New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 17:7
7The 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.
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
5then the man or woman who has committed such an evil act must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. 6But never put a person to death on the testimony of only one witness. There must always be two or three witnesses. 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. 8“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, 9and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict.
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 13:9You must put them to death! Strike the first blow yourself, and then all the people must join in.
- Acts 7:58and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Deuteronomy 17:12Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the Lord your God must die. In this way you will purge the evil from Israel.
- Deuteronomy 13:5The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the Lord your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the Lord your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.
- Deuteronomy 19:19you must impose on the accuser the sentence he intended for the other person. In this way, you will purge such evil from among you.
- Deuteronomy 24:7“If anyone kidnaps a fellow Israelite and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. In this way, you will purge the evil from among you.
- Judges 20:13Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil.” But the people of Benjamin would not listen.
- 1 Corinthians 5:13God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must 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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