Deuteronomy 21

1 If one is found slain [murdered, or killed], lying [fallen, in a state of death] in a field [open country, a flat area of land] in the land [the earth, the ground] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is giving [bestowing, granting] you to possess [take control of, occupy], and it is not known [unknown, a mystery] who [which person, an unknown individual] killed him, word study 2 your elders [responsible men, leaders] and judges [those who govern, vindicate] must come out [go forth, exit] and measure [stretch, extend] the distance from the victim [the slain one, the dead body] to the neighboring [round about, surrounding] cities [towns, settlements]. word study 3 Then the elders [responsible men, leaders] of the city [town, settlement] nearest [close to, adjacent to] the victim [slain man, person] shall take [select, choose] a heifer [young female calf, nearly grown] that has never been yoked [put under a yoke, used for work] or used for work [employed in labor, utilized for a task], word study 4 bring the heifer [a young female calf, nearly grown] to a valley [a low area of land, a brook or stream] with running water [a strong and permanent stream, never to be stopped] that has not been plowed [worked or cultivated] or sown [planted with seeds], and break its neck [to destroy or kill, often used to describe beheading or cutting off] there [in that place, at that time] by the stream [a small river or valley]. word study 5 And the priests [the spiritual leaders, ministers of God], the sons of Levi [descendants of the tribe of Levi], shall come forward [approach, draw near], for the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] has chosen [selected, appointed] them to serve [minister, worship] Him and pronounce [declare, speak] blessings [praise, thanksgiving] in His name [authority, character] and to give [render, provide] a ruling [judgment, decision] in every [all, any] dispute [strife, contention] and case of assault [plague, violence]. word study 6 Then all [the entire group of] the elders [respected leaders, old in wisdom] of the city [town, settlement] nearest [close in proximity, adjacent] the victim [slain man, one who has been killed] shall wash [to cleanse, purify] their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] by the stream [brook, small river] over the heifer [young female calf, nearly grown] whose neck has been broken [beheaded, killed by cutting off], word study 7 and they shall declare [answer and say, testify], “Our hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] did not shed [pour out, spill] this blood [the liquid essential for life], nor did our eyes [the source of sight and perception] see [look after, care for] it [this death, this tragedy]. word study 8 Accept this atonement [to cover, make amends], O LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel], for Your people [nation, those belonging to You] Israel [the descendants of Jacob] whom You have redeemed [ransomed, set free], and do not hold [suffer not, lay not to charge] the shedding of innocent [morally clean, guiltless] blood against them [Your people, those You have rescued].” And the bloodshed [the shedding of blood, violence] will be atoned for [forgiven, covered]. word study 9 So you [as a nation, personally] shall purge [remove, put away] from among you [your midst, internally] the guilt [crime, moral blame] of shedding [spilling, taking] innocent [morally clean, guiltless] blood [life], since you have done [accomplished, made] what is right [just, straight] in the eyes [sight, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 10 When you go [forth, out to battle] to war [battle, conflict] against your enemies [adversaries, those who oppose you] and the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one true God] delivers [gives, hands over] them into your hand [power, control] and you take [capture, carry away] them captive [as prisoners, in bondage], word study 11 if you see [among the captives, in the number of the captives] a beautiful [fair, lovely] woman [female person, wife] among them, and you desire [have a desire unto, are attracted to] her and want to take [get, capture] her as your wife [to thee to wife, for a wife], word study 12 then you shall bring her into your house [to thine house, as a dwelling place]. She must shave [lay waste, be bald] her head [the topmost part of the body], trim [pare, cut] her nails [fingernail, point of a stylus], word study 13 and put aside [remove, take off] the clothing [garment, apparel] of her captivity [state of being held prisoner, bondage]. After she has lived [dwelt, remained] in your house [dwelling place, home] a full month [lunar cycle, thirty days] and mourned [wept, lamented] her father [parent, ancestor] and mother [female parent, nurturer], you may have relations [be intimate, unite] with her and be her husband [spouse, partner], and she shall be [become, exist as] your wife [woman, companion]. word study 14 And if you are not pleased [have no delight, do not take pleasure] with her, you are to let her go [send her away, release her] wherever she wishes [desires, chooses to go]. But you must not sell [make merchandise of, treat as a commodity] her for money [silver, payment] or treat her as a slave [deal with her harshly, oppress her], since you have dishonored [humbled, brought low] her. word study 15 If a man [husband, male person] has two wives [women, female partners], one [the first, primary] beloved [loved, cherished, with affection] and the other [second, secondary] unloved [hated, disliked, with hostility], and both [together, as a pair] bear him sons [male children, descendants], but the unloved [despised, unwanted] wife has the firstborn [first in birth order, primary] son [male child, heir], word study 16 when that man assigns [gives or bequeaths] his inheritance [property or possessions] to his sons he must not appoint [designate or declare] the son of the beloved [loved or favored] wife as the firstborn [born first, holding priority] over the son of the unloved [hated or unwanted] wife. word study 17 Instead, he must acknowledge [recognize, treat as legitimate] the firstborn [the first in birth, the one with birthright], the son of his unloved [hated, disliked] wife, by giving him a double portion [twice as much, a full share] of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits [the beginning, the foremost] of his father’s strength [power, ability]; the right of the firstborn [the birthright, the privilege] belongs to him. word study 18 If a man [a male person, individual] has a stubborn [hard-hearted, uncontrolled] and rebellious [apostatizing, disobedient] son who does not obey [listen to, heed] his father [parental authority] and mother [maternal figure] and does not listen [hear, pay attention] to them when disciplined [chastened, corrected, punished], word study 19 his father [parent, paternal figure] and mother [maternal figure, nurturer] are to lay hold [capture, seize] of him and bring him to the elders [respected leaders, wise men] of his city [town, community], to the gate [entrance, doorway] of his hometown [place of residence, community], word study 20 and say to the elders [of his city], “This son of ours [our child, our descendant] is stubborn [hard-hearted, uncontrolled] and rebellious [to rebel, turn away]; he does not obey [give attention to, listen to] us. He is a glutton [a worthless drunk, morally loose] and a drunkard [given to liquor, carousal].” word study 21 Then all [every single one] the men [male individuals, citizens] of his city [town, community] will stone [kill by throwing stones, execute] him to death [physical death, eternal separation]. So you must purge [remove, eliminate] the evil [moral harm, wickedness] from among [out of the midst, within] you, and all [every single one] Israel [God’s chosen people] will hear [listen, obey] and be afraid [reverent, fearful]. word study 22 If a man [a male person, individual] has committed a sin [crime, offense, missing the mark] worthy of death [punishment by dying, mortal penalty], and he is executed [put to death, killed as a punishment], and you hang his body [corpse, dead body] on a tree [wooden plank, gibbet, post], word study 23 you must not leave the body [corpse, dead person] on the tree [wooden plank, gallows] overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung [executed, suspended] on a tree is under God’s [Elohim, divine] curse [condemnation, judgment]. You must not defile [make unclean, pollute] the land [earth, territory] that the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God is giving you as an inheritance [possession, heritage]. word study