses 22-23 By the law of Moses, the touch of a dead body was defiling, therefore dead bodies must not be left hanging, as that would defile the land. There is one reason here which has reference to Christ; "He that is hanged is accursed of God;" that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach. Those who see a man thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either. Moses, by the Spirit, uses this…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23anyone who is hung (literally a man hung): The ancient Greek version reads for everyone who is hanged on a tree. Compare Galatians 3:13, which explains how this saying applies to Jesus. is under God's curse: Sinners who refuse to repent experience God's judgment. But this saying probably means that people would assume God cursed someone in this condition. In reality, the person might have been misjudged or even killed without a legal trial.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. if a man have committed a sin ... and thou hang him on a tree--Hanging was not a Hebrew form of execution (gibbeting is meant), but the body was not to be left to rot or be a prey to ravenous birds; it was to be buried "that day," either because the stench in a hot climate would corrupt the air, or the spectacle of an exposed corpse bring ceremonial defilement on the land.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 21:23

• Accursed
• Burial
• Hanging
• Punishment
• Quotations and Allusions
• Sanitation

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• That Day
• Adonizedec
• Controversy
• Crucifixion
• Divers
• Hanging
• Rebellious
• Wrought

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