KJV ORIGINAL
And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
All the elders from the city closest to where the murdered person was found must wash their hands over the young cow that was killed in the valley.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes a ritual where city leaders publicly demonstrate their innocence in an unsolved murder case.
📚 Historical Context
This was part of an ancient Israelite legal procedure for handling unsolved murders found near cities. When a body was discovered and no killer could be identified, the nearest city's leaders had to perform this ritual to declare their community's innocence before God. The hand-washing symbolized their clean hands - meaning they had no part in the crime.
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