Deuteronomy 10

1 In that time the Lord said to me, Hew thou two tables of stone to thee, as the former were; and go thou up to me into the hill. And thou shalt (also) make an ark, either a coffer, of wood, (And at that time the Lord said to me, Cut thou two stone tablets, like the first ones; and then come thou up to me on the mountain. And thou shalt also make an Ark, or a Box, out of wood,)

2 and I shall write in the tables, the words that were in these tables which thou brakest before; and thou shalt put those tables into the ark. (and I shall write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which thou hast broken; and thou shalt put these tablets into the Ark, or the Box.)

3 Therefore I made an ark of the wood of shittim, and when I had hewn the two tables of stone, at the likeness of the former tables, I went up into the hill, and I had the tables in mine hands. (And so I made the Ark out of shittim wood, or acacia wood, and when I had cut the two stone tablets, like the first tablets, I went up the mountain, with the tablets in my hands.)

4 And he wrote in the tables, by that that he had written before, the ten words, which the Lord spake to you in the hill, from the midst of the fire, when the people was gathered, and the Lord gave the tables to me. (And he wrote on the tablets, what he had written before, the Ten Words, that is, the Ten Commandments, which the Lord spoke to you on the mountain, from the midst of the fire, when the people was gathered there, and then the Lord gave those tablets to me.)

5 And I turned again from the hill, and came down, and I put the tables into the ark that I had made, which tables be there hitherto, as the Lord commanded to me. (And I turned, and came down from the mountain, and I put the tablets into the Ark that I had made, as the Lord commanded to me, and they still be there to this day.)

6 And the sons of Israel moved their tents from Beeroth of the sons of Jaakan into Mosera, where Aaron was dead, and buried, (and) for whom his son Eleazar was set in priesthood. (And the Israelites moved their tents from Beeroth of the sons of Jaakan to Mosera, where Aaron died, and was buried, and his son Eleazar took his place in the priesthood.)

7 From thence they came into Gudgodah; from which place they went forth, and setted tents in Jotbathah, in the land of waters and of strands. (And from Mosera, they came to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah they went forth, and pitched their tents at Jotbathah, a land of many rivers.)

8 In that time I separated the lineage of Levi, that it should bear the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, and it should stand before him in service, and should bless in his name, into this present day. (At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and to stand before him in service, that is, to minister to him, and to bless in his name, which they continue to do unto this present day.)

9 For which thing Levi had no part, neither possession with his brethren, for the Lord himself is his possession, as thy Lord God promised to him. (That is why the Levites have no part, nor possession, with their brothers, for the Lord himself is their possession, as the Lord thy God promised them.)

10 And I stood in the hill as I did before, forty days and forty nights, and the Lord heard me also in this time, and he would not lose thee. (And I stayed on the mountain like I did before, for forty days and forty nights, and once again the Lord listened to me, and he consented not to destroy thee.)

11 And he said to me, Go thou, and go before this people, that it enter, and wield the land which I swore to their fathers, that I should give to them. (And he said to me, Go thou, and lead this people, so that they enter now, and take the land which I swore to their fathers, that I would give them.)

12 And now, Israel, what asketh thy Lord God of thee, but that thou dread thy Lord, and go in his ways, and that thou love him, and serve thy Lord God in all thine heart, and in all thy soul (and that thou love him, and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul);

13 and that thou keep the commandments of thy Lord God, and the ceremonies of him, which I command to thee today, that it be well to thee. (and that thou obey the commandments of the Lord thy God, and his statutes, which I command to thee today, so that it be well with thee.)

14 Lo! heaven is of thy Lord God, and heaven of heaven; the earth and all things that be therein be his; (Lo! all of heaven is the Lord thy God's, yea, the Heaven of Heavens, that is, the Highest Heaven; and the earth, and all the things that be in it, also be his;)

15 and nevertheless the Lord was joined (by fervent affection) to thy fathers, and he loved them, and he chose their seed after them, and you of all folks, as it is proved today. (yet nevertheless the Lord was joined by fervent affection to thy fathers, and he loved them, and he chose their descendants after them, that is, you, out of all the nations, as ye be this day.)

16 Therefore circumcise ye the prepuce, that is, the uncleanness, of your heart, and no more make ye hard your noll (and no more be ye stubborn, or stiff-necked).

17 For your Lord God himself is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, and mighty, and fearful, which taketh not a person, neither gifts, but justly he deemeth rich and poor. (For the Lord your God himself is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, and mighty, and fearful, who respecteth not a person's rank, or status, nor accepteth any gift, or bribe, but justly judgeth the rich and the poor.)

18 He maketh doom to the fatherless, and motherless, and to the widow; he loveth a pilgrim, and giveth to him lifelode and clothing. (He getteth justice for the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow; he loveth the foreigner, or the stranger, and giveth him sustenance and clothing.)

19 And therefore love ye pilgrims, for also ye were comelings in the land of Egypt. (And so love ye foreigners, or strangers, for ye were also newcomers in the land of Egypt.)

20 Thou shalt dread thy Lord God, and thou shalt serve him alone, and thou shalt cleave to him, and thou shalt swear in his name. (Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God/Thou shalt revere the Lord thy God, and thou shalt serve him alone, and thou shalt cleave to him, and thou shalt swear by his name.)

21 He is thy praising, and thy God, that made to thee these great works, and fearful, which thine eyes have seen. (He is thy praise, and thy God, who did for thee these great and fearful things, which thine eyes have seen.)

22 In seventy men thy fathers went down into Egypt, and lo! now thy Lord God hath multiplied thee as the stars of heaven. (For only seventy men of thy fathers went down to Egypt, but lo! now the Lord thy God hath made thee as innumerable as the stars in the heavens.)

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.

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.