Deuteronomy Chapter 17
Deuteronomy 17:1–5 (KJV)
“Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness, for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. If 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 his covenant, and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and 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, then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.”
This section introduces laws dealing with religious offenses within the nation of Israel, specifically addressing the integrity of sacrifices and the seriousness of idolatry. Israel was commanded not to offer to the LORD any bullock or sheep that had a blemish or any kind of defect, because such an offering was considered an abomination to the LORD. God demanded that what was brought before Him be whole, pure, and unblemished, because the sacrifice was a reflection of His holiness and worth. Bringing something defective implied that God was not worthy of the best. This command reveals God’s character, that He is worthy of honor, not leftovers or what costs nothing. Later the prophet Malachi rebuked Israel for despising the LORD’s table and offering the blind, the lame, and the sick, asking whether an earthly governor would accept such offerings, and therefore how much more dishonorable it was to offer such things to Almighty God. David understood this truth when he refused to offer burnt offerings that cost him nothing, demonstrating that genuine worship involves sacrifice.
Moses then turns to the crime of idolatry, which is described as wickedness in the sight of the LORD and transgression of His covenant. If any man or woman within the gates of Israel turned to worship other gods, including celestial bodies like the sun, moon, or host of heaven, which the LORD had not commanded, this was not only personal sin but covenant treason. Idolatry was not a private matter of preference, it was an act of spiritual adultery against the One who redeemed them from Egypt and claimed them as His own. Because of the gravity of this crime, the matter could not be handled lightly or emotionally, it had to be investigated with diligence. Eyewitness testimony had to be verified, and the truth had to be established with certainty before judgment was carried out. If guilt was confirmed, the offender was to be brought to the city gates, the place of public judgment, and stoned to death. This severe penalty demonstrates how seriously God views idolatry. It corrupts worship, defiles the community, invites God’s wrath, and leads the whole nation astray if not dealt with. God’s justice is never rash, but it is uncompromising in matters where His covenant and glory are at stake.
Deuteronomy 17:6–7 (KJV)
“At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The 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 evil away from among you.”
These verses establish the legal standard for capital punishment in Israel, emphasizing both justice and restraint. God required that no one be put to death based on the word of a single witness. Instead, there must be two or three witnesses, independent and agreeing, whose testimonies verify the guilt beyond question. This principle upholds due process and protects against false accusations, personal vengeance, or judicial abuse. The lives of men and women were not to be left to conjecture, rumor, or the claims of one person. This same principle is echoed throughout Scripture, applied not only to capital cases but to all serious accusations. Paul later repeated this in 1 Timothy 5:19, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses,” showing that God cares as much about the protection of a person’s reputation as He does their physical life. In both cases, truth must be established by confirmed testimony, not by gossip, hearsay, or popular opinion. A false accusation repeated by many people is still a lie, because God demands witnesses, not echoing voices.
God also commanded that the witnesses themselves must be the first to carry out the execution. This requirement placed immense responsibility upon the accuser. They could not simply speak against someone and then withdraw from the consequences. They had to be so certain of the truth of their testimony, so confident that the accused was guilty, that they were willing to lift the first stone. This safeguarded against malicious or careless testimony. It also made false witnessing far less likely, because the witness would literally bear blood on his own hands if he lied. This principle sheds light on Jesus’ response in John 8:7, when He said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Jesus was not suggesting that sinlessness was required to enact justice, but that the law required legitimate, qualified witnesses who had actually seen the act and were prepared to begin the execution. None stepped forward, likely because they had no lawful grounds and were driven by malice rather than justice.
After the witnesses, the rest of the people were to join in, symbolizing communal agreement with God's justice. Executions were not done in secret but were public, solemn, and meant to remove evil from among the people. It taught Israel that sin was not only personal but affected the nation, and that justice belonged to God, carried out according to His standards, not human passion. Through these laws God preserved justice, restrained cruelty, and upheld the sanctity of life, truth, and righteousness in the midst of His covenant nation.
Deuteronomy 17:8–13 (KJV)
“If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke 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, and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire, and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment. And thou shalt do according to the sentence, 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. According to the 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. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.”
These verses establish God’s provision for higher courts in Israel, ensuring that justice was not left to confusion or inconsistency when difficult cases arose. If a matter was too hard for the local judges to decide, whether it involved determining degrees of guilt in bloodshed, differing interpretations of law, or disputes over penalties, the case was to be taken to the place which the LORD would choose, ultimately Jerusalem. There the priests, the Levites, and the judge appointed at that time would hear the case and render a final decision. This demonstrates that God upheld both justice and order, providing an appellate system where complex questions could be brought before those most learned in the Law of God. The priests and Levites were uniquely qualified because they were guardians of the Law, responsible for teaching it, interpreting it, and applying it to life. Their role in judgment reveals that law and worship were not separate in Israel, because justice was administered in the presence of God.
Once a ruling was given by this higher court, the people were commanded to obey it fully. They were not permitted to turn aside to the right hand or to the left. This means the decision was final, binding, and not open to personal reinterpretation or rebellion. The authority came not from the priest or judge themselves but from the LORD whose Law they applied. To reject the decision was to reject God’s authority. Therefore, if a man acted presumptuously and refused to heed the priest or the judge who ministered in the name of the LORD, that man was to be put to death. This may appear severe, but God regarded contempt for His ordained authority as rebellion against Himself. If people openly disregarded the rulings of God’s appointed court, disorder, injustice, and lawlessness would spread throughout the nation. The punishment of such defiance served to put away evil from Israel and caused all the people to hear and fear, producing a holy reverence for God’s law.
This passage reveals that justice in Israel was not arbitrary or left to personal opinion. It was rooted in God’s revealed Law, administered by those who knew it, and enforced by divine command. The principle is echoed in the New Testament regarding submission to God-ordained authority, as Paul wrote in Romans 13:1, “For there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God.” God’s system demanded justice, humility, and obedience, ensuring that truth, not pride, ruled among His people.
Deuteronomy 17:14–15 (KJV)
“When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me, thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose, one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee, thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.”
Here God gives advance instruction for a time when Israel would desire a human king to rule over them, foreseeing their future inclination to be like the surrounding nations. The LORD does not forbid the establishment of a monarchy, but He regulates it and places it under His authority. The people may say, “I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me,” and God permits it, yet He makes clear that the king must be the one whom the LORD your God shall choose. This immediately establishes that kingship in Israel is not to be a human-centered political institution, but a theocratic monarchy under divine appointment. The authority of the king was legitimate only if it originated from God’s choice, not the people’s ambition.
Moreover, the king had to come from among their brethren, meaning he must be an Israelite, one who shared in the covenant promises and responsibilities, not a foreigner who did not know the LORD. A foreign king would lead the nation into idolatry, oppression, or compromise, being ignorant of God’s covenant law. By commanding that the king must be one of their own brethren, God preserved both national identity and spiritual fidelity.
This passage also raises the question of whether it was God’s will for Israel to have a human king at all. In 1 Samuel 8, when the people demanded a king, God told Samuel, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” Their sin was not in the desire for a king itself, but in the motive and timing of their demand. They wanted a king like all the nations, instead of waiting on God’s chosen king at God’s appointed time. The book of Judges shows what Israel was like with no king in Israel, every man doing what was right in his own eyes, which was chaos and moral collapse. Therefore, God did intend that Israel would one day have a king, but it was to be a king under His rule, chosen by Him, leading the nation in righteousness and obedience. Saul represents the king chosen by the people’s timing and outward appearance, while David represents the king after God’s own heart, chosen by the LORD, and aligned with His will.
In this early instruction, God is planting the seeds for His future plan, not only for Davidic kingship, but ultimately for the Messiah, the Son of David, who would perfectly fulfill God’s standard for kingship. Israel’s monarchy was never meant to replace God’s rule, but to reflect it, preparing for the true King who would one day reign in righteousness forever.
Deuteronomy 17:16–17 (KJV)
“But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses, forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away, neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.”
God now gives direct commandments concerning the character and conduct of Israel’s future king. His rule was not to be modeled after the pagan kings of surrounding nations who glorified themselves with power, wealth, and sensual indulgence. First, the king was forbidden to multiply horses to himself or lead the people back to Egypt to obtain them. Horses represented military power, and Egypt was known for breeding and training warhorses and chariots. By forbidding this, God was teaching that Israel’s king must not depend on military strength, foreign alliances, or human strategy for security, but must trust in the LORD who had delivered them from Egypt by His power alone. The people must never return to Egypt, physically or spiritually, because Egypt symbolized bondage, worldliness, and reliance on human strength instead of the living God.
Second, the king was commanded not to multiply wives to himself, so that his heart would not turn away. In the ancient world kings often married multiple wives to form political alliances and increase their prestige. Yet God warned that such practices would inevitably lead the king’s heart into idolatry and compromise. Marriage was not to be used as a tool for political ambition or sensual indulgence. Multiple wives would bring multiple loyalties and foreign influences, turning the king’s heart from pure devotion to the LORD. This was tragically fulfilled in Solomon’s life, as Scripture says, “his wives turned away his heart after other gods.”
Third, the king was commanded not to greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. Wealth is not condemned in itself, but the accumulation of excessive riches for personal glory, financial power, or self-indulgence leads to pride and independence from God. The king was to steward resources for the welfare of the people and the service of God, not for personal luxury.
In each instruction the issue is the heart. Horses represent dependence on power, wives reflect dependence on pleasure and political manipulation, and silver and gold represent dependence on riches. God does not prohibit the king from having any of these things, but He forbids their multiplication. The king must live in balance, never allowing ambition, lust, or greed to displace trust in God. These three temptations—power, pleasure, and money—are the same snares that have led countless leaders to ruin, both then and now. Solomon stands as the prime example of disobedience to these commands. He possessed tens of thousands of horses, imported them from Egypt, amassed vast treasures, and gathered seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Though wise, he deceived himself into thinking he could handle what God had commanded him to avoid. His downfall reveals the danger of ignoring God’s Word and underestimating the deceitfulness of the human heart.
These verses reveal that God is not only concerned with the structure of leadership but with the moral and spiritual integrity of those who lead. A king in Israel was never to be above the law but was to be the first to submit to it.
Deuteronomy 17:18–20 (KJV)
“And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites, and 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, that 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.”
God concludes His instructions for Israel’s future kings by establishing their relationship to His Word. When the king takes the throne, he is commanded to write for himself a personal copy of the Law, taken directly from the scroll kept by the priests and Levites. This is not merely ceremonial. God required the king to labor with his own hand, carefully copying the Scriptures so that His Word would be engraved upon his mind and heart. Though he would sit on a throne, he must first sit at a desk as a scribe under the authority of God. No king in Israel was above the Law. Each king was to be a man under the Law of God before he could rule the people of God.
The king was not only to write the Law, but he was commanded to keep it with him and read from it every day of his life. The Word of God was to be his constant counselor, not something consulted only in emergencies or rituals. The greater his authority, the greater his need for Scripture. Daily meditation upon God’s Law would teach him to fear the LORD, to keep His commandments, and to govern with righteousness. Reverence for God is not born from position, education, or tradition, but from continual exposure to His revealed truth.
The purpose of this daily devotion was spiritual and moral formation. God intended that Scripture would restrain pride, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren. Even though he wore a crown, he remained a brother among his people, subject to God just as they were. The Word of God would remind him that he ruled by grace, not by personal greatness. It would also keep him from turning aside from the commandment, to the right hand or to the left. This means Scripture held the king on a straight path, guarding him from error, extremity, and self-will. If he obeyed, God promised that his reign would be prolonged, and his children would continue in the kingdom.
This command exposes how far many kings of Israel and Judah would fall. Few kings copied the Law, fewer read it daily, and even fewer obeyed it. Yet the perfect fulfillment of this passage is found in Christ, the true Son of David, who delighted in the Law of the LORD, who said, “Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7–8). He is the King who perfectly ruled under the Word of God, and His kingdom shall never end.
