New International Version
Deuteronomy 1:17
17Do 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.”
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)and impartial in your judgments. Hear the cases of those who are poor as well as those who are rich. Don’t be afraid of anyone’s anger, for the decision you make is God’s decision. Bring me any cases that are too difficult for you, and I will handle them.’
Context of Deuteronomy 1:17
15So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 16And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 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.” 18And at that time I told you everything you were to do. 19Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.
Read all of Deuteronomy 1Deuteronomy 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 God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
- Deuteronomy 16:19Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.
- Leviticus 19:15“ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
- 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
- 2 Samuel 14:14Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.
- Proverbs 24:23These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judging is not good:
- Luke 20:21So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
- Acts 10:34Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism
- Romans 2:11For God does not show favoritism.
- Ephesians 6:9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
- Colossians 3:25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
- James 2:1My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
- 1 Peter 1:17Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
- Exodus 23:3and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.
- 1 Samuel 12:3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
- Job 22:6You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them 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
In the dictionaries
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
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