Deuteronomy 25:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And 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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

then, if the wicked one deserves to be flogged, the judge is to have him lie down and be flogged in his presence. The number of strokes is to be proportionate to his offense;

Berean Standard Bible:

If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants.

American Standard Version:

And 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 wickedness, by number.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And it shall be, if the wicked man^{H7563} be worthy^{H1121} to be beaten^{H5221}, that the judge^{H8199} shall cause him to lie down^{H5307}, and to be beaten^{H5221} before his face^{H6440}, according^{H1767} to his fault^{H7564}, by a certain number^{H4557}.

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Commentary for Deuteronomy 25:2

Deuteronomy 25:2 is part of a larger section of laws found in the Pentateuch, specifically in the book of Deuteronomy, which is presented as a series of speeches by Moses to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. This verse addresses judicial punishment for those found guilty of wrongdoing. In the context of ancient Israelite society, the verse outlines a legal procedure: when a person is convicted of a crime, a judge is instructed to impose a physical punishment, which is to be carried out in the judge's presence. The beating is to be proportionate to the offense committed, indicating a principle of measured justice.

The text specifies that the beating should not be arbitrary but is to be administered "by a certain number," implying a limit to the punishment to prevent excessive cruelty. This reflects the broader theme of justice and order that is central to the legal codes in the Pentateuch. The verse underscores the importance of authority and legal process, with the judge overseeing the enforcement of the law. It also reflects a broader ancient Near Eastern legal principle known as lex talionis, or the law of retaliation, which sought to match the punishment to the crime in terms of severity.

In its historical context, this verse would have served to establish a formal system of punishment for crimes, ensuring that penalties were carried out publicly and under the supervision of a legitimate authority. It is an early example of a legal system attempting to balance punishment with the crime committed, aiming to maintain social order and deter future wrongdoing. The verse also highlights the value placed on justice and the rule of law in Israelite society, as reflected throughout the laws of Deuteronomy.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H7563
   There are 249 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָשָׁע
   Transliteration: râshâʻ
   Pronunciation: raw-shaw'
   Description: from רָשַׁע; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person; [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.
   
2. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
3. Strong's Number: H5221
   There are 460 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָכָה
   Transliteration: nâkâh
   Pronunciation: naw-kaw'
   Description: a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.
   
4. Strong's Number: H8199
   There are 182 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁפַט
   Transliteration: shâphaṭ
   Pronunciation: shaw-fat'
   Description: a primitive root; to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or figuratively); [phrase] avenge, [idiom] that condemn, contend, defend, execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), [idiom] needs, plead, reason, rule.
   
5. Strong's Number: H5307
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָפַל
   Transliteration: nâphal
   Pronunciation: naw-fal'
   Description: a primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative); be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for פָּלַל), lay (along), (cause to) lie down, light (down), be ([idiom] hast) lost, lying, overthrow, overwhelm, perish, present(-ed, -ing), (make to) rot, slay, smite out, [idiom] surely, throw down.
   
6. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1767
   There are 35 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דַּי
   Transliteration: day
   Pronunciation: dahee
   Description: of uncertain derivation; enough (as noun or adverb), used chiefly with preposition in phrases; able, according to, after (ability), among, as (oft as), (more than) enough, from, in, since, (much as is) sufficient(-ly), too much, very, when.
   
8. Strong's Number: H7564
   There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רִשְׁעָה
   Transliteration: rishʻâh
   Pronunciation: rish-aw'
   Description: feminine of רֶשַׁע; wrong (especially moral); fault, wickedly(-ness).
   
9. Strong's Number: H4557
   There are 129 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִסְפָּר
   Transliteration: miçpâr
   Pronunciation: mis-pawr'
   Description: from סָפַר; a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large, innumerable; small, a few); also (abstractly) narration; [phrase] abundance, account, [idiom] all, [idiom] few, (in-) finite, (certain) number(-ed), tale, telling, [phrase] time.