Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 25:12
you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the assembled Israelites on the plains of Moab, delivering covenantal statutes for civil and criminal justice as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.
The words — The Hebrew כַּפָּ֑/הּ (ka.Pa/h) literally means "her hand," and תָח֖וֹס (ta.Chos) literally means "show pity."
The thread — This command echoes the "no pity" mandate in Deuteronomy 19:13 and 19:21, alongside the complete destruction order in Deuteronomy 7:2.
Why it lands — The text commands the community to apply the prescribed penalty without emotional interference, requiring strict, impartial enforcement of the law.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 19:13 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.
- Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Deuteronomy 19:21 You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.