English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 17:7
7The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The witnesses must throw the first stones, and then all the people may join in. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.
Context of Deuteronomy 17:7
5then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones. 6On 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. 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. 8"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. 9And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.
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 13:9But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
- Acts 7:58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Deuteronomy 17:12The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
- Deuteronomy 13:5But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Deuteronomy 19:19then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Deuteronomy 24:7"If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Judges 20:13Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel.
- 1 Corinthians 5:13God judges those outside. "Purge 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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