King James Version

Deuteronomy 19:5

As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

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Hebrew

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וַאֲשֶׁר֩vaasherand becauseאֲשֶׁרconjunction, particle, relative — “and 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,…יָבֹ֨אyavoto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to come”, an unfinished actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֶתetamongאֵתpreposition — “among”H854properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.רֵעֵ֥הוּreehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.בַיַּעַר֮vayaarin combיַעַרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in comb”, the ordinary formH3293a copse of bushes; hence, a forest; hence, honey in the comb (as hived in trees)(honey-) comb, forest, wood.לַחְטֹ֣בlachtovto polishחָטַבpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to polish”, the to-form of the verbH2404to chop or carve woodcut down, hew(-er), polish.עֵצִים֒etsimtreeעֵץnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.וְנִדְּחָ֨הvenidchahand banishנָדַחconjunction, verb, niphal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and banish”, a completed action in a sequenceH5080to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)banish, bring, cast down (out), chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw.יָד֤וֹyadvohandיָדnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “hand”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, […בַגַּרְזֶן֙vagarzenin axגַּרְזֶןpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in ax”, the ordinary formH1631an axeax.לִכְרֹ֣תlikhrotto covenantכָּרַתpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to covenant”, the to-form of the verbH3772to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.הָעֵ֔ץhaetsthe treeעֵץdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.וְנָשַׁ֤לvenashaland castנָשַׁלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and cast”, a completed action in a sequenceH5394to pluck off, i.e. divest, eject or dropcast (out), drive, loose, put off (out), slip.הַבַּרְזֶל֙habarzelthe ironבַּרְזֶלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the iron”, the ordinary formH1270iron (as cutting); by extension, an iron implement(ax) head, iron.מִןminfromמִןpreposition — “from”H4480properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many sensesabove, after, among, at, because of, by (reason of), from (among), in, [idiom] neither, [idiom] nor, (out) of, over, since, [idiom] then, through, [idiom] whether, with.הָעֵ֔ץhaetsthe treeעֵץdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the tree”, the ordinary formH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.וּמָצָ֥אumatsaand comeמָצָאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and come”, a completed action in a sequenceH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…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).רֵעֵ֖הוּreehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.וָמֵ֑תvametand dieמוּתconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and die”, a completed action in a sequenceH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…ה֗וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.יָנ֛וּסyanusawayנוּסverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “away”, an unfinished actionH5127to 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.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אַחַ֥תachatfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, feminine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,הֶעָרִיםhearimthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.הָאֵ֖לֶּהhaelehthe theseאֵלֶּהdefinite article, pronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “the these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).וָחָֽיvachayand liveחָיַיconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and live”, a completed action in a sequenceH2425to live; causatively to revivelive, save life.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he dieth; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live:

Young’s Literal Translation

even he who cometh in with his neighbour into a forest to hew wood, and his hand hath driven with an axe to cut the tree, and the iron hath slipped from the wood, and hath met his neighbour, and he hath died — he doth flee unto one of these cities, and hath lived,

World English Bible

as when a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to chop wood and his hand swings the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and hits his neighbor so that he dies—he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

Darby Translation

as when he goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron slippeth from the handle, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; such an one shall flee unto one of these cities, and live;

Douay-Rheims

But to have gone with him to the wood to hew wood, and in cutting down the tree the axe slipped out of his hand, and the iron slipping from the handle struck his friend, and killed him: he shall flee to one of the cities aforesaid, and live:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And whosoever shall enter with his neighbour into the thicket, to gather wood, if the hand of him that cuts wood with the axe should be violently shaken, and the axe head falling off from the handle should light on his neighbour, and he should die, he shall flee to one of these cities, and live.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ὅς ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃ μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν συναγαγεῖν ξύλα, καὶ ἐκκρουσθῇ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀξίνῃ κόπτοντος τὸ ξύλον, καὶ ἐκπεσὸν τὸ σιδήριον ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τύχῃ τοῦ πλησίον, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, οὗτος καταφεύξεται εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων, καὶ ζήσεται.