3 And his miracles, H226 and his acts, H4639 which he did H6213 in the midst H8432 of Egypt H4714 unto Pharaoh H6547 the king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 and unto all his land; H776
The great H1419 temptations H4531 which thine eyes H5869 saw, H7200 and the signs, H226 and the wonders, H4159 and the mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and the stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 whereby the LORD H3068 thy God H430 brought thee out: H3318 so shall the LORD H3068 thy God H430 do H6213 unto all the people H5971 of whom thou art afraid. H3373 H6440
Or hath God H430 assayed H5254 to go H935 and take H3947 him a nation H1471 from the midst H7130 of another nation, H1471 by temptations, H4531 by signs, H226 and by wonders, H4159 and by war, H4421 and by a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 and by great H1419 terrors, H4172 according to all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 did H6213 for you in Egypt H4714 before your eyes? H5869
They shewed H7760 his signs H226 H1697 among them, and wonders H4159 in the land H776 of Ham. H2526 He sent H7971 darkness, H2822 and made it dark; H2821 and they rebelled H4784 not against his word. H1697 He turned H2015 their waters H4325 into blood, H1818 and slew H4191 their fish. H1710 Their land H776 brought forth H8317 frogs H6854 in abundance, H8317 in the chambers H2315 of their kings. H4428 He spake, H559 and there came H935 divers sorts of flies, H6157 and lice H3654 in all their coasts. H1366 He gave H5414 them hail H1259 for rain, H1653 and flaming H3852 fire H784 in their land. H776 He smote H5221 their vines H1612 also and their fig trees; H8384 and brake H7665 the trees H6086 of their coasts. H1366 He spake, H559 and the locusts H697 came, H935 and caterpillers, H3218 and that without number, H4557 And did eat up H398 all the herbs H6212 in their land, H776 and devoured H398 the fruit H6529 of their ground. H127 He smote H5221 also all the firstborn H1060 in their land, H776 the chief H7225 of all their strength. H202 He brought them forth H3318 also with silver H3701 and gold: H2091 and there was not one feeble H3782 person among their tribes. H7626 Egypt H4714 was glad H8055 when they departed: H3318 for the fear H6343 of them fell H5307 upon them. He spread H6566 a cloud H6051 for a covering; H4539 and fire H784 to give light H215 in the night. H3915 The people asked, H7592 and he brought H935 quails, H7958 and satisfied H7646 them with the bread H3899 of heaven. H8064 He opened H6605 the rock, H6697 and the waters H4325 gushed out; H2100 they ran H1980 in the dry places H6723 like a river. H5104 For he remembered H2142 his holy H6944 promise, H1697 and Abraham H85 his servant. H5650 And he brought forth H3318 his people H5971 with joy, H8342 and his chosen H972 with gladness: H7440 And gave H5414 them the lands H776 of the heathen: H1471 and they inherited H3423 the labour H5999 of the people; H3816 That they might observe H8104 his statutes, H2706 and keep H5341 his laws. H8451 Praise H1984 ye the LORD. H3050
Who sent H7971 tokens H226 and wonders H4159 into the midst H8432 of thee, O Egypt, H4714 upon Pharaoh, H6547 and upon all his servants. H5650
Which hast set H7760 signs H226 and wonders H4159 in the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 even unto this day, H3117 and in Israel, H3478 and among other men; H120 and hast made H6213 thee a name, H8034 as at this day; H3117 And hast brought forth H3318 thy people H5971 Israel H3478 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 with signs, H226 and with wonders, H4159 and with a strong H2389 hand, H3027 and with a stretched out H5186 arm, H248 and with great H1419 terror; H4172
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 11
Commentary on Deuteronomy 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
De 11:1-32. An Exhortation to Obedience.
1. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge—The reason for the frequent repetition of the same or similar counsels is to be traced to the infantine character and state of the church, which required line upon line and precept upon precept. Besides, the Israelites were a headstrong and perverse people, impatient of control, prone to rebellion, and, from their long stay in Egypt, so violently addicted to idolatry, that they ran imminent risk of being seduced by the religion of the country to which they were going, which, in its characteristic features, bore a strong resemblance to that of the country they had left.
2-9. I speak not with your children which have not known … But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did—Moses is here giving a brief summary of the marvels and miracles of awful judgment which God had wrought in effecting their release from the tyranny of Pharaoh, as well as those which had taken place in the wilderness. He knew that he might dwell upon these, for he was addressing many who had been witnesses of those appalling incidents. For it will be remembered that the divine threatening that they should die in the wilderness, and its execution, extended only to males from twenty years and upward, who were able to go forth to war. No males under twenty years of age, no females, and none of the tribe of Levi, were objects of the denunciation (see Nu 14:28-30; 16:49). There might, therefore, have been many thousands of the Israelites at that time of whom Moses could say, "Your eyes have seen all the great acts which He did"; and with regard to those the historic review of Moses was well calculated to stir up their minds to the duty and advantages of obedience.
10-12. For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out—The physical features of Palestine present a striking contrast to those of the land of bondage. A widely extending plain forms the cultivated portion of Egypt, and on the greater part of this low and level country rain never falls. This natural want is supplied by the annual overflow of the Nile, and by artificial means from the same source when the river has receded within its customary channel. Close by the bank the process of irrigation is very simple. The cultivator opens a small sluice on the edge of the square bed in which seed has been sown, making drill after drill; and when a sufficient quantity of water has poured in, he shuts it up with his foot. Where the bank is high, the water is drawn up by hydraulic engines, of which there are three kinds used, of different power, according to the subsidence of the stream. The water is distributed in small channels or earthen conduits, simple in construction, worked by the foot, and formed with a mattock by the gardener who directs their course, and which are banked up or opened, as occasion may require, by pressing in the soil with the foot. Thus was the land watered in which the Israelites had dwelt so long. Such vigilance and laborious industry would not be needed in the promised land. Instead of being visited with moisture only at one brief season and left during the rest of the year under a withering blight, every season it would enjoy the benign influences of a genial climate. The hills would attract the frequent clouds, and in the refreshing showers the blessing of God would especially rest upon the land.
12. A land which the Lord thy God careth for—that is, watering it, as it were, with His own hands, without human aid or mechanical means.
14. the first rain and the latter rain—The early rain commenced in autumn, that is, chiefly during the months of September and October, while the latter rain fell in the spring of the year, that is, during the months of March and April. It is true that occasional showers fell all the winter; but, at the autumnal and vernal seasons, they were more frequent, copious, and important; for the early rain was necessary, after a hot and protracted summer, to prepare the soil for receiving the seed; and the latter rain, which shortly preceded the harvest, was of the greatest use in invigorating the languishing powers of vegetation (Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23; Am 4:7; Jas 5:7).
15-17. I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle—Undoubtedly the special blessing of the former and the latter rain [De 11:14] was one principal cause of the extraordinary fertility of Canaan in ancient times. That blessing was promised to the Israelites as a temporal reward for their fidelity to the national covenant [De 11:13]. It was threatened to be withdrawn on their disobedience or apostasy; and most signally is the execution of that threatening seen in the present sterility of Palestine. MR. LowthIAN, an English farmer, who was struck during his journey from Joppa to Jerusalem by not seeing a blade of grass, where even in the poorest localities of Britain some wild vegetation is found, directed his attention particularly to the subject, and pursued the inquiry during a month's residence in Jerusalem, where he learned that a miserably small quantity of milk is daily sold to the inhabitants at a dear rate, and that chiefly asses' milk. "Most clearly," says he, "did I perceive that the barrenness of large portions of the country was owing to the cessation of the early and latter rain, and that the absence of grass and flowers made it no longer the land (De 11:9) flowing with milk and honey."
18-25. lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them—(See on De 6:1).
24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours—not as if the Jews should be lords of the world, but of every place within the promised land. It should be granted to them and possessed by them, on conditions of obedience:
from the wilderness—the Arabah on the south;
Lebanon—the northern limit;
Euphrates—their boundary on the east. Their grant of dominion extended so far, and the right was fulfilled to Solomon.
even unto the uttermost sea—the Mediterranean.
26-32. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse—(See on De 27:11).