New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 21:8
8O Lord, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood.
Deuteronomy 21:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
- New International Version (NIV)Accept 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,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Provide 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.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:8
6“The elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken. 7Then they must say, ‘Our hands did not shed this person’s blood, nor did we see it happen. O Lord, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood. 9By following these instructions, you will do what is right in the Lord’s sight and will cleanse the guilt of murder from your community. 10“Suppose you go out to war against your enemies and the Lord your God hands them over to you, and you take some of them as captives.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:8 word by word
כַּפֵּר֩ לְעַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ יְהוָ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּן֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֖רֶב עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הַדָּֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Be mercifulכִּפֶּרkâphar · to atoneH3722
- O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- unto thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- whom thou hast redeemedפָּדָהpâdâh · to ransomH6299
- and layנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- not innocentנָקִיnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- chargeקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:8
- 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.
- 2 Samuel 3:28When David heard about it, he declared, “I vow by the Lord that I and my kingdom are forever innocent of this crime against Abner son of Ner.
- 2 Kings 24:4who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.
- Psalms 19:12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
- Jeremiah 26:15But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard.”
- Ezekiel 23:3They became prostitutes in Egypt. Even as young girls, they allowed men to fondle their breasts.
- Jonah 1:14Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
- Matthew 23:35As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:15For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:8
- 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 21:8
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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