Deuteronomy 10

1 "At that time Yahweh said to me, 'Carve for yourself two tablets of stone [just] as the former [ones], and come up the mountain to me, and you shall make for yourself an ark of wood.

2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former [tablets], which you smashed, and you must put them in the ark.'

3 And [so] I made an ark {of acacia wood}, and I carved two tablets of stone like the former [ones], and I went up the mountain [with] the two tablets in my hand.

4 And he wrote upon the tablets {according to the first writing}, the ten words that Yahweh spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, and Yahweh gave them to me.

5 And I turned, and I came down from the mountain, and I put the tablets in the ark that I had made, and they are there, [just] as Yahweh commanded me.

6 "And the {Israelites} journeyed from [the] wells of Bene-Yaqan [to] Moserah; there Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar, his son, served as a priest in place of him.

7 From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land [flowing with] streams of water.

8 At that time Yahweh set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to stand {before} Yahweh, to serve him and to bless [the people] in his name until this day.

9 Therefore {there was not} for Levi an allotment or an inheritance [along] with his brothers; [rather] Yahweh [is] his inheritance [just] as Yahweh your God {promised} to him.

10 And I stayed on the mountain [just] as [during] the former forty days and forty nights, and Yahweh listened to me also on that occasion; Yahweh was not willing to destroy you.

11 And Yahweh said to me, '{Come, continue} your journey {before the people}, so that you may go and take possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give to them.'

12 And now, Israel, what [is] Yahweh your God asking from you, except to revere Yahweh your God, to go in all his ways and to love him and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

13 to keep the commandments of Yahweh and his statutes that I am commanding you today {for your own good}.

14 Look! For to Yahweh your God {belong} heaven and the {highest heavens}, the earth and all that [is] in it.

15 {Yet} to your ancestors Yahweh was very attached, [so as to] love them, and [so] he chose their offspring after them, [namely] you, from all the peoples, as it is {today}.

16 So you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and {do not be stubborn}.

17 For Yahweh your God, he [is] God of the gods and Lord of the lords, the great and mighty God, the awesome [one] who {is not partial}, and he does not take bribes.

18 [And he] executes justice for the orphan and widow, and [he is] one who loves [the] alien, to give to them food and clothing.

19 And you shall love the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

20 Yahweh your God, you shall revere him, you shall serve him, and to him you shall cling, and by his name you shall swear.

21 He [is] your praise, and he [is] your God, who has done with you these great and awesome [things] that your eyes have seen.

22 With [only] seventy persons your ancestors went down to Egypt, but now Yahweh your God has made you as the stars of the heaven {with respect to multitude}.

Deuteronomy 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

God's mercies to Israel after their rebellion. (1-11) An exhortation to obedience. (12-22)

Verses 1-11 Moses reminded the Israelites of God's great mercy to them, notwithstanding their provocations. There were four things in and by which the Lord showed himself reconciled to Israel. God gave them his law. Thus God has intrusted us with Bibles, sabbaths, and sacraments, as tokens of his presence and favour. God led them forward toward Canaan. He appointed a standing ministry among them for holy things. And now, under the gospel, when the pouring forth of the Spirit is more plentiful and powerful, the succession is kept up by the Spirit's work on men's hearts, qualifying and making some willing for that work in every age. God accepted Moses as an advocate or intercessor for them, and therefore appointed him to be their prince and leader. Moses was a type of Christ, who ever lives, pleading for us, and has all power in heaven and in earth.

Verses 12-22 We are here taught our duty to God in our principles and our practices. We must fear the Lord our God. We must love him, and delight in communion with him. We must walk in the ways in which he has appointed us to walk. We must serve him with all our heart and soul. What we do in his service we must do cheerfully, and with good will. We must keep his commandments. There is true honour and pleasure in obedience. We must give honour to God; and to him we must cleave, as one we love and delight in, trust in, and from whom we have great expectations. We are here taught our duty to our neighbour. God's common gifts to mankind oblige us to honour all men. And those who have themselves been in distress, and have found mercy with God, should be ready to show kindness to those who are in the like distress. We are here taught our duty to ourselves. Circumcise your hearts. Cast away all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God. By nature we do not love God. This is original sin, the source whence our wickedness proceeds; and the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, Ro. 8:5-9 . Let us, without delay or reserve, come and cleave to our reconciled God in Jesus Christ, that we may love, serve, and obey him acceptably, and be daily changed into his image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. Consider the greatness and glory of God; and his goodness and grace; these persuade us to our duty. Blessed Spirit! Oh for thy purifying, persevering, and renewing influences, that being called out of the state of strangers, such as our fathers were, we may be found among the number of the children of God, and that our lot may be among the saints.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "of wood of acacia trees"
• [b]. Literally "as the writing the first"
• [c]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [d]. Literally "the faces of"
• [e]. Literally "it/he was not"
• [f]. Literally "spoke"
• [g]. Hebrew "day"
• [h]. Hebrew "night"
• [i]. Or "occurrence" or "that time"
• [j]. Literally "Arise, go"
• [k]. Literally "in the faces of the people"
• [l]. Or "fathers"
• [m]. Or "requiring"
• [n]. Or "but only"
• [o]. Or "to walk"
• [p]. Or "inner self"
• [q]. Literally "for good to you"
• [r]. Literally "is"
• [s]. Literally "heavens of the heavens"
• [t]. Literally "Only"
• [u]. Or "fathers"
• [v]. Literally "the day the this"
• [w]. Literally "your neck you shall not make stiff [any] longer"
• [x]. Literally "[does] not lift up faces"
• [y]. Or "fathers"
• [z]. Literally "as far as number"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 10

In this chapter an account is given of an order to Moses to hew two tables of stone, on which the Lord would write the words that were on the first, and to make an ark and put them into it, all which was accordingly done, De 10:1-5 and of some of the journeys of the children of Israel, De 10:6,7 and of the separation of the tribe of Levi to the service of the sanctuary, De 10:8,9 and of Moses's stay in the mount forty days and nights, and his success there, and the direction he had to lead on the people of Israel towards Canaan's land, De 10:10,11 and who by various arguments are exhorted to fear the Lord, and serve him, and keep his commands, De 10:12-22.