Ulangan 17:8-13

Appeal to a Higher Court

17:8 If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, ¹  legal claim, ²  or assault ³  – matters of controversy in your villages ⁴  – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. ⁵  17:9 You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict. 17:10 You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught. 17:11 You must do what you are instructed, and the verdict they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate right or left from what they tell you. 17:12 The person who pays no attention ⁶  to the priest currently serving the Lord your God there, or to the verdict – that person must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel. 17:13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not be so presumptuous again.

Ulangan 17:1

17:1 You must not sacrifice to him ⁷  a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive ⁸  to the Lord your God.

1 Tawarikh 23:4

23:4 David said, ⁹  “Of these, 24,000 are to direct the work of the Lord’s temple; 6,000 are to be officials and judges;

[17:8]  ¹ tn Heb “between blood and blood.”

[17:8]  ² tn Heb “between claim and claim.”

[17:8]  ³ tn Heb “between blow and blow.”

[17:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “gates.”

[17:8]  ⁵ tc Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.

[17:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “who acts presumptuously not to listen” (cf. NASB).

[17:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “to the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 16:1.

[17:1]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew word תּוֹעֵבָה (to’evah, “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.

[23:4]  ⁹ tn The words “David said” are supplied here in the translation for clarification. The appearance of the first person verb “I supplied” in v. 5 indicates that David is speaking here.