Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.

DEUTERONOMY 10:15KJV
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Deuteronomy 10:15 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 10:15 mean?

Deuteronomy 10:15 says that the LORD took special pleasure in the ancestors of Israel, chose to love them, and selected their descendants—meaning the people Moses is addressing—above all other nations, just as is still true at the time of speaking. The verse highlights that Israel’s relationship with God is rooted in God’s own choice and affection, not in anything the people themselves had done.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land, reminding them that their unique status comes from God’s deliberate decision. The verse emphasizes that God’s love and choosing of Israel began with their forefathers and continues with the current generation, underscoring a history of divine favor and purpose.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 10:15

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel’s God, used here to stress the direct and personal nature of God’s actions toward Israel.
  • delight (חָשַׁק, chashaq): This word means to take pleasure in or to become attached to. It shows that God’s choice of Israel was not just a duty but involved real affection and commitment.
  • love (אָהַב, ahav): This is the common Hebrew word for love, often used for deep, faithful love. Here, it highlights that God’s relationship with Israel is not just formal but deeply relational.
  • chose (בָּחַר, bachar): This word means to select or pick out. It emphasizes that Israel was not chosen by chance but by God’s intentional decision.

Why Deuteronomy 10:15 matters

  • Deuteronomy 10:15 clarifies that Israel’s special status is not earned but is the result of God’s initiative and affection, which counters any idea that it was based on their own merit.
  • The verse connects the current generation to their ancestors, reminding them that God’s promises and love span generations and are part of a larger story.
  • This verse sets the stage for the responsibilities that follow in the passage, showing that obedience and faithfulness are a response to God’s prior love and choice, not a way to earn them.

Where else these words appear

“delight” Hebrew H2836 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 34:8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
  • Exodus 38:28 And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
  • 1 Kings 9:19 And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.