Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, October 27th, 2024
the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Deuteronomy 21:6

And all the elders of that city nearest to the one slain shall wash their hands by the stream, over the heifer whose neck was broken.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ablution;   Church;   Government;   Hand;   Heifer;   Homicide;   Innocency;   Inquest;   Purification;   Washing;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hands;   Washing;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Blood;   Hands, the;   Murder;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Sacrifice;   Washing;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Elder;   Priest;   Uncleanness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kinsman-Redeemer;   Leadership;   Murder;   Priest, Priesthood;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ablution;   Heifer;   Murder;   Purification;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Blood;   Murder;   Unclean and Clean;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ablutions;   Blood;   Court Systems;   Crimes and Punishments;   Elder;   Gestures;   Heifer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Hand;   Justice;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Gestures;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Elders;   Heifer;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Blood;   Elder;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Murder;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gesture;   Heifer;   Heifer, Red;   Homicide;   Prayer;   Salvation;   Wash;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ablution;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abrogation of Laws;   Charity and Charitable Institutions;   Eleazar B. Dinai;   Homicide;   Judge;   Nashim;   Saul;   Soá¹­ah;   Teḥina, Abba;  

Parallel Translations

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,
Update Bible Version
And all the elders of that city, who are nearest to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
English Revised 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:
New Century Version
Then all the elders of the city nearest the murdered person should wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken in the valley.
New English Translation
and all the elders of that city nearest the corpse must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
Webster's Bible Translation
And all the elders of that city [that are] next to the slain [man], shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
World English Bible
All the elders of that city, who are nearest to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
Amplified Bible
"All the elders of that city nearest to the dead man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the grettere men in birthe of that citee schulen come to the slayn man, and thei schulen waische her hondis on the cow calf, that was slayn in the valei;
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,
Berean Standard Bible
Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken,
Contemporary English Version
The town leaders will wash their hands over the body of the dead cow
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;
Bible in Basic English
And all the responsible men of that town which is nearest to the dead man, washing their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the valley,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And all the elders of the citie that come foorth to the slayne man, shall washe their handes ouer the heyffer that is beheaded in the valley,
Complete Jewish Bible
All the leaders of the town nearest the murder victim are to wash their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the vadi.
Darby 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,
Easy-to-Read Version
All the leaders of the town nearest the dead body must wash their hands over the cow that had its neck broken in the valley.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
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.
King James Version (1611)
And all the Elders of that city that are next vnto the slaine man, shal wash their hands ouer the heifer that is beheaded in the valley.
New Life Bible
All the leaders of that city nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken in the valley.
New Revised Standard
All the elders of that town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, all the elders of that city who are nearest unto the slain, shall bathe their hands over the heifer that hath boon beheaded in the ravine,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And all the Elders of that citie that came neere to the slayne man, shal wash their hands ouer the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
George Lamsa Translation
And all the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer which is slaughtered in the valley;
Good News Translation
Then all the leaders from the town nearest the place where the murdered person was found are to wash their hands over the cow
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,
Revised 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;
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And all the elders of that city who draw nigh to the slain man shall wash their hands over the head of the heifer which was slain in the valley;
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.
Hebrew Names Version
All the Zakenim of that city, who are nearest to the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
King James Version
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:
Lexham English Bible
And all of the elders of that city nearest to the slain person shall wash their hands over the heifer with the broken neck in the wadi.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And all the Elders of the same cite shall come forth vnto the slayne, & wash their handes ouer ye yonge cowe, whose heade is stricken of in the valley,
New American Standard Bible
"And all the elders of that city which is nearest to the person killed shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
New King James 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 Living Translation
"The elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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;
Legacy Standard Bible
And all the elders of that city who are nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

Contextual Overview

1 If one is found slain in the land which Jehovah your God is giving to you, to possess it, lying in the field, and it is not known who has struck him; 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out. And they shall measure to the cities which are around the one slain. 3 And it shall be, that the city nearest to the one slain, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked with, and which has not drawn in the yoke. 4 And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to an ever-flowing stream, which is not plowed nor sown. And they shall break the heifer's neck there by the stream. 5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near (for Jehovah your God has chosen them to minister to Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah) and by their mouth shall every controversy and every stroke be tried . 6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the one slain shall wash their hands by the stream, over the heifer whose neck was broken. 7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it. 8 O Jehovah, be merciful to Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 9 And you shall put away the innocent blood from among you, for you shall do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wash their hands: Washing the hands was anciently a symbolical action, denoting that the person was innocent of the crime in question. Job 9:30, Psalms 19:12, Psalms 26:6, Psalms 51:2, Psalms 51:7, Psalms 51:14, Psalms 73:13, Jeremiah 2:22, Matthew 27:24, Matthew 27:25, Hebrews 9:10

Reciprocal: 1 Timothy 1:9 - manslayers

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
And Abraham fell on his face and laughed. And he said in his heart, Shall one be born to a son of a hundred years? And shall Sarah bear, a daughter of ninety years?
Genesis 21:12
And God said to Abraham, Let it not be evil in your eyes because of the boy, and on account of your slave-girl. All that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice, for in Isaac your Seed shall be called.
Genesis 21:15
And the water from the skin was finished, and she put the boy under one of the shrubs.
Genesis 21:21
And he lived in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
Genesis 21:22
And it happened at that time Abimelech and Phicol, the general of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you do.
Genesis 21:27
And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave to Abimelech, and both of them cut a covenant.
Genesis 21:28
And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Psalms 113:9
He causes the barren to live in the house as the joyful mother of sons. Praise Jehovah!
Psalms 126:2
Then our mouth was full of laughter, and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, Jehovah will work great things with these.
Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her suckling child, from pitying the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will surely not forget you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And all the elders of that city that are next unto the slain man,.... The whole court of judicature belonging to it, all the magistracy of it; even though there were an hundred of them, Maimonides x says:

shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: in token of their innocence, and this they did not only for themselves, but for the whole city, being the representatives of it; see

Psalms 26:6. Some think that this is a confirmation of the sense embraced by some, that it was a strong stream to which the heifer was brought; and there might be a stream of water here, and a valley also; though it would be no great difficulty to get from the city, which was near, a sufficient quantity of water to wash the hands of the elders with. This may denote the purification of sin by the blood of Christ, when it is confessed over him; and shows that priests and elders, ministers of the word, as well as others, stand in need of it; and that even those concerned in the death of Christ shared in the benefits of it.

x Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 9. sect. 3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 21:6. Shall wash their hands over the heifer — Washing the hands, in reference to such a subject as this, was a rite anciently used to signify that the persons thus washing were innocent of the crime in question. It was probably from the Jews that Pilate learned this symbolical method of expressing his innocence.


 
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