Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 17:7
7The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.
Deuteronomy 17:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.
- New International Version (NIV)The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
Context of Deuteronomy 17:7
5you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death. 6The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you. 8“If a case is too difficult for you — concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults — cases disputed at your city gates, then go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. 9You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Ask, and they will give you a verdict in the case.
Read all of Deuteronomy 17Deuteronomy 17:7 word by word
יַ֣ד הָעֵדִ֞ים תִּֽהְיֶה־בּ֤וֹ בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ לַהֲמִית֔וֹ וְיַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם בָּאַחֲרֹנָ֑ה וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- of the witnessesעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
- shall be firstרִאשׁוֹןri'shôn ri'shôn · firstH7223
- upon him to put him to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- and afterwardאַחֲרוֹן'achăryôn 'achărôn · lastH314
- of all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- So thou shalt putבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
- the evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- from amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:7
- Deuteronomy 13:9Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.
- Acts 7:58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Deuteronomy 17:12The person who acts arrogantly, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there serving the Lord your God or to the judge, must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
- Deuteronomy 13:5That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.
- Deuteronomy 19:19you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.
- Deuteronomy 24:7“If a man is discovered kidnapping one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from you.
- Judges 20:13Hand over the wicked men in Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.
- 1 Corinthians 5:13God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:7
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-7Verses 2-7 Compare Deuteronomy 13:1 ff. Here special reference is made to the legal forms to be adopted, Deuteronomy 17:5-7. The sentence was to be carried into effect at “the gates” (compare Genesis 19:1 note) of the town in which the crime was committed; because, as “all the people” were to take a part, an open space would be requisite for the execution. Note the typical and prophetical aspect of the injunction; compare Acts 7:58; Hebrews 13:12.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The rule for witnesses to throw the first stones prevented false accusations. Giving false testimony had serious consequences. Requiring a witness to lead an execution ensured his testimony was reliable. He would feel guilty if he killed an innocent person (see John 8:1–11). The people would remove evil from among them by executing those whose sins brought guilt to the community of Israel (see “Purge the Evil” Theme Note; compare 1 Corinthians 5:12–13 and…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-72-7. If there be found among you ... man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness--The grand object contemplated in choosing Israel was to preserve the knowledge and worship of the one true God; and hence idolatry of any kind, whether of the heavenly bodies or in some grosser form, is called "a transgression of His covenant." No rank or sex could palliate this crime. Every reported case, even a flying rumor of the perpetration of so heinous an offense, was…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 17:7
In the dictionaries
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
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