1The things sacrificed must be sound. 2Idolaters must be put to death. 8Hard controversies must be determined by the priests and judges, the presumptuous scorner of their judgment must be put to death. 14The election and duty of a king.
1THOU shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or 1sheep, wherein is blemish,aor 2any evilfavouredness:b for that is an abomination unto 3the LORD thy God.
1 That is, sheep or goat. See Exod. 12:5; Deut. 14:4.
a Lev. 22:20, etc.; Deut. 15:21.
2 Hebr. any evil matter, or, any evil thing.
b ugliness, deformity
3 Hebr. an abomination of the LORD thy God; that is, which the LORD esteems an abomination. Also Deut. 18:12, and more elsewhere. As a curse of the LORD, Deut. 21:23.
2¶Ifc 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 4his covenant,
c Deut. 13:6.
4 That is, the covenant which He hath made with thee, wherein thou didst promise obedience unto thy God.
3And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or 5any of the host of heaven, 6which I have not commanded;
5 Or, any, that is, none of all.
6 But have expressly and strictly forbidden.
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 7thing, unto thy 8gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
7 Hebr. matter or word, as Deut. 13:11.
8 Where the public assemblies and courts of justice were held. See Gen. 22 on verse 17.
69Atd the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he 10that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
9 That is, at the saying, declaring, etc.
d Num. 35:30; Deut. 19:15; Mat. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Heb. 10:28.
10 Hebr. the dead or the dying person; that is, he who has deserved death, or, is to die. Compare Gen. 20 on verse 3.
7Thee 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 11evil away from among you.
e Deut. 13:9.
11 See Deut. 13:5.
8¶If there arise a matter too 12hard for theef in judgment, between 13blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between 14stroke 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;
12 Hebr. properly wonderful, strange, or, hidden; that is, such as you are not able to reach a settlement, or dare not trust yourself to judge what is right or what is wrong.
f 2 Chron. 19:10; Mal. 2:7.
13 That is, in the matter of killing or murder. See Gen. 37 on verse 26.
14 As in the matter of wounding, hurting, or any evil strange attacks on a man’s body, perhaps also on houses, garments, etc.
9And thou shalt come unto the 15priests the Levites, 16and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the 17sentence of judgment:
15 This seems to point to the high priest, as also to the supreme judge. See verse 12.
16 Other, or unto the judge. Compare verse 12.
17 Or, the word of the law, that is, what is just and right in this matter, and accordingly what ought to be judged, and pronounced or uttered by you.
10And thou shalt do according to the 18sentence, 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:
18 Hebr. according to the mouth of the word, that is, precise and in all things according to their saying.
11According to 19the 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.
19 Hebr. according to the mouth.
12And the man that will do 20presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that 21standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, 22or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the 23evil from Israel.
20 Hebr. in, or, by pride, or, presumption.
21 See Deut. 10:8.
22 According as the nature of things shall require.
23 As verse 7.
13And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
14¶When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt 24say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
24 Namely, lawfully, and resolve such with God’s approbation; which was not done, 1 Sam. 8:5, and therefore it was displeasing to God, 1 Sam. 8:7; 12:19.
15Thou shalt in 25any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among 26thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
25 Hebr. setting set, that is, you may not set another but him, etc.
26 That is, he must needs be an Israelite.
16But he shall not 27multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply 28horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, 29Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
27 That is, not to make much ado about horses and servants, that he trusts his great power, and to the dishonour of God puts his confidence therein (as did the pagan and the wicked kings) by presumption, and brings himself and his subjects into danger and sorrow.
28 For which Egypt was famous. See Exodus 14 and 15; Isa. 31:1, 3; Ezek. 17:15, etc.
29 Hebr. Ye shall add no more, or, go on return; understand, to vindicate yourselves on Egypt, or to make a covenant with them, or to be slaves there.
17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart 30turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself 31silver and gold.
30 Namely, from the LORD.
31 Here applies also suitably the annotation on verse 16.
18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a 32copy of this law in a book 33out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
32 Or, transcript, written out of and according to the original book of the law, which was vested in the priests and which they were to have continually before their eyes to order and to regulate themselves accordingly. Compare Deut. 31:9, 26.
33 Other, taking it from the presence of the Levitical priests; that is, he shall send for the book of the law which is vested with the priests, and write, or cause to be written a copy out of it.
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.