Deuteronomy 10

Moses recalls how God renewed the covenant after Israel’s golden calf: new tablets, the ark, and the setting apart of Levi. He then tells Israel what God asks of them: reverence, love, obedience, and a changed heart. The chapter rests on who God is: Lord of all creation, yet a protector of the weak and the stranger.

Deuteronomy 10:1

After Israel’s sin, God does not abandon the covenant. He calls Moses back up the mountain. Moses must cut the new stones himself, and God will supply the words. Mercy begins a second time, with a humbled Moses doing his part.

BSA: Chisel (“to hew, cut out”): Moses must do the physical work of shaping the stones, replacing the ones broken by Israel’s sin.

Hebrew: פסל (pesol, H6458) — “cut out, hew.” This is the word for cutting stone. The first tablets were made by God (Exodus 31:18). The second pair begins with Moses’ own labor.

See also: Exodus 34:1.

Deuteronomy 10:2

God promises to write the very same words that were on the broken tablets. What Israel’s rebellion shattered, His grace restores. The tablets are to rest inside the ark, the place where God’s presence meets His people.

BSA: broke (“shattered, fractured”): The broken tablets recall how thoroughly Israel had broken the covenant.

See also: Exodus 32:19.

Deuteronomy 10:3

Moses obeys exactly. He builds the ark of acacia wood, cuts the stones, and climbs the mountain carrying them. Acacia is a hard, lasting desert timber, fitting for something meant to hold God’s word.

BSA: acacia wood (“shittim wood, a durable timber”): A tough, long-lasting wood, suited to the chest that would carry God’s covenant.

Deuteronomy 10:4

God Himself writes the same words as before. These are the Ten Commandments, spoken from the fire in front of the whole assembly at Sinai. Moses receives them as a gift from God’s own hand.

BSA: Ten Commandments (“divine instructions, moral laws”): These are not mere suggestions but God’s own instructions for how His people are to live.

Hebrew: עשרת הדברים (aseret haddevarim, H6235) — “the ten words.” The Hebrew literally says ’ten words.’ They are God’s spoken words, written down for His people.

See also: Exodus 34:28.

Deuteronomy 10:5

Moses comes down and puts the tablets in the ark, as God had said. The ark held the covenant words at the center of Israel’s life. God’s law was to stay in the middle of the people, not be left in a corner.

See also: 1 Kings 8:9.

Deuteronomy 10:6

Moses briefly records the journey, including the death of Aaron, Israel’s first high priest. His son Eleazar takes his place, so the priesthood continues. God’s work goes on even when a great servant dies.

BSA: Eleazar (“God has helped”): The name means ‘God has helped,’ a fitting reminder as the priesthood passes to the next generation.

See also: Numbers 20:28.

Deuteronomy 10:7

The travel list goes on, ending at a land with streams of water. After long stretches of dry wilderness, this was a welcome place of refreshment. Moses mentions even small mercies along the way.

BSA: Jotbathah (“a land of pleasantness”): The name itself suggests a pleasant, welcoming place after the hard desert.

Deuteronomy 10:8

God set Levi apart for sacred work. The Levites carried the ark, stood before the Lord in service, and spoke blessings over the people in His name. Their whole life was given to nearness with God and service to others.

BSA: set apart (“separated, divided, made distinct”): Levi was marked off from ordinary work and given to God’s service. blessings (“praises, honors”): Speaking blessing in God’s name means calling down His good on others.

Hebrew: הבדיל (hivdil, H914) — “he separated.” This is the word used for dividing light from darkness at creation. Levi was divided off from the other tribes for holy use.

See also: Numbers 6:24-27.

Deuteronomy 10:9

Levi received no tribal territory like the others. Their share was the Lord Himself. The other tribes had land to work. The Levites had God, and the people’s offerings supported them.

BSA: inheritance (“heritage, possession”): God Himself, not land, is Levi’s lasting possession.

See also: Numbers 18:20.

Deuteronomy 10:10

Moses again stayed forty days and nights on the mountain, praying for the people. God heard him and held back His judgment. This shows how much a faithful intercessor can mean to others, and how patient God is.

BSA: agreed (“was willing, consented”): God was willing to spare Israel, showing that His mercy responds to humble prayer.

See also: Exodus 32:14.

Deuteronomy 10:11

God tells Moses to rise and lead the people on. Forgiveness opens the way forward. The promise to the fathers still stands, and Israel will enter the land because God swore it, not because they earned it.

BSA: swore (“made an oath, promised”): God bound Himself by an oath, so the promise depends on His faithfulness.

See also: Genesis 15:18.

Deuteronomy 10:12

Moses sums up what God asks: reverent awe, a life lived His way, love, and wholehearted service. These are not separate demands but one life turned toward God. The request is simple to state and deep to live.

BSA: fear (“revere, stand in awe of”): This is not terror but a deep respect for who God is. soul (“living being, essence of life”): God wants the whole living person, not a part.

Hebrew: שׁאל (sho’el, H7592) — “asks, requests.” God ‘asks’ rather than demands. It is the language of a Father who gently states what He wants from His children.

See also: Micah 6:8.

Deuteronomy 10:13

God’s commands are given for Israel’s own good. They are not burdens placed on them for His benefit. A loving Father gives rules that protect and bless His children.

BSA: good (“welfare, benefit, prosperity”): The commands aim at the people’s real flourishing.

See also: Deuteronomy 6:24.

Deuteronomy 10:14

Everything belongs to God: the sky, the highest heavens, the earth and all it holds. Moses wants Israel to see that the God who asks for their love is the owner and ruler of all things.

BSA: highest heavens (“the heaven of heavens”): Even the farthest reaches of creation are His.

See also: Psalm 24:1; 1 Kings 8:27.

Deuteronomy 10:15

The Lord owns the whole earth, yet He set His love on a few ancestors and then on their children. This is wonder, not pride. Israel was chosen by love, not by merit.

BSA: affection (“to desire, have delight”): God’s choice was warm and personal, not cold or merely legal.

Hebrew: חשק (chashaq, H2836) — “to be attached to, to delight in.” The word speaks of strong, affectionate attachment, like someone who has fallen in love. God’s choice of Israel was heartfelt.

See also: Deuteronomy 7:7-8.

Deuteronomy 10:16

Because God loves them, outward religion is not enough. They must open their hearts to Him and stop being stubborn. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant, but God wants an inner change to match it.

BSA: Circumcise (“dedicate, remove the foreskin of”): The picture is of cutting away whatever blocks the heart from God. stiffen (“harden, be stubborn”): A stiff neck is one that refuses to bow or turn.

Hebrew: ערלת (orlat, H6190) — “foreskin of.” Moses literally says ‘circumcise the foreskin of your heart.’ The picture is of removing what keeps the heart closed to God.

See also: Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29.

Deuteronomy 10:17

No power in heaven or earth outranks the Lord. He is great, strong, and awe-inspiring. He also cannot be bought or swayed by status. He judges everyone fairly.

BSA: partiality (“not regarding persons, impartial”): God does not favor the rich or powerful over others.

See also: Revelation 19:16; Acts 10:34.

Deuteronomy 10:18

The mighty God cares for the weakest. He defends orphans and widows, who had no one to speak for them, and loves the foreigner by providing basic needs. God’s greatness shows itself in compassion.

BSA: foreigner (“sojourner, a temporary resident”): These were outsiders living among Israel without family or land of their own.

Hebrew: גר (ger, H1616) — “resident alien, sojourner.” A ger was someone living in a land that was not his own, with no tribal inheritance there. God took special notice of such people.

See also: Psalm 68:5.

Deuteronomy 10:19

Israel is called to imitate God’s love. They know what it is to be strangers, since they were once foreigners in Egypt. Remembering their own pain should make them kind to outsiders.

BSA: love (“have affection for, show kindness to”): This love is shown in real kindness and care, not only in feeling.

See also: Leviticus 19:34.

Deuteronomy 10:20

Moses repeats the main call: revere the Lord, serve Him, and cling to Him. To swear by His name means to tie your word to His character. Faith here is close, loyal attachment to God.

BSA: Hold fast (“cling, stick closely”): The picture is of staying tightly attached and not letting go.

Hebrew: תדבק (tidbaq, H1692) — “you shall cling.” This is the same word used in Genesis 2:24 for a husband being joined to his wife. It describes a close, loyal bond.

See also: Genesis 2:24.

Deuteronomy 10:21

The Lord Himself is Israel’s cause for praise. He is both the one they praise and the reason they have to praise. They have seen His great deeds with their own eyes, especially in Egypt and the wilderness.

BSA: praise (“worship, adoration”): God is the true object and source of Israel’s worship.

Hebrew: תהלתך (tehillatekha, H8416) — “your praise.” This is the root of the Hebrew word for the Psalms. God Himself is the subject of Israel’s songs.

See also: Exodus 15:2.

Deuteronomy 10:22

Seventy people went down to Egypt, and now the nation is as numerous as the stars. This fulfills the promise to Abraham. The chapter closes with a reminder of God’s faithfulness and the call to trust Him.

BSA: numerous (“abundant, multiplied”): The growth from a small family to a nation shows God keeping His word.

See also: Genesis 46:27; Genesis 15:5.