Deuteronomy 17:1-6

1 ¹“You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the Lord your God.

2 ²“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, ³in transgressing his covenant,

3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or ⁴the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, ⁵which I have forbidden,

4 and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire ⁶diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel,

5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you ⁷shall stone that man or woman to death with stones.

6 ⁸On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence 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.

Cross References

• 1. 17:1 See Lev. 22:20
• 2. 17:2 For ver. 2-7, see ch. 13:6-14
• 3. 17:2 Josh. 7:11, 15; 23:16; Judg. 2:20; 2 Kgs. 18:12; Hos. 6:7; 8:1
• 4. 17:3 See ch. 4:19
• 5. 17:3 [Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35]
• 6. 17:4 ch. 13:14; 19:18
• 7. 17:5 [Lev. 24:14, 16; Josh. 7:25]
• 8. 17:6 [John 8:17]; See Num. 35:30