THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES CALLED
DEUTERONOMY

Title

The English title Deuteronomy comes from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) mistranslation of “copy of this law” in 17:18 as “second law,” which was rendered Deuteronomium in the Latin version (Vulgate). The Hebrew title of the book is translated, “These are the words,” from the first two Hebrew words of the book; this is a better description of the book since it is not a “second law,” but rather the record of Moses’ words of explanation concerning the law. Deuteronomy completes the five-part literary unit known as the Pentateuch.

Author and Date

Moses has traditionally been recognized as the author of Deuteronomy, since the book itself testifies that Moses wrote it (1:1, 5; 31:9, 22, 24). Both the OT (1 Kin. 2:3; 8:53; 2 Kin. 14:6; 18:12) and the NT (Acts 3:22, 23; Rom. 10:19) support the claim of Mosaic authorship. While Deuteronomy 32:48–34:12 was added after Moses’ death (probably by Joshua), the rest of the book came from Moses’ hand just before his death in 1405 B.C.

The majority of the book is comprised of farewell speeches that the 120-year-old Moses gave to Israel, beginning on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt (1:3). These speeches can be dated January– February of 1405 B.C. In the last few weeks of Moses’ life, he committed these speeches to writing and gave them to the priests and elders for the coming generations of Israel (31:9, 24–26).

Background and Setting

Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy does not advance historically, but takes place entirely in one location over about one month of time (cf. Deut. 1:3; 34:8 with Josh. 5:6–12). Israel was camped in the central rift valley east of the Jordan River (Deut. 1:1). This location was referred to in Numbers 36:13 as “the plains of Moab,” an area north of the Arnon River across the Jordan River from Jericho. It had been almost forty years since the Israelites had left Egypt.

The Book of Deuteronomy concentrates on events that took place in the final weeks of Moses’ life. The major event was the verbal communication of divine revelation from Moses to the people of Israel (1:1–30:20; 31:30–32:47; 33:1–29). The only other events recorded were: (1) Moses’ recording the law in a book and his commissioning of Joshua as the new leader (31:1–29); (2) Moses’ viewing of the land of Canaan from Mt. Nebo (32:48–52; 34:1–4); and (3) his death (34:5–12).

The original recipients of Deuteronomy, both in its verbal and written presentations, were the second generation of the nation of Israel. All of that generation from forty to sixty years of age (except Joshua and Caleb, who were older) had been born in Egypt and had participated as children or teens in the Exodus. Those under forty had been born and reared in the wilderness. Together, they comprised the generation that was on the verge of conquering the land of Canaan under Joshua, forty years after they had left Egypt (1:34–39).

Historical and Theological Themes

Like Leviticus, Deuteronomy contains much legal detail, but with an emphasis on the people rather than the priests. As Moses called the second generation of Israel to trust the Lord and be obedient to His covenant made at Horeb (Sinai), he illustrated his points with references to Israel’s past history. He reminded Israel of her rebellion against the Lord at Horeb (9:7–10:11) and at Kadesh (1:26–46), which brought devastating consequences. He also reminded her of the Lord’s faithfulness in giving victory over her enemies (2:24–3:11; 29:2, 7, 8).

Most importantly, Moses called the people to take the land that God had promised by oath to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (1:8; 6:10; 9:5; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4; cf. Gen. 15:18–21; 26:3–5; 35:12). Moses not only looked back, but he also looked ahead and saw that Israel’s future failure to obey God would lead to her being scattered among the nations before the fulfillment of His oath to the patriarchs would be completed (4:25–31; 29:22–30:10; 31:26–29).

The Book of Deuteronomy, along with Psalms and Isaiah, reveals much about the attributes of God. Thus, it is directly quoted over forty times in the NT (exceeded only by Psalms and Isaiah) with many more allusions to its content. Deuteronomy reveals that the Lord is the only God (4:39; 6:4), and that He is jealous (4:24), faithful (7:9), loving (7:13), merciful (4:31), yet angered by sin (6:15). This is the God who called Israel to Himself. Over 250 times, Moses repeated the phrase, “the LORD your God” to Israel. Israel was called to obey (28:2), fear (10:12), love (10:12), and serve (10:12) her God by walking in His ways and keeping His commandments (10:12, 13). By obeying Him, the people of Israel would receive His blessings (28:1–14). Obedience and the pursuit of personal holiness is always based on the character of God. Because of who He is, His people are to be holy (cf., 7:6–11; 8:6, 11, 18; 10:12, 16, 17; 11:13; 13:3, 4; 14:1, 2).

Interpretive Challenges

Three interpretive challenges face the reader of Deuteronomy. First, is the book a singular record, or is it only a part of the larger literary whole, the Pentateuch? The remainder of the Scripture always views the Pentateuch as a unit, and the ultimate meaning of Deuteronomy cannot be divorced from its context in the Pentateuch. The book also assumes the reader is already familiar with the four books that precede it; in fact, Deuteronomy brings into focus all that had been revealed in Genesis to Numbers, as well as its implications for the people as they entered the land. However, every available Hebrew manuscript divides the Pentateuch in exactly the same way as the present text. This indicates that the book is a well-defined unit recounting the final speeches of Moses to Israel, and that it may also be viewed as a singular record.

Second, is the structure of Deuteronomy based on the secular treaties of Moses’ day? During recent decades, many evangelical scholars have supported the Mosaic authorship of Deuteronomy by appealing to the similarities between the structure of the book and the ancient Near Eastern treaty form of the mid-second millennium B.C. (the approximate time of Moses). These secular suzerainty treaties (i.e., a ruler dictating his will to his vassals) followed a set pattern not used in the mid-first millennium B.C. These treaties usually contained the following elements: (1) preamble—identifying the parties to the covenant; (2) historical prologue—a history of the king’s dealing with his vassals; (3) general and specific stipulations; (4) witnesses; (5) blessings and curses; and (6) oaths and covenant ratification. Deuteronomy, it is believed, approximates this basic structure.

While there is agreement that 1:1–5 is a preamble, 1:5–4:43 a historical prologue, and chapters 27, 28 feature blessings and cursings, there is no consensus as to how the rest of Deuteronomy fits this structure. While there might have been a covenant renewal on the plains of Moab, this is neither clearly explicit nor implicit in Deuteronomy. It is best to take the book for what it claims to be: the explanation of the law given by Moses for the new generation. The structure follows the speeches given by Moses.

Third, what was the covenant made in the land of Moab (29:1)? Many understand this covenant as a renewal of the Sinaitic covenant made nearly forty years before with the first generation. Here, Moses supposedly updated and renewed this same covenant with the second generation of Israel. The second view sees this covenant as a Palestinian covenant which guarantees the nation of Israel’s right to the land, both at that time and in the future. A third position is that Moses in chapters 29, 30 anticipated the new covenant, since he knew Israel would fail to keep the Sinaitic covenant. The third view seems the best.

I. INTRODUCTION: THE HISTORICAL SETTING OF MOSES’ SPEECHES (1:1–4)

1:1–4 This introduction gives the setting of Deuteronomy and its purpose.

1:1 the words which Moses spoke. Almost all of Deuteronomy consists of speeches given by Moses at the end of his life. According to verse 3, Moses acted on the authority of God since his inspired words were in accordance with the commandments that God had given. to all Israel. This expression is used twelve times in this book and emphasizes the unity of Israel, and the universal applications of these words. the plain opposite Suph. Except for Jordan and the Arabah, the exact location of the places named in 1:1 is not known with certainty, although they may have been along Israel’s route north from the Gulf of Aqabah (cf. Num. 33). The plain referred to is the large rift valley that extends from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Gulf of Aqabah in the south. Israel was camped east of the Jordan River in this valley.

1:2 eleven days’ journey. The distance from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea was about 150 miles. Kadesh was on the southern border of the Promised Land. This trip took eleven days on foot, but for Israel lasted thirty-eight more years. Horeb. The usual name in Deuteronomy for Mt. Sinai means “desolation,” a fitting name since the area around Sinai is barren and uninviting. Mount Seir. South of the Dead Sea in Edom.

1:3 the fortieth year. The fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt. The years of divine judgment (Num. 14:33, 34) were ending. the eleventh month. January-February of 1405 B.C. Numbers 20–36 records the events of the fortieth year.

1:4 Sihon . . . Og. The two kings of the Amorites whom the Jews defeated in Transjordan (see 2:24–3:11; Num. 21:21–35).

II. THE FIRST ADDRESS BY MOSES: A HISTORICAL PROLOGUE (1:5–4:43)

1:5–4:43 These verses mainly contain Moses’ first speech. Moses introduced his explanation of the law with a call to enter the land of Canaan (vv. 6–8), which had been promised by the Abrahamic covenant from God (cf. Gen. 15:18–21). Throughout this book, he refers to that covenant promise (1:35; 4:31; 6:10, 18, 23; 7:8, 12; 8:1, 18; 9:5; 10:11; 11:9, 21; 13:17; 19:8; 26:3, 15; 27:3; 28:11; 29:13; 30:20; 31:7, 20–23; 34:4). He then gave a historical review of God’s gracious acts (1:9–3:29) and a call to Israel for obedience to the covenant given to them by the Lord at Sinai (4:1–40). This introductory section ends with a brief narrative recounting the appointment of the three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River (4:41–43).

A. A Historical Review of God’s Gracious Acts from Horeb to Beth Peor (1:5–3:29)

1:5 explain. This means to make clear, distinct, or plain. The purpose of the book was to make the sense and purpose of the law clear to the people as they entered the land. It was to be their guide to the law while living in the land. Moses did not review what happened at Horeb (Sinai), which is recorded by him in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers (cf. Ex. 20:1–Num. 10:10), but rather gave Israel instruction in how to walk with God and how to fulfill God’s will in the land and be blessed.

1:7, 8 the land. The land that the Lord set before Israel to go in and possess was clearly described in verse 7. The mountains of the Amorites referred to the hill country west of the Dead Sea. The plain (Arabah) was the land in the rift valley from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. The mountains were the hills that run north and south through the center of the land. These hills are to the west of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. The lowland referred to the low, rolling hills that sloped toward the Mediterranean coast (Shephelah). The south (Negev) described the dry wasteland stretching southward from Beersheba to the wilderness. The seacoast referred to the land along the Mediterranean Sea. The boundaries of the land of the Canaanites were given in Numbers 34:1–15. Lebanon to the north marked the northwestern boundary on the coast. The northeast boundary of the land was the Euphrates River. Cf. Numbers 34:1–12.

1:8 the LORD swore. God’s command to take possession of this land by conquest was based on the promise of the land that had been given in a covenant to Abraham (Gen 15:18–21) and reiterated to Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 26:3–5; 28:13–15; 35:12). These three patriarchs are mentioned seven times in Deuteronomy (1:8; 6:10; 9:5, 27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The Lord sealed His promise to the patriarchs with an oath indicating that He would never change His plan (cf. Ps. 110:4).

1:9–18 See notes on Exodus 18 for the background.

1:10 the stars of heaven. The Lord had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (see Gen. 15:5; 22:17). The nation’s growth proved both God’s intention and ability to fulfill His original promises to Abraham.

1:11 a thousand times. A Semitic way of saying “an infinitely large number.”

1:13 Choose wise . . . men. The fulfillment of God’s promise to give Abraham such a large posterity created a problem for Moses. The nation had become too large for Moses to govern effectively. The solution was the appointment by Moses of men to help him lead the people (see Ex. 18:13–27). These men were to be (1) wise, i.e., men who knew how to apply their knowledge; (2) understanding, i.e., those who had discernment and so were able to judge; and (3) knowledgeable, i.e., experienced and respected. Cf. Exodus 18:21.

1:19–21 See notes on Numbers 10:11–12:16 for the background.

1:22–46 See notes on Numbers 13; 14 for the background.

1:22 Let us send men before us. When challenged by Moses to take the land (vv. 20, 21), the people requested that spies be sent first. Moses, it seems, took their request to the Lord, who also approved their plan and commanded Moses to appoint the spies (Num. 13:1, 2). Thus, Moses selected twelve men who went to see what the land was like (Num. 13:17–20).

1:26 but rebelled. Israel, at Kadesh Barnea, deliberately and defiantly refused to respond to God’s command to take the land (Num. 14:1–9).

1:27 you complained. Israel grumbled in their tents that the Lord hated them. They assumed that the Lord brought them from Egypt to have them destroyed by the Amorites.

1:28 the Anakim. Lit. “sons of the Anakim” (i.e., the Anakites). The Anakites were early inhabitants of Canaan described as “giants” (2:10, 21; 9:2; Num. 13:32, 33). They were larger than the Israelites and were especially feared because of their military power.

1:32 you did not believe the LORD your God. The failure of the people to take the land at the beginning of their time in the wilderness was explained here in the same way as in Numbers 14:11. Israel did not take the Lord at His word and, therefore, did not obey His command. The Israelites’ lack of obedience is explained as the outcome of their lack of faith in the Lord.

1:33 in the fire . . . and in the cloud. The cloud by day and the fire by night were the means of God’s direction for Israel in the wilderness (Ex. 13:21; Num. 9:15–23). The Lord who guided Israel through the wandering journey was the same Lord who had already searched out a place for Israel in the land. As He had directed them in the past, He would direct them also in the future.

1:36–38 Caleb . . . Joshua. They were excluded from this judgment because of exemplary faith and obedience (cf. Num. 14:24; Josh. 14:8, 9).

1:37 The LORD was also angry with me. Although his disobedience occurred almost thirty-nine years after the failure of Israel at Kadesh (Num. 20:1–13), Moses included it here with Israel’s disobedience of the Lord because his disobedience was of the same kind. Moses, like Israel, failed to honor the word of the Lord and thus, in rebellion for self-glory, disobeyed God’s clear command and struck the rock rather than speaking to it. Thus, he suffered the same result of God’s anger and, like Israel, was not allowed to go into the land (Num. 20:12).

1:41–45 Israel’s further defiance of the Lord’s command was shown by their presumption in seeking to go into the land after God said they should not. This time they rebelled by attempting to go in and conquer the land, only to be chased back by the Amorites. The Lord showed His displeasure by not helping them or sympathizing with their defeat; for that generation, there was no escape from death in the desert during the next thirty-eight years (cf. Num. 15–19).

1:46 you remained in Kadesh many days. These words suggest that Israel spent a large part of the thirty-eight years in the wilderness around Kadesh Barnea.

2:1–3:11 See notes on Numbers 20:14–21:35 for the background.

2:1–23 This section narrates encounters with Israel’s relatives, the Edomites (vv. 1–8), Moabites (vv. 9–18), and Ammonites (vv. 19–23).

2:1 the Way of the Red Sea. Cf. Numbers 21:4. After spending a long time at Kadesh, the Israelites set out once again at the command of the Lord through Moses. They traveled away from their Promised Land in a southeasterly direction from Kadesh toward the Gulf of Aqabah on the road to the Red Sea. Thus began the wanderings that were about to end. skirted Mount Seir. Israel spent many days wandering in the vicinity of Mt. Seir, the mountain range of Edom, south of the Dead Sea and extending down the eastern flank of the Arabah.

2:3 turn northward. The departure from Kadesh had been in a southeasterly direction away from the Promised Land, until the Lord commanded Israel to turn again northward in the direction of the Promised Land.

2:4 your brethren, the descendants of Esau. Esau was the brother of Jacob (Gen. 25:25, 26). The Edomites, the descendants of Esau, lived in Mt. Seir. According to Numbers 20:14–21, the Edomites refused to allow Israel to pass through their land. Verse 8, reflecting this refusal, states that the Israelites went around the border of the descendants of Esau, i.e., to the east of their territory.

2:5 I will not give you any of their land. God had granted to the descendants of Esau an inheritance (Mt. Seir was their possession). In verse 9, the same is said about the Moabites and in verse 19, about the Ammonites.

2:8 from Elath and Ezion Geber. Two towns located just north of the Gulf of Aqabah. Israel passed to the east of Edom and to the east of Moab on their journey northward.

2:10 The Emim. Apparently a Moabite term (see v. 11) meaning “terrible ones.” These people, numerous and tall, were the pre-Moabite occupants of the land of Moab.

2:12 their possession which the LORD gave them. The Horites were Hurrians, a people who lived in various places in Syria and Palestine. Those living in the region of Seir had been displaced by the descendants of Esau. The displacement of the Horites by the Edomites was analogous to the Israelites’ possession of their own land.

2:13 Zered. A brook that ran into the Dead Sea from the southeast. It seems to have constituted the southern boundary of Moab. In contrast to the disobedience associated with Kadesh, the people obeyed the command to cross over the brook Zered. There was a new spirit of obedience toward the Lord among the people.

2:14 thirty-eight years. From 1444–1406 B.C. These were the years from the failure at Kadesh to the obedience at Zered. It was during this time that the rebellious generation, who had been denied access to the Promised Land by the oath of the Lord, had all died.

2:20 Zamzummim. Apparently an Ammonite term used to describe their precursors in their land. They were characterized as being as tall as the Anakim. But the Lord had destroyed them and given their land to the Ammonites. This was an encouragement to the Israelites that God could also defeat the Anakim in the land of Canaan and give that land to Israel.

2:23 the Avim. The ancient village dwellers of southwestern Palestine along the Mediterranean coast as far as the city of Gaza. the Caphtorim. Caphtor probably refers to Crete and may be a reference to an early Philistine group from that island who invaded the coast of Palestine, defeated the Avim, and then dwelt there. These Caphtorim were precursors to the later, greater Philistine invasion of c. 1200 B.C.

2:24–3:29 Moses continues the historical survey detailing the defeat of two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, and the takeover of their territory.

2:24 the River Arnon. The northern boundary of Moab. Israel was allowed to attack Sihon the Amorite because the Amorites were not relatives of Israel.

2:25 fear of you. As the conquest began, God put the fear of Israel into the hearts of their enemies.

2:26 the Wilderness of Kedemoth. Kedemoth means “eastern regions.” It was probably a few miles north of the Arnon River and near the eastern border of the Amorite state.

2:27 Let me pass through. As with the Edomites previously (Num. 20:17), Moses asked to pass peacefully through the territory of Sihon.

2:30 hardened his spirit. Sihon, by his own conscious will, refused Israel’s request to journey through his land. God confirmed what was already in Sihon’s heart, namely arrogance against the Lord and His people Israel, so that He might defeat him in battle and give his land to Israel.

2:32 Jahaz. The place of battle between Sihon and the Israelites, probably a few miles to the north of Kedemoth (v. 26).

3:1 Bashan. A fertile region located east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, extending from Mt. Hermon in the north to the Yarmuk River in the south. Israel met King Og and his army in battle at Edrei, a city on the Yarmuk River. The Amorite king ruled over sixty cities (vv. 4–10; Josh. 13:30), which were taken by Israel; this kingdom was assigned to the Transjordanic tribes, especially the half tribe of Manasseh (v. 13).

3:8 this side of the Jordan. East of the Jordan River, Israel controlled the territory from the Arnon River to Mt. Hermon, a length of about 150 miles Note that the perspective of the speaker was to the east of the Jordan; the west of the Jordan still needed to be conquered. This statement helps date these speeches as pre-conquest.

3:11 an iron bedstead. The bedstead may actually have been a coffin, which would have been large enough to also hold tomb objects. The size of the “bedstead,” 13? by 6 feet, emphasized the largeness of Og, who was a giant (the last of the Rephaim, a race of giants). As God had given Israel victory over the giant Og, so He would give them victory over the giants in the land.

3:12–20 See notes on Numbers 32:1–42; 34:13–15 for background.

3:20 rest. A peaceful situation with the land free from external threat and oppression. The eastern tribes had the responsibility to battle alongside their western brethren until the conquest was complete (cf. Josh. 22).

3:22 the LORD your God Himself fights for you. Moses commanded Joshua not to be afraid because the Lord Himself would provide supernatural power and give them the victory (cf. 1:30; 31:6–8; Josh. 1:9).

3:23 I pleaded with the LORD. With the victories over Sihon and Og, Moses made one final passionate plea to the Lord to be allowed to enter the Promised Land. However, the Lord would not allow Moses that privilege. He did, however, allow Moses to go to the top of Pisgah and see the land (cf. Deut. 32:48–52; 34:1–4).

3:26 the LORD was angry. See note on 1:37; cf. 4:21–24.

3:29 Beth Peor. Located east of the Jordan River, probably opposite Jericho (see notes on Num. 22–25 for the background).

B. An Exhortation to Obey the Law (4:1–40)

4:1 O Israel, listen. Moses called the people to hear and obey the rules of conduct that God had given them to observe. Successful conquest and full enjoyment of life in the land was based on submission to God’s law. the statutes and the judgments. The first are permanent rules for conduct fixed by the reigning authority, while the second deal with judicial decisions which served as precedents for future guidance.

4:2 You shall not add . . . nor take from. The word that God had given to Israel through Moses was complete and sufficient to direct the people. Thus, this law, the gift of God at Horeb, could not be supplemented or reduced. Anything that adulterated or contradicted God’s law would not be tolerated (cf. 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18, 19).

4:3, 4 Moses used the incident at Baal Peor (Num. 25:1–9) to illustrate from the Israelites’ own history that their very lives depended on obeying God’s law. Only those who had held fast to the Lord by obeying His commands were alive that day to hear Moses.

4:6 the peoples. Israel’s obedience of God’s law would provide a testimony to the world that God was near to His people and that His laws were righteous. One purpose of the law was to make Israel morally and spiritually unique among all the nations and, therefore, draw those nations to the true and living God. They were from their beginnings to be a witness nation. Though they failed and have been temporarily set aside, the prophets revealed that, in the future kingdom of Messiah, they will be a nation of faithful witnesses (cf. Is. 45:14; Zech. 8:23). a wise and understanding people. The nations would see three things in Israel (vv. 6–8). First, the Israelites would know how to apply God’s knowledge so as to have discernment and to be able to judge matters accurately.

4:7 God so near to it. Second, faithfulness to the Lord would allow the nations to see that the Lord had established intimacy with Israel.

4:8 statutes and righteous judgments. Third, the nations would see that Israel’s law was distinctive, for its source was the Lord, indicating that its character was righteous.

4:9–31 This section carries the most basic lesson for Israel to learn—to fear and reverence God.

4:9 teach them to your children. Deuteronomy emphasizes the responsibility of parents to pass on their experiences with God and the knowledge they have gained from Him to their children (cf. 6:7; 11:19).

4:10 especially concerning the day. One experience of Israel to be passed on from generation to generation was the great theophany (the self-revelation of God in physical form) which took place at Horeb (cf. Ex. 19:9–20:19).

4:12 no form. Israel was to remember that when God revealed Himself at Sinai, His presence came through His voice, i.e., the sound of His words; they did not see Him. God is Spirit (John 4:24), which rules out any idolatrous representation of God in any physical form (vv. 16–18) or any worship of the created order (v. 19).

4:13 the Ten Commandments. Lit. “ten statements,” from which comes the term Decalogue. These summarize and epitomize all the commandments the Lord gave to Israel through Moses. Though the phrase occurs only here, in 10:4, and in Exodus 34:28, there are twenty-six more references to it in Deuteronomy (see notes on Matt. 19:16–21; 22:35–40; Mark 10:17–22; Rom. 13:8–10 ).

4:15–19 A strong emphasis is made on commandments one and two (cf. Rom. 1:18–23).

4:20 the iron furnace. A fire was used to heat iron sufficiently to be hammered into different shapes or welded to other objects. The iron furnace here suggests that Israel’s time in Egypt was a period of ordeal, testing, and purifying for the Hebrews, readying them for usefulness as God’s witness nation.

4:24 a jealous God. God is zealous to protect what belongs to Him; therefore, He will not allow another to have the honor that is due Him alone (cf. Is. 42:8; 48:11).

4:25–31 Cf. 8:18, 19. In fact, this section briefly outlines the future judgment of Israel, which culminated in the ten northern tribes being exiled to Assyria (c. 722 B.C.; 2 Kin. 17) and the two southern tribes being deported to Babylon (c. 605–586 B.C.; 2 Kin. 24; 25). Although the Jews returned in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (c. 538–445 B.C.), they never regained their autonomy or dominance. Thus, the days of promised restoration and return look forward to Messiah’s return to set up the millennial kingdom.

4:27 the LORD will scatter you. Moses warned Israel that the judgment for idolatry would be their dispersion among the nations by the Lord (see 28:64–67).

4:30 the latter days. Lit. “the end of days.” Moses saw in the distant future a time when repentant Israel would turn again to the Lord and obey Him. Throughout the Pentateuch, “the latter days” refers to the time when Messiah will establish His kingdom (see Gen. 49:1, 8–12; Num. 24:14–24; Deut. 32:39–43).

4:31 the covenant of your fathers. God mercifully will ultimately fulfill the covenant He originally made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with repentant Israel in the future. God will not forget the promise that He has given to Abraham and his seed (cf. Rom. 11:25–27).

4:32–40 A historical apologetic, appealing for the nation’s obedience to God’s law.

4:32–39 since the day that God created man on the earth. In all of human history, no other nation has had the privilege that Israel had of hearing God speak, as He did in giving the law at Mt. Sinai, and surviving such an awesome experience. Nor had any other people been so blessed, chosen, and delivered from bondage by such mighty miracles as Israel saw. God did this to reveal to them that He alone is God (vv. 35, 39).

4:37 His Presence. Lit. “His face.” God Himself had brought Israel out of Egypt. The Exodus resulted from the electing love that God had for the patriarchs and their descendants.

4:40 Such gracious privilege, as remembered in verses 32–39, should elicit obedience, particularly in view of the unconditional promise that the land will be theirs permanently (“for all time”) as is detailed in chapters 29 and 30.

C. The Setting Apart of Three Cities of Refuge (4:41–43)

4:41–43 These three verses are a narrative insertion at the end of Moses’ speech. The setting aside of three cities on the east side of the Jordan River by Moses showed that Moses willingly obeyed the commandments God gave him. He was an example of the type of obedience that God was calling for in 4:1–40 (cf. Num. 35:14; Josh. 20:18).

III. THE SECOND ADDRESS BY MOSES: THE STIPULATIONS OF THE SINAITIC COVENANT (4:44–28:68)

4:44–28:68 The heart of Deuteronomy is found in this long second speech of Moses. “Now this is the law” (4:44) which Moses explained to Israel (cf. 1:5). After a brief introduction (4:44–49), Moses gave the people a clear understanding of what the law directed concerning their relationship with the Lord in the land (5:1–26:19); then Moses concluded by recounting the blessings or the curses which would come upon the nation as a consequence of their response to the stipulations of this law (27:1–28:68).

A. Introduction (4:44–49)

4:45 testimonies . . . statutes . . . judgments. God’s instruction to Israel was set forth in: (1) the testimonies, the basic covenant stipulations (5:6–21); (2) statutes, words that were inscribed and, therefore, fixed; and (3) judgments, the decisions made by a judge on the merits of the situation. This law was given to Israel when they came out of Egypt. Moses is not giving further law; he is now explaining what has already been given.

4:48 Mount Sion. This reference to Mt. Hermon is not to be confused with Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.

4:49 Sea of the Arabah. The Dead Sea.

B. The Basic Elements of Israel’s Relationship with the Lord (5:1–11:32)

5:1–11:32 As Moses began his second address to the people of Israel, he reminded them of the events and the basic commands from God that were foundational to the Sinaitic covenant (5:1–33; see Ex. 19:1–20:21). Then, in 6:1–11:32, Moses expounded and applied the first three of the Ten Commandments to the present experience of the people.

1. The Ten Commandments (5:1–33)

5:1 Hear, O Israel. The verb hear carried the sense of “obey.” A hearing that leads to obedience was demanded of all the people (cf: 6:4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:9).

5:2 a covenant with us in Horeb. The second generation of Israel, while children, received the covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai.

5:3 did not make this covenant with our fathers. The fathers were not the people’s immediate fathers, who had died in the wilderness, but their more distant ancestors, the patriarchs (see 4:31, 37; 7:8, 12; 8:18). The Sinaitic or Mosaic covenant was in addition to and distinct from the Abrahamic covenant made with the patriarchs.

5:6–21 The first four Commandments involve relationship with God, the last six deal with human relationships; together, they were the foundation of Israel’s life before God. Moses here reiterated them as given originally at Sinai. Slight variations from the Exodus text are accounted for by Moses’ explanatory purpose in Deuteronomy. See notes on Exodus 20:1–17 for an additional explanation of these commands.

5:7 no other gods. Cf. Exodus 20:3. Other gods were non-existent pagan gods, which were made in the form of idols and shaped by the minds of their worshipers. The Israelites were to be totally faithful to the God to whom they were bound by covenant. Cf. Matthew 16:24–27; Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23–26; 14:26–33.

5:8 a carved image. Cf. Exodus 20:4, 5. Reducing the infinite God to any physical likeness was intolerable, as the people found out in their attempt to cast God as a golden calf (cf. Ex. 32).

5:9, 10 third and fourth generations . . . thousands. See note on Exodus 20:5, 6 for an explanation of this often misunderstood text. those who hate Me . . . love Me. Disobedience is equal to hatred of God, as love is equal to obedience (cf. Matt. 22:34–40; Rom. 13:8–10).

5:11 take the name . . . in vain. Cf. Exodus 20:7. This means to attach God’s name to emptiness. Cf. Psalm 111:9; Matthew 6:9; Luke 1:49; John 17:6, 26.

5:12 as the LORD your God commanded you. Cf. Exodus 20:8–10. These words are missing from Exodus 20:8, but refer back to this commandment given to Israel at Sinai, forty years earlier.

5:15 brought you out from there. Here, an additional reason is given for God’s rest after creation (i.e., for the observance of the Sabbath; see Ex. 20:11)—God’s deliverance of the people from Egypt. While the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, they were not allowed rest from their continual labor, so the Sabbath was also to function as a day of rest in which their deliverance from bondage would be remembered with thanksgiving as the sign of their redemption and continual sanctification (cf. Ex. 31:13–17; Ezek 20:12).

5:16–20 Cf. Matthew 19:18, 19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20.

5:16 that your days may be long. Cf. Exodus 20:12; Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10; Ephesians 6:2, 3. Paul indicated that this was the first commandment with a promise attached (Eph. 6:2). Jesus also had much to say about honoring parents (see Matt. 10:37; 19:29; Luke 2:49–51; John 19:26, 27).

5:17 murder. Cf. Exodus 20:13; Matthew 5:21; James 2:11.

5:18 adultery. Cf. Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:27.

5:19 steal. Cf. Exodus 20:15; Ephesians 4:28.

5:20 bear false witness. Cf. Exodus 20:16; Colossians 3:9.

5:21 covet . . . desire. Cf. Exodus 20:17. Both the lusting after a neighbor’s wife and a strong desire for a neighbor’s property were prohibited by the tenth commandment (cf. Rom. 7:7).

5:22 and He added no more. These Ten Commandments alone were identified as direct quotations by God. The rest of the stipulations of the covenant were given to Moses, who in turn gave them to the Israelites. These basic rules, which reflect God’s character, continue to be a means by which God reveals the sinful deeds of the flesh (cf. Rom. 7:7–14; Gal. 3:19–24; 5:13–26). They are also a holy standard for conduct that true believers live by through the Spirit’s power, with the exception of keeping the Sabbath (cf. Col. 2:16, 17). two tablets of stone. The tablets were written on both sides (see Ex. 32:15).

5:22–27 The frightening circumstances of God’s presence at Sinai caused the people to have enough fear to ask Moses to receive the words from God and communicate those words to them, after which they promised to obey all that God said (see v. 27).

5:28, 29 God affirmed that the pledge to be obedient was the right response (v. 28), and then expressed His loving passion for them to fulfill their promise so they and their children would prosper.

5:30–33 They asked to be given all of God’s Word (v. 27), so God dismissed the people and told Moses He was going to give the law to him to teach the people (v. 31). At stake was life and prosperity in the land of promise.

2. The total commitment to the Lord (6:1–25)

6:1–3 days . . . prolonged. Moses’ concern is that successive generations maintain the obedience to God’s laws that insures life and prosperity.

6:3 a land flowing with milk and honey. A description that included the richness of the land which the Israelites were soon to possess (see 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20).

6:4, 5 Cf. Mark 12:29, 30, 32, 33.

6:4 Hear, O Israel. See 5:1. Deuteronomy 6:4–9, known as the Shema (Heb. for hear ), has become the Jewish confession of faith, recited twice daily by the devout, along with 11:13–21 and Numbers 15:37–41. The LORD . . . Lord is one! The intent of these words was to give a clear statement of the truth of monotheism, that there is only one God. Thus, it has also been translated “the LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” The word used for one in this passage does not mean “singleness,” but “unity.” The same word is used in Genesis 2:24, where the husband and wife were said to be “one flesh.” Thus, while this verse was intended as a clear and concise statement of monotheism, it does not exclude the concept of the Trinity.

6:5–9 You shall love the LORD your God. First in the list of all that was essential for the Jew was unreserved, wholehearted commitment expressed in love to God. Since this relationship of love for God could not be represented in any material way as with idols, it had to be demonstrated in complete obedience to God’s law in daily life. Cf. 11:16–21; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27.

6:6 these words . . . in your heart. The people were to think about these commandments and meditate on them so that obedience would not be a matter of formal legalism, but a response based on understanding. The law written on the heart would be an essential characteristic of the new covenant to come (see Jer. 31:33).

6:7 teach them diligently to your children. The commandments were to be the subject of conversation, both inside and outside the home, from the beginning of the day to its end.

6:8 hand . . . frontlets between your eyes. The Israelites were to continually meditate on and be directed by the commandments that God had given them. Later in Jewish history, this phrase was mistakenly taken literally and the people tied phylacteries (boxes containing these verses) to their hands and foreheads with thongs of leather.

6:10, 11 the LORD your God brings you into the land. God reiterated that He was going to give Israel the land in fulfillment of the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, both with title and prosperity.

6:13 take oaths in His name. An oath was a solemn pledge to affirm something said as absolutely true. The invoking of the Lord’s name in the oath meant that a person was bound under obligation before God to fulfill that word (cf. Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8).

6:15 a jealous God. See note on 4:24.

6:16 Massah. This name actually means “testing” (cf. Ex. 17:1–7; Matt. 4:7; Luke 4:12).

6:20 When your son asks you in time to come. When a young son asked the meaning of the law, his father was to use the following pattern in explaining it to him. First, the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt (v. 21a). Second, God miraculously delivered the Israelites and judged the Egyptians (v. 21b, 22). Third, this work was in accord with His promise to the patriarchs (v. 23). Fourth, God gave His law to Israel that His people might obey it (vv. 24, 25).

6:25 righteousness for us. A true and personal relationship with God that would be manifest in the lives of the people of God. There was no place for legalism or concern about the external since the compelling motive for this righteousness was to be love for God (v. 5).

3. Separation from the gods of other nations (7:1–26)

7:1–26 This section discusses how the Israelites should relate to the inhabitants of Canaan, including their destruction, the forbidding of intermarriage, and the elimination of all altars and idols. It was God’s time for judgment on that land.

7:1 seven nations. These seven groups controlled areas of land usually centered around one or more fortified cities. Together they had greater population and military strength than Israel. Six of these seven are mentioned elsewhere (see Ex. 3:8). The unique nation here is the Girgashites, who are referred to in Genesis 10:16; Joshua 3:10; 24:11; 1 Chronicles 1:14. They may have been tribal people living in northern Palestine.

7:2 utterly destroy them. All the men, women, and children were to be put to death. Even though this action seems extreme, the following considerations need to be kept in mind: (1) the Canaanites deserved to die for their sin (9:4, 5; cf. Gen. 15:16); (2) the Canaanites persisted in their hatred of God (7:10); and (3) the Canaanites constituted a moral cancer that had the potential of introducing idolatry and immorality which would spread rapidly among the Israelites (20:17, 18).

7:3 Nor . . . make marriages. Because of the intimate nature of marriage, the idolatrous spouse could lead her mate astray (see 1 Kin. 11:1–8 for the tragic example of Solomon).

7:5 destroy their altars. This destructive action would remove any consequent temptation for the Israelites to follow the religious practices of the nations they were to displace from the land.

7:6 a holy people to the LORD your God. The basis for the command to destroy the Canaanites is found in God’s election of Israel. God had set apart Israel for His own special use, and they were His treasured possession. As God’s people, Israel needed to be separated from the moral pollution of the Canaanites.

7:8 loves you . . . keep the oath. The choosing of Israel as a holy nation set apart for God was grounded in God’s love and His faithfulness to the promises He had made to the patriarchs, not in any merit or intrinsic goodness in Israel.

7:9 a thousand generations. See note on 1:11.

7:12–15 The Lord promised Israel particular blessings for their obedience, which are further enumerated in 28:1–14.

7:12 the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant. If Israel was obedient to the Lord, they would experience His covenantal mercy. However, the people could forfeit the blessings of the covenant through their own disobedience.

7:13 grain . . . new wine . . . oil. These were the three principal food products of Palestine. Grain included wheat and barley. New wine was the grape juice as it came from the presses. The oil was the olive oil used in cooking and in the lamps.

7:15 the terrible diseases of Egypt. Some virulent and malignant diseases such as elephantiasis, ophthalmia, and dysentery were common in Egypt.

7:20 God will send the hornet. The hornet or wasp was a large insect, common in Canaan, that may have had a potentially fatal sting. Here, the reference was probably figurative in the sense of a great army sent into panic when the Lord would inflict His sting on them (see 11:25). See note on Exodus 23:28.

7:22 little by little. Even though the Lord promised that the defeat of the people of the land would be quick (4:26; 9:3), the process of settlement would be more gradual to avoid the danger of the land returning to a primitive state of natural anarchy.

7:26 You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it. Detest and abhor were strong words of disapproval and rejection. Israel was to have the same attitude toward the idols of the Canaanites as did God Himself. it is an accursed thing. The images or idols were to be set aside for destruction.

4. A warning against forgetting the Lord (8:1–20)

8:2 remember. The people were to recall what God had done for them (cf. 5:15; 7:18; 8:18; 9:7; 15:15; 16:3, 12; 24:9, 18; 25:17), and not forget (cf. 4:9, 23, 31; 6:12; 8:11, 14, 19; 9:7; 25:19; 26:13). to know what was in your heart. Israel’s forty years in the wilderness was a time of God’s affliction and testing so that the basic attitude of the people toward God and His commandments could be made known. God chose to sustain His hungry people in the wilderness by a means previously unknown to them. Through this miraculous provision, God humbled the people and tested their obedience.

8:3 manna which you did not know. God sustained the people in the wilderness with a food previously unknown to them. See Exodus 16:15 for the start to giving the manna and Joshua 5:12 for its cessation. man shall not live by bread alone. Israel’s food in the wilderness was decreed by the Word of God. They had manna because it came by God’s command; therefore, it ultimately was not bread that kept them alive, but God’s Word (cf. Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4).

8:4 Your garments did not wear out. This miraculous provision is also mentioned in 29:5.

8:5 the LORD your God chastens you. Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness was viewed as a time of God’s discipline of His children. He was seeking to correct their wayward attitude so they might be prepared to obediently go into the land.

8:6–10 An extensive description of God’s abundant blessings for Israel in the land (cf. 7:7–9).

8:7 a good land. In contrast to the desolation of the wilderness, verses 7–9 describe the abundance of Israel’s new land.

8:9 iron . . . copper. The mountains of southern Lebanon and the region east of the Sea of Galilee and south of the Dead Sea contained iron. Both copper and iron were found in the rift valley south of the Dead Sea.

8:11 do not forget the LORD your God. Sufficient food would lead to the satisfaction of Israel in the land (vv. 10, 12). This satisfaction and security could lead to Israel forgetting God. Forgetting God means no longer having Him in the daily thoughts of their lives. Israel’s forgetfulness would lead to a disobedience of His commandments. Whereas, in the wilderness, Israel had to depend on God for the necessities of life, in the rich land there would be a tempting sense of self-sufficiency.

8:14 when your heart is lifted up. Pride was viewed as the root of forgetfulness. In their prosperity, the people might claim that their power and strength had produced their wealth (v. 17).

8:15 water . . . out of the . . . rock. Cf. Numbers 20:9–13.

8:16 to do you good in the end. God designed the test of the wilderness so that Israel might be disciplined to obey Him. Through her obedience, she received the blessing of the land. Thus, God’s design was to do good for Israel at the end of the process.

8:18, 19 See note on 4:25–31.

8:19 if you by any means forget. Forgetting God would lead to worshiping other gods, which in turn would result in certain destruction. As God destroyed the Canaanites for their idolatry, so also would He judge Israel.

5. Illustrations of Israel’s rebellion in the past (9:1–10:11)

9:1–10:11 This part of Moses’ speech rehearses the sins of the Israelites at Horeb (cf. Ex. 32).

9:2 the Anakim. Moses remembered the people’s shock when they heard the original report of the twelve spies concerning the size, strength, and number of the inhabitants of Canaan (Num. 13:26–14:6). Therefore, he emphasized that from a purely military and human point of view—their victory was impossible. The fear of the spies and the people focused on the Anakim, a tall, strong people who lived in the land of Canaan (see note on 1:28 ).

9:3 a consuming fire. The Lord was pictured as a fire that burned everything in its path. So the Lord would go over into Canaan and exterminate Canaanites. destroy them quickly. Israel was to be the human agent of the Lord’s destruction of the Canaanites. The military strength of the Canaanites would be destroyed quickly (see Josh. 6:1–11:23), though the complete subjugation of the land would take time (see 7:22; Josh. 13:1).

9:4 Because of my righteousness. Three times in verses 4–6, Moses emphasized that the victory was not because of Israel’s goodness, but was entirely the work of God. It was the wickedness of the Canaanites that led to their expulsion from the land (cf. Rom. 10:6).

9:6 a stiff-necked people. Lit. “hard of neck.” A figurative expression for the stubborn, intractable, obdurate, and unbending attitude of Israel. In verses 7–29, Moses illustrated Israel’s rebellious attitude and actions toward the Lord.

9:7 Remember! Moses challenged Israel to call to mind the long history of their stubbornness and provocation of God which had extended from the time of the Exodus from Egypt for forty years until the present moment on the plains of Moab.

9:10 the finger of God. God Himself had written the Ten Commandments on the two tablets of stone at Mt. Sinai (see Ex. 31:18). Finger is used in an anthropomorphic sense.

9:14 blot out their name from under heaven. God threatened to destroy the people of Israel so completely that He pictured it as an obliteration of all memory of them from the world of men. This threat was taken by Moses as an invitation to intercede for the children of Israel (Num. 14:11–19).

9:19 Cf. Hebrews 12:21.

9:20 I prayed for Aaron. Moses interceded on behalf of Aaron, on whom the immediate responsibility for the Israelites’ sin of the golden calf rested. Aaron had thus incurred the wrath of God, and his life was in danger (see Ex. 32:1–6). This is the only verse in the Pentateuch which specifically states that Moses prayed for Aaron.

9:22 Taberah . . . Massah . . . Kibroth Hattaavah. These three places were all associated with Israel’s rebellion against the Lord. Taberah, “burning,” was where the people had complained of their misfortunes (Num. 11:1–3). At Massah, “testing,” they had found fault with everything and, in presumption, had put God to the test (Ex. 17:1–7). At Kibroth Hattaavah, “graves of craving,” the people had again incurred God’s anger by complaining about their food (Num. 11:31–35).

9:23 Kadesh Barnea. There, they sinned by both lack of faith in God and disobedience (cf. Num. 13; 14).

9:24 You have been rebellious against the LORD. Moses concluded that his dealings with Israel as God’s mediator had been one of continual rebellion on Israel’s part, which led to his intercession (vv. 25–29).

9:28 the land from which You brought us. Moses’ prayer of intercession to the Lord on behalf of Israel appealed to the Lord to forgive His people because the Egyptians could have interpreted God’s destruction of Israel as His inability to fulfill His promise and His hate for His people.

10:1–3 two tablets of stone like the first. God had listened to Moses’ intercession and dealt mercifully with the Israelites who had broken the covenant by rewriting the Ten Commandments on two tablets prepared for that purpose by Moses. The second tablets were made of the same material and were the same size as the first.

10:1 an ark of wood. This refers to the ark of the covenant. Moses telescoped the events in these verses. Later, at the construction of the ark of the covenant, Moses placed the two, new stone tablets within that ark (see Ex. 37:1–9).

10:6–9 These verses show that the priesthood of Aaron and service of the Levites were restored after the incident of the golden calf.

10:6 Moserah, where Aaron died. Aaron was not killed at Sinai, but lived until the fortieth year of the Exodus, which shows the effectiveness of Moses’ intercession before the Lord (cf. Num. 20:22–29; 33:38, 39). After Aaron’s death, the priestly ministry continued in the appointment of Eleazar. Moserah is the district in which Mt. Hor stands. This is where Aaron died (cf. Num. 20:27, 28; 33:38).

10:8 At that time. This refers to the time that Israel was at Mt. Sinai.

10:9 no portion. The family of Levi received no real estate inheritance in the land of Canaan (see Num. 18:20, 24).

10:10, 11 Because of Moses’ intercession, not because of their righteousness, the Israelites were camped on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to enter the Promised Land.

6. An admonition to fear and love the Lord and obey His will (10:12–11:32)

10:12, 13 what does the LORD your God require of you ? This rhetorical question led into Moses’ statement of the five basic requirements that God expected of His people (cf. Mic. 6:8): (1) to fear the LORD your God. To hold God in awe and submit to Him; (2) to walk in all His ways. To conduct one’s life in accordance with the will of God; (3) to love Him. To choose to set one’s affections on the Lord and on Him alone; (4) to serve the LORD your God. To have the worship of the Lord as the central focus of one’s life; (5) to keep the commandments of the LORD. To obey the requirements the Lord had imposed.

10:14, 15 God, with the same sovereignty by which He controls all things, had chosen the patriarchs and the nation of Israel to be His special people. Cf. Romans 9; 10.

10:16 Therefore circumcise . . . your heart. Moses called the Israelites to cut away all the sin in their hearts, as the circumcision surgery cut away the skin. This would leave them with a clean relationship to God (cf. 30:6; Lev. 26:40, 41; Jer. 9:25; Rom. 2:29). See note on Jeremiah 4:4.

10:18 He administers justice. The sovereign, authoritative God is also impartial (v. 17), as seen in His concern for the orphan, the widow, and the alien (cf. Lev. 19:9–18; James 1:27).

10:20 to Him you shall hold fast. The verb means “to stick to,” “to cling to,” or “to hold on to.” As a husband is to be united to his wife (Gen. 2:24), so Israel was to cling intimately to her God.

10:22 seventy persons. See Exodus 1:5. One of the great and awesome things God had done for Israel was multiplying the seventy people who went to Egypt into a nation of over two million people.

11:2 your children. Moses distinguished between the adults and the children in his audience. The adults were those who had seen the Exodus from Egypt as children and had experienced the Lord’s discipline in the wilderness. It was to these adults that Moses could say, “your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did” (v. 7). It was that specially blessed generation of adults that were called to pass on the teaching of what they had learned to their children (v. 19).

11:6 Dathan and Abiram. These two sons of Eliab, of the tribe of Reuben, had rebelled against the authority of Moses, the Lord’s chosen leader. The basis of their complaint was that Moses had brought Israel out of Egypt, a fertile and prosperous land, and not brought them into Canaan. Because of their rebellion against Moses, God had judged them by having the earth open and swallow them up (see Num. 16:12–14, 25–27, 31–33). God’s judgment of their rebellion was spoken of here by Moses in the context of his contrast between the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan (vv. 10–12).

11:10, 11 the land which you go to possess. The land of Canaan was different from Egypt. The land of Egypt depended upon the Nile River for its fertility. By contrast, the land of Canaan depended upon the rains that came from heaven for its fertility.

11:10 watered it by foot. Probably a reference to carrying water to each garden or the practice of indenting the ground with footdeep channels through which irrigating water would flow.

11:13 Cf. 6:5.

11:14 I will give you the rain for your land. Since the land of Canaan was dependent on the rainfall for its fertility, God promised, in response to Israel’s obedience, to give them the rain necessary for that fertility (vv. 16, 17). the early rain and the latter rain. The early rain was the autumn rain from October to January. The latter rain was the spring rain which came through Mar./Apr.

11:18–21 For the children and all subsequent generations, God’s great acts had not been seen “with their own eyes,” as had been the case with that first generation. God’s acts were to be “seen” for them in the Word of Scripture. It was to be in Moses’ words that the acts of God would be put before the eyes of their children. The first priority, therefore, was given to Scripture as the means of teaching the law and grace of God (cf. 6:6–9).

11:24 Every place . . . your foot treads. In response to the obedience of Israel (vv. 22, 23), the Lord promised to give to Israel all the land they personally traversed to the extent of the boundaries that He had given. This same promise was repeated in Joshua 1:3–5. Had Israel obeyed God faithfully, her boundaries would have been enlarged to fulfill the promise made to Abraham (Gen. 15:18). But because of Israel’s disobedience, the complete promise of the whole land still remains, yet to be fulfilled in the future kingdom of Messiah (cf. Ezek. 36:8–38).

11:26–32 As a final motive for driving home the importance of obedience and trust in God, Moses gave instruction for a ceremony which the people were to carry out when they entered the land. They were to read the blessings and the curses of the covenant on Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal (see 27:1–14) as they actually would do later (Josh. 8:30–35).

C. The Specific Stipulations for Life in the New Land (12:1–26:19)

12:1–26:19 Having delineated the general principles of Israel’s relationship with the Lord (5:1–11:32), Moses then explained specific laws that would help the people subordinate every area of their lives to the Lord. These instructions were given for Israel “to observe in the land” (12:1).

1. Instructions for the life of worship (12:1–16:17)

12:1–16:17 The first specific instructions that Moses gives deal with the public worship of the Lord by Israel as they come into the land.

12:1–32 Moses begins by repeating his instructions concerning what to do with the false worship centers after Israel had taken possession of the land of the Canaanites (see 7:1–6). They were to destroy them completely.

12:2 the high mountains . . . hills . . . every green tree. The Canaanite sanctuaries to be destroyed were located in places believed to have particular religious significance. The mountain or hill was thought to be the home of a god; and by ascending the mountain, the worshiper was in some symbolic sense closer to the deity. Certain trees were considered to be sacred and symbolized fertility, a dominant theme in Canaanite religion.

12:3 their altars, . . . pillars, . . . wooden images . . . carved images. These were elements of Canaanite worship, which included human sacrifice (v. 31). If they remained, the people might mix the worship of God with those places (v. 4).

12:5 the place where the Lord your God chooses. Cf. verses 11, 18, 21. Various places of worship were chosen after the people settled in Canaan, such as Mt. Ebal (27:1–8; Josh. 8:30–35), Shechem (Josh. 24:1–28), and Shiloh (Josh. 18:1), which was the center of worship through the period of Judges (Judg. 21:19). The tabernacle, the Lord’s dwelling place, was located in Canaan, where the Lord chose to dwell. The central importance of the tabernacle was in direct contrast to the multiple places (see v. 2) where the Canaanites practiced their worship of idols. Eventually, the tabernacle was brought to Jerusalem by David (cf. 2 Sam. 6:12–19).

12:6 See notes on Leviticus 1–7 for descriptions of these various ceremonies.

12:7 eat . . . rejoice. Some of the offerings were shared by the priests, Levites, and the worshipers (cf. Lev. 7:15–18). The worship of God was to be holy and reverent, yet full of joy.

12:8 every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes. There seems to have been some laxity in the offering of the sacrifices in the wilderness which was not to be allowed when Israel came into the Promised Land. This self-centered attitude became a major problem in the time of Judges (cf. Judg. 17:6; 21:25).

12:15 slaughter . . . within all your gates. While sacrificial offerings were brought to the appointed centers for worship as well as the central sanctuary, the killing and eating of meat for regular eating could be engaged in anywhere. The only restriction on eating nonsacrificial meat was the prohibition of the blood and the fat.

12:17–19 All sacrifices and offerings had to be brought to the place chosen by God.

12:21 If the place . . . is too far. Moses envisioned the enlarging of the borders of Israel according to God’s promise. This meant that people would live further and further away from the central sanctuary. Except for sacrificial animals, all others could be slaughtered and eaten close to home.

12:23 the blood is the life. See Genesis 9:4–6; Leviticus 17:10–14. The blood symbolized life. By refraining from eating blood, the Israelite demonstrated respect for life and, ultimately, for the Creator of life. Blood, representing life, was the ransom price for sins. So blood was sacred and not to be consumed by the people. This relates to atonement in Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:12–14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7.

12:29, 30 Cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 where Paul gives a similar exhortation.

12:31 they burn even their sons and daughters. One of the detestable practices of Canaanite worship was the burning of their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to Molech (cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:2–5; 1 Kin. 11:7; 2 Kin. 23:10; Jer. 32:35).

12:32 you shall not add . . . nor take away. See note on 4:2.

13:1–18 After the general prohibition of involvement in Canaanite worship (12:29–31), Moses discussed three ways in which the temptation to idolatry was likely to come to Israel: (1) through a false prophet (vv. 1–5); (2) through a family member (vv. 6–11); or (3) through apostates in some Canaanite city (vv. 12–18).

13:2 the sign or the wonder comes to pass. Miraculous signs alone were never meant to be a test of truth (cf. Pharaoh’s magicians in Ex. 7–10). A prophet’s or a dreamer’s prediction may come true, but if his message contradicted God’s commands, the people were to trust God and His Word rather than such experience. Let us go after other gods. The explicit temptation was to renounce allegiance to the Lord and go after other gods. The result of this apostasy would be the serving of these false gods by worshiping them, which would be in direct violation of the first commandment (5:7).

13:3 the LORD your God is testing you. God, in His sovereignty, allowed the false prophets to entice the people toward apostasy to test the true disposition of the Israelites’ hearts. And while the temptation was dangerous, the overcoming of that temptation would strengthen the people in their love for God and obedience to His commandments. Cf. 6:5.

13:5 put away the evil from your midst. The object of the severe penalty was not only the punishment of the evildoer, but also the preservation of the community. Paul must have had this text in mind when he gave a similar command to the Corinthian church (cf. 1 Cor. 5:13; also Deut. 17:7; 19:19; 21:21; 22:21; 24:7).

13:6 your brother . . . friend. The temptation to idolatry might also come from a member of the immediate family or from an intimate friend. While the temptation from the false prophet would be made openly, based on a sign or wonder, this temptation would be made secretly and would be based upon the intimacy of relationship.

13:10 until he dies. The convicting witness would cast the first stone. Love for family and friends was not to take precedence over devotion to God (cf. Luke 14:26).

13:12 one of your cities. In mind here is an entire city of Canaan given by God to the Israelites, yet enticed to idolatry.

13:13 Corrupt men. Lit. “sons of Belial (worthless).” Belial is used of Satan in 2 Corinthians 6:15. It is a way to describe evil, worthless, or wicked men (Judg. 19:22; 1 Sam. 2:12; 1 Kin. 21:10, 13).

14:1 you shall not cut . . . nor shave. The two practices, lacerating the body and shaving the head, were associated with mourning customs of foreign religions. Though the actions could in themselves appear to be innocent, they were associated with practices and beliefs reprehensible to the Lord. Cf. Leviticus 19:27, 28; 21:5 1 Kings 18:28; 1 Corinthians 3:17.

14:2 you are a holy people to the LORD your God. Again comes the important reminder of their peculiar relation to God. Over 250 times, Moses emphasized to Israel, “the Lord your God.”

14:3–21 This summary of clean and unclean animals is drawn from the list in Leviticus 11:2–23. The ground for the allowances and prohibitions of the eating of certain animals was that Israel was to be holy to the Lord (vv. 2, 21). These special dietary laws were to separate them from social mixing with idolatrous people, to prevent them from being lured into idolatry.

14:21 anything that dies of itself. Eating the meat of an animal that had died a natural death was prohibited because the animal had not been killed in the proper fashion and the blood drained out (see note on 12:23 ). The animal, however, could be eaten by “the alien who is within your gates.” See notes on Leviticus 17:10–16. a young goat in its mother’s milk. This prohibition, no doubt, reflected a common practice in Canaanite religion which was superstitiously observed in the hope that fertility and productivity would be increased (cf. Ex. 23:19; 34:26).

14:22 tithe. The tithe (lit. “a tenth”) specified in these verses was only that of the agricultural produce which the land would provide. This was a second tithe to be used for the celebration of worship convocations at the sanctuary (vv. 23–26), in addition to the first tithe mentioned, known as the Levitical tithe which went to support the priests and Levites who served the people. Cf. Leviticus 27:30–33 and Numbers 18:21–32. A third welfare tithe was also offered every three years (see notes on 14:28; 26:12 ).

14:23 eat before the LORD. The tithe was to be taken to the central sanctuary where the worshipers were to eat a portion in fellowship with the Lord.

14:24 if the journey is too long. If certain Israelites lived too far from the sanctuary for it to be practical for them to carry their agricultural tithe there, then they could exchange the tithe locally for silver and subsequently convert the money back into substance at the sanctuary.

14:26 for wine or similar drink. See notes on Proverbs 20:1; 23:29–35; 31:4–7.

14:28 At the end of every third year. In year three and year six of the seven-year sabbatical cycle, rather than taking this tithe to the central sanctuary, it was instead stored up within the individual cities in the land. This tithe was used to feed the Levites, the orphan, the widow, and the stranger (i.e., foreigner) who lived among the Israelites. Cf. 26:12; Numbers 18:26–32.

15:1 At the end of every seven years . . . grant a release of debts. The sabbatical year was established and described in Exodus 23:10, 11; Leviticus 25:1–7. However, while these texts stated that in the seventh year the land was to lie fallow without any crops being planted, only here did Moses prescribe a cancellation of debts. On the basis of verses 9–11, the debt was canceled completely and permanently, not just a cancellation of payment during that year.

15:3 Of a foreigner you may require it. The provision for sabbatical release of debts was not intended for a person who stayed only temporarily in the land. That foreigner was still responsible to pay his debts.

15:4 except when there may be no poor. Idealistically, there was the possibility that poverty would be eradicated in the land “for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land.” The fullness of that blessing, however, would be contingent on the completeness of Israel’s obedience. Thus, verses 4–6 were an encouragement to strive for a reduction of poverty while, at the same time, they empasized the abundance of the provision God would make in the Promised Land.

15:8 willingly lend him sufficient for his need. The attitude of the Israelites toward the poor in their community was to be one of warmth and generosity. The poor were given whatever was necessary to meet their needs, even with the realization that such “loans” would never have to be paid back. See note on 23:19, 20.

15:11 For the poor will never cease from the land. Realistically (in contrast to v. 4), the disobedience toward the Lord on Israel’s part meant that there would always be poor people in the land of Israel. Jesus repeated this truism in Matthew 26:11.

15:12 If your brother . . . is sold. In the context of verses 1–11, the reason for the sale would be default, an alternative repayment of a debt; and a period of servitude would substitute for that repayment. The Hebrew slave would serve his master for six years following the sale, with freedom being declared in the seventh year.

15:13 you shall not let him go away emptyhanded. When a slave had completed his time of service, his former owner was to make ample provision for him so that he would not begin his state of new freedom in destitution.

15:15 remember. The Israelites, formerly enslaved in Egypt, were to treat their own slaves as God had treated them.

15:17 an awl . . . through his ear. In certain circumstances, a slave might prefer to remain with the family after the required six years of servitude. He would then be marked with a hole in his ear and become a servant forever (cf. Ex. 21:5, 6).

15:18 worth a double hired servant. The slave was worth double to his owner because the owner not only had the service of the slave, but he also did not have to pay out anything for that service as he would for a hired hand.

15:19 All the firstborn . . . sanctify. The firstborn was the first to be produced during the bearing life of an animal. It was to be consecrated to the Lord. The firstborn would be sacrificed annually and the offerers would participate in the sacrificial meal (see 14:23). nor shear. The firstborn ox or bull was not to be worked, nor was the firstborn sheep or goat to be shorn in the time before their sacrifice to the Lord.

15:21 a defect. An imperfect, firstborn animal was not acceptable as a sacrifice. It was to be treated like any other nonsacrificial animal (see 12:15, 16) and eaten at home (cf. Mal. 1:6–14).

16:1–17 Moses discusses the feasts during which all the men over twenty years of age were to appear before the Lord at the central worship site. If possible, their families were to go as well (see vv. 11, 14). Cf. Exodus 23; Leviticus 23; Numbers 28; 29.

16:1 the month of Abib. Abib (which was later called Nisan) occurred in the spring (approximately March/April).

16:1–8 keep the Passover. The offering of Passover itself was to be only a lamb (Ex. 12:3–11). However, additional offerings were also to be made during the Passover and the subsequent seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (cf. Ex. 12:15–20; 13:3–10; Lev. 23:6–8; Num. 28:19–25). Therefore, sacrifices from both the flock and the herd were used in keeping the Passover..

16:3 remember. This was the key word at Passover time, as it is for the Lord’s Supper today (cf. Matt. 26:26–30; Luke 22:14–19; 1 Cor. 11:23–26).

16:5, 6 at the place . . . God chooses. The Passover sacrifices could no longer be killed by every family in their house (see Ex. 12:46). From this point on, the Passover sacrifices must be killed at the central place of worship.

16:7 in the morning . . . go to your tents. After the sacrifice of the Passover animal, the eating, and the night vigil which followed, the people would return in the morning to their lodgings or tents where they were staying for the duration of the feast.

16:10–12 the Feast of Weeks. Seven weeks later this second feast was celebrated. It was also known as the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16), or the day of firstfruits (Lev. 23:9–22; Num. 28:26–31), and later came to be known as Pentecost (Acts 2:1). With the grain harvest completed, this one-day festival was a time of rejoicing. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, fifty days after the death of Christ at the Passover, was on Pentecost and gives special meaning to that day for Christians (cf. Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:14–18).

16:13–15 the Feast of Tabernacles. This was also known as the Feast of Ingathering and the Feast of Booths (cf. Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:33–43; Num. 29:12–39).

2. Instructions for leadership (16:18–18:22)

16:18–18:22 This section deals with the responsibilities of the officials who were to maintain pure worship within the land and to administer justice impartially.

16:18 appoint judges and officers. Moses had appointed leaders at Sinai to help him in the administration of the people (1:13). Here, he specified that such important leadership should continue in each city. Judges were those who adjudicated cases with the application of the law. Officials were subordinate leaders of various kinds.

16:19 a bribe blinds the eyes. Accepting a bribe was wrong since it perverted the ability of judges to act in fairness to the parties in litigation.

16:21, 22 wooden image . . . sacred pillar. A reference to the wooden poles, images, or trees that represented the Canaanite goddess Asherah. A stone pillar symbolic of male fertility was also prevalent in the Canaanite religion. These were forbidden by the first two commandments (5:7–10; Ex. 20:3–6).

17:1 any . . . defect. To bring a defective sacrifice to the Lord was to bring something into the sanctuary that was forbidden. Such a sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord. To offer less than the best to God was to despise His name (see Mal. 1:6–8). Offering a less than perfect sacrifice was, in effect, failing to acknowledge God as the ultimate provider of all that was best in life.

17:3–7 served other gods. The local judges were to see that false worshipers were executed, so that idolatry was dealt with severely.

17:6, 7 two or three witnesses. The execution of the idolater could not take place on the basis of hearsay. There had to be at least two valid witnesses against the accused person in order for a case to be established. One witness was not sufficient in a case of this severity; this standard avoided false testimony. The way in which the execution was carried out emphasized the burden of responsibility for truthful testimony that rested on the witnesses in a case involving capital punishment. The witnesses, by casting the first stone, accepted responsibility for their testimony (cf. 19:15; 1 Cor. 5:13).

17:8–13 a matter . . . too hard for you to judge. If a judge thought a case was too difficult for him to decide, he could take it to a central tribunal, consisting of priests and an officiating chief judge, to be established at the future site of the central sanctuary. The decision of that tribunal would be final, and anyone refusing to abide by that court’s decision was subject to the death penalty.

17:14 a king. The office of king was anticipated by Moses in the Pentateuch (see Gen. 17:16; 35:11; 49:9–12; Num. 24:7, 17). He anticipated the time when the people would ask for a king and, here, gave explicit instruction about the qualifications of that future king.

17:15 from among your brethren. How the Lord would make that choice was not explained, but the field was narrowed by the qualification that he must be a fellow Israelite.

17:16, 17 multiply . . . multiply . . . multiply. Restrictions were placed on the king: (1) he must not acquire many horses; (2) he must not take multiple wives; and (3) he must not accumulate much silver and gold. The king was not to rely on military strength, political alliances, or wealth for his position and authority, but he was to look to the Lord. Solomon violated all of those prohibitions, while his father, David, violated the last two. Solomon’s wives brought idolatry into Jerusalem, and this resulted in the kingdom being divided (1 Kin. 11:1–43).

17:18 write . . . a copy of this law. The ideal set forth was that of the king who was obedient to the will of God, which he learned from reading the law. The result of his reading of the Pentateuch would be fear of the Lord and humility. The king was pictured as a scribe and scholar of Scripture. Josiah re-instituted this approach at a bleak time in Israel's history (cf. 2 Kin. 22).

17:20 his heart may not be lifted above his brethren. The king was not to be above God’s law, any more than any other Israelite.

18:1 all the tribe of Levi. Unlike the other twelve tribes, none of the tribe of Levi, including the priests, was given an allotment of land to settle and cultivate. The Levites lived in the cities assigned to them throughout the land (Num. 35:1–8; Josh. 21), while the priests lived near the central sanctuary, where they went to officiate in their appropriate course (cf. 1 Chr. 6:57–60). Levites assisted the priests (Num. 3; 4; 8).

18:3–5 the priest’s due. In place of a land inheritance and in recognition of their priestly duties, the priests had a right to specific portions of the animals offered for sacrifices.

18:6–8 a Levite. If a Levite wanted to go to the central sanctuary to minister there in the Lord’s name, he was permitted to do so and to receive equal support along with other Levites.

18:9–12 the abominations of those nations. Moses gave a strict injunction not to copy, imitate, or do what the polytheistic Canaanites did. Nine detestable practices of the Canaanites were delineated in verses 10, 11, namely: (1) sacrificing children in the fire (see 12:31); (2) witchcraft, seeking to determine the will of the gods by examining and interpreting omens; (3) soothsaying, attempting to control the future through power given by evil spirits; (4) interpreting omens, telling the future based on signs; (5) sorcery, inducing magical effects by drugs or some other potion; (6) conjuring spells, binding other people by magical muttering; (7) being a medium, one who supposedly communicates with the dead, but actually communicates with demons; (8) being a spiritist, one who has an intimate acquaintance with the demonic, spiritual world; and (9) calling up the dead, investigating and seeking information from the dead. These evil practices were the reason the Lord was going to drive the Canaanites out of the land.

18:15–19 a Prophet like me. The singular pronoun emphasizes the ultimate Prophet who was to come. Both the OT (34:10) and the NT (Acts 3:22, 23; 7:37) interpret this passage as a reference to the coming Messiah who, like Moses, would receive and preach divine revelation and lead His people (cf. John 1:21, 25, 43–45; 6:14; 7:40). In fact, Jesus was like Moses in several ways: (1) He was spared death as a baby (Ex. 2; Matt. 2:13–23); (2) He renounced a royal court (Phil. 2:5–8; Heb. 11:24–27); (3) He had compassion on His people (Num. 27:17; Matt. 9:36); (4) He made intercession for the people (Deut. 9:18; Heb. 7:25); (5) He spoke with God face to face (Ex. 34:29, 30; 2 Cor. 3:7); and (6) He was the mediator of a covenant (Deut. 29:1; Heb. 8:6, 7).

18:20–22 who speaks in the name of other gods. In contrast to the true prophet, Moses predicted there would be false prophets who would come to Israel, speaking not in the name of the Lord, but in the name of false gods. How could the people tell if a prophet was authentically speaking for God? Moses said, “if the thing does not happen,” it was not from God. The characteristic of false prophets is the failure of their predictions to come true. Sometimes false prophets speak and it happens as they said, but they are representing false gods and trying to turn people from the true God. They must be rejected and executed (13:1–5). Other times, false prophets are more subtle and identify with the true God, but speak lies. If ever a prophecy of such a prophet fails, he is shown to be false. Cf. Jeremiah 28:15–17; 29:30–32.

3. Instructions for societal order (19:1–23:14)

19:1–23:14 The statutes explained by Moses in this part of Deuteronomy deal broadly with social and community order. These laws focus on interpersonal relationships.

19:1–13 See Numbers 35:9–34 for the purpose of the cities of refuge.

19:2 three cities. Three cities of refuge were to be set aside in Canaan after the conquest of the land (see Josh. 20:7 for Israel’s obedience to this command). These three cities west of the Jordan River were in addition to the three already established east of the Jordan (see 4:41–43 for the eastern cities of refuge).

19:9 add three more cities. If the Israelites had been faithful in following the Lord fully, then He would have enlarged their territory to the boundaries promised in the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 15:18–21). In that case, three more cities of refuge, for a total of nine, would have been needed.

19:14 your neighbor’s landmark. These landmarks referred to stones bearing inscriptions which identified the owner of the property. Moving a neighbor’s boundary stone was equivalent to stealing his property (cf. Prov. 22:28; 23:10).

19:15 by the mouth of two or three witnesses. More than one witness was necessary to convict a person of a crime. This principle was to act as a safeguard against the false witness who might bring an untruthful charge against a fellow Israelite. By requiring more than one witness, greater accuracy and objectivity was gained (cf. Deut. 17:6; Matt. 18:15–17; 2 Cor. 13:1).

19:16–19 a false witness. In some cases, there would only be one witness who would bring a charge against someone. When such a case was taken to the central tribunal of priests and judges for trial and, upon investigation, the testimony of the witness was found to be false, the accuser received the punishment appropriate for the alleged crime.

19:20 hear and fear.When the fate of the false witness became known in Israel, it would serve as a deterrent against giving false testimony in Israel’s courts.

19:21 eye for eye. This principle of legal justice (called lex talionis, “law of retaliation”) was given to encourage appropriate punishment of a criminal in cases where there might be a tendency to be either too lenient or too strict (see notes on Ex. 21:23, 24; Lev. 24:20 ). Jesus confronted the Jews of His day for taking this law out of the courts and using it for purposes of personal vengeance (cf. Matt. 5:38–42).

20:1–20 The humanitarian principles applicable in war under Mosaic law are in stark contrast to the brutality and cruelty of other nations.

20:1 do not be afraid. When Israelites went into battle, they were never to fear an enemy’s horses or chariots because the outcome of a battle would never be determined by mere military strength. The command not to be afraid was based on God’s power and faithfulness, which had already been proved to Israel in their deliverance from Egypt.

20:2–4 the priest shall . . . speak to the people. The role of the priest in battle was to encourage the soldiers by God’s promise, presence, and power to be strong in faith. A lack of trust in God’s ability to fight for them would affect the strength of their will so that they would become fainthearted. Victory was linked to their faith in God.

20:5–8 Let him go and return to his house. Four exemptions from service in Israel’s volunteer army were cited to illustrate the principle that anyone whose heart was not in the fight should not be there. Those who had other matters on their minds or were afraid were allowed to leave the army and return to their homes, since they would be useless in battle and might even influence others to lose courage (v. 8).

20:10–15 offer of peace. Cities outside of Canaan were not under the judgment of total destruction, so Israel was to offer a peace treaty to them. If the city agreed to become a vassal to Israel, then the people would become tributary subjects. However, if the offer of peace was rejected, Israel was to besiege and take the city, killing the men and taking possession of the rest of the people and animals as spoils of war. Note here the principle that the proclamation of peace preceded judgment (cf. Matt. 10:11–15).

20:16–18 utterly destroy. The Canaanite cities were to be totally destroyed, i.e., nothing was to be spared, in order to destroy their influence toward idolatry (cf. 7:22–26).

20:19, 20 you shall not destroy its trees. When besieging a city, armies in the ancient world would cut down the trees to build ramps and weapons, as well as facilities for the long siege. However, Israel was not to use fruit trees in the siege of a city so they could later enjoy the fruit of the land God had given to them (7:12, 13).

21:1–9 it is not known who killed him. This law, which dealt with an unsolved homicide, was not given elsewhere in the Pentateuch. In the event that the guilty party was unknown, justice could not adequately be served. However, the people were still held responsible to deal with the crime. The elders of the city closest to the place where the body of a dead man was found were to accept responsibility for the crime. This precluded inter-city strife, in case relatives sought revenge. They would go to a valley (idol altars were always on high places, so this avoided association with idolatry) and there break the neck of a heifer, indicating that the crime deserved to be punished. But the handwashing of the elders (v. 6) would show that, although they accepted responsibility for what had happened, they were nevertheless free from the guilt attached to the crime.

21:5 This distinctly indicates that final judicial authority in the theocracy of Israel rested with the priests.

21:11–14 a beautiful woman. According to ancient war customs, a female captive became the servant of the victors. Moses was given instruction to deal in a kind way with such issues. In the event her conquerors were captivated by her beauty and contemplated marriage with her, one month was required to elapse, during which her troubled feelings might settle, her mind would be reconciled to the new conditions of conquest, and she could sorrow over the loss of her parents as she left home to marry a stranger. One month was the usual mourning period for Jews, and the features of this period, e.g., shaving the head, trimming the nails, and removing her lovely clothes (ladies on the eve of captivity dressed to be attractive to their captors), were typical signs of Jewish grief. This action was important to show kindness to the woman and to test the strength of the man’s affection. After the thirty days, they could marry. If later he decided divorce was appropriate (based on the provisions of 24:1–4), he could not sell her as a slave. She was to be set completely free because “you have humbled her.” This phrase clearly refers to sexual activity, in which the wife has fully submitted herself to her husband (cf. 22:23, 24, 28, 29). It should be noted that divorce appears to have been common among the people, perhaps learned from their time in Egypt, and tolerated by Moses because of their “hard hearts” (see notes on 24:1–4; Matt.19:8 ).

21:11, 12 among the captives a beautiful woman. Such a woman would be from a non-Canaanite city that Israel had captured (see 20:14) since all the Canaanites were to be killed (20:16). These discarded items were symbolic of the casting off of her former life and carried purification symbolism (cf. Lev. 14:18; Num. 8:7).

21:15–17 has two wives. In the original, the words literally say “has had two wives,” referring to events that have already taken place, evidently intimating that one wife is dead and another has taken her place. Moses, then, is not legislating on a polygamous case where a man has two wives at the same time, but on that of a man who has married twice in succession. The man may prefer the second wife and be exhorted by her to give his inheritance to one of her sons. The issue involves the principle of the inheritance of the firstborn (the right of primogeniture). The firstborn son of the man, whether from the favorite wife or not, was to receive the double portion of the inheritance. The father did not have the authority to transfer this right to another son. This did not apply to sons of a concubine (Gen. 21:9–13) or in cases of misconduct (Gen. 49:3, 4).

21:18–21 a stubborn and rebellious son. Cf. 27:16. The long-term pattern of rebellion and sin of a child who was incorrigibly disobedient is in view. No hope remained for such a person who flagrantly violated the fifth commandment (Ex. 20:12), so he was to be stoned to death.

21:22, 23 hang him on a tree. After an execution, the body was permitted to hang on a tree for the rest of the day as a public display of the consequences of disobedience. However, the body was not to remain on the tree overnight, but was to be properly buried before sunset. Cf. Galatians 3:13, where Paul quotes this text in regard to the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

22:1–26:19 While loving God was a person’s first duty (cf. 6:5), loving one’s neighbor came next (cf. Matt. 22:37–40). In this section, the law of loving one’s neighbor is applied to domestic and social relationships.

22:1–4 hide yourself. The Israelite must not hide his eyes from such an obvious loss. It was his duty to pursue and bring back the lost property of his neighbor.

22:5 anything that pertains to a man . . . woman’s garment. Found only here in the Pentateuch, this statute prohibited a man from wearing any item of feminine clothing or ornamentation, or a woman from wearing any item of masculine clothing or ornamentation. The same word translated “abomination” was used to describe God’s view of homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; 20:13). This instance specifically outlawed transvestism. The creation-order distinctions between male and female were to be maintained without exception (cf. Gen. 1:27).

22:6 a bird’s nest. Found only here in the Pentateuch, this law showed that God cared for the long-term provisions for His people. By letting the mother bird go, food could be acquired without killing the source of future food.

22:8 a parapet. Found only here in the Pentateuch, this refers to the roof of a home in ancient Israel, which was flat and usually reached by outside stairs. To prevent injury or death from falling, a fence was to be built around the roof. This, too, expressed love for those who might otherwise be injured or killed.

22:9 different kinds of seed. The aim of the legislation seems to be to maintain healthy crops by keeping the seeds separate from one another. See note on Leviticus 19:19.

22:10 an ox and a donkey together. According to the dietary laws prescribed earlier (14:1–8), the ox was a “clean” animal, but the donkey was “unclean.” Even more compelling was the fact that these two different animals couldn’t together plow a straight furrow. Their temperaments, natural instincts, and physical characteristics made it impossible. As with the seed (v. 9), God is protecting his people’s food.

22:11 garment . . . wool and linen. See note on Leviticus 19:19.

22:12 make tassels. See Numbers 15:38–40 for the purpose of these tassels.

22:13–30 This section is on family life (cf. Lev. 18:1–30; 20:10–21).

22:13–21 An Israelite who doubted the virginity of his bride was to make a formal accusation to the elders of the city. If her parents gave proof of virginity showing the accusation was false, the husband was to pay a penalty and was prohibited from divorcing the woman. However, if she was found not to be a virgin, then she was to be put to death.

22:15 the evidence of the young woman’s virginity. Probably a blood-stained garment or a bed sheet from the wedding night.

22:19 shekels. This word is not in the Hebrew text, but the context suggests it. A shekel weighed four-tenths of an ounce, so the total fine would be about two and one-half pounds of silver.

22:22–29 Adultery was punished by death for the two found in the act. If the adulterous persons were a man with a woman who was pledged to be married to someone else, this consensual act led to the death of both parties (vv. 23, 24). However, if the man forced (i.e., raped) the woman, then only the man’s life was required (vv. 25–27). If the woman was a virgin not pledged in marriage, then the man had to pay a fine, marry the girl, and keep her as his wife as long as he lived (vv. 28, 29).

22:30 A man shall not take his father’s wife. In no case was a man to marry his father’s wife or have sexual relations with her. This probably has relations with a stepmother in view, though incest was certainly forbidden (cf. Lev. 18:6–8).

23:1–6 the assembly of the LORD. From the sanctification of the home and marriage in the previous chapter, Moses proceeds to the sanctification of their union as a congregation and speaks to the right of citizenship, including being gathered before the presence of the Lord to worship Him. Most likely, this law did not exclude a person from residence in the area where Israel was to live, but from public offices and honors, intermarriage, and participation in the religious rites at the tabernacle, plus later at the temple. The emasculated (v. 1), the illegitimate (v. 2), and the Ammonites and Moabites (vv. 3–6) were not allowed to worship the Lord. The general rule was that strangers and foreigners, for fear of friendship or marriage connections which would lead Israel into idolatry, were not admissible until their conversion to God and the Jewish faith. This purge, however, describes some limitations to the general rule. Eunuchs, illegitimate children, and people from Ammon and Moab were excluded. Eunuchs were forbidden because such willful mutilation (lit. in Hebrew, by crushing, which was the way such an act was generally performed) violated God’s creation of man, was associated with idolatrous practices, and was done by pagan parents to their children so they might serve as eunuchs in the homes of the great (cf. 25:11, 12). The illegitimate were excluded so as to place an indelible stigma as a discouragement to shameful sexual misconduct. People from Ammon and Moab were excluded, not because they were born out of incest (cf. Gen 19:30ff.), but on account of their vicious hostility toward God and His people Israel. Many of the Israelites were settled east of the Jordan River in the immediate neighborhood of these people, so God raised this wall to prevent the evils of idolatrous influence. Individuals from all three of these outcast groups are offered grace and acceptance by Isaiah upon personal faith in the true God (cf. Is. 56:1–8). Ruth the Moabitess serves as a most notable example (cf. Ruth 1:4, 16). See Ruth: Interpretive Challenges.

23:2, 3 to the tenth generation. The use of the word forever in verses 3 and 6 seems to indicate that this phrase is an idiom denoting permanent exclusion from the worshiping community of Israel. In contrast, an Edomite or Egyptian might worship in Israel in the third generation (see vv. 7, 8). Though these nations had also been enemies, Edom was a near relative, coming from Jacob’s family, while individual Egyptians had shown kindness to the Israelites at the Exodus (cf. Ex. 12:36).

23:9–14 Because the camp of Israelite soldiers was a place of God’s presence (v. 14), the camp was to be kept clean. Instruction was given concerning nocturnal emission (vv. 10, 11) and defecation (vv. 12, 13). Such instruction for external cleanness illustrated what God wanted in the heart.

4. Instructions from miscellaneous laws (23:15–25:19)

23:15–25:19 Moses selected twenty-one sample laws to further illustrate the nature of the requirements of living under the Sinaitic covenant.

23:15, 16 A fugitive slave was not to be turned over to his master. Evidently, this has in mind a slave from the Canaanites or other neighboring nations who was driven out by oppression or with a desire to know Israel’s God.

23:17, 18 Prostitution as a form of worship was forbidden. Dog is a reference to male prostitutes (cf. Rev. 22:15).

23:19, 20 This prohibition of lending money at interest to a fellow Israelite is qualified by Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35, 36, which indicates that it restricts its application to the poor and prevents further impoverishment, but it was allowed for foreigners who were engaged in trade and commerce to enlarge their wealth. According to 15:1, 2, it is also clear that money could be legitimately lent in the normal course of business, subject to forgiveness of all unpaid debt in the sabbatical year (cf. 24:10).

23:21–23 Though vows were made voluntarily, they were to be promptly kept once made. Cf. Numbers 30:2.

23:24, 25 Farmers were to share their produce with the people in the land, but the people were not to profit from the farmers’ generosity.

24:1–4 This passage does not command, commend, condone, or even suggest divorce. Rather, it recognizes that divorce occurs and permits it, but only on restricted grounds. The case presented here is designed to convey the fact that divorce produced defilement. Notice the following sequence: (1) if a man finds an uncleanness (some impurity or something vile, cf. 23:14) in his wife, other than adultery, which was punished by execution (cf. 22:22); (2) if he legally divorces her (although God hates divorce, as Mal. 2:16 says; He has designed marriage for life, as Genesis 2:24 declares; and He allowed divorce because of hard hearts, as Matt. 19:8 reveals); (3) if she then marries another man; and (4) if the new husband subsequently dies or divorces her; then, that woman could not return to her first husband (v. 4). This is so because she was “defiled” with such a defilement that is an abomination to the Lord and a sinful pollution of the Promised Land. What constitutes that defilement? Only one thing is possible—she was defiled in the remarriage because there was no ground for the divorce. So when she remarried, she became an adulteress (Matt. 5:31, 32) and is thus defiled so that her former husband can’t take her back. Illegitimate divorce proliferates adultery. See notes on Matthew 5:31, 32; 19:4–9.

24:5 During the first year of marriage, a man was not held responsible for military service or any other duty. He was to devote that year of marriage to the enjoyment and establishment of his marriage.

24:6 Two millstones were needed to grind grain. Neither was to be taken in pledge because it was indispensable to a family’s daily subsistence.

24:7 The death penalty would be exacted on kidnappers who kidnaped a brother Israelite for involuntary servitude or as merchandise to sell.

24:8, 9 Moses exhorted the people to follow the commands of the Lord regarding infectious skin diseases (see notes on Lev.13:1–14:57 ).

24:10–13 his pledge. This would often be a cloak, an outer garment, which was given in pledge to guarantee the repayment of a loan. God’s people were to act righteously in the lending of money. An example of a righteous lender was one who did not forcefully exact payment and who allowed a poor person to retain his pledge (cloak) overnight if it was necessary to keep him warm. Lending to the poor was permitted, but without: (1) interest (23:19, 20); (2) coercion to repay; and (3) extension of the loan beyond the sabbatical year (15:1, 2).

24:14, 15 Day laborers were to be paid on the day they labored because they lived day to day on such wages (cf. Lev. 19:13; Matt. 20:1–16).

24:16 Punishment for a crime was to be borne only by the offender. See notes on Ezekiel 18. The death of Saul’s seven grandsons (2 Sam. 21:5–9) is a striking exception of national proportion grounded in God’s sovereign wisdom, as was the death of David and Bathsheba’s first son (2 Sam. 12:14).

24:17, 18 The administration of law should be carried out with equity for all members of society, including those with the least power and influence, e.g., widows, orphans, and immigrants.

24:19–22 The practice of allowing the needy to glean in the field was grounded in the remembrance of Israel’s hard service in Egypt (v. 18).

25:1–3 Corporal punishment for crimes committed was to be equitably carried out in the presence of the judges and was limited to forty stripes.

25:4 A worker must be allowed to enjoy the fruit of his own labor (cf. 1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 2:6).

25:5–10 Levirate marriages (from Latin, levir, “husband’s brother”) provided that the brother of a dead man who died childless was to marry the widow in order to provide an heir. These were not compulsory marriages in Israel, but were applied as strong options to brothers who shared the same estate. Obviously, this required that the brother be unmarried and desired to keep the property in the family by passing it on to a son. Cf. Leviticus 18:16; 20:21, where adultery with a living brother’s wife is forbidden. Though not compulsory, this practice reflected fraternal affection; and, if a single brother refused to conform to this practice, he was confronted with contempt and humiliation by the elders. The perpetuation of his name as a member of the covenant people witnessed to the dignity of the individual. Since Numbers 27:4–8 gave daughters the right of inheritance when there were no sons in a family, it is reasonable to read “no child” rather than “no son” in verse 5. Cf. Tamar, Genesis 38:8–10, and the Boaz-Ruth marriage, Ruth 4:1–17.

25:5 Cf. Matthew 22:24; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28.

25:11, 12 The consequence of the immodest act was the only example of punishment by mutilation in the Pentateuch.

25:13–16 The weights and measures of trade were to be kept equitably so people were not cheated. Obedience meant prosperous years in the land.

25:17–19 The admonition to remember the treachery of the Amalekites was repeated to the new generation (see notes on Ex.17:9–16). For execution of the command, see 1 Sam. 15:1–3.

5. The firstfruits and tithes in the land (26:1–15)

26:1–15 As the stipulation section of Deuteronomy came to an end (chs. 5–25), Moses commanded the people to keep two rituals when they had conquered the land and began to enjoy its produce. These two rituals were the initial firstfruits offering (26:1–11) and the first third-year special tithe (26:12–15). In both cases, there is an emphasis upon the prayer of confession to be given at the time of the rituals (26:5–10, 13–15). These special offerings were given in order to celebrate Israel’s transition from a nomadic existence to a settled agrarian community, made possible by the Lord’s blessing.

26:2 the first of all the produce. Baskets of the firstfruits from the first harvest reaped by Israel, once they were in the land of Canaan, were to be taken to the tabernacle (cf. Ex. 23:19; 34:26; Num. 18:12–17). This is to be distinguished from the annual Feast of Firstfruits (cf. Lev. 23:9–14) celebrated in conjunction with the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

26:5 you shall . . . say before the Lord your God. The offering of the firstfruits was to be accompanied by an elaborate confession of the Lord’s faithfulness in preserving Israel and bringing the people into the land. The essential aspects of the worshipers’ coming to the sanctuary were the presentation of the firstfruits, bowing in worship, and rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness. In this manner, the visit to the sanctuary was a confession and acknowledgment of God. It was a time of praise and rejoicing because of God’s goodness and mercy extended to former generations and evidence of divine sustaining grace at that time. a Syrian, about to perish. The word perish is better translated as “wandering.” “A wandering Syrian” referred to Jacob, who was each Israelite’s father or ancestor. When Jacob fled from his home in Beersheba, he passed through Syria (Aram) to Mesopotamia (Aram-naharaim, Gen. 24:10) to live with Laban, his uncle. Returning from there, Jacob was overtaken by Laban after he came through Syria at the Jabbok River, where he not only faced the wrath of Laban, but also that of Esau his brother. Later, the famine in Canaan necessitated his migration to Egypt. When the Israelites became populous and powerful, they were oppressed by the Egyptians, but it was God who responded to their prayers and miraculously delivered them out of Egypt. It was God who enabled them to enter and conquer the land from which the firstfruits were presented before the altar.

26:12 the tithe. I.e., the tithe collected every third year of Israel’s existence in the land of Canaan (see 14:28). Apparently, this tithe was not taken to the central sanctuary, but distributed locally to Levites, immigrants, widows, and orphans. For the other regular annual tithes, see note on 14:22.

26:13, 14 you shall say before the LORD your God. The confession to be made in connection with the offering of this first tithe consisted of a statement of obedience (vv. 13, 14) and a prayer for God’s blessing (v. 15). In this manner, the Israelites confessed their continual dependence on God and lived in obedient expectance of God’s continued gracious blessing.

26:15 Look down from . . . heaven. This was the first reference to God’s dwelling place being in heaven. From His abode in heaven, God had given the Israelites the land flowing with milk and honey as He had promised to the patriarchs. His continued blessing on both the people and the land was requested.

6. The affirmation of obedience (26:16–19)

26:16–19 The last four verses of the chapter concluded Moses’ explanation of the law’s stipulations by calling for the total commitment by Israel to the Lord and His commands. These verses can be viewed as the formal ratification of the Sinaitic covenant between the Lord and the second generation of Israel. In accepting the terms of this agreement, acknowledging that the Lord is their God, and promising wholehearted obedience plus a desire to listen to God’s voice, the Israelites were assured that they were His people and the chosen over all other nations to receive His blessings and the calling to witness to His glory to all the world. See Exodus 19:5, 6.

26:16 This day. I.e., the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year (1:3). Note also, “today” in verses 17, 18.

D. The Blessings and Curses of the Covenant (27:1–28:68)

27:1–28:68 In these two chapters, Moses explained the curses and the blessings associated with the Sinaitic covenant. He first called Israel to perform an elaborate ceremony to ratify the covenant when they entered the land (27:1–26; carried out by Joshua in Josh. 8:30–35). This was to remind the people that it was essential to obey the covenant and its laws. Then, Moses further explained the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience (28:1–68).

27:2, 4 whitewash them with lime. Upon arrival in the land of promise, under Joshua, large stone pillars were to be erected. Following the method used in Egypt, they were to be prepared for writing by whitewashing with plaster. When the law was written on the stones, the white background would make it clearly visible and easily read. These inscribed stones were to offer constant testimony to all people and coming generations of their relationship to God and His law (cf. 31:26; Josh. 24:26, 27).

27:3, 8 all the words of this law. This is probably a reference to the entire Book of Deuteronomy.

27:4 Mount Ebal. A mountain in the center of the Promised Land, just to the north of the city of Shechem. It was at Shechem that the Lord first appeared to Abraham in the land and where Abraham built his first altar to the Lord (Gen. 12:6, 7). This mountain, where the stone pillars with the law and the altar (v. 5) were built, was the place where the curses were to be read (v. 13).

27:5–7 build an altar. In addition to setting up the stones, the Israelites were to build an altar of uncut stones. At this altar, the offerings were to be brought to the Lord, and together the people would rejoice in God’s presence. This is what was done when the covenantal relationship was established at Mt. Sinai (Ex. 24:1–8). The burnt offerings, completely consumed, represented complete devotion to God; the peace offerings expressed thanks to Him.

27:12, 13 These . . . these. The Twelve Tribes were divided into two groups of six each. The tribe of Levi was to participate in the first group. The tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim were together as the tribe of Joseph.

27:12 Mount Gerizim. This was the mountain south of Mount Ebal, with the city of Shechem in the valley between, from which the blessings were to be read. Perhaps the actual arrangement provided that the priests stood by the ark of the covenant, in the valley between the two mountains, with six tribes located northward toward Mount Ebal and six southward toward Mount Gerizim. The priests and Levites read the curses and blessings with the people responding with the “men” of affirmation. to bless. The blessings that were to be recited from Mount Gerizim were not recorded in this passage, no doubt omitted here to emphasize that Israel did not prove themselves obedient to the covenant and, therefore, did not enjoy the blessings.

27:15–26 Twelve offenses serve as examples of the kind of iniquities that made one subject to the curse. These offenses might have been chosen because they are representative of sins that might escape detection and, so, remain secret (vv. 15, 24).

27:15 one who makes a carved . . . image. The first curse concerned idolatry, the breaking of the first and second Commandments (5:7–10). Amen! To each curse all the people responded, “amen.” The Hebrew word means“so be it.” The people, thereby, indicated their understanding and agreement with the statement made.

27:16 treats his father or his mother with contempt. The dishonoring of parents was the breaking of the fifth Commandment (5:16).

27:17 landmark. See note on 19:14.

27:18 makes the blind to wander. This refers to abusing a blind man.

27:19 perverts the justice. This refers to taking advantage of those members of society who could be easily abused.

27:20 lies with his father’s wife. Incest. See note on 22:30.

27:21 lies with any kind of animal. This refers to the sin of bestiality. See 20:15, 16; Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23.

27:22 lies with his sister. The committing of incest with either a full sister or a half sister.

27:23 lies with his mother-in-law. See Leviticus 18:17; 20:14.

27:24 attacks his neighbor secretly. A secret attempt to murder a neighbor.

27:25 takes a bribe. This relates to a paid assassin.

27:26 does not confirm all the words of this law. The final curse covered all the rest of God’s commandments enunciated by Moses on the plains of Moab (cf. Gal. 3:10). Total obedience is demanded by the law and required by God. Only the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished this (2 Cor. 5:21). Amen! All the people agreed to be obedient (cf. Ex. 24:1–8), a promise they would soon violate.

28:1–68 In his responsibility as leader and mediator, Moses had previously told the people the promise of God’s blessing and the warning that they should not turn to other gods when the covenant was given at Sinai (Ex. 23:20–33). After their rebellion against that covenant, Moses warned them (Lev. 26) of the divine judgment that would come if they disobeyed. Here, Moses gives an exhortation based upon the blessings and the curses of the covenant (see Lev. 26:1–45). The blessings and the curses in this chapter follow the same structure. First, Moses clearly explained that the quality of Israel’s future experience would come on the basis of obedience or disobedience to God (28:1, 2, 15). Second, the actual blessings and curses were succinctly stated (28:3–6, 16–19). Third, Moses gave a sermonic elaboration of the basic blessings and curses (28:7–14, 20–68). Just as the curses were given more prominence in the ceremony of 27:11–26, so the curses incurred by disobedience to the covenant were much more fully developed here. The perspective of Moses was that Israel would not prove faithful to the covenant (31:16–18, 27) and, so, would not enjoy the blessings of the covenant; therefore, the curses received much more attention.

28:1–14 See Joshua 21:45; 23:14, 15; 1 Kings 8:56 for blessing fulfillment.

28:1, 2 diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God. Diligently obey emphasized the need for complete obedience on the part of Israel. The people could not legally or personally merit God’s goodness and blessing, but their constant desire to obey, worship, and maintain a right relation with Him was evidence of their true faith in and love for Him (cf. 6:5). It was also evidence of God’s gracious work in their hearts.

28:1 high above all nations. If Israel obeyed the Lord, ultimate blessing would be given in the form of preeminence above all the nations of the world (see 26:19). The indispensable condition for obtaining this blessing was salvation, resulting in obedience to the Lord, in the form of keeping His commandments. This blessing will ultimately come to pass in the millennial kingdom, particularly designed to exalt Israel’s King, the Messiah, and His nation (see Zech. 13:1–14:21; Rom. 11:25–27).

28:3–6 Blessed. These beatitudes summarize the various spheres where the blessing of God would extend to Israel’s life. God’s favor is also intended to permeate all their endeavors as emphasized further in the expanded summary in 28:7–14, on the condition of obedience (vv. 1, 2, 9, 13, 14). They will know victory, prosperity, purity, respect, abundance, and dominance, i.e., comprehensive blessing.

28:6 come in . . . go out. An idiomatic way of referring to the normal everyday activities of life (see 31:2). This is a fitting conclusion to the “blessings and curses” (v. 19), since it sums up everything.

28:10 called by the name of the LORD. Israel’s obedience and blessing would cause all the people of the earth to fear Israel because they were clearly the people of God. This was God’s intention for them all along, to be a witness to the nations of the one true and living God and draw the Gentiles out of idol worship. They will be that witness nation in the last days (see Rev. 7:4–10; 14:1) and in the kingdom (see Zech. 8:1–12).

28:13 the head and not the tail. Israel was to be the leader over the other nations (“the head”) and not to be in subjection to another nation (“the tail”).

28:15–68 The curses are outlined as God warned His people of the price of the absence of love for Him and disobedience.

28:15 Cf. Joshua 23:15, 16.

28:16–19 These are parallels to the blessings in verses 3–6.

28:20 until you are destroyed. Moses was aware that the Israelites were apt to be unfaithful to God, so he portrays, in extended warnings, the disastrous results of the loss of their land and their place of worship if they disobeyed God. Destruction was the ultimate calamity for Israel’s sin (vv. 20, 21, 24, 45, 48, 51, 61, 63).

28:21 Cf. Jeremiah 14:12; 21:6; Ezekiel 5:12; 6:11.

28:22 Cf. Amos 4:9.

28:23 bronze . . . iron. The heavens would be as bright as bronze, but no rain would fall from them to water the ground. The earth would be as hard as iron, so any falling rain would run off and not penetrate (cf. Amos 4:7).

28:25 Cf. 2 Chronicles 29:8; Nehemiah 1:8; Jeremiah 15:4.

28:26 Cf. Jeremiah 7:33; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20.

28:27 the boils of Egypt. The disease with which God afflicted the Egyptians prior to the Exodus (see Ex. 9:9; Amos 4:10).

28:30 These three curses were in contrast to the exemptions from military service granted in 20:5–7. The exemptions were possible because God would grant His people victory in battle. Disobedience to the Lord, however, would mean that God would no longer fight for His people. Those normally exempted from military service would be forced to fight and be killed. Consequently, the soldier’s betrothed wife would be violated and his house and grapes taken by the foreign invader (cf. Jer. 8:10; Amos 5:11; Zeph. 1:13).

28:32 Cf. 2 Chronicles 29:9.

28:35 sole of your foot . . . head. Diseases of the skin would afflict the people cursed by God. The disease mentioned here is like that from which Job suffered (see Job 2:7).

28:36 the king whom you set over you. Though they had no king at the time of entering the land, Moses anticipated that Israel would have a king over them when this curse came—a future king of Israel who would be taken with them into exile. to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known. The Israelites would be taken captive to a nation other than Egypt, where they had recently been in bondage. This future nation would be particularly steeped in idolatry (cf. 2 Kin. 17:41; Jer. 16:13).

28:37 Cf. 1 Kings 9:8; 2 Chronicles 29:8; Jeremiah 19:8; 25:9, 18; 29:18.

28:38–40 Cf. Isaiah 5:10; Joel 1:4; Micah 6:15.

28:46 Cf. 2 Chronicles 29:8; Jeremiah 18:6; Ezekiel 14:8.

28:49 a nation . . . from the end of the earth. God would raise up a nation to act as His own instrument of judgment against His ungrateful people. This foreign nation was described as coming from a far distance, a nation that would arise quickly and one that would completely devastate the land. This was fulfilled first by Assyria (Is. 5:26; 7:18–20; 28:11; 37:18; Hos. 8:1) and then by Babylon (Jer. 5:15; Lam. 4:19; Ezek. 17:3; Hab. 1:6–8).

28:50 Cf. 2 Chronicles 36:17.

28:52–57 Ultimately, an invading nation would besiege all the cities of Judah (see note on 28:49 ). In verses 53–57, Moses gave a revolting description of the Israelites’ response to those siege conditions. The unthinkable activity of cannibalism is introduced in verse 53 and, then, illustrated in the verses that follow (see 2 Kin. 6:28, 29; Lam. 2:20; 4:10).

28:52 Cf. 2 Chronicles 32:10; Jeremiah 10:17, 18; Ezekiel 5:2; Hosea 11:6.

28:53 Cf. Jeremiah 19:9.

28:58–63 this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD. Israel’s obedience to the law (i.e., the Sinaitic covenant) would lead to fearing the Lord, whose “name” represents His presence and character. The title “LORD (Yahweh)” revealed the glory and greatness of God (see Ex. 3:15). Significantly, the phrase “the LORD your God” is used approximately 280 times in the book of Deuteronomy. The full measure of the divine curse would come on Israel when its disobedience had been hardened into disregard for the glorious and awesome character of God. In verses 15 and 45, Moses described curses for disobedience; hence, the worst of the curses come when disobedience is hardened into failure to fear God. Only God’s grace would save a small remnant (v. 62), thus keeping Israel from being annihilated (cf. Mal. 2:2).

In contrast to the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5, the physical seed of Abraham under God’s curse would be reduced as God had multiplied the seed of the patriarchs in Egypt (see Ex. 1:7), He would decimate their numbers to make them as nothing until His restoration of the nation in a future day (see 30:5).

28:59–61 Cf. Amos 4:10.

28:61 this Book of the Law. A definite, particular written document was meant (see 31:9), referring not just to Deuteronomy (cf. 31:9), but to the Pentateuch, as far as it had been written. This is evident from verses 60 and 61, which indicate that the diseases of Egypt were written in the book of the law, thus referring to Exodus, which records those plagues.

28:63 Cf. Jeremiah 12:14; 45:4.

28:64 the LORD will scatter you. The Jews remaining, after the curses occur, would be dispersed by the Lord ultimately to serve false gods, restlessly and fearfully throughout all the nations of the earth (cf. Neh. 1:8, 9; Jer. 30:11; Ezek. 11:16). This dispersion began with the captivity of the northern kingdom, Israel (722 B.C.), then the southern kingdom, Judah (605–586 B.C.), and is still a reality today. In the future earthly kingdom of Messiah, Israel will experience its regathering in faith, salvation, and righteousness. See. Isaiah 59:19–21; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:8–37:14; Zechariah 12:10–14:21. The unbearable nature of Israel’s present condition was emphasized since the people longed for another time (v. 67). Cf. Jeremiah 44:7; Hosea 8:13; 9:3; 11:4, 5.

28:68 but no one will buy you. Israel would be so abandoned by God that she would not even be able to sell herself into slavery. The curse of God would bring Israel into a seemingly hopeless condition (cf. Hos. 8:13; 9:3). The specific mention of Egypt could be symbolic for any lands where the Jews have been taken into bondage or sold as slaves. But it is true that after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which was a judgment on the apostasy of Israel and their rejection and execution of the Messiah, this prophecy was actually fulfilled. The Roman general Titus, who conquered Jerusalem and Israel, sent 17,000 adult Jews to Egypt to perform hard labor there and had those who were under seventeen years old publicly sold. Under the Roman emperor Hadrian, countless Jews were sold and suffered such bondage and cruelty.

IV. THE THIRD ADDRESS BY MOSES: ANOTHER COVENANT (29:1–30:20)

29:1–30:20 These chapters contain the third address of Moses, which is a contrast between the covenant at Sinai and the covenant he envisioned for Israel in the future. Though the past had seen Israel’s failure to keep the covenant and to trust in God, there was hope for the future. It was this hope that Moses emphasized in the content of these chapters focusing clearly on the themes of the new covenant.

29:1 These are the words. The Hebrew text numbers this verse as 28:69 rather than 29:1, seeing it as the conclusion to the second address of Moses. However, as in 1:1, these words introduce what follows, serving as the introduction to Moses’ third address. the covenant . . . in the land of Moab. The majority of interpreters view the covenant stated here as a reference to the covenant made at Sinai. According to this view, the covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai (Horeb) was renewed in Moab. However, this verse clearly states that the covenant of which Moses now speaks was “besides,” or “in addition to,” the previous covenant. This was another covenant distinct from the one made at Sinai.

This other covenant is viewed by some interpreters as the Palestinian covenant, which gave Israel the title to the land (see 30:5). However, the emphasis of these two chapters is not on the land, but on the change of Israel’s heart (see the contrast between 29:4 and 30:6). It was exactly this change of heart which the later prophets would term “the new covenant” (see Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:26, 27). In response to Israel’s certain failure under the provisions of the Sinaitic covenant (29:23–28), Moses anticipated the new covenant under which Israel would be obedient to the Lord and finally reap His blessings (30:1–10).

29:4 the LORD has not given you . . . eyes to see. In spite of all they had experienced (vv. 2, 3), Israel was spiritually blind to the significance of what the Lord had done for them, lacking spiritual understanding, even as Moses was speaking. This spiritual blindness of Israel continues to the present day (Rom. 11:8), and it will not be reversed until Israel’s future day of salvation (see Rom. 11:25–27). The Lord had not given them an understanding heart because the people had not penitently sought it (cf. 2 Chr. 7:14).

29:9 keep the words of this covenant. The spiritual experience of God’s faithfulness to Israel should have led to obedience to the stipulations of the Sinaitic covenant in the future, but could not without a transformed heart (vv. 4, 18) and the true knowledge of God (v. 6).

29:10, 11 All of you stand today before the Lord your God. All the people were likely stationed in an orderly way before Moses, not as a call to outward order, but inward devotion, to make the covenant a matter of the heart and life.

29:12 enter into covenant . . . and . . . oath. Enter into expresses submission in faith and repentance before God, resulting in heart obedience. The people were to bind themselves in an oath to obey the stipulations of God’s covenant (cf. Gen 26:28).

29:14, 15 not with you alone. All of Israel, present and future, were to be bound by the stipulations of the covenant to obey God and be blessed. Thus, they would be able to lead all nations to the blessedness of salvation (cf. John 17:20, 21; Acts 2:39).

29:18 a root bearing bitterness or wormwood. The picture was of a root spreading poison and bitterness into the whole tree. The metaphor indicates permeation of idolatry throughout Israel because of the action of an individual family or tribe, precipitating God’s curse and wrath.

29:19 as though the drunkard . . . included with the sober. This could be translated “to destroy the watered land along with the dry land.” With either translation, the meaning is that the deceived rebel against the Lord follows only his wicked heart and could not hide within the total community. The idolater would stand out and bear the judgment for his idolatry.

29:20 blot out his name from under heaven. The idolater would have no place among God’s people, because God would curse him and then kill him (cf. 25:19: Ex. 17:14). This very strong language reveals how God feels about idolatry, which is forbidden in the Decalogue (Ex. 20:2–7).

29:21 this Book of the Law. See note on 31:9.

29:22 the coming generation . . . and the foreigner. In a future day, both Israel and the nations would see the results of God’s judgment on the land of Israel because of Israel’s disobedience, as a witness to the holy standard God has established in His law. Cf. Leviticus 26:31, 32.

29:23 Sodom. The punishment the Lord would bring on Israel in the future was likened to that of Sodom and her allies whom the Lord buried in fiery brimstone in the time of Abraham and Lot (see Gen. 19:24–29). It should be noted that Sodom and vicinity resembled paradise, the garden of God, before its destruction (cf. Gen. 13:10).

29:24 This question is answered in verses 25–28.

29:29 The secret things . . . those things which are revealed. That which is revealed included the law with its promises and threats; consequently, that which is hidden can only refer to the specific way in which God will carry out His will in the future, which is revealed in His Word and completed in His great work of salvation, in spite of the apostasy of His people.

30:1–10 The rejection of God by Israel, and of Israel by God and the subsequent dispersion were not the end of the story of God’s people. Having anticipated a time when Israel’s disobedience would lead to her captivity in a foreign land, Moses looked beyond the destruction of that time of judgment to an even more distant time of restoration and redemption for Israel (cf. Lev. 26:40–45). This future restoration and blessing of Israel would take place under the New Covenant (see notes on Jer. 31:31–34; 32:36–41; Ezek. 36:25–27 ). For a comparison of the New Covenant with the Old Covenant, see notes on 2 Corinthians 3:6–18.

30:1–3 you call them to mind. Moses moved to the future when curses would be over and blessings would come. At some future time, after disobedience to the Lord brought on Israel the curses of the covenant, the people will remember that the circumstances in which they found themselves were the consequence of their disobedience and, in repentance, they will return to the Lord. This repentance will lead to a wholehearted commitment of obedience to God’s commandments (v. 8) and the consequent end of Israel’s distress (v. 3). This is the ultimate salvation of Israel by faith in Christ, spoken of by Isaiah (54:4–8), Jeremiah (31:31–34; 32:37–42), Ezekiel (36:23–38), Hosea (14:1–9), Joel (3:16–21), Amos (9:11–15), Zephaniah (3:14–20), Zechariah (12:10–13:9), Malachi (3:16–4:4), and Paul (Rom. 11:25–27).

30:4, 5 The gathering of Jews out of all the countries of the earth will follow Israel’s final redemption. Restoration to the land will be in fulfillment of the promise of the covenant given to Abraham (see Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18–21; 17:8) and so often reiterated by Moses and the prophets.

30:6 the Lord . . . will circumcise your heart. Cf. 10:16. This work of God in the innermost being of the individual is the true salvation that grants a new will to obey Him in place of the former spiritual insensitivity and stubbornness (cf. Jer. 9:25; Rom. 2:28, 29). This new heart will allow the Israelite to love the Lord wholeheartedly, and is the essential feature of the new covenant (see 29:4, 18; 30:10, 17; Jer. 31:31–34; 32:37–42; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26). See note on Jeremiah 4:4.

30:7 on your enemies. The curses that had fallen on Israel because of disobedience will, in the future, come upon the nations that have enslaved the Jews. The judgment of God would come upon those who cursed the physical seed of Abraham in fulfillment of Genesis 12:3.

30:8, 9 you will again obey the voice of the LORD. With a new heart under the New Covenant, Israel would obey all the commandments of the Lord. This would result in the Lord’s blessing, which would bring greater prosperity than Israel had ever previously experienced.

30:10 Here is a renewed enforcement of the indispensable fruit of salvation and another echo of the constant theme of this book.

30:11–14 After remembering the failures of the past and the prospects for the future, Moses earnestly admonished the people to make the right choice. The issue facing them was to enjoy salvation and blessing by loving God so wholeheartedly that they would willingly live in obedience to His Word. The choice was simple, yet profound. It was stated in simple terms so they could understand and grasp what God expected of them (v. 11). Although God had spoken from heaven, He had spoken through Moses in words every person could understand (v. 12). They did not have to search at some point beyond the sea (v. 13). The truth was now there, through Moses, in their hearts and minds (v. 14). All the truth necessary for choosing to love and obey God and thus avoid disobedience and cursing, they had heard and known (v. 15). Paul quotes verses 12–14 in Romans 10:6–8.

30:15 Moses pinpoints the choice—to love and obey God is life, to reject God is death. If they chose to love God and obey His Word, they would enjoy all God’s blessings (v. 16). If they refused to love and obey Him, they would be severely punished (vv. 17, 18). Paul, in speaking about salvation in the NT, makes use of this appeal made by Moses (Rom. 10:1–13). Like Moses, Paul is saying that the message of salvation is plain and understandable.

30:19 choose life. Moses forces the decision, exhorting Israel on the plains of Moab before God (heaven) and man (earth) to choose by believing in and loving God, the life available through the new covenant (see v. 6). Sadly, Israel failed to respond to this call to the right choice (see 31:16–18, 27–29). Choosing life or death was also emphasized by Jesus. The one who believed in Him had the promise of eternal life; while the one who refused to believe faced eternal death (cf. John 3:1–36). Every person faces this same choice.

V. THE CONCLUDING EVENTS (31:1–34:12)

31:1–34:12 Two themes dominate the last four chapters of Deuteronomy: (1) the death of Moses (31:1, 2, 14, 16, 26–29; 32:48–52; 33:1; 34:1–8, 10–12) and (2) the succession of Joshua (31:1–8, 14, 23; 32:44; 34:9). These final chapters are centered around two more speeches by Moses: (1) the Song of Moses (32:1–43) and (2) the Blessings of Moses (33:1–29).

A. The Change of Leadership (31:1–8)

31:1 Moses went and spoke. Though some interpreters view this verse as the conclusion to the foregoing address in chapters 29 and 30, it is better to see these words as an introduction to the words of Moses which follow, based upon the general pattern of Deuteronomy. Verses 2–6 are addressed to every Israelite.

31:2 one hundred and twenty years old. This was the age of Moses at his death. According to Acts 7:30, Moses spent forty years in Midian tending sheep. Thus, the life of Moses is broken down into three forty-year periods. His first forty years were spent in Egypt (Ex. 2:1–15). The second forty years were spent in Midian (Ex. 2:15–4:19). His final forty years were spent leading Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land. The life and ministry of Moses were completed, but God’s work would go on (v. 3a). go out and come in. Here is an idiom for engaging in a normal day’s work and activity. Though still strong for his age (cf. 34:7), Moses admitted that he no longer could provide the daily leadership necessary for Israel. Furthermore, God would not allow him to enter the land beyond the Jordan River because of his sin at the waters of Meribah (see 32:51).

31:3 God Himself . . . Joshua himself crosses over. Though Joshua was to be the new human leader over Israel (see 31:3–7, 23), it was the Lord Himself who was the real leader and power. He would cross over ahead of them to enable them to destroy the nations.

31:4 Sihon and Og. Israel was assured that the nations of the land would be destroyed by the Lord in the same way that He had recently defeated the Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, on the east side of the Jordan River (see 2:26–3:11). That was a preview of what was to come (v. 5).

31:6–8 Be strong and of good courage. The strength and courage of the warriors of Israel would come from their confidence that their God was with them and would not forsake them. In verses 7 and 8, Moses repeated the substance of his exhortation, this time addressing it specifically to Joshua in the presence of the people to encourage him and to remind the people that Joshua’s leadership was being assumed with the full approval of God. This principle for faith and confidence is repeated in 31:23; Joshua 1:5–7; 2 Samuel 10:12; 2 Kings 2:2; 1 Chronicles 22:11–13; 2 Chronicles 32:1–8; Psalm 27:14. The writer of Hebrews quotes verses 6, 8 in 13:5.

B. The Future Reading of the Law (31:9–13)

31:9 Moses wrote this law. At the least, Moses, perhaps with the aid of some scribes or elders who assisted him in leading Israel, wrote down the law that he had explained in the first thirty-two chapters of Deuteronomy (cf. v. 24). However, since the law explained in Deuteronomy had also been given in portions of Exodus through Numbers, it seems best to view this written law as all that is presently found in Scripture from Genesis 1 through Deuteronomy 32:47. After Moses’ death, Deuteronomy 32:48–34:12 was added to complete the canonical Torah, perhaps by one of the elders who had served with Moses, even Joshua.

31:11 you shall read this law before all Israel. The law that Moses wrote down was given to the priests who were required to be its custodians and protectors and to read it in the hearing of all Israel at the Feast of Tabernacles during each sabbatical year. This reading of the law every seven years was to remind the people to live in submission to their awe-inspiring God.

C. The Song of Moses (31:14–32:47)

1. The anticipation of Israel’s failure (31:14–29)

31:14 the tabernacle of meeting. The Lord told Moses to summon Joshua to the tent where He met Israel, and the presence of the Lord appeared in the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the Holy Place (v. 15). This signaled God’s confirmation of Joshua, the former military captain (see Ex. 17:9–14) and spy (see Num. 13:16), as Israel’s new leader. God’s message to Joshua is summed up in verses 16–22.

31:16–21 they will forsake Me and break My covenant. After Moses’ death, the Lord Himself predicts that in spite of what He has commanded (30:11, 20), the Israelites would forsake Him by turning to worship other gods and, thereby, break the Sinaitic covenant. Having forsaken God, the people would then be forsaken by God with the inevitable result that disaster would fall on them at every turn. This is one of the saddest texts in the OT. After all God had done, He knew they would forsake Him.

31:19, 22 write down this song. The song that the Lord gave Moses to teach the Israelites would be a constant reminder of their disobedience to the Lord and the results of that disobedience. The song was written that same day and is recorded in 32:1–43.

31:23 I will be with you. Joshua was to assume his lonely role of leadership over Israel with an assurance of the companionship and strength of the Lord. God’s presence with him was sufficient to enable him to meet boldly every obstacle that the future could bring (see Josh. 1:5; 3:7).

31:24 in a book. The words that Moses had spoken were written down in a book that was placed beside the ark of the covenant (v. 26). Only the Ten Commandments were placed in the ark itself (Ex. 25:16; 31:18). The “Book of the Law” (v. 26) was one of the titles for the Pentateuch in the rest of Scripture (Josh. 1:8; 8:34).

31:27 your rebellion and your stiff neck. See 9:6, 13; 10:16. Moses was well acquainted with Israel’s obstinate ways, even in the most gracious of divine provision.

31:29 you will become utterly corrupt. Dominated by the practice of idolatry (see 4:16, 25; 9:12), the people would become wicked. evil will befall you in the latter days. The latter days (lit. “at the end of the days”) referred to the far distant future. This was the time when the king would come from Judah (Gen. 49:8–12) to defeat Israel’s enemies (Num. 24:17–19). Here, it is revealed that it would also be a time when disaster would fall on Israel because of evil done, thus bringing the Lord’s wrath. The description of God’s judgment on Israel and the nations in this song cannot be limited to the immediate future of the people as they entered the land, but extends to issues which are eschatological in time and global in extent, as the song indicates (32:1–43).

2. The witness of Moses’ song (31:30–32:43)

31:30–32:43 This prophetic, poetic song has as its central theme Israel’s apostasy, which brings God’s certain judgment. The song begins with a short introduction emphasizing the steadfast God and the fickle nation (vv. 1–6). The song describes God’s election of Israel (vv. 8, 9) and His care for them from the time of the wilderness wanderings (vv. 10–12) to their possession and initial enjoyment of the blessings in the land (vv. 13, 14). However, Israel’s neglect of God’s goodness and her apostasy (vv. 15–18) would bring God’s future outpouring of wrath on His people (vv. 19–27) and Israel’s continuing blindness in the face of God’s wrath (vv. 28–33). Ultimately, God’s vengeance would strip Israel of all power and turn the nation from idolatry (vv. 34–38). Then God would bring His judgment upon the nations, both His enemies and Israel’s (vv. 39–42). The song ends with a call to the nations to rejoice with Israel because God would punish His enemies and spiritually heal both Israel and her land (v. 43). Ezekiel 16 should be studied as a comparison to this chapter. It recites similar matters in graphic and picturesque language.

32:1 Give ear, O heavens . . . And hear, O earth. All of creation was called to be an audience to hear the message to Israel, as in 30:19, because the truth Moses was about to proclaim concerned the whole universe. It did so because it involved (1) the honor of God the Creator so disregarded by sinners, (2) the justification of God so righteous in all His ways, and (3) the manifestation in heaven and earth of God’s judgment and salvation (v. 43).

32:2 my teaching. Moses imparted instruction that if received would, like rain, dew, raindrops, and showers to the earth, bring benefit to the hearts and the minds of the hearers.

32:3 Ascribe greatness to our God. Cf. 3:24; 5:24; 9:26; 11:2; Psalm 150:2. This command refers to the greatness of God revealed in His acts of omnipotence.

32:4 the Rock. This word, representing the stability and permanence of God, was placed at the beginning of the verse for emphasis and was followed by a series of phrases which elaborated the attributes of God as the rock of Israel. It is one of the principal themes in this song (see vv. 15, 18, 30, 31), emphasizing the unchanging nature of God in contrast to the fickle nature of the people.

32:5 A perverse and crooked generation. Israel, in contrast to God, was warped and twisted. Jesus used this phrase in Matthew 17:17 of an unbelieving generation and Paul in Philippians 2:15 of the dark world of mankind in rebellion against God.

32:6 your Father. The foolishness and stupidity of Israel would be seen in the fact that they would rebel against God who as a Father had brought them forth and formed them into a nation. As Father, He was the progenitor and originator of the nation and the One who had matured and sustained it. This idea of God as Father of the nation is emphasized in the OT (cf. 1 Chr. 29:10; Is. 63:16; 64:8; Mal. 2:10), while the idea of God as Father of individual believers is developed in the NT (cf. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

32:7 Remember the days of old. A call to reflect on past history and to inquire about the lessons to be learned.

32:8, 9 the Most High. This title for God emphasized His sovereignty and authority over all the nations (see Gen. 11:9; 10:32; 14:18; Num. 24:16) with the amazing revelation that, in the plan for the world, God had as His goal the salvation of His chosen people. God ordained a plan where the number of nations (seventy according to Gen. 10) corresponded to the number of the children of Israel (seventy according to Gen. 46:27). Further, as God gave the nations their lands, He established their boundaries, leaving Israel enough land to sustain their expected population.

32:10–14 This description of what God did for Israel is figurative. Israel is like a man in the harsh desert in danger of death, without food or water, who is rescued by the Lord.

32:10 as the apple of His eye. Lit. “the little man of His eye,” i.e., the pupil. Just as the pupil of the eye is essential for vision and, therefore, closely protected, especially in a howling wind, so God closely protected Israel. Cf. Psalm 17:8; Proverbs 7:2.

32:11 Hovers over its young. The Lord exercised His loving care for Israel like an eagle caring for its young, especially as they were taught to fly. As the eaglets began to fly and had little strength, they would start to fall. At that point, an eagle would stop their fall by spreading its wings so they could land on them. In the same way, the Lord has carried Israel and not let the nation fall. He had been training Israel to fly on His wings of love and omnipotence.

32:12 no foreign god. Moses makes clear that God alone carried Israel through all its struggles and victories, thus depriving the people of any excuse for apostasy from the Lord by interest in false gods.

32:13 honey from the rock. This reference to honeycombs, located in the fissures of the faces of a cliff, is used because Canaan had many wild bees. oil from the flinty rock. This is likely a reference to olive trees growing in rocky places, otherwise bereft of fruit-growing trees. These metaphoric phrases regarding honey and oil point to the most valuable products coming out of the most unproductive places.

32:14 rams of . . . Bashan. See note on 3:1.

32:15 Jeshurun. The word means “righteous” (lit. “the upright one”), i.e., a name for Israel which sarcastically expresses the fact that Israel did not live up to God’s law after entering the land. God uses this name to remind Israel of His calling and to severely rebuke apostasy. grew fat and kicked. Like an ox which had become fat and intractable, Israel became affluent because of the bountiful provisions of God, but instead of being thankful and obedient, she became rebellious against the Lord (cf. 6:10–15).

32:16 foreign gods. Israel turned to worship the gods of the people in the land. These were gods they had not before acknowledged (v. 17).

32:17 demons. Cf. Leviticus 17:7; 2 Chronicles 11:15; Psalm 106:37. The term describes those angels who fell with Satan and constitute the evil force that fights against God and His holy angels. Idol worship is a form of demon worship as demon spirits impersonate the idol and work their wicked strategies through the system of false religion tied to the false god.

32:18–33 For this foolish apostasy, the Lord will severely judge Israel. This visitation of anger is in the form of a divine resolution to punish Israelites whenever they pursue idols, including the next generation of sons and daughters (v. 19). In verses 20–22, Moses quotes the Lord Himself.

32:21 not a nation. As the Lord was provoked to jealousy by Israel’s worship of that which was “not God,” so He would provoke Israel to jealousy and anger by humiliation before a foolish, vile “no-nation.” In Romans 10:19, Paul applied the term “not a nation” to the Gentile nations, generally-speaking. Jews who worship a “no-god” will be judged by a “no-people.”

32:22 a fire is kindled . . . to the lowest hell. Cf. 29:20. Once the fire of God’s anger was kindled, it knew no limits in its destructive force, reaching even to those in the grave, an indication of God’s eternal judgment against those who oppose Him.

32:23 disasters . . . arrows. The disasters (lit. “evil”) are described in verse 24. The arrows represent the enemies who would defeat Israel in war and are further described in verses 25–27.

32:27 Our hand is high. This speaks of military arrogance. The only thing that would prevent the Lord from permitting the complete destruction of His people would be His concern that the Gentiles might claim for themselves the honor of victory over Israel.

32:31 rock . . . Rock. A contrast between the gods of the nations (“rock”) and Israel’s true God (“Rock”). Israel could smite its foes with little difficulty because of the weakness of their gods, who are not like the Rock Jehovah.

32:32 the vine of Sodom. Employing the metaphor of a vineyard, i.e., its grapes and its wine, the wickedness of Israel’s enemies was described as having its roots in Sodom and Gomorrah, the evil cities destroyed by God as recorded in Genesis 19:1–29.

32:34 Sealed up among My treasures. The wicked acts of Israel’s enemies were known to God and are stored up in His storehouse. At the proper time, God will avenge. Paul uses this image in Romans 2:4, 5.

32:35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense. The manner and timing of the repayment of man’s wickedness is God’s prerogative. This principle is reaffirmed in the NT in Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30.

32:36 This is the promise that the Lord will judge Israel as a nation, but that the nation is composed of righteous and wicked. God actually helps the righteous by destroying the wicked. “His servants” are the righteous, all who in the time of judgment are faithful to the Lord (cf. Mal. 3:16–4:3). The Lord has judged Israel, not to destroy the nation, but to punish the sinners and show the folly of their false gods (vv. 37, 38). At the same time, the Lord has always shown compassion for those who have loved and obeyed Him.

32:39 I, even I, am He. After showing the worthlessness of false gods (vv. 37, 38), this declaration of the nature of God was presented in contrast to show that the God of Israel is the living God, the only One who can offer help and protection to Israel. He has the power of life and death with regard to Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 2:6; 2 Kin. 5:7) and the power to wound and heal them (cf. Is. 30:26; 57:17, 18; Jer. 17:14; Hos. 6:1).

32:40–42 I raise My hand. God takes an oath to bring vengeance on His enemies. Here (as in Ex. 6:8; Num. 14:28), the hand is used anthropomorphically of God, who can swear by no greater than His eternal Self (cf. Is. 45:23; Jer. 22:5; Heb. 6:17).

32:43 Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. As a result of the execution of God’s vengeance, all nations will be called on to praise, with Israel, the Lord who will have provided redemptively for them in Christ and also provided a new beginning in the land. This atonement for the land is the satisfaction of God’s wrath by the sacrifice of His enemies in judgment. The atonement for the people is by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross (cf. Ps. 79:9). Paul quotes this passage in Romans 15:10, as does the writer of Hebrews (1:6).

3. The communicating of Moses’ song (32:44–47)

32:47 it is your life. Moses reiterated to Israel that obedience to the Lord’s commands was to be the key to her living long in the land that God had prepared, so he called for this song to be a kind of national anthem which the leaders should see was frequently repeated to animate the people to obey God.

D. The Final Events of Moses’ Life (32:48–34:12)

32:48–34:12 The anticipation of and record of Moses’ death (32:48–52; 34:1–12) bracket the recording of Moses’ blessing given to Israel before his death. This literary unit was composed and added to the text after the death of Moses.

1. The directives for Moses’ death (32:48–52)

32:49 Mount Nebo. A peak in the Abarim range of mountains to the east of the north end of the Dead Sea, from where Moses would be able to see across to the Promised Land, which he was not permitted to enter.

32:50 gathered to your people. An idiom for death. See Genesis 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:33; Numbers 20:24, 26; 31:2.

2. The blessing of Moses (33:1–29)

33:1–29 The final words of Moses to the people were a listing of the blessings of each of the tribes of Israel, Simeon excluded (vv. 6–25). These blessings were introduced and concluded with passages which praise God (vv. 2–5, 26–29). That these blessings of Moses are presented in this chapter as recorded by someone other than Moses is clear because in verse 1, Moses was viewed as already being dead, and as the words of Moses were presented, the clause “he said” (vv. 2, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24) was used.

33:1 the man of God. This is the first use of this phrase in Scripture. Subsequently, some seventy times in the OT, messengers of God (especially prophets) are called “a man of God” (1 Sam. 2:27; 9:6; 1 Kin. 13:1; 17:18; 2 Kin. 4:7). The NT uses this title for Timothy (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:17). Moses was viewed among such prophets in this conclusion to the book (see 34:10).

33:2 Sinai . . . Seir . . . Paran. These are mountains associated with the giving of the law—Sinai on the south, Seir on the northeast, and Paran on the north. These mountains provide a beautiful metaphor, borrowed from the dawn. God, like the morning sun, is the light that rises to give His beams to all the Promised Land. saints. Lit. “holy ones.” Probably a reference to the angels who assisted God when the law was mediated to Moses at Mt. Sinai (see Acts 7:53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2).

33:3 He loves the people. Notwithstanding the awe-inspiring symbols of majesty displayed at Sinai, the law was given in kindness and love to provide both temporal and eternal blessing to those with a heart to obey it. Cf. Romans 13:8–10.

33:5 King in Jeshurun. See note on 32:15. Since Moses is nowhere else in Scripture referred to as king, most interpret this as a reference to the Lord as King over Israel. However, Moses is the closest antecedent of the pronoun he in this clause, and the most natural understanding is that Moses is being referred to as a king. Moses certainly exercised kingly authority over Israel and could be viewed as a prototype of the coming King. Thus, united in the figure of Moses, the coming prophet like unto Moses (18:15) would be the prophet-king.

33:6 Reuben. Here is the prayer that this tribe would survive in large numbers (cf. Num. 1:21; 2:11).

33:7 Judah. Moses prayed that this tribe would be powerful in leading the nation to be victorious in battle through the help of the Lord.

33:8–11 Levi. Moses prayed for the Levites to fulfill their tasks, God granting to them protection from their enemies. Moses omitted Simeon, but that tribe did receive a number of allies in the southern territory of Judah (Josh. 19:2–9) and did not lose their identity (cf. 1 Chr. 4:34–38).

33:12 Benjamin. That this tribe would have security and peace because the Lord would shield them was Moses’ request. They were given the land in northern Judah near Jerusalem.

33:13–17 Joseph. This included both Ephraim and Manasseh (v. 17), who would enjoy material prosperity (vv. 13–16) and military might (v. 17), which would compensate and reward them for the Egyptian slavery of their ancestor (see Gen. 49:26). Ephraim would have greater military success in the future than Manasseh as the outworking of Jacob’s blessing of the younger over the older (see Gen. 48:20).

33:18 Zebulun . . . Issachar. Moses prayed that these two tribes from the fifth and sixth sons of Leah would receive God’s blessing in their daily lives, particularly through the trade on the seas.

33:20 Gad. This tribe had large territory east of the Jordan River and was a leader in gaining the victory in battles in Canaan.

33:22 Dan. Dan had the potential for great energy and strength and would later leap from its southern settlement to establish a colony in the north. Cf. Genesis 49:17, 18, where Dan is compared to a serpent.

33:23 Naphtali. This tribe would enjoy the favor of God in the fullness of His blessing, having land in the west of Galilee and south of the northern Danites.

33:24 Asher. The request is that this tribe would experience abundant fertility and prosperity, depicted by reference to a foot-operated oil press. Shoes of hard metal suited both country people and soldiers.

33:26, 27 the God of Jeshurun. Moses concluded his blessings with a reminder of the uniqueness of Israel’s God. For Jeshurun, see note on 32:15.

33:28, 29 This pledge was only partially fulfilled after the people entered the land, but it awaits a complete fulfillment in the kingdom of Messiah.

33:28 The fountain of Jacob. This is a euphemism for Jacob’s seed, referring to his posterity.

3. The death of Moses (34:1–12)

34:1–12 This concluding chapter was obviously written by someone other than Moses (probably the writer of Joshua) to bridge from Deuteronomy to Joshua.

34:1 Pisgah. The range or ridge of which Mt. Nebo was the highest point.

34:1–4 the LORD showed him. From the top of the mountain, Moses was allowed to see the panorama of the land the Lord had promised to give (the land of Canaan) to the patriarchs and their seed in Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 15:18–21; 26:4; 28:13, 14.

34:6 He buried him. The context indicates that the Lord is the one who buried Moses, and man did not have a part in it. Cf. Jude 9, which recounts Michael’s and Satan’s dispute over Moses’ body.

Further Study

Deere, Jack S. Deuteronomy, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary—Old Testament. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor, 1984.

Merrill, Eugene H. Deuteronomy, in New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.

34:7 not dim . . . diminished. Moses’ physical vision and physical health were not impaired. It was not death by natural causes that kept Moses from leading Israel into the Promised Land; it was his unfaithfulness to the Lord at Meribah (see Num. 20:12).

34:8 thirty days. The mourning period for Moses conformed to that of Aaron (Num. 20:29).

34:9 spirit of wisdom . . . laid his hands. Joshua received (1) confirmation of the military and administrative ability necessary to