Deuteronomy Chapter 17 in Simple English

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 17

1Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God any bull or sheep that has a blemish or anything wrong with it. That is a thing the LORD your God hates.

2Suppose a man or a woman among you, in any of your towns which the LORD your God gives you, does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God by breaking his covenant.

3Suppose that person has gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded.

4If you are told about it, and you have heard of it, then ask carefully. If it is true and the thing is certain, that such a hateful thing has been done in Israel,

5then you shall bring out to your gates that man or that woman who has done this wicked thing, and you shall stone that man or woman with stones until they die.

6A person who deserves death shall be put to death by the word of two witnesses, or three witnesses. He shall not be put to death by the word of only one witness.

7The hands of the witnesses shall be the first to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put the evil away from among you.

8A case may come up that is too hard for you to judge, whether it is between one kind of bloodshed and another, between one claim and another, or between one act of violence and another. When such matters are argued in your towns, then get up and go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose.

9Go to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge who is serving in those days, and ask them. They will tell you the decision of the judgment.

10You shall act according to the decision they tell you from that place which the LORD shall choose. Be careful to do everything they teach you.

11You shall act according to the ruling of the law which they teach you, and according to the judgment which they tell you. Do not turn aside from the decision they tell you, to the right hand or to the left.

12The man who acts proudly, and will not listen to the priest who stands to serve there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you shall put away the evil from Israel.

13All the people shall hear, and be afraid, and act proudly no more.

14When you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, and have taken it and live in it, you may say, "I will set a king over me, like all the nations around me."

15You shall certainly set over you the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not set over you a foreigner, who is not your brother.

16But he shall not get many horses for himself, or send the people back to Egypt so that he may get more horses, because the LORD has said to you, "From now on you shall never go back that way again."

17He shall not take many wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away. He shall not gather for himself great amounts of silver and gold.

18When he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, taken from the one that is before the priests, the Levites.

19It shall stay with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life. Then he will learn to fear the LORD his God, and to keep all the words of this law and these rules, and do them.

20Then his heart will not be lifted up above his brothers, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right hand or to the left. So he may live long in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Explanation

Deuteronomy 17

In short

This chapter sets rules for three situations in Israel: what sacrifices are acceptable to God, how to handle those who worship other gods, and what kind of king Israel may have. Each rule carries a serious penalty for breaking it, and each centers on keeping the nation loyal to the Lord and his law.

Context

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land God has promised them. He has already given them many laws. Now he addresses three specific matters that will arise once they are settled in the land and have formed a government. The chapter moves from immediate worship matters to the legal system to the future monarchy.

What the text says

Verses 1 describe the first rule: sacrifices to God must be unblemished animals, because God rejects defective offerings.

Verses 2 to 7 address idol worship. If someone in Israel, man or woman, breaks God's covenant by serving other gods (verses 2-3), and this is reported, investigated carefully, and proven true (verse 4), that person must be executed by stoning (verse 5). However, conviction requires the testimony of at least two or three witnesses, not just one (verse 6). The witnesses must be the first to stone the person, with the community following (verse 7).

Verses 8 to 13 establish a court of appeal. When a local judge faces a case too difficult to decide, involving bloodshed, legal claims, or personal injury (verse 8), the matter goes to the priests and judge at the place God chooses (verse 9). Their judgment is final and binding, with no room to deviate left or right (verses 10-11). Anyone who refuses to obey this central authority dies, and evil is removed from Israel (verses 12-13).

Verses 14 to 20 provide rules for the future king. The king must be an Israelite chosen by God, not a foreigner (verses 14-15). He must not accumulate many horses, or bring people back to Egypt to get them (verse 16). He must not multiply wives or great wealth (verse 17). When he takes the throne, he must write out the law and read it all his life to learn fear of God and obedience (verses 18-19). This keeps his heart level with his people and prevents him from turning aside from God's command, so his reign and his children's reign will last (verse 20).

Takeaways

God's laws about worship, justice, and government all serve to keep Israel's heart turned toward him rather than toward other gods or powers.
The system requires careful evidence and multiple witnesses before executing anyone, and provides appeal to a higher court.
The coming king is bound by the same law as everyone else and must study it constantly to stay faithful.

Deuteronomy 17 - Simple English