29 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath brought thee in H935 unto the land H776 whither thou goest H935 to possess H3423 it, that thou shalt put H5414 the blessing H1293 upon mount H2022 Gerizim, H1630 and the curse H7045 upon mount H2022 Ebal. H5858
These shall stand H5975 upon mount H2022 Gerizim H1630 to bless H1288 the people, H5971 when ye are come over H5674 Jordan; H3383 Simeon, H8095 and Levi, H3878 and Judah, H3063 and Issachar, H3485 and Joseph, H3130 and Benjamin: H1144 And these shall stand H5975 upon mount H2022 Ebal H5858 to curse; H7045 Reuben, H7205 Gad, H1410 and Asher, H836 and Zebulun, H2074 Dan, H1835 and Naphtali. H5321 And the Levites H3881 shall speak, H6030 and say H559 unto all the men H376 of Israel H3478 with a loud H7311 voice, H6963 Cursed H779 be the man H376 that maketh H6213 any graven H6459 or molten image, H4541 an abomination H8441 unto the LORD, H3068 the work H4639 of the hands H3027 of the craftsman, H2796 and putteth H7760 it in a secret H5643 place. And all the people H5971 shall answer H6030 and say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that setteth light H7034 by his father H1 or his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that removeth H5253 his neighbour's H7453 landmark. H1366 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that maketh the blind H5787 to wander H7686 out of the way. H1870 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that perverteth H5186 the judgment H4941 of the stranger, H1616 fatherless, H3490 and widow. H490 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his father's H1 wife; H802 because he uncovereth H1540 his father's H1 skirt. H3671 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with any manner of beast. H929 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his sister, H269 the daughter H1323 of his father, H1 or the daughter H1323 of his mother. H517 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that lieth H7901 with his mother in law. H2859 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that smiteth H5221 his neighbour H7453 secretly. H5643 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that taketh H3947 reward H7810 to slay H5221 an innocent H5355 person. H5315 H1818 And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543 Cursed H779 be he that confirmeth H6965 not all the words H1697 of this law H8451 to do H6213 them. And all the people H5971 shall say, H559 Amen. H543
Then Joshua H3091 built H1129 an altar H4196 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 in mount H2022 Ebal, H5858 As Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 as it is written H3789 in the book H5612 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 an altar H4196 of whole H8003 stones, H68 over which no man hath lift up H5130 any iron: H1270 and they offered H5927 thereon burnt offerings H5930 unto the LORD, H3068 and sacrificed H2076 peace offerings. H8002 And he wrote H3789 there upon the stones H68 a copy H4932 of the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 which he wrote H3789 in the presence H6440 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And all Israel, H3478 and their elders, H2205 and officers, H7860 and their judges, H8199 stood H5975 on this side the ark H727 and on that side before the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 which bare H5375 the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD, H3068 as well the stranger, H1616 as he that was born H249 among them; half H2677 of them over H413 against H4136 mount H2022 Gerizim, H1630 and half H2677 of them over against H4136 mount H2022 Ebal; H5858 as Moses H4872 the servant H5650 of the LORD H3068 had commanded H6680 before, H7223 that they should bless H1288 the people H5971 of Israel. H3478 And afterward H310 he read H7121 all the words H1697 of the law, H8451 the blessings H1293 and cursings, H7045 according to all that is written H3789 in the book H5612 of the law. H8451 There was not a word H1697 of all that Moses H4872 commanded, H6680 which Joshua H3091 read H7121 not before all the congregation H6951 of Israel, H3478 with the women, H802 and the little ones, H2945 and the strangers H1616 that were conversant H1980 among H7130 them.
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).