_A.M. 2553. B.C. 1451._ The preface of God's covenant, Deuteronomy 29:1. A recital of his dealings with them, Deuteronomy 29:2. A solemn exhortation to keep covenant with God, Deuteronomy 29:9. A severe threatening to them that break it, Deuteronomy 29:18. The end of the revealed will of God, Deute... [ Continue Reading ]
_These are the words of the covenant_ Having thus repeated and enlarged upon the laws formerly delivered at Horeb, shown this new generation the covenant they were under, and the time and manner of their renewing it after they had entered Canaan; and having thus pathetically expatiated on the blessi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye have seen all that the Lord did_ Some of them had seen, when they were young, the plagues which God had brought upon Pharaoh and his people, in order to accomplish their deliverance; and others from them had understood these things, which is often termed seeing, both in the Scriptures and elsewh... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive_ Which he would have done had you sincerely and earnestly desired and asked it of him; and you are inexcusable that you have not, considering his signal mercies on the one hand, and awful judgments on the other, of which you have had such great experi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Your clothes waxed not old_ See on Deuteronomy 8:4. _ Ye have not eaten bread_ Common bread purchased by your own money, procured by your own labour, or made by your own hands, but heavenly and angelical bread. _Neither have ye drunk wine_ But only water out of the rock, and the water was made both... [ Continue Reading ]
_Ye stand before the Lord your God_ They were assembled at the tabernacle, from whence he delivered these words to them by the priests and Levites, Deuteronomy 27:9; Deuteronomy 27:14. _Thy stranger_ Such strangers as had embraced their religion: all sorts of persons, yea, even the meanest of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_That he may establish thee_ Here is the summary of that covenant whereof Moses was the mediator; and in the covenant relation between God and them, all the precepts and promises of the covenant are included. That they should be established for a people to him, to fear, love, obey, and be devoted to... [ Continue Reading ]
_So also with him that is not here_ With your posterity. For so the covenant was made at first with Abraham and his seed, by which, as God engaged himself to continue the blessing of Abraham upon his posterity, so he also engaged them to the same duties which were required of Abraham. Thus it is eve... [ Continue Reading ]
_Egypt_ Where you have seen their idolatries, and learned too much of them, as the golden calf showed, and therefore have need to renew your covenant with God; where also we were in dreadful bondage, whence God alone hath delivered us; to whom therefore we are deeply obliged, and have all reason to... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lest there be among you man or woman_ These words are to be considered as connected with Deuteronomy 29:14, and as signifying the end for which he engaged them to renew their covenant with God, that none of them might revolt from him to serve other gods. _Lest there should be a root_ An evil heart... [ Continue Reading ]
_The words of this curse_ This oath and execration, wherein he swore he would keep covenant with God, and that with a curse pronounced against himself if he did not perform it. _Bless himself_ Flatter himself in his own eyes with vain hopes, as if God did not mind such things, and either could not,... [ Continue Reading ]
_His jealousy shall smoke against that man_ Shall burn and break forth like flame and smoke from a furnace. None shall be punished more exemplarily than those who abuse the goodness of God, and turn his grace into wantonness. _Shall blot out his name_ Shall destroy his person and the remembrance of... [ Continue Reading ]
_So that the generation_ Hebrew _And the generation:_ for it appears to be a new paragraph, the sense whereof is, Whenever your wickedness shall arrive at such a height as to bring upon your nation the terrible desolations before spoken of, all considerate people around you will be convinced that it... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whom he had not given_ For their worship, but had divided unto all nations, for their use and service. So he speaks here of the sun, and moon, and stars, which were the principal gods worshipped by the neighbouring nations.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Secret things belong unto the Lord our God_ That is, the counsels and purposes of God concerning persons or nations, and the reasons of his dispensations toward them, together with the time and manner of inflicting judgments or showing mercy, are hidden in his own bosom, and not to be pried into, m... [ Continue Reading ]