Deuteronomy 21:1-9

1 If, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess, a body is found lying in open country, and it is not known who struck the person down,

2 then your elders and your judges shall come out to measure the distances to the towns that are near the body.

3 The elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked, one that has not pulled in the yoke;

4 the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to a wadi with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the wadi.

5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord, and by their decision all cases of dispute and assault shall be settled.

6 All the elders of that town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi,

7 and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to it.

8 Absolve, O Lord, your people Israel, whom you redeemed; do not let the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel." Then they will be absolved of bloodguilt.

9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, because you must do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 21

This chapter treats of the beheading of the heifer, for the expiation of unknown murder, and the rules to be observed in it, De 21:1-9 of a beautiful captive woman an Israelite is desirous of having for his wife, and what methods he must take to accomplish it, De 21:10-14, of giving the double portion to the firstborn, which he must not be deprived of in favour of the son of a beloved wife, De 21:15-17 and of the stubborn and rebellious son, who remaining so must be put to death, De 21:18-21 and of burying a person hanged on a tree the same day he is executed, De 21:22,23.