Deuteronomy 1:17

17 Thou shalt not have respect to persons in judgment, thou shalt judge small and great equally; thou shalt not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God's; and whatsoever matter shall be too hard for you, ye shall bring it to me, and I will hear it.

Deuteronomy 1:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:17

Ye shall not respect persons in judgment
Or pass judgment, and give sentence according to the outward appearances, circumstances, and relations of men; as whether they be friends or foes, rich or poor, old or young, men or women, learned or unlearned; truth and justice should always take place, without any regard to what persons are:

but you shall hear the small as well as the great;
persons in low, life, and in mean circumstances, as well as great and noble personages; or little causes and of no great moment, as well as those of the utmost importance; all must be attended to, a cause about a "prutah" or a farthing, as well as one about a hundred pounds, in which Jarchi instances, and if that came first it was not to be postponed:

ye shall not be afraid of the face of man;
of the frowns and threatenings of rich men, and of such as are in power and authority; not be awed or intimidated by them from doing justice; see ( Job 31:34 ) ,

for the judgment [is] God's;
judges stand in the place of God, are put into their office by him, and act under him, and for him, and are accountable to him; and therefore should be careful what judgment they make, or sentence they pass, lest they bring discredit to him, and destruction on themselves:

and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will
hear it;
which is said for their encouragement, as well as was an instruction to them not to undertake a cause too difficult for them; see ( Exodus 18:22 Exodus 18:26 ) .

Deuteronomy 1:17 In-Context

15 So I took of you wise and understanding and prudent men, and I set them to rule over you as rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens, and officers to your judges.

16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear between your brethren, and judge rightly between a man and brother, and the stranger that is with him.

17 Thou shalt not have respect to persons in judgment, thou shalt judge small and great equally; thou shalt not shrink from before the person of a man, for the judgment is God's; and whatsoever matter shall be too hard for you, ye shall bring it to me, and I will hear it.

18 And I charged upon you at that time all the commands which ye shall perform.

19 And we departed from Choreb, and went through all that great wilderness and terrible, which ye saw, by the way of the mountain of the Amorite, as the Lord our God charged us, and we came as far as Cades Barne.

Footnotes

• [a]. a face.
• [b]. according to small and great.