Deuteronomy 17:8

Deuteronomy 17:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose;
• New International Version (NIV)If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"If any case arises requiring decision between one kind of homicide and another, one kind of legal right and another, or one kind of assault and another, any case within your towns that is too difficult for you, then you shall arise and go up to the place that the Lord your God will choose.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.

Context of Deuteronomy 17:8

6On 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. 7The 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. If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose. 9You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case. 10You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you,

Deuteronomy 17:8 word by word

כִּ֣י יִפָּלֵא֩ מִמְּךָ֨ דָבָ֜ר לַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט בֵּֽין־דָּ֨ם׀ לְדָ֜ם בֵּֽין־דִּ֣ין לְדִ֗ין וּבֵ֥ין נֶ֙גַע֙ לָנֶ֔גַע דִּבְרֵ֥י רִיבֹ֖ת בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֣ וְעָלִ֔יתָ אֶל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• Ifכִּיkîy · forH3588
• a caseדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• is too difficultפָּלָאpâlâ' · to wonderH6381
• for youמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• to judgeמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• the controversyרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• within your gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
• is regardingבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• bloodshedדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• lawsuitsדִּיןdîyn dûn · judgmentH1779
• or assaultsנֶ֫גַעnega‛ · plagueH5061
• or assaultsקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• you must go upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• toאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• will chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:8

• Deuteronomy 1:17Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
• Exodus 18:26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
• 1 Kings 3:16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• 2 Chronicles 19:8Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the Israelite families to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem.
• Haggai 2:11“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.
• Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
• Deuteronomy 19:4Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
• Exodus 21:12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
• Exodus 22:2If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
• Numbers 35:11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
• Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
• Deuteronomy 19:17both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
• Psalms 122:4where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8If there arise a matter too hard for thee - These directions are given to the common magistrates, who might not be able to judge of or apply the law in all cases that might be brought before them. The priests and Levites, who were lawyers by birth and continual practice, were reasonably considered as the best qualified to decide on difficult points.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 The cases in question are such as the inferior judges did not feel able to decide satisfactorily, and which accordingly they remitted to their superiors (compare Exodus 18:23-27). The Supreme court Deuteronomy 17:9 is referred to in very general terms as sitting at the sanctuary Deuteronomy 17:8. “The judge” would no doubt usually be a layman, and thus the court would contain both an ecclesiastical and a civil element. Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 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.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed: In the Old Testament, as in many legal systems today, murder was intentional, and manslaughter was accidental (compare 19:1–13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 8-138-13. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment--In all civil or criminal cases, where there was any doubt or difficulty in giving a decision, the local magistrates were to submit them by reference to the tribunal of the Sanhedrim--the supreme council, which was composed partly of civil and partly of ecclesiastical persons. "The priests and Levites," should rather be "the priests--the Levites"; that is, the Levitical priests, including the…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 17:8

• Assault and Battery
• Church
• Court
• Judge
• Pleading
• Priest

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Galilee
• Gate
• Mouth
• Murder
• Priest
• Appeal
• Atonement, Day of
• Controversy

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings