Deuteronomy17
New American Standard
1“You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish or any defect, for that is a detestable thing to the Lord your God.
2“If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, by violating His covenant,
3and that person has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, the moon, or any of the heavenly lights, which I have commanded not to do,
4and if it is reported to you and you have heard about it, then you shall investigate thoroughly. And if it is true and the report is trustworthy that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,
5then you are to bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil deed, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death.
6On the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses, the condemned shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
7The hands of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall eliminate the evil from your midst.
8“If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.
9So you shall come to the Levitical priests or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict.
10Then you shall act in accordance with the terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be careful to act in accordance with everything that they instruct you to do.
11In accordance with the terms of the law about which they instruct you, and in accordance with the verdict which they tell you, you shall act; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left.
12But the person who acts insolently by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that person shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from Israel.
13Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act insolently again.
14“When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and you take possession of it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will appoint a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’
15you shall in fact appoint a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses. One from among your countrymen you shall appoint as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves, anyone who is not your countryman.
16In any case, he is not to acquire many horses for himself, nor shall he make the people return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’
17And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
18“Now it shall come about, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully following all the words of this Law and these statutes,
20so that his heart will not be haughty toward his countrymen, and that he will not turn away from the commandment to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may live long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 17.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: All sacrifices to be perfect, Idolaters must be slain. (1–7). Difficult controversies. (8–13). The choice of a king, His duties. (14–20).
vv1-7
No creature which had any blemish was to be offered in sacrifice to God. We are thus called to remember the perfect, pure, and spotless sacrifice of Christ, and reminded to serve God with the best of our abilities, time, and possession, or our pretended obedience will be hateful to him. So great a punishment as death, so remarkable a death as stoning, must be inflicted on the Jewish idolater. Let all who in our day set up idols in their hearts, remember how God punished this crime in Israel.
vv8-13
Courts of judgment were to be set up in every city. Though their judgment had not the Divine authority of an oracle, it was the judgment of wise, prudent, experienced men, and had the advantage of a Divine promise.
vv14-20
God himself was in a particular manner Israel's King; and if they set another over them, it was necessary that he should choose the person. Accordingly, when the people desired a king, they applied to Samuel, a prophet of the Lord. In all cases, God's choice, if we can but know it, should direct, determine, and overrule ours. Laws are given for the prince that should be elected. He must carefully avoid every thing that would turn him from God and religion. Riches, honours, and pleasures, are three great hinderances of godliness, (the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life,) especially to those in high stations; against these the king is here warned. The king must carefully study the law of God, and make that his rule; and having a copy of the Scriptures of his own writing, must read therein all the days of his life. It is not enough to have Bibles, but we must use them, use them daily, as long as we live. Christ's scholars never learn above their Bibles, but will have constant occasion for them, till they come to that world where knowledge and love will be made perfect. The king's writing and reading were as nothing, if he did not practise what he wrote and read. And those who fear God and keep his commandments, will fare the better for it even in this world.
Key Words
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
זָבַח: to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
שׁוֹר: a bullock (as a traveller)
שֶׂה: a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
מאוּם: to stain; a blemish (physically or morally)
רַע: bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תּוֹעֵבַה: properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol
Cross References
Deuteronomy 17Solomon's historical violation of the prohibition against multiplying wives, which turned his heart away.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Detailed legal definitions of sacrificial blemishes rendering an animal unacceptable to God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament citation of the two-or-three witnesses rule for capital covenant infractions.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical fulfillment of Israel demanding a king 'like all the nations,' rejecting God's direct rule.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
Poetic reference to the ancient practice of worshipping the sun and moon.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The foundational law requiring multiple witnesses to establish any charge in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jehoshaphat's establishment of a supreme court in Jerusalem to handle hard cases.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Solomon's accumulation of chariots and import of horses from Egypt in direct violation.
Supported by JFB
The coronation of Joash, where he is given 'the testimony' or copy of the law.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Prophetic rebuke of Israel offering blind, lame, and sick animals in violation of this law.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The requirement to search, inquire, and ask diligently regarding reports of apostasy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God's active selection and confirmation of Saul as the first king.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Prophetic woe on those going down to Egypt for help and relying on horses.
Supported by JFB
The command to Joshua to meditate on the book of the law day and night.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The requirement that the Passover lamb be without blemish, foreshadowing Christ.
Supported by JFB