New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 21:4
4They must lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and that has a stream running through it. There in the valley they must break the heifer’s neck.
Deuteronomy 21:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:
- New International Version (NIV)and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The 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.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:4
2In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns. 3When the nearest town has been determined, that town’s elders must select from the herd a heifer that has never been trained or yoked to a plow. They must lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and that has a stream running through it. There in the valley they must break the heifer’s neck. 5Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the Lord’s name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases. 6“The elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:4 word by word
וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־הָֽעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־שָׁ֥ם אֶת־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה בַּנָּֽחַל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of that cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- shall bring downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- the heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- unto a roughאֵיתָן'êythân · strongH386
- valleyנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
- which is neither earedעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
- nor sownזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
- and shall strike offעָרַף‛âraph · to break the neckH6202
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:4
- 1 Peter 2:21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
- 1 Peter 3:18Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley - איתן נחל nachal eythan might be translated a rapid stream, probably passing through a piece of uncultivated ground where the elders of the city were to strike off the head of the heifer, and to wash their hands over her in token of their innocence. The spot of ground on which this sacrifice was made must be uncultivated, because it was considered to be a sacrifice to make atonement for the murder, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Eared - i. e., plowed; compare Genesis 45:6 note and references. The word is derived from the Latin, and is in frequent use by English writers of the fifteenth and two following centuries. Strike off the heifer‘s neck - Rather, “break its neck” (compare Exodus 13:13). The mode of killing the victim distinguishes this lustration from the sin-offering, in which there would be of course shedding and sprinkling of the blood.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The stream would be an ever-flowing brook. It would be located in an isolated area, away from people and animals. This would help keep it free from contaminants (anything that makes something unclean).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 21:4
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
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