16 I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.
Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
Judges and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: One who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God,
Charge 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;
As you know how we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children,
> Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
and 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. Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes. Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites and the priests, and of the heads of the fathers' [houses] of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh, and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem. He charged them, saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully, and with a perfect heart. Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards Yahweh, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers: this do, and you shall not be guilty.
"You shall not wrong an alien, neither shall you oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, your days approach that you must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a charge. Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tent of meeting.
You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he be of your brothers, or of your foreigners who are in your land within your gates:
He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
"'You shall do no injustice in judgment: you shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
"Keep far from a false charge, and don't kill the innocent and righteous: for I will not justify the wicked. You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous. "You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, seeing you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Deuteronomy 1
Commentary on Deuteronomy 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Fifth Book of Moses, Called Deuteronomy
Chapter 1
The first part of Moses's farewell sermon to Israel begins with this chapter, and is continued to the latter end of the fourth chapter. In the first five verses of this chapter we have the date of the sermon, the place where it was preached (v. 1, 2, 5), and the time when (v. 3, 4). The narrative in this chapter reminds them,
Deu 1:1-8
We have here,
Deu 1:9-18
Moses here reminds them of the happy constitution of their government, which was such as might make them all safe and easy if it was not their own fault. When good laws were given them good men were entrusted with the execution of them, which, as it was an instance of God's goodness to them, so it was of the care of Moses concerning them; and, it should seem, he mentions it here to recommend himself to them as a man that sincerely sought their welfare, and so to make way for what he was about to say to them, wherein he aimed at nothing but their good. In this part of his narrative he insinuates to them,
Deu 1:19-46
Moses here makes a large rehearsal of the fatal turn which was given to their affairs by their own sins, and God's wrath, when, from the very borders of Canaan, the honour of conquering it, and the pleasure of possessing it, the whole generation was hurried back into the wilderness, and their carcases fell there. It was a memorable story; we read it Num. 13 and 14, but divers circumstances are found here which are not related there.