Deuteronomy 17:6

Deuteronomy 17:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

Context of Deuteronomy 17:6

4If you hear news like that, you must check the report carefully. If it is true that a wicked thing like that has happened in Israel, 5you must punish that person. Take the man or woman who has done that wicked thing to the gate of the town. Then you must throw stones at that person to kill them. But two or three people must agree about what the person has done. You must never kill anyone because of the words of only one person. 7The people who saw the wicked act must throw the first stones to kill the person. Then everyone else must also throw stones. In that way, you must remove evil acts from among you. 8It may be difficult for the judges in your towns to decide what is true. This may happen when one person has attacked or killed another person. It may happen when people cannot agree about some land. It may be anything that people in your towns are arguing about. If you do not know who is right, you must take those people to the place that the Lord your God will choose.

Deuteronomy 17:6 word by word

עַל־פִּ֣י׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה עֵדִ֖ים יוּמַ֣ת הַמֵּ֑ת לֹ֣א יוּמַ֔ת עַל־פִּ֖י עֵ֥ד אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• At the mouthפֶּהpeh · lip: wordH6310
• of twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• witnessesעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
• or threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• shall he that is worthy of deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• of oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:6

• Deuteronomy 19:15If only one person says that he has seen someone do something wrong, that is not enough. There must be at least two or three people who saw the sin. Then the judge may say that the person is guilty.
• Numbers 35:30Before you kill a murderer, people must agree that they saw him kill someone. But if only one person saw what happened, that is not enough for you to kill him.
• Matthew 18:16But maybe he does not want to listen to you. Then take one or two other people with you to speak to him. They will then know what wrong things your friend has done. Remember what the Bible says: “There must be two or three people to say certainly that another person has done something wrong. Two or three people must agree what has happened.”
• John 8:17Your own Law says, “There must be two people to agree that something is true.”
• 2 Corinthians 13:1This is the third time that I will be coming to visit you. Remember this: ‘There must be two or three people to say certainly that another person has done something wrong. Two or three people must agree what has happened.’
• 1 Timothy 5:19Somebody may tell you that a leader of the believers has done something wrong. But do not accept that as true, unless two or three people say the same thing.
• Hebrews 10:28In the old agreement, anyone who refused to obey Moses' rules had to die. If two or three people said that he had done a bad thing, that person had to die. They would not forgive him.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Two witnesses - One might be deceived, or be prejudiced or malicious; therefore God required two substantial witnesses for the support of the charge.Read the comment
• 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. 1-13The community of Israel, like any nation, needed different kinds of leaders. These leaders helped keep the people united and guided them in the right direction. The Lord told Moses to set up a proper system of leadership. He also gave clear standards for choosing leaders and explained the duties of each role.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 17:6

• Church
• Evidence
• Homicide
• Intolerance, Religious
• Punishment
• Witness

In the dictionaries

• Idolatry
• Mouth
• Murder
• Stephen
• Witness
• Atonement, Day of
• Courts, Judicial
• Criticism
• Die
• Exodus, the Book of

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