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Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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JPS Old Testament

Deuteronomy 21:11

and seest among the captives a woman of goodly form, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Concubinage;   Divorce;   Marriage;   Servant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Captives;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Husband;   Slave;   War;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Devote, Devoted;   War, Holy War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Alms;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Concubine;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - War;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baldness;   Burial;   Concubine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and Unclean;   Crimes and Punishments;   Deuteronomy;   Ethics;   Family;   Marriage;   Slave, Slavery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Concubines;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Concubine;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Deuteronomy;   Law in the Old Testament;   Relationships, Family;   Slave;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Captives;   Commandments, the 613;   Intermarriage;   Saint and Saintliness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
if you see a beautiful woman among the captives, desire her, and want to take her as your wife,
Hebrew Names Version
and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife;
King James Version
And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
Lexham English Bible
and you see among the captives a woman beautiful in appearance, and you become attached to her and you want to take her as a wife,
English Standard Version
and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire to take her to be your wife,
New Century Version
If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.
New English Translation
if you should see among them an attractive woman whom you wish to take as a wife,
Amplified Bible
and you see a beautiful woman among the captives, and desire her and would take her as your wife,
New American Standard Bible
and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and are strongly attracted to her and would take her as a wife for yourself,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And shalt see among the captiues a beautifull woman, and hast a desire vnto her, & wouldest take her to thy wife,
Legacy Standard Bible
and see among the captives a beautiful woman and set your affection on her and would take her as a wife for yourself,
Contemporary English Version
One of these prisoners may be a beautiful woman, and you may want to marry her. But first you must bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, cut her nails, get rid of her foreign clothes, and start wearing Israelite clothes. She will mourn a month for her father and mother, then you can marry her.
Complete Jewish Bible
and you see among the prisoners a woman who looks good to you, and you feel attracted to her and want her as your wife;
Darby Translation
and thou seest among the captives a woman of beautiful form, and hast a desire unto her, and takest her as thy wife;
Easy-to-Read Version
You might see a beautiful woman among the captives who you want to be your wife.
George Lamsa Translation
And see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire her, and would have her for yourself as a wife;
Good News Translation
you may see among them a beautiful woman that you like and want to marry.
Literal Translation
and you have seen in the captivity a woman of beautiful form, and you desire her, even to take her to you for a wife,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and seist amoge the captyues a bewtyfull woman, & hast a desyre vnto her to take her to thy wife,
American Standard Version
and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife;
Bible in Basic English
If among the prisoners you see a beautiful woman and it is your desire to make her your wife;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And seest among the captiues a beautifull woman, and hast a desire vnto her, that thou wouldest haue her to thy wyfe:
King James Version (1611)
And seest among the captiues a beautifull woman, and hast a desire vnto her, that thou wouldest haue her to thy wife:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and shouldest see among the spoil a woman beautiful in countenance, and shouldest desire her, and take her to thyself for a wife,
English Revised Version
and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife;
Berean Standard Bible
if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thou seest in the noumbre of prisounneris a fair womman, and thou louest hir, and wole haue hir to wijf,
Young's Literal Translation
and hast seen in the captivity a woman of fair form, and hast delighted in her, and hast taken to thee for a wife,
Update Bible Version
and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife;
Webster's Bible Translation
And [thou] seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire to her, that thou wouldest have her for thy wife:
World English Bible
and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife;
New King James Version
and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife,
New Living Translation
And suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you are attracted to her and want to marry her.
New Life Bible
and you see a beautiful woman and have a desire for her as a wife,
New Revised Standard
suppose you see among the captives a beautiful woman whom you desire and want to marry,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and shalt see among the captives a woman of beautiful figure, - and shalt have a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And seest in the number of the captives a beautiful woman, and lovest her, and wilt have her to wife,
Revised Standard Version
and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have desire for her and would take her for yourself as wife,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her and would take her as a wife for yourself,

Contextual Overview

10 When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God delivereth them into thy hands, and thou carriest them away captive, 11 and seest among the captives a woman of goodly form, and thou hast a desire unto her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife; 12 then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13 and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thy house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month; and after that thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

desire: Genesis 6:2, Genesis 12:14, Genesis 12:15, Genesis 29:18-20, Genesis 34:3, Genesis 34:8, Judges 14:2, Judges 14:3, Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 31:10, Proverbs 31:30

that: Numbers 31:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 21:8 - who hath Isaiah 2:6 - and they Daniel 11:37 - the desire

Cross-References

Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said unto God: 'Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!'
Genesis 21:1
And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken.
Genesis 21:2
And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
2 Samuel 18:33
span data-lang="eng" data-trans="jps" data-ref="2sa.18.1" class="versetxt"> And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people: 'I will surely go forth with you myself also.' But the people said: 'Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; but thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succour us out of the city.' And the king said unto them: 'What seemeth you best I will do.' And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying: 'Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth, and his head caught hold of the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went on. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said: 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.' And Joab said unto the man that told him: 'And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have had to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.' And the man said unto Joab: 'Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying: Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against mine own life--and there is no matter hid from the king--then thou thyself wouldest have stood aloof.' Then said Joab: 'I may not tarry thus with thee.' And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth. And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.-- Now Absalom in his life-time had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said: 'I have no son to keep my name in remembrance'; and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom's monument unto this day. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok: 'Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.' And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.' Then said Joab to the Cushite: 'Go tell the king what thou hast seen.' And the Cushite bowed down unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab: 'But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said: 'Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?' 'But come what may, [said he,] I will run.' And he said unto him: 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite. Now David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said: 'Behold another man running alone.' And the king said: 'He also bringeth tidings.' And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.' And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king: 'All is well.' And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth, and said: 'Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.' And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.' And the king said: 'Turn aside, and stand here.' And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said: 'Tidings for my lord the king; for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.' And the king said unto the Cushite: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered: 'The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And seest among the captives a beautiful woman,.... Whether a virgin, wife, or widow, according to the Jewish writers, even though another man's wife; so Jarchi c, and Maimonides d; the marriages of Gentiles being reckoned by the Jews no marriages:

and hast a desire unto her; being captivated with her beauty; some understand this of the strength and rage of lust, but it rather signifies a passionate desire of enjoying her in a lawful way, as follows:

that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; to be married to her in a legal manner; for though it was not allowed the Israelites to marry any of the seven nations of Canaan, nor indeed with any of other nations continuing in their idolatry; yet they might marry such as became their captives and servants, and were wholly in their own power; and especially if proselytes to their religion, and which this fair captive was to become before marriage, as is by some gathered from the following things to be done by her; though after all, this was only a permission, because of the hardness of their hearts, as is said of divorce; and that such marriages were not very grateful to God appears, as some have observed, from the ceremonies used before marriage, to render her contemptible; and the easy dismission of her afterwards, according to the sense of some interpreters.

c Vid. T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 21. 2. d Hilchot Melachim, c. 8. sect. 3.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 21:11. And seest - a beautiful woman — No forcible possession was allowed even in this case, when the woman was taken in war, and was, by the general consent of ancient nations, adjudged as a part of the spoils. The person to whose lot or share such a woman as is here described fell, might, if he chose, have her for a wife on certain conditions; but he was not permitted to use her under any inferior character.


 
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