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Deuteronomy 10

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 10

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1At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.

2And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.

3And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand.

4And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.

5And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.

6And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.

7From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbath, a land of rivers of waters.

8At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

9Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.

10And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.

11And the LORD said unto me, Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.

12And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

13To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

14Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

15Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.

16Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

17For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

18He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

19Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

20Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

21He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

22Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

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Explanation

Deuteronomy 10

In short

After breaking the first stone tablets, Moses receives new ones from God and places them in a wooden box. The passage then shifts to show what God expects from the people: to love him wholeheartedly, keep his commands, and treat strangers well, just as God himself cares for the weak and vulnerable.

What the text says

Verses 1 to 5: God tells Moses to cut two new stone tablets and make a wooden box for them. Moses does this, climbs the mountain, receives the tablets with the ten commandments written on them, and brings them down to place in the box.

Verses 6 to 9: The passage notes that Aaron died during the journey and his son took over as priest. At this time, God set apart the tribe of Levi to care for the ark and serve God, so they received no land inheritance like the other tribes, since the Lord himself is their inheritance.

Verses 10 to 11: Moses stayed on the mountain forty days while God listened to his prayers. The Lord agreed not to destroy the people and commanded Moses to lead them forward to take the land promised to their ancestors.

Verses 12 to 16: God requires the people to fear him, follow his ways, love him, serve him completely, and keep his commands. The text calls on them to "circumcise the foreskin of your heart," meaning to remove stubbornness and hardness of character.

Verses 17 to 19: God is described as supreme, just, and fair. He ensures justice for orphans and widows and loves the stranger. Because the Israelites were once strangers in Egypt, they must love strangers too.

Verses 20 to 22: The people must fear, serve, and remain loyal to God alone. God has multiplied their ancestors from seventy people to as numerous as the stars.

Takeaways

  • God restores what was broken and continues to guide his people even after their failures.
  • God expects his people to reflect his own character by caring for the vulnerable and treating strangers with kindness.
  • Israel's obligations to God are rooted in God's faithfulness and care for them first.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.