_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._ A persuasive to obedience, Deuteronomy 6:1. The first truth, God is one; the first duty, to love him, Deuteronomy 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:5. The means hereto, Deuteronomy 6:6. A caution not to forget God in prosperity, Deuteronomy 6:10; not to worship idols, or tempt God, Deutero... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hear, O Israel!_ The passage contained in this and the following verse, the Jews reckoned one of their choicest portions of Scripture. They wrote it on their phylacteries, (or slips of parchment bound on their foreheads, their necks, their breasts, or wrists,) and thought themselves not only oblige... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart_ And is this only an external commandment? Can any then say that the Sinai covenant was merely external? _With all thy heart_ It is not only the external action, but the internal affection of the mind that God requires; an affection which influenc... [ Continue Reading ]
_These words shall be in thy heart_ Though the words alone, without the things expressed by them, will do us no good, yet as we are in danger of losing the things if we neglect the words, we must, therefore, even lay the words up in our hearts. Our thoughts must be daily conversant with them, and em... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shall teach them diligently_ Hebrew, _whet_, or _sharpen_ them, so as that they may pierce deeply into their hearts, This metaphor signifies the manner of instructing them, that it is to be done diligently, earnestly, frequently, discreetly. _To thy children_ They that love the Lord God themse... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand_ As at that time there were few written copies of the whole law, and the people had it read to them only at the feast of tabernacles, God seems to have appointed, at least for the present, that some select sentences of the law, that were most weighty an... [ Continue Reading ]
_Shall swear by his name_ Not by idols, or any creatures, but only by _his_ name, when thou hast a call and just cause to swear. But some think, from comparing this with other passages, the words rather mean, that they were to be steadfast in the acknowledgment and worship of the true God, and in pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Is a jealous God among you_ Hebrew, _In the midst of you;_ to see and observe all your ways, and your turnings aside to other gods. _Ye shall not tempt_ Not provoke him, as the following instance explains. Sinners, especially presumptuous sinners, are said to tempt God; that is, to make a trial of... [ Continue Reading ]
_It shall be our righteousness_ Hebrew, _Righteousness shall be to us._ We shall be owned, and pronounced by God to be righteous and holy persons, if we sincerely obey him; otherwise we shall be declared to be unrighteous and ungodly. Or, _mercy shall be to us_, or _with us._ For as the Hebrew word... [ Continue Reading ]