Deuteronomy 17:5 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 17:5 mean?

Deuteronomy 17:5 instructs that if a man or woman is found guilty of committing a certain wicked act, they are to be brought to the city gates and put to death by stoning. This command is part of the legal instructions given to Israel about dealing with serious wrongdoing in the community.

In this verse, Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, explaining how to handle cases of serious sin, especially those that threaten the community’s faithfulness to God. The city gates were the place where legal matters were judged, so bringing the accused there made the process public and accountable. The verse emphasizes both the seriousness of the offense and the communal responsibility to uphold justice.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 17:5

• "forth" (יָצָא, yatsa) means to bring out or lead out. Here, it shows the accused is to be brought publicly before the community, not dealt with in secret.
• "gates" (שַׁעַר, sha'ar) refers to the city gates, which were the center for legal decisions and public gatherings. This highlights that the judgment was to be a community matter, not a private one.
• "stone" (סָקַל, saqal) and "stones" (אֶבֶן, even) point to the specific method of execution. Stoning was a communal act, involving witnesses and the community, underlining the collective responsibility for justice.
• "wicked" (רַע, ra) describes the act as morally evil or harmful, not just a minor wrongdoing. This word signals the seriousness of the offense that warranted such a severe penalty.

Why Deuteronomy 17:5 matters

• This verse clarifies that justice in ancient Israel was meant to be public, careful, and communal, not left to private revenge or hidden punishment.
• The instruction to bring both "man or woman" shows that the law applied equally, regardless of gender, emphasizing fairness in the legal process.
• Deuteronomy 17:5 is part of a larger section about maintaining faithfulness to God and protecting the community from practices that could lead them astray, showing the connection between justice and the community’s spiritual health.