Deuteronomy 17:8
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“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.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Deuteronomy 17:8 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“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.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“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;”
King James Version · Public Domain“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 unto the place which Jehovah thy God shall choose;”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“`When anything is too hard for thee for judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke--matters of strife within thy gates--then thou hast risen, and gone up unto the place on which Jehovah thy God doth fix,”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Deuteronomy 17:8 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 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 21:12Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- 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 21:22If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.
- 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.
- Exodus 22:2If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
- Numbers 35:11designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.
- Numbers 35:16If, however, anyone strikes a person with an iron object and kills him, he is a murderer; the murderer must surely be put to death.
- Numbers 35:19The avenger of blood is to put the murderer to death; when he finds him, he is to kill him.
- Deuteronomy 1:17Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
- 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.
- Deuteronomy 12:11then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice offerings you vow to the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 12:14you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.
- Deuteronomy 19:4Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:
- Deuteronomy 19:10Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
- Deuteronomy 19:17both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
- Deuteronomy 21:5And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name and to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.
- 2 Samuel 15:2He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
- 1 Kings 3:16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
- 1 Chronicles 26:29From the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties as officers and judges over Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 19:8Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites, priests, and heads of the Israelite families to judge on behalf of the LORD and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem.
- Psalms 122:4where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
- Psalms 122:5For there the thrones of judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.
- Haggai 2:11“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).