Deuteronomy 21:5
New International Version
The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.

New Living Translation
Then the Levitical priests must step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in the LORD’s name. They are to decide all legal and criminal cases.

English Standard Version
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And 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:

New King James Version
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled.

New American Standard Bible
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, because the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and every dispute and violent crime shall be settled by them.

NASB 1995
“Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.

NASB 1977
“Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to minister for Him and to bless in the name of Yahweh; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.

Amplified Bible
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall approach, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the Name (Presence) of the LORD; and every dispute and every assault (violent crime) shall be settled by them.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and pronounce blessings in his name, and they are to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name, and they are to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.

American Standard Version
And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the Priests, the children of Levi, shall bring it, for LORD JEHOVAH your God has chosen them for his service and to bless in the Name of LORD JEHOVAH and every judgment and every blow shall be by the word of their mouths:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the priests the Levites shall come, because the Lord God has chosen them to stand by him, and to bless in his name, and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be decided.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the priests the sons of Levi shall come, whom the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in his name, and that by their word every matter should be decided, and whatsoever is clean or unclean should be judged.

English Revised Version
and 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 according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The priests, the descendants of Levi, must come forward. The LORD your God has chosen them to serve him as priests and to bless people in the LORD's name. Their decision is final in all cases involving a disagreement or an assault.

Good News Translation
The levitical priests are to go there also, because they are to decide every legal case involving violence. The LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in his name.

International Standard Version
Then the priests of the sons of Levi are to step forward, because the LORD your God chose them to serve and pronounce blessings in his name. Every case of dispute and assault is to be subject to their ruling.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And 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 according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

Literal Standard Version
And the priests, sons of Levi, have come near—for your God YHWH has fixed on them to serve Him and to bless in the Name of YHWH, and by their mouth is every strife and every stroke—

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
The priests, the descendants of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD, your God, has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and every case of dispute or assault shall be for them to decide.

NET Bible
Then the Levitical priests will approach (for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve him and to pronounce blessings in his name, and to decide every judicial verdict)

New Revised Standard Version
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD, and by their decision all cases of dispute and assault shall be settled.

New Heart English Bible
The priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near (for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister to him, and to bless in the name of the LORD) and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried;

World English Bible
The priests the sons of Levi shall come near, for them Yahweh your God has chosen to minister to him, and to bless in Yahweh’s name; and according to their word shall every controversy and every assault be decided.

Young's Literal Translation
'And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh -- for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
4bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream. 5And 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. 6Then all the elders of the city nearest the victim shall wash their hands by the stream over the heifer whose neck has been broken,…

Cross References
Leviticus 9:22
Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down.

Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.

Deuteronomy 17:9
You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.

Deuteronomy 19:17
both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

Deuteronomy 21:4
bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.

1 Chronicles 23:13
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name forever.

Ezekiel 42:13
Then the man said to me, "The north and south chambers facing the temple courtyard are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings--the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings--for the place is holy.


Treasury of Scripture

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

for them

Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

Deuteronomy 18:5
For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

Numbers 6:22-27
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

by their word

Deuteronomy 17:8-12
If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; …

Malachi 2:7
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

word [heb] mouth

Jump to Previous
Assault Bless Blessings Cases Chosen Controversy Decide Decision Dispute Levi Minister Priests Pronounce Serve Settled Step Stroke Tried Word
Jump to Next
Assault Bless Blessings Cases Chosen Controversy Decide Decision Dispute Levi Minister Priests Pronounce Serve Settled Step Stroke Tried Word
Deuteronomy 21
1. The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
10. The usage of a captive taken to wife
15. The firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection
18. A rebellious son is to be stoned to death
22. The malefactor must not hang all night on a tree














Verse 5. - And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near. The presence of the priests at this ceremony was due to their position as the servants of Jehovah the King of Israel, on whom it devolved to see that all was done in any matter as his Law prescribed. The priests present were probably those from the nearest Levitical town. And by their word shall every controversy and every stroke he tried; literally, And upon their mouth shall be every strife and every stroke, i.e. by their judgment the character of the act shall be determined, and as they decide so shall the matter stand (cf. Deuteronomy 10:8; Deuteronomy 17:8). In the present case the presence of the priests at the transaction gave it sanction as valid.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the priests,
הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

the sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Levi,
לֵוִי֒ (lê·wî)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3878: Levi -- a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him

shall come forward,
וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ (wə·nig·gə·šū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has chosen
בָּחַ֞ר (bā·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

them to serve
לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ (lə·šā·rə·ṯōw)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

Him and pronounce blessings
וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ (ū·lə·ḇā·rêḵ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

in His
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

name
בְּשֵׁ֣ם (bə·šêm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

and to give a ruling
וְעַל־ (wə·‘al-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

in every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

dispute
רִ֥יב (rîḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7379: Strife, dispute

and case of assault.
נָֽגַע׃ (nā·ḡa‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5061: Mark -- a blow, a spot


Links
Deuteronomy 21:5 NIV
Deuteronomy 21:5 NLT
Deuteronomy 21:5 ESV
Deuteronomy 21:5 NASB
Deuteronomy 21:5 KJV

Deuteronomy 21:5 BibleApps.com
Deuteronomy 21:5 Biblia Paralela
Deuteronomy 21:5 Chinese Bible
Deuteronomy 21:5 French Bible
Deuteronomy 21:5 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Deuteronomy 21:5 The priests the sons of Levi shall (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 21:4
Top of Page
Top of Page