Deuteronomy10

Moses recounts God's command to prepare new stone tablets and an ark, upon which the LORD rewrote the Ten Commandments. He then reminds Israel of the Levites' unique separation for service and his own intercession for the people. The chapter culminates in a profound exhortation for Israel to fear, love, and obey the LORD with all their heart, emphasizing His greatness and their chosen status.

Renewal of the Covenant Tablets

1
At that time the LORD said to me, “Cut two stone tablets like the first, and come up to me onto the mountain, and make an ark of wood. ​
2
I will write on the tables the words that were on the first tables which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.” ​
3
So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two stone tablets like the first, and went up onto the mountain, having the two tables in my hand.
4
He wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spoke to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them to me. ​
5
I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they are as the LORD commanded me.

Journey and the Death of Aaron

6
(The children of Israel traveled from Beeroth Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his place. ​
7
From there they traveled to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.

The Separation of the Tribe of Levi

8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day. ​
9
Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD your God spoke to him.) ​
10
I stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights: and the LORD listened to me that time also; the LORD would not destroy you. ​
11
The LORD said to me, “Arise, take your journey before the people; and they shall go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give to them.”

What God Requires: Fear, Love, and Justice

12
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ​
13
to keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good? ​
14
Behold, to the LORD your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein. ​
15
Only the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day. ​
16
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. ​
17
For the LORD your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons, nor takes reward. ​
18
He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing. ​
19
Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. ​
20
You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him; and you shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name.
21
He is your praise, and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which your eyes have seen. ​
22
Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude. ​

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 10

Verse 1

This passage links back to the events following the Golden Calf incident (Exodus 34), detailing God’s command to Moses to prepare a second set of tablets. The Ark of the Covenant, made of acacia (shittim) wood, was required to house the renewed law.

Verse 2

God’s willingness to rewrite the law demonstrates His grace and commitment to the covenant despite Israel’s immediate failure. The second set of tablets symbolizes the renewal of the relationship.

Verse 4

The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) were written by God Himself, confirming that the content of the law remained unchanged, even though the physical tablets were replaced.

Verse 6

This brief geographical interlude summarizes key stages of the wilderness journey, including the death of Aaron. While Numbers 20 places Aaron’s death at Mount Hor, 'Mosera' here may refer to the region surrounding the mountain.

Verse 8

This verse recalls the formal dedication of the Levites to specialized service shortly after the covenant renewal. Their primary roles included bearing the Ark, ministering to God in the sanctuary, and blessing the people in His name.

Verse 9

Because the Levites were separated for sacred duties, they were not allotted tribal territory in Canaan. God himself was designated as their inheritance, meaning they were supported by the tithes and offerings of the other tribes.

Verse 10

This second forty-day intercession (following the Golden Calf incident) was critical. Moses' successful pleading (the LORD hearkened unto me) secured God's pardon and prevented the destruction of the nation.

Verse 12

This is the central theological question and answer of Deuteronomy, defining true covenant obedience. God requires a holistic response involving reverence ('fear'), practical faithfulness ('walk'), deep affection ('love'), and committed action ('serve').

Verse 13

The law is presented not as a harsh burden but as something commanded 'for thy good.' Obedience is beneficial, designed to promote the well-being and flourishing of the covenant community.

Verse 14

The phrase 'heaven and the heaven of heavens' emphasizes Yahweh’s absolute sovereignty and transcendence over all creation. This universal dominion contrasts sharply with His intimate choice of Israel (v. 15).

Verse 15

Israel’s election is based entirely on God’s sovereign, initiating love for their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their chosen status is a gift of grace, not a reward for merit.

Verse 16

Moses calls for internal, spiritual transformation rather than mere external ritual. To 'circumcise the foreskin of your heart' means removing spiritual stubbornness and opening oneself fully to God’s will.

Verse 17

God is defined as the supreme ruler ('God of gods, and Lord of lords') who acts with perfect justice. He is impartial and cannot be swayed by bribery or human rank.

Verse 18

God’s supreme power is manifested in His defense of the most vulnerable members of society: the fatherless, the widow, and the resident alien ('stranger'). Ethical action is inseparable from theological truth.

Verse 19

Israel is commanded to extend the same love and care to the stranger that God shows, rooted in their own historical experience of being oppressed strangers in Egypt.

Verse 21

Israel’s praise must be directed toward God because He personally intervened in their history, performing 'great and terrible things' (like the Exodus) to establish them as His people.

Verse 22

This verse contrasts the small origins of Israel (seventy persons under Jacob) with their massive present population. This demographic miracle serves as evidence of God’s faithfulness to the covenant promises.

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