Deuteronomy 22:8
New International Version
When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.

New Living Translation
“When you build a new house, you must build a railing around the edge of its flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof.

English Standard Version
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.

Berean Standard Bible
If 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
“When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it.

New American Standard Bible
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring guilt for bloodshed on your house if anyone falls from it.

NASB 1995
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.

NASB 1977
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.

Legacy Standard Bible
“When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.

Amplified Bible
“When you build a new house, you shall make a railing (parapet) around your [flat] roof, so that you do not bring the guilt of [innocent] blood on your house if someone falls from it.

Christian Standard Bible
If you build a new house, make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you build a new house, make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.

American Standard Version
When 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.

Contemporary English Version
If you build a house, make sure to put a low wall around the edge of the flat roof. Then if someone falls off the roof and is killed, it won't be your fault.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whenever you build a new house, put a railing around the edge of the roof. Then you won't be responsible for a death at your home if someone falls off the roof.

Good News Translation
"When you build a new house, be sure to put a railing around the edge of the roof. Then you will not be responsible if someone falls off and is killed.

International Standard Version
"When you build a new house, install a parapet along your roof so that if someone falls from the roof, you won't bring guilt of bloodshed on your house."

Majority Standard Bible
If 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.

NET Bible
If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it.

New Heart English Bible
When you build a new house, then you shall make a battlement for your roof, that you do not bring blood on your house, if any man fall from there.

Webster's Bible Translation
When 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.

World English Bible
When 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
When you build a new house, then you have made a parapet for your roof, and you do not put blood on your house when one falls from it.

Young's Literal Translation
'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.

Smith's Literal Translation
When thou shalt build a new house thou shalt make a ledge to thy roof, and thou shalt not put bloods upon thy house, if he shall fall from it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
When thou buildest a new house, thou shalt make a battlement to the roof round about: lest blood be shed in thy house, and thou be guilty, if any one slip, and fall down headlong.

Catholic Public Domain Version
When you build a new house, you shall make a wall around the roof. Otherwise, someone may slip and fall down violently, and so blood would be shed at your house, and you would be guilty.

New American Bible
When you build a new house, put a parapet around the roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt upon your house if someone falls off.

New Revised Standard Version
When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof; otherwise you might have bloodguilt on your house, if anyone should fall from it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When you build a new house, you must make a parapet for your roof, that no man may fall from it, and bring blood upon your house.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And whenever you build a new house, make a railing for your roof that a man will not fall from it and blood would be in your household.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from thence.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If thou shouldest build a new house, then shalt thou make a parapet to thy house; so thou shalt not bring blood-guiltiness upon thy house, if one should in any wise fall from it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Various Laws
7You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days. 8If 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. 9Do not plant your vineyard with two types of seed; if you do, the entire harvest will be defiled—both the crop you plant and the fruit of your vineyard.…

Cross References
Exodus 21:28-29
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible. / But if the ox has a habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, then the ox must be stoned and its owner must also be put to death.

Leviticus 19:16
You must not go about spreading slander among your people. You must not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD.

Proverbs 24:11-12
Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. / If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

Ezekiel 33:6
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

Matthew 7:12
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.

Romans 13:8-10
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 10:24
No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Philippians 2:4
Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

1 John 3:17
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

Genesis 9:5-6
And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man: / Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.

Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.

Numbers 35:33-34
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. / Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell. For I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.”

Joshua 20:3-6
so that anyone who kills another unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. / When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. / Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. ...

2 Kings 6:1-7
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please take note that the place where we meet with you is too small for us. / Please let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a log so we can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” said Elisha. / Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” “I will come,” he replied. ...

Nehemiah 4:17-18
who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. / And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.


Treasury of Scripture

When you build a new house, then you shall make a battlement for your roof, that you bring not blood on your house, if any man fall from there.

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…

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.

Romans 14:13
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

thy roof

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?

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.

thou bring

Ezekiel 3:18,20
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…

Matthew 18:6,7
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea…

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Deuteronomy 22
1. Of humanity toward brothers
5. The sex is to be distinguished by apparel
6. The bird is not to be taken with her young ones
8. The house must have battlements
9. Confusion is to be avoided
12. Tassels upon the vesture
13. The punishment of him who slanders his wife
22. of adultery
23. of rape
28. of fornication
30. of incest














When you build a new house
The phrase begins with a directive that assumes the act of building, which in ancient Israelite society was a significant endeavor. The Hebrew word for "house" (בַּיִת, bayit) not only refers to a physical structure but also symbolizes a household or family lineage. This reflects the importance of establishing a safe and secure environment for one's family and community. The act of building a new house signifies growth, prosperity, and the continuation of family heritage, which is a blessing from God.

you must construct a parapet
The term "parapet" (מַעֲקֶה, ma'akeh) refers to a low protective wall along the edge of a roof. In ancient times, roofs were flat and used as additional living space, much like a patio or terrace today. The command to construct a parapet is a practical measure to prevent accidents, emphasizing the value God places on human life and the responsibility of individuals to protect others from harm. This reflects a broader biblical principle of loving one's neighbor and taking proactive steps to ensure their safety.

around your roof
The roof (גַּג, gag) in ancient Israel was a place of social gathering, relaxation, and even sleep during hot nights. By specifying "around your roof," the text highlights the comprehensive nature of the safety measure. It is not enough to partially secure the area; the protection must be complete. This serves as a metaphor for the thoroughness with which believers are called to care for others, leaving no area of vulnerability.

so that you will not bring the guilt of bloodshed
The phrase underscores the moral and spiritual responsibility of the homeowner. The "guilt of bloodshed" (דָּם, dam) indicates that negligence resulting in harm or death is a serious offense in God's eyes. This reflects the biblical principle that life is sacred and that individuals are accountable for preventing harm to others. It serves as a reminder of the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership and stewardship.

upon your house
The "house" here again symbolizes not just the physical structure but the entire household. The implication is that the consequences of negligence extend beyond the individual to affect the entire family. This communal aspect of responsibility is a recurring theme in Scripture, where the actions of one can impact many. It calls believers to consider the broader implications of their actions on their family and community.

if someone falls from it
The potential for someone to "fall" (נָפַל, naphal) from the roof is a literal concern with spiritual implications. It serves as a metaphor for the unforeseen dangers in life and the importance of vigilance. The verse calls believers to anticipate and mitigate risks, reflecting a proactive approach to care and responsibility. It is a call to be mindful of the physical and spiritual well-being of others, ensuring that our actions or inactions do not lead to their downfall.

(8) When thou buildest a new house.--Obviously the Law refers to houses with flat roofs, upon which it was customary to walk (1Samuel 9:25-26; 2Samuel 11:2).

Verse 8. - Still less was human life to be exposed to danger through neglect of proper precautions. The houses in Palestine, as in other parts of the East, had flat roofs, and, as these were much frequented by the inhabitants for various purposes (cf. Joshua 2:6; 2 Samuel 11:2; 2 Samuel 18:24; Nehemiah 8:16; Matthew 10:27; Acts 10:9), it was necessary that a battlement or balustrade should surround the roof, in order to prevent persons falling over. Hence the direction here given.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you build
תִבְנֶה֙ (ṯiḇ·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

a new
חָדָ֔שׁ (ḥā·ḏāš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2319: New

house,
בַּ֣יִת (ba·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

you are to construct
וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ (wə·‘ā·śî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

a railing
מַעֲקֶ֖ה (ma·‘ă·qeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4624: A parapet

around your roof,
לְגַגֶּ֑ךָ (lə·ḡag·ge·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar

so that you do not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bring
תָשִׂ֤ים (ṯā·śîm)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

bloodguilt
דָּמִים֙ (dā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

on your house
בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ (bə·ḇê·ṯe·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

if
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

someone
יִפֹּ֥ל (yip·pōl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

falls
הַנֹּפֵ֖ל (han·nō·p̄êl)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

from it.
מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 22:8 When you build a new house then (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 22:7
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