The Meaning of Deuteronomy 21:23 Explained

Deuteronomy 21:23

KJV: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

YLT: his corpse doth not remain on the tree, for thou dost certainly bury him in that day -- for a thing lightly esteemed of God is the hanged one -- and thou dost not defile thy ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- an inheritance.

Darby: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that is hanged is a curse of God); and thou shalt not defile thy land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

ASV: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His body  shall not remain all night  upon the tree,  but thou shalt in any wise  bury  him that day;  (for he that is hanged  [is] accursed  of God;  ) that thy land  be not defiled,  which the LORD  thy God  giveth  thee [for] an inheritance. 

What does Deuteronomy 21:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 21:23 mean?

not shall remain overnight his body on the tree but surely you shall bury him day that for [is] accursed of God he who is hanged so that not you do defile - the land which Yahweh your God is giving you [as] an inheritance -
לֹא־ תָלִ֨ין נִבְלָת֜וֹ עַל־ הָעֵ֗ץ כִּֽי־ קָב֤וֹר תִּקְבְּרֶ֙נּוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־ קִלְלַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים תָּל֑וּי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמֵּא֙ אֶת־ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה ס

תָלִ֨ין  shall  remain  overnight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.
נִבְלָת֜וֹ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
הָעֵ֗ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
קָב֤וֹר  surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
תִּקְבְּרֶ֙נּוּ֙  you  shall  bury  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: קָבַר  
Sense: to bury.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֔וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
קִלְלַ֥ת  [is]  accursed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קְלָלָה  
Sense: curse, vilification, execration.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
תָּל֑וּי  he  who  is  hanged 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: תָּלָה  
Sense: to hang.
וְלֹ֤א  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תְטַמֵּא֙  you  do  defile 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֥ן  is  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
נַחֲלָֽה  [as]  an  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation