Deuteronomy 10:19
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Deuteronomy 10:19
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Chapter Context
Deuteronomy 10 is a sermonic and legal chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of sacrifice, salvation, love. Written during the end of the wilderness wandering (c. 1406 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Moses delivered these speeches as Israel prepared to enter a land filled with different Canaanite city-states.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-22: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it provides essential context for understanding God's covenant relationship with His people. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Deuteronomy and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Deuteronomy 10:19
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Analysis
Love ye therefore the stranger—The Hebrew ahav (love) is commanded toward the ger (sojourner), extending covenant loyalty beyond ethnic Israel. For ye were strangers in the land of Egypt grounds the command in Israel's collective memory: they experienced oppression as foreigners and must not replicate Egypt's cruelty. This is applied theology—doctrine (God's character, v. 17-18) produces ethics (love the stranger).
Jesus radicalizes this in the Good Samaritan parable (Luke 10:25-37), making a despised foreigner the hero who fulfills 'love your neighbor.' Ephesians 2:19 reverses the metaphor: Gentile believers are 'no more strangers and foreigners' because Christ abolished ethnic barriers. The church becomes the community where former 'strangers' (Gentiles and Jews) unite through the cross. Hospitality to outsiders reflects God's gracious inclusion of us.
Historical Context
Israel's 430-year sojourn in Egypt (Exodus 12:40-41) included both favorable treatment under Joseph and brutal enslavement under later Pharaohs. Moses appeals to this memory to cultivate compassion for vulnerable foreigners residing among them in Canaan.
Reflection
- How does your past experience of God's grace (when you were spiritually 'strangers,' Ephesians 2:12) motivate present compassion?
- In what practical ways can you 'love the stranger' in a culture increasingly hostile to immigrants and refugees?
Word Studies
- Love: אַהֲבָה / חֶסֶד (Ahavah / Chesed) H157 - Love / Loyal-love
Cross-References
- References Egypt: Exodus 22:21
- Parallel theme: Luke 17:18, Galatians 6:10