Deuteronomy 21:1-9

Unsolved Murders

1 "If a murder victim is found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

2 your elders and judges must come out and measure [the distance] from the victim to the nearby cities.

3 The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a cow that has not been yoked or used for work.

4 The elders of that city will bring the cow down to a continually flowing stream, to a place not tilled or sown, and they will break the cow's neck there by the stream.

5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in the Lord's name, and they are to give a ruling in^[a] every dispute and [case of] assault.

6 All the elders of the city nearest to the victim will wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken.

7 They will declare, 'Our hands did not shed this blood; our eyes did not see [it].

8 Lord, forgive Your people Israel You redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.' Then they will be absolved of responsibility for bloodshed.

9 You must purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, for you will be doing what is right in the Lord's sight.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit and according to their mouth will be