Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 10:17
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:
17. God of gods, and Lord of lords ] Heb. idiom for the highest God and Lord (cp. Deu 10:14, heaven of heavens).
the great God, the mighty, and the terrible ] The Heb. can also mean, as in A.V., a great God, etc.; or the superlative, the God, the greatest, most mighty, and terrible. This is probably to be preferred. Yet even so there is no assertion, such as we find in exilic and post-exilic writers, of the sole Godhead of Jehovah. See above on Deu 6:4.
regardeth not persons ] Lit. lifteth not up faces (opposed to turning away faces), i.e. either by granting their requests (Gen 19:21) or receiving them graciously (Gen 32:20); or by being inordinately influenced by them (Job 32:21); or, as here, by showing them an unjust partiality (cp. Deu 28:50). The same idea concerning human judges is found in Deu 1:17, but expressed by another verb.
reward ] or, bribe, Exo 23:8, R.V. a gift. See further on Deu 16:19.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. 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] hael haggibbor, the mighty God; this is the very title that is given to our blessed Lord and Saviour, Isa 9:6.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Regardeth not persons, whether Jews or Gentiles, but deals justly and equally with all sorts of men; and as whosoever fears and obeys him shall be accepted of him, so all incorrigible transgressors shall be severely punished, and you no less than other people; therefore do not flatter yourselves as if God would bear with your sins because of his particular kindness to you or to your fathers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10-22. Moses here resumes hisaddress, and having made a passing allusion to the principal eventsin their history, concludes by exhorting them to fear the Lord andserve Him faithfully.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For the Lord your God is God of gods,…. Of angels and civil magistrates, who are sometimes so called: these are his creatures, act for him and under him, and are accountable to him:
the Lord of lords; of the kings and princes of the earth, who have their crowns, sceptres, and kingdoms from him, and hold them of him, by and under whom they reign and decree judgment, and who are subject to his authority and control:
a great God; as the perfections of his nature, the works of his hands, the blessings of his providence and grace, and the extensiveness of his dominion in heaven, earth, and hell, show him to be:
a mighty and a terrible; mighty and powerful to help, protect, and defend his people; terrible to his and their enemies, even to the kings of the earth:
which regardeth not persons; but bestows his favours, whether in a way of providence or grace, according to his sovereign will and pleasure, without regard to the works and merits of men, their characters or circumstances:
nor taketh reward; or bribes, to avert threatened and deserved judgments; see Job 36:18.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. For the Lord your God. Lest they should despise this teaching, he reminds them of God’s awful power; for the cause of contempt and negligence is, that the majesty of God does not always obtain its due reverence. Wherefore he inspires them with fear, to deter them from self-indulgence and indifference.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
He confirms the foregoing decree by a reference to the nature of God Himself; for the vile and abject condition of those with whom we have to do, causes us to injure them the more wantonly, because they seem to be altogether deserted. But God declares that their unhappy lot is no (102) obstacle to His administering succor to them; inasmuch as He has no regard to persons. By the word person is meant either splendor, or obscurity, and outward appearance, as it is commonly called, as we gather from many passages. In short, God distinguishes Himself from men, who are carried away by outward appearance, to hold the rich in honor, and the poor in contempt; to favor the beautiful or the eloquent, and to despise the unseemly. Προσωποληψία is, therefore, an unjust judgment, which diverts us from the cause itself, when our minds are prejudiced by what ought not to be taken into account. Therefore Christ teaches us that a judgement is righteous, which is not founded upon the appearance, ( Joh 7:23😉 since truth and justice never prevail, except when we attend to the case itself. It follows that the contemptible are not afflicted with impunity, for although they may be destitute of human aid, God, who sitteth on high, “hath respect unto the lowly.” ( Psa 138:6.) As regards strangers, God proves that he cares for them, because He is gracious in preserving them and clothing them; and then a special reason is again adduced, that the Israelites, when they were formerly sojourners in Egypt, had need of the compassion of others.
(102) The Fr. gives a different turn to this: “Or Dieu declare que leur pourete et misere n’empechera point de les secourir: d’autant qu’ils ne amusent point a la personne;” Now, God declares, that their poverty and misery shall not prevent their being succored; so that they should not be interested by their person.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
17, 18. A mighty, and a terrible Here Moses describes the infinite greatness and wonderful tenderness of Jehovah. He is God of gods, Lord of lords, yet he cares for the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
What a sublime representation is here given, in the compass of a short verse, of the greatness of JEHOVAH. And what a sweet relief is it to the mind of the faithful, when at anytime they are overpowered with the greatness of the GODHEAD, to call to mind that we are not only permitted to look up, but to draw near, through him who is our way, and truth, and life. Blessed JESUS! thou day’s-man of thy people! may I through thee draw near at all times, to a gracious GOD and FATHER in JESUS. Eph 2:18 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 10:17 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:
Ver. 17. Is God of gods. ] And will be served like himself.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the LORD your God = Jehovah your ‘Elohim (App-4).
is. Hebrew “He [is]”.
God = ‘Elohe. App-4.
gods = ‘Elohim. App-4. Compare Jos 22:22. Dan 2:47.
Lord = Adonai. App-4.
lords = Adonim. App-4.
GOD = ‘El. See App-4.
terrible = to be feared.
taketh reward = accepteth a bribe. 2Ch 19:7. Act 10:34. Rom 2:11. 1Pe 1:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
God of gods: Jos 22:22, 1Ch 16:25, 1Ch 16:26, Psa 136:2, Dan 2:47, Dan 11:36
Lord of lords: Psa 136:3, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16
a great: Deu 7:21, Neh 1:5, Neh 4:14, Neh 9:32, Job 37:22, Job 37:23, Psa 99:3, Jer 20:11
regardeth: 2Ch 19:7, Job 34:19, Mar 12:14, Act 10:34, Rom 2:11, Gal 2:6, Eph 6:9, Col 3:25, 1Pe 1:17
Reciprocal: Gen 17:1 – Almighty Deu 1:17 – shall not Deu 16:19 – respect Deu 27:25 – General 2Sa 14:14 – neither Ezr 5:8 – the great God Psa 135:5 – I know Pro 15:25 – but Jer 32:18 – the Great Dan 2:45 – the great 1Co 8:5 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 10:17. Who regardeth not persons Whether Jews or Gentiles, but deals justly and equally with all sorts of men; and as whosoever fears and obeys him shall be accepted, (namely, through faith in the Messiah, working by love,) so all incorrigible transgressors shall be severely punished, and you no less than other people; therefore, do not flatter yourselves, as if God would bear with your sins because of his particular kindness to you or to your fathers.