Deuteronomy 21 1

Deuteronomy 21:1 kjv

If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:

Deuteronomy 21:1 nkjv

"If anyone is found slain, lying in the field in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

Deuteronomy 21:1 niv

If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was,

Deuteronomy 21:1 esv

"If in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him,

Deuteronomy 21:1 nlt

"When you are in the land the LORD your God is giving you, someone may be found murdered in a field, and you don't know who committed the murder.

Deuteronomy 21 verses

Deuteronomy 21 1 Meaning

Deuteronomy 21:1 establishes the specific circumstance where a communal ritual atonement is required for an unsolved murder within the land of Israel. It describes the discovery of a violently killed person in an open field, where the identity of the slayer remains unknown. This situation of an unpunished, violent death brings defilement upon the land, necessitating a communal response to uphold the purity of the God-given inheritance and to avert divine wrath from the entire community.

Deuteronomy 21 1 Context

Deuteronomy 21 begins a section of laws (Deut 21-25) dealing with various aspects of communal life, moral purity, and justice within the promised land. This chapter specifically addresses situations requiring a communal response to uphold God's covenant and maintain the purity of the land. The preceding chapters primarily outline the general principles of the law, while 21-25 detail specific cases. Verse 1 introduces the rare and troubling scenario of an unsolved murder, a grave crime that defiles the land. The ritual prescribed in 21:2-9, following the discovery, emphasizes the corporate responsibility of the community and its leaders (elders and priests) to acknowledge the bloodguilt, demonstrate a communal cleansing effort, and seek atonement for a sin for which no individual culprit could be identified or punished. This section highlights the seriousness of bloodshed in Israel, especially as they prepared to enter the holy land given by God, where divine presence required moral and ritual purity.

Deuteronomy 21 1 Word analysis

• If one be found slain:

  • "If" (וְכִי - vechi): Introduces a conditional scenario, a hypothetical case.
  • "be found" (יִמָּצֵא - yimatse): From the root מָצָא (matsa), "to find, discover." Implies an unexpected and perhaps accidental discovery rather than a known or witnessed event.
  • "slain" (חָלָל - chalal): This is a crucial term. It describes someone "pierced," "wounded," or "slain," specifically indicating a violent, usually fatal, injury. It's often used for those fallen in battle or murdered, implying an unnatural and forceful end to life, distinct from natural death. Its use emphasizes the heinous nature of the discovery.

• in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it:

  • "in the land" (בָּאָרֶץ - ba'aretz): Emphasizes the geographical location within the covenant land given by God to Israel.
  • "which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ - asher YHWH Eloheykha noten lekha): A fundamental Deuteronomic theme. The land is a divine gift, intrinsically linked to the covenant and God's holiness. This phrase highlights why its defilement by innocent blood is so grievous; it's an affront to the Giver.
  • "to possess it" (לְרִשְׁתָּהּ - lerishtah): Implies inheriting and settling it, indicating ownership and responsibility. The purity of the land is intrinsically tied to Israel's ability to truly inhabit and thrive within God's covenant blessings.

• lying in the field:

  • "lying" (נֹפֵל - nofel): From the root נָפַל (nafal), "to fall, lie prostrate." It indicates a fallen, exposed body, suggesting neglect, disrespect for the dead, and the public visibility of the injustice, unlike a concealed or buried corpse.
  • "in the field" (בַּשָּׂדֶה - basadeh): "In the open country," a desolate or less-trafficked area, implying the crime occurred secretly or the body was disposed of where it wouldn't immediately be found. This contrasts with a body found within a city.

• and it be not known who hath slain him:

  • "not known" (לֹא נוֹדַע - lo noda): This is the central legal condition. It explicitly states the perpetrator is unknown, setting this case apart from other murder cases where a known killer could be brought to justice (Num 35:16-32). This ignorance of the guilty party is what triggers the specific communal atonement ritual detailed in the subsequent verses.
  • "who hath slain him" (מִי הִכָּהוּ - mi hikkahu): Literally, "who struck him" or "who smote him." The use of "struck" emphasizes the act of violence that caused death. The absence of this knowledge shifts the moral burden from individual prosecution to communal expiation.

Deuteronomy 21 1 Bonus section

The specific law concerning an unsolved murder and the subsequent ritual in Deut 21:1-9 stands out from other Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) law codes, which typically focus on direct penalties for known offenders. The Deuteronomic law uniquely highlights the concept of corporate bloodguilt, where the entire community, specifically the elders of the closest city, bears responsibility for cleansing the land of unavenged innocent blood. This emphasis on communal purity and divine defilement of the land due to human sin (murder being among the gravest) is central to Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh. The ritual (slaying a heifer and the washing of hands) symbolizes both atonement and a public declaration of innocence and reliance on God to uncover the hidden truth, highlighting that true justice ultimately resides with Him. This teaches that even when human legal systems fail to identify a perpetrator, God sees all (Heb 4:13), and the community still has a duty to ritualistically cleanse itself and pray for divine expiation, preventing collective judgment.

Deuteronomy 21 1 Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:1 introduces a profound aspect of Israelite covenantal responsibility: the communal culpability for innocent bloodshed that goes unpunished. The verse lays the groundwork for an extraordinary legal procedure detailed in verses 2-9, designed to address bloodguilt when the individual murderer is unknown. The very act of an unsolved murder within the land, especially when the body lies exposed, is viewed as a severe defilement. This is not merely a crime against an individual but an affront to God, who gifted the land and commanded justice. The "land which the Lord thy God giveth" is key, emphasizing that Israel's habitation in Canaan is contingent upon maintaining its holiness. An unavenged slaying symbolically "cries out" to God, polluting the divine gift and risking divine judgment upon the entire community, as seen in other biblical accounts (Gen 4:10, Num 35:33-34, 2 Sam 21:1). Thus, this initial verse, with its focus on the unknown perpetrator and the exposed body in the sacred land, establishes the dire necessity for corporate ritual atonement, demonstrating the community's acknowledgment of the injustice, their disavowal of complicity, and their plea for cleansing. This ancient law underscores the interconnectedness of individual actions, communal responsibility, and the sanctity of the land in the eyes of God.