Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 1:16
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the newly appointed judges of Israel immediately after organizing them into administrative units of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. He issues direct instructions to them regarding their judicial duties.
The words — The text highlights שָמֹ֤עַ (sha.Mo.a'), meaning "hear," and בֵּין\־ (bein-), meaning "between," framing the judges' primary task as listening to disputes occurring between parties.
The thread — The instruction echoes the impartiality mandate in Deuteronomy 1:17, which warns against intimidation and reserves ultimate judgment for God. It parallels the ethical command in John 7:24 to judge justly rather than by outward appearances.
Why it lands — The text requires judges to actively listen to cases involving both Israelites and foreign residents, then render decisions without favoring either side. It establishes a baseline procedural standard for human courts that prioritizes attentive listening and equal treatment before legal authority.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- John 7:24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- Exodus 22:21 You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Exodus 23:2 You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
- Exodus 23:7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- Leviticus 24:22 You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’”
- Deuteronomy 16:18 You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- 2 Chronicles 19:6 Then he said to the judges, “Consider carefully what you do, for you are not judging for man, but for the LORD, who is with you when you render judgment.
- 1 Timothy 5:21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
- Leviticus 19:15 You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
- Numbers 27:19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight.