Deuteronomy 17:12

17:12 purge the evil: The effects of evil should not be allowed to fester in the community. Like a cancer, they must be completely eradicated.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So long as he is the true minister of God, and pronounceth according to his word.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 12. The man that will do presumptuously] The man who refused to abide by this final determination forfeited his life, as being then in a state of rebellion against the highest authority, and consequently the public could have no pledge for his conduct.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. presumptuously] See on Deu_1:43 and cp. Deu_18:20.

unto the priest … or unto the judge] Again no information is given as to how the cases are to be divided between the two. D’s sole interest is to accommodate the procedure of law to the fact of the One Altar.

that standeth to minister, etc.] See on Deu_10:8.

put away the evil] See on Deu_13:5 (6).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The judge of the country court that makes his application to that at Jerusalem for information and direction; if, after all, he is conceited in his own opinion, and rejects theirs, and is obstinate, and will not be guided and directed, but will take his own way, and pursue his own sense of things, and act according to that:

and will not hearken to the priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God; the priests of the tribe of Levi, of whom the court generally consisted, Deu 17:9, priest for priests; though some think the high priest is meant, to whom the character very well agrees; but he was not always at the head of the sanhedrim, nor indeed a member of it, unless he had the proper qualifications; see Deu 18:18.

or unto the judge; or judges; See Gill on Deu 17:9. L'Empereur (g) thinks, that the supreme senate, or grand sanhedrim, was twofold, according to the diversity of ecclesiastic and political matters; since where it treats of the supreme senators, or chief persons in the court, the priest is manifestly distinguished from the judge (i.e. priests or judges); now the man that has asked advice of them, and will not be directed by it, but takes his own way, this being so great a contempt of, and insult upon, the great senate of the nation:

even that man shall die; and this was by strangling, for so the rebellious older, as such an one is called, was to die according to the Misnah (h); and it is said (i), that the death spoken of in the law absolutely (without specifying what kind of death) is strangling:

and thou shall put away the evil from Israel; the evil man that is rebellious against the supreme legislature of the nation, and the evil of contumacy he is guilty of, deterring others from it by his death.

(g) In Misn. Middoth, c. 5. sect. 3. (h) Sanhedrin, c. 10. sect. 2. (i) Maimon. Issure Biah, c. 1. sect. 6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the decree. Some copies read with Sixtus V ex decreto, by &c., "decree," (Haydock) as if a lay-judge stood ready to put the sentence in execution. (Calmet) --- But there was no necessity of any farther judgment after the high priest had spoken, who is here declared the sovereign judge. (St. Cyprian, ep. 55.) Hebrew, "or to the judge." Amama ridicules his friend, Ant. a Dominis, for saying that the Hebrew and Vulgate have et decreto. (Haydock) --- The Rabbins inform us, that if any judge refused to acquiesce in the decision, and endeavoured to draw others into his opinion, in matters of consequence, (as those are where the guilty is ordered to be cut off,) he was to be strangled, on a festival day, at Jerusalem, that all the people hearing it might fear, ver. 13. (Selden, Syned. iii. 3.) (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

That will do presumptuously, i.e. that will proudly and obstinately oppose the sentence given against him. This is opposite to ignorance and error, Exo 21:13,14.

The evil; either,

1. The evil thing, that scandal, that pernicious example. Or,

2. That evil, refractory, pernicious person, whose practice herein tends to the dissolution of all government, and the ruin of the common-wealth of Israel.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. The man that will do presumptuously — Apparently defying the judge and the law.

And will not hearken unto the priest — The Jews understood this to apply to such elders or judges as had, in accordance with the preceding requirement, referred an important matter to the highest authority, and then refused to abide by its decision.

Even that man shall die — Such resistance was to be considered as rebellion against constituted authority. It was defiance of God’s law — it was at that time to be looked upon as treason against the state.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Do presumptuously - That will proudly and obstinately oppose the sentence given against him. The evil - The evil thing, that scandal, that pernicious example.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

in not listening to the priest ... or in not listening to the judge

"and does not obey the priest ... or does not obey the judge"

you will put away the evil from Israel

The nominal adjective "the evil" can be translated as an adjective. AT: "you must remove from among the Israelites the person who does this evil thing" or "you must execute this evil person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

All the people must hear and fear, and act arrogantly no more

It is implied that when the people hear about the person who was executed for acting arrogantly, they will be afraid and not act arrogantly themselves. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

arrogant

servant

fear

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.