Deuteronomy 21:1-6

1 When the carrion of a man slain is found in the land which thy Lord God shall give to thee, and he that is guilty of his death is unknown, (When the corpse of a slain man is found in the land which the Lord thy God shall give to thee, and he who is guilty of his death is unknown,)

2 the greater men in birth and thy judges shall go out, and they shall mete from the place of the carrion the spaces of all the cities about; (the men of great age, that is, the elders, and the judges shall go out, and they shall measure the distance from the corpse to all the cities thereabouts;)

3 and which city they see to be nearer that carrion, than another, the elder men of that city shall take of [the] drove a cow calf, that hath not drawn yoke, neither hath cut the earth with a (plow)share; (and whichever city they see to be nearer to that corpse, than any other, the elders of that city shall take a cow calf from the herd, that hath not yet worn a yoke, nor hath cut the earth with a plowshare;)

4 and they shall lead that cow calf to a sharp stony valley, that was never eared, nor received seed; and in that valley they shall cut the head off the cow calf. (and they shall lead that cow calf to a valley of sharp stones, that was never plowed, nor received seed; and in that valley they shall cut off the head of the cow calf.)

5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall nigh, which thy Lord God chose, that they minister to him, and bless in his name, and all the cause shall hang at their word; and whatever thing is clean either unclean, be it deemed by them. (And the levitical priests shall come forth, whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and bless in his name, and all the cases shall hang on their words; and whatever thing is clean or unclean, shall be judged, or determined, by them.)

6 And the greater men in birth of that city shall come to the slain man, and they shall wash their hands on the cow calf, that was slain in the valley; (And the men of great age, that is, the elders, of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall come, and they shall wash their hands over the cow calf, that was killed in the valley;)

Deuteronomy 21:1-6 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.