Deuteronomy 25:12 — Word Study
WLCוְקַצֹּתָ֖ה אֶת־ כַּפָּ֑הּ לֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶֽךָ׃ ס
BSAyou are to cut offqâtsats [completely sever, remove] her handkaph [palm, the instrument of action] You must show her no pitychûwç▸ [have, demonstrate, absolutely not, none, compassion, mercy, kindness, to spare]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְקַצֹּתָ֖ה | and you will cut off | Verb, Qal, sequential perfect second person masculine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| כַּפָּ֑הּ | hand her | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| לֹ֥א | not | Particle |
| תָח֖וֹס | it will look with pity | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person feminine singular |
| עֵינֶֽךָ׃ ס | eye your | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity. |
| KJV | Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her. |
| ASV | then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no pity. |
| YLT | then thou hast cut off her hand, thine eye doth not spare. |
| WEB | then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity. |
| BBE | Her hand is to be cut off; have no pity on her. |
Where they part company is in the overall emphasis on the act of cutting off her hand, which is consistent across translations.
The sentence is straightforward, with a clear command followed by a prohibition.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbקָצַץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 25:12
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Laws of Justice and Conductgenerated
Deuteronomy 25:12 is part of a broader legal framework given to the Israelites, outlining specific punishments for actions that disrupt societal order. This verse addresses the consequences for a woman who intervenes in a fight, highlighting the seriousness of maintaining justice and the implications of personal actions within communal life.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 19:13–21 | You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — קַצֹּתָ֖ה, ve.ka.tzo.Tahgenerated
The verb קָצַץ (qatsats) means to cut off or sever. It conveys a strong sense of removal, whether physically or symbolically. In this context, it indicates a complete severing of the hand as a punishment for the woman’s actions.
The Qal form indicates a straightforward action, emphasizing the directness of the command. This word is used in various contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible, often associated with decisive and sometimes violent actions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as you are to cut off her hand, which is consistent across the KJV, ASV, YLT, WEB, and BBE, all emphasizing the act of severing.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb קַצֹּתָ֖ה (you will cut off) governs the sentence, with the object כַּפָּ֑הּ (her hand) directly following it. The structure is straightforward, with the command followed by a prohibition against showing pity.
The sentence is succinct and direct, reflecting the legal nature of the text, which is characteristic of Hebrew law codes.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the verb קָצַץ as ἀποκόψεις (you will cut off), which maintains the sense of severing. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, preserving the severity of the punishment.
This Greek term carries a similar connotation of cutting or severing, indicating that the translators understood the weight of the original directive.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 25:12 states that if a woman intervenes in a fight to help her husband, she must have her hand cut off, and there should be no pity shown for her. This law reflects the seriousness of maintaining order and justice in the community.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The law prescribes a severe punishment for a woman who intervenes in a fight, emphasizing the importance of justice and the consequences of one's actions.
The lack of pity underscores the seriousness of the offense and the need for strict adherence to the law to maintain societal order.
While the cultural context is different, the principle of justice and accountability for actions remains relevant.
This verse is part of a series of laws aimed at regulating community behavior and ensuring justice, reflecting the broader themes of order and morality in Deuteronomy.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some ways we can uphold justice in our communities today?
- How do we balance compassion with the need for accountability?
- In what situations might we be tempted to overlook justice for the sake of mercy?
- How can understanding these laws help us navigate moral dilemmas in our lives?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 25:12 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen thou shall cut off her hand,.... Which was to be done not by the man that strove with her husband, or by any bystander, but by the civil magistrate or his order.
Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 25 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhen men strive together one with another and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 25 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BiblePartly because of the great mischief she did to him, both to his person and posterity, and partly to deter all women from all immodest and impudent carriages, and to secure that modesty which is indeed the guardian of all the virtues, as immodesty is an inlet to all vices, as the sad experience of this degenerate age shows; and therefore it is not strange that it is so severely restrained and punished. Thine eye shall not pity her, which thou wilt be very apt to do, because of the infirmity of her sex, and the urgency of the occasion, this being done for the necessary preservation of her husband.
Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 25 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsDeuteronomy 25:12 Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity [her].Ver. 12. Cut off her hand.] The instrument of her sin. Thus Cranmer thrust his hand, wherewith he had subscribed a recantation, first into the fire, crying out, "Thou unworthy right hand." An Act of Parliament was here made, in the reign of Philip and Mary, that the authors and sowers of seditious writings should lose their right hands. By virtue whereof John Stubbs and William Page had their right hands cut off, with a cleaver driven through the wrist with the force of a beetle, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, for a book written against the marriage with the Duke of Anjou, entitled, "The Gulf wherein England…
Read John Trapp on Deuteronomy 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersDeuteronomy 25:5-10. .(5) If brethren dwell together.—This law is made the subject of a whole treatise in the Talmud, called Yebâmôth. The object of the law was held to be attained if the family of the dead man was perpetuated, and did not become extinct. And therefore the marriage specified was not necessarily between the brother and the brother’s wife, but might be between other representatives of the two persons in question. (See Ruth 4) The law is older than Moses. We first hear of it in the household of Judah the son of Jacob (Genesis 38:8). The violation of the law then was punished with death, not with disgrace only. But that which makes the law most memorable, is the teaching…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 25 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges11, 12. Of Reckless Assault The woman who, even to help her husband, grasps the secrets of another Israelite wrestling with him shall have her hand cut off.—Peculiar to D, and in the Sg. address with brother as in other Sg. passages; but with an opening, and an accumulation of conditions similar to those in other laws probably borrowed by D. The additions may be the superfluous a man and his brother (Deuteronomy 25:11, R.V. one with another) and thine eye shall not pity (Deuteronomy 25:12, cp. Deuteronomy 7:16). Strive, rather are wrestling (as in E, Exodus 21:22; cp. Exodus 2:13, Leviticus 24:10, 2 Samuel 14:6). Secrets, lit. pudenda, only here. The position of the law just here may be due…
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 25 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThis is the only mutilation prescribed by the Law of Moses, unless we except the retaliation prescribed as a punishment for the infliction on another of bodily injuries Leviticus 24:19-20.
Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 25 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible11, 12. When men strive — According to Van Lennep (Bible Lands, p.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity.
then you shall cut off her hand. Your eye shall have no pity.
you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity.
then you must cut off her hand – do not pity her.
Tyndale line
Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.
then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no pity.
then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no pity.
Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thy eye shall not pity her .
Then thou shalt cut off her hande: thine eye shall not spare her.
Strictly literal
thou shalt cut off her hand; thine eye shall not spare.
then thou hast cut off her hand, thine eye doth not spare.
then you have cut off her hand; your eye does not spare.
Then shalt thou cut off her hand, thy eye shall not have pity.
then you must cut off her hand; your eye must have no pity.
From the Latin
Thou shalt cut off her hand, neither shalt thou be moved with any pity in her regard.
Simplified
you are to cut her hand off. Don't show her any mercy.
Her hand is to be cut off; have no pity on her.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states: וְקַצֹּתָ֖ה אֶת־ כַּפָּ֑הּ לֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶֽךָ׃ ס. The Septuagint matches five out of six words but presents them in a different order, while the Samaritan Pentateuch has one word that differs: it uses קצת instead of קָצַץ.
וְקַצֹּתָ֖ה אֶת־ כַּפָּ֑הּ לֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶֽךָ׃ ס
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וקצת את כפה לא תחוס עינך
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: קצת (cut)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 25:12
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
קָצַץ (qatsats) means to cut off, with various nuances such as chopping or hewing in pieces. It is a primitive root that appears in different forms: Qal (to cut off), Piel (to cut or hew off), and Pual (to be cut off). The term is also related to an Aramaic equivalent, קְצַץ (H7113).
[קָצַץ] vb. cut off
Qal consec.
Pi. cut of hew off
Pu. hewn off
base
H7112 [קָצַץ] cut off
7112 qatsats kaw-tsats'
a primitive root; to chop off (literally or
figuratively):--cut (asunder, in pieces, in sunder, off), X
utmost.
קָצַץ (qa.tsats) — to cut.
1) to cut off
1a) (Qal) to cut off
1b) (Piel) to cut or hew off, cut in two, cut in pieces
1c) (Pual) to be cut or hewn off
Aramaic equivalent: qe.tsats (קְצַץ "to cut" H7113)
Conj | V-Qal-2ms — Verb · Qal · sequential perfect second person masculine singularHc/Vqq2ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
כַּף (kaph) refers to the hollow or flat part of the hand, including the palm and the sole of the foot. It can also denote power and is used to describe various hollow objects, such as bowls or handles. The word encompasses a range of meanings related to the shape and function of hands and feet, as well as items that are hand-shaped.
כַּף 192 n.f. hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, hand
base
H3709 כַּף hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, hand
3709 kaph kaf
from 3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an
animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling,
the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree);
figuratively, power:--branch, + foot, hand((-ful), -dle,
(-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.
see HEBREW for 03721
כַּף (kaph) — palm.
: palm/hand
1) palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand
1a) palm, hollow or flat of the hand
1b) power
1c) sole (of the foot)
1d) hollow, objects, bending objects, bent objects
1d1) of thigh-joint
1d2) pan, vessel (as hollow)
1d3) hollow (of sling)
1d4) hand-shaped branches or fronds (of palm trees)
1d5) handles (as bent)
כַּף (kaph) — palm: sole.
: sole/paw
1) palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand
1a) palm, hollow or flat of the hand
1b) power
1c) sole (of the foot)
1d) hollow, objects, bending objects, bent objects
1d1) of thigh-joint
1d2) pan, vessel (as hollow)
1d3) hollow (of sling)
1d4) hand-shaped branches or fronds (of palm trees)
1d5) handles (as bent)
כַּף (kaph) — palm: dish.
: dish/socket
1) palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand
1a) palm, hollow or flat of the hand
1b) power
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3fs
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
HTn — ParticleHTn
חוּס (chus) is a Hebrew verb meaning to pity or show compassion. It is built from a primitive root that conveys the idea of covering or sparing. The word covers the concepts of having compassion and regarding someone with mercy. It is noted in various lexicons for its emphasis on compassion.
[חוּס] vb. pity, look upon with compassion
base
H2347 חוּס pity, look upon with compassion
2347 chuwc khoos
a primitive root; properly, to cover, i.e. (figuratively) to
compassionate:--pity, regard, spare.
חוּס (chus) — to pity.
(Qal) to pity, have compassion, spare, look upon with compassion
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person feminine singularHVqi3fs
pit'-i (chamal, chuc; eleeo): "Pity," probably contracted from "piety," is tender feeling for others in misery or distress. It is allied to compassion (which see), but differs in respect of the object that causes the distress (or feeling). The feeling of pity is excited chiefly by the weakness, miserable or degraded condition of the object; compassion by his uncontrollable and inevitable misfortunes: "We pity a man of weak understanding who exposes his weakness; we compassionate the man who is reduced to a state of beggary and want" (Crabb, English Synonyms). Pity often becomes allied to contempt; "a pity" is something to be regretted. See PITIFUL. In the Old Testament "pity" is closely akin to "mercy." It is most frequently the translation of chamal, "to pity," "to spare," e.g. in Nathan's parable of the poor man's one lamb, it is said that the rich man was worthy to die because he had…
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
HNcfsc/Sp2ms — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp2ms