Deuteronomy 4:26

_I CALL HEAVEN AND EARTH TO WITNESS AGAINST YOU THIS DAY, THAT YE SHALL SOON UTTERLY PERISH FROM OFF THE LAND WHEREUNTO YE GO OVER JORDAN TO POSSESS IT; YE SHALL NOT PROLONG YOUR DAYS UPON IT, BUT SHALL UTTERLY BE DESTROYED._ I call heaven and earth to witness against you. This solemn form of adjuration has been common in special circumstances among all people. It is used here figuratively, or as in other parts of Scripture where inanimate objects are called up as witnesses (Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 1:2)....

24-40 Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Did we consider what a God he is with whom we have to do, we should surely make conscience of our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful unto him? Whither can we go? Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and prevailed with by the mercies of God to cleave to him. Moses urged God's authority over them, and their obligations to him. In keeping God's commandments they would act wisely for themselves. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Those who enjoy the benefit of Divine light and laws, ought to support their character for wisdom and honour, that God may be glorified thereby. Those who call upon God, shall certainly find him within call, ready to give an answer of peace to every prayer of faith. All these statutes and judgments of...

Verse Deuteronomy 4:26. _I CALL HEAVEN AND EARTH TO WITNESS AGAINST YOU_] A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all nations in the world. So Virgil, AEn., lib. xii., ver. 176, c. Tum pius AEneas stricto sic ense precatur: Esto nunc Sol testis et haec mihi terra vocanti - Fontesque fluviosque voco, quaeque aetheris alti Relllgio, et quae caeruleo sunt numina ponto, c. "Then the great Trojan prince unsheathed his sword, And thus, with lifted hands, the gods adored: Thou land for which I wage this war, and thou...

Compare with these verses Leviticus 26:33, and Deuteronomy 28:64 ff....

EXPOSITION DEUTERONOMY 4:25-5 Moses enforces the warning against idolatry, by predicting the evil that should come upon the nation through the apostasy of those who should in after times turn from Jehovah to strange gods. When they should have begotten children and children's children, and had been long in the land, _i_._e_._ _when in after years a generation should arise that had not known the things they had seen, or had forgotten them (Deuteronomy 4:9), and the nation should then become wanton and corrupt, and fall into idolatry (cf. Deuteronomy 6:10, etc.; D

I CALL HEAVEN AND EARTH TO WITNESS AGAINST YOU THIS DAY,.... Should they be guilty of such a sin, since they were so strongly and publicly cautioned against it; and even the heaven and the earth were called upon as witnesses of the law being set before them, which so expressly forbids it, Deuteronomy 30:19 THAT YE SHALL SOON UTTERLY PERISH FROM OFF THE LAND WHEREUNTO YOU GO OVER JORDAN TO POSSESS IT; though they were now about to go over Jordan and inherit the land of Canaan, yet they would not enjoy it long, but be taken and carried captive out of it; as the ten tribes were by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and the two tribes by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and both for their idolatry and other crimes....

3. HEARKEN, O ISRAEL! CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Obedience demanded (Deuteronomy 4:1)_ 2. The covenant to be observed (Deuteronomy 4:9) 3. Take heed unto yourselves lest ye forget (Deuteronomy 4:15) 4. The warning (Deuteronomy 4:25) 5. Israel, the chosen nation (Deuteronomy 4:32) “Now therefore hearken, O Israel” marks the beginning of the exhortation to keep the law of the Lord. First he had shown the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and upon that Moses admonishes them to

SECOND PART OF MOSES-' FIRST ADDRESS. This contains exhortations to obedience from motives of self-interest and of gratitude to Yahweh, and forms an apparent logical unity with Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29: but the two pieces had probably a separate origin. The lessons in Deuteronomy 4:1 are not drawn immediately from chs. 1- 3. The writer of 1- 3 has in mind the events which followed the departure from Horeb: that of Deuteronomy 4:1 concentrates attention upon the theophany on Horeb. Deuteronomy 4:27 see

I CALL. Figure of speech _Deasis._ App-6. Compare Deuteronomy 31:28. HEAVEN AND EARTH. the heavens and the earth (always plural and with Hebrew particle. _eth_, except Genesis 2:1. See note on Deuteronomy 1:1). One of the thirteen occurrences of the Hebrew expressions noted in the Massorah. Genesis 1:1.Exodus 20:11; Exodus 31:17; Exodus 4:26;...

Threat of Exile with Promise of Grace on Repentance If, with the slackness of increasing years, Israel give way to idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:25) Moses testifies that they shall perish from the land (Deuteronomy 4:26), and be scattered among the peoples (Deuteronomy 4:27) where indeed they must worship senseless idols (Deuteronomy 4:28). So far the Pl. address. But if change to the Sg. in these latter days of tribulation the nation seeks and returns to Jehovah it shall find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29 f.). He will not fail nor forget