Deuteronomy 21:6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

◄ Deuteronomy 21:6 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

English Standard Version
And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

New American Standard Bible
"All 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;

King James Bible
And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
All the elders of the city nearest to the victim will wash their hands by the stream over the young cow whose neck has been broken.

International Standard Version
All the elders of the city nearest the dead body are to wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

American Standard Version
And all the elders of that city, who are nearest unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the ancients of that city shall come to the person slain, and shall wash their hands over the heifer that was killed in the valley,

Darby Bible Translation
And all the elders of that city, that are nearest unto him that is slain, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck is broken in the watercourse,

Young's Literal Translation
and all the elders of that city, who are near unto the slain one, do wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley,

Cross References

Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see you to it.

Deuteronomy 21:7
And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

2 Samuel 3:29
Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls on the sword, or that lacks bread.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

21:1-9 If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread and detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often wonderfully brought to light these hidden works of darkness, and the sin of the guilty has often strangely found them out. The dread of murder should be deeply impressed upon every heart, and all should join in detecting and punishing those who are guilty. The elders were to profess that they had not been any way aiding or abetting the sin. The priests were to pray to God for the country and nation, that God would be merciful. We must empty that measure by our prayers, which others are filling by their sins. All would be taught by this solemnity, to use the utmost care and diligence to prevent, discover, and punish murder. We may all learn from hence to take heed of partaking in other men's sins. And we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, if we do not reprove them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

CHAPTER 21

De 21:1-9. Expiation of Uncertain Murder.

1-6. If one be found slain … lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him—The ceremonies here ordained to be observed on the discovery of a slaughtered corpse show the ideas of sanctity which the Mosaic law sought to associate with human blood, the horror which murder inspired, as well as the fears that were felt lest God should avenge it on the country at large, and the pollution which the land was supposed to contract from the effusion of innocent, unexpiated blood. According to Jewish writers, the Sanhedrin, taking charge of such a case, sent a deputation to examine the neighborhood. They reported to the nearest town to the spot where the body was found. An order was then issued by their supreme authority to the elders or magistrates of that town, to provide the heifer at the civic expense and go through the appointed ceremonial. The engagement of the public authorities in the work of expiation, the purchase of the victim heifer, the conducting it to a "rough valley" which might be at a considerable distance, and which, as the original implies, was a wady, a perennial stream, in the waters of which the polluting blood would be wiped away from the land, and a desert withal, incapable of cultivation; the washing of the hands, which was an ancient act symbolical of innocence—the whole of the ceremonial was calculated to make a deep impression on the Jewish, as well as on the Oriental, mind generally; to stimulate the activity of the magistrates in the discharge of their official duties; to lead to the discovery of the criminal, and the repression of crime.