4:27 the LORD will scatter you. Moses warned Israel that the judgment for idolatry would be their dispersion among the nations by the Lord (see 28:64–67).
4:30 the latter days. Lit. “the end of days.” Moses saw in the distant future a time when repentant Israel would turn again to the Lord and obey Him. Throughout the Pentateuch, “the latter days” refers to the time when Messiah will establish His kingdom (see Gen. 49:1, 8–12; Num. 24:14–24; Deut. 32:39–43).
4:31 the covenant of your fathers. God mercifully, not because they deserve it, will fulfill the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with repentant Israel in the future. God will not forget the Word that He has given to Abraham and his seed (cf. Rom. 11:25–27).
4:32–40 A historical apologetic, appealing for the nation’s obedience to God’s law.
4:32–39 since the day that God created man on the earth. In all of human history, no other nation has had the privilege that Israel had of hearing God speak, as He did in giving the law at Mt. Sinai, and surviving such an awesome experience. Nor had any other people been so blessed, chosen and delivered from bondage by such mighty miracles as Israel saw. God did this to reveal to them that He alone is God (vv. 35, 39).
4:37 His Presence. Lit. “His face.” God Himself had brought Israel out of Egypt. The Exodus resulted from the electing love that God had for the patriarchs and their descendants.
4:40 Such gracious privilege, as remembered in vv. 32–39, should elicit obedience, particularly in view of the unconditional promise that the Land will be theirs permanently (“for all time”) as is detailed in chaps. 29, 30.
4:41–43 These 3 verses are a narrative insertion at the end of Moses’ speech. The setting aside of 3 cities on the E side of the Jordan by Moses showed that Moses willingly obeyed the commandments God gave him. He was an example of the type of obedience that God was calling for in 4:1–40 (cf. Num. 35:14; Josh. 20:8).
4:44—28:68 The heart of Deuteronomy is found in this long second speech of Moses. “Now this is the law” (4:44) which Moses explained to Israel (cf. 1:5). After a brief introduction (4:44–49), Moses gave the people a clear understanding of what the law directed concerning their relationship with the Lord in the Land (5:1–26:19), then concluded by recounting the blessings or the curses which would come upon the nation as a consequence of their response to the stipulations of this law (27:1–28:68).
4:45 testimonies…statutes…judgments. God’s instruction to Israel was set forth in: 1) the testimonies, the basic covenant stipulations (5:6–21); 2) statutes, words that were inscribed and therefore fixed; and 3) judgments, the decisions made by a judge on the merits of the situation. This law was given to Israel when they came out of Egypt. Moses is not giving further law, he is now explaining that which has already been given.
4:48 Mount Sion. This reference to Mt. Hermon is not to be confused with Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.
4:49 Sea of the Arabah. The Dead Sea.
Deuteronomy 5
5:1—11:32 As Moses began his second address to the people of Israel, he reminded them of the events and the basic commands from God that were foundational to the Sinaitic Covenant (5:1–33; see Ex. 19:1–20:21). Then, in 6:1–11:32, Moses expounded and applied the first 3 of the Ten Commandments to the present experience of the people.
5:1 Hear, O Israel. The verb “hear” carried the sense “obey.” A hearing that leads to obedience was demanded of all the people (cf. 6:4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:9).
5:2 a covenant with us in Horeb. The second generation of Israel, while children, received the covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai.
5:3 did not make this covenant with our fathers. The “fathers” were not the people’s immediate fathers, who had died in the wilderness, but their more distant ancestors, the patriarchs (see 4:31, 37; 7:8, 12; 8:18). The Sinaitic or Mosaic Covenant was in addition to and distinct from the Abrahamic Covenant made with the patriarchs.
5:6–21 The first 4 commandments involve relationship with God, the last 6 deal with human relationships; together they were the foundation of Israel’s life before God. Moses here reiterated them as given originally at Sinai. Slight variations from the Exodus text are accounted for by Moses’ explanatory purpose in Deuteronomy. See notes on Ex. 20:1–17 for an additional explanation of these commands.
5:7 no other gods. Cf. Ex. 20:3. “Other gods” were non-existent pagan gods, which were made in the form of idols and shaped by the minds of their worshipers. The Israelite was to be totally faithful to the God to whom he was bound by covenant. Cf. Matt. 16:24–27; Mark 8:34–38; Luke 9:23–26; 14:26–33.
5:8 a carved image. Cf. Ex. 20:4, 5. Reducing the infinite God to any physical likeness was intolerable, as the people found out in their attempt to cast God as a golden calf (cf. Ex. 32).
5:9, 10 third and fourth generations…thousands. See note on Ex. 20:5, 6 for an explanation of this often misunderstood text. those who hate Me…love Me. Disobedience is equal to hatred of God, as love is equal to obedience (cf. Matt. 22:34–40; Rom. 13:8–10).
5:11 take the name…in vain. Cf. Ex. 20:7. Attach God’s name to emptiness. Cf. Ps. 111:9; Matt. 6:9; Luke 1:49; John 17:6, 26.
5:12 as the LORD your God commanded you. Cf. Ex. 20:8–10. These words are missing from Ex. 20:8, but refer back to this commandment given to Israel at Sinai 40 years earlier.
5:15 brought you out from there. Here an additional reason is given for God’s rest after creation (i.e., for the observance of the Sabbath; see Ex. 20:11)—God’s deliverance of the people from Egypt. While the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, they were not allowed rest from their continual labor, so the Sabbath was also to function as a day of rest in which their deliverance from bondage would be remembered with thanksgiving as the sign of their redemption and continual sanctification (cf. Ex. 31:13–17; Ezek 20:12).
5:16–20 Cf. Matt. 19:18–19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20.
5:16 that your days may be long. Cf. Ex. 20:12; Matt. 15:4; Mark 7:10; Eph. 6:2, 3. Paul indicated that this was the first commandment with a promise attached (Eph. 6:2). Jesus also had much to say about honoring parents (see Matt. 10:37; 19:29; Luke 2:49–51; John 19:26, 27).
5:17 murder. Cf. Ex. 20:13; Matt. 5:21; James 2:11.
5:18 adultery. Cf. Ex. 20:14; Matt. 5:27.
5:19 steal. Cf. Ex. 20:15; Eph. 4:28.
5:20 bear false witness. Cf. Ex. 20:16; Col. 3:9.
5:21 covet…desire. Cf. Ex. 20:17. Both the lusting after a neighbor’s wife and a strong desire for a neighbor’s property were prohibited by the tenth commandment (cf. Rom. 7:7).
5:22 and He added no more. These Ten Commandments alone were identified as direct quotations by God. The rest of the stipulations of the covenant were given to Moses, who in turn gave them to the Israelites. These basic rules, which reflect God’s character, continue to be a means by which God reveals the sinful deeds of the flesh (cf. Rom. 7:7–14; Gal. 3:19–24; 5:13–26). They are also a holy standard for conduct that the saved live by through the Spirit’s power, with the exception of keeping the Sabbath (cf. Col. 2:16, 17). two tablets of stone. The tablets were written on both sides (see Ex. 32:15).
5:22–27 The frightening circumstances of God’s presence at Sinai caused the people to have enough fear to ask Moses to receive the words from God and communicate those words to them, after which they promised to obey all that God said (see v. 27).
5:28, 29 God affirmed that the pledge to be obedient was the right response (v. 28), and then expressed His loving passion for them to fulfill their promise so they and their children would prosper.
5:30–33 They asked to be given all God’s Word (v. 27), so God dismissed the people and told Moses He was going to give the law to him to teach the people (v. 31). At stake was life and prosperity in the Land of Promise.
Deuteronomy 6
6:1–3 days…prolonged. Moses’ concern is that successive generations maintain the obedience to God’s laws that insures life and prosperity.
6:3 a la
nd flowing with milk and honey. A description that included the richness of the Land which the Israelites were soon to possess (see 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20).
6:4, 5 Cf. Mark 12:29, 30, 32, 33.
6:4 Hear, O Israel. See 5:1. Deuteronomy 6:4–9, known as the Shema (Heb. for “hear”), has become the Jewish confession of faith, recited twice daily by the devout, along with 11:13–21 and Num. 15:37–41. The LORD…LORD is one. The intent of these words was to give a clear statement of the truth of monotheism, that there is only one God. Thus, it has also been translated “the LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” The word used for “one” in this passage does not mean “singleness,” but “unity.” The same word is used in Gen. 2:24, where the husband and wife were said to be “one flesh.” Thus, while this verse was intended as a clear and concise statement of monotheism, it does not exclude the concept of the Trinity.
6:5–9 You shall love the LORD your God. First in the list of all that was essential for the Jew was unreserved, wholehearted commitment expressed in love to God. Since this relationship of love for God could not be represented in any material way as with idols, it had to be demonstrated in obedience to God’s law in daily life. Cf. 11:16–21; Matt. 22:37; Luke 10:27.
6:6 these words…in your heart. The people were to think about these commandments and meditate on them so that obedience would not be a matter of formal legalism, but a response based upon understanding. The law written upon the heart would be an essential characteristic of the later New Covenant (see Jer. 31:33).
6:7 teach them diligently to your children. The commandments were to be the subject of conversation, both inside and outside the home, from the beginning of the day to its end.
6:8 hand…frontlets between your eyes. The Israelite was to continually meditate upon and be directed by the commandments that God had given to him. Later in Jewish history, this phrase was taken literally and the people tied phylacteries (boxes containing these verses) to their hands and foreheads with thongs of leather.
6:10, 11 the LORD your God brings you into the land. God reiterated that He was going to give Israel the Land in fulfillment of the promises that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, both with title and prosperity.
6:13 take oaths in His name. An oath was a solemn pledge to affirm something said as absolutely true. The invoking of the Lord’s name in the oath meant that one was bound under obligation before God to fulfill that word (cf. Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8).
6:15 a jealous God. See note on 4:24.
6:16 Massah. This name actually means “testing” (cf. Ex. 17:1–7; Matt. 4:7; Luke 4:12).
6:20 When your son asks you in time to come. When a young son asked the meaning of the law, his father was to use the following pattern in explaining it to him. First, the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt (v. 21a). Second, God miraculously delivered the Israelites and judged the Egyptians (v. 21b). Third, this work was in accord with His promise to the patriarchs (v. 23). Fourth, God gave His law to Israel that His people might obey it (vv. 24, 25).
6:25 righteousness for us. A true and personal relationship with God that would be manifest in the lives of the people of God. There was no place for legalism or concern about the external since the compelling motive for this righteousness was to be love for God (v. 5).
Deuteronomy 7
7:1–26 This section discusses how the Israelites should relate to the inhabitants of Canaan including their destruction, the forbidding of intermarriage, and the elimination of all altars and idols. It was God’s time for judgment on that land.
7:1 seven nations. These 7 groups controlled areas of land usually centered around one or more fortified cities. Together they had greater population and military strength than Israel. Six of these 7 are mentioned elsewhere (see Ex. 3:8). The unique nation here is the Girgashites, who are referred to in Gen. 10:16; Josh. 3:10; 24:11; 1 Chr. 1:14, and in Ugaritic texts. They may have been tribal people living in the N of Palestine.
7:2 utterly destroy them. All the men, women and children were to be put to death. Even though this action seems extreme, the following need to be kept in mind: 1) the Canaanites deserved to die for their sin (9:4, 5; cf. Gen. 15:16); 2) the Canaanites persisted in their hatred of God (7:10); and 3) the Canaanites constituted a moral cancer that had the potential of introducing idolatry and immorality which would spread rapidly among the Israelites (20:17, 18).
7:3 Nor…make marriages. Because of the intimate nature of marriage, the idolatrous spouse could lead her mate astray (see 1 Kin. 11:1–8 for the example of Solomon).
7:5 destroy their altars. This destructive action would remove any consequent temptation for the Israelites to follow the religious practices of the nations they were to displace from the Land.
7:6 a holy people to the LORD your God. The basis for the command to destroy the Canaanites is found in God’s election of Israel. God had set apart Israel for His own special use and they were His treasured possession. As God’s people, Israel needed to be separated from the moral pollution of the Canaanites.
7:8 loves you…keep the oath. The choosing of Israel as a holy nation set apart for God was grounded in God’s love and His faithfulness to the promises He had made to the patriarchs, not in any merit or intrinsic goodness in Israel.
7:9 a thousand generations. See note on 1:11.
7:12–15 The Lord promised Israel particular blessings for their obedience, which are further enumerated in 28:1–14.
7:12 the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant. If Israel was obedient to the Lord, they would experience His covenantal mercy. However, the people could forfeit the blessings of the covenant through their own disobedience.
7:13 grain…new wine…oil. These were the 3 principal food products of Palestine. “Grain” included wheat and barley. “New wine” was the grape juice as it came from the presses. The “oil” was the olive oil used in cooking and in the lamps.
7:15 the terrible diseases of Egypt. Some virulent and malignant diseases such as elephantiasis, ophthalmia, and dysentery were common in Egypt.
7:20 God will send the hornet. The hornet or wasp was a large insect, common in Canaan, that may have had a potentially fatal sting. Here the reference was probably figurative in the sense of a great army sent into panic when the Lord would inflict His sting on them (see 11:25). See note on Ex. 23:28.
7:22 little by little. Even though the Lord promised that the defeat of the people of the land would be quick (4:26; 9:3), the process of settlement would be more gradual to avoid the danger of the land returning to a primitive state of natural anarchy.
7:26 You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it. “Detest” and “abhor” were strong words of disapproval and rejection. Israel was to have the same attitude toward the idols of the Canaanites as did God Himself. it is an accursed thing. The images or idols were to be set aside for destruction.
Deuteronomy 8
8:2 remember. The people were to recall what God had done for them (cf. 5:15; 7:18; 8:18; 9:7; 15:15; 16:3, 12; 24:9, 18; 25:17), and not forget (cf. 4:9, 23, 31; 6:12; 8:11, 14, 19; 9:7; 25:19; 26:13). to know what was in your heart. Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness was a time of God’s affliction and testing so that the basic attitude of the people toward God and His commandments could be made known. God chose to sustain His hungry people in the wilderness by a means previously unknown to them. Through this miraculous provision, God both humbled the people and tested their obedience.
8:3 manna which you did not know. God sustained the people in the wilderness with a food previously unknown to them. See Ex. 16:15 for the beginning of the giving of the manna and Josh. 5:12 for its cessation. man shall not live by bread alone. Israel’s food in the wilderness was decreed by the Word of God. They had manna because it came by God’s command; therefore, ultimately it was not bread that kept them alive, but God’s Word (cf. Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4).
8:4 Your garments did not wear out. This miraculous provision is also mentioned in 29:5.
8
:5 the LORD your God chastens you. Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness was viewed as a time of God’s discipline of His children. He was seeking to correct their wayward attitude so that they might be prepared to obediently go into the Land.
8:6–10 An extensive description of God’s abundant blessings for Israel in the Land (cf. 7:7–9).
8:7 a good land. In contrast to the desolation of the wilderness, vv. 7–9 describe the abundance of Israel’s new land.
8:9 iron…copper. The mountains of southern Lebanon and the region E of the Sea of Galilee and S of the Dead Sea contained iron. Both copper and iron were found in the Rift Valley S of the Dead Sea.
8:11 do not forget the LORD your God. Sufficient food would lead to the satisfaction of Israel in the Land (vv. 10, 12). This satisfaction and security could lead to Israel forgetting God. Forgetting God means no longer having Him in the daily thoughts of one’s life. This forgetfulness would lead to a disobedience of His commandments. Whereas, in the wilderness, Israel had to depend on God for the necessities of life, in the rich land there would be a tempting sense of self-sufficiency.
8:14 when your heart is lifted up. Pride was viewed as the root of forgetfulness. In their prosperity, the people might claim that their power and strength had produced their wealth (v. 17).
8:15 water…out of the…rock. Cf. Num. 20:9–13.
8:16 to do you good in the end. God designed the test of the wilderness so that Israel might be disciplined to obey Him. Through her obedience, she received the blessing of the Land. Thus, God’s design was to do good for Israel at the end of the process.
8:18, 19 See note on 4:25–31.
8:19 if you by any means forget. Forgetting God would lead to worshiping other gods, which in turn would result in certain destruction. As God destroyed the Canaanites for their idolatry, so also would He judge Israel.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 101
