The Law · Chapter 17 of 34

Deuteronomy 17

Moses forbids offering blemished sacrifices and commands that idolaters, proven by two or three witnesses, be judged. Hard cases go to the priests and judge at the central sanctuary, whose verdict must be obeyed. Then he gives the law of the king: Israel may appoint one whom God chooses, who must not multiply horses, wives, or gold, but write and read God's law daily to keep his heart humble.

What happens in Deuteronomy 17

Moses forbids sacrificing any blemished animal, an abomination to God. He addresses idolatry: if a man or woman is found worshiping the sun, moon, or host of heaven, and it is confirmed by careful inquiry at the mouth of two or three witnesses, never one alone, they are put to death, the witnesses acting first. For cases too hard to judge locally, Israel must go to the priests and judge at God's chosen place, follow their sentence exactly, and not turn aside; presumptuous defiance is punished.

Then Moses anticipates Israel wanting a king like the nations. God permits it, but the king must be one God chooses, an Israelite, not a foreigner. He must not multiply horses or return to Egypt, nor multiply wives lest his heart turn away, nor amass silver and gold. He must write his own copy of the law and read it all his days, fearing God and not exalting himself above his brothers.

Deuteronomy 17 in context

Within the section on Israel's institutions, this chapter regulates worship, courts, and kingship. It looks ahead to the monarchy centuries before Saul, providing the standard against which every king would be measured. Solomon's later accumulation of horses, wives, and gold reads like a direct violation of these very commands.

The requirement of multiple witnesses and a central court of appeal shows a concern for careful, fair justice rather than hasty condemnation.

Main themes of Deuteronomy 17

Deuteronomy 17 (KJV)

1Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. 2If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, 3And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 4And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: 5Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 6At 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. 7The 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. 8If 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; 9And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: 10And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: 11According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. 12And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. 13And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. 14When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 19And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Verses to carry from Deuteronomy 17

“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.”Deuteronomy 17:6

“Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.”Deuteronomy 17:15

“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:”Deuteronomy 17:18

Reflection

The king was to write God's word by hand and read it every day of his life, so power would never outrun humility. Whatever authority or influence you hold, over a family, a team, a community, consider how daily immersion in God's word keeps the heart from drifting. What would it look like to lead as one under the word?

A prayer from Deuteronomy 17