Deuteronomy 17:3-13

3 ut vadant et serviant diis alienis et adorent eos solem et lunam et omnem militiam caeli quae non praecepi

4 et hoc tibi fuerit nuntiatum audiensque inquisieris diligenter et verum esse reppereris et abominatio facta est in Israhel

5 educes virum ac mulierem qui rem sceleratissimam perpetrarunt ad portas civitatis tuae et lapidibus obruentur

6 in ore duorum aut trium testium peribit qui interficietur nemo occidatur uno contra se dicente testimonium

7 manus testium prima interficiet eum et manus reliqui populi extrema mittetur ut auferas malum de medio tui

8 si difficile et ambiguum apud te iudicium esse perspexeris inter sanguinem et sanguinem causam et causam lepram et non lepram et iudicum intra portas tuas videris verba variari surge et ascende ad locum quem elegerit Dominus Deus tuus

9 veniesque ad sacerdotes levitici generis et ad iudicem qui fuerit illo tempore quaeresque ab eis qui indicabunt tibi iudicii veritatem

10 et facies quodcumque dixerint qui praesunt loco quem elegerit Dominus et docuerint te

11 iuxta legem eius sequeris sententiam eorum nec declinabis ad dextram vel ad sinistram

12 qui autem superbierit nolens oboedire sacerdotis imperio qui eo tempore ministrat Domino Deo tuo et decreto iudicis morietur homo ille et auferes malum de Israhel

13 cunctusque populus audiens timebit ut nullus deinceps intumescat superbia

Deuteronomy 17:3-13 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.