Deuteronomy 17:2 kjv
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,
Deuteronomy 17:2 nkjv
"If there is found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing His covenant,
Deuteronomy 17:2 niv
If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the LORD gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God in violation of his covenant,
Deuteronomy 17:2 esv
"If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant,
Deuteronomy 17:2 nlt
"When you begin living in the towns the LORD your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violate the covenant.
Deuteronomy 17 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Dt 13:6-11 | If your brother... entices you secretly... you shall surely kill him. | Warnings against inciting to idolatry. |
| Dt 13:12-18 | If you hear in one of your cities... wicked men have gone out... | Procedures for dealing with idolatrous cities. |
| Ex 20:3 | You shall have no other gods before me. | The First Commandment, against idolatry. |
| Ex 34:15-16 | Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land... | Warning against spiritual defection through pagan alliances. |
| Lev 20:2 | Any man of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn... | Punishment for sacrificing children to Molech. |
| Num 15:30-31 | But the person who does anything with a high hand... | Defines defiant sin against God's commands. |
| Josh 7:1-26 | But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things | Achan's breach of covenant brings judgment on all. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. | Connects disobedience to idolatry. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-20 | For when the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God... | Explains Israel's exile due to widespread idolatry. |
| Jer 11:10 | They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers... | God's people have broken the covenant. |
| Jer 22:9 | Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God... | Explains Jerusalem's destruction as a result of breaking covenant. |
| Eze 16:59 | For you have despised the oath in breaking the covenant. | God will deal with them as they have despised covenant. |
| Mal 2:8 | But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction... | Priests have corrupted the covenant. |
| Mt 7:23 | And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ | Jesus rejects those who practice wickedness, not just external law. |
| Acts 7:42 | But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven. | Stephen recounts Israel's persistent idolatry. |
| Rom 1:23-25 | They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images... | Describes humanity's fall into idolatry. |
| Rom 2:23 | You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. | Breaking God's law dishonors Him. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. | Apostolic command to avoid idolatry. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality... idolatry... | Idolatry is a grave sin in the New Testament list. |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality... covetousness, which is idolatry. | Equates covetousness with idolatry. |
| Heb 8:9 | Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers... | Old Covenant broken, New Covenant established. |
| Heb 10:28-29 | Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy... | Warning for apostasy in the New Covenant era. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. | Final New Testament warning against idolatry. |
| Jude 1:4 | Ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. | Those who reject and betray God. |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless... and idolaters, and all liars—their portion will be in the lake that burns... | Final judgment against idolaters. |
Deuteronomy 17 verses
Deuteronomy 17 2 Meaning
Deuteronomy 17:2 establishes the legal framework for addressing severe spiritual defection within the Israelite community. It describes a situation where an individual, whether male or female, living within their towns, has committed an act that is profoundly wicked in God's eyes. The core offense is identified as "transgressing His covenant," specifically by turning away to serve and worship other gods, which is detailed in the subsequent verses. This verse emphasizes that such an act is not merely a social misdemeanor but a direct affront to the Lord their God and a breach of the fundamental covenant relationship between God and Israel.
Deuteronomy 17 2 Context
Deuteronomy 17 initiates a section of laws concerning judicial processes and leadership roles within Israel. After covering matters of false prophets and apostasy in chapter 13, and dietary and tithe laws in chapters 14-16, chapter 17:1 warns against bringing blemished sacrifices. Then, verses 2-7 deal specifically with the severe crime of idolatry and the proper judicial procedure for capital punishment. This immediately leads into laws concerning complex legal disputes (17:8-13) and the future selection and conduct of a king (17:14-20). The historical context places this as Moses' farewell discourse to the Israelites before entering the Promised Land. These laws are foundational, preparing them for the challenges of maintaining their distinct identity and faithfulness to Yahweh in a land filled with polytheistic practices. The law anticipates and warns against the internal threat of apostasy, which could corrupt the entire community from within, undermining the covenant made at Sinai.
Deuteronomy 17 2 Word analysis
- If (כִּי, ki): Introduces a conditional clause, indicating a hypothetical but highly serious possibility. It frames the following as a potential real-life scenario requiring a specific legal response, rather than an abstract concept.
- there is found (נִמְצָא, nimtsa): Passive verb form, literally "it is found" or "it comes to be found." This suggests discovery or a confirmed ascertainment through investigation, implying an objective determination of guilt, not mere accusation or rumor. It points to a judicial process where evidence must be gathered.
- among you (בְקִרְבְּךָ, bəqirbəka): Implies "within your midst" or "in your community." This offense is an internal corruption, a threat from within the covenant people, not from external enemies. It highlights communal vulnerability and responsibility.
- within any of your gates (בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, bəʾakhaḏ shəʿāreyka): "Gates" signify towns or cities, the centers of daily life, commerce, and judicial activity. This emphasizes that the crime is committed openly, or at least discovered, within their organized societal structures. It underscores the severity, as the sin defiles the community directly.
- a man or woman (אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה, ish o isha): Explicitly includes both genders, demonstrating equality before the law regarding this capital offense. The spiritual fidelity required by the covenant applies to all individuals regardless of social status or gender.
- who has done evil (אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֶת־הָרַע, ʾasher ʿasa ʾeth-haraʿ): "Evil" (רַע, raʿ) in this context is not just common wrong-doing but an act of profound moral wickedness, fundamentally corrupting and harmful. It's a comprehensive term for all forms of transgression that disrupt the divine order.
- in the sight of the LORD your God (בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, bəʿeynē YHWH ʾĕloheykha): This phrase elevates the crime beyond a simple societal transgression; it is a direct offense against God Himself, who is omniscient and holds ultimate judgment. The offense violates God's own holiness and righteousness.
- by transgressing His covenant (לַעֲבוֹר בְּרִיתוֹ, laʿavor bəriytô): This is the precise definition of the "evil" committed. "Transgressing" (עָבוֹר, ʿavor, literally "to pass over" or "cross over") signifies a willful and defiant breaking of the covenant relationship. "His covenant" (בְּרִיתוֹ, bəriytô) refers specifically to the Mosaic Covenant made at Sinai, which established Israel as God's chosen people, set apart for exclusive worship of Him. Breaking this covenant is an act of spiritual treason.
Deuteronomy 17 2 Bonus section
The severity of the punishment for this specific transgression (death, detailed in the following verses) highlights the unique and sacred nature of Israel's relationship with Yahweh. In the ancient Near East, loyalty to one's god was a political and societal matter, but for Israel, it was uniquely tied to their very existence and identity. To "transgress His covenant" was to threaten not just spiritual standing but the socio-political stability of the entire nation, as the covenant was the constitution of their theo-political state. The public and communal nature of the discovery and subsequent judgment was designed not only to execute justice but also to serve as a stark warning and deterrent for the entire population, preventing similar evils from taking root and spreading within the land. It aimed to foster communal holiness and deter the subtle insidious spread of foreign religious practices.
Deuteronomy 17 2 Commentary
Deuteronomy 17:2 serves as the stern premise for judicial action against severe apostasy. It highlights that idolatry within Israel is not a minor deviation but a foundational breach of the very relationship that defines them as a nation – the covenant with Yahweh. The wording stresses that this grave evil is committed "in the sight of the LORD," making it a direct affront to His character and authority. The emphasis on the transgression occurring "among you within any of your gates" indicates that the law targets internal corruption, acknowledging that the greatest threat to Israel's spiritual purity and national survival would come from within. Such an act necessitates immediate and decisive judgment to purge the evil and maintain the purity and integrity of the covenant community, demonstrating the zero-tolerance policy against spiritual infidelity. This law underscores the collective responsibility to guard against defection and ensure Israel remains consecrated to the Lord.