Deuteronomy 2:36

2:36 From Aroer, which is at the edge of Wadi Arnon (it is the city in the wadi), all the way to Gilead there was not a town able to resist us – the Lord our God gave them all to us.

Deuteronomy 17:5

17:5 you must bring to your city gates that man or woman who has done this wicked thing – that very man or woman – and you must stone that person to death.

Deuteronomy 20:14

20:14 However, the women, little children, cattle, and anything else in the city – all its plunder – you may take for yourselves as spoil. You may take from your enemies the plunder that the Lord your God has given you.

Deuteronomy 21:3

21:3 Then the elders of the city nearest to the corpse must take from the herd a heifer that has not been worked – that has never pulled with the yoke –

Deuteronomy 21:20-21

21:20 They must declare to the elders of his city, “Our son is stubborn and rebellious and pays no attention to what we say – he is a glutton and drunkard.” 21:21 Then all the men of his city must stone him to death. In this way you will purge out wickedness from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid.


sn Aroer. Now known as àAraáir on the northern edge of the Arnon river, Aroer marked the southern limit of Moab and, later, of the allotment of the tribe of Reuben (Josh 13:9, 16).

tn Heb “the city in the wadi.” This enigmatic reference may refer to Ar or, more likely, to Aroer itself. Epexegetically the text might read, “From Aroer…, that is, the city in the wadi.” See D. L. Christensen, Deuteronomy 1–11 (WBC), 49.

tn Heb “gates.”

tn Heb “stone them with stones so that they die” (KJV similar); NCV “throw stones at that person until he dies.”

tn Heb “slain [one].”

tc The LXX and Smr read “to the men,” probably to conform to this phrase in v. 21. However, since judicial cases were the responsibility of the elders in such instances (cf. Deut 19:12; 21:3, 6; 25:7-8) the reading of the MT is likely original and correct here.

tn The Hebrew term בִּעַרְתָּה (biartah), 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, baar, “to burn”). See H. Ringgren, TDOT 2:203-4.

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