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 chose men that you knew were wise to be the leaders in your tribes. I gave them authority to rule over you. Some were leaders of groups of 1,000 men. Some led groups of 100 men, or 50 men, or ten men. I also chose other officers for each tribe. 16At that time, I said to your leaders, ‘Listen to the arguments between the Israelites that you lead. Decide what is right. Do that when the argument is between two Israelites. Do the same thing when the argument is between an Israelite and a foreign person who lives among you. When you judge them, do not make any difference between important people and poor people. Listen to all of them in a careful way. Do not be afraid of anyone. God is the one who decides what is right. If it is too difficult for you to decide who is right, bring it to me. I will listen and then I will decide what is right.’ 18So, at that time, I told you about everything that you should do. 19Then we left Sinai, as the Lord our God had commanded us to do. We travelled through the desert towards the hill country of the Amorites. You saw that the desert was very big and it made you very afraid. Finally, we arrived at 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 rules all other gods. He is the Lord over all other lords. He is great and powerful. We should respect him and obey him. He is fair to everyone. He will not accept any bribes!
• Deuteronomy 16:19Judges must do what is right for every person, rich or poor. They must not accept any bribes. A bribe may hide the truth even from a wise man. It can make honest people tell lies.
• Leviticus 19:15You must be fair to other people when you judge them. You must not be more kind to a rich person than to a poor person. You must be fair to everyone.
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at how handsome or how tall Eliab is. I have not chosen him. The Lord does not look at people in the way that people do. People look at the face and body of a person. But the Lord sees what they are like inside.’
• 2 Samuel 14:14We must all die one day. When that happens, we are like water that is poured on the ground. We cannot pick it up again. But God does not remove our lives from us. Instead, he finds a way to bring us back to him when we have gone far away.
• Proverbs 24:23These are more things that wise people have said: When you judge people, be fair. It is not good to respect some people more than others.
• Luke 20:21So these people went to Jesus. They said, ‘Teacher, everything that you say and everything that you teach is right. We know that. You teach everyone the same true message about what God wants us to do. You do not say something different to an important person to make him happy.
• Acts 10:34Then Peter said to them, ‘Now I understand that God accepts all people in the same way. God has shown me that this is true.
• Romans 2:11God is always fair when he judges people, whoever they are.
• Ephesians 6:9You who are masters, be good to your slaves in the same way. Do not frighten them with punishment. Remember that both you and your slaves have the same Master in heaven. And he is always fair when he judges people, whoever they are.
• Colossians 3:25Remember that God will punish anyone who does wrong things. He always judges people correctly, whoever they are.
• James 2:1My Christian friends, you must be kind to everyone. You trust the Lord Jesus Christ, who is great in heaven. So do not think that anyone is more valuable than any other person.
• 1 Peter 1:17God knows what each person has done, and he judges each one for those things. He is always fair when he decides about people. He is never kinder to one person than he is to another person. When you pray to God, you call him ‘Father’. So then, always respect him, while you live as strangers here in the world.
• Exodus 23:3Do not speak on behalf of a poor man only because you like him.
• 1 Samuel 12:3Look at me. I stand here where the Lord and his chosen king can see me. Speak now if I have done any wrong thing against you. Have I taken anyone's cow or anyone's donkey? Have I cheated anyone? Have I been cruel to anyone? Have I received bribes from anyone to say that they are not guilty? If I have done any of those things, tell me! Then I will pay back my debt.’
• Job 22:6You took things from your friends when you lent money to them. You had no reason to do that. You even took away the only clothes that poor people were wearing.

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