Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7
Christian Standard Bible
Forbidden Worship
21 “Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for the Lord your God, 22 and do not set up a sacred pillar; the Lord your God hates them.(A)
17 “Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, for that is detestable to the Lord your God.(B)
The Judicial Procedure for Idolatry
2 “If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the Lord your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violating his covenant(C) 3 and has gone to serve other gods(D) by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky(E)—which I have forbidden(F)— 4 and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel, 5 you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.(G) 6 The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses.(H) No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. 7 The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people.(I) You must purge the evil from you.(J)
Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7
New English Translation
Examples of Legal Cases
21 You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole[a] near the altar of the Lord your God which you build for yourself. 22 You must not erect a sacred pillar,[b] a thing the Lord your God detests.
17 You must not sacrifice to him[c] a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive[d] to the Lord your God. 2 Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you in one of your villages[e] that the Lord your God is giving you who sins before the Lord your God[f] and breaks his covenant 3 by serving other gods and worshiping them—the sun,[g] moon, or any other heavenly bodies that I have not permitted you to worship.[h] 4 When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing[i] is being done in Israel, 5 you must bring to your city gates[j] that man or woman who has done this wicked thing—that very man or woman—and you must stone that person to death.[k] 6 At the testimony of two or three witnesses the person must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7 The witnesses[l] must be first to begin the execution, and then all the people[m] are to join in afterward. In this way you will purge the evil from among you.
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 16:21 tn Heb “an Asherah, any tree.”sn Sacred Asherah pole. This refers to a tree (or wooden pole) dedicated to the worship of Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. See also Deut 7:5.
- Deuteronomy 16:22 sn Sacred pillar. This refers to the stelae (stone pillars; the Hebrew term is מַצֵּבֹת, matsevot) associated with Baal worship, perhaps to mark a spot hallowed by an alleged visitation of the gods. See also Deut 7:5.
- Deuteronomy 17:1 tn Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 16:1.
- Deuteronomy 17:1 tn The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿevah, “an abomination”; cf. NAB) describes persons, things, or practices offensive to ritual or moral order. See M. Grisanti, NIDOTTE 4:314-18; see also the note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.
- Deuteronomy 17:2 tn Heb “gates.”
- Deuteronomy 17:2 tn Heb “does the evil in the eyes of the Lord your God.”
- Deuteronomy 17:3 tc The MT reads “and to the sun,” thus including the sun, the moon, and other heavenly spheres among the gods. However, Theodotion and Lucian read “or to the sun,” suggesting perhaps that the sun and the other heavenly bodies are not in the category of actual deities.
- Deuteronomy 17:3 tn Heb “which I have not commanded you.” The words “to worship” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Deuteronomy 17:4 tn Heb “an abomination” (תּוֹעֵבָה); see note on the word “offensive” in v. 1.
- Deuteronomy 17:5 tn Heb “gates.”
- Deuteronomy 17:5 tn Heb “stone them with stones so that they die” (KJV similar); NCV “throw stones at that person until he dies.”
- Deuteronomy 17:7 tn Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
- Deuteronomy 17:7 tn Heb “the hand of all the people.”
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