Deuteronomy 4 - Introduction
_MOSES EXHORTS THE ISRAELITES TO OBEDIENCE; PROPHESIES THEIR DISPERSION IN CASE OF DISOBEDIENCE; AND APPOINTS THREE CITIES OF REFUGE ON THIS SIDE JORDAN._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_MOSES EXHORTS THE ISRAELITES TO OBEDIENCE; PROPHESIES THEIR DISPERSION IN CASE OF DISOBEDIENCE; AND APPOINTS THREE CITIES OF REFUGE ON THIS SIDE JORDAN._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _NOW THEREFORE HEARKEN, O ISRAEL_— Having laid before them a long train of divine dispensations towards their nation, Moses now calls upon the whole assembly, in the most serious and solemn manner, to consider what influence these things ought to have upon their conduct; and exhorts them t... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 2. _YE SHALL NOT ADD UNTO THE WORD WHICH I COMMAND YOU,_ &C.— The meaning of these words, is plainly to be learned from a similar passage, chap. Deuteronomy 12:32. _What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it:_ In which words the intenti... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 6. _THIS IS YOUR WISDOM—IN THE SIGHT OF THE NATIONS_— See Psalms 2:10. In consequence of this, Herodotus, Diod. Siculus, and other heathen writers, who treat of the Jewish affairs, applaud their wisdom in adhering steadfastly to the institutions of their country, and rejecting all foreign rit... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 8. _WHAT NATION IS THERE SO GREAT,_ &C.— That which constitutes the principal glory of a nation, is a pure worship, sincerely offered to the true God, and a right administration of justice. Upon this principle, _what nation was there so great as that of the Jews?_ For, though their country wa... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 10, 11, 12. _THOU STOODEST BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD_— See on ch. Deuteronomy 1:9. _Unto the midst of heaven,_ ver. 11 is, in the Heb. _in the heart of heaven, i.e. in the air._ So Tyre is said to be _in the heart of the sea,_ Ezekiel 28:2 and Jesus Christ _in the heart of the earth,_ Matthew 1... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 16. _LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES_— God having a just title to their highest love, and religious veneration, their suffering any object whatever to come in competition with him, was a _corrupting of themselves;_ a depravation and perfidious alienation of their affections from that God, whose th... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 17-19. _THE LIKENESS OF ANY BEAST THAT IS ON THE EARTH,_ &C.— It is justly observed by Dr. Chandler, in his Vindication, p. 480 that this is the very picture of Egypt, which had gods of all sorts; dead persons deified, male and female, and numerous images of them; and which worshipped as deit... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 19. _WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH DIVIDED,_ &C.— i.e. _Distributed,_ or _imparted._ The force of the argument is this: as Jehovah, the true God, whom you adore, has dispensed to all nations under heaven the benefit of the sun, moon, and stars, which he has created; you ought therefore to worsh... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 20. _IRON FURNACE_— The same phrase is used, 1 Kings 8:51 and Jeremiah 11:4 to express the most cruel servitude, wherein God suffered them to be tried, like metals in a furnace of iron. Moses, in the next verse, repeats again, though he had mentioned it twice before, that _the Lord was angry... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 24. _FOR THE LORD THY GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE_— That is, inflexibly just in punishing the contemners of his law; and who, from the rectitude of his nature, will be as far from letting moral evil pass with impunity, as fire is from not consuming its proper fuel. The same metaphor is used, (cha... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 26. _I CALL HEAVEN AND EARTH TO WITNESS AGAINST YOU_— These expressions, says Calmet, are lively and animated. Moses again addresses the heaven and the earth, in the sacred song which he delivers before his death, ch. Deuteronomy 32:1. Here he in a manner conjures them, by all that is most re... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 27-29. _AND THE LORD SHALL SCATTER YOU,_ &C.— See the notes on ch. 28: and 30: When it is said of the idols, in ver. 28 that _they neither see nor hear,_ &c. the sacred writer intends only to represent the gross stupidity of the heathens, who paid adoration to things which had neither intelli... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 33. _DID EVER PEOPLE HEAR,_ &C.— Three prodigies are pointed out in this verse: 1st, God speaking with a distinct and articulate voice. 2nd, Out of the midst of fire. And, 3rdly, Without any person's dying. See R. Isaac Munimentum Fidei, apud Wagenseil. p. 103.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 34. _HATH GOD ASSAYED,_ &C.— Another prodigy; that God, by the ministry of two men like Moses and Aaron, should deliver his people from the midst of a nation so powerful as the Egyptians. This might be rendered, more properly, perhaps, _Or who besides God hath assayed?_ or, _hath any god assa... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 36. _OUT OF HEAVEN HE MADE THEE TO HEAR,—AND UPON EARTH HE SHEWED THEE_— God is said to _dwell in light inaccessible, and full of glory: i.e._ his throne is encompassed with such splendours, as would be insufferable to mortals, though they constitute a part of the glorious beatific vision of... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 37. _BECAUSE HE LOVED THY FATHERS_— The Jews have, with great arrogance, piqued themselves on being the favourites of the Deity, on account of their separation; and infidels have made use of their boast, to argue against the justice of their separation, representing it as inconsistent with th... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 41. _THEN MOSES SEVERED THREE CITIES_— After the foregoing exhortation, the two conquered countries being now ready to be disposed of to the two tribes and a half, according to agreement, Moses set apart the three cities of refuge, which were to be taken out of them. See Numbers 35:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 48. _EVEN UNTO MOUNT SION, WHICH IS HERMON_— See ch. Deuteronomy 3:9. The mountain of Hermon is probably called _Sion,_ by an abbreviation of _Sirion._ We must take care not to confound this with that mount Sion which was on the other side of Jordan, and in after-times the royal seat of David... [ Continue Reading ]