Deuteronomy Chapter 10 — New Tablets and God’s Requirements
Moses receives new stone tablets for the Ten Commandments and places them in the ark, while reminding Israel of God's requirements for love and justice.
1At 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.
2I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.”
3So I made an ark of acacia wood, and cut two stone tablets like the first, and went up onto the mountain, having the two tablets in my hand.
4He wrote on the tablets, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spoke to you on the mountain out of the middle of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me.
5I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are as the LORD commanded me.
6(The children of Israel traveled from Beeroth Bene Jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his place.
7From there they traveled to Gudgodah; and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water.
8At 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.
9Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD your God spoke to him.)
10I 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.
11The 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.”
12Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13to keep the LORD’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good?
14Behold, to the LORD your God belongs heaven, the heaven of heavens, and the earth, with all that is therein.
15Only 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.
16Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.
17For 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 or take bribes.
18He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing.
19Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
20You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him. You shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name.
21He is your praise, and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.
22Your 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.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Deuteronomy 10:12
“Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,”
This verse concisely summarizes the core moral and spiritual expectations God has for His people.
Deuteronomy 10:17
“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 or take bribes.”
It highlights the supreme authority and impartial justice of God as the ruler of all.
Deuteronomy 10:19
“Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
It connects Israel's historical experience of suffering to a moral obligation to care for outsiders.
Chapter Summary
In Deuteronomy 10, Moses recounts how God commanded him to cut two new stone tablets and build a wooden ark after the original tablets were broken. God rewrote the Ten Commandments on these new stones, which were then stored in the ark. The text also notes the travel of the Israelites and mentions the death of Aaron at Moserah, where his son Eleazar succeeded him in the priesthood. During this time, the tribe of Levi was set apart to carry the ark of the covenant and minister before the Lord. Moses emphasizes that despite the people's past rebellion, God chose to spare them and commanded them to proceed toward the Promised Land. The chapter concludes with a powerful exhortation for Israel to fear, love, and serve God with sincerity. It highlights God's impartial justice and His care for the vulnerable—orphans, widows, and foreigners—instructing the people to love the foreigner because they were once foreigners in Egypt themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moses had to cut new tablets because the original set was broken after the incident with the golden calf. God instructed him to prepare new stones so He could rewrite the Ten Commandments on them.
The text records that Aaron died at Moserah during Israel's travels and was buried there. Following his death, his son Eleazar took over the duties of the priest's office.
It is a metaphor used to describe removing stubbornness and being open to God's will. Moses uses this phrase to urge the people to no longer be 'stiff-necked' and to sincerely commit to God's laws.
The tribe of Levi was set apart to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name.
Study Note
The mention of an ark made of acacia wood in this chapter highlights the continuity of God's covenant even after Israel's failure with the golden calf.
Related Chapters
Exodus 34
Exodus 34 provides the parallel account of Moses receiving the second set of stone tablets.
Micah 6
Micah 6:8 echoes the theme of what God requires from His people found in Deuteronomy 10:12.
Leviticus 19
Leviticus 19 reinforces the command to love the foreigner as yourself, a key theme in this chapter.
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