Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 21:10–14

¹⁰When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand and you take them captive, ¹¹if you see a beautiful woman among them, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, ¹²then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her 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. ¹⁴And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.

Read all of Deuteronomy 21

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Deuteronomy 21:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you go	תֵצֵ֥א	ṯê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
to war	לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה	lam·mil·ḥā·māh	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H4421 battle, war
against	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
your enemies	אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ	’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
and the LORD	יְהוָ֧ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
your God	אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ	’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H430 God
delivers them	וּנְתָנ֞וֹ	ū·nə·ṯā·nōw	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
into your hand	בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ	bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
and you take them	וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ	wə·šā·ḇî·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H7617 take captive
captive	שִׁבְיֽוֹ׃	šiḇ·yōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7628 captivity, captives

Deuteronomy 21:11

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if you see	וְרָאִיתָ֙	wə·rā·’î·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H7200 see
a beautiful	יְפַת־	yə·p̄aṯ-	Adjective - feminine singular construct	H3303 fair, beautiful
woman	אֵ֖שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
among	בַּשִּׁבְיָ֔ה	baš·šiḇ·yāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H7633 captivity, captives
and you desire	וְחָשַׁקְתָּ֣	wə·ḥā·šaq·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H2836 be attached to, love
her	בָ֔הּ	ḇāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
and want to take	וְלָקַחְתָּ֥	wə·lā·qaḥ·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H3947 take
her	לְךָ֖	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
as your wife	לְאִשָּֽׁה׃	lə·’iš·šāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female

Deuteronomy 21:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
then you shall bring her	וַהֲבֵאתָ֖הּ	wa·hă·ḇê·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
into	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
your house	בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ	bê·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1004 house
She must shave	וְגִלְּחָה֙	wə·ḡil·lə·ḥāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1548 be bald
her head	רֹאשָׁ֔הּ	rō·šāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7218 head
trim	וְעָשְׂתָ֖ה	wə·‘ā·śə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H6213 do, make
her nails	צִפָּרְנֶֽיהָ׃	ṣip·pā·rə·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H6856 nail

Deuteronomy 21:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and put aside	וְהֵסִ֩ירָה֩	wə·hê·sî·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H5493 turn aside
the clothing	שִׂמְלַ֨ת	śim·laṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8071 wrapper, mantle
of her captivity	שִׁבְיָ֜הּ	šiḇ·yāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H7628 captivity, captives
After	וְאַ֨חַר	wə·’a·ḥar	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H310 behind
she has lived	וְיָֽשְׁבָה֙	wə·yā·šə·ḇāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in your house	בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ	bə·ḇê·ṯe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1004 house
a full month	יֶ֣רַח	ye·raḥ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3391 month
and mourned	וּבָֽכְתָ֛ה	ū·ḇā·ḵə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1058 weep, bewail
her father	אָבִ֥יהָ	’ā·ḇî·hā	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H1 father
and mother	אִמָּ֖הּ	’im·māh	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H517 mother
you may have relations with	תָּב֤וֹא	tā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
her	אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to
and be her husband	וּבְעַלְתָּ֔הּ	ū·ḇə·‘al·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H1166 marry, rule over
and she shall be	וְהָיְתָ֥ה	wə·hā·yə·ṯāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
your wife	לְאִשָּֽׁה׃	lə·’iš·šāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female

Deuteronomy 21:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וְהָיָ֞ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you are not	לֹ֧א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
pleased	חָפַ֣צְתָּ	ḥā·p̄aṣ·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H2654 delight in
with her	בָּ֗הּ	bāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
you are to let her go	וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙	wə·šil·laḥ·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H7971 send
wherever she wishes	לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ	lə·nap̄·šāh	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
But you must not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
sell her	וּמָכֹ֥ר	ū·mā·ḵōr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H4376 sell
for money	בַּכָּ֑סֶף	bak·kā·sep̄	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3701 silver, money
or treat her as a slave	תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר	ṯiṯ·‘am·mêr	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6014 bind sheaves
since	תַּ֖חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
you have dishonored her	עִנִּיתָֽהּ׃ס	‘in·nî·ṯāh	Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H6031 be occupied, busied with

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Deuteronomy 21:14 Deuteronomy 22:29 · Genesis 34:2 · Deuteronomy 22:19 · Deuteronomy 22:24

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.