Deuteronomy 1:17

Deuteronomy 1:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

Context of Deuteronomy 1:17

15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and made them leaders over you, commanders of thousands, and hundreds, and fifties, and tens, and officers (administrators) for your tribes. 16“Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the matters between your brothers [your fellow countrymen], and judge righteously and fairly between a man and his brother, or the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear and pay attention to the [cases of the] least [important] as well as the great. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you [to judge], you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18I commanded you at that time [regarding] all the things that you should do. 19“Then we set out from Horeb (Sinai), and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the Lord our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.

Deuteronomy 1:17 word by word

לֹֽא־תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן לֹ֤א תָג֙וּרוּ֙ מִפְּנֵי־אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֥י הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט לֵאלֹהִ֣ים ה֑וּא וְהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְשֶׁ֣ה מִכֶּ֔ם תַּקְרִב֥וּן אֵלַ֖י וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ye shall not respectנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• personsפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
• in judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• ye shall hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the smallקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• as well as the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• ye shall not be afraidגּוּרgûr · to dreadH1481
• of the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face ofH6440
• of manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• God’sאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and the causeדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• that is too hardקָשָׁהqâshâh · to hardenH7185
• for you, bringקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 1:17

• Deuteronomy 10:17For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
• Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
• Leviticus 19:15‘You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show a preference for the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• 2 Samuel 14:14For we will certainly die and are like water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not [simply] take away life, but devises plans so that the one who is banished is not driven away from Him.
• Proverbs 24:23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
• Luke 20:21They asked Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and that You show no partiality to anyone, but teach the way of God truthfully.
• Acts 10:34Opening his mouth, Peter said: “Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing],
• Romans 2:11For God shows no partiality [no arbitrary favoritism; with Him one person is not more important than another].
• Ephesians 6:9You masters, do the same [showing goodwill] toward them, and give up threatening and abusive words, knowing that [He who is] both their true Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him [regardless of one’s earthly status].
• Colossians 3:25For he who does wrong will be punished for his wrongdoing, and [with God] there is no partiality [no special treatment based on a person’s position in life].
• James 2:1My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery].
• 1 Peter 1:17If you address as Father, the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in [reverent] fear [of Him] and with profound respect for Him throughout the time of your stay on earth.
• Exodus 23:3nor shall you favor or be partial to a poor man in his dispute [simply because he is poor].
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you.”
• Job 22:6For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Ye shall not respect persons - Heb. faces. Let not the bold, daring countenance of the rich or mighty induce you to give an unrighteous decision; and let not the abject look of the poor man induce you either to favor him in an unrighteous cause, or to give judgment against him at the demand of the oppressor. Be uncorrupt and incorruptible, for the judgment is God's; ye minister in the place of God, act like Him.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Moses reminds the people of the happy constitution of their government, which might make them all safe and easy, if it was not their own fault. He owns the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham, and prays for the further accomplishment of it. We are not straitened in the power and goodness of God; why should we be straitened in our own faith and hope? Good laws were given to the Israelites, and good men were to see to the execution of them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-17Show no partiality (literally Do not notice faces): People appearing before the court should be treated as though they were wearing a mask to conceal their identity. Judges were not to be influenced by rich and powerful persons in the community but were to judge on the basis of God’s own impartiality (10:17) and treat all persons equally under the law.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-189-18. I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone--a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (Ex 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 1:17

• Court
• Government
• Israel
• Judge
• Moses
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Dread
• Exodus
• Galilee
• Heaven
• Magistrate
• Courts, Judicial
• Deuteronomy
• Face
• Hard; Hardiness; Harddiness; Hardly
• Judge

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings