Deuteronomy 10 is a Bible study chapter that looks back at the broken tablets, the rebuilt covenant and the wilderness journey, then turns to the question of what God actually asks of his people. Readers come to it for its famous summary of what the LORD requires, and for its surprising call to love the foreigner. The chapter holds together history, grace and daily obedience in a way that makes it a rich place to study.
Deuteronomy 10 Summary
The chapter opens with Moses describing how he went back up the mountain to receive a second set of stone tablets, and how the commandments were written on them again. It then slips into a short travel log of the wilderness route, recalls the setting apart of the tribe of Levi, and describes Moses’ forty days on the mountain as a time when God listened and held back judgment.
From there the tone shifts from narrative to exhortation. Moses turns to Israel with a direct question about what the LORD requires, answers it with a cluster of commitments, and then grounds those commitments in God’s supremacy over all creation and his choice of Israel’s ancestors. The chapter ends by pointing to the people’s own history, from seventy persons who went down into Egypt to a nation as numerous as the stars.
Background and Setting
Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch and takes the form of a series of speeches Moses gives to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. Tradition attributes the book to Moses, while many modern scholars see it as the product of later editing that drew on older material. Either way, the book presents itself as Moses’ farewell address and a restatement of the law for a new generation.
Chapter 10 sits in the middle of the first major speech, which recounts the events at Sinai and the rebellion over the golden calf. The chapter therefore functions as a bridge: it closes the story of the covenant renewal and opens the call to wholehearted devotion that shapes the rest of the book. Its first audience was the Israelite generation about to cross the Jordan.
Deuteronomy 10 Section by Section
Verses 1-5: The Second Tablets
1 At that time the LORD said to me, “Cut two stone tablets like the first, and come up to me onto the mountain, and make an ark of wood. 2 I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.”
Deuteronomy 10:1-2 (WEB)
Moses recounts that the LORD told him to cut new stone tablets, build an ark, and come back up the mountain. The emphasis falls on God’s initiative: the covenant is not ended by Israel’s failure, but restored by the same God who gave it at the start. The new tablets carry the same words, and the ark becomes the place where they are kept.
The detail of the ark matters because it anchors the law in a sacred object that the people would carry through the wilderness. Moses’ obedience in making and carrying it shows the rhythm of faith that runs through this chapter: God speaks, and the leader acts. The restored covenant is a gift, not a reward for good behavior.
Verses 6-9: The Wilderness Journey and the Tribe of Levi
8 At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the LORD’s covenant, to stand before the LORD to minister to him, and to bless in his name, to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; The LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD your God spoke to him.)
Deuteronomy 10:8-9 (WEB)
This short passage, set in parentheses in many translations, notes the stops along the desert route and the death and burial of Aaron. It then records that the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark, stand before him, and bless in his name. Levi receives no land inheritance because the LORD himself is their portion.
Readers often pause here to notice how the chapter moves from a single mountaintop to the wider life of the nation. Levi’s calling shows that God’s presence and service were built into the community’s structure. The phrase about the LORD being Levi’s inheritance also points forward to a theme that will recur throughout Scripture: true security rests in God, not in land alone.
Verses 10-11: Forty Days and the LORD’s Mercy
10 I stayed on the mountain, as at the first time, forty days and forty nights: and the LORD listened to me that time also; The LORD would not destroy you. 11 The LORD said to me, “Arise, take your journey before the people; and they shall go in and possess the land, which I swore to their fathers to give to them.”
Deuteronomy 10:10-11 (WEB)
Moses describes his second stay on the mountain as lasting forty days and nights, echoing his first stay. He says the LORD listened to him and chose not to destroy the people. Then God commands Moses to lead the people forward into the land promised to their ancestors.
The passage holds mercy and mission side by side. God’s restraint is a reason to move on rather than to despair. The people are not left stuck in their failure; they are sent toward the promise, and the prayer of the leader is part of how that promise is kept alive.
Verses 12-13: What the LORD Requires
12 Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 to keep the LORD’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good?
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (WEB)
This is the heart of the chapter, introduced with the words “Now, Israel.” Moses asks what the LORD requires and answers with a compact list: to fear him, walk in his ways, love him, and serve him with heart and soul. The keeping of commandments is framed as being for the people’s good.
What stands out is how relational the answer is. The verbs are not only legal but personal: fear, love, walk, serve. Obedience flows out of love and reverence rather than replacing them. Many readers return to these verses as a summary of the whole Torah, because they show that the commandments exist to shape a whole life around God.
Verses 14-15: God’s Ownership and Choice
14 Behold, to the LORD your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein. 15 Only the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, even you above all peoples, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 10:14-15 (WEB)
Moses reminds Israel that heaven, the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it belong to the LORD. Yet this vast God set his love on their ancestors and chose their descendants above all peoples. The chosenness rests on love, not on Israel’s size or merit.
Holding these ideas together corrects a common misreading. God’s sovereignty over the whole cosmos is not a distant fact; it is the ground of his personal attachment to a specific people. Israel can trust the one who owns everything because he has already shown his commitment to them.
Verses 16-19: A Circumcised Heart and Justice for the Vulnerable
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked. 17 For the LORD 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. 18 He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:16-19 (WEB)
Moses calls the people to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts and to stop being stiff-necked. He then describes God as one who executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner, providing food and clothing. The people are told to love the foreigner because they themselves were foreigners in Egypt.
The image of a circumcised heart points to inward change behind outward ritual. The call to justice and love for the outsider shows that true devotion to God shows up in how people treat the weakest. Israel’s own memory of slavery becomes the motive for compassion, which is a pattern many Christians see as a foreshadowing of the gospel’s concern for the marginalized.
Verses 20-22: Fear, Service and Remembered Grace
20 You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve him; and you shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name. 21 He is your praise, and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down into Egypt with seventy persons; and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of the sky for multitude.
Deuteronomy 10:20-22 (WEB)
The chapter closes with a call to fear the LORD, serve him, cling to him, and swear by his name. God is named as Israel’s praise and God, the one who has done great and awesome works in front of their eyes. The final verse recalls how a small family of seventy went down into Egypt and became as numerous as the stars.
The ending draws the whole chapter back to history and gratitude. Israel’s present strength is a testimony to God’s faithfulness across generations. The call to cling to God is not a demand made from a distance. It is an invitation to respond to what the LORD has already done.
Key Themes in Deuteronomy 10
- Covenant renewal: God restores the broken covenant with fresh tablets, showing that his commitment outlasts human failure.
- Love and fear of God: The chapter joins reverence and affection as the proper response to the LORD.
- Divine sovereignty and choice: The God who owns heaven and earth chooses Israel out of love rather than merit.
- Justice and care for the vulnerable: Devotion to God shows itself in defending orphans, widows and foreigners.
- Remembered grace: Israel’s past in Egypt and its growth into a nation are reasons to trust and obey.
Lessons From Deuteronomy 10 for Today
A parent who has failed a child, or a believer who has broken a promise, can take comfort from the way God gives Israel a second set of tablets. The chapter teaches that repentance meets a faithful God who is willing to begin again. The lesson is not that failure is unimportant, but that grace is larger than the failure.
Someone at work who notices a newcomer eating alone, or a church member who sees a family struggling in their neighborhood, is living out the command to love the foreigner. The chapter asks believers to remember their own story of being outsiders and to let that memory shape generosity toward others. Concrete acts of food, clothing and welcome are how love becomes visible.
When daily life feels crowded with tasks, the question “what does the LORD require?” can cut through the noise. A simple rhythm of prayer, honest worship, kindness to the vulnerable and trust in God’s provision can reflect the answer Moses gives. The chapter invites readers to let love and reverence shape the ordinary decisions of a week.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean for you that the LORD restored the covenant after Israel’s failure?
- In what ways do you see love and fear of God working together in your own faith?
- Who are the foreigners, widows or orphans in your community, and how could you respond to them?
- What past experience of God’s faithfulness could you recall to strengthen your trust today?
A Prayer From Deuteronomy 10
Lord, you are the God who owns heaven and earth, and yet you have set your love on people like me. Thank you that you give second chances and restore what our failures have broken. Help me to fear you, walk in your ways, and serve you with my whole heart and soul.
Open my eyes to those who are vulnerable around me, and make me generous toward the stranger. Remind me that I was once an outsider, and let that memory soften my heart. Shape my daily choices so that they reflect your love and justice. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of Deuteronomy 10?
The chapter shows God renewing his covenant with Israel after their failure and then asking for wholehearted love, reverence and obedience. It ties these responses to God’s sovereignty and his choice of Israel out of love. It also calls the people to justice and care for the vulnerable.
Why does Deuteronomy 10 mention the tribe of Levi?
Levi is set apart to carry the ark, stand before the LORD and bless in his name. The tribe receives no land inheritance because the LORD himself is their portion. This shows how God’s presence and worship were built into the life of the nation.
How does Deuteronomy 10 teach us to treat foreigners?
The chapter tells Israel to love the foreigner because they were foreigners in Egypt. God is portrayed as one who provides food and clothing for outsiders. Believers today are encouraged to remember their own history and show practical generosity to newcomers.
