The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 290

OHAPTER XVIL of idolatry, the wickedness ,cr,-r' l!ox.,,v. All idolatry was to be strictly suppressed- SAOBIFIOES TO BE OF ANIMALS UNBLEMISHED. those convicted of it to be put to- death by IDOLATERS TO BE SOUGHT OUT, CONVICTED, stoning. AND PUT TO DEATH. THE liIGHER JUDICIAL Ver. 3.-(Cf. eh. iv. 19.) Which I have not commanded; i.e. hatJe forbidden, a meiosis, COURT AT THE SANCTUARY, ELECTION as in J er. vii. 31. AND DUTY OF A K.iNG. Ver.5.-trnto thy gates; ju<licial proceed- Ver. 1.-Not only was the setting up of ings were conducted at the gates of the idols an offence to be punished by the judge, city, and in some place outsi<le the wallr, but also all profanation of the service of the sentence was executed on the cor,- J ebovah, suoh as the offering in sacrifice demned criminal (Neh. viii. 1, 3; Job. uix. of any animal, bullock or shoep, that had 7; eh. xxii. 24; Acts vii. 58; Heh. xiii. 12), any blemish or defeot (of. Lov. xxii. 19-24). just as, during the journey through the Evilfavonrednesa; literally, any evil thing, wilderness, it had been outside the camp i.e. any vice or maim (of. Lev. xxii. 22, eto.). that transgressors were punished (Lev. xxiv. Ver. 2.-In ob. xiii., Moses enacts what is 14; Numb. xv. 36). to be done to those who seduce into idolatry. Vers. 6, 7.-Only on the testimony of Here he declares what is to be done to those more than one witness could the accused who ore so soduced. Done wiokedneBB; be condemned (cf. Numb. xxxv. 30); 111:d literally, done thB evil. The definite article is the hand of the witnesses was to be first proflxed ; it is not any kind of wickedness ago inst him to put him to death-a rule which tb"t is hero denounced, but tho special sin would tend to prevent ~c\lllation11 being  28G THE DOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [cu. XVll. 1-20