Deuteronomy 17:9

9 and goo vnto the preastes the leuites and vnto the iudge that shalbe in those dayes, and axe, and they shall shewe the how to iudge.

Deuteronomy 17:9 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 17:9

Thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites
The priests that are of the tribe of Levi, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; for Aben Ezra says there are priests that are not of the genealogy of Levi; such there were indeed in Jeroboam's time, ( 1 Kings 12:31 ) ( 13:33 ) . Maimonides F6 observes, that it is ordered that there should be in the great sanhedrim priests and Levites, as it is said: "and thou shalt come unto the priests, and the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire"; judge is here put for judges, of which the great court consisted, being priests, Levites, and Israelites; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 16:18), though others think that only a single person is meant, such as Othniel, Ehud, Gideon, Samson but then as there was not always such an one in being, I should rather think that the judge here, if a single person, is the president or prince of the great sanhedrim, who succeeded Moses, and sat in his place; and of him and his court, the priests, and Levites and Israelites that composed it, inquiry was to be made:

and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment;
give their judgment in the difficult case proposed, and declare what is right to be done, and what sentence is to be pronounced.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 2.

Deuteronomy 17:9 In-Context

7 And the handes of the witnesses shalbe first vppon him to kyll him, ad afterwarde the handes of all the people: so shalt thou put wekednesse awaye from the.
8 Yf a matter be to harde for the in iudgemet betwene bloud and bloude, plee and plee, plage and plage in maters of strife within thi cities: Then Arise and gett the vpp vnto the place which the Lorde thi God hath chosen,
9 and goo vnto the preastes the leuites and vnto the iudge that shalbe in those dayes, and axe, and they shall shewe the how to iudge.
10 And se that thou doo acordinge to that which they of that place which the Lorde hath chosen shew the and se that thou obserue to doo acordinge to all that they enforme the.
11 Acordinge to the lawe which they teach the and maner of iudgement which they tell the, se that thou doo and that thou bowe not from that which they shewe the, nether to the right hande nor to the lyfte.
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