“Then I ordered your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen and judge righteously between a person and his fellow countryman, or the stranger who is with him.
Parallel translations
- WEB I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.
- KJV And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
- BSB At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.
- NKJV “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him.
- NLT “At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses charged the judges to hear cases fairly and judge righteously between fellow Israelites and resident foreigners. Justice was to be impartial and equally applied.
Overview
The command to judge righteously, including the foreigner living among them, reveals God's concern for impartial justice for all, not merely for insiders. Israel's courts were to mirror God's own righteousness. This standard of even-handed justice flows from the character of God, who shows no partiality, and finds its fulfillment in Christ, the righteous Judge who will one day set all things right.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- John 7:24Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
- Exod 22:21“You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
- Deut 16:18–19You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Exod 23:2–3“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
- 1 Tim 5:21I command you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.
- 2 Chr 19:6–10and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for Yahweh; and he is with you in the judgment.
- Lev 24:22You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Yahweh your God.’”
- Exod 23:7–9“Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous: for I will not justify the wicked.
- 1 Tim 6:17Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;
- Num 27:19Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.
- Lev 19:15“‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
- 2 Sam 23:3The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God,
- Deut 31:14Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.
- Deut 24:14You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers, or one of the foreigners who are in your land within your gates.
- Deut 27:11Moses commanded the people the same day, saying,
- Ps 58:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
- Deut 10:18–19He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing.
- 1 Th 2:11As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 1:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.