11:18–21 The command to bind these words on the wrists, hands, and forehead is slightly different from that given at the introduction to the prologue. The imperative to instruct the next generation is given between the command to bind them on prominent parts of the body and on the house and gate. Binding the words on the body has a significance separate from that of the house and the city, as it is intensely personal. Individuals must show the signs of covenant obedience, especially in actions but perhaps also as symbols on the body. Head ornaments are known in ancient times, but no connection can be made between “frontlets” (Hb. totaphot) and such symbols, nor can a historical connection be established with the phylacteries of a later time. It is known, however, that tiny rolls of text were used as amulets for protection. In 1979 two tiny silver scrolls were found in a burial chamber located in Ketef Hinnom (“slope of Hinnom”), near Mount Zion and the old City of David. These scrolls come from the First Temple period; the larger one is about 4 x 1 inch (10.2 x 2.5 cm), the smaller about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in height. The words on the larger scroll call upon Yahweh, who keeps the covenant to those who love him and keep his commandments. The second scroll is a prayer to be blessed by Yahweh, who rebukes evil. Both conclude with the blessing found in Numbers 6:24–26. These are the oldest actual biblical texts extant.39 The presence of such scrolls may suggest that words such as these were bound to the body.

The Greek word phylactery, used for the later practice of binding the words to the body, is derived from the Greek word for “protection.” This is appropriate, as security and protection can be found only in obedience to the whole charge of God. Whether the words were bound to the body metaphorically, in the sense that they were so embedded in mind that they controlled the body, or physically, as a constant mental reminder of the message they contain, the effect is the same. Safety and blessing are to be found in keeping the whole commandment.

11:22–25 Moses here develops the conclusion given in Deuteronomy 11:8, the first section of the exhortation to listen to God the Most High. Yahweh would give Israel the land controlled by kings that even the mighty power of Egypt could not control. They would lay claim to it by walking through it in conquest. The land is described in terms of the major features that mark Canaan, that is, the extremities of its extent. These are the deserts on the south, Lebanon and Euphrates in the north, and the Mediterranean on the west. Israel is about to cross the Jordan, so implicitly that is the eastern boundary.

11:26–27 Blessing or curse is a choice immediately present for Israel. All that has been said in the previous exhortation and the prologue is a choice between two futures. Following in the way of gods that Israel has not experienced, those that have not proven themselves in the way that Yahweh has done in bringing them to this place, will result in the curse. Israel has never had a helper outside of the God revealed to them and delivering them. Following any other god is both unbelief and betrayal.

11:28–30 Public ceremonies are a critical part of instruction, as they dramatize the consequences of obedience and disobedience. The importance of this ceremony to the people about to enter the land may be observed by its repetition in chapter 27. The location of the ceremony is described specifically for those about to enter a land they do not know. Ebal and Gerizim are in the highlands some 30 miles (48 km) to the west of the Jordan valley. The location of Gilgal named here must be a different location than the one across the river where Israel was encamped. The only alternative is to assume that this description has been merged with that of another ceremony which also took place at Gilgal. Chapter 27 seems to indicate that there was more than one ceremony.

The tree at Shechem called the “oak of Moreh” is first mentioned in Abraham’s journey into the land of Canaan in Genesis 12:6. This tree or grove of trees was significant in receiving oracles, or divine instruction, as indicated by its name (“Moreh” = “instruction”). Such sacred sites are widely known in many cultures. Shechem seems to have been particularly noted for its sacred locations. Jacob buried his various idolatrous artifacts there (Gen. 35:4), and Joshua set up a great stone there at the time of the making of the covenant (Josh. 24:26). These events may have all involved the same tree, as large distinguished trees can stand for many centuries. Their endurance increases their distinction.

11:31–32 These verses are transitional, as they constitute the introduction to the next section of the address, the exposition of this Torah. They do not conclude the instructions for the ceremony, but they do summarize the preceding prologue, which instructs Israel to live in the land across the Jordan. The necessity of keeping all of the rules and regulations that Moses is teaching them turns the focus of the address to the exposition of the entire instruction.