The Meaning of Deuteronomy 21:5 Explained

Deuteronomy 21:5

KJV: And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:

YLT: And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh -- for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke --

Darby: and the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to do service unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall be every controversy and every stroke.

ASV: And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the priests  the sons  of Levi  shall come near;  for them the LORD  thy God  hath chosen  to minister  unto him, and to bless  in the name  of the LORD;  and by their word  shall every controversy  and every stroke  be [tried]: 

What does Deuteronomy 21:5 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 21:5 mean?

And shall come near the priests the sons of Levi for them has chosen Yahweh your God to minister to Him and to bless in the name of Yahweh and by their word shall be [settled] every controversy and every assault
וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִי֒ כִּ֣י בָ֗ם בָּחַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְעַל־ פִּיהֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה כָּל־ רִ֥יב וְכָל־ נָֽגַע

וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ  And  shall  come  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
הַכֹּהֲנִים֮  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
לֵוִי֒  Levi 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵוִי 
Sense: the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah and progenitor of tribe of Levites.
בָּחַ֞ר  has  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ  to  minister  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ  and  to  bless 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
בְּשֵׁ֣ם  in  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְהוָ֑ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְעַל־  and  by 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פִּיהֶ֥ם  their  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
יִהְיֶ֖ה  shall  be  [settled] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
רִ֥יב  controversy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רִיב 
Sense: strife, controversy, dispute.
וְכָל־  and  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נָֽגַע  assault 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.