Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 17:2-7

Perfect Sacrifices, Supreme Courts, and the King Who Reads Torah: The Covenant's Institutional Order

From sacrifice integrity and the prosecution of astral idolatry (vv. 1-7), through the supreme court at the chosen place for hard cases (vv. 8-13), to the law of the king — the LORD's chosen brother who reads Torah daily and whose heart is not lifted above his brothers (vv. 14-20).

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant

3 and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—

4 and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,

5 you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.

6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 2

Original words

If כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction a man אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular or אוֹ־ H176 Conjunction woman אִשָּׁ֗ה H802 Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative among you בְקִרְבְּךָ֙ H7130 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular in one בְּאַחַ֣ד H259 Preposition-b | Number - masculine singular construct of the towns שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ H8179 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular gives נֹתֵ֣ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular you לָ֑ךְ Preposition | second person masculine singular is found יִמָּצֵ֤א H4672 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular doing יַעֲשֶׂ֧ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker evil הָרַ֛ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular in the sight בְּעֵינֵ֥י H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc of the LORD יְהוָֽה־ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular by transgressing לַעֲבֹ֥ר H5674 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct His covenant בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃ H1285 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

and going וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to worship וַֽיַּעֲבֹד֙ H5647 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular other אֲחֵרִ֔ים H312 Adjective - masculine plural gods אֱלֹהִ֣ים H430 Noun - masculine plural bowing down וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ H7812 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to them לָהֶ֑ם Preposition | third person masculine plural or to the sun וְלַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ׀ H8121 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular or א֣וֹ H176 Conjunction moon לַיָּרֵ֗חַ H3394 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular or א֛וֹ H176 Conjunction any לְכָל־ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct of the host צְבָ֥א H6635 Noun - common singular construct of heaven הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural which אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I have forbidden לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . צִוִּֽיתִי׃ H6680 Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular
Verse 4

Original words

and if it is reported וְהֻֽגַּד־ H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hofal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular and you hear about it וְשָׁמָ֑עְתָּ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular you must investigate it וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֣ H1875 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular thoroughly הֵיטֵ֔ב H3190 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute If וְהִנֵּ֤ה H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection the report הַדָּבָ֔ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular is נֶעֶשְׂתָ֛ה H6213 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular true אֱמֶת֙ H571 Noun - feminine singular . . . נָכ֣וֹן H3559 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular and such הַזֹּ֖את H2063 Article | Pronoun - feminine singular an abomination הַתּוֹעֵבָ֥ה H8441 Article | Noun - feminine singular has happened in Israel בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ H3478 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

you must bring out וְהֽוֹצֵאתָ֣ H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker to אֶל־ H413 Preposition your gates שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ H8179 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - הָאִ֕ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . א֖וֹ H176 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker - הָאִשָּׁ֑ה H802 Article | Noun - feminine singular - הַה֡וּא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular the man הָאִ֣ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular or אוֹ֩ H176 Conjunction - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker woman הָאִשָּׁ֨ה H802 Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . הַהִ֜וא H1931 Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular who אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative has done עָ֠שׂוּ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker this הַזֶּה֙ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular evil הָרָ֤ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular thing הַדָּבָ֨ר H1697 Article | Noun - masculine singular and you must stone that person וּסְקַלְתָּ֥ם H5619 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural . . . בָּאֲבָנִ֖ים H68 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural to death וָמֵֽתוּ׃ H4191 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Verse 6

Original words

On עַל־ H5921 Preposition the testimony פִּ֣י׀ H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct of two שְׁנַ֣יִם H8147 Number - md or א֛וֹ H176 Conjunction three שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה H7969 Number - masculine singular witnesses עֵדִ֗ים H5707 Noun - masculine plural a man shall be put to death יוּמַ֣ת H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . הַמֵּ֑ת H4191 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular but he shall not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle be executed יוּמַ֔ת H4191 Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the testimony פִּ֖י H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . עֵ֥ד H5707 Noun - masculine singular of a lone אֶחָֽד׃ H259 Number - masculine singular witness עֵדִ֖ים H5707 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 7

Original words

The hands יַ֣ד H3027 Noun - feminine singular construct of the witnesses הָעֵדִ֞ים H5707 Article | Noun - masculine plural shall be תִּֽהְיֶה־ H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular - בּ֤וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular the first בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ H7223 Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular in putting him to death לַהֲמִית֔וֹ H4191 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular and after that בָּאַחֲרֹנָ֑ה H314 Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular the hands וְיַ֥ד H3027 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the people הָעָ֖ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular So you must purge וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ H1197 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular the evil הָרָ֖ע H7451 Article | Adjective - masculine singular from among you מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃פ H7130 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Cited in 1 Corinthians 5:13

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.