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.
Notas al pie
- 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
International Standard Version
Prohibited Practices
21 “You are not to set up a sacred pole[a] beside the altar of the Lord your God that you will build. 22 Furthermore, you are not to erect for yourselves a sacred stone pillar, because the Lord your God detests these things. 17 1 You are not to sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect or any flaw in it, because that is detestable to the Lord your God.”
Death to the Idolater
2 “You may discover that a man or woman living in one of your cities that the Lord your God is about to give you has done evil in the eyes of the Lord your God by transgressing his covenant. 3 He may be following and serving other gods by bowing down to them—that is, to the sun, the moon, or to any of the heavenly host[b] (something I did not command). 4 When it is reported to you or you hear of it, you are to investigate it thoroughly. When the truth has been established that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, 5 summon the man or the woman who did this evil thing to your city gates, and then stone the man or the woman to death. 6 Based on the testimony[c] of two or three witnesses, they must surely die, but they are not to die based on the testimony of one person. 7 Let the witnesses[d] be the first to begin executing them, then the rest of[e] the people are to follow. By doing this you will purge evil from among you.”
Notas al pie
- Deuteronomy 16:21 Lit. Asherah; i.e. a cultic pillar
- Deuteronomy 17:3 Or any of the stars or planets, if referring to astronomical bodies; or supernatural beings, if referring to fallen or unfallen angelic armies
- Deuteronomy 17:6 Lit. mouth
- Deuteronomy 17:7 Lit. the hands of the witnesses
- Deuteronomy 17:7 Lit. the hand of all
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