But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
Instead, you must certainly put him to death. You must be the first to throw stones at him to kill him, and then all the people must join in.
This verse commands that those who lead others away from God must face the death penalty, with the accuser being the first to carry out the execution.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of Moses' instructions to the Israelites about how to handle false prophets or family members who try to lead them to worship other gods. In ancient Israel's theocratic society, leading people away from worshipping the one true God was considered the most serious crime because it threatened the entire community's covenant relationship with God. The requirement for the accuser to throw the first stone ensured they were completely certain of their accusation.
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