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 as your tribal leaders wise and well-known men, placing them over you as administrators of groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and also as other tribal officials. 16I furthermore admonished your judges at that time that they should pay attention to issues among your fellow citizens and judge fairly, whether between one citizen and another or a citizen and a resident foreigner. They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing. 18So I instructed you at that time regarding everything you should do. 19Then we left Horeb and passed through all that immense, forbidding wilderness that you saw on the way to the Amorite hill country as the Lord our God had commanded us to do, finally arriving 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 is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe,
• Deuteronomy 16:19You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous.
• Leviticus 19:15“‘You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
• 2 Samuel 14:14Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.
• Proverbs 24:23These sayings also are from the wise: To show partiality in judgment is terrible:
• Luke 20:21Thus they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
• Acts 10:34Then Peter started speaking: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,
• Romans 2:11For there is no partiality with God.
• Ephesians 6:9Masters, treat your slaves the same way, giving up the use of threats, because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
• Colossians 3:25For the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no exceptions.
• James 2:1My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 1:17And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.
• Exodus 23:3and you must not show partiality to a poor man in his lawsuit.
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!”
• Job 22:6“For you took pledges from your brothers for no reason, and you stripped the clothing from the 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