Why were defective animals not to be offered?
Because what is offered to the Lord should be the best, not the leftovers. Offering a defective animal was a way of despising him. The New Testament presents Christ as the spotless lamb.
Deuteronomy · chapter 17 of 34
Deuteronomy 17: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
Updated on
What happens in Deuteronomy 17?
Deuteronomy 17 deals with justice and leadership in Israel. It forbids offering defective animals, requires at least two or three witnesses to condemn idolatry and commands that hard cases be taken to the Levitical priests and the judge at the chosen place. It ends with the law of the king: chosen by the Lord, not multiplying horses, wives or wealth, and required to read the law every day of his life.
After the feasts and the judges of the previous chapter, Deuteronomy 17 continues with the just life of the people, from worship to government. Moses prepares Israel for the day it asks for a king like the other nations, and tells it what he must be like: not an absolute monarch but a brother who lives under the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 17 summary
The chapter begins by forbidding the offering to the Lord of an ox or sheep with a defect, because it is an abomination to him. Then it addresses the man or woman who serves other gods, worshiping the sun, the moon or the stars. If it is proved by diligent investigation, that person is stoned, but never on the word of a single witness, only two or three, and the witnesses cast the first stones.
If a case is too hard to judge, whether homicide, lawsuits or assaults, it is taken to the place the Lord chooses, before the Levitical priests and the judge in office. Their verdict must be carried out, turning neither to the right nor to the left, and whoever acts presumptuously and does not obey their decision will die, so that all the people will hear and fear.
When Israel enters the land and says it wants a king like the other nations, it may set one, but he must be the one the Lord chooses and from among their brothers, never a foreigner. He must not multiply horses or send the people back to Egypt, nor have many wives who would turn his heart away, nor accumulate silver and gold. When he sits on his throne, he is to write for himself a copy of this law before the Levitical priests and read it all the days of his life, so that he fears the Lord, keeps his words, does not exalt himself above his brothers and does not turn from the commandment, so that he and his sons may reign long.
Chapter outline
- v. 1: Prohibition of offering animals with defects.
- vv. 2-7: Judging idolatry, with investigation and at least two or three witnesses.
- vv. 8-13: Hard cases go to the chosen place, before the priests and the judge.
- vv. 14-17: The law of the king: chosen by the Lord, not multiplying horses, wives or excessive wealth.
- vv. 18-20: The king copies and reads the law daily so as not to become proud.
Key verses in Deuteronomy 17
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Deuteronomy 17:6
No one is to be put to death on the testimony of a single witness, but of two or three. The principle protects the innocent and is repeated in the New Testament when dealing with discipline and accusations.
Deuteronomy 17:15
The king must be the one the Lord chooses, an Israelite brother and not a foreigner. Even the ruler depends on God's choice and must identify with the people he serves.
Deuteronomy 17:17
The king must not multiply wives or accumulate silver and gold in excess. These warnings name the temptations that later brought Solomon down: power, pleasure and wealth that draw the heart from the Lord.
Deuteronomy 17:19-20
The king is to read the law all the days of his life so that he fears the Lord, keeps his words and does not think himself better than his brothers. God's word is what limits power and protects the ruler from pride.
Main themes
- Offerings of integrity to the Lord
- Justice with witnesses
- Judicial authority and obedience
- The king under the law
- Humility in power
People and places
- Moses
- The Lord
- The Levitical priests
- The judges
- The future king
- Israel
Deuteronomy 17 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. What animals were not to be offered to the Lord?
Answer: Those with any defect or flaw, because that is an abomination to the Lord. — Deuteronomy 17:1
2. How many witnesses were needed to condemn someone to death?
Answer: At least two or three; one was not enough. — Deuteronomy 17:6
3. Who threw the first stones in the execution?
Answer: The witnesses, and afterward all the people. — Deuteronomy 17:7
4. Where were cases too hard to judge taken?
Answer: To the place the Lord would choose, before the Levitical priests and the judge in office. — Deuteronomy 17:8-9
5. What three things was the king not to multiply?
Answer: Horses, wives, and silver and gold. — Deuteronomy 17:16-17
6. What was the king to do with the law when he sat on his throne?
Answer: Write a copy of it and read it all the days of his life. — Deuteronomy 17:18-19
Application for today
The chapter shows that no one, not even the king, stands above the word of God. Leaders today in the church, the family and society need a daily life under Scripture, and not only when something goes wrong. In a group you can ask what temptations of power, money or comfort threaten us, and what habits of Bible reading protect us.
The requirement of two or three witnesses reminds us that an accusation alone is not enough to convict. God's people should be a place where truth is sought and the innocent are protected. Christ, the true King, fulfills what no king of Israel could: he obeys the law fully and rules with justice.
Deuteronomy 17 leaves the picture of a people with worship of integrity, justice with witnesses and a king subject to the law. The next chapter completes the structure of public life with the priests, the Levites and the prophets, through whom God will speak by other servants of his.
Frequently asked questions about Deuteronomy 17
Did Israel keep the law of the king?
Few kings followed it. Solomon multiplied wives, horses and wealth, and Israel ended up divided. The historical books of the Bible show the kings who obeyed and those who did not, and point to the need for a perfect King.
Why did the king have to copy the law by hand?
Copying it forced him to read it carefully and keep it always in mind. The copy was to be made before the Levitical priests, so that it would be faithful to the original. The purpose was to form a humble king who saw himself as a brother of his people.