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Deuteronomy 21:12

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

This verse describes part of a purification ritual for a captive woman before she could become a wife, involving cutting her hair and nails as symbols of leaving her old life behind.

📚 Historical Context

This passage is part of ancient Israel's laws regarding marriage to captive women taken during warfare. In the ancient Near East, such practices were regulated to provide some protection and dignity for women who had lost everything in war. The month-long mourning period and these rituals allowed the woman to grieve her former life and transition to a new identity.

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Translation & Methodology Sources

The original manuscript text provided is based on the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain. Our modern English simplifications are generated via proprietary philological synthesis, cross-referenced against Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and the Textus Receptus to ensure unwavering theological and etymological precision.

Read our full translation methodology →