John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 17:2

"If there be found in the midst of thee, within any of thy gates which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah thy God, in transgressing his covenant," — Deuteronomy 17:2 (ASV)

If there be found among you. The same punishment is here decreed against idolaters, to which apostates had previously been condemned; and thus each transgression is declared a capital crime. From this we gather that God considers it no less serious a sin to violate His worship by gross and impure superstitions, than openly and professedly to abandon religion altogether.

Thus in Ezekiel 20:39, He bids the Jews farewell and, as it were, emancipates them, so that they may each go after their idols, when they are no longer content with Him alone. While God, however, is so strict in demanding punishment, He does not want judgment to be pronounced hastily.

These are signs of severity: that a woman as well as a man is to be killed; that the whole people should unite in stoning them; that the evil should be removed from the midst of the land, so that the abomination does not continue unpunished. On the other hand, moderation must be observed, since diligent inquiry must be made, and sentence must not be pronounced unless the matter is fully proven. Furthermore, so that the trial may be lawful, the accusation of one man is not to convict the accused.

God therefore does not want the judges, under the pretext of zeal, to shed blood recklessly; but only, after mature inquiry, was the criminal to be punished in proportion to his transgression. By synecdoche, he speaks of their cities under the name of “gates,” and alludes to the land having been “given” them, so that they might not show their lack of gratitude to God by profaning it.

He also highlights the heinous nature of the offense by calling it the “transgressing of God’s covenant,” meaning that all who turn aside to idols are covenant-breakers. For the thief, the fornicator, the drunkard, and the like indeed transgress the Law, but still are not put in this category.

Ultimately, it is not simple impiety which is punished here, but the perfidy by which true religion is forsaken after people have devoted themselves to God and professed to be among His people. The repetition of the words “that man or that woman” more fully confirms what I have said, namely, that although the weakness of the female sex might lessen their guilt, yet they must not be pardoned in such a case as this, where God’s worship is directly violated.

Although mention is only made of the sun, moon, and stars, the same thing applies to images also. Indeed, since it is viler to transfer God’s honor to lifeless stones or wood than to those constellations in which something divine shines out, so much more detestable are those who plunge themselves into such stupidity.