and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded, and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in Israel, then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
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Deuteronomy 17:3-6 sits inside this longer paragraph.
If there is found among you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, a man or woman who does that which is evil in Yahweh your God’s sight in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded, and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in Israel, then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. 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 evil from among you.
Parallel Translations
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and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the stars of the sky, which I have not commanded,
and you are told, and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is done in Israel,
then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones.
At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death. At the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
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And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
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and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have commanded not;
and it be told thee, and thou hear it, then shalt thou inquire diligently, and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel;
then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who have done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman; and thou shalt stone them with stones, that they die.
At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Cross-references (27)
- Numbers 35:30 (v6) “ ‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain based on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify alone…
- Hebrews 10:28 (v6) A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses.
- Leviticus 24:14 (v5) “Bring him who cursed out of the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
- Deuteronomy 19:15 (v6) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth…
- Matthew 18:16 (v6) But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Show all 27 cross-references
- 1 Timothy 5:19 (v6) Don’t receive an accusation against an elder, except at the word of two or three witnesses.
- Joshua 7:25 (v5) Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire…
- Jeremiah 7:31 (v3) They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the…
- John 8:17-18 (v6) It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me…
- Leviticus 24:16 (v5) He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as…
- Deuteronomy 4:19 (v3) and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn…
- Deuteronomy 13:12-14 (v4) If you hear about one of your cities, which Yahweh your God gives you to dwell there, that certain wicked fellows have gone out from among…
- Deuteronomy 19:18 (v4) and the judges shall make diligent inquisition; and behold, if the witness is a false witness, and has testified falsely against his…
- Job 31:26-27 (v3) if I have seen the sun when it shined, or the moon moving in splendor, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my hand threw a kiss…
- Jeremiah 7:22-23 (v3) For I didn’t speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or…
- Jeremiah 19:5 (v3) and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their children in the fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I didn’t command, nor speak,…
- Jeremiah 32:35 (v3) They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through…
- John 7:51 (v4) “Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”
- 2 Corinthians 13:1 (v6) This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
- Deuteronomy 13:10-11 (v5) You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of…
- Deuteronomy 22:21 (v5) then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones,…
- Deuteronomy 22:24 (v5) then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t…
- 2 Kings 21:3 (v3) For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab…
- Proverbs 25:2 (v4) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
- Jeremiah 8:2 (v3) They will spread them before the sun, the moon, and all the army of the sky, which they have loved, which they have served, after which…
- Ezekiel 8:16 (v3) He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh’s house; and I saw at the door of Yahweh’s temple, between the porch and the altar, there were…
- Deuteronomy 21:21 (v5) All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv3, 6 Whereby he condemneth all religion and serving of God…
Whereby he condemneth all religion and serving of God which God hath not commanded.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv4–6 Deu 17:4 And it be told thee, and thou…
Deu 17:4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard [of it], and enquired diligently, and, behold, [it be] true, [and] the thing certain, [that] such abomination is wrought in Israel:
Ver. 4. And it be told thee.] {See Trapp on "Deu 13:12"}
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And inquired diligently.] Men must be "swift to hear, slow to speak," that is, to censure, or pass sentence. Amongst the Athenians an indictment of any crime was but αιτια: the evidence and conviction made it ελεγχος: the sentence αδικημα. Athanasius passeth for a sacrilegious person, a profane wretch, a bloody persecutor, a blasphemer of God, &c., and was so condemned before he was heard by fourscore bishops in that Pseudosynodus Sardicensis. Sunt quidem in Ecclesia Catholica plurimi mali; sed ex haereticis, nullus est bonus, says Bellarmine: There be many bad men Papists, but not one good to be found among Protestants. The Catholics follow the Bible, saith Hill {a} in his "Quartern of Reasons," but the Protestants force the Bible to follow them; yea, their condemnation is so expressly set down in their own Bibles, saith another Popeling, and is so clear to all the world, that nothing more needs hereto, than that they know to read, and have their eyes in their heads at the opening of their Bible. {b} By the shooting of which bolt, you may easily guess at the archer.
{a} Reas. viii. p. 41.
{b} Gagge, Of the New Gospel: Pref. to Reader.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 6 Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as…
Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God, but not to be set up in God’s stead, nor worshipped as gods: see Job 31:26. By condemning the most specious and reasonable of all idolaters, he intimates how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones, the works of men’s hands.
Which I have not commanded, i.e. I have forbidden, to wit, Exo 20. Such negative expressions are oft emphatical, and imply the contrary, as Pro 10:2; 17:21; 24:23.
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 vv3–6 And hath gone,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, after…
And hath gone,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, after the evil imagination or concupiscence, lusting after other lovers, and forsaking the true God, and departing from his worship:
and served other gods; strange gods, the idols of the people, other gods besides the true God; the creature besides the Creator:
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and worshipped them; by bowing down before them, praying to them, or ascribing their mercies and blessings to them, and giving them the glory of them:
either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven: the two great luminaries, and the planets, constellations, and stars, any of them; which kind of idolatry very early obtained, and was in use at this time among the Heathens, and was an iniquity to be punished by the judge, Job 31:26, which sin, though so strictly forbidden, the people of Israel sometimes fell into, Kg2 21:3.
which I have not commanded: and which is a sufficient reason, in matters of worship, to avoid and abstain from anything, that God has not commanded it; for in things of that nature nothing should be done but what he has ordered, who is a jealous God, and will not suffer any to take upon them to direct what should be done as a religious service and duty; and if any are so presumptuous, they must expect it will be resented; see Isa 1:12 and especially with respect to the object of worship, as here, and which relate to things if not forbid expressly, yet tacitly, to do which was an abomination to the Lord.
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 vv3, 6 The host of heaven - Those glorious creatures, which…
The host of heaven - Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God, but not to be set up in God's stead. By condemning the most specious of all idolaters, he intimates, how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones, the works of men's hands. I have not commanded - That is, I have forbidden. Such negative expressions are emphatical.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv4, 6 Verse 4. If it be told thee] In a…
Verse 4. If it be told thee] In a private way by any confidential person. And thou hast heard of it; so that it appears to be notorious, very likely to be true, and publicly scandalous. And hast inquired diligently - sought to find out the truth of the report by the most careful examination of persons reporting, circumstances of the case, &c. And, behold, it be true - the report is not founded on vague rumour, hearsay, or malice. And the thing certain - substantiated by the fullest evidence. Then shalt thou bring forth that man, De 17:5. As the charge of idolatry was the most solemn and awful that could be brought against an Israelite, because it affected his life, therefore God required that the charge should be substantiated by the most unequivocal facts, and the most competent witnesses. Hence all the precautions mentioned in the fourth verse must be carefully used, in order to arrive at so affecting and so awful a truth.
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 vv3, 6 Deu 17:3. The host of heaven — Those glorious…
Deu 17:3. The host of heaven — Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God, but not to be set up in God’s stead. By condemning the most specious of all idolatries, he intimates how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones, the works of men’s hands. I have not commanded — That is, I have forbidden. Such negative expressions are emphatical.
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 vv3, 5, 6 The host of heaven. That is, the stars. (Challoner)…
The host of heaven. That is, the stars. (Challoner) --- This species of idolatry was the most ancient and common in the East. Job (xxxi. 26, 28) takes notice of the adoration of the sun and of the moon, and calls it a very great iniquity, and a denial against the most high God. He lived in Arabia, and probably not far from the place where Moses was addressing the Israelites. (Haydock) --- The pagans looked upon the sun and moon as the king and queen of heaven, and the stars as their guards. Plato says (in Phædro) that "the sun marches at the head of the gods, in a winged chariot, and the eleven other gods lead on their bands of demons," or the stars, &c.
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 v5 5. Unto thy gates — The punishment was to…
5. Unto thy gates — The punishment was to be in public before the whole people. By the gate is to be understood the open space near the gate, where in Eastern cities judicial proceedings take place. Comp. Neh_8:1; Neh_8:3; Job_29:7. The sentence was to be carried into execution outside of the city, as in Act_7:58; Heb_13:12, as in the wilderness it had been outside of the camp: to denote that the criminal was excluded from the congregation.
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 vv3–6 3. gone and served other gods] So Deu_13:6; Deu_13:13…
3. gone and served other gods] So Deu_13:6; Deu_13:13 (7, 14); and 2 (3) with slight variation.
sun, moon, etc.] See on Deu_4:19.
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which I have not commanded] Cp. Deu_4:19 : which thy God hath assigned unto the peoples. The use of the first person here is remarkable; God Himself takes up the speech, as in Deu_7:4 and frequently in the prophets: e.g. Jer_7:31; Jer_19:5; Jer_32:35.
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.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–6 cf. Deu_4:19 Which I have not commanded; i.e. have…
cf. Deu_4:19 Which I have not commanded; i.e. have forbidden, a meiosis, as in Jer_7:31.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v5 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses,…
At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, will he who must die be put to death
Here "the mouth" represents the testimony of a witness. This can be translated in active form. AT: "If two or three witnesses speak against the person, then you must execute him" (See: Metonymy and Active or Passive and Numbers)
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but at the mouth of only one witness he must not be put to death
Here "the mouth" represents the testimony of a witness. This can be translated in active form. AT: "but if only one person speaks against him, then you must not execute him" (See: Metonymy and Active or Passive)
The hand of the witnesses must be the first to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people
Here "hand" represents the entire group of witnesses. AT: "The witnesses themselves must be the first ones to throw stones. Then all the people will execute the person by throwing stones at him" (See: Synecdoche)
you will remove the evil from among you
The nominal adjective "the evil" can be stated as an adjective. AT: "you must remove from among the Israelites this person who does this evil thing" or "you must execute this evil person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
translationWords
evil
gate
stone
die
testimony
hand
people group
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 vv3–5 17:3 The forces of heaven are visible objects such…
17:3 The forces of heaven are visible objects such as the sun, moon, and stars, as well as invisible beings such as angels. Worship of anyone or anything created by God is a clear violation of the second commandment (see 5:9).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.