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 witnesses or three witnesses, the condemned shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7The hands of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall eliminate the evil from your midst. “If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your courts, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses. 9So you shall come to the Levitical priests or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the verdict. 10Then you shall act in accordance with the terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be careful to act in accordance with everything that they instruct you to do.

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
• isפָּלָאpâlâ' · to wonderH6381
• tooמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• for you to decideמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• one kind of homicideדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• one kind of lawsuitדִּיןdîyn dûn · judgmentH1779
• one kind of assaultנֶ֫גַעnega‛ · plagueH5061
• of disputeרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• courtsשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
• then you shall ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and goעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• choosesבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:8

• Deuteronomy 1:17You are not to show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You are not to be afraid of any person, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’
• Exodus 18:26Then they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves.
• 1 Kings 3:16Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• 2 Chronicles 19:8In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
• Haggai 2:11“The Lord of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:
• Malachi 2:7For the lips of a priest should maintain knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of armies.
• Deuteronomy 19:4“Now this is the case of the one who commits manslaughter, who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously--
• Exodus 21:12“He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death.
• Exodus 22:2If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no guilt for bloodshed on his account.
• Numbers 35:11then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, so that the one who commits manslaughter by killing a person unintentionally may flee there.
• Deuteronomy 12:5But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there.
• Deuteronomy 19:17then both people who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.
• Psalms 122:4To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord-- An ordinance 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