Deuteronomy 19:20

Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite assembly regarding judicial execution, immediately following the command to purge evil from the community. The verse describes the intended deterrent outcome of carrying out the prescribed penalty.

The words — The text highlights יִשְׁמְעוּ (yish.me.'U), meaning "they will hear," and יֹסִפוּ (yo.Si.fu), meaning "they will repeat." These terms frame the deterrent mechanism as auditory exposure followed by cessation of action.

The thread — This pattern of public hearing followed by fear and cessation appears in Deuteronomy 13:11, 17:13, and 21:21. Each instance links judicial enforcement to communal deterrence.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that covenant justice operates through visible consequences to curb future transgression. It requires readers to accept judicial severity as a functional boundary for communal order.

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

וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖יםve./ha./nish.'a.Rimand/ the/ remainder יִשְׁמְע֣וּyish.me.'Uthey will hear וְיִרָ֑אוּve./yi.Ra.'uand/ they may fear וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not יֹסִ֨פוּyo.Si.futhey will repeat לַעֲשׂ֜וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ do ע֗וֹדodagain כַּדָּבָ֥רka./da.Varlike the/ thing הָרָ֛עha./Ra'<the>/ evil הַזֶּ֖הha./Zeh<the>/ this בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃be./kir.Be./chain/ midst/ your

King James Version

And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 17:13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.
Deuteronomy 21:21 Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.
Deuteronomy 13:11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you.
Deuteronomy 17:7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. So you must purge the evil from among you.
Proverbs 21:11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; and when a wise man is instructed, he acquires knowledge.
Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.
1 Timothy 5:20 But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.