Deuteronomy 21 · Kingdoms of Scripture

1If a slain person is found on the soil that Yahweh your God is giving you to take possession of, lying in the field, and it is not known who struck him,

2then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure to the cities that are around the slain person.

3And it shall be the city nearest the slain person. The elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked, that has not pulled in a yoke,

4and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to an enduring wadi, which is not worked and is not sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the wadi.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nachal eitan is an enduring wadi, a stream bed that keeps water. Araf is to break the neck.

5The priests, the sons of Levi, shall draw near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of Yahweh, and by their mouth every dispute and every mark shall be settled.

6All the elders of that city, the ones nearest the slain person, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi.

7They shall answer and say, Our hands has not poured this blood, and our eyes did not see.

Notes (1)

Text
The written consonants are שפכה, a singular verb, “it poured.” The Masoretic reading is שפכו, “they poured.” The subject is “our hands.” The written singular is printed.

8Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you ransomed, Yahweh, and do not set innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel. And the blood shall be atoned for them.

Notes (1)

Translation
Kapper is to make atonement. Padita is you ransomed. The words are spoken to Yahweh.

9And you shall burn out the innocent blood from your midst, for you shall do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

10When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God gives him into your hand, and you take his captives,

11and you see among the captives a woman beautiful in form, and you desire her and take her for yourself as a wife,

12you shall bring her inside your house, and she shall shave her head and do her nails,

Notes (1)

Translation
Asetah et tsiporneha is she shall do her nails. The verb does not say whether she cuts them or lets them grow.

13and she shall take off the clothing of her captivity, and she shall stay in your house and weep for her father and her mother a month of days. After that you shall go in to her and become her husband, and she shall be your wife.

14And it shall be, if you do not delight in her, you shall let her go where she will. You shall not sell her for silver. You shall not treat her as goods, because you have humbled her.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tit’ammer is a rare verb. It is printed as treating her as goods for trade. The line also says you humbled her.

15If a man has two wives, one loved and one hated, and they bear him sons, the loved one and the hated one, and the firstborn son belongs to the hated one,

16then on the day he gives his sons what is his as an inheritance, he shall not be able to treat the son of the loved one as firstborn ahead of the son of the hated one, the firstborn.

17For he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated one, by giving him a double share in all that is found for him, for he is the first of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Pi shnayim is a double share, two mouthfuls. Reshit ono is the first of his strength. Mishpat ha-bekhorah is the right of the firstborn.

18If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not listen to his father’s voice or to his mother’s voice, and they discipline him and he does not listen to them,

19his father and his mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.

20They shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He does not listen to our voice. He is a glutton and a drunk.

Notes (1)

Translation
Zolel is a glutton. Sove is a drunk.

21Then all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall die. You shall burn out the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

22If a man has an offense with a judgment of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

Notes (1)

Translation
Etz is a tree, or the wood of a tree.

23his corpse shall not stay the night on the tree. You shall bury, bury him that same day, for one who is hanged is God’s curse, and you shall not make unclean your soil that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nevelah is a corpse. Qilelat Elohim talui is printed in the written order: one who is hanged is God’s curse. The construct can also be heard as cursed by God. No copy writes a different phrase.

1If a slain person is found on the soil that Yahweh your God is giving you to take possession of, lying in the field, and it is not known who struck him,

2then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure to the cities that are around the slain person.

3And it shall be the city nearest the slain person. The elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked, that has not pulled in a yoke,

4and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to an enduring wadi, which is not worked and is not sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the wadi.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nachal eitan is an enduring wadi, a stream bed that keeps water. Araf is to break the neck.

5The priests, the sons of Levi, shall draw near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve him and to bless in the name of Yahweh, and by their mouth every dispute and every mark shall be settled.

6All the elders of that city, the ones nearest the slain person, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi.

7They shall answer and say, Our hands has not poured this blood, and our eyes did not see.

Notes (1)

Text
The written consonants are שפכה, a singular verb, “it poured.” The Masoretic reading is שפכו, “they poured.” The subject is “our hands.” The written singular is printed.

8Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you ransomed, Yahweh, and do not set innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel. And the blood shall be atoned for them.

Notes (1)

Translation
Kapper is to make atonement. Padita is you ransomed. The words are spoken to Yahweh.

9And you shall burn out the innocent blood from your midst, for you shall do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

10When you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God gives him into your hand, and you take his captives,

11and you see among the captives a woman beautiful in form, and you desire her and take her for yourself as a wife,

12you shall bring her inside your house, and she shall shave her head and do her nails,

Notes (1)

Translation
Asetah et tsiporneha is she shall do her nails. The verb does not say whether she cuts them or lets them grow.

14And it shall be, if you do not delight in her, you shall let her go where she will. You shall not sell her for silver. You shall not treat her as goods, because you have humbled her.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tit’ammer is a rare verb. It is printed as treating her as goods for trade. The line also says you humbled her.

15If a man has two wives, one loved and one hated, and they bear him sons, the loved one and the hated one, and the firstborn son belongs to the hated one,

16then on the day he gives his sons what is his as an inheritance, he shall not be able to treat the son of the loved one as firstborn ahead of the son of the hated one, the firstborn.

17For he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated one, by giving him a double share in all that is found for him, for he is the first of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Pi shnayim is a double share, two mouthfuls. Reshit ono is the first of his strength. Mishpat ha-bekhorah is the right of the firstborn.

18If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not listen to his father’s voice or to his mother’s voice, and they discipline him and he does not listen to them,

19his father and his mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place.

20They shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He does not listen to our voice. He is a glutton and a drunk.

Notes (1)

Translation
Zolel is a glutton. Sove is a drunk.

21Then all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, and he shall die. You shall burn out the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

22If a man has an offense with a judgment of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

Notes (1)

Translation
Etz is a tree, or the wood of a tree.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nevelah is a corpse. Qilelat Elohim talui is printed in the written order: one who is hanged is God’s curse. The construct can also be heard as cursed by God. No copy writes a different phrase.