1._Now these are the commandments. _In these three verses he repeats what we have already seen in many previous passages; since God deals so liberally with the Israelites, they would be too perverse, unless such great kindness should allure them to love the law. We must remember too what I have alre... [ Continue Reading ]
4._Hear, O Israel. _When Moses proclaims that God is One, the statement is not confined to His sole essence, which is incomprehensible, but must be also understood of His power and glory, which had been manifested to the people; as though he had said, that they would be guilty of rebellion unless th... [ Continue Reading ]
6._And these words. _In these four next verses God again commands (as before) the study of His Law. And first, indeed, He would have it implanted in their hearts, lest forgetfulness of it should ever steal over them; and by the word “heart” He designates the memory and other faculties of the mind; a... [ Continue Reading ]
10._And it shall be, when the Lord thy God. _Since wealth and prosperity for the most part blind men’s minds, so that they do not sufficiently attend to modesty and moderation, but rather grow wanton in their lusts, and intoxicate themselves with pleasures, God prescribes against this error by antic... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God. _Hence it is more evident why He has just declared that there is One God, viz., that He alone may be undividedly worshipped; for unless our minds are fixed on Him alone, religion is torn, as it were, into divers parts, and this is soon followed by a labyrinth of... [ Continue Reading ]
14._Ye shall not go after. _In this passage Moses commands the people not to turn away from the simple service of God, although examples of superstition may present themselves to their sight on every side. For this was a very destructive temptation, that none could be anywhere found who subscribed t... [ Continue Reading ]
16._Ye shall not tempt the Lord. _Since the doctrine here should undoubtedly be referred to the First Commandment, we gather from it that this is the main foundation of piety, to give to Him what is His own, and to diminish nothing from the prerogative which He claims. As we have already seen, unbel... [ Continue Reading ]
20._And when thy son asketh thee. _The sole point which Moses urges in these verses is, that the people should testify their gratitude by obeying the Law, and that the same religion, (232) which he commands the fathers to teach, should descend to their posterity. The sum is, that there was good reas... [ Continue Reading ]