Deuteronomy 22 · Verse 8

Deuteronomy 22:8

When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.
Deuteronomy 22:8, King James Version

Deuteronomy 22:8 in other translations

BSBIf you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.
WEBWhen you build a new house, then you shall make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring blood on your house if anyone falls from there.
ASVWhen thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from thence.
YLT‘When thou buildest a new house, then thou hast made a parapet to thy roof, and thou dost not put blood on thy house when one falleth from it.
DARBYWhen thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any one should in any wise fall from it.
BBEIf you are building a house, make a railing for the roof, so that the blood of any man falling from it will not come on your house.
WebsterWhen thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou mayest not bring blood upon thy house, if any man shall fall from thence.

What does Deuteronomy 22:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence--The tops of houses in ancient Judea, as in the East still, were flat, being composed of branches or twigs laid across large beams, and covered with a cement of clay or strong plaster. They were surrounded by a parapet breast high. In summer the roof is a favorite resort for coolness, and accidents would frequently happen from persons incautiously approaching the edge and falling into the street or court; hence it was a wise and prudent precaution in the Jewish legislator to provide that a stone balustrade or timber railing round the roof should form an essential part of every new house.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 A battlement for thy roof - Houses in the East are in general built with flat roofs, and on them men walk to enjoy the fresh air, converse together, sleep, etc.; it was therefore necessary to have a sort of battlement or balustrade to prevent persons from falling off. If a man neglected to make a sufficient defense against such accidents, and the death of another was occasioned by it, the owner of the house must be considered in the light of a murderer.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 22:5-12

God's providence extends itself to the smallest affairs, and his precepts do so, that even in them we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care. Yet the tendency of these laws, which seem little, is such, that being found among the things of God's law, they are to be accounted great things. If we would prove ourselves to be God's people, we must have respect to his will and to his glory, and…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 22:5-12 →

Deuteronomy 22:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֤יkiifH3588
תִבְנֶה֙tiv.Nehyou will buildH1129
בַּ֣יִתBa.yita houseH1004
חָדָ֔שׁcha.DashnewH2319
וְעָשִׂ֥יתָve.'a.Si.taand you will makeH6213
מַעֲקֶ֖הma.'a.Keha parapetH4624
לְגַגֶּ֑ךָle.ga.Ge.khafor roof yourH1406
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
תָשִׂ֤יםta.Simyou will putH7760
דָּמִים֙da.Mimblood<s>H1818
בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָbe.vei.Te.khaon house yourH1004
כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
יִפֹּ֥לyi.Polhe will fallH5307
הַנֹּפֵ֖לha.no.Fel<the> [one who] fallsH5307
מִמֶּֽנּוּ\׃\ \סmi.Me.nufrom itH4480

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 22:8

  • Mark 2:4

    And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.

  • Jeremiah 19:13

    And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

  • 2 Samuel 11:2

    And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

  • Isaiah 22:1

    The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

  • Exodus 21:28-36

    If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him. Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. …

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:22

    Abstain from all appearance of evil.

  • Acts 10:9

    On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

  • Matthew 10:27

    What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

  • Exodus 22:6

    If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

  • Ezekiel 3:18

    When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

  • Ezekiel 32:2-9

    Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas: and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. Thus saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in my net. Then will I leave thee upon the land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. …

  • Ezekiel 3:20

    Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
then thou shalt.The eastern houses being built with flat roofs, which were used for various purposed, as walking, sleeping, etc., it was therefore necessary to have a sort of battlement, or balustrade, to prevent accidents, by people falling off.
Ex 21:28-36; 22:6; Ro 14:13; 1Co 10:32; Php 1:10; 1Th 5:22
thy roof.
2Sa 11:2; Isa 22:1; Jer 19:13; Mt 10:27; Mr 2:4; Ac 10:9
thou bring.
Eze 3:18,20; 32:2-9; Mt 18:6,7; Ac 20:26,27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 22:7

    But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

  • Deuteronomy 22:8

    When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

  • Deuteronomy 22:9

    Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

Read all of Deuteronomy 22

Deuteronomy 22:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Cuando edificares casa nueva, harás pretil á tu terrado, porque no pongas sangre en tu casa, si de él cayere alguno.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Si tu bâtis une maison neuve, tu feras un parapet à ton toit, afin que tu ne mettes pas du sang sur ta maison, si quelqu’un venait à en tomber.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wenn du ein neues Haus baust, so sollst du ein Geländer um dein Dach machen, damit du nicht eine Blutschuld auf dein Haus bringest, wenn irgend jemand von demselben herabfiele.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cum ædificaveris domum novam, facies murum tecti per circuitum: ne effundatur sanguis in domo tua, et sis reus labente alio, et in præceps ruente.