DeutéronomeChapitre 17

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Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.

If a man or woman among you, in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you, is found doing what is evil in the eyes of the LORD your God, violating his covenant,

and has gone and served other gods and bowed down to them, or to the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven—something I never commanded—

and if it is reported to you and you hear of it, then investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true and confirmed that such a detestable thing has been done in Israel,

then bring out to your gates the man or the woman who has done this evil thing, and stone that man or woman to death.

On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person shall be put to death; no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from among you.

If a case is too difficult for you to judge—cases of bloodshed, of legal rights, or of bodily injury—any dispute within your towns, then rise and go up to the place the LORD your God will choose.

Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Bring your inquiry to them, and they will give you the verdict.

You must act according to the decision they give you from that place the LORD will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you.

Act according to the instruction they give you and the judgment they declare to you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.

Anyone who acts arrogantly and refuses to listen to the priest who ministers there before the LORD your God, or to the judge, must die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.

Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act arrogantly again.

When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and take possession of it and settle in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,"

be sure to set over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must come from among your own brothers. You may not place a foreigner over you, one who is not your brother.

He must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself, or send the people back to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are never to return that way again."

He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. And he must not accumulate great amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, copied from the scroll kept by the Levitical priests.

He is to keep it with him and read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and keep all the words of this law and these statutes, and do them—

so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and he may not turn from the commandment to the right or to the left, and so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 17

Main Theme: The chapter gives laws concerning pure worship, the administration of justice, and royal leadership in Israel.

Content: Offerings to the Lord must be without defect. Anyone who worships other gods or the host of heaven shall be stoned based on the testimony of two or three witnesses, with the witnesses themselves casting the first stones. Difficult legal cases are to be brought to the priests and the judge at the place the Lord chooses, and their decision is binding. The king must be a brother from among the people; he must not accumulate horses, wives, or wealth, but should write out his own copy of God's law and read it daily in order to learn humility and obedience.

Key Words/Images:

Blameless Offering: Offerings must be without defect, for defective sacrifices are an abomination to the Lord.
Two or Three Witnesses: No one can be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness—the witnesses themselves must cast the first stones.
Central Court: Difficult cases are to be decided by priests and a judge at the place the Lord chooses, with authority from God.
The King's Scroll of the Law: The king is to write his own copy of the law and read it daily in order to maintain reverence for God and humility.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Deuteronomy 17

Events and Customs

Astral Worship and Idolatry (vv. 2–7)

The chapter forbids the worship of the sun, moon, and "the host of heaven" (צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם, tseva hashamayim). This reflects the widespread astral religion in Mesopotamia and Canaan at that time. Sun gods such as Shamash (Mesopotamia) and moon worship in Harran were dominant in the region. In Egypt, the sun god Ra was worshipped as the supreme deity. The prohibition against worshipping celestial bodies marks a radical break with the surrounding culture, where heavenly bodies were often viewed as deities or manifestations of divinity.

The Stoning Ritual and Witness Procedure (vv. 5–7)

The requirement for two or three witnesses before a death sentence could be carried out was unusual in ancient times. In many surrounding cultures, an accusation by one person was sufficient. That the witnesses had to cast the first stones served as a solemn reminder of the responsibility involved in giving testimony—false witnesses would themselves become guilty of bloodshed. The execution was to take place "at your gates" (שְׁעָרֶיךָ, she'arekha), which was the traditional location for legal judgments and public affairs.

Places

"The Place the Lord Will Choose" (vv. 8–10)

The expression "the place that the Lord your God will choose" refers to the central sanctuary where difficult legal cases were to be decided. In the context of Deuteronomy, this is a forward-looking expression pointing toward Jerusalem, even though it is not mentioned by name. This centralized judicial system, involving priests and judges, formed the basis for what later became known as the Sanhedrin in Jewish tradition.

Key Terms

Mum (מוּם) – Blemish/Defect (v. 1)

The Hebrew word mum describes physical defects that rendered an animal unsuitable for sacrifice. This concept reflects the idea that the best should be given to God—not what was useless or worthless. Similar requirements for unblemished sacrificial animals appear in other Old Testament texts and contrast with practices in some surrounding cultures, where defective animals could be offered to lesser deities.

Mishne haTorah (מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה) – "Copy of the Law" (v. 18)

The king was to write his own "copy of this law" from the priests' exemplar. The Hebrew expression mishne haTorah can mean either "a copy of the law" or "a repetition/doubling of the law." The Septuagint translated this as deuteronomion ("second law"), which gave rise to the book's Greek and Norwegian names. The requirement for a personal copy ensured that the king knew the content of the law and emphasized that even the monarch stood under God's law.

Chapter-Specific Insights

The Law of the King and Ancient Royal Ideology

The law concerning kings in verses 14–20 is remarkable in its limitation of royal power. While Assyrian and Egyptian royal inscriptions highlight the king's divine status and unlimited authority, this text presents an anti-imperialist conception of kingship. The prohibitions against acquiring many horses, wives, and wealth stand in direct contrast to Solomon's later practices (1 Kings 10–11). The prohibition against sending the people back to Egypt to obtain horses reflects both Egypt's role as a center for horse trade and the theological significance of the Exodus from Egypt—a return would symbolically reverse salvation.

Personnages

Aucun personnage connu dans ce chapitre.

Mots-clés6

King — A leader or ruler over a country or people, appointed by God in this context.
The Law — God's instructions and commandments given to Moses and the people of Israel to guide their lives and society.
Horses — Large, four-legged animals used for transportation, work, and warfare in ancient times.
Egypt — The land where the people of Israel were slaves before being led out by Moses under God's guidance.
The Writings — Sacred texts containing God's word and instructions, including the books of Moses.
Humility — The quality of being modest and showing respect and obedience to God and His will.