Devarim 21:7

7 And they shall answer and say, Yadeinu (our hands) are not guilty of shefach dahm (shedding blood), neither have our eyes seen it.

Devarim 21:7 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:7

And they shall answer and say
The elders of the city, at the time of the washing of their hands:

our hands have not shed this blood;
have been no ways concerned in it, nor accessory to it: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``it is manifest before the Lord that he did not come into our hands, nor did we dismiss him, that has shed this blood;''

which is more fully explained in the Misnah ^F25; for had they been aware of him, or had any suspicion of him or his design, they would have detained him, or at least would not have suffered him to have departed alone:

neither have our eyes seen;
it, or him; so the Targum of Jerusalem,

``our eyes have not seen him that hath shed this blood;''

by which expression is meant, that they had no manner of knowledge of the murderer, nor of any circumstance that could lead them to suspect or conclude who he was.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Ut supra, (Sotah. c. 9.) sect. 6.

Devarim 21:7 In-Context

5 And the kohanim the Bnei Levi shall come near; for them Hashem Eloheicha hath chosen to minister unto Him, and to bless in the Shem of Hashem; and by their word shall every controversy and every assault be tried;

6 And all the zekenim of that town, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

7 And they shall answer and say, Yadeinu (our hands) are not guilty of shefach dahm (shedding blood), neither have our eyes seen it.

8 Kapper (atone), O Hashem, for Thy people Yisroel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not dahm naki (innocent blood) unto the charge of Thy people Yisroel. And the shefach dahm shall be atoned for.

9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of dahm naki from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of Hashem.