Deu 16:18-17:13 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Deut 16:18-17:13: 16:18–17:13 The community of Israel, like any political entity, needed leaders of different kinds to provide cohesion and guidance. The Lord directed Moses to establish an appropriate leadership structure. He also laid out the criteria for selecting the leaders and the responsibilities of each office. 16:18 The combination of the words judges and officials might suggest that here the two terms are functionally synonymous. Usually officials is a generic title applied to any public leader, but here it seems to refer to an administrator of law and justice or something like police officers, as in modern Hebrew. • fairly: The idea was to measure up to an objective standard of equity that neither public nor private pressure could alter.

Summary for Deut 16:18-17:13: 16:18–17:13 ^a The community of Israel, like any political entity, needed leaders of different kinds to provide cohesion and guidance. The Lord directed Moses to establish an appropriate leadership structure. He also laid out the criteria for selecting the leaders and the responsibilities of each office. 16:18 ^b The combination of the words judges and officials might suggest that here the two terms are functionally synonymous. Usually officials is a generic title applied to any public leader, but here it seems to refer to an administrator of law and justice or something like police officers, as in modern Hebrew.

• fairly: The idea was to measure up to an objective standard of equity that neither public nor private pressure could alter.
16:19 ^c show partiality: See study note on 1:16-17.
Summary for Deut 16:21-22: 16:21-22 ^d Asherah pole ... sacred pillars: See study note on 7:5; see also 12:3 ^e; Isa 27:8-9 ^f; Mic 5:13-15 ^g.

‏ Deuteronomy 17:1-13

17:1 ^h A sick or defective animal had little monetary value, so it was no sacrifice to surrender it to the Lord (cp. 15:21 ⁱ).
17:3 ^j The forces of heaven are visible objects such as the sun, moon, and stars, as well as invisible beings such as angels. Worship of anyone or anything created by God is a clear violation of the second commandment (see 5:9 ^k).
17:4 ^l Anything offensive to the Lord could be called a detestable thing (see 7:25 ^m; 12:31 ⁿ; 13:14 ^o).
17:5 ^p the gates: A typical town in ancient Israel was small (about 10 acres or less) and crowded. It had few open areas except for a plaza just inside or outside the main gate where public meetings were held, including trials and other judicial proceedings. The place here is clearly outside of the town because stoning to death would not occur inside the walls (22:24 ^q; 1 Kgs 21:10 ^r) except under unusual circumstances (Deut 22:21 ^s).
17:7 ^t The instruction for witnesses to throw the first stones guarded against unfounded allegations. False testimony carried serious consequences. Requiring a witness to take the leading role in an execution helped guarantee the reliability of his testimony; he would personally bear the guilt if he took the life of an innocent person (see John 8:1-11 ^u).

• The people would purge the evil from among you by executing those whose sin brought the stain of guilt upon the community of Israel (see thematic note for Purge the Evil at end of chapter; cp. 1 Cor 5:12-13 ^v and study note).
17:8 ^w whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter: In Old Testament law, as in modern jurisprudence, murder was intentional, manslaughter was accidental (cp. 19:1-13 ^x).
17:9 ^y priests or the judge: Both types of officials could decide matters of either a religious or a secular nature.
17:11 ^z do not modify it: This Hebrew term envisions keeping on a straight path (cp. Prov 4:25-27 ^aa; Heb 12:13 ^ab). Once a verdict has been rendered, the sentence must be applied according to the law and the rules of evidence. Justice must be carried out on an unswerving path of fairness and righteousness.
17:12 ^ac purge the evil: The effects of evil should not be allowed to fester in the community. Like a cancer, they must be completely eradicated.