Deuteronomy 10:17
in Deuteronomy 10For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For Jehovah your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the terrible, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
KJV
For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 10
Commentary
7 notes on this verse[Trypho the Jew said,] "But now, return to the original topic and prove to us that the prophetic Spirit ever admits the existence of another God, besides the Creator of all things; and do be careful not the mention the sun and moon, which, Scripture tells us, God permitted the Gentiles to worship as gods. Even prophets often misuse the word in this sense when they say, 'Your God is God of gods and Lord of lords,' often adding, 'the great and mighty and terrible.'
This site's exposition
the Lord your God is God of gods
on Deuteronomy 10:17-19
God of gods, and Lord of lords is taken up at Psalm 136:2-3 and rests on Christ at Revelation 17:14 and 19:16. The clause that follows turns the titles toward a courtroom, since a God who regardeth not persons nor taketh reward is a judge no one can buy, and Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11 carry that phrase into the New Testament. The same God who owns the heaven of heavens is then said to feed and clothe the fatherless, the widow and the stranger, and verse 19 makes his conduct the pattern for theirs on the ground of their own years in Egypt, which is how Leviticus 19:34 grounds it as well.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For the Lord your God is God of gods,....
Angels are called gods, so are magistrates, and the Gentiles had gods many, and lords many, the creatures of their own fancy; but God is infinitely above all these nominal deities. What an absurdity would it be for them to worship other gods when the God to whom they had sworn allegiance was the God of gods!
He has the power of a conqueror, and so he is terrible to those that resist him and rebel against him. He has the power of a judge, and so he is just to all those that appeal to him or appear before him. And it is as much the greatness and honour of a judge to be impartial in his justice, without respect to persons or bribes, as it is to a general to be terrible to the enemy.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
God of gods, and Lord of lords - That is, He is the source whence all being and power proceed; every agent is finite but himself; and he can counteract, suspend, or destroy all the actions of all creatures whensoever he pleases. If he determine to save, none can destroy; if he purpose to destroy, none can save. How absolutely necessary to have such a God for our friend! A great God - mighty - האל הגבר hael haggibbor, the mighty God; this is the very title that is given to our blessed Lord and Savior, Isa 9:6.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Moses here resumes his address, and having made a passing allusion to the principal events in their history, concludes by exhorting them to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם | ʾeloheikhem | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| ה֚וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [is] [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | the gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וַאֲדֹנֵ֖י | vaadonei | and [the] lord<s> of | H113 → | 333 times |
| הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים | haadonim | the lords | H113 → | 333 times |
| הָאֵ֨ל | hael | the God | H410 → | 241 times |
| הַגָּדֹ֤ל | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַגִּבֹּר֙ | hagibor | <the> mighty | H1368 → | |
| וְהַנּוֹרָ֔א | vehanora' | and <the> awesome | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשָּׂ֣א | yisa' | he lifts up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| פָנִ֔ים | fanim | face | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקַּ֖ח | yikach | he takes | H3947 → | 966 times |
| שֹֽׁחַד׃ | shochad | a bribe | H7810 → | 23 times |
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔םGod your
ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times
ה֚וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[is] [the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔יםthe gods
haelohimH430 →2601 times
וַאֲדֹנֵ֖יand [the] lord<s> of
vaadoneiH113 →333 times
הָאֲדֹנִ֑יםthe lords
haadonimH113 →333 times
הָאֵ֨לthe God
haelH410 →241 times
הַגָּדֹ֤ל<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
הַגִּבֹּר֙<the> mighty
hagiborH1368 →
וְהַנּוֹרָ֔אand <the> awesome
vehanora'H3372 →315 times
אֲשֶׁר֙who
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִשָּׂ֣אhe lifts up
yisa'H5375 →656 times
פָנִ֔יםface
fanimH6440 →2123 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִקַּ֖חhe takes
yikachH3947 →966 times
שֹֽׁחַד׃a bribe
shochadH7810 →23 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 2:11For God does not show favoritism.
it leads to
- Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7
And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 2:6
But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 34:19
who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 6:7–8
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
- Acts 10:34
Through
Acts 10:34Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
it leads to
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:25
Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 1:17
Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
- Romans 2:11
Where this verse is studied
By subject
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On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter LV and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.