Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Deuteronomy 11:26-32
Blessing and Cursing (Deuteronomy 11:26).
Most suzerainty treaties and some law codes had cursings against those who disobeyed their requirements, and many had both blessings and cursings. This was especially true of second millennium BC Hittite treaties and the great law codes (1st century BC treaties stress the cursing). In the same way therefore, having laid out the general principles of their response to their Overlord, Moses introduces blessing and cursing here depending on how they carry them out.
Analysis in the words of Moses:
a I set before you this day a blessing and a curse, the blessing, if you will listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, and the curse, if you will not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known (Deuteronomy 11:26).
b And it will come about that when Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land to which you are going to possess it (Deuteronomy 11:29 a).
c You will set the blessing on mount Gerizim, and the curse on mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 11:29 b).
c Are they not in Beyond Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh? (Deuteronomy 11:30).
b For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell in it (Deuteronomy 11:31).
a And you shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day (Deuteronomy 11:32).
Note than in ‘a' the blessing is to be given if they obey His commandments, and the curse if they do not as a result of going after other gods. In the parallel they are to obey all His statutes and ordinances which Moses has at that time set before them. In ‘b' there is reference to their going into the land to possess it and in the parallel they are going over Jordan in order to possess the land and dwell in it. In ‘c' the blessing is on Mount Gerizim and the cursing on Mount Ebal, and in the parallel the siting of these mountains is described.
‘ Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse, the blessing, if you will listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day.'
In true covenant fashion and in the same way as some law codes, including that of Hammurabi (2nd millennium BC), the choice is laid by Moses before those to whom the covenant is directed as to whether they will be blessed or cursed. To listen to the commandments of Yahweh their God and to obey will bring abundance of blessing.
‘ And the curse, if you will not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known.'
But if they refuse to obey they will receive only cursing. For if they will not listen to the commandments of Yahweh their God, but turn aside from the way that Moses commands them that day, to go after other gods which they have not known, then they will surely be cursed.
The Sealing Of The Covenant At Mounts Gerizim and Ebal.
That is why when they enter into the land successfully they must gather at the place appointed and chosen by Yahweh, and call on themselves both the blessing and the cursing, an acknowledgement by them that they subscribe to the covenant, seeking the blessing that it offers and confirming that if they fail to keep it they will only deserve cursing.
‘ And it shall come about that when Yahweh your God shall bring you into the land to which you are going to possess it, you will set the blessing on mount Gerizim, and the curse on mount Ebal. Are they not in Beyond Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?'
Confirmation is now given of the certainty of success in the invasion by announcing that once they are established in the land they are to perform a covenant ceremony in the very land in a place connected with the two large mountains between which lies the valley in which is Shechem, the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal. Some will stand on one mountain, and some on the other (Deuteronomy 27:11), with the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh in the valley in between (Joshua 8:30). This is the place that Yahweh their God has chosen for such a ceremony. The blessing will be declared from Mount Gerizim, and the cursing from Mount Ebal.
The very general geographical position of the mountains is then described. They are in Beyond Jordan, behind ‘the way of the going down of the sun', (the road to the west?), in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Jordan rift valley on the western side of Jordan, over against Gilgal, by the oaks of Moreh (Genesis 12:6; Genesis 35:4). The situation of this ‘Gilgal' is disputed. There were a number of Gilgals (Joshua 12:23; Joshua 15:7), for the name refers to stone circles, and there were many of them, and there was quite possibly one near Shechem. Or it may simply mean ‘beyond Gilgal' (referring to the well known Gilgal of Joshua 4:19), i.e. in that direction. (We must remember in this regard that our understanding of the ancient technical terms used in describing geographical position is limited, for we do not have enough examples from the most ancient times by which to work them out). The description is, in the final analysis, for those who are listening. He may simply be saying in a grand manner ‘over there beyond the river on the other side of Jordan'.
The mention of the oaks of Moreh, (known to them from their traditions), which were at Shechem, is partly in order to recall God's dealings with Abraham and Jacob, for this was the first place that Abraham built an altar to Yahweh when he received his first theophany in the land (Genesis 12:6), and was later where Jacob bought land (Genesis 33:18). This probably largely explains why the area of Shechem was chosen for the purpose of establishing the covenant in the land.
It appears to have been a regular practise for godly men to copy past events. Thus when Samuel/Saul was re-establishing the Tabernacle worship he did so at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:4; 1 Samuel 13:7) where the Tabernacle was first sited when Joshua entered the land over the Jordan. And both Elijah and Elisha follow the invasion trail, crossing the Jordan, Jericho, Bethel (Elijah in reverse order - 2 Kings 2:2; 2 Kings 2:13).
The statement here is only a pause in the detailing of the covenant, for this reference to a covenant ceremony incorporating blessing and cursing will be expanded on in Deuteronomy 27. Meanwhile the detailed stipulations of the covenant are to be declared in 12-26 (this Deuteronomy 27 is a necessary follow-up to this).
‘ For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell in it.'
For the truth is that they are to pass over Jordan in order to go in and possess the land which Yahweh their God is giving them. And they can be sure that they will possess it, and dwell in it. They have Yahweh's assurance of that.
‘ And you shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day.'
And when they do they must ‘observe to do' all the statutes and ordinance set before them that day. They must fully obey Yahweh's commands. For that is what is required if they would possess this land which belongs to Yahweh.
Summary.
Having laid out the basic principles of their position before their Overlord, the more general part of Moses's speech is now ended and he is about to enter into the more detailed regulations of the covenant. At this point therefore let us reconsider what lessons he has stressed.
Central to all the Chapter s from 5-11 have been the ideas of how they must obey His commandment, His statutes and His ordinances that He might bless them in all they do (Deuteronomy 5:1; Deuteronomy 5:29; Deuteronomy 5:31; Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 6:6; Deuteronomy 6:17; Deuteronomy 6:24; Deuteronomy 7:11; Deuteronomy 8:1; Deuteronomy 8:6; Deuteronomy 8:11; Deuteronomy 10:13; Deuteronomy 11:1; Deuteronomy 11:8; Deuteronomy 11:13; Deuteronomy 11:22; Deuteronomy 11:27; Deuteronomy 11:32); of how they are being blessed because of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deuteronomy 6:10; Deuteronomy 6:18; Deuteronomy 7:8; Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 8:1; Deuteronomy 8:18; Deuteronomy 9:5; Deuteronomy 9:27; Deuteronomy 10:15; Deuteronomy 11:9); of how they must remember their God Who delivered them from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:6; Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 6:12; Deuteronomy 6:21; Deuteronomy 7:8; Deuteronomy 7:15; Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 8:14; Deuteronomy 9:26); of how He is bringing them into a good and blessed land (Deuteronomy 6:10; Deuteronomy 6:18; Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 8:7; Deuteronomy 8:12; Deuteronomy 11:10; Deuteronomy 11:14), and of how they must beware of turning to false gods and false religion once they enter the land and must totally destroy them (Deuteronomy 5:8; Deuteronomy 6:14; Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 7:25; Deuteronomy 8:19; Deuteronomy 9:12; Deuteronomy 9:16; Deuteronomy 11:16; Deuteronomy 11:28). They must remember what their Overlord has done for them, must remember the promises that He has made to bless them for their forefathers' sakes, must recognise the goodness of the land that He is providing for them, and recognise that they must not enter into association with His enemies.
However each chapter has developed a different theme around the central thesis.
· Deuteronomy 5 was a detailed declaration of the covenant as given at Mount Sinai (‘the Mount') and the glory of how it was given.
· Deuteronomy 6 has stressed their need to love Yahweh their covenant Overlord with all their beings (Deuteronomy 6:5) and to fear Him (Deuteronomy 6:2; Deuteronomy 6:13; Deuteronomy 6:24), and that they are to teach their children His instruction. And it reminds them that they must not forget when they are prospering in the land what He has done for them.
· Deuteronomy 7 has confirmed His elective love for them (Deuteronomy 7:7; Deuteronomy 7:13) as His holy people, chosen and treasured (Deuteronomy 7:6), and promised them that He will bless them wonderfully, delivering the land into their hands, as long as they behave rightly towards His enemies.
· Deuteronomy 8 has reminded them of how they must remember and not forget the past (Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:5; Deuteronomy 8:11; Deuteronomy 8:14; Deuteronomy 8:18), and especially how He had looked after them in the wilderness, with the promise that He was bringing them to a good and prosperous land, and that once He has done so they must beware of self-glorification.
· Deuteronomy 9 has exhorted them to go forward and cross the Jordan because Yahweh goes before them, while reminding them that this is not because of their righteousness. This last fact he has then demonstrated to them from their history, including reference to their first breaking of the covenant.
· Deuteronomy 10 has stressed the gracious renewal of that covenant which they had broken so quickly, reversing the damage described in Deuteronomy 9, and has described the greatness and uniqueness of Yahweh their covenant God.
· Deuteronomy 11 has urged them to learn from the past and go forward on the basis of it, repeated the promises and warnings of the previous Chapter s, constrained them to remember His words, bear them about with them and teach them to their children, and has promised the good things to come. And it has finally finished with the reminder of the blessings and cursings which will come on them depending on whether they faithfully respond to the covenant or not.
Thus the foundations having been laid for the covenant, he next turns to the detailed regulations which are required under the covenant.