King James Version

Deuteronomy 21:3

And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

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Hebrew

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וְהָיָ֣הvehayahand 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.הָעִ֔ירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, 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.הַקְּרֹבָ֖הhaqrovahthe nearקָרוֹבdefinite article, adjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “the near”, the ordinary formH7138near (in place, kindred or time)allied, approach, at hand, [phrase] any of kin, kinsfold(-sman), (that is) near (of kin), neighbour, (that is) next, (them that come) nigh (at hand), more ready, short(-ly).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).הֶחָלָ֑לhechalalthe killחָלָלdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the kill”, the ordinary formH2491pierced (especially to death); figuratively, pollutedkill, profane, slain (man), [idiom] slew, (deadly) wounded.וְלָֽקְח֡וּvelaqechvand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and take”, a completed action in a sequenceH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.זִקְנֵי֩ziqneoldזָקֵןadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “old”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2205oldaged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.הָעִ֨ירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, 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.הַהִ֜ואhahivthe as for herהוּאdefinite article, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “the 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.עֶגְלַ֣תeglatheiferעֶגְלָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “heifer”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5697a (female) calf, especially one nearly grown (i.e. a heifer)calf, cow, heifer.בָּקָ֗רbaqarherdבָּקָרnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “herd”, the ordinary formH1241beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herdbeeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.אֲשֶׁ֤רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, 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,…לֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…עֻבַּד֙ubadkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, pual, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “keep in bondage”, a completed actionH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…בָּ֔הּbahinבָּ֔הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inאֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, 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,…לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…מָשְׁכָ֖הmashekhahdrawמָשַׁךְverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “draw”, a completed actionH4900to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.)draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, [idiom] give, handle, make (pro-, sound) long, [idiom] sow, scatter, stretch out.בְּעֹֽלbeolin yokeעֹלpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in yoke”, the ordinary formH5923a yoke (as imposed on the neck), literally or figurativelyyoke.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

and it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

Young’s Literal Translation

and it hath been, the city which [is] near unto the slain one, even the elders of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in the yoke,

World English Bible

It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn’t been worked with and which has not drawn in the yoke.

Darby Translation

and the city that is nearest unto him that is slain, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer that hath not been wrought with, that hath not drawn in the yoke;

Douay-Rheims

And the ancients of that city which they shall perceive to be nearer than the rest, shall take a heifer of the herd, that hath not drawn in the yoke, nor ploughed the ground,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not laboured, and which has not borne a yoke.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἔσται ἡ πόλις ἡ ἐγγίζουσα τῷ τραυματίᾳ, καὶ λήψεται ἡ γερουσία τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης δάμαλιν ἐκ βοῶν, ἥτις οὐκ εἴργασται, καὶ ἥτις οὐχ εἵλκυσε ζυγόν·