Deuteronomy 17:8

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

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite congregation and local magistrates as they prepare to enter the land, directing them on procedure for unresolved legal disputes.

The words — יִפָּלֵא (yi.pale) means “it will be difficult” or “too hard,” and דָבָר (davar) means “a matter” or “case,” establishing the threshold for escalating a dispute.

The thread — The directive points to Deuteronomy 12:5 for the location God will choose, Deuteronomy 17:9 for the Levitical priests and presiding judge who render the verdict, and Deuteronomy 1:17 which grounds the process in the principle that judgment belongs to God.

Why it lands — It requires readers to recognize the limits of local judicial authority and submit unresolved cases to the designated central leadership without delay or bias.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֣יkiif יִפָּלֵא֩yi.pa.Le'it will be [too] difficult מִמְּךָ֨mi.me./Khafor/ you דָבָ֜רda.Vara matter לַמִּשְׁפָּ֗טla./mish.Patfor <the>/ judgment בֵּֽין־bein-between דָּ֨ם׀damblood לְדָ֜םle./Damand/ blood בֵּֽין־bein-between דִּ֣יןdindispute לְדִ֗יןle./Dinand/ dispute וּבֵ֥יןu./Veinand/ between נֶ֙גַע֙ne.ga'wound לָנֶ֔גַעla./Ne.ga'and/ wound דִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.Reimatters of רִיבֹ֖תri.Votcases at law בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָbi/sh.'a.Rei./khain/ gates/ your וְקַמְתָּ֣ve./kam.Taand/ you will arise וְעָלִ֔יתָve./'a.Li.taand/ you will go up אֶל־'el-to הַמָּק֔וֹםha./ma.Komthe/ place אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich יִבְחַ֛רyiv.Charhe will choose יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourבּֽוֹ׃b/o<in> <the>/ it

King James Version

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;

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 12:5 Instead, 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.
Haggai 2:11 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.
Deuteronomy 1:17 Show 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.”
Exodus 18:26 And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves.
Exodus 21:12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
Exodus 21:20 If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
Exodus 21:22 If 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 21:28 If 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 22:2 If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
Numbers 35:11 designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there.