Deuteronomy 4:34

Or hath God assayed Rather, hath a god. The verb nissahis rendered in Deuteronomy 28:56 adventured. It is also used for the temptingor testingof Israel by God, Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:16; Deuteronomy 13:3 (4) (also in E), or of God by Israel, Deuteronomy 6:16 (also in JE).

to go Heb. to come, which is better, meaning to come upon earth.

by temptations, by signs, and by wonders Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 29:2 (partly Deuteronomy 6:22; Deuteronomy 11:3). Temptations, rather tests, provings or experiments, massôth(from the verb explained in previous note), such as those applied to Phara-oh; not only to prove him, but to offer him proofs that God was with Israel so in the account of the plagues in JE, especially Exodus 8:9 ff; Exodus 9:27. Signsor evidences, "othôth, in the widest sense, any distinguishing mark (e.g. blood on the doorposts of the Israelites, Exodus 12:13; a family mark or ensign, Numbers 2:2); but usually of an action or event attached to an oracle, either to illustrate or enforce its meaning (Isaiah stripped and barefoot, Isaiah 20:3) or to prove its divinity (Isaiah 7:3, etc.). These last, though startling, were not necessarily miraculous; cp. 1 Samuel 2:34, the death of Eli's sons, Isaiah 8:18, the prophet's sons with the ominous names and as above, Isaiah 20:3; but as in the cases before us they might be so. Orientals make no distinction, except, of degree, between one kind and another. Wonders, môphethîm(usually with signs; in addition to deuteronomic passages quoted above, and Deuteronomy 13:1 (2), see Isaiah 8:18; Isaiah 20:3), rather portents, more closely attached to the idea of the extraordinary than sign is. Also with the particular sense of foreshadowing, prodigium; cp. Zechariah 3:8. See also Driver's Exodusp. 59.

by war To ask whether this implies a supernatural element, or simply the inspiration of Israel's armies, is to ignore the fact that Israel themselves made no such distinction. Jehovah himself was their warlord. J, Exodus 14:14, Jehovah shall fight for you, ye shall hold your peace; E, id.Exodus 14:24 b, He discomfited the Egyptian host; J, id.Exodus 14:25, He took off their chariot-wheels … so that the Egyptians said, Jehovah fighteth for them. But in other cases Israel themselves also fought.

by a mighty hand In D 10 times, both with Sg. and Pl.; Deuteronomy 3:24, thy mighty hand; followed by outstretched arm, as here, Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 11:2; Deuteronomy 26:8; alone, Deuteronomy 6:21; Deuteronomy 7:8; Deuteronomy 9:26; followed by great terrors, Deuteronomy 34:12. In JE (?), Exodus 3:19; Exodus 6:1, alone; cp. Deuteronomy 13:14; Deuteronomy 13:16, strength of hand.

and by a stretched out arm In D 6 times both with Sg. and Pl.; of which five times (as above) with a mighty hand, and once Deuteronomy 9:29 with great power. Elsewhere in the Hex. only in P, Exodus 6:6, which also uses the verb stretch forthin Exodus 7:5.

by great terrors Heb. môra"îm, terrifying things. LXX ὀράματα, marĕ"îm, accepted by Geiger; but it is weaker than the other. Cp. Deuteronomy 10:21, great and terrible things.

for you LXX omits and for your Godgives our God. The only plurals in this section; probably editorial.

before your eyes Heb. thine eyes; the yourof both EVV shows how easy it is to change the original forms of address under the influence of attraction: there is a similar instance in A.V. Deuteronomy 4:3 youfor thee.