Deuteronomy 17:8

If a case is too difficult for you to judge, whether the controversy within your gates is regarding bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults, you must go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.

Majority Standard Bible

In The King James Version

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;

In Context

7The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.

9You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Inquire of them, and they will give you a verdict in the case.

Read all of Deuteronomy 17

Cross References

Exodus 18:26And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.

Exodus 21:20If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Exodus 21:28If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.

Numbers 35:11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.

Numbers 35:19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.

Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 17:2-8

The Punishment of Idolatry. ( b. c. 1451.) 1 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. 2 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, 3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Deuteronomy 17:8