1 An exhortation to obedience. 41 Moses apppointeth the three cities of refuge on that side Jordan.
Deu 4:1 Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.1. Hearken. In th sense of “give heed.”
The third chapter concluded the review of the journey of Israel from Horeb to the river Jordan, preliminary to crossing it. Chapter 4 consists largely of an exhortation to obedience.
Decrees. That is, the provisions of the civil code regulating conduct, in contrast to the “judgments,” which were concerned with the administration of the “statutes,” particularly with respect to judicia decisions.
The word rendered “judgments” is sometimes also translated “right,” in the sense of “justice,” or a “right decision” (Gen. 18:25; Job 34:6, 7; 35:2; Ps. 9:4). Ye may live. Their fathers had died in the wilderness because of disobedience; they were to live—if they obeyed God—in the land promised their fathers.
Deu 4:2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. 2. Ye shall not add. Whatever God does is perfect. To add to it or to subtract from it is to mar or spoil it (Deut. 12:32; Jer. 26:2; Rev. 22:18). Commandments. From the Hebrew commonly translated “command” or “commandment” (Gen. 26:5; Ex. 15:26; Lev. 4:2; Num. 15:22; Ps. 78:7; etc.).
Deu 4:3 You saw with your own eyes what the LORD did at Baal Peor. The LORD your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 3. Because of Baal-peor. Literally, “in Baal-peor.” For the sin and its results at this place see Num. 25:1–5; Deut. 3:29; Hosea 9:10. Some scholars think that the Baal-peor here mentioned was a god of sexual desire, such as is worshipped so freely by the Lingayats in India today.
Deu 4:4 but all of you who held fast to the LORD your God are still alive today. 4. Cleave. This word stands for the closest possible relationship, like that of husband and wife (Gen. 2:24; see also Job 19:20 and Jer. 13:11). 6. Keep therefore and do. To “keep”them is to give assent of mind and heart to them, with intent to order the life accordingly; to “do” them is to carry out the intent of the will. A man must purpose to do right before he does right. These two exhortations are repeated again and again (chs. 7:12; 16:12; 23:23; 24:8; 26:16; 28:13). It is the practical carrying out of God’s will that He appreciates and values highly. Your wisdom. The respect of Israel among the nations would be in proportion to their faithfulness in observing the commandments of God. The blessings of God upon His people as they lived in harmony with His requirements would greatly impress the surrounding nations. 8. All this law. Literally, “all this torah.” The word torah is inclusive of all instruction and doctrine, and comprehends all principles of conduct. Moses suggests the idea of comparing God’s “law,” or principles of conduct, with those of the surrounding nations.
Deu 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 9. Diligently. Constant vigilance is necessary in order that the spiritual life may ever be in tune with God’s revealed will. Teach them thy sons. Literally, “make them known to thy children” (see Ex. 12:26; 13:8, 14; Joshua 4:21).
Deu 4:10 Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” 10. In Horeb. The memorable occasion when God revealed His holy law. The memory of this occasion was ever to be kept clearly in mind. Fear me. To “fear” God is to regard Him with profound and reverent respect (Ex. 19:10–13; 20:20) and to have proper regard for His will (Deut. 8:6; Prov. 3:7; Eccl. 12:13; Isa. 11:2, 3; 33:6).
Deu 4:12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
Deu 4:12 Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 12. The Lord spake. See Ex. 19:20; 20:1, 22. Midst of the fire. See Ex. 19:18; 24:17; Deut. 4:15, 33, 36; 5:4, 22, 24; 9:10; 10:4. The voice. Literally, “the sound,” that is, of the words God spoke (see Ex. 19:19; 24:16). Saw no similitude. Literally, “saw no form.” “Similitude” is rendered “likeness” in Deut. 4:23, 25; 5:8; Ps. 17:15, and “form” in Job 4:16.
Deu 4:13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 13. Covenant. The Hebrew word thus translated may be applied to any agreement or contract. It probably comes from the Hebrew verb “to bind,” “to fetter.” It is used of a treaty or alliance (Gen. 14:13; Ex. 23:32), an agreement (2 Sam. 3:12, 13, 21; Jer. 34:8), and of the marriage vow (Mal. 2:14). Ten commandments. Literally, “the ten words.” These were later written by God Himself (Ex. 24:12; 34:28; Deut. 10:4). 14. Commanded me. God Himself presented the Ten Commandments, but all the civil and ceremonial laws were given through Moses (Ex. 24:3). This important distinction Moses repeatedly emphasizes (Ex. 20:1, 19; 21:1; 24:3; Deut. 5:22). The book of Deuteronomy is concerned primarily with the civil laws.
Deu 4:15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 15. Similitude. Literally, “form” (see on v. 12). Man is prone to seek to express his concepts of deity in visible, material form. The manifestation of divine glory at Sinai was not to be an excuse for doing so.
Deu 4:15 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,
16. Corrupt yourselves. See Ex. 20:4. Heathen nations have degraded themselves by depicting deity in forms partly human and partly animal and by making grotesque representations of the human form.
18. Creepeth. The worship of snakes and other lowly creatures is common among millions of people even today. Fish. The ancient Philistines. Mesopotamians, and possibly the Egyptians included in their pantheon a fish god (see Ex. 20:4).
Deu 4:20 But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
The iron furnace. In 1 Kings 8:51 and Jer. 11:4 this figure of speech is used to denote harsh servitude. Isaiah defines the disciplinary experiences under God’s hand as a process of refining in a furnace (Isa. 48:10; see also Job 23:10). People of inheritance. Or, “his own inheritance” (see ch. 32:9).
Deu 4:21 The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance.92988Lord was angry. For the third time Moses speaks of this fact, in an endeavor to impress upon Israel the liabilities involved in opposition to God’s will (ch. 1:37; 3:26). Giveth. Literally, “on the point of giving,” or “about to give” (see also chs. 15:4; 25:19; 26:1).
Deu 4:22 I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. 22. I must die. Moses felt keenly his being forbidden entrance to the land of Promise (see Num. 27:12–14). 23. A graven image. The danger of idolatrous practices lay heavily on the heart of Moses (see vs. 16, 25).
Deu 4:23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden.
Deu 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God 24. A consuming fire. Compare Ps. 50:3; Isa. 29:6; 30:27, 30; Amos 5:6; Zeph. 1:18; Heb. 12:29. A jealous God. God will not tolerate divided. affections or halfhearted service (Ex. 20:5).
Deu 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Deu 4:25 After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and arousing his anger, 25. Remained long. Literally, “fallen asleep.” The Hebrew word thus used means “to sleep,” and may be used figuratively of the dulling spiritual life, or the loss of one’s first impressions.
Deu 4:27 The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 27. Scatter you. See Lev. 26:32, 33. 28. Serve gods. This verse is descriptive of the most debasing form of idolatry (see 2 Kings 19:18), (Ps. 115:4; 135:15; Micah 5:13).
Deu 4:30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
30. Latter days. Literally, “in the afterdays.” This expression is frequent in a prophetic sense, pointing to the Messiah and to His second coming and kingdom (see Isa. 2:2; Hosea 3:5; Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:1, 2; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18). 31. Merciful. The root from which the adjective thus translated comes means “to love,” “to be inclined toward affection,” and in the intensive form, “to have compassion.” In the 13 times this adjective is used in the OT, it is always applied to God. He will not forsake thee. Literally, “He will not let thee sink down.” The verb is often translated, “to become feeble,” “to become weakened,” “to faint.”
30. Latter days. Literally, “in the afterdays.” This expression is frequent in a prophetic sense, pointing to the Messiah and to His second coming and kingdom (see Isa. 2:2; Hosea 3:5; Acts 2:17; Heb. 1:1, 2; 1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18).
Deu 4:30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
Deu 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath. 31. Merciful. The root from which the adjective thus translated comes means “to love,” “to be inclined toward affection,” and in the intensive form, “to have compassion.” In the 13 times this adjective is used in the OT, it is always applied to God. He will not forsake thee. Literally, “He will not let thee sink down.” The verb is often translated, “to become feeble,” “to become weakened,” “to faint.”
Deu 4:32 Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 32. For ask now. It strengthens the believer to recall God’s dealings in times past (see LS 196).
Deu 4:33 Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 33. People hear. This reflects their awe in the presence of God. Sinful man cannot literally see God and live (Ex. 33:20; Judges 13:22).
Deu 4:34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
34. Assayed. That is, “ventured” or “attempted.” Temptations. Literally, “trials.” There is no thought here of leading into sin but rather of trying experiences. Signs. See Ex. 4:9; 7:9, 10. Wonders. A reference to the plagues of Egypt (Ex. 7:3; 11:9, 10). War. The defeat of the Egyptians at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:14; 15:3). A mighty hand. See Deut. 3:24; 9:29; also Ex. 6:6; 7:5.
Deu 4:35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.
Deu 4:36 From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. 36. His great fire. A reference to the glory of God (see on Deut. 4:11, 24).
Deu 4:37 Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, 37. He chose their seed. See Gen. 12:7; 13:15, 16; 22:17, 18; Ex. 32:13.
Deu 4:39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Num. 32:39. Greater and mightier. So much so that at the report of the spies Israel became fearful and rebelled against God (Num. 13:28–31). 39. None else. See Isa. 44:8; Acts 4:12.
Deu 4:40 Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. 40. Prolong thy days. See chs. 5:16; 6:2; 11:9. Here closes Moses’ first oration.
Deu 4:41 Then Moses set aside three cities east of the Jordan, 41. Severed three cities. Literally, “caused three cities to be separated,” that is, the cities of refuge. The same word, translated “separated,” is used of the setting apart of the tribe of Levi to carry the sacred furniture of the tabernacle (ch. 10:8). Ezekiel 42:20 speaks of a “separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.” Sun rising. That is, “to the east,” meaning east of the Jordan, in the territory occupied by the two and a half tribes.
42. These cities. See ch. 19:1–13 for the laws respecting the cities of refuge.
Deu 4:43 The cities were these: Bezer in the wilderness plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. 43. Bezer. From a word meaning “fortress” or “enclosure.” The word is translated “defence” in Job 22:25. The site is possibly Umm el–Ammad. Ramoth. The word thus translated is from a root meaning “coral.” Ramoth played an important role in the later history of the kings of Israel (see 1 Kings 4:7, 13; 22:1–40; 2 Kings 8:28, 29). Now called Tell Rāmîth, this site lies 25 mi. east of the Jordan as the crow flies. Golan. Probably from a word meaning “circle.” It is usually identified with the modern village Sahem el–Jōlân, 18 mi. east of the Sea of Chinnereth.
Deu 4:44 This is the law Moses set before the Israelites. 44. The law. The torah, meaning God’s instructions in general, inclusive of the Ten Commandments. Set before. Literally, “to place,” “to lay,” here with the idea of placing the law before their eyes (see Ex. 19:7, where it is rendered “laid”).
Deu 4:45 These are the stipulations, decrees and laws Moses gave them when they came out of Egypt 45. The testimonies. The Hebrew word thus translated is used 60 times in the OT, almost without exception of the Ten Commandments.
Deu 4:46 and were in the valley near Beth Peor east of the Jordan, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon and was defeated by Moses and the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. 46. Smote. In the 40th year of the Exodus (Num. 21:24; 33:38; see Israel’s Campaign East of the Jordan).
Deu 4:47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. 47. On this side Jordan. See Joshua 1:15; 12:1.
Deu 4:48 This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion (that is, Hermon), 48. Mount Sion. Not Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, but either another name for Sirion, the Sidonian name for Mt. Hermon, or the name of one of its peaks (Deut. 3:8, 9, 12; Ps. 29:6).
Deu 4:49 and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.