King James Version

Deuteronomy 19:3

Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

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Hebrew

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תָּכִ֣יןtakhinbe fittedכּוּןverb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “be fitted”, an unfinished actionH3559properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous)certain(-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth…לְךָ֮lekhatoלְךָ֮preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toהַדֶּרֶךְ֒haderekhthe alongדֶּרֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the along”, the ordinary formH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).וְשִׁלַּשְׁתָּ֙veshilashtaand threeשָׁלַשׁconjunction, verb, piel, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and three”, a completed action in a sequenceH8027to be (causatively, make) triplicate (by restoration, in portions, strands, days or years)do the third time, (divide into, stay) three (days, -fold, parts, years old).אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).גְּב֣וּלgevulborderגְּבוּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “border”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1366properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosedborder, bound, coast, [idiom] great, landmark, limit, quarter, space.אַרְצְךָ֔artsekhaearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.אֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…יַנְחִֽילְךָ֖yanchilekhainheritנָחַלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “inherit”, an unfinished actionH5157to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent), or (generally) to occupy; causatively, to bequeath, or (generally) distribute, instatedivide, have (inheritance), take as a heritage, (cause to, give to, make to) inherit, (distribute for, divide (for, for an, by), give for, have, leave for, take (for)) inheritance, (have in, cause to, be made to) possess(-ion).יְהוָ֣הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָeloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.וְהָיָ֕הvehayahand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, a completed action in a sequenceH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לָנ֥וּסlanusto awayנוּסpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to away”, the to-form of the verbH5127to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)[idiom] abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, [idiom] hide, lift up a standard.שָׁ֖מָּהshamahthereשָׁםadverb, directional ending — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).רֹצֵֽחַrotsechamurderרָצַחverb, qal, participle, absolute — “murder”, a verb used as a describing wordH7523properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murderput to death, kill, (man-) slay(-er), murder(-er).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which Jehovah thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

Young’s Literal Translation

Thou dost prepare for thee the way, and hast divided into three parts the border of thy land which Jehovah thy God doth cause thee to inherit, and it hath been for the fleeing thither of every man-slayer.

World English Bible

You shall prepare the way, and divide the borders of your land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit into three parts, that every man slayer may flee there.

Darby Translation

Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the territory of thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, so that every slayer may flee thither.

Douay-Rheims

Paving diligently the way: and thou shalt divide the whole province of thy land equally into three parts: that he who is forced to flee for manslaughter, may have near at hand whither to escape.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Take a survey of thy way, and thou shalt divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God apportions to thee, into three parts, and there shall be there a refuge for every manslayer.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Στόχασαί σοι τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ τριμεριεῖς τὰ ὅρια τῆς γῆς σου, ἣν καταμερίζει σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, καὶ ἔσται καταφυγὴ παντὶ φονευτῇ.