New International VersionBring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails
New Living TranslationIf this happens, you may take her to your home, where she must shave her head, cut her nails,
English Standard Versionand you bring her home to your house, she shall shave her head and pare her nails.
Berean Standard Biblethen you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,
King James BibleThen thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
New King James Versionthen you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.
New American Standard Biblethen you shall bring her into your home, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.
NASB 1995then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.
NASB 1977then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.
Legacy Standard Biblethen you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.
Amplified Biblethen you shall bring her [home] to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails [in preparation for mourning].
Christian Standard Bibleyou are to bring her into your house. She is to shave her head, trim her nails,
Holman Christian Standard Bibleyou are to bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,
American Standard Versionthen thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
English Revised Versionthen thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
GOD'S WORD® TranslationBring her into your home. She must shave her head, cut her nails,
Good News TranslationTake her to your home, where she will shave her head, cut her fingernails,
International Standard VersionBring her to your house, but shave her head and trim her nails.
NET Bibleyou may bring her back to your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,
New Heart English Biblethen you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head, and trim her nails;
Webster's Bible TranslationThen thou shalt bring her home to thy house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Biblethen you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails,
World English Biblethen you shall bring her home to your house. She shall shave her head and trim her nails. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionthen you have brought her into the midst of your household, and she has shaved her head, and prepared her nails,
Young's Literal Translation then thou hast brought her in unto the midst of thy household, and she hath shaved her head, and prepared her nails,
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd thou broughtest her to thy house, and she shaved her head and did her nails: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt bring her into thy house: and she shall shave her hair, and pare her nails,
Catholic Public Domain Versionthen you shall lead her into your house. And she shall shave off her hair, and cut her nails short,
New American Bibleand so you take her home to your house, she must shave her head, cut her nails,
New Revised Standard Versionand so you bring her home to your house: she shall shave her head, pare her nails, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThen you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head and pare her nails;
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd you will bring her within your house, shave her head and pare her nails; OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
Brenton Septuagint Translationand shouldest bring her within thine house: then shalt thou shave her head, and pare her nails;
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Marrying a Captive Woman… 11if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, 12then you shall bring herintoyour house.She must shaveher head,trimher nails,13and put aside the clothing of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.…
Cross References Leviticus 14:8The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days.
Numbers 5:18After the priest has the woman stand before the LORD, he is to let down her hair and place in her hands the grain offering of memorial, which is the grain offering for jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse.
1 Corinthians 11:6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. And if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
1 Peter 3:3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,
Isaiah 3:24Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame.
Ezekiel 44:20They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair.
1 Timothy 2:9Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty, and with self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
Genesis 24:65and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
Ruth 3:3Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
1 Samuel 25:41She arose, bowed facedown, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”
2 Samuel 14:2So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
Isaiah 15:2Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off.
Jeremiah 41:5eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD.
Micah 1:16Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in mourning for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they will go from you into exile.
1 Corinthians 11:15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
Treasury of Scripture Then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 1 Corinthians 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; pare her nails; `i. Jump to Previous CutHairHeadHomeHouseHouseholdMidstNailsPreparedShaveShavedTrimJump to Next CutHairHeadHomeHouseHouseholdMidstNailsPreparedShaveShavedTrimDeuteronomy 21 1.The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder10.The usage of a captive taken to wife15.The firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection18.A rebellious son is to be stoned to death22.The malefactor must not hang all night on a treethen you shall bring her into your house.This phrase refers to the practice of taking a captive woman as a wife after a battle. In the ancient Near Eastern context, warfare often resulted in the capture of women. The instruction to bring her into the house signifies a transition from captivity to a more protected and potentially honorable status. This act can be seen as a form of integration into the Israelite community, providing her with a new identity and family. The house represents a place of safety and belonging, contrasting with her previous status as a captive. This practice reflects the broader biblical theme of redemption and transformation, where individuals are brought from a state of alienation into a covenant community. She must shave her head,
Shaving the head was a common mourning practice in the ancient Near East, symbolizing a break from the past and the beginning of a new life. This act could also signify purification and the removal of her former identity as a foreigner. In biblical terms, it represents a cleansing process, similar to the purification rituals found in Leviticus. The shaving of the head can also be seen as a type of Christ, who, in His sacrifice, removes the old self and offers a new identity in Him. This act of shaving is a physical manifestation of an inward transformation, aligning with the biblical theme of renewal. trim her nails,
Trimming the nails, like shaving the head, is part of the purification process. It symbolizes the removal of impurities and the preparation for a new beginning. In the cultural context, this act may have been associated with personal hygiene and readiness for integration into a new community. Biblically, it can be seen as a metaphor for sanctification, the process by which believers are made holy and set apart for God's purposes. This act of trimming is a small but significant step in the transformation of the captive woman, reflecting the broader biblical narrative of cleansing and preparation for a new life in God's covenant community. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelitesThe people receiving the law, God's chosen nation, tasked with living according to His commandments. 2. Captive WomanA woman taken as a captive during warfare, whom an Israelite man desires to marry. 3. HouseholdThe setting where the captive woman is brought, symbolizing a transition into a new life and community. 4. Shaving of Head and Trimming of NailsRitual acts symbolizing purification, mourning, and the transition from her previous life to a new one. 5. MosesThe leader and prophet who delivered God's laws to the Israelites, including this instruction. Teaching Points Cultural Sensitivity and RespectThe law reflects a concern for the dignity and humanity of the captive woman, emphasizing the importance of treating others with respect, even in difficult circumstances. Symbolism of TransformationThe acts of shaving and trimming symbolize a break from the past and a new beginning, reminding us of the transformative power of God's grace in our lives. Marriage as a CovenantThe process outlined in the law underscores the seriousness of marriage as a covenant, not to be entered into lightly or without consideration of the other person's well-being. God's Concern for the VulnerableThis law highlights God's care for the vulnerable and marginalized, encouraging us to advocate for and protect those who are powerless. Integration into CommunityThe captive woman's transition into the household signifies the importance of community and belonging, urging us to welcome and integrate newcomers into our faith communities. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Deuteronomy 21
Deuteronomy 21:10–14: Why would a just God permit the taking of war captives as brides under these conditions?
Why does the Old Testament allow forced marriages of female captives (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)?
Judges 11:34-39: If Jephthah's daughter was actually sacrificed, why is there no explicit condemnation of this act elsewhere in Scripture?
Does Solomon's sacrifice at high places (1 Kings 3:2-3) conflict with scriptural bans on worship outside the central sanctuary?Verse 12. - She shall shave her head, and pare her nails. The shaving of the head and the paring of the nails, as well as the putting off of the garments worn when taken captive, were signs of purification, of separation from former heathenism, preparatory to reception among the covenant people of Jehovah (cf. Leviticus 14:8; Numbers 8:7). Pare her nails; literally, make or prepare her nails, i. e. by cutting them down to a proper size and form (cf. 2 Samuel 19:25, where the same word is used of dressing the feet and trimming the beard). The Targum of Onkelos takes this in quite an opposite sense, rendering, as in the margin of the Authorized Version, "suffer to grow," and the rabbins who adopt this meaning suppose that the design of the prescription was that the woman, being rendered unlovely, the man might be deterred from taking her to be his wife. But this is altogether alien from the spirit and scope of the passage.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew then you shall bringוַהֲבֵאתָ֖הּ(wa·hă·ḇê·ṯāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, goher intoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, toyour house.בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ(bê·ṯe·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004:A houseShe must shaveוְגִלְּחָה֙(wə·ḡil·lə·ḥāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1548:To be bald, to shave, to lay wasteher head,רֹאשָׁ֔הּ(rō·šāh)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7218:The headtrimוְעָשְׂתָ֖ה(wə·‘ā·śə·ṯāh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, makeher nails,צִפָּרְנֶֽיהָ׃(ṣip·pā·rə·ne·hā)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6856:A claw, nail, the point of a, style
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OT Law: Deuteronomy 21:12 Then you shall bring her home (Deut. De Du) |
