Deuteronomy 21:7
5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
6 Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken,
and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
8 Accept this atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
9 So you shall purge from among you the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.
- KJV
- And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
- WEB
- They shall answer and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
- ASV
- and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
- DARBY
- and shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
- BLB
- and they shall answer and say, “Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen [it].
- ÅB
- Og de skal ta til orde og si: Våre hender har ikke utøst dette blod, og våre øyne har ikke sett det.
- OTB
- og de skal erklære: “Våre hender har ikke utøst dette blodet, og våre øyne har ikke vært vitne til det.
- B1930
- Og de skal ta til orde og si: Våre hender har ikke utøst dette blod, og våre øine har ikke sett det.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Job 21:21–23
For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out?
Read in contextNumbers 5:19–28
And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse.
Read in contextJob 21:31–34
Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
Read in context2 Samuel 16:8
The LORD has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, you have come to ruin because you are a man of bloodshed!”
Read in contextPsalms 7:3–4
O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands,
Read in context