Deuteronomy 21: An unsolved killing, a captive wife, the firstborn, and a rebellious son
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses gives the rite for a body found in a field when no one knows who killed him: the elders of the nearest city break a heifer's neck in a valley, wash their hands, and ask Yahweh to forgive. Then come laws for marrying a woman taken captive in war, for the firstborn son of a wife who is not loved, and for a stubborn and rebellious son, who is to be stoned. The body of a man put to death and hanged on a tree is to be buried the same day.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks in all 23 verses. Inside his speech he gives the words the elders are to say (verses 7 and 8) and the words the parents are to say (verse 20). None of it is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1If someone is found slain in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, lying in the field, and it isn’t known who has struck him,
In plain English: If someone is found killed, lying in a field in the land Yahweh your God is giving you to possess, and no one knows who struck him,
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2then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain.
In plain English: then your elders and your judges are to go out and measure the distance to the cities around the body.
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3It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn’t been worked with and which has not drawn in the yoke.
In plain English: The elders of the city nearest to the body are to take a young cow from the herd, one that has never been worked and has never pulled in a yoke.
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4The 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.
In plain English: The elders of that city are to bring the young cow down to a valley with a stream that always flows (literally: an ever-flowing wadi), land that has not been plowed or sown, and break the young cow's neck there in the valley.
The Hebrew word: "Break the neck" is araph, which the dictionary gives as "to break the neck". The same word is used for a firstborn donkey that is not redeemed in and .
Good to know: The text does not explain why the rite is done this way. It says what is done and what the elders say.
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5The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.
In plain English: The priests, the sons of Levi, are to come forward, because Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in Yahweh's name, and by their word (literally: on their mouth) every dispute and every assault (literally: wound) is to be settled.
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6All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
In plain English: All the elders of the city nearest to the body are to wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken in the valley.
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7They shall answer and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
In plain English: They are to answer and say, "Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see it happen.
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8Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.
In plain English: Yahweh, forgive (or: make atonement for) your people Israel, whom you have rescued (literally: ransomed), and do not let innocent blood stay among your people Israel." Then the blood will be forgiven them.
The Hebrew word: "Forgive" is kaphar, the word for making atonement in Leviticus. The dictionary gives it as "to cover", and figuratively "to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel".
How it is translated: This Bible says "atone" or a longer form in 77 of the 94 verses that use kaphar. Here it says "forgive" and "forgiven".
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9So you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, when you shall do that which is right in Yahweh’s eyes.
In plain English: So you will remove the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when you do what is right in Yahweh's eyes.
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10When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands and you carry them away captive,
In plain English: When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God gives them into your hand, and you take them captive,
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11and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her, and desire to take her as your wife,
In plain English: and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her and want to take her as your wife,
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12then you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails.
In plain English: then you are to bring her home to your house. She is to shave her head and trim her nails (literally: do her nails; or: let her nails grow).
The Hebrew words: "Trim her nails" is literally "do her nails", with the everyday word for "do" or "make" (asah).
What changes: Read as "trim", she cuts her nails, along with shaving her head. Read as "let them grow", she leaves them uncared for while she mourns. The Hebrew does not say which, and readers differ.
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13She shall take off the clothing of her captivity, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. After that you shall go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.
In plain English: She is to take off the clothes she was captured in, stay in your house, and mourn for her father and her mother for a full month. After that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she will be your wife.
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14It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she desires; but you shall not sell her at all for money. You shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.
In plain English: If you are no longer pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, because you have humbled her (or: humiliated her).
The Hebrew word: "Humbled" is anah, which the dictionary gives as "to depress", to bring low. It is the word used of Dinah in , and in this book in and .
How it is translated: In Deuteronomy this Bible says "humble" or a longer form in 6 of the 7 verses that use anah. In the whole Bible it says "afflict" or a longer form most often, in 43 of its 79 verses.
Good to know: The text gives the rules as they stand: a month of mourning before the marriage, and if the man no longer wants her, she goes free and may not be sold. Readers differ on how to read this law.
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15If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated,
In plain English: If a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated (or: loved less), and both the loved one and the hated one have borne him sons, and the firstborn son is the son of the hated one,
The Hebrew word: "Hated" is sane, the everyday word for "to hate". This Bible says "hate" or a longer form in all 18 verses of Deuteronomy that use it.
What changes: Read as "hated", the man dislikes one wife. Read as "loved less", one wife is loved more than the other. says Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and the next verse, , says "Leah was hated".
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16then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the son of the beloved the rights of the firstborn before the son of the hated, who is the firstborn;
In plain English: then on the day he divides what he owns among his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved wife as the firstborn in place of the son of the hated wife, who is the firstborn.
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17but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
In plain English: He must recognize the son of the hated wife as the firstborn, by giving him a double share (literally: a mouth of two) of all he has, because he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
The Hebrew words: "A double portion" is literally "a mouth of two", pi shenayim. The same words are used when Elisha asks for "a double portion" of Elijah's spirit in .
Good to know: "The beginning of his strength" is also what Jacob calls his firstborn Reuben in .
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18If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not listen to them,
In plain English: If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and even when they discipline him, he will not listen to them,
The Hebrew words: "Stubborn" is sorer, which the dictionary gives as "to turn away, i.e. (morally) be refractory". "Rebellious" is moreh, from a word the dictionary gives as "bitter (or unpleasant)", and figuratively "to rebel".
Good to know: Both the father and the mother bring the son, and the elders of the city hear the case. and also give death for attacking or cursing a father or mother. The text says this plainly. Readers differ on how to read such laws.
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19then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.
In plain English: then his father and his mother are to take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, at the gate of his town.
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20They shall tell the elders of his city, “This our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”
In plain English: They are to say to the elders of his city, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us (literally: our voice). He is a glutton and a drunkard."
The Hebrew word: "Glutton" is zolel, from a word the dictionary gives as "to shake", and figuratively "to be loose morally, worthless or prodigal". also puts "the drunkard and the glutton" together.
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21All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.
In plain English: Then all the men of his city are to stone him to death. So you will remove the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
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22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,
In plain English: If a man has committed a sin that deserves death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree (or: on wood),
Good to know: The order in the verse is plain: the man is put to death, and then his body is hung up. The text does not say how long it hangs during the day.
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23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Don’t defile your land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.
In plain English: his body must not stay on the tree all night. You must bury him that same day, because a man who is hanged is cursed by God (or: is an insult to God). You must not make unclean the land Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance.
The Hebrew words: "Accursed of God" is qilelat Elohim, literally "a curse of God". The dictionary gives the word for curse, qelalah, as "vilification". These two words stand together only in this verse.
How it is translated: This Bible says "curse" or a longer form in 29 of the 33 verses that use qelalah. Here it says "accursed".
What changes: Read as "cursed by God", the hanged man is under God's curse. Read as "a curse to God", the body left hanging is an insult to God. The Hebrew allows both, and readers differ.
Good to know: and tell of bodies taken down from trees at sundown. quotes "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" and applies it to Christ.
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