A frequent misinterpretation applies this command to modern church hierarchies or governments, advocating unquestioning submission to leaders as if they possess infallible authority, ignoring its specific context within Israel's unique Mosaic judicial system where priests taught the Torah directly. Others erroneously use it to justify suppressing personal Bible study or dissent, overlooking that the obedience is tied to adherence to God's revealed law, not human whim, and that the Old Testament includes provisions for prophetic correction of errant leaders, preventing any endorsement of clerical absolutism.
Deuteronomy 17:11
King James Version (1769)
11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
This passage instructs the Israelites to fully obey the judicial decisions rendered by the designated priests and judges at the central sanctuary, based strictly on God's law, without deviating to personal preferences or alternative interpretations. It establishes a system for resolving legal disputes through divinely appointed authorities to ensure consistent application of the Torah, promoting justice, unity, and fidelity to God's covenant in the theocratic nation of Israel.