KJV King James Version
And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Deuteronomy 19:21
And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.
WEB World English Bible
Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
ASV American Standard Version
And thine eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
and thine eye doth not pity—life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Surrounding context — Deuteronomy 19
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, [if] the witness [be] a false witness, [and] hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
21 And thine eye shall not pity; [but] life [shall go] for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וְלֹ֥אH3808 · lonotתָח֖וֹסH2347 · chusto pityעֵינֶ֑ךָH5869 · a.yineyeנֶ֣פֶשׁH5315 · ne.pheshsoulבְּנֶ֗פֶשׁH5315 · ne.pheshsoulעַ֤יִןH5869 · a.yineyeבְּעַ֙יִן֙H5869 · a.yineyeשֵׁ֣ןH8127 · shentoothבְּשֵׁ֔ןH8127 · shentoothיָ֥דH3027 · yadhandבְּיָ֖דH3027 · yadhandרֶ֥גֶלH7272 · re.gelfootבְּרָֽגֶל׃ סH7272 · re.gelfoot
Cross-references
Matthew 5:38-39Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:Exodus 21:23-25And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,Deuteronomy 19:13Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away [the guilt of] innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.Leviticus 24:17-21And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:21
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →