Deuteronomy 10:17For Yahweh your God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn't respect persons, nor takes reward.
The setting
Plains of Moab, ~1406 BC. Moses declaring God's character to former slaves about to become conquerors. Modern-day Jordan.
The emotion here: thunderstruck awe at recording God's complete impartiality
The original word
nasa panim (נָשָׂא פָנִים) — literally 'lift up faces', showing favoritism based on appearance
Why it matters
Ancient courts literally judged by looking at faces — wealth showed in clothing, jewelry, health
Read with care
What most readers miss in Deuteronomy 10:17
Moses lists God's titles in crescendo — each one bigger than human rulers they'd known in Egypt
Common misconceptionPeople think this means God treats everyone the same, but it means God judges by heart condition, not external status — His standards are actually higher, not lower
The thread continues
Verses that echo Deuteronomy 10:17
Bible Genome reading
Deuteronomy 10:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Deuteronomy 10:17 comes from the book of Deuteronomy, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Moses. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine supremacy, attributes of god. Notable phrases: God of gods; Lord of lords; great God, mighty, and awesome.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Deuteronomy 10:17 mean to you, today?
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