Deuteronomy 17:7

17:7 The witnesses ¹  must be first to begin the execution, and then all the people ²  are to join in afterward. In this way you will purge evil from among you.

Deuteronomy 19:21

19:21 You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot. ³ 

Deuteronomy 21:21

21:21 Then all the men of his city must stone him to death. In this way you will purge out ⁴  wickedness from among you, and all Israel ⁵  will hear about it and be afraid.

Deuteronomy 22:7

22:7 You must be sure ⁶  to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

Deuteronomy 28:6

28:6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. ⁷ 

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¹ tn Heb “the hand of the witnesses.” This means the two or three witnesses are to throw the first stones (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

² tn Heb “the hand of all the people.”

³ sn This kind of justice is commonly called lex talionis or “measure for measure” (cf. Exod 21:23-25; Lev 24:19-20). It is likely that it is the principle that is important and not always a strict application. That is, the punishment should fit the crime and it may do so by the payment of fines or other suitable and equitable compensation (cf. Exod 22:21; Num 35:31). See T. S. Frymer-Kensky, “Tit for Tat: The Principle of Equal Retribution in Near Eastern and Biblical Law,” BA 43 (1980): 230-34.

⁴ tn The Hebrew term בִּעַרְתָּה (bi’artah), here and elsewhere in such contexts (cf. Deut 13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:9), suggests God’s anger which consumes like fire (thus בָעַר, ba’ar, “to burn”). See H. Ringgren, TDOT 2:203-4.

⁵ tc Some LXX traditions read הַנִּשְׁאָרִים (hannish’arim, “those who remain”) for the MT’s יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisra’el, “Israel”), understandable in light of Deut 19:20. However, the more difficult reading found in the MT is more likely original.

⁶ tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation seeks to reflect with “be sure.”

⁷ sn Come in…go out. To “come in” and “go out” is a figure of speech (merism) indicating all of life and its activities.