Deuteronomy 21

King James Version

Full text for Deuteronomy Chapter 21

1¶ 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:

2Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which [are] round about him that is slain:

3And it shall be, [that] the city [which is] next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, [and] which hath not drawn in the yoke;

4And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley:

5And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be [tried]:

6And all the elders of that city, [that are] next unto the slain [man], shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

7And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen [it].

8Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

9So shalt thou put away the [guilt of] innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do [that which is] right in the sight of the LORD.

10¶ When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,

11And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

12Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

13And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

14And 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 make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

15¶ If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, [both] the beloved and the hated; and [if] the firstborn son be hers that was hated:

16Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit [that] which he hath, [that] he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, [which is indeed] the firstborn:

17But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn [is] his.

18¶ If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and [that], when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son [is] stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard.

21And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Deuteronomy 21 outlines various laws concerning justice and social order in Israel. It prescribes a ritual for atonement when an unsolved murder occurs, involving the elders and priests. The chapter also sets regulations for marrying female captives, ensuring their rights, and establishes the inheritance rights of the firstborn son, even if born to a less favored wife. Furthermore, it details the severe punishment for a persistently rebellious son and mandates the prompt burial of executed criminals to prevent defilement of the land.

Medium Summary

This chapter of Deuteronomy details specific legal provisions for the Israelites, beginning with a unique ritual to cleanse the land of guilt from an unsolved murder. If a slain person is found and the killer unknown, the elders of the nearest city must perform a ritual sacrifice of a heifer, washing their hands and declaring innocence to avert the charge of innocent blood. Following this, laws are given regarding the treatment of female captives taken in war; a man desiring such a woman must allow her a period of mourning and purification before marriage, and if he later rejects her, he must release her freely, not sell her. The chapter then addresses inheritance, stipulating that the firstborn son, even if from a less favored wife, must receive his rightful double portion. Furthermore, it outlines the extreme case of a persistently rebellious and disobedient son, who, upon parental accusation and elder judgment, is to be stoned to death by the community. Finally, the chapter concludes with a directive that the body of an executed criminal, if hanged on a tree, must be buried before nightfall to prevent defilement of the land, as one hanged is considered accursed by God.

Long Summary

Deuteronomy chapter 21 presents a series of diverse laws aimed at maintaining justice, purity, and social order within the land God was giving to Israel. The chapter opens with a detailed procedure for dealing with an unsolved murder: if a slain person is found and the killer unknown, the elders and judges of surrounding cities must determine the nearest city. The elders of that city are then required to take a young, unworked heifer to a rough valley, where its neck is broken. The priests, sons of Levi, are present to minister, and the elders wash their hands over the heifer, declaring their innocence and seeking God's mercy to avert the guilt of innocent blood from the nation. This ritual is designed to purge the land of defilement. The text then transitions to laws concerning warfare and the treatment of female captives. If an Israelite soldier desires a beautiful captive woman, he may take her as his wife, but only after she shaves her head, pares her nails, changes her garments, and observes a full month of mourning for her parents in his house. After this period, he may marry her; however, if he later finds no delight in her, he must release her freely and is strictly forbidden from selling her or treating her as merchandise, recognizing that he has already humbled her. Another section addresses the inheritance rights of the firstborn son, even if he is born to a less favored wife; the father is explicitly prohibited from transferring the firstborn's double portion to a son born of a beloved wife if the firstborn is genuinely from the "hated" wife. The chapter also outlines a severe legal process for a "stubborn and rebellious son" who disobeys his parents even after chastisement, describing him as a glutton and a drunkard. Such a son is to be brought by his parents before the city elders at the gate, and if found guilty, he is to be stoned to death by the men of the city, an act intended to remove evil and instill fear in Israel. The chapter concludes with a law regarding the burial of executed criminals: if a person is put to death for a capital offense and then hanged on a tree, their body must not remain overnight but must be buried the same day, for one hanged is considered accursed of God, and leaving the body would defile the land given by the LORD.

Core Concepts

  • Unsolved Murder AtonementA ritual involving elders, priests, and the sacrifice of an unworked heifer in a rough valley, performed by the nearest city to an unsolved murder, to cleanse the land of the guilt of innocent blood.
  • Treatment of Female CaptivesRegulations for marrying a beautiful woman taken captive in war, requiring a month of mourning and purification before marriage, and stipulating that she must be released freely if later undesired, not sold into slavery.
  • Firstborn Inheritance RightsA legal principle ensuring that the firstborn son, regardless of his mother's status (beloved or hated), receives his rightful double portion of the father's inheritance, affirming his birthright.
  • Rebellious SonA severe legal provision for a persistently disobedient and defiant son who is a glutton and drunkard; if brought before city elders by his parents, he is to be stoned to death by the community.
  • Burial of Executed CriminalsA command that the body of a person executed for a capital crime and hanged on a tree must be buried the same day, as leaving it overnight would defile the land because 'he that is hanged is accursed of God.'
  • Purity of the LandA recurring theme emphasizing the importance of removing defilement and guilt from the land of Israel through specific rituals and judicial actions, particularly concerning innocent blood and the bodies of the accursed.