Deuteronomy - 10:18



18 He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Deuteronomy 10:18.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the sojourner, in giving him food and raiment.
He doth judgment to the fatherless and the widow, loveth the stranger, and giveth him food and raiment.
who executeth the judgment of the fatherless and the widow, and loveth the stranger, to give him food and clothing.
He executeth the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
He is doing the judgment of fatherless and widow, and loving the sojourner, to give to him bread and raiment.
He does execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loves the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Judging uprightly in the cause of the widow and of the child who has no father, and giving food and clothing in his mercy to the man from a strange country.
He accomplishes judgment for the orphan and the widow. He loves the sojourner, and he gives him food as well as clothing.
Faciens judicium pupillo et viduae, diligens peregrinum, dando et panem et vestimentum.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

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 [1] 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. Prosopolepsia 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, (John 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." (Psalm 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.

Footnotes

1 - 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.

He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow,.... Who have none to help them, and whose patron and defender he is, and will do them justice himself, and take care that it is done them by others, or avenge their injuries, for he is a Father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widow, in his holy habitation; Psalm 68:5.
and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment; one that is in a foreign country, at a distance from his native land, and destitute of friends; such God in his providence takes care of, and expresses his love and kindness to, by giving them the necessaries of life, food, and raiment.

As such, Jehovah does justice to the defenceless (orphan and widow), and exercises a loving care towards the stranger in his oppression. For this reason the Israelites were not to close their hearts egotistically against the stranger (cf. Exodus 22:20). This would show whether they possessed any love to God, and had circumcised their hearts (cf. 1-John 3:10, 1-John 3:17).

He doth execute - That is, plead their cause, and give them right against their potent adversaries, and therefore he expects you should do so too.

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