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;
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide—for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the Lord your God will choose,

Context of Deuteronomy 17:8

6On 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. 7The 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. 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. 9Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict. 10You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• If there arise a matterדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• too hardפָּלָאpâlâ' · to wonderH6381
• for thee in judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• between bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• between pleaדִּיןdîyn dûn · judgmentH1779
• and between strokeנֶ֫גַעnega‛ · plagueH5061
• of controversyרִיבrîyb rib · strifeH7379
• within thy gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gate: townH8179
• then shalt thou ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and get thee upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• into the placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:8

• Deuteronomy 1:17Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”
• Exodus 18:26They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
• 1 Kings 3:16Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• 2 Chronicles 19:8In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites, priests and heads of Israelite families to administer the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem.
• Haggai 2:11“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says:
• Malachi 2:7“For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.
• Deuteronomy 19:4This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.
• Exodus 21:12“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.
• Exodus 22:2“If a thief is caught breaking in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;
• Numbers 35:11select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee.
• Deuteronomy 12:5But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;
• Deuteronomy 19:17the two people involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the Lord before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
• Psalms 122:4That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel.

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