Deuteronomy 21:5
in Deuteronomy 21And 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
According to Jewish writers, the Sanhedrin, taking charge of such a case, sent a deputation to examine the neighborhood. They reported to the nearest town to the spot where the body was found. An order was then issued by their supreme authority to the elders or magistrates of that town, to provide the heifer at the civic expense and go through the appointed ceremonial.
This site's exposition
If one is found slain, lying in a field
on Deuteronomy 21:1-5
An unsolved killing leaves guilt on the land, and the town nearest the body answers for it. The heifer has never been yoked and the valley never plowed or sown, and Albert Barnes notes that it is not called a sin offering and its blood never reaches an altar. Behind the rite stands Genesis 9:5, where God requires a man's blood of every man.
This site's exposition
a ruling in every dispute
Matthew Henry has the priests direct the rite by the law and speak the prayer of verse 8 on behalf of the people. Wesley takes case of assault to cover every wound one man gives another, whether it killed or only hurt. Their word settled such cases.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), that they might direct the management of it in all points according to the law, and particularly might be the people's mouth to God in the prayer that was to be put up on this sad occasion,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Every controversy - Of this kind: every controversy which shall rise about any stroke, whether such a mortal stroke as is here spoken of, or any other stroke or wound given by one man to another.
And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near,....
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ | venigeshu | and they will draw near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ | hakohanim | the priests | H3548 → | 750 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לֵוִי֒ | levi | Levi | H3878 → | 59 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָ֗ם | vam | <in> <the> them | ||
| בָּחַ֞ר | bachar | he has chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ | leshareto | to serve him | H8334 → | 97 times |
| וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ | ulevarekh | and to bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| בְּשֵׁ֣ם | beshem | in [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּיהֶ֥ם | pihem | mouth their | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יִהְיֶ֖ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| רִ֥יב | riv | dispute | H7379 → | 61 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נָֽגַע׃ | naga' | wound | H5061 → | 78 times |
וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּand they will draw near
venigeshuH5066 →125 times
הַכֹּהֲנִים֮the priests
hakohanimH3548 →750 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] sons of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
לֵוִי֒Levi
leviH3878 →59 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בָ֗ם<in> <the> them
vam
בָּחַ֞רhe has chosen
bacharH977 →171 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹto serve him
lesharetoH8334 →97 times
וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְand to bless
ulevarekhH1288 →330 times
בְּשֵׁ֣םin [the] name of
beshemH8034 →864 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
פִּיהֶ֥םmouth their
pihemH6310 →498 times
יִהְיֶ֖הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
רִ֥יבdispute
rivH7379 →61 times
וְכָל־and every
vekholH3605 →5413 times
נָֽגַע׃wound
naga'H5061 →78 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:24–25
And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing.
- Leviticus 10:11
so that you may teach the Israelites all the statutes that the LORD has given them through Moses.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:20
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.
- John 13:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- 2 Timothy 2:24–25
Through
Deuteronomy 19:17both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
it leads to
- 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 17:9
Through
Deuteronomy 10:8At 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…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:5
For the LORD your God has chosen Levi and his sons out of all your tribes to stand and minister in His name for all time.
- Numbers 4:15
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they…
- Deuteronomy 18:5
Through
1 Chronicles 23:13The 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…
it leads to
- Exodus 6:20
And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
- Exodus 6:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
