Commentary on Deuteronomy, Commentary · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Verſe 1 Verſe 1. THerefore thou ſhalt love the LORD thy God.] Who, of ſo ſmall, hath made thee ſo great a Nation.
And keep his charge.] A Phraſe uſed frequently concerning the Levites, III Numb. 7, 8, &c. But here comprehends all the Particulars following, His Statutes and his Judgments, and Commandments; which he had charged them to obſerve. See VI. 1.
Verſe 2 Ver. 2. And know you this day.] Conſider ſeriouſly what I have ſaid to you, till you be ſenſible of it, VIII. 5. IX. 6.
For I ſpeak not with your Children, which have not known, and which have not ſeen.] The words, I ſpeak, are not in the Hebrew: and they may as well be ſupplied thus, For not with your Children have theſe things been done, &c. Which agrees well with v. 7.
The Chaſtiſement of the LORD your God.] The Plagues he ſent upon the Egyptians.
His greatneſs.] Which appeared by the many great things he did, only upon the ſtretching out of Moſes his Rod.
His mighty hand, and ſtretched out arm.] Theſe are more words, to expreſs the ſame thing.
Ver. 3. And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt.] Or, His miraculous Acts, &c. Verſe 3 He uſes ſo many words to make them ſenſible, how much they were obliged to God for their deliverance out of the Slavery of Egypt: which nothing could have effected, but God's Almighty Power, declared in various Inſtances. This is the firſt Argument wherewith he excites their Love to God, (which he preſſed in the foregoing Chapter, and begins this again with it) that God had loved them ſo much, as to work many aſtoniſhing Miracles, rather than let them continue Slaves to Pharaoh.
Ver. 4. And what he did unto the Army of Egypt, Verſe 4 unto their Horſes, and to their Chariots.] Who purſued after the Iſraelites, and overtook them, XIV Exod. 6, 7, 8. Whereby the kindneſs of God appeared after he had delivered them, in preſerving them from being brought back to their Slavery.
How he made the water of the Red-ſea to overflow them as they purſued after you.] See XIV Exod. 23, 24, 27, 28.
And how the LORD hath deſtroyed them unto this day.] Brought them ſo low, that they have not recovered their ſtrength, to attempt any thing againſt you ſince that time.
Ver. 5. And what he did to you in the Wilderneſs, Verſe 5 until ye came unto this place.] Provided for them, protected, and preſerved them Forty years; giving them poſſeſſion alſo of the Country of Sihon and Og, two Kings of the Amorites. Theſe Benefits, if they conſidered, which they could not but ſee, they owed to his Love alone, were powerful Arguments to move them to love him.
Ver. 6. And what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the ſons of Eliab, the ſon of Reuben.] XVI Numb. 1, &c. The remembrance and conſideration of the terrible Verſe 6 Vengeance the LORD took upon rebellious People, he uſes as another Argument to make them obedient. And there was none more remarkable than this upon Dathan and Abiram. He doth not mention Korah: but they could not well forget him, when they thought of his Confederates; though he ſuffered another Puniſhment.
How the Earth opened her mouth, and ſwallowed them up, and their Houſholds, and their Tents, &c.] See XVI Numb. v. 32, 33, &c.
Verſe 7 Ver. 7. But your eyes have ſeen the great Acts of the LORD, which he did.] In Egypt, at the Red-ſea, and in the Wilderneſs, (v. 3, 4, 5.) Some of which all of them had ſeen; and there were none of them who had not ſeen ſome.
Verſe 8 Ver. 8. Therefore ſhall ye keep all the Commandments which I command you this day.] Remembring what had befall'n, both their Enemies and themſelves.
That ye may be ſtrong, and go in and poſſeſs the Land, whither you go to poſſeſs it.] In hope that the ſame God would empower them to ſubdue the Canaanites, and give them full poſſeſſion of their Country.
Verſe 9 Ver. 9. And ye may prolong your days in the Land which the LORD ſware unto your Fathers to give unto them, and to their Seed.] This may relate both to the preſent Generation, and to their Poſterity; who, after their Fathers had lived long in the Land of Canaan, ſhould ſucceed them, and enjoy it in future Ages. See v. 21.
A Land that floweth with Milk and Honey.] This is a common deſcription in all Authors, of a rich and pleaſant Country. Particularly in Euripides,
foreign,
foreign
foreign—
And the like Bochartus hath obſerved in Virgil, Horace, and other Writers, Hierozoic. Lib. IV. P. I. Cap. XII.
Ver. 10. For the Land whither thou goest to poſſeſs Verſe 10 it, is not as the Land of Egypt, from whence ye came out.] He uſes all manner of Arguments to perſwade them to Obedience; from a grateful remembrance of God's former Mercies, (v. 2, 3, &c.) from the terrible Puniſhment of the Diſobedient, (v. 6.) from the Benefits that would redound to themſelves, by their Obedience, (v. 9.) and now he repreſents to them what a noble Country he was going to beſtow upon them: but of ſuch a Condition as would keep them in a conſtant dependance upon his Favour, for the bleſſing of it.
Where thou ſowedst thy Seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a Garden of Herbs.] This doth not ſignifie that the Land of Egypt was not ſo fruitful as the Land of Canaan, (for their Fertility is not to be compared) but that there they reaped the Fruits of their Labour with more pains. Diodorus Siculus indeed, and Herodotus ſay, that the Egyptians take the leaſt pains of all other Men about their Corn: inſomuch that it may be affirmed, foreign. they bring in the Fruits of the Earth without Labour, being at no ſuch trouble about ploughing, as other Men are, &c. See in his Euterpe, Cap. XIV. Yet it muſt be conſidered, that as the Nile, which made this fruitfulneſs, failed them ſometimes, and did not overflow all the flat Country; ſo the upper parts of Egypt had not the benefit of it; nor all the lower neither, without great pains, in cutting Rivers to bring the water to them. Which Pliny calls rigua Nili: For the word rigua properly ſignifies the little Rivers, and foreign Cuts,, which were made to derive Water from the Nile, into places at a diſtance from it, as Salmaſius obſerves, p. 588. in Solinum. Heſychius calls them, foreign, Receptacles of Water; Ditches or Dikes, which we now call Canals, as the ſame Author obſerves, p. 908. And this I find Strabo ſpeaks ſo plainly in his Geography (Lib. XVII. pag. 788.) that his words may ſerve as a good Commentary upon thoſe of Moſes. Nature, ſaith he, doth much for Egypt by the Nile; but Induſtry and Art about that River, doth a great deal more. For the higher it flows, the more ground it naturally waters and makes fruitful; foreign, &c. but Induſtry ſometimes hath prevailed, when Nature hath failed: inſomuch, that as great a part of the Country hath been watered, in the ſmalleſt riſe of Nile, as in the higheſt. Which was effected foreign, by the Cuts and Banks which were made by Art. For before the time of Petronius, he ſaith, there was the greateſt fruitfulneſs when Nile roſe fourteen Cubits; and when it roſe only eight there was a Famine. But in the time of his Government, there was as great Plenty when it roſe only twelve Cubits; and no Man felt any want when it roſe only eight. This was by the Care and Induſtry of the People, who were forced alſo ſometimes to carry Water from theſe Cuts, as well as from the River, in Veſſels, to moiſten the Ground when the Mudd, which the Nile left, was baked into a Cruſt by the great Heat of the Sun. So that the Ground of Egypt, might properly be ſaid to be watered by the foot, as we water our Gardens, when there wants Rain. Concerning which Expreſſion, ſee Dr. Hammond upon the Pſalms, p. 7. col. 2. of the firſt Edition.
Ver. 11. But the Land whither ye go to poſſeſs, it is Verſe 11 a Land of Hills and Valleys, and drinketh Water of the Rain of Heaven.] Not a low, flat Country, like that of Egypt; but full of Hills, which could not be made fruitful but by Rain from Heaven; which ſeldom fell in Egypt: but the Iſraelites might expect in due ſeaſon, if they were obedient to God. Who, by this means, after they had ploughed their Ground, and ſowed their Corn, made it ſpring up plentifully without any further Labour or Care of theirs. Such a Country alſo was more pleaſant and healthy than that of Egypt; whoſe Ground next to Nile being overflowed more or leſs every Year, by the riſing of Nile to the fall of it, (which was from the Solstice to the Aequinox, or as ſome ſay, an hundred Days, See Salmaſius upon Solinus, p. 427, &c. 436, &c.) they could not walk abroad into their Fields: and many times there followed, after the Water was gone off, great Sickneſſes and Diſeaſes, by the ſmell of the Silt which it had left behind.
Ver. 12. A Land which the LORD thy God careth Verſe 12 for.] Takes care that it want not Water; by ſending Showers of Rain plentifully from Heaven, in their proper Seaſon.
The Eyes of the LORD thy God.] That is, the Providence of God; whoſe Majeſty dwelt in the Sanctuary.
Are always upon it.] To ſee what is wanting, and to ſupply it.
From the beginning of the Year, even unto the end of the Year.] At all Seaſons, to give them both the firſt and latter Rain, (as he ſpeaks v. 14.) and ſuch Weather as might both produce and kindly ripen the Fruits of the Earth. This he mentions as an Argument to Obedience; in which if they failed, he plainly tells them, the Land ſhould not yield her Fruit, v. 17. For this Country was not ſo Fertile of it ſelf, as by the peculiar Bleſſing of God upon it, whilſt they kept his Laws.
Verſe 13 Ver. 13. And it ſhall come to paſs, if ye will hearken diligently unto my Commandments which I command you this day.] To hearken diligently, here ſignifies to conſider them ſeriouſly, and lay them to heart.
To love the LORD your God, and to ſerve him with all your heart, and all your ſoul.] He repeats this ſo often, becauſe it is the Great Commandment (as our Saviour ſpeaks) and becauſe nothing is more natural than to love our Benefactors: God eſpecially (our greateſt Benefactor, who gave us our being) with all our Heart, and with all our Soul. See X. 12. And being the firſt and great Commandment, it draws along with it Obedience to all the reſt; and is, in effect, the whole Duty of Man to God. For conſtant Experience ſhows us, that whoſoever gets the firm hold of this Affection, governs a Man as he pleaſeth..
Ver. 14. That I will give you the Rain of your Land.] as much as is ſufficient, for ſuch an hilly Country.
In his due ſeaſon.] At the proper times; which Verſe 14 here follow.
The first Rain.] Before the ſowing of their Seed, to prepare the Ground; and after it was ſown, that it might take root in the Earth, and ſpring up.
And the latter Rain.] When the Corn was grown up towards earing time; and after it was eared, to make the Ears full and plump. This appears from IV Amos 7. where he ſpeaks of with-holding the Rain from them, while there were yet three Months to the Harvest. Which is meant of this latter Rain, whereby their Corn was brought forward, when it was but in the Blade, to earing, and ſo on to Harveſt.
That thou mayeſt gather in thy Corn, and thy Wine, and thine Oil.] Till the Corn, and all the Fruits of the Earth, be brought to maturity.
Ver. 15. And I will ſend Graſs in thy Fields for Verſe 15 thy Cattle. To make them fat; or to give plenty of Milk.
That thou mayest eat, and be full.] Eat Fleſh if they pleaſed, as well as the Fruits of the Earth, in great Plenty.
Ver. 16. Take heed to your ſelves that your heart be Verſe 16 not deceived.] By the ſpecious Colours that other Nations put upon their Idolatry, (as the Antiquity of it, Ʋniverſal Conſent, &c. there being no part of the World at that time, as Maimonides obſerves, where all were not accuſtomed to worſhip Images, &c.) whereby the Iſraelites were in danger to be ſeduced into an Imitation of their Neighbours.
And ye turn aſide, and ſerve other Gods, and worſhip them.] By this it is evident that Moſes is ſtill preſſing them to Care in obſerving the firſt and ſecond Commandment.
Verſe 17 Ver. 17. And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you.] For their being deceived into Idolatry, by falſe Reaſonings, which perſwaded them what they did was lawful, did not excuſe them before God. Who expected they ſhould have uſed greater Caution, and governed themſelves by his plain and expreſs Commands.
And he ſhut up the Heavens that there be no Rain.] The contrary to this, is called opening his good Treaſure, XXVIII Deut. 12. ſignifying that they lived upon the Royal Bounty of the King of Heaven, which their Sins would hinder from flowing to them.
That the Land yield not her Fruit, and lest ye periſh quickly from off the good Land which the LORD giveth you.] To with-hold Rain from them, was a ſore Judgment, which quickly brought a Famine; which was very grievous to thoſe who uſed to live ſo plentifully. And it was frequently attended with various Diſeaſes, whereby they were waſted and conſumed.
Verſe 18 Ver. 18. Therefore ſhall ye lay up theſe my words in your heart, and in your ſoul.] See VI. 6.
And bind them for a ſign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.] Always in ſight; as the Rule whereby they ſhould order their ſteps, leſt they trod amiſs. This is one of the Portions of Scripture (from v. 13. to the end of v. 21.) which the Jews write in their Tephilim, as they call them, which they uſe when they ſay their Prayers, which they fancy are thereby made more acceptable unto God. This Conceit began not long before our Saviour's time in the School of Hillel and Schammai: and took ſuch Root in the Minds of the moſt Religious, that it hath grown to a great Superſtition ever ſince. See upon Chap. VI. v. 8, 9. Which is another Portion of Scripture, that they wrote in theſe Parchments: though at the firſt (St. Hierom ſaith upon XXIII Matth. 5.) they wrote only the Ten Commandments
Ver. 19. And ye ſhall teach them your Children.] Verſe 19 This is repeated very often, IV. 10. VI. 7. And out of this place, and V. 1. the Jews have framed this as one of their affirmative Precepts, That they ought themſelves to learn the Law of God, and to teach it unto others. And this they do ſo diligently, that as ſoon as their Children are capable to underſtand any thing, they make them carefully read the Holy Books; and inſtruct them ſo, that before they can be called Youths, they are acquainted with the whole Law of God. In which we muſt confeſs they ſhame a great many Chriſtians, who ſcarce underſtand ſo much of our Religion when they are Men and Women, as the Jews do of theirs, when they are meer Children.
From the Hebrew word limmathtem in this Verſe (ye ſhall teach them) the Jews have framed a Conceit that their Talmud hath its Name; ſignifying teaching, and inſtruction, as R. Jechiel ſaith in his Diſputation with Nicolaus, pag. 9.
Speaking of them when thou ſittest in thine houſe, and when thou walkest by the way, &c.] Taking all occaſions to inculcate theſe Precepts upon them, (See VI. 7.) and upon their Daughters, as well as their Sons: though the Jewiſh Doctors commonly fancy, there is no command to inſtruct their Daughters in the Law. See Miſchna Sota, Cap. III. Sect. IV. with Wagenſeil's Annotations, and the Gamara there, p. 471, & 501.
Verſe 20 Ver. 20. And thou ſhalt write them upon the Doorpoſts of thy Houſe, and upon thy Gates.] See VI. 9. By this means God's Word being ſo rooted in the hearts of the Parents (to uſe the words of Dr. Jackſon) as to bring forth this good Fruit in their Practice; the Seed of it might be ſown in the tender Hearts of their Children, and be propagated from one Generation to another.
Verſe 21 Ver. 21. That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your Children, in the Land which the LORD ſware unto your Fathers to give them.] Nothing is wont to move Men more, than Love to themſelves, and Love to their Children, whom they Love next to themſelves.
As the days of Heaven upon the Earth.] As long as this World ſhall laſt. Which the Pſalmiſt, ſpeaking of David, expreſſes in this manner, His Seed ſhall endure for ever, and his Throne as the days of Heaven, LXXXIX Pſal. 29. Which doth not ſignifie abſolutely for ever, but a long time. For thus Baruch ſays, the Jews in Babylon were commanded to pray for the Life of Nebuchadnezzar, and the Life of Baltaſar his Son, foreign, that their days might be as the days of Heaven upon Earth. Which is the very Phraſe of Moſes here in this place, importing a very long Life. And ſuch Hyperbolical Expreſſions every one knows are uſed by the Heathen; particularly by Virgil. Aeneid. 1.
—Convexa polus dum ſidera paſcet.
Ver. 22. For if ye ſhall diligently keep all theſe Commandments, Verſe 22 &c.] To love the LORD your God. This is ſtill made the Condition of all their Happineſs. See v. 13. & X. 20.
To walk in all his ways.] In obſervance of his Laws, which was the Fruit of true love to him.
And to cleave unto him.] So as to ſerve no other God, but to perſevere in the Worſhip of the LORD their God alone. The Jews make this one of the DCXIII. Precepts of the Law (as they count them) diſtinct by it ſelf: but they interpret it fooliſhly; of ſticking to the CABALA of their wiſe Men, whereby they fancy themſelves united unto God.
Ver. 23. Then will the LORD drive out all theſe Verſe 23 Nations from before you.] As he had often promiſed, VII. 23. XXIII Exod. 27.
And ye ſhall poſſeſs Nations greater and mightier than your ſelves.] VII. 1.
Ver. 24. Every place wherein the ſoles of your feet Verſe 24 ſhall tread, ſhall be yours.] That is, every place of the promiſed Land; as it is explained in the next words.
From the Wilderneſs.] Viz. of Sin, which was on the South of Canaan.
And Lebanon.] Which was its Bounds on the North.
From the River, the River Euphrates.] Which was the Eaſtern Limits; when in the days of Solomon their Empire reached hither; according to the Promiſe unto Abraham in XV Gen. 18.
Even unto the uttermost Sea ſhall your Coast be.] Which is now called the Mediterranean, or the Midland Sea: which bounded it on the Weſt. See XXXIV Numb. 6. where it is called the Great Sea: and in that Chapter the Bounds of their Country round about are deſcribed.
Verſe 25 Ver. 25. There ſhall no Man be able to ſtand before you.] See VII. 24.
For the LORD your God ſhall lay the fear of you, and the dread of you, upon all the Land that ye ſhall tread upon, as he hath ſaid unto you.] For God had promiſed to terrifie the Inhabitants of Canaan, and take away their Courage, XXIII Exod. 27. And accordingly the Spies whom Joſhua ſent, brought him an account of the great Conſternation wherein the whole Country was, when they were about to enter into it. II Joſh. 9, 24.
Verſe 26 Ver. 26. Behold, I ſet before you this day a Bleſſing and a Curſe.] That is, he propoſed them to their choice.
Verſe 27 Ver. 27. A Bleſſing, if you obey the Commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day.] Which he more largely explains XXVIII. 2, 3, 4, &c.
Verſe 28 Ver. 28. And a Curſe, if ye will not obey the Commandment of the LORD your God.] Which is alſo more particularly laid before them, XXVIII. 15, 16, 17, &c. The whole Hiſtorical Part of the Old Teſtament witneſſes the Truth of this, that God bleſſed or curſed them, according as they obſerved or broke his Laws. And if the People of Iſrael had diligently marked, conſidered, and laid to heart, that their Happineſs or Miſery, were always correſpondent to their good and bad Behaviour towards God; it would have confirmed their Belief of their Law, as much as if they had ſeen all the Miracles done before their Fore-fathers; and ſupplied the want or the rarity of them in after Ages. Nay, this would have done more than all the Miracles did, which were forgotten in a ſhort time: whereas their own daily Experience of the happy Fruits of Obedience, and the Miſchief of Diſobedience, would have ſealed theſe Truths unto their Conſcience.
But turn aſide out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which ye have not known.] It was not every ſin that turned God's favour from them; but their Idolatry and Apoſtacy from him: againſt which he principally warns them, throughout all theſe Chapters, IV. 3, 4, 15, 16, 23. V. 32. VI. 4, 14. VII. 4, 5, 25. VIII. 19. IX. 12. X. 20.
Ver. 29. And it ſhall come to paſs, when the Lord thy Verſe 26 God hath brought thee into the Land, whither thou goest to poſſeſs it, that thou ſhalt put the bleſſing upon Mount Gerizim, and the curſe upon Mount Ebal.] To quicken them unto a ſtrict care in their Obedience, Bleſſings and Curſings were to be pronounced with great Solemnity, at their firſt entrance into the Land of Canaan; as is more fully ordered XXVII. 11, 12, &c. and performed by Joſhua, VIII. 33, 34, 35. And Moſes ſeems to enjoyn them the like Solemnity every Seventh Year, XXXI. 10, 11, 12, 13.
Ver. 30. Are they not on the other ſide Jordan.] Verſe 30 With reſpect to the place where Moſes now was, the Mountains he mentions were on the other ſide of Jordan, in the Land of Canaan. In which they had no ſooner got footing, but Joſhua took care to execute this Command: that their hearts might be poſſeſſed with a ſence upon what terms they were to enjoy it. And he deſcribes the places ſo particularly, that they might be ſure to know them.
By the way where the Sun goeth down.] On that ſide, which inclined to the Weſt.
In the Land of the Canaanites.] The People particularly ſo called, who were one of the Seven Nations: Some of which lived here in the Eaſt, and others near the Mid-land Sea. As I have obſerved upon XV Gen. 21.
Which dwell in the Champian over against Gilgal.] Some think theſe Mountains were at ſuch a conſiderable diſtance from Gilgal, that they cannot be ſaid to be over against Gilgal; becauſe this Phraſe ſignifies them not to be far off one from the other. And therefore they tranſlate theſe words, looking towards Gilgal. But it is not ſaid, that the Mountains were over againſt Gilgal: but the dwelling of the Canaanites (in whoſe Country theſe Mountains were) was over againſt it.
Beſide the Plain of Moreh.] Of which mention is made XII Gen. 6. Where the Canaanites are alſo mentioned, as in that Land, when Abraham came into it. Which ſuggeſts to us, that theſe Bleſſings were pronounced in that very place where Abraham anciently dwelt, and where he worſhipped God, who there appeared to him.
Verſe 31 Ver. 31. For ye ſhall paſs over Jordan to go in to poſſeſs the Land, which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye ſhall poſſeſs it, and dwell therein.] He would have them be as careful in this Matter, as it was certain that they ſhould ſhortly go over Jordan, to take poſſeſſion of the Country which God was about to beſtow on them. Which he aſſures them they ſhould get poſſeſſion of, and ſettle themſelves therein.
Ver. 32.Chapter XII. And ye ſhall obſerve to do all the Statutes and Judgments which I ſet before you this day.] But then do not forget what I have ſo often ſaid to you; which he thought he could not inculcate enough. See Verſe 32 IV. 40. V. 32. VI. 1. VII. 11. VIII. 1, &c.