INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 9 In this chapter the Israelites are assured of the ejection of the Canaanites, though so great and mighty, to make room for them, Deuteronomy 9:1, and they are cautioned not to attribute this to their own righteousness, but to the wickedness of the nations which deserve... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR, O ISRAEL,.... A pause being made after the delivery of the preceding discourse; or perhaps what follows might be delivered at another time, at some little distance; and which being of moment and importance to the glory of God, and that Israel might have a true notion of their duty, they are ca... [ Continue Reading ]
A PEOPLE GREAT AND TALL,.... Of a large bulky size, and of an high stature, so that the spies seemed to be as grasshoppers to them, Numbers 13:33, THE CHILDREN OF THE ANAKIMS, WHOM THOU KNOWEST; by report, having had an account of them by the spies, who described them as very large bodied men, and... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTAND THEREFORE THIS DAY,.... Or be it known to you for your encouragement, and believe it: THAT THE LORD THY GOD [IS] HE WHICH GOETH OVER BEFORE THEE AS A CONSUMING FIRE: did not only go before them over the river Jordan, in a pillar of cloud and fire, to guide and direct them, and was a wall... [ Continue Reading ]
SPEAK NOT THOU IN THINE HEART,.... Never once think within thyself, or give way to such a vain imagination, and please thyself with it: AFTER THAT THE LORD THY GOD HATH CAST THEM OUT FROM BEFORE THEE; to make way for the Israelites, and put them into the possession of their land; which is to be asc... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR FOR THE UPRIGHTNESS OF THINE HEART,.... Neither for their external righteousness before men, or their outward conformity to the law, nor for the inward sincerity of their hearts, and their upright intentions in doing good, in which they were defective: DOST THOU GO TO... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTAND THEREFORE THAT THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE NOT THIS GOOD LAND TO POSSESS IT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... This is again repeated to impress it upon their minds, that it was not for any goodness of theirs, but as a gift of divine goodness to them, that they were put into the possession of th... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER, AND FORGET NOT HOW THOU PROVOKEDST THE LORD THY GOD TO WRATH IN THE WILDERNESS,.... Aben Ezra remarks that this was after they journeyed from Horeb; but before they came thither, even as soon as, they were in the wilderness, they provoked the Lord, as by their murmuring for water at Marah,... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO IN HOREB YE PROVOKED THE LORD TO WRATH,.... The word "also" shows that they had provoked him before, but this instance is given as a very notorious one; here they made the golden calf and worshipped it, while Moses was on the mount with God, receiving instructions from him for their good. Near... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I WAS GONE UP INTO THE MOUNT TO RECEIVE THE TABLES OF STONE,.... The tables of the law, the same law which forbid idolatry, and which they had lately heard from the mouth of God himself: even THE TABLES OF THE COVENANT WHICH THE LORD MADE WITH YOU; which they had agreed unto, and solemnly prom... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD DELIVERED UNTO ME TWO TABLES OF STONE, WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD,.... The letters were of his devising and forming, the writing was his, the engraving them on the stones was his own doing; and which was done to show its original, to stamp a divine authority on it, and to denote its... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS,.... The time of Moses's stay in the mount, when it was just up, and not before: that THE LORD GAVE ME THE TWO TABLES OF STONE, [EVEN] THE TABLES OF THE COVENANT, as in Deuteronomy 9:9. Aben Ezra observes, that this shows that the day th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME,.... The omniscient God, who knew what was doing in the camp of Israel, though Moses did not, of which he informs him: ARISE, GET THEE DOWN QUICKLY FROM HENCE; from the mount where he was; and the word "arise" does not suppose him to be sitting or lying along, neither of w... [ Continue Reading ]
FURTHERMORE THE LORD SPAKE UNTO ME, SAYING,.... After he had given him the two tables, and before his departure from the mount: I HAVE SEEN THIS PEOPLE; took notice of them, their ways, and their works: AND, BEHOLD, IT IS A STIFFNECKED PEOPLE; unwilling to submit to, and bear the yoke of my comman... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ME ALONE, THAT I MAY DESTROY THEM,.... Do not say one word to me on their behalf, or entreat me to spare them, and not destroy them: AND BLOT OUT THEIR NAME FROM UNDER HEAVEN; that no such nation may be heard of, or known by the name of Israel: AND I WILL MAKE OF THEE A NATION MIGHTIER AND GRE... [ Continue Reading ]
SO I TURNED AND CAME DOWN FROM THE MOUNT,.... As the Lord commanded: AND THE MOUNT BURNED WITH FIRE; as it had for six weeks past, ever since the Lord's descent upon it; and so it continued, for the words may be rendered, "and the mount was burning" b; and yet this did not deter the Israelites from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I LOOKED,.... When he was come down from the mount, and was nigh the camp: AND, BEHOLD, YE HAD SINNED AGAINST THE LORD YOUR GOD; that plainly appeared by what they had done, and at which he was amazed; and therefore a behold is prefixed to it, it being such a gross sin, having so much impiety a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I TOOK THE TWO TABLES, AND CAST THEM OUT OF MY TWO HANDS,.... In wrath and indignation at the sin they were guilty of: AND BRAKE THEM BEFORE YOUR EYES; as an emblem of their breach of them by transgressing them.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I FELL DOWN BEFORE THE LORD,.... In prayer for Israel who had sinned; but this he did not immediately after he had broken the tables, but when he had first ground the calf to powder, strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it; and when he had chided Aaron, and ordered the... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WAS AFRAID OF THE ANGER AND HOT DISPLEASURE WHEREWITH THE LORD WAS WROTH AGAINST YOU,.... Which was exceeding vehement, as appeared by his words to Moses, forbidding to intercede for them, that he might consume them, and make of him a greater nation; wherefore he dreaded the issue of it, lest... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD WAS VERY ANGRY WITH AARON, TO HAVE DESTROYED HIM,.... For complying with the request of the people in making a calf for them, and for that miserable shift he made to excuse himself; which so provoked the Lord, that he threatened to destroy him, and he was in danger of being cut off, had... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I TOOK YOUR SIN, THE CALF WHICH YE HAD MADE,.... Which was the object of their sin, which lay in making and worshipping it; see Isaiah 31:7 AND BURNT IT WITH FIRE, AND STAMPED IT; with his feet after it was burnt, to bring it into small pieces: AND GROUND IT VERY SMALL; or, as the Targum of Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AT TABERAH, AND AT MASSAH, AND AT KIBROTHHATTAAVAH, YE PROVOKED THE LORD TO WRATH. These places are not mentioned in the strict order in which the provocations were made at them; for they provoked the Lord at Massah by murmuring for water, before they provoked him at Taberah, by complaining as i... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE WHEN THE LORD SENT YOU FROM KADESHBARNEA,.... From whence the spies were sent to search the land, though previous to it they had the following order to go up and possess it; see Numbers 32:8 SAYING, GO UP AND POSSESS THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN YOU; this they were bid to do, before they d... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU HAVE BEEN REBELLIOUS AGAINST THE LORD FROM THE DAY THAT I KNEW YOU. Either from the time he first had and took knowledge of them and visited them, before his departure from Egypt to the land of Midian; (see Exodus 2:11 compared with Acts 7:25); or from the time that he was sent to them to delive... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS I FELL DOWN BEFORE THE LORD FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS, AS I FELL DOWN AT THE FIRST,.... Which Jarchi says are the selfsame said above, Deuteronomy 9:18, but doubled or repeated, because of the order of his prayer. The words "at the first" are not in the text; and, as before observed, we do no... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I PRAYED THEREFORE UNTO THE LORD,.... What follows is a different prayer from that in Exodus 32:31 and agrees better with that in Deuteronomy 9:11, delivered before he came down from the mount, yet could not be the same, because delivered at another forty days and nights: AND SAID, O LORD GOD,... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THY SERVANTS, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB,.... The covenant he had made with them, the promises he had made to them of the multiplication of their seed, and of giving the land of Canaan to them; which is a third argument used with the Lord not to destroy them: LOOK NOT UNTO THE STUBBORNNESS... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST THE LAND WHENCE THOU BROUGHTEST US OUT SAY,.... The land of Egypt, the inhabitants of it; BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING THEM INTO THE LAND WHICH HE PROMISED THEM; the land of Canaan, the inhabitants of it being so mighty, and their cities so strongly fortified. Here Moses expresses hi... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THEY ARE THY PEOPLE,.... Though they had sinned against him: AND THINE INHERITANCE; which he would not forsake and cast off; at least Moses hoped on this account he would not, and makes use thereof as an argument with him why he should not, and which he repeats, adding in effect what he had sai... [ Continue Reading ]