Deuteronomy 19:21

Contemporary English Version

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Do not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Hebrew Names Version
Your eyes shall not pity; life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

King James Version
And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Lexham English Bible
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."

English Standard Version
Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New Century Version
Show no mercy. A life must be paid for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot.

New English Translation
You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.

Amplified Bible
"You shall not show pity [to the guilty one]: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New American Standard Bible
"So you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore thine eye shall have no compassion, but life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foote for foote.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus your eye shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Complete Jewish Bible
Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Darby Translation
And thine eye shall not spare: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Easy-to-Read Version
"Don't feel sorry about punishing someone who does wrong. If a life is taken, a life must be paid for it. The rule is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot—the punishment must equal the crime.

George Lamsa Translation
And your eye shall not pity; but life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Good News Translation
In such cases show no mercy; the punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.

Literal Translation
And your eye shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thine eye shall not pitie him. Soule for soule, eye for eye, tothe for tothe, hande for hande, fote for fote.

American Standard Version
And thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Bible in Basic English
Have no pity; let life be given for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thine eye shall haue no copassion, but lyfe for lyfe, eye for eye, toothe for toothe, hande for hande, foote for foote.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thine eye shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

King James Version (1611)
And thine eye shall not pitie, but life shall goe for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Thine eye shall not spare him: thou shalt exact life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

English Revised Version
And thine eye shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Berean Standard Bible
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not haue mercy on hym, but thou schalt axe lijf for lijf, iye for iye, tooth for tooth, hond for hond, foot for foot.

Young's Literal Translation
and thine eye doth not pity -- life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Update Bible Version
And your eyes shall not pity; life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Webster's Bible Translation
And thy eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

World English Bible
Your eyes shall not pity; life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New King James Version
Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New Living Translation
You must show no pity for the guilty! Your rule should be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New Life Bible
Do not pity him. It will be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New Revised Standard
Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
neither shall thine eye pity, - life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not pity him, but shalt require life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Revised Standard Version
Your eye shall not pity; it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Moses said to Israel: In the land the Lord is giving you, there are already stones set up to mark the property lines between fields. So don't move those stones. ¹⁵ Moses said to Israel: Before you are convicted of a crime, at least two witnesses must be able to testify that you did it. ¹⁶ If you accuse someone of a crime, but seem to be lying, ¹⁷then both you and the accused must be taken to the court at the place where the Lord is worshiped. There the priests and judges will find out if you are lying or telling the truth. If you are lying and the accused is innocent, ¹⁹then you will be punished without mercy. You will receive the same punishment the accused would have received if found guilty, whether it means losing an eye, a tooth, a hand, a foot, or even your life. Israel, the crime of telling lies in court must be punished. And when people hear what happens to witnesses that lie, everyone else who testifies in court will tell the truth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thine eye: Deuteronomy 19:13

life shall: Exodus 21:23-25, Leviticus 24:17-21, Matthew 5:38, Matthew 5:39

Reciprocal: Genesis 45:20 - regard not Exodus 21:20 - smite Exodus 21:24 - General Leviticus 24:19 - General Leviticus 24:20 - General Deuteronomy 7:16 - thine eye Deuteronomy 25:12 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 4:7
If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling. But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it!

Genesis 12:2
I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.

Genesis 18:24
Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only fifty good people in it?

Genesis 19:8
I have two daughters who have never been married. I'll bring them out, and you can do what you want with them. But don't harm these men. They are guests in my home."

Genesis 19:9
"Don't get in our way," the crowd answered. "You're an outsider. What right do you have to order us around? We'll do worse things to you than we're going to do to them." The crowd kept arguing with Lot. Finally, they rushed toward the door to break it down.

Genesis 19:15
Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. They said, "Take your wife and your two daughters and get out of here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when the Lord destroys the city."

Genesis 19:16
At first, Lot just stood there. But the Lord wanted to save him. So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.

Psalms 34:15
If you obey the Lord , he will watch over you and answer your prayers.

Psalms 102:17
and the prayers of the homeless will be answered.

Psalms 145:19
You satisfy the desires of all your worshipers, and you come to save them when they ask for help.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thine eye shall not pity,.... The false witness when convicted; this is directed to the judges, who should not spare such an one through favour or affection, but pronounce a righteous sentence on him, and see it executed, in proportion to the crime, and that according to the law of retaliation:

but life shall go for life; in such a case where the life of a person must have gone, if the falsehood of the testimony had not been discovered, the false witness must suffer death; in other cases, where a member would have been lost, or the price of it paid for, the same penalty was to be inflicted:

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot; that is, the price of an eye an eye, &c. see Exodus 21:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal references.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 19:21. Life - for life, eye for eye, c. — The operation of such a law as this must have been very salutary: if a man prized his own members, he would naturally avoid injuring those of others. It is a pity that this law were not still in force: it would certainly prevent many of those savage acts which now both disgrace and injure society. I speak this in reference to law generally, and the provision that should be made to prevent and punish ferocious and malevolent offences. A Christian may always act on the plan of forgiving injuries and where the public peace and safety may not be affected, he should do so; but if law did not make a provision for the safety of the community by enactment against the profligate, civil society would soon be destroyed.