Deuteronomy 19:13

19:13 You must not pity him, but purge out the blood of the innocent ¹  from Israel, so that it may go well with you.

Deuteronomy 27:25

27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 19:10

19:10 You must not shed innocent blood ²  in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty. ³ 

Deuteronomy 21:8

21:8 Do not blame ⁴  your people Israel whom you redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the bloodshed of an innocent person.” ⁵  Then atonement will be made for the bloodshed.

Deuteronomy 32:43

32:43 Cry out, O nations, with his people,

for he will avenge his servants’ blood;

he will take vengeance against his enemies,

and make atonement for his land and people.

Deuteronomy 17:8

Appeal to a Higher Court

17:8 If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, ⁶  legal claim, ⁷  or assault ⁸  – matters of controversy in your villages ⁹  – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. ¹⁰ 

[19:13]  ¹ sn Purge out the blood of the innocent. Because of the corporate nature of Israel’s community life, the whole community shared in the guilt of unavenged murder unless and until vengeance occurred. Only this would restore spiritual and moral equilibrium (Num 35:33).

[19:10]  ² tn Heb “innocent blood must not be shed.” The Hebrew phrase דָּם נָקִי (dam naqiy) means the blood of a person to whom no culpability or responsibility adheres because what he did was without malice aforethought (HALOT 224 s.v דָּם 4.b).

[19:10]  ³ tn Heb “and blood will be upon you” (cf. KJV, ASV); NRSV “thereby bringing bloodguilt upon you.”

[21:8]  ³ tn Heb “Atone for.”

[21:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “and do not place innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel.”

[17:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “between blood and blood.”

[17:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “between claim and claim.”

[17:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “between blow and blow.”

[17:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “gates.”

[17:8]  ⁸ tc Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.