Deuteronomy 21:7 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

And they will answer and say, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see it happen.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The elders are declaring their innocence, stating they had no part in the murder and didn't witness it.

📚 Historical Context

This verse is part of an ancient Israelite ritual for dealing with unsolved murders found near a city. When a body was discovered and the killer was unknown, the elders of the nearest city had to perform a ceremony involving a heifer to demonstrate their community's innocence. This declaration was their formal statement that neither they nor their people were responsible for the death.

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