Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026
Wednesday in Easter Week
Wednesday in Easter Week
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Read the Bible
New Life Version
Deuteronomy 21:2
then your leaders and judges will go out and see how far it is to the cities that are around the dead man.
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Barnes' Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Christian Standard Bible®
your elders and judges are to come out and measure the distance from the victim to the nearby cities.
your elders and judges are to come out and measure the distance from the victim to the nearby cities.
Hebrew Names Version
then your Zakenim and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him who is slain:
then your Zakenim and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him who is slain:
King James Version
Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
Lexham English Bible
then your elders and your judges shall go out and shall measure the distance to the cities that are around the slain one.
then your elders and your judges shall go out and shall measure the distance to the cities that are around the slain one.
English Standard Version
then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities.
then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities.
New Century Version
Your elders and judges should go to where the body was found, and they should measure how far it is to the nearby cities.
Your elders and judges should go to where the body was found, and they should measure how far it is to the nearby cities.
New English Translation
your elders and judges must go out and measure how far it is to the cities in the vicinity of the corpse.
your elders and judges must go out and measure how far it is to the cities in the vicinity of the corpse.
Amplified Bible
then your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the dead person.
then your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the dead person.
New American Standard Bible
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the one who was killed.
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the one who was killed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then thine Elders & thy Iudges shal come forth, and measure vnto the cities that are round about him that is slayne.
Then thine Elders & thy Iudges shal come forth, and measure vnto the cities that are round about him that is slayne.
Legacy Standard Bible
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.
Contemporary English Version
The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found.
The judges and other leaders from the towns around there must find out what town is the closest to where the body was found.
Complete Jewish Bible
then your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance between it and the surrounding towns.
then your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance between it and the surrounding towns.
Darby Translation
then thine elders and thy judges shall go forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain;
then thine elders and thy judges shall go forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain;
Easy-to-Read Version
Your leaders and judges must come out and measure the distance to the towns around the dead body.
Your leaders and judges must come out and measure the distance to the towns around the dead body.
George Lamsa Translation
Then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure the distance to the cities which are round about him that is slain;
Then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure the distance to the cities which are round about him that is slain;
Good News Translation
Your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the place where the body was found to each of the nearby towns.
Your leaders and judges are to go out and measure the distance from the place where the body was found to each of the nearby towns.
Literal Translation
then your elders and your judges shall come out. And they shall measure to the cities which are around the one slain.
then your elders and your judges shall come out. And they shall measure to the cities which are around the one slain.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
then shal thy Elders & iudges go forth, and meet from the slayne vnto the cities that lye rounde aboute.
then shal thy Elders & iudges go forth, and meet from the slayne vnto the cities that lye rounde aboute.
American Standard Version
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
Bible in Basic English
Then your responsible men and your judges are to come out, and give orders for the distance from the dead body to the towns round about it to be measured;
Then your responsible men and your judges are to come out, and give orders for the distance from the dead body to the towns round about it to be measured;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then thine elders and thy iudges shal come foorth, and measure vnto the cities that are rounde about hym that is slayne:
Then thine elders and thy iudges shal come foorth, and measure vnto the cities that are rounde about hym that is slayne:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain.
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain.
King James Version (1611)
Then thy Elders and thy Iudges shall come forth, and they shall measure vnto the cities which are round about him that is slaine.
Then thy Elders and thy Iudges shall come forth, and they shall measure vnto the cities which are round about him that is slaine.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
thine elders and thy judges shall come forth, and shall measure the distances of the cities round about the slain man:
thine elders and thy judges shall come forth, and shall measure the distances of the cities round about the slain man:
English Revised Version
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
Berean Standard Bible
your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.
your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
the grettere men in birthe and thi iugis schulen go out, and schulen mete fro the place of the careyn the spaces of alle citees `bi cumpas;
the grettere men in birthe and thi iugis schulen go out, and schulen mete fro the place of the careyn the spaces of alle citees `bi cumpas;
Young's Literal Translation
then have thine elders and thy judges gone out and measured unto the cities which [are] round about the slain one,
then have thine elders and thy judges gone out and measured unto the cities which [are] round about the slain one,
Update Bible Version
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him that is slain:
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him that is slain:
Webster's Bible Translation
Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which [are] around him that is slain:
Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which [are] around him that is slain:
World English Bible
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him who is slain:
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure to the cities which are round about him who is slain:
New King James Version
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities.
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities.
New Living Translation
In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns.
In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns.
New Revised Standard
then your elders and your judges shall come out to measure the distances to the towns that are near the body.
then your elders and your judges shall come out to measure the distances to the towns that are near the body.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shall thine elders and thy judges go forth, - and measure unto the cities that are round about the slain;
then shall thine elders and thy judges go forth, - and measure unto the cities that are round about the slain;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thy ancients and judges shall go out, and shall measure from the place where the body lieth the distance of every city round about:
Thy ancients and judges shall go out, and shall measure from the place where the body lieth the distance of every city round about:
Revised Standard Version
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure the distance to the cities which are around him that is slain;
then your elders and your judges shall come forth, and they shall measure the distance to the cities which are around him that is slain;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.
then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.
Contextual Overview
1 "If a person has been killed and is found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your leaders and judges will go out and see how far it is to the cities that are around the dead man. 3 The leaders of the city that is nearest to the dead man will take a young cow from the cattle. The cow must never have been worked or pulled a plow. 4 The leaders of that city will bring the young cow down to a valley with flowing water, which has not been plowed or planted. They will break the cow's neck there in the valley. 5 Then the religious leaders, the sons of Levi, will come near for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bring good in the name of the Lord. Every question about what is right and every fight will be decided upon by them. 6 All the leaders of that city nearest to the dead man will wash their hands over the young cow whose neck was broken in the valley. 7 Then they will say, ‘Our hands have not killed him. Our eyes have not seen it. 8 O Lord, forgive Your people Israel whom You have set free. Do not put the guilt of killing a man who did no wrong on Your people Israel.' And they will be forgiven from the guilt of the man's death. 9 So you must take away the guilt of taking the life of a good man by doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 16:19, Romans 13:3, Romans 13:4
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 21:19 - and bring
Cross-References
Genesis 17:19
But God said, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever.
But God said, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son. And you will give him the name Isaac. I will make My agreement with him and for his children after him, an agreement that will last forever.
Genesis 17:21
But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year."
But I will make My agreement with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year."
Genesis 18:10
The Lord said, "I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
The Lord said, "I will be sure to return to you at this time next year. And your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.
Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
Genesis 21:16
Then she sat down as far away from him as an arrow flies. For she said, "Do not let me see the boy die." As she sat there, she cried a loud cry.
Then she sat down as far away from him as an arrow flies. For she said, "Do not let me see the boy die." As she sat there, she cried a loud cry.
Genesis 21:17
But God heard the voice of the boy. Then the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said, "Why are you so troubled, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heard the cry of the boy.
But God heard the voice of the boy. Then the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said, "Why are you so troubled, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heard the cry of the boy.
Genesis 21:24
Abraham said, "I promise."
Abraham said, "I promise."
Genesis 21:25
But Abraham spoke to Abimelech about a well of water that the servants of Abimelech had taken.
But Abraham spoke to Abimelech about a well of water that the servants of Abimelech had taken.
Luke 1:36
"See, your cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month.
"See, your cousin Elizabeth, as old as she is, is going to give birth to a child. She was not able to have children before, but now she is in her sixth month.
Acts 7:8
"He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.
"He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth,.... From the city or cities near to which the murder was committed, to make inquiry about it, and expiation for it; so Aben Ezra interprets it of the elders of the cities near, but others understand it of the elders of the great sanhedrim at Jerusalem; so the Targum of Jonathan,
"then shall go out from the great sanhedrim two of thy wise men, and three of thy judges;''
and more expressly the Misnah l,
"three go out from the great sanhedrim in Jerusalem;''
R. Judah says five,
"it is said "thy elders" two, and "thy judges" two,''
and there is no sanhedrim or court of judicature equal (or even), therefore they add to them one more:
and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain; that is, from the place where the slain lies, as Jarchi rightly interprets it; on all sides of it, from the four corner's, as the Targum of Jonathan, the cities round about the slain. Maimonides m says, they do not behead the heifer for, nor measure, but to a city in which there is a sanhedrim: if it is found between two cities (that is, at an equal distance), both bring two heifers (Maimonides n says they bring one between them, which is most reasonable); but the city of Jerusalem does not bring an heifer to be beheaded: the reason is, because it was not divided to the tribes o. This measuring, one would think, should be only necessary when it was not certain which was the nearest city; and yet Maimonides p says, even when it was found on the side of a city, which was certainly known to be nearest, they measured; the command, he observes, is to measure.
l Sotah, c. 9. sect. 1. m Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 9. sect. 4. n Ib. sect. 8. o Maimon Hilchot Rotzeachs, c. 9. sect. 8. p lb. c. 9. sect. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The elders represented the citizens at large, the judges the magistracy: priests Deuteronomy 21:5 from the nearest priestly town, were likewise to be at hand. Thus, all classes would be represented at the purging away of that blood-guiltiness which until removed attached to the whole community.
