Deuteronomy 19:17

19:17 then both parties to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges ¹  who will be in office in those days.

Deuteronomy 25:1

25:1 If controversy arises between people, ²  they should go to court for judgment. When the judges ³  hear the case, they shall exonerate ⁴  the innocent but condemn ⁵  the guilty.

Deuteronomy 17:8

Appeal to a Higher Court

17:8 If a matter is too difficult for you to judge – bloodshed, ⁶  legal claim, ⁷  or assault ⁸  – matters of controversy in your villages ⁹  – you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord your God chooses. ¹⁰ 

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¹ tn The appositional construction (“before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges”) indicates that these human agents represented the Lord himself, that is, they stood in his place (cf. Deut 16:18-20; 17:8-9).

² tn Heb “men.”

³ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the judges) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “declare to be just”; KJV, NASB “justify the righteous”; NAB, NIV “acquitting the innocent.”

⁵ tn Heb “declare to be evil”; NIV “condemning the guilty (+ party NAB).”

⁶ tn Heb “between blood and blood.”

⁷ tn Heb “between claim and claim.”

⁸ tn Heb “between blow and blow.”

⁹ tn Heb “gates.”

¹⁰ tc Several Greek recensions add “to place his name there,” thus completing the usual formula to describe the central sanctuary (cf. Deut 12:5, 11, 14, 18; 16:6). However, the context suggests that the local Levitical towns, and not the central sanctuary, are in mind.