Deuteronomy 10:17

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

For 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:

Complete Jewish Bible:

For ADONAI your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty and awesome God, who has no favorites and accepts no bribes.

Berean Standard Bible:

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.

American Standard Version:

For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

For the LORD^{H3068} your God^{H430} is God^{H430} of gods^{H430}, and Lord^{H113} of lords^{H113}, a great^{H1419} God^{H410}, a mighty^{H1368}, and a terrible^{H3372}, which regardeth^{H5375} not persons^{H6440}, nor taketh^{H3947} reward^{H7810}:

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Commentary for Deuteronomy 10:17

Deuteronomy 10:17 is part of Moses' second discourse to the Israelites, which is set in the plains of Moab, just before the people of Israel enter the Promised Land. This verse emphasizes the sovereignty and unique status of the Israelite God, Yahweh, amidst a world filled with various deities worshipped by other nations. By declaring that "the LORD your God [is] God of gods, and Lord of lords," the verse asserts Yahweh's supremacy over all other gods, which would have been a radical claim in the ancient Near Eastern polytheistic context.

The verse goes on to describe the nature of God with three adjectives: great, mighty, and terrible. "Great" signifies God's grandeur and magnificence, "mighty" indicates divine power and strength, and "terrible" conveys the fearsome and awe-inspiring aspect of God's presence. These attributes are meant to instill a sense of reverence and respect among the Israelites for their God, who is unlike any other.

Furthermore, the verse highlights two important principles of God's justice: impartiality and incorruptibility. "Which regardeth not persons" means that God does not show favoritism based on social status, wealth, or ethnicity; justice is dispensed equally to all. The phrase "nor taketh reward" underscores that God's judgment cannot be swayed by bribes or any form of corruption, reinforcing the idea that God's justice is pure and untainted by human manipulation.

In summary, Deuteronomy 10:17 serves to reinforce the Israelites' understanding of God's preeminent position among the pantheon of ancient gods, God's powerful and awe-inspiring nature, and God's commitment to impartial and incorruptible justice. This verse would have been particularly poignant to the ancient Israelites as they prepared to live in a land with diverse religious practices, reminding them to remain faithful to their own God, who stands above all others in power and righteousness.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
3. Strong's Number: H113
   There are 337 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָדוֹן
   Transliteration: ʼâdôwn
   Pronunciation: aw-done'
   Description: or (shortened) אָדֹן; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine); lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.
   
4. Strong's Number: H1419
   There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גָּדוֹל
   Transliteration: gâdôwl
   Pronunciation: gaw-dole'
   Description: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.
   
5. Strong's Number: H410
   There are 307 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֵל
   Transliteration: ʼêl
   Pronunciation: ale
   Description: shortened from אַיִל; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity); God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.'
   
6. Strong's Number: H1368
   There are 152 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גִּבּוֹר
   Transliteration: gibbôwr
   Pronunciation: ghib-bore'
   Description: or גִּבֹּר; (shortened) intensive from the same as גֶּבֶר; powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrant; champion, chief, [idiom] excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3372
   There are 305 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָרֵא
   Transliteration: yârêʼ
   Pronunciation: yaw-ray'
   Description: a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten; affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).
   
8. Strong's Number: H5375
   There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָשָׂא
   Transliteration: nâsâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-saw'
   Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
   
9. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
10. Strong's Number: H3947
    There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: לָקַח
    Transliteration: lâqach
    Pronunciation: law-kakh'
    Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
    
11. Strong's Number: H7810
    There are 21 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שַׁחַד
    Transliteration: shachad
    Pronunciation: shakh'-ad
    Description: from שָׁחַד; a donation (venal or redemptive); bribe(-ry), gift, present, reward.