Deuteronomy 21:8
New International Version
Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person.” Then the bloodshed will be atoned for,

New Living Translation
O LORD, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood.

English Standard Version
Accept atonement, O LORD, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
Be 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.

New King James Version
Provide atonement, O LORD, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel.’ And atonement shall be provided on their behalf for the blood.

New American Standard Bible
Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, LORD, and do not place the guilt for innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the guilt for bloodshed shall be forgiven them.

NASB 1995
‘Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O LORD, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.

NASB 1977
‘Forgive Thy people Israel whom Thou hast redeemed, O LORD, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Atone for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Yahweh, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be atoned for them.

Amplified Bible
Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O LORD, and do not put the guilt of innocent blood among Your people Israel.’ And the guilt of blood shall be forgiven them.

Christian Standard Bible
LORD, wipe away the guilt of your people Israel whom you redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.’ Then the responsibility for bloodshed will be wiped away from them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
LORD, forgive Your people Israel You redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.’ Then they will be absolved of responsibility for bloodshed.

American Standard Version
Forgive, O Jehovah, thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

English Revised Version
Forgive, O LORD, thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
LORD, make peace with your people Israel, whom you freed. Don't let the guilt of this unsolved murder remain among your people Israel." Then there will be peace with the LORD despite the murder.

Good News Translation
LORD, forgive your people Israel, whom you rescued from Egypt. Forgive us and do not hold us responsible for the murder of an innocent person.'

International Standard Version
Make atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, LORD, and don't charge the blood of an innocent man against them.' Then the blood shed will be atoned for.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
Do not blame your people Israel whom you redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person." Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed.

New Heart English Bible
Forgive, LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not allow innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel." The blood shall be forgiven them.

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

World English Bible
Forgive, Yahweh, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and don’t allow innocent blood among your people Israel.” The blood shall be forgiven them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
receive atonement for Your people Israel, whom You have ransomed, O YHWH, and do not permit innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel; and the blood has been pardoned to them,

Young's Literal Translation
receive atonement for Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast ransomed, O Jehovah, and suffer not innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel; and the blood hath been pardoned to them,

Smith's Literal Translation
Expiate for thy people Israel whom thou didst redeem, O Jehovah, and thou shalt not give innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood was expiated to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and lay not innocent blood to their charge, in the midst of thy people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be taken from them:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Be merciful to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not charge them with innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.’ And so the guilt of the blood will be taken away from them.

New American Bible
Absolve, O LORD, your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not let the guilt of shedding innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel.” Thus they shall be absolved from the guilt of bloodshed,

New Revised Standard Version
Absolve, O LORD, your people Israel, whom you redeemed; do not let the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel.” Then they will be absolved of bloodguilt.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Pardon, O LORD, thy people Israel, whom thou hast saved, and lay not innocent blood upon thy people Israel. And the guilt of blood shall be forgiven them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Atone for your people, Israel, which you have saved, LORD JEHOVAH, and do not account innocent blood against your people Israel, and atonement will be made for them by the blood'.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Forgive, O LORD, Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of Thy people Israel.' And the blood shall be forgiven them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Be merciful to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, that innocent blood may not be charged on thy people Israel: and the blood shall be atoned for to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
7and they shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. 8Accept 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. 9So 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.…

Cross References
Numbers 35:33-34
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. / Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Psalm 51:14
Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Matthew 27:24
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”

1 Peter 1:18-19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, / but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

Romans 3:25
God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:20
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.

Genesis 4:10
“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

2 Chronicles 7:14
and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Jeremiah 31:34
No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”

Micah 7:18-19
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion? / He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depths of the sea.


Treasury of Scripture

Be merciful, O LORD, to your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and lay not innocent blood to your people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

lay not

Numbers 35:33
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

2 Samuel 3:28
And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

2 Kings 24:4
And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

unto thy people [heb] in the midst

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Accept Allow Atoned Atonement Blood Bloodguiltiness Bloodshed Cause Charge Crime Death Expiated Hold Innocent Israel Israel's Lay Merciful Mercy Midst Pardoned Ransomed Receive Redeemed Responsible Suffer
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Accept Allow Atoned Atonement Blood Bloodguiltiness Bloodshed Cause Charge Crime Death Expiated Hold Innocent Israel Israel's Lay Merciful Mercy Midst Pardoned Ransomed Receive Redeemed Responsible Suffer
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














Accept this atonement, O LORD
This phrase reflects the ancient Israelite practice of seeking divine forgiveness and reconciliation. The concept of atonement is central to the sacrificial system established in the Mosaic Law, where blood sacrifices were offered to cover sins (Leviticus 17:11). The plea for God to accept atonement underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and mercy. It also foreshadows the ultimate atonement through Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross provides eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).

for Your people Israel
The phrase emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Israel is often referred to as God's chosen people, a nation set apart to demonstrate His laws and character to the world (Exodus 19:5-6). This covenant relationship is foundational to understanding the Old Testament narrative and God's redemptive plan, which ultimately extends to all nations through Christ (Galatians 3:28-29).

whom You have redeemed
Redemption in the Old Testament often refers to God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 6:6). This historical act of redemption is a type of the greater spiritual redemption that comes through Jesus Christ, who redeems believers from the bondage of sin (Ephesians 1:7). The use of "redeemed" here highlights God's ongoing role as the Redeemer of His people.

and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.
This plea acknowledges the seriousness of shedding innocent blood, which is a grave sin in biblical law (Genesis 9:6). The context of Deuteronomy 21 involves a ritual for atoning for unsolved murders, emphasizing communal responsibility and the need for justice. The request for God not to hold this sin against Israel points to the need for divine mercy and forgiveness, themes that are fulfilled in the New Testament through Christ's atoning work (1 John 1:9).

And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
This assurance of atonement reflects the effectiveness of the prescribed ritual in restoring the community's standing before God. It highlights the principle that God provides a means for reconciliation and cleansing from sin. In the broader biblical narrative, this points to the ultimate atonement made by Jesus, whose blood cleanses believers from all sin (Hebrews 9:14). The concept of atonement is central to understanding the sacrificial system and its fulfillment in Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Israel
The nation chosen by God, consisting of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this context, Israel is seeking atonement for innocent bloodshed.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is appealed to for forgiveness and atonement.

3. Innocent Blood
Refers to the shedding of blood by someone who is not guilty of a crime deserving death. The community seeks to be absolved from the guilt of such an act.

4. Atonement
A ritual or act of making amends for sin or wrongdoing, in this case, the shedding of innocent blood.

5. Elders and Judges
Leaders responsible for ensuring justice and carrying out the atonement ritual described in the surrounding verses.
Teaching Points
The Sanctity of Life
The passage underscores the value God places on human life and the seriousness of shedding innocent blood. As believers, we are called to uphold the sanctity of life in all circumstances.

Community Responsibility
The ritual described involves the community's leaders, indicating that the community shares responsibility for addressing sin and seeking atonement. We are reminded of our role in supporting justice and reconciliation within our communities.

The Need for Atonement
The plea for atonement reflects humanity's need for divine forgiveness. This points us to the ultimate atonement provided through Jesus Christ, encouraging us to rely on His sacrifice for our redemption.

God's Justice and Mercy
The passage balances God's justice with His mercy, as He provides a means for atonement. We are called to reflect this balance in our interactions with others, offering forgiveness while upholding justice.

Intercession and Prayer
The elders' prayer for atonement highlights the power of intercession. We are encouraged to pray for our communities and seek God's intervention in areas of injustice and wrongdoing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Accept this atonement,
כַּפֵּר֩ (kap·pêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel

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

for Your people
לְעַמְּךָ֨ (lə·‘am·mə·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

whom
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

You have redeemed,
פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ (pā·ḏî·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6299: To sever, ransom, gener, to release, preserve

and do not
וְאַל־ (wə·’al-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

hold
תִּתֵּן֙ (tit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the shedding of innocent
נָקִ֔י (nā·qî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5355: Clean, free from, exempt

blood
דָּ֣ם (dām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

against
בְּקֶ֖רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

them.”
עַמְּךָ֣ (‘am·mə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

And the bloodshed
הַדָּֽם׃ (had·dām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

will be atoned for.
וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר (wə·nik·kap·pêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nithpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 21:8 Forgive Yahweh your people Israel whom you (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 21:7
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