Deuteronomy 21:3
New International Version
Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke

New Living Translation
When the nearest town has been determined, that town’s elders must select from the herd a heifer that has never been trained or yoked to a plow.

English Standard Version
And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work,

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
And it shall be that the elders of the city nearest to the slain man will take a heifer which has not been worked and which has not pulled with a yoke.

New American Standard Bible
And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the person killed, that is, that the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked and has not pulled in a yoke;

NASB 1995
“It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

NASB 1977
“And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Legacy Standard Bible
And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Amplified Bible
It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the dead man shall take a heifer of the herd, one which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Christian Standard Bible
The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a young cow that has not been yoked or used for work.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a young cow that has not been yoked or used for work.

American Standard Version
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;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the city that is near him that was killed, the Elders of that city shall bring a heifer of an ox that has not pulled anything and has not pulled in a yoke;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

Contemporary English Version
The leaders from that town will go to their cattle herds and choose a young cow that has never been put to work.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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,

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When it has been determined which city is nearest the body, the leaders from that city must choose a heifer that has never been put to work and never worn a yoke.

Good News Translation
Then the leaders of the town nearest to where the body was found are to select a young cow that has never been used for work.

International Standard Version
Then the elders of the city nearest the body are to take a heifer that hasn't been put to work or hasn't pulled a yoke

JPS Tanakh 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.

Literal Standard Version
and it has been, the city which [is] near to the slain one, even [the] elderly of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked with, which has not drawn in a yoke,

Majority Standard Bible
Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work,

New American Bible
When it is established which city is nearest the corpse, the elders of that city shall take a heifer that has never been put to work or worn a yoke;

NET Bible
Then the elders of the city nearest to the corpse must take from the herd a heifer that has not been worked--that has never pulled with the yoke--

New Revised Standard Version
The elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked, one that has not pulled in the yoke;

New Heart English Bible
and it shall be, that the city which is nearest to the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hasn't been worked with, and which has not drawn in the yoke;

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall be that the city which is next to the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer which hath not been wrought with, and 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.

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,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
2your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities. 3Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work, 4bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.…

Cross References
Numbers 19:2
"This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke.

Deuteronomy 21:2
your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities.

Deuteronomy 21:4
bring the heifer to a valley with running water that has not been plowed or sown, and break its neck there by the stream.

1 Samuel 6:7
Now, therefore, prepare one new cart with two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.


Treasury of Scripture

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

an

Numbers 19:2
This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

Jeremiah 31:18
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…

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Deuteronomy 21
1. The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
10. The usage of a captive taken to wife
15. The firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection
18. A rebellious son is to be stoned to death
22. The malefactor must not hang all night on a tree














Verse 3. - An heifer, which hath not boon wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; a young cow which had not been rendered unfit for consecration, nor had its vital force impaired, by being subjected to forced labor (cf. Numbers 19:2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then
וְהָיָ֣ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the elders
זִקְנֵי֩ (ziq·nê)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2205: Old

of the city
הָעִ֔יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

nearest
הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה (haq·qə·rō·ḇāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7138: Near

the victim
הֶחָלָ֑ל (he·ḥā·lāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2491: Pierced, polluted

shall take
וְלָֽקְח֡וּ (wə·lā·qə·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3947: To take

a heifer
עֶגְלַ֣ת (‘eḡ·laṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5697: A, calf, one nearly grown

that
אֲשֶׁ֤ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

has never
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

been yoked
בְּעֹֽל׃ (bə·‘ōl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5923: A yoke

or used for work,
עֻבַּד֙ (‘ub·baḏ)
Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 21:3 And it shall be that the city (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 21:2
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