Deuteronomy 17:12

Ver. 12. The man that—will not hearken unto the priest, &c.— By priest in this place is thought to be meant the high-priest; or it may be put for priests, the enallage of numbers being frequent in the sacred book; and so it means the same as the priests the Levites in the 9th verse. But, however the word be interpreted, the crime here mentioned was contumacy, in not submitting to the sentence of the highest authority, whereby the government was in danger of being broken; and therefore God orders such a person to be put to death. St. Augustin, cited by Grotius, observes, that, in the church, excommunication has succeeded to the punishment of death denounced by this law. See Cyprian in Epist. ad Pomponium, de Virgin. Ephesians 4.