Deuteronomy 17

What cattle for offering was an abomination unto the Lord Verse1 &c. the punishment of those that turned aside from the true worship of God unto idolatry 2 how the inferior judges were to demean themselves in weighty and obscure law matters 8 of the choosing of a king and his duty 14.

1. Thou shalt offer unto the Lord thy God any bullock or small cattle [that is sheep or goat see Exodus 12:5 and above chapter 14.4] whereupon is a blemish or any evil [Heb. Any evil matter or thing] for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy God [Heb. An abomination of the Lord thy God that is which the Lord thy God esteemed an abomination so below chapter 18 on verse 12 and elsewhere as a curse of the Lord chapter 21.23.]

2. When they shall be found in the midst of thee in one of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee a man or a woman that shall do which is evil in the eyes of the Lord thy god transgressing his covenant [that is the covenant which he hathmade with thee wherein thou didst promise obedience unto thy God.]

3. That he go and serve other gods and how he himself before them or before the sun or before the moon or before all [or any that is nay of all] the host of heaven that which I have commanded [but on the contrary have expressly and strictly forbidden.]

4. And it be told thee and thou hear of it then thou shalt diligently search out the matter and behold it is a truth the thing is certain such abomination is done in Israel.

5. Then thou shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman that hat commited this wicked crime [Heb. Thing or word as above chapter 13.11] unto thy gates[where public assemblies and courts of justice were held see Genesis 22 on verse 17] I say that man or that woman and thou shalt stone them with stones and they die.

6. At the mouth of the two witnesses or three witnesses [that is at the saying declaring &c.] shall be put to death thou shalt die [Heb. The dead or the dying person that is he that hath deserved death or is to die compare genesis 20 on verse 3] at the mouth of the single witnesses he shall not be put to death.

7. The hand of the witnesses shall be first to put him to death afterwards the hand of all the people so shalt thou put away the evil [see above chapter 13.5] out of the midst of thee.

8. When there shall be a matter in the judgments too weighty for thee [Heb. Properly wonderfully strange or hidden that is such as thou art able to dispatch or darest not trust thyself to judge what is right or what is wrong] between the blood and blood [that is in the matter of killing or murder see Genesis 37 n verse 26] between plea and plea between stroke and stroke [as in case of wounding hurting or any evil strange plague or stroke on a mans body perhaps also on houses garments &c.] being matter of controversy within thy gates then shalt arise and go up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose.

9. And thou shalt come unto the Levitical priest and unto the judge that shall be unto those days [this seemeth to point at the high priest and unto judges that shalt be in those days [this seemeth to point at the high priest as also at the supreme judge see below verse 12 others or unto the judge compare below verse 12 and thou shalt require and they tell thee the matter of law [or the word of the law or of judgment that is what is just and right in this matter and accordingly what ought to be judged and pronounced or uttered by thee.]

10. And thou shalt do according to the command of thy word which they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall tell thee [Heb. According to the mouth of the word &c.that is just so and in all things according to their saying] and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee.

11. According to the command [Heb. According to the mouth] of the law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgments which they shall tell thee to the right hand or to the left.

12. Now the man that shall deal proudly [Heb. In or by pride or presumption] as not to hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there unto the Lord thy God [see above chapter 10.8] or unto the judge according as the nature of things shall require] that man shalt die and thou shalt put away the evil [as above verse 7] from Israel.

13. That all the people may hear it and deal with and fear and deal no more proudly.

14. When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord giveth thee and thou shalt hereditarily possess it and dwell therein and thou shalt say I will set a king over me like as all the nations that are round about me. [To wit lawfully and with gods will and approbation concluding thus which was not done 1Samuel 8.5 and therefore it was displeasing to God 1Samuel 8.7 and 12.19.]

15. Then thou shalt absolutely set him king over thee [Heb. Setting set&c. that is mayest no set another then him &c.] whom the Lord thy God shall choose thou salt set a king over thee out of the midst of thy brethren [that is he must needs be an Israelite] thou maist not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother.

16. but he shall not multiply horses [that is make such ado about horses and servants as to bear a high mind in regard of his great power and to dishonor of God putting his confidence therein as the Pegan and the wicked things did by presumption bring himself and his subject into danger and trouble]nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses [for which Egypt was famous see Exodus 14:15 Isaiah 31:1,3 Ezechiah 17.15 &c.] for as much as the Lord hath said unto you and ye shall henceforth return no more this way [Heb. Ye shall add no more or go on to return meaning to be revenged in Egypt or to make a covenant with them or to be slaves there.]

17. Neither shall he multiply wives for himself lest his heart turn away [to wit from the Lord] neither shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself [here also the annotate on verse 16 is fitly applied.]

18. Moreover it shall come to pass when he shall sit upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write his duplicate of this law in a book [or copy transcript written out of and according to the original law book [which remained with the priest and which they were to have continually before their eyes to order and regulate themselves accordingly compare below chapter 31.9,26] out of that which is before the face of the Levitical priest [others taking it in the presence of the Levitical priest that is he shall send for the book of the law that remaineth with the priest and write or cause to be written a copy out of it.

19. And it shall be with him and he shall read there in all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of his law and these statutes to do them.

20. That is heart be not lifted above his brethren and that he turn not aside from his commandment to the right hand or to the left that he may prolong his days in his kingdom he and his sons in the midst of Israel.