Deuteronomy 9:8

_ALSO IN HOREB YE PROVOKED THE LORD TO WRATH, SO THAT THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH YOU TO HAVE DESTROYED YOU._ Also in Horeb - rather, 'even in Horeb,' where it might have been expected they would have acted otherwise....

7-29 That the Israelites might have no pretence to think that God brought them to Canaan for their righteousness, Moses shows what a miracle of mercy it was, that they had not been destroyed in the wilderness. It is good for us often to remember against ourselves, with sorrow and shame, our former sins; that we may see how much we are indebted to free grace, and may humbly own that we never merited any thing but wrath and the curse at God's hand. For so strong is our propensity to pride, that it will creep in under one pretence or another. We are ready to fancy that our righteousness has got for us the special favour of the Lord, though in reality our wickedness is more plain than our weakness. But when the secret history of every man's life shall be brought forth at the day of judgment, all the world will be proved guilty before God. At present, One pleads for us before the mercy-seat,...

ALSO IN HOREB - Rather, “even in Horeb.” The time and circumstances made the apostasy at Horeb particularly inexcusable....

EXPOSITION DISSUASIVES FROM SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. DEUTERONOMY 9:1 Israel might acknowledge that it was of God's free gift that they possessed the land of Canaan, and yet might flatter themselves by thinking it was because of their righteousness and goodness that the gift was bestowed. To guard against this, _Moses _tells them that not because of their righteousness would God go before them and drive out the mighty peoples that then occupied the land, but because of the wickedness of these peoples themselves were they to be extirpated (Deuteronomy 9:1). He further reminds them of their transgressions in the past, and how they thereby came under the Divine displeasure, and were saved

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 to this place a rock had been smitten for them, from whence flowed water for the refreshment of them and their cattle; here the Lord appeared in the glory of his majesty to them, and from hence, for it is the same mount with Sinai, the law was given to them in such an awful and terrible manner; and yet none of these things were sufficient to restrain them from provoking the Lord to wrath by their sins: SO THAT THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH YOU, TO HAVE DESTROYED YOU; so very angry with them, and so justly, that he proposed to Moses to destroy them, and make of him a great nation in their stead,...

5. WARNING AGAINST SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEIR PREVIOUS FAILURES Chapter S 9:1-10:11 _ 1. The warning (Deuteronomy 9:1)_ 2. The failures of the past (Deuteronomy 9:7) 3. The intercession of Moses (Deuteronomy 9:25) 4. The results of the intercession (Deuteronomy 10:1) This chapter and the first eleven verses of the tenth are aimed against the spirit of self righteousness. First there is the warning. This is followed by their shameful history of the past, which showed that a boast of being righteous, or having any righteousness had to be positively excluded in their

DEUTERONOMY 9:7_ b-_ DEUTERONOMY 10:11 (or DEUTERONOMY 10:9). Narrative of the legislation on Mount Horeb; for the purpose apparently of illustrating Deuteronomy 9:7_ a._ This historical survey suddenly thrust into a hortatory context closely resembles Deuteronomy 1-3, and is thought by Horst and Bertholet to be by the same author. They agree with Steuernagel (who, however, says its closest affinities are with Deuteronomy 5) in holding it to be an interpolation here. But surely the history in this section is didactic and therefore hortatory....

DESTROYED. Hebrew. _shamad,_ exterminate, or cut off....

EVEN (or particularly) _in Horeb_ The most notorious rebellion of all. Here begins the recital of the sin of the golden calf as in Exodus 32-34, JE. _provoked_, etc.] Deuteronomy 9:7. _was angry_ See on Deuteronomy 1:37....

b. HOW TO PREVENT THE THREAT (Deuteronomy 9:1 to Deuteronomy 11:21) (1) BY A REALISTIC SELF-EVALUATION (Deuteronomy 9:1 to Deuteronomy 10:11) (Moses rehearses the story of the two tables of stone and the Israelite's sin at Sinai. This is done so Israel might see their previous course: rebelliousness, stubbornness, and disobedience.) Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over the Jordan this day to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can sta