Misinterpretations often twist this verse to demand blind obedience to contemporary religious leaders or institutions, ignoring its specific context within Israel's theocratic system under Mosaic law where authority rested with Levitical priests as custodians of the Torah; it does not endorse papal infallibility, authoritarian church structures, or unchecked clerical power, but rather calls for adherence to God's revealed word through designated mediators, and applying it universally risks justifying abuses detached from scriptural accountability.
Deuteronomy 17:10
King James Version (1769)
10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:
This passage commands the Israelites to strictly follow the judicial decisions and teachings given by the priests and judge at the central sanctuary chosen by God, emphasizing obedience to divinely appointed authorities to maintain unity, justice, and fidelity to God's law in resolving difficult cases that local judges cannot handle.