Deuteronomy 21:10-13

Laws Concerning Wives

21:10 When you go out to do battle with your enemies and the Lord your God allows you to prevail ¹  and you take prisoners, 21:11 if you should see among them ²  an attractive woman whom you wish to take as a wife, 21:12 you may bring her back to your house. She must shave her head, ³  trim her nails, 21:13 discard the clothing she was wearing when captured, ⁴  and stay ⁵  in your house, lamenting for her father and mother for a full month. After that you may have sexual relations ⁶  with her and become her husband and she your wife.

[21:10]  ¹ tn Heb “gives him into your hands.”

[21:11]  ² tn Heb “the prisoners.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

[21:12]  ³ sn This requirement for the woman to shave her head may symbolize the putting away of the old life and customs in preparation for being numbered among the people of the Lord. The same is true for the two following requirements.

[21:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “she is to…remove the clothing of her captivity” (cf. NASB); NRSV “discard her captive’s garb.”

[21:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “sit”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “remain.”

[21:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “go unto,” a common Hebrew euphemism for sexual relations.