Deuteronomy 25

Deuteronomy · Chapter 25

Deuteronomy 25:1

1If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.2And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.3Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.4Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.5If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.6And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.7And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.8Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;9Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.10And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.11When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:12Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.13Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.14Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.15But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.16For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.19Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, and the judges judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
ifכִּֽי־ki-H3588A
for

כִּי (ki) 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore

it will happenיִהְיֶ֥הyih-YEHH1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

a disputeרִיב֙rivH7379
strife

רִיב (riv) 1) strife, controversy, dispute 1a) strife, quarrel 1b) dispute, controversy, case at law

betweenבֵּ֣יןbeinH0996G
between

בַּ֫יִן (ba.yin) : between between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

peopleאֲנָשִׁ֔ים'a-na-SHIMH0582
human

אֱנוֹשׁ (e.nosh) 1) man, mortal man, person, mankind 1a) of an individual 1b) men (collective) 1c) man, mankind Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)

and they will draw nearוְנִגְּשׁ֥וּve-ni-ge-SHUH5066G
to approach: approach

נָגַשׁ (na.gash) : approach 1) to draw near, approach 1a) (Qal) to draw or come near 1a1) of humans 1a1a) of sexual intercourse 1a2) of inanimate subject 1a2a) to approach one another 1b) (Niphal) to draw near 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to approach, bring near, bring 1d) (Hophal) to be brought near 1e) (Hithpael) to draw near Also means: na.gash (נָגַשׁ ": bring" H5066H)

toאֶל־'el-H0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

the place of judgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּ֖טha-mish-PATH4941G
justice: judgement

מִשְׁפָּט (mish.pat) : judgement/punishment 1) judgment, justice, ordinance 1a) judgment 1a1) act of deciding a case 1a2) place, court, seat of judgment 1a3) process, procedure, litigation (before judges) 1a4) case, cause (presented for judgment) 1a5) sentence, decision (of judgment) 1a6) execution (of judgment) 1a7) time (of judgment) 1b) justice, right, rectitude (attributes of God or man) 1c) ordinance 1d) decision (in law) 1e) right, privilege, due (legal) 1f) proper, fitting, measure, fitness, custom, manner, plan

and they will judge themוּשְׁפָט֑וּםu-she-fa-TUMH8199
to judge

שָׁפַט (sha.phat) 1) to judge, govern, vindicate, punish 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to act as law-giver or judge or governor (of God, man) 1a1a) to rule, govern, judge 1a2) to decide controversy (of God, man) 1a3) to execute judgment 1a3a) discriminating (of man) 1a3b) vindicating 1a3c) condemning and punishing 1a3d) at theophanic advent for final judgment 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to enter into controversy, plead, have controversy together 1b2) to be judged 1c) (Poel) judge, opponent-at-law (participle)

and they will declare righteousוְהִצְדִּ֙יקוּ֙ve-hitz-DI-kuH6663
to justify

צָדֵק (tsa.daq) 1) to be just, be righteous 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to have a just cause, be in the right 1a2) to be justified 1a3) to be just (of God) 1a4) to be just, be righteous (in conduct and character) 1b) (Niphal) to be put or made right, be justified 1c) (Piel) justify, make to appear righteous, make someone righteous 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to do or bring justice (in administering law) 1d2) to declare righteous, justify 1d3) to justify, vindicate the cause of, save 1d4) to make righteous, turn to righteousness 1e) (Hithpael) to justify oneself

the righteous [one]הַצַּדִּ֔יקha-tza-DIKH6662
righteous

צַדִּיק (tsad.diq) 1) just, lawful, righteous 1a) just, righteous (in government) 1b) just, right (in one's cause) 1c) just, righteous (in conduct and character) 1d) righteous (as justified and vindicated by God) 1e) right, correct, lawful

and they will condemn as guiltyוְהִרְשִׁ֖יעוּve-hir-SHI-'uH7561
be wicked

רָשַׁע (ra.sah) 1) to be wicked, act wickedly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be wicked, act wickedly 1a2) to be guilty, be condemned 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to condemn as guilty (in civil relations) 1b2) to condemn as guilty (in ethical or religious relations) 1b3) to act wickedly (in ethics and religion)

the guilty [one]הָרָשָֽׁע׃ha-ra-SHA'H7563
wicked

רָשָׁע (ra.sah) 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.