VII. (1) WHEN THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND.... — The former chapter applies the Decalogue to the love of Jehovah and of His word, and to faith in Him as the God of Israel; and thus it may be regarded as an expansion of the first commandment. The exhortation in this chapter concer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE LORD THY GOD SHALL DELIVER THEM BEFORE THEE.... — It would be possible to read, “_Then_ the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, and thou shalt smite.” Or the sentence might also be divided thus: _“_When the Lord thy God shall bring thee in, and shall have delivered the nations... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL DESTROY THEIR ALTARS.... — This course, if adopted in a conquered territory, would be certain to bring matters to a crisis. The inhabitants must rise in defence of the objects of their worship — a course which would end in their extermination — or they must adopt the worship of Jehovah. TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AN HOLY PEOPLE. — Not merely “a holy nation” (as in Exodus 19:6), but “a holy _people” i.e.,_ a _state_ of which holiness to Jehovah was the very constitution. If God pleased to establish such a state, manifestly its laws could allow no toleration of anything displeasing to Him. And it is also manif... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD DID NOT... CHOOSE YOU, BECAUSE YE WERE MORE. — The danger lest Israel’s peculiar relation to the Most High should beget national pride is so obvious, that Moses takes special pains to counteract it by asserting God’s sovereignty in the choice. YE WERE THE FEWEST OF ALL PEOPLE. — It may be o... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT BECAUSE THE LORD LOVED YOU. — And this, again, was not due to themselves, as he points out fully in Deuteronomy 9:4, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
(9-11) These verses are a direct comment upon the second commandment. The “thousands of them that love Him” are here expanded into a “thousand generations.” The “hatred,” too, is the same thing denoted there: “Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments.”... [ Continue Reading ]
At this point begins the third of the Hebrew divisions of the book. IF YE HEARKEN. — Literally, _as a return for your hearkening._ (See Note on Deuteronomy 8:19.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FLOCKS. — The word here employed for flocks is peculiar to Deuteronomy in this sense. It occurs in Deuteronomy 28:4; Deuteronomy 28:18; Deuteronomy 28:51. It is in form identical with Ashtaroth, and signifies “increase,” or progeny.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL PEOPLE. — Literally, _all the peoples: i.e.,_ all other states and communities.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVIL DISEASES. — The word for diseases here used is found only in Deuteronomy (see Deuteronomy 28:60). It must not be forgotten that the law of Moses was in many of its details a sanitary quite as much as a moral code. Some of the associations of this word and the root from which it is derived would... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT CONSUME (LITERALLY, _EAT UP_) ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL DELIVER THEE. — When delivered to Israel, they are delivered for execution; but the time of delivery is in the hand of Jehovah. (Comp. the words of Caleb and Joshua in Numbers 14:9 : “_They are bread for us:_ their... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM: BUT SHALT WELL REMEMBER... EGYPT. — No free nation could ever have the same ground for terror as a nation of slaves rising up against its masters. If Israel had been delivered by Jehovah in _that_ position, it was a security for all time that He would give them the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT TEMPTATIONS. — The several repetitions of the summons to Pharaoh that he should let Israel go, accompanied and enforced by plagues, may well be called “temptations” in the sense of _trials_ of his character. The word “temptation” in the sense of “inducement to sin” is very rare, if not abs... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HORNET. — To be understood literally. (See on Deuteronomy 1:44, and Joshua 24:12.) The “land flowing with (milk and) honey” may well have swarmed with bees and hornets.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD THY GOD WILL PUT OUT. — The word for “putting out” is illustrated by its use in Deuteronomy 19:5, of the axe-head flying off from the handle in the midst of a blow, and of the olive “casting” his fruit in Deuteronomy 28:40. (Comp. also 2 Kings 16:6, and 1 Samuel 25:29, for a similar thought... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL DELIVER THEIR KINGS INTO THINE HAND. — In the summary of Joshua’s conquest (Joshua 12) the kings are reckoned for the cities. Special mention is made of seven of them, who were hanged. THERE SHALL NO MAN BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE THEE. — A promise personally renewed to Joshua (Joshua 1:5), a... [ Continue Reading ]
These words are a special warning against the sin which Achan committed (Joshua 7:21): “I coveted them, and took them.” They also describe the consequences which he experienced, together with his whole household, being made _chêrem._ devoted or accursed by the spoil which he took from Jericho. (See... [ Continue Reading ]