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.”
Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7
Expanded Bible
God Hates Idols
21 Do not set up a wooden ·Asherah idol [L Asherah; 7:5; Judg. 3:7] next to the altar you build for the Lord your God, 22 and do not set up holy stone pillars. The Lord your God hates them.
17 If an ox or sheep has ·something wrong with it [L a blemish/defect, anything wrong with it; Lev. 22:17–25], do not offer it as a sacrifice to the Lord your God. He would ·hate [detest] that.
2 A man or woman in one of the ·towns [L gates] the Lord gave you might be found doing something evil in the ·sight [L eyes] of the Lord your God and ·breaking [transgressing] the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty]. 3 That person may have served other gods and bowed down to them or to the sun or moon or ·stars of the sky [any of the host of heaven], which I have commanded should not be done [4:19]. 4 If someone has told you about it, you must look into the matter carefully. If it is true that such a ·hateful [detestable; abhorrent; abominable] thing has happened in Israel, 5 take the man or woman who has done the evil thing to the city gates and ·throw stones at [stone] that person until he dies. 6 There must be two or three witnesses that it is true before the person is put to death; if there is only one witness, the person should not be put to death [Num. 35:30]. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first to ·throw stones at [stone] the person, and then everyone else will follow. You must get rid of the evil among you.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.