Deuteronomy 17:1-6

1 And don't sacrifice to God, your God, an ox or sheep that is defective or has anything at all wrong with it. That's an abomination, an insult to God, your God.

2 If you find anyone within the towns that God, your God, is giving you doing what is wrong in God's eyes, breaking his covenant

3 by going off to worship other gods, bowing down to them - the sun, say, or the moon, or any rebel sky-gods -

4 look at the evidence and investigate carefully. If you find that it is true, that, in fact, an abomination has been committed in Israel,

5 then you are to take the man or woman who did this evil thing outside your city gates and stone the man or the woman. Hurl stones at the person until dead.

6 But only on the testimony of two or three witnesses may a person be put to death. No one may be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

Deuteronomy 17:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 17

This chapter begins with a caution not to sacrifice anything to the Lord that is blemished or ill favoured, De 17:1, an order is given to put to death men or women guilty of idolatry, where it is clearly proved upon them, De 17:2-7 and it is directed that when cases are too hard for inferior judges to determine, they should be brought to Jerusalem to the priests, Levites, and judges, which formed the great consistory there, whose sentence was to be adhered unto on pain of death, De 17:8-13, and rules are given about the choice of a king, and he is informed what he must not do, and what he should do, De 17:14-20.