19 And ye shall teach H3925 them your children, H1121 speaking H1696 of them when thou sittest H3427 in thine house, H1004 and when thou walkest H3212 by the way, H1870 when thou liest H7901 down, and when thou risest up. H6965
Only take heed H8104 to thyself, and keep H8104 thy soul H5315 diligently, H3966 lest thou forget H7911 the things H1697 which thine eyes H5869 have seen, H7200 and lest they depart H5493 from thy heart H3824 all the days H3117 of thy life: H2416 but teach H3045 them thy sons, H1121 and thy sons' H1121 sons; H1121 Specially the day H3117 that thou stoodest H5975 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God H430 in Horeb, H2722 when the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Gather H6950 me the people H5971 together, H6950 and I will make them hear H8085 my words, H1697 that they may learn H3925 to fear H3372 me all the days H3117 that they shall live H2416 upon the earth, H127 and that they may teach H3925 their children. H1121
For he established H6965 a testimony H5715 in Jacob, H3290 and appointed H7760 a law H8451 in Israel, H3478 which he commanded H6680 our fathers, H1 that they should make them known H3045 to their children: H1121 That the generation H1755 to come H314 might know H3045 them, even the children H1121 which should be born; H3205 who should arise H6965 and declare H5608 them to their children: H1121
Hear, H8085 ye children, H1121 the instruction H4148 of a father, H1 and attend H7181 to know H3045 understanding. H998 For I give H5414 you good H2896 doctrine, H3948 forsake H5800 ye not my law. H8451 For I was my father's H1 son, H1121 tender H7390 and only H3173 beloved in the sight H6440 of my mother. H517 He taught H3384 me also, and said H559 unto me, Let thine heart H3820 retain H8551 my words: H1697 keep H8104 my commandments, H4687 and live. H2421 Get H7069 wisdom, H2451 get H7069 understanding: H998 forget H7911 it not; neither decline H5186 from the words H561 of my mouth. H6310 Forsake H5800 her not, and she shall preserve H8104 thee: love H157 her, and she shall keep H5341 thee. Wisdom H2451 is the principal thing; H7225 therefore get H7069 wisdom: H2451 and with all thy getting H7075 get understanding. H998 Exalt H5549 her, and she shall promote H7311 thee: she shall bring thee to honour, H3513 when thou dost embrace H2263 her. She shall give H5414 to thine head H7218 an ornament H3880 of grace: H2580 a crown H5850 of glory H8597 shall she deliver H4042 to thee. Hear, H8085 O my son, H1121 and receive H3947 my sayings; H561 and the years H8141 of thy life H2416 shall be many. H7235 I have taught H3384 thee in the way H1870 of wisdom; H2451 I have led H1869 thee in right H3476 paths. H4570 When thou goest, H3212 thy steps H6806 shall not be straitened; H3334 and when thou runnest, H7323 thou shalt not stumble. H3782 Take fast hold H2388 of instruction; H4148 let her not go: H7503 keep H5341 her; for she is thy life. H2416 Enter H935 not into the path H734 of the wicked, H7563 and go H833 not in the way H1870 of evil H7451 men. Avoid H6544 it, pass H5674 not by it, turn H7847 from it, and pass away. H5674 For they sleep H3462 not, except they have done mischief; H7489 and their sleep H8142 is taken away, H1497 unless they cause some to fall. H3782 H3782 For they eat H3898 the bread H3899 of wickedness, H7562 and drink H8354 the wine H3196 of violence. H2555 But the path H734 of the just H6662 is as the shining H5051 light, H216 that shineth H215 more H1980 and more unto the perfect H3559 day. H3117 The way H1870 of the wicked H7563 is as darkness: H653 they know H3045 not at what they stumble. H3782 My son, H1121 attend H7181 to my words; H1697 incline H5186 thine ear H241 unto my sayings. H561 Let them not depart H3868 from thine eyes; H5869 keep H8104 them in the midst H8432 of thine heart. H3824 For they are life H2416 unto those that find H4672 them, and health H4832 to all their flesh. H1320 Keep H5341 thy heart H3820 with all diligence; H4929 for out of it are the issues H8444 of life. H2416 Put away H5493 from thee a froward H6143 mouth, H6310 and perverse H3891 lips H8193 put far H7368 from thee. Let thine eyes H5869 look H5027 right on, H5227 and let thine eyelids H6079 look straight H3474 before thee. Ponder H6424 the path H4570 of thy feet, H7272 and let all thy ways H1870 be established. H3559 Turn H5186 not to the right hand H3225 nor to the left: H8040 remove H5493 thy foot H7272 from evil. H7451
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 11
Commentary on Deuteronomy 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
De 11:1-32. An Exhortation to Obedience.
1. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge—The reason for the frequent repetition of the same or similar counsels is to be traced to the infantine character and state of the church, which required line upon line and precept upon precept. Besides, the Israelites were a headstrong and perverse people, impatient of control, prone to rebellion, and, from their long stay in Egypt, so violently addicted to idolatry, that they ran imminent risk of being seduced by the religion of the country to which they were going, which, in its characteristic features, bore a strong resemblance to that of the country they had left.
2-9. I speak not with your children which have not known … But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did—Moses is here giving a brief summary of the marvels and miracles of awful judgment which God had wrought in effecting their release from the tyranny of Pharaoh, as well as those which had taken place in the wilderness. He knew that he might dwell upon these, for he was addressing many who had been witnesses of those appalling incidents. For it will be remembered that the divine threatening that they should die in the wilderness, and its execution, extended only to males from twenty years and upward, who were able to go forth to war. No males under twenty years of age, no females, and none of the tribe of Levi, were objects of the denunciation (see Nu 14:28-30; 16:49). There might, therefore, have been many thousands of the Israelites at that time of whom Moses could say, "Your eyes have seen all the great acts which He did"; and with regard to those the historic review of Moses was well calculated to stir up their minds to the duty and advantages of obedience.
10-12. For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out—The physical features of Palestine present a striking contrast to those of the land of bondage. A widely extending plain forms the cultivated portion of Egypt, and on the greater part of this low and level country rain never falls. This natural want is supplied by the annual overflow of the Nile, and by artificial means from the same source when the river has receded within its customary channel. Close by the bank the process of irrigation is very simple. The cultivator opens a small sluice on the edge of the square bed in which seed has been sown, making drill after drill; and when a sufficient quantity of water has poured in, he shuts it up with his foot. Where the bank is high, the water is drawn up by hydraulic engines, of which there are three kinds used, of different power, according to the subsidence of the stream. The water is distributed in small channels or earthen conduits, simple in construction, worked by the foot, and formed with a mattock by the gardener who directs their course, and which are banked up or opened, as occasion may require, by pressing in the soil with the foot. Thus was the land watered in which the Israelites had dwelt so long. Such vigilance and laborious industry would not be needed in the promised land. Instead of being visited with moisture only at one brief season and left during the rest of the year under a withering blight, every season it would enjoy the benign influences of a genial climate. The hills would attract the frequent clouds, and in the refreshing showers the blessing of God would especially rest upon the land.
12. A land which the Lord thy God careth for—that is, watering it, as it were, with His own hands, without human aid or mechanical means.
14. the first rain and the latter rain—The early rain commenced in autumn, that is, chiefly during the months of September and October, while the latter rain fell in the spring of the year, that is, during the months of March and April. It is true that occasional showers fell all the winter; but, at the autumnal and vernal seasons, they were more frequent, copious, and important; for the early rain was necessary, after a hot and protracted summer, to prepare the soil for receiving the seed; and the latter rain, which shortly preceded the harvest, was of the greatest use in invigorating the languishing powers of vegetation (Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23; Am 4:7; Jas 5:7).
15-17. I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle—Undoubtedly the special blessing of the former and the latter rain [De 11:14] was one principal cause of the extraordinary fertility of Canaan in ancient times. That blessing was promised to the Israelites as a temporal reward for their fidelity to the national covenant [De 11:13]. It was threatened to be withdrawn on their disobedience or apostasy; and most signally is the execution of that threatening seen in the present sterility of Palestine. MR. LowthIAN, an English farmer, who was struck during his journey from Joppa to Jerusalem by not seeing a blade of grass, where even in the poorest localities of Britain some wild vegetation is found, directed his attention particularly to the subject, and pursued the inquiry during a month's residence in Jerusalem, where he learned that a miserably small quantity of milk is daily sold to the inhabitants at a dear rate, and that chiefly asses' milk. "Most clearly," says he, "did I perceive that the barrenness of large portions of the country was owing to the cessation of the early and latter rain, and that the absence of grass and flowers made it no longer the land (De 11:9) flowing with milk and honey."
18-25. lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them—(See on De 6:1).
24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours—not as if the Jews should be lords of the world, but of every place within the promised land. It should be granted to them and possessed by them, on conditions of obedience:
from the wilderness—the Arabah on the south;
Lebanon—the northern limit;
Euphrates—their boundary on the east. Their grant of dominion extended so far, and the right was fulfilled to Solomon.
even unto the uttermost sea—the Mediterranean.
26-32. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse—(See on De 27:11).