The Fifth Book of Moses, Called Deuteronomy

Chapter 30

Great mercies promised to the penitent, 1-10. The commandment is manifest, 11-14. Death and life are set before them, 15-20.

1 "And it shall come to pass, when all these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 And return to the LORD your God and obey his voice according to all that I command you this day—you and your children—with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 That the LORD your God will turn your captivity and have compassion upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 If any of your outcasts are driven out to the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you. 5 And the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. And he will do you good and multiply you above your fathers.

6 "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. 7 And the LORD your God will put all these curses upon your enemies and upon those who hate you, who have persecuted you. 8 And you shall return and obey the voice of the LORD and do all his commandments which I command you this day. 9 And the LORD your God will make you to abound in every work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your land for good, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers, 10 If you listen to the voice of the LORD your God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

11 "For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not hid from you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, so that you should say, 'Who shall ascend for us to heaven and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?' 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, so that you should say, 'Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?' 14 But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it.

15 "Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil, 16 In that I command you this day to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his judgments, so that you may live and multiply, and the LORD your God shall bless you in the land where you go to possess it. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you will not hear, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I denounce to you this day, that you shall surely perish, and that you shall not prolong your days upon the land where you pass over the Jordan to go to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your offspring may live, 20 To love the LORD your God, to obey his voice, and to cleave to him (for he is your life and the length of your days), so that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Deuteronomy, Chapter 30[➚]

Notes

[v.4a] - Quoted in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27.

[v.4b] - LXX: "If your dispersion is from one end of heaven to the other, from there will the Lord your God gather you, and from there will the Lord your God take you."

[v.6a] - "circumcise" - Reference, Genesis 17:10-11.

[v.6b] - "the LORD your God will circumcise your heart" - Reference, Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29; Colossians 2:11-14.

[v.12-14] - Quoted in Romans 10:6-8.

[v.19] - "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you" - In other words, Moses is calling heaven and earth to be witnesses, as he did in Deuteronomy 4:26. The calling of two witnesses is significant. See, Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2nd Corinthians 13:1; 1st Timothy 5:19.

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