According to the decisions of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn away from the sentence which they announce to you, to the right hand, nor to the left. The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel. All the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
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Deuteronomy 17:11-13 sits inside this longer paragraph.
If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses. You shall come to the priests who are Levites and to the judge who shall be in those days. You shall inquire, and they shall give you the verdict. You shall do according to the decisions of the verdict which they shall give you from that place which Yahweh chooses. You shall observe to do according to all that they shall teach you. According to the decisions of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn away from the sentence which they announce to you, to the right hand, nor to the left. The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel. All the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
Parallel Translations
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According to the decisions of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do. You shall not turn away from the sentence which they announce to you, to the right hand, nor to the left.
The man who does presumptuously in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die. You shall put away the evil from Israel.
All the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
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According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.
And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
Show all 3 translations
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According to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall declare unto thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt exterminate the evil from Israel.
And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Commandments (2)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (38)
- Deuteronomy 13:11 (vv12–13) All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.
- Numbers 15:30 (v12) “ ‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off…
- Deuteronomy 13:5 (v12) That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you…
- Deuteronomy 19:20 (v13) Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and will never again commit any such evil among you.
- Joshua 1:7 (v11) Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn…
Show all 37 cross-references
- Deuteronomy 10:8 (v12) At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, to stand before Yahweh to minister to him, and to…
- Deuteronomy 17:7 (v12) The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall remove the…
- Deuteronomy 18:5 (v12) For Yahweh your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in Yahweh’s name, him and his sons forever.
- Deuteronomy 18:7 (v12) then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Yahweh.
- Ezra 10:8 (v12) and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be…
- Hosea 4:4 (v12) “Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; for your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8 (v12) Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
- 1 Timothy 5:20 (v12) Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.
- Hebrews 10:26-29 (v12) For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain…
- Deuteronomy 5:32 (v11) You shall observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you. You shall not turn away to the right hand or to the left.
- Deuteronomy 17:20 (v11) that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he not turn away from the commandment to the right hand, or to the left, to…
- Deuteronomy 18:20 (v12) But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other…
- Deuteronomy 25:1 (v11) If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment and the judges judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and…
- Deuteronomy 28:14 (v11) and shall not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve…
- Joshua 23:6 (v11) “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn away from it to the…
- 2 Samuel 14:19 (v11) The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to…
- Psalms 19:13 (v12) Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and…
- Proverbs 4:27 (v11) Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
- Proverbs 21:11 (v12) When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom. When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
- Jeremiah 25:3-14 (v12) From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years, Yahweh’s word has come to…
- Matthew 10:14 (v12) Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.
- Luke 10:16 (v12) Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
- John 12:48 (v12) He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day.
- John 20:23 (v12) If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
- Romans 13:1-6 (v11) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by…
- 1 Thessalonians 4:2 (v12) For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
- Titus 3:1 (v11) Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
- 1 Peter 2:13-15 (v11) Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as sent by…
- 2 Peter 2:10 (v11) but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to…
- Jude 1:8 (v11) Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings.
- Numbers 15:30-31 (v13) “ ‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off…
- Malachi 2:8-9 (v11) But you have turned away from the path. You have caused many to stumble in the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says Yahweh…
37 distinct cross-references across this passage (38 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv11–12 Thou shalt obey their sentence that the controversy may…
Thou shalt obey their sentence that the controversy may have an end.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11–12 According to the sentence of the law which they…
According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee: these words are a manifest limitation of the foregoing assertion, that they were to do according to all that the judge or judges informed him. And they seem to limit and regulate,
1. The judges in their sentence, that they shall not, upon pretence of this supreme authority put into their hands, presume to teach or direct otherwise than the law prescribes.
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2. The people in their obedience; first they shall not simply obey them in all things, but so far forth as their sentence is according to the law and word of God, but not when their commands are evidently contrary to God’s laws, for then, say even popish commentators on this place, they must obey God rather than man. And this cannot be denied by any man of sense, upon supposition that this place speaks of, and this power given to the priest or judge reacheth to, all controversies or questions of faith and manners, as the papists would extend it: for put case these priests or judges’ should give a sentence directly contrary to the express words of God’s law, Thou shalt worship a graven image, as Aaron did in the case of the calf, thou shalt profane the sabbath, thou shalt dishonour thy father and mother, thou shalt murder, steal, commit adultery, &c., I ask, were the people in this case bound to do as the judge determined, or not? If any say they were, such a bold and wicked assertion must need strike all sober Christians with horror; and if they say they were not, then this must needs be taken for a limitation. But this place speaks only of particular suits between man and man, as is apparent from the notes on See Poole "Deu 17:8". And in all such cases, although the judge be hereby confined and tied to his rule in giving the sentence, yet it seems but fit and reasonable that people should be bound simply to acquiesce in the sentence of their last and highest judge, or else there would have been no end of strife.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv11–13 According to the sentence of the law which they…
According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee,.... For they were not to make any new law, but to teach the law of God, and so far as their sense and opinion of things agreed with that law they were to be regarded:
and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; what were law and justice, what were fit and right to be done, according to the will of God, which they should declare unto them, that was carefully to be done by them:
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thou shalt not decline from the sentence they shall show thee, to the right hand nor to the left; by setting up after, all their own judgments against theirs to whom they had applied for information and direction, which to have done would have been very insolent and affronting; they were not to depart from the determination they made of the case, on pretence of knowing better, nor even in any minute circumstance to deviate from it, but strictly and closely to keep unto it; though not to follow them so implicitly as to receive from them and embrace things the most absurd and unreasonable, as Jarchi suggests; who says, that their sense was to be abided by, even if they should say that the right hand is the left, and the left hand the right.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Thou shalt do - In particular suits between man…
Thou shalt do - In particular suits between man and man, altho' the judge be hereby confined to his rule in giving the sentence, yet it seems but fit and reasonable that people should be bound simply to acquiesce in the sentence of their last and highest judge, or else there would have been no end of strife.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v12 Verse 12. The man that will do presumptuously] The…
Verse 12. The man that will do presumptuously] The man who refused to abide by this final determination forfeited his life, as being then in a state of rebellion against the highest authority, and consequently the public could have no pledge for his conduct.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v13 Deu 17:13. When thou shalt say, I will set…
Deu 17:13. When thou shalt say, I will set a king over me — He only foresees and foretels what they would do, but does not hereby signify that he should approve of it. Yea, when they did this thing, for the very reason here assigned, God declared his utter disapprobation of it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11–13 According, &c. This law was to be the rule…
According, &c. This law was to be the rule of the priests, in passing sentence. It was not left to the judgment of individuals to comply or not, according as they might explain the law for themselves. Such a proceeding would be nugatory, as they would thus be themselves the ultimate judges of their own cause. (Haydock) --- They shall seek the law at his (the priest’s) mouth, Malachias ii. 7. Protestants make, therefore, a very frivolous restriction, when they allow his sentence to bind only "so long as he is the true minister of God, and pronounceth according to his word." (Bible, 1603.) (Worthington) --- If any had been proud enough among the Jews, to persuade himself that he understood the law better than the high priest, he would not on that account have escaped death. (Haydock) --- The authority of the Christian Church is not inferior to that of the Synagogue, only, "instead of death, excommunication is now inflicted" on the rebellious. (St. Gregory, Matthew xviii. 17.; St. Augustine, q. 38.) In effect, St. Paul assures us that the priests of the law, serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. But now he (Christ)...is the mediator of the better covenant, which is established on better promises, Hebrews viii. 5. If therefore the privilege of deciding points of faith and morality, without danger of mistake, was granted to the synagogue, can any one doubt but that Christ would provide as ample a security to his Church, with which he has promised to remain for ever, and with his Holy Spirit to teach her all the truth? (Haydock) --- St. Augustine dwells upon this argument (Doct. 4.) and proves the infallibility both of the Jewish and of the Christian Church. Hence Christ said, with respect to the former, which was not yet rejected, All therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works, do ye not: for they say the truth, and do not practise what they require of others. If the heads of the Catholic Church should be equally immoral, their true doctrine must not therefore be despised, lest Christ and his Father be at the same time despised. For this is the express admonition of our heavenly lawgiver, hear the Church: (Matthew xvii. 17,) and this he does not require without giving us a full assurance, that we may do it without fear of being led astray. The sole command of God implies as much, if he had said no more. For can he order us to sin? The pretended reformers, who blushed not to make this blasphemous assertion, might easily swallow down the other, respecting the defection and fallibility of the whole Church; and might even believe, that the whole world had been drowned in abominable idolatry for eight hundred years and more. (Hom. on the peril of idolat. p. 3.) How much more they do not determine, lest they should be forced to tell when the religion of the Catholics began, and that they will never do without dating from Christ and the apostles, the foundations of the only true Church. (Haydock) --- The Jews had such a respect for the decisions of their Rabbins, in consequence of this command of God, that some hesitate not to assert, that if one of them should declare that the left hand was the right, they would believe him; and they condemn the refractory to most grievous torments in hell. (Buxtorf, Syn. i.) --- We must shew the most profound submission to the decrees of the Church. (Calmet) --- Yet we are not bound to assent to the decisions of every teacher. Only, when the Church speaks, we must not refuse to obey, nor pretend to appoint ourselves judges of what she teaches. A private doctor, however eminent, may fall into some absurdities, but the major part of the pastors of the Church, with the Pope at their head, never can. In vain have the records of nineteen centuries been ransacked, to find a single instance of such a general agreement in error. If the Synagogue passed a wicked sentence upon Jesus Christ, we must reflect that the forms here required (ver. 8,) were neglected; and it was then expiring, and giving place to a better covenant, as the prophets had foretold. Yet even in that sentence, which was so unjust on the part of Caiphas, St. John (xi. 51.) acknowledges the truth of God. And this he spoke not of himself: but being the high priest, that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but to gather together in one the children of God that were dispersed. The Synagogue could claim submission no longer, after the great prophet had come to abrogate the law of fear, and to substitute that of love. Hence while he was there to teach himself, (Hebrews i. 2,) there was no danger of deception for the people. But the covenant which he has established is to last for ever: no prophet or lawgiver is promised to introduce any change, or greater perfection, so that no one can plead for an excuse of his rebellion, that the Church may deceive and pass an erroneous judgment; or, if he do, he must be cut off from the society of the faithful, by the spiritual sword; and, dying in that state, without the Church for his mother, he need never expect that God will acknowledge him for his son. See St. Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church. If an individual pastor should pass such a perverse sentence, the case would be very different. Yet, even in such trying cases, an humble conduct will be the best security and proof of innocence, and God will reward those who have suffered unjustly. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v12 12. The man that will do presumptuously — Apparently…
12. The man that will do presumptuously — Apparently defying the judge and the law.
And will not hearken unto the priest — The Jews understood this to apply to such elders or judges as had, in accordance with the preceding requirement, referred an important matter to the highest authority, and then refused to abide by its decision.
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Even that man shall die — Such resistance was to be considered as rebellion against constituted authority. It was defiance of God’s law — it was at that time to be looked upon as treason against the state.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–13 11. law] Heb. torah, usually of the directions given…
11. law] Heb. torah, usually of the directions given by priests in questions of ritual, covers here their decisions in civil cases as well. Teach, rather direct, is the vb from which Torah is derived.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v12 in not listening to the priest ... or in…
in not listening to the priest ... or in not listening to the judge
"and does not obey the priest ... or does not obey the judge"
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you will put away the evil from Israel
The nominal adjective "the evil" can be translated as an adjective. AT: "you must remove from among the Israelites the person who does this evil thing" or "you must execute this evil person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
All the people must hear and fear, and act arrogantly no more
It is implied that when the people hear about the person who was executed for acting arrogantly, they will be afraid and not act arrogantly themselves. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
arrogant
servant
fear
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11–12 17:11 do not modify it: This Hebrew term envisions…
17:11 do not modify it: This Hebrew term envisions keeping on a straight path (cp. Prov 4:25-27; Heb 12:13). Once a verdict has been rendered, the sentence must be applied according to the law and the rules of evidence. Justice must be carried out on an unswerving path of fairness and righteousness.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.