So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

DEUTERONOMY 21:9KJV
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Deuteronomy 21:9 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 21:9 mean?

Deuteronomy 21:9 explains that by following God’s instructions for dealing with an unsolved murder, the people of Israel remove the guilt of innocent blood from their community in God’s eyes. The verse emphasizes that doing what is right before the LORD is what clears them from responsibility for the crime.

In this part of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to the Israelites about how to handle situations where someone is found murdered and the killer is unknown. The instructions just before this verse describe a ritual involving the elders and priests to symbolically cleanse the land of guilt. Deuteronomy 21:9 sums up that if the people obey these steps, they are considered innocent before God.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 21:9

  • "away" (בָּעֵר, ba‘er): This word means to remove or purge. It highlights that the goal is not just to ignore the crime but to actively clear away the guilt from among the people.
  • "innocent" (נָקִי, naqiy): This word refers to someone who is free from guilt or blame. The verse is concerned with the blood of someone who did not deserve to die, stressing the seriousness of unjust death.
  • "right" (יָשָׁר, yashar): This word means upright or straight, often understood as doing what is morally correct. The verse ties being cleared of guilt to doing what is upright in God’s sight, not just following human customs.
  • "sight" (עַיִן, ‘ayin): Literally “eye,” this word is used here to mean “in the presence of” or “as seen by” the LORD, showing that the standard is God’s view, not just human opinion.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, reminding the reader that these instructions are about being right before the God of Israel.

Why Deuteronomy 21:9 matters

  • Deuteronomy 21:9 clarifies that communal responsibility for innocent blood can be removed through obedience to God’s specific commands, not by ignoring the problem or blaming others.
  • The verse stresses that what matters most is doing what is right in God’s eyes, not just following outward rituals or appearances.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing the seriousness with which God treats justice and the value of every human life, even when the guilty party is unknown.

Where else these words appear

“innocent” Hebrew H5355 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 24:41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.
  • 1 Samuel 19:5 For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
  • Psalms 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

“away” Hebrew H1197 · used in 90 verses

  • Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
  • 2 Samuel 22:13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
  • Isaiah 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

“right” Hebrew H3477 · used in 119 verses

  • Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
  • 2 Chronicles 29:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.
  • Proverbs 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.