Deuteronomy 10:12 to Deuteronomy 11:32. Final Exhortations,
Introductory to the Laws
Enforced by the preceding Retrospect, the discourse continues to urge
its practical conclusions of full fear and love to God, by worshipping
and obeying Him (Deuteronomy 10:12-13); because, though all heaven and
ea... [ Continue Reading ]
Deuteronomy 11:1. _Therefore_ The conclusion of the preceding verses.
_thou shalt love_ See on Deuteronomy 6:5.
_keep his charge_ -Only here in Dt.; often in P (esp. Numbers), but
usually in a technical sense, with genitive of the object to be kept,
as Numbers 1:53; Numbers 3:28: "Jehovah's charge... [ Continue Reading ]
_And know ye_ For this deuteronomic form see on Deuteronomy 7:9.
_Know_what? The defective construction which follows leaves this
obscure. Some suppose that in the course of his involved sentence the
writer has forgotten the object of _know_as well as the verb which
should govern _your children_(acc... [ Continue Reading ]
A Pl. section recalling God's discipline of the very generation which
is being addressed. The change from Sg. to Pl. has been explained on
the logical ground that the speaker is no longer regarding the nation
as a single whole, but is addressing the adult generation as
individuals distinct from thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_and his signs, and his works_ See on Deuteronomy 4:34; cp.
Deuteronomy 6:22; Deuteronomy 7:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the Red Sea_ On the Heb. name, probably SEA OF REEDS or SEDGE, see
note to Exodus 13:18. On the passage of the sea, see Exodus 14. D does
not mention it elsewhere than here; but see Deuteronomy 1:1;
Deuteronomy 1:40.
_destroyed them_ This form of the verb, _"ibbed_, found in D only here
and in Deu... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto this place_ Deuteronomy 1:31.... [ Continue Reading ]
_what he did unto Dathan and Abiram_ The severity of God's discipline
was not only shown to Israel's enemies, but _in the midst of all
Israel_to rebellious Israelites. Without such a recollection, the
description of that discipline, especially in view of the alarm it was
fitted to inspire, would not... [ Continue Reading ]
_But your eyes_ ARE THOSE THAT HAVE SEEN] Cp. Deuteronomy 10:21 Sg.
_all the great work_ LXX _works_; cp. the deuteronomic passage, Judges
2:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
On such recognition (Deuteronomy 11:2 _But know ye_) of the awful
discipline of God the discourse now bases another of its many appeals
to the people to observe the Law, with the usual promise of consequent
benefits. That the appeal and promise are composed in the usual
deuteronomic phrases is no gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_prolong your days_ See on Deuteronomy 4:26.
_which the Lord sware_ See on Deuteronomy 1:8.
_flowing with milk and honey_ See above on Deuteronomy 6:3; and the
note to Exodus 3:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
_whither thou goest in to possess it_ The Sg. equivalent for the Pl.
_whither ye are crossing to possess it_(Deuteronomy 11:8). Therefore
the Pl. reading of Sam. and LXX codd. A etc., _ye are going in_, is
probably not correct. But see next note.
_from whence ye came out_ This Pl. is confirmed by t... [ Continue Reading ]
Another picture of the blessings of the land, cp. Deuteronomy 6:10
ff., Deuteronomy 7:12 ff., Deuteronomy 8:7 ff.; all like this in the
Sg. form of address. But this time we see the land under a new aspect:
its contrast to the flat and rainless Egypt. The section illustrates
well both what is obviou... [ Continue Reading ]
_whither ye go over to possess it_ This Pl. interruption is redundant
even for the deuteronomic style (cp. 8 and 10) and unnecessary for the
contrast which the writer is making: most probably editorial.
_a land of hills and valleys_ This, too, is essential to the writer's
contrast of the land with... [ Continue Reading ]
_a land which the Lord thy God careth for_ lit. _seeketh after_. The
verb is used both in the sense of _resort to_or _frequent_(Deuteronomy
12:5, with another construction, Amos 5:5), or
_investigate_(Deuteronomy 13:14 (15), Deuteronomy 17:4; Deuteronomy
19:18), or _to visit_so as _to care for_(Jere... [ Continue Reading ]
The verse is not only in the Pl. and a repetition of certain formulas,
but it also changes the speaker (_my commandments_can only mean
God's). It is evidently inserted by an editor (so too Steuern. and
Bertholet) (who also altered the opening of the next verse, _q.v._)
because he thought it again ne... [ Continue Reading ]
_that I will give the rain of your land_ The Heb. text is evidently
due to the same hand which inserted Deuteronomy 11:13, for it
immediately follows that verse, and as evidently the original reading
is that of Sam., LXX and Vulg. _that_ HE _will give the rain_ TO THY
_land_, which connects with Deu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I will give_ with Sam. and LXX B read HE WILL GIVE.
_grass_ rather, HERBAGE (_-esĕb_), including grass (_dĕshĕ"_); for
cattle as here, Jeremiah 14:6; Psalms 106:20; but of human food,
Genesis 3:18.
_shalt eat and be full_ Deuteronomy 6:11 (_q.v._), Deuteronomy 8:10;
Deuteronomy 8:12 as here,... [ Continue Reading ]
The enjoyment of so much blessing in the land suggests, as usual (cp.
Deuteronomy 6:14 f., Deuteronomy 8:19 f.), a warning against being
deceived into attributing it to other gods, i.e. the Baalim, already
regarded in the land as the authors of its fertility, and worshipping
them. Whether this warni... [ Continue Reading ]
The Pl. address is continued in a series of formulas, repeated with
some variations from previous passages. The secondary nature of part
of this section cannot be doubted. The emergence of the Sg. in
Deuteronomy 11:19 shows that the passage is a quotation (slightly
varied) of Deuteronomy 6:6-9; it h... [ Continue Reading ]
The summing up and clinching of the whole discourse, Deuteronomy
11:5-11: a blessing to Israel if they obey the commandments of God, a
curse if they do not obey but turn after other gods. Cp. Deuteronomy
30:1, as here, _blessing and curse_; Deuteronomy 11:15; Deuteronomy
11:19, _life and death, good... [ Continue Reading ]
A return to the Sg. form of address, with phrases peculiar to that
form (see Deuteronomy 6:10; Deuteronomy 7:1). Whether it is original
here, or dependent on Deuteronomy 27:12 f. (cp. Joshua 8:33 f.), is
doubtful.
29. _shall bring thee unto the land_, etc.] Song of Solomon 7:1,
_q.v._
the blessing... [ Continue Reading ]
Resumption of the Pl. form of address; either an editorial addition to
mark the transition to the actual laws which begin with Deuteronomy
12:1, or the close of an original introduction, in the Pl., to the
Code. The former is the more probable as the _vv_. are compounded of
phrases characteristic bo... [ Continue Reading ]