3 The LORD H3068 made H3772 not this covenant H1285 with our fathers, H1 but with us, H587 even us, who are all of us H428 here alive H2416 this day. H3117
Ye stand H5324 this day H3117 all of you before H6440 the LORD H3068 your God; H430 your captains H7218 of your tribes, H7626 your elders, H2205 and your officers, H7860 with all the men H376 of Israel, H3478 Your little ones, H2945 your wives, H802 and thy stranger H1616 that is in H7130 thy camp, H4264 from the hewer H2404 of thy wood H6086 unto the drawer H7579 of thy water: H4325 That thou shouldest enter H5674 into covenant H1285 with the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and into his oath, H423 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 maketh H3772 with thee this day: H3117 That he may establish H6965 thee to day H3117 for a people H5971 unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, H430 as he hath said H1696 unto thee, and as he hath sworn H7650 unto thy fathers, H1 to Abraham, H85 to Isaac, H3327 and to Jacob. H3290 Neither with you only do I make H3772 this covenant H1285 and this oath; H423 But with him that standeth H5975 here with us this H3426 day H3117 before H6440 the LORD H3068 our God, H430 and also with him that is not here with us this day: H3117
He hath remembered H2142 his covenant H1285 for ever, H5769 the word H1697 which he commanded H6680 to a thousand H505 generations. H1755 Which covenant he made H3772 with Abraham, H85 and his oath H7621 unto Isaac; H3446 And confirmed H5975 the same unto Jacob H3290 for a law, H2706 and to Israel H3478 for an everlasting H5769 covenant: H1285
And they shall be my people, H5971 and I will be their God: H430 And I will give H5414 them one H259 heart, H3820 and one H259 way, H1870 that they may fear H3372 me for ever, H3117 for the good H2896 of them, and of their children H1121 after H310 them: And I will make H3772 an everlasting H5769 covenant H1285 with them, that I will not turn away H7725 from them, H310 to do them good; H3190 but I will put H5414 my fear H3374 in their hearts, H3824 that they shall not depart H5493 from me.
For G1063 verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 many G4183 prophets G4396 and G2532 righteous G1342 men have desired G1937 to see G1492 those things which G3739 ye see, G991 and G2532 have G1492 not G3756 seen G1492 them; and G2532 to hear G191 those things which G3739 ye hear, G191 and G2532 have G191 not G3756 heard G191 them.
And G1161 this G5124 I say, G3004 that the covenant, G1242 that was confirmed before G4300 of G5259 God G2316 in G1519 Christ, G5547 the law, G3551 which was G1096 four hundred G5071 and G2532 thirty G5144 years G2094 after, G3326 cannot G3756 disannul, G208 that G1519 it should make G2673 the promise G1860 of none effect. G2673 For G1063 if G1487 the inheritance G2817 be of G1537 the law, G3551 it is no more G3765 of G1537 promise: G1860 but G1161 God G2316 gave G5483 it to Abraham G11 by G1223 promise. G1860 Wherefore G5101 then G3767 serveth the law? G3551 It was added G4369 because of G5484 transgressions, G3847 till G891 G3757 the seed G4690 should come G2064 to whom G3739 the promise was made; G1861 and it was ordained G1299 by G1223 angels G32 in G1722 the hand G5495 of a mediator. G3316 Now G1161 a mediator G3316 is G2076 not G3756 a mediator of one, G1520 but G1161 God G2316 is G2076 one. G1520 Is the law G3551 then G3767 against G2596 the promises G1860 of God? G2316 God forbid: G3361 G1096 for G1063 if G1487 there had been G1325 a law G3551 given G1325 which G3588 could G1410 have given life, G2227 verily G3689 righteousness G1343 should G302 have been G2258 by G1537 the law. G3551
For G1063 finding fault G3201 with them, G846 he saith, G3004 Behold, G2400 the days G2250 come, G2064 saith G3004 the Lord, G2962 when G2532 I will make G4931 a new G2537 covenant G1242 with G1909 the house G3624 of Israel G2474 and G2532 with G1909 the house G3624 of Judah: G2455 Not G3756 according to G2596 the covenant G1242 that G3739 I made with G4160 their G846 fathers G3962 in G1722 the day G2250 when I took G1949 them G846 by the hand G3450 G5495 to lead G1806 them G846 out of G1537 the land G1093 of Egypt; G125 because G3754 they G846 continued G1696 not G3756 in G1722 my G3450 covenant, G1242 and I G2504 regarded G272 them G846 not, G272 saith G3004 the Lord. G2962
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 5
Commentary on Deuteronomy 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
De 5:1-29. A Commemoration of the Covenant in Horeb.
1. Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments—Whether this rehearsal of the law was made in a solemn assembly, or as some think at a general meeting of the elders as representatives of the people, is of little moment; it was addressed either directly or indirectly to the Hebrew people as principles of their peculiar constitution as a nation; and hence, as has been well observed, "the Jewish law has no obligation upon Christians, unless so much of it as given or commanded by Jesus Christ; for whatever in this law is conformable to the laws of nature, obliges us, not as given by Moses, but by virtue of an antecedent law common to all rational beings" [Bishop Wilson].
3. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us—The meaning is, "not with our fathers" only, "but with us" also, assuming it to be "a covenant" of grace. It may mean "not with our fathers" at all, if the reference is to the peculiar establishment of the covenant of Sinai; a law was not given to them as to us, nor was the covenant ratified in the same public manner and by the same solemn sanctions. Or, finally, the meaning may be "not with our fathers" who died in the wilderness, in consequence of their rebellion, and to whom God did not give the rewards promised only to the faithful; but "with us," who alone, strictly speaking, shall enjoy the benefits of this covenant by entering on the possession of the promised land.
4. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount—not in a visible and corporeal form, of which there was no trace (De 4:12, 15), but freely, familiarly, and in such a manner that no doubt could be entertained of His presence.
5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time—as the messenger and interpreter of thy heavenly King, bringing near two objects formerly removed from each other at a vast distance, namely, God and the people (Ga 3:19). In this character Moses was a type of Christ, who is the only mediator between God and men (1Ti 2:5), the Mediator of a better covenant (Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24).
to show you the word of the Lord—not the ten commandments—for they were proclaimed directly by the Divine Speaker Himself, but the statutes and judgments which are repeated in the subsequent portion of this book.
6-20. I am the Lord thy God—The word "Lord" is expressive of authority or dominion; and God, who by natural claim as well as by covenant relation was entitled to exercise supremacy over His people Israel, had a sovereign right to establish laws for their government. [See on Ex 20:2.] The commandments which follow are, with a few slight verbal alterations, the same as formerly recorded (Ex 20:1-17), and in some of them there is a distinct reference to that promulgation.
12. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee—that is, keep it in mind as a sacred institution of former enactment and perpetual obligation. [See on Ex 20:8].
14. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou—This is a different reason for the observance of the Sabbath from what is assigned in Ex 20:8-11, where that day is stated to be an appointed memorial of the creation. But the addition of another motive for the observance does not imply any necessary contrariety to the other; and it has been thought probable that, the commemorative design of the institution being well known, the other reason was specially mentioned on this repetition of the law, to secure the privilege of sabbatic rest to servants, of which, in some Hebrew families, they had been deprived. In this view, the allusion to the period of Egyptian bondage (De 5:15), when they themselves were not permitted to observe the Sabbath either as a day of rest or of public devotion, was peculiarly seasonable and significant, well fitted to come home to their business and bosoms.
16. that it may go well with thee—This clause is not in Exodus, but admitted into Eph 6:3.
21. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, … house, his field—An alteration is here made in the words (see Ex 20:17), but it is so slight ("wife" being put in the first clause and "house" in the second) that it would not have been worth while noticing it, except that the interchange proves, contrary to the opinion of some eminent critics, that these two objects are included in one and the same commandment.
22. he added no more—(Ex 20:1). The pre-eminence of these ten commandments was shown in God's announcing them directly: other laws and institutions were communicated to the people through the instrumentality of Moses.
23-28. And … ye came near unto me—(See on Ex 20:19).
29. Oh, that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me—God can bestow such a heart, and has promised to give it, wherever it is asked (Jer 32:40). But the wish which is here expressed on the part of God for the piety and steadfast obedience of the Israelites did not relate to them as individuals, so much as a nation, whose religious character and progress would have a mighty influence on the world at large.