1-40 An exhortation to obedience 41-43 Moses appoints the three cities of refuge on that side of Jordan 44-49 Recapitulation

unto the statutes. Statutes, every thing that concerned morals and the rites and ceremonies of religion; judgments, all matters of civil right and wrong. De 4:8,45 5:1 6:1,2 8:1 11:1,32 Le 19:37 20:8 22:31 Ps 105:45 119:4 Eze 11:20 36:27 37:24 Mt 28:20 Lu 1:6 Joh 15:14

that ye may Le 18:5 Eze 20:11,21 Ro 10:5

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

De 12:32 Jos 1:7 Pr 30:6 Ec 12:13 Mt 5:18,43 15:2-9 Mr 7:1-13 Ga 3:15 Re 22:18,19

3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

what the Nu 25:1-9 31:16 Jos 22:17 Ps 106:28,29 Ho 9:10

for all the men It appears from this appeal, that the pestilence, as well as the sword of the magistrated, singled out the guilty persons and spared the rest (PS 91:6-8) The legislator, in order to deter the Jews from idolatry, alludes to this fact, but he notices no circumstance but one, which, though in the original narrative was not stated, was infinitely the most important to advert to on this occasion; but which no persons, but spectators to the fact, and perfectly acquainted with every individual concerned in it, could possibly feel the truth of.

4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

De 10:20 13:4 Jos 22:5 23:8 Ru 1:14-17 Ps 63:8 143:6-11 Isa 26:20 Eze 9:4 Joh 6:67-69 Ac 11:23 Re 14:4 20:4

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

De 4:1 Pr 22:19,20 Mt 28:20 Ac 20:27 1Co 11:28 15:3 1Th 4:1,2 Heb 3:5

The people had been often ready to conclude that Moses taught them by his authority; but at the close of his life he solemnly assure them that he had instructed them exactly as the Lord had commanded him, neither more, nor less, nor otherwise. This is a most express declaration that he was divinely inspired, and utterly incompatible with his integrity of character, if he was not. Scott.

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

this is your Job 28:28 Ps 19:7 111:10 119:98-100 Pr 1:7 14:8 Jer 8:9 2Ti 3:15 Jas 3:13

Surely 1Ki 4:34 10:6-9 Ps 119:99 Da 1:20 4:9 5:11-16 Zec 8:20-23 Mal 3:12

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

what nation Nu 23:9,21 2Sa 7:23 Isa 43:4

who hath De 5:26 Ps 46:1 73:28 145:18 148:14 Isa 55:6 Eph 2:12-22 Jas 4:8

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Le 10:12,13 Ps 19:7-11 119:86,96,127,128 147:19,20 Ro 7:12-14 2Ti 3:16,17

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

keep thy soul De 4:15,23 Pr 3:1,3 4:20-23 Lu 8:18 Heb 2:3 Jas 2:22

lest they Jos 1:18 Ps 119:11 Pr 3:1-3,21 4:4 7:1 Heb 2:1 Re 3:3

teach them De 6:7 11:19 29:29 31:19 Ge 18:19 Ex 13:8,9,14-16 Jos 4:6,7,21 Ps 34:11-16 71:18 78:3-8 Pr 1:8 4:1-13 23:26 Isa 38:19 Eph 6:4

10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

the day De 5:2 Ex 19:9,16 20:18 Heb 12:18,19,25

fear me De 5:29 Ex 20:20 1Sa 12:24 Ec 12:13 Lu 1:50 Re 19:5

11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

stood De 5:23 Ex 19:16-18 20:18,19

midst [heb] heart

12 And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

the Lord De 5:4,22

no similitude De 4:15 Nu 12:8 Isa 40:18 Col 1:15

only ye heard a voice [heb] save a voice De 4:33,36 Ex 20:22 1Ki 19:12,13 Isa 30:21 40:3,6 Mt 3:3,17 17:5 Joh 12:28-30 2Pe 1:17,18

13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

And he De 5:1-21 Ex 19:5 24:17,18 Heb 9:19,20

ten De 10:4 Ex 34:28

he wrote De 9:9-11 10:1-5 Ex 24:12 31:18 34:28 2Co 3:7 Heb 9:4

14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

Eze 21:1-23:49 Ps 105:44,45

15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Take ye De 4:9,23 Jos 23:11 1Ch 28:9,10 Ps 119:9 Pr 4:23,27 Jer 17:21 Mal 2:15

of similitude De 4:12 Isa 40:18 2Co 4:4-6 Heb 1:3

16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

corrupt De 4:8,9 Ex 20:4,5 32:7 Ps 106:19,20 Ro 1:22-24

the likeness Such as Baal-peor, the Roman Priapus; Ashtaroth or Astarte, the Greek and Roman Venus, and many others. De 4:23 Isa 40:18 Joh 4:24 Ac 17:29 20:4,5 1Ti 1:17

17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

In these verses there is an evident allusion to the idolatrous worship in Egypt. Among the Egyptians, almost everything in nature was the object of their idolatry; among BEASTS were oxen heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, monkeys, and cats; among BIRDS, the ibis, crane, and hawk; among REPTILES, the crocodile, serpents, frogs, flies, and beetles; all the FISH of the Nile, and the Nile itself; besides the sun, moon, planets, stars, fire, light, air, darkness, and night. These are all included in the very circumstantial prohibition in the text, and very forcibly in the general terms of Ex. 20:4, the reason of which prohibition becomes self-evident, when the various objects of Egyptian idolatry are considered. Ro 1:23

18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

when thou De 17:3 2Ki 23:4,5,11 Job 31:26,27 Jer 8:2 Eze 8:16 Am 5:25,26

the host Ge 2:1 2Ki 17:16 21:3 Jer 19:13 Zep 1:5 Ac 7:42 Ro 1:25

which the Lord Ge 1:16-18 Jos 10:12,13 Ne 9:6 Ps 74:16,17 136:7-9 148:3-5 Jer 31:35 33:25 Mt 5:45

divided. or, imparted

20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

the iron 1Ki 8:51 Jer 11:4

a people De 9:26,29 32:9 Ex 19:5,6 Ps 28:9 33:12 135:4 Isa 63:17,18 Eph 1:18 Tit 2:14 1Pe 2:9

21 Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:

De 1:37 3:26 31:2 Nu 20:12 Ps 106:32,33

22 But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.

De 3:25,27 1Ki 13:21,22 Am 3:2 Heb 12:6-10 2Pe 1:13-15

23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

heed De 4:9,15,16 27:9 Jos 23:11 Mt 24:4 Lu 12:15 21:8 Heb 3:12

lest ye forget De 6:12 29:25 31:20 Jos 23:16 1Ch 16:15 Isa 24:5 Jer 31:22 Eze 16:59

make you De 4:16 Ex 20:4,5

24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

they God De 9:3 32:22 Ex 24:17 Ps 21:9 Isa 30:33 33:14 Jer 21:12-14 Na 1:6 Zep 1:18 Heb 12:29

a jealous God De 6:15 29:20 32:16,21 Ex 20:5 34:14 Ps 78:58 Isa 42:8 Na 1:2 Zep 3:8 1Co 10:22

25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

beget De 31:16-18 Jud 2:8-15

corrupt De 4:16 31:29 Ex 32:7 Ho 9:9

do evil 2Ki 17:17-19 21:2,14-16 2Ch 36:12-16 1Co 10:22

26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

I call heaven A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all the nations in the world; God and man being called upon to bear testimony to the truth of what was spoken, that if there was any flaw or insincerity it might be detected, and if any crime, it might not go unpunished. Such appeals to God shew at once the origin and use of oaths. De 30:18,19 31:28 32:1 Isa 1:2 Jer 2:12 6:19 22:29 Eze 36:4 Mic 1:2 6:2

ye shall De 29:28 Le 18:28 26:31-35 Jos 23:16 Isa 6:11 24:1-3 Jer 44:22 Eze 33:28 Jud 21:24

27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

De 28:62-64 Ne 1:3,8,9 Eze 12:15 32:26

28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

ye shall De 28:36,64 1Sa 26:19 Jer 16:13 Eze 20:32,39 Ac 7:42

neither see Ps 115:4-7 135:15,16 Isa 44:9 45:20 46:7 Jer 10:3,9

29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

But if De 30:10 Le 26:39-42 2Ch 15:4,15 Ne 1:9 Isa 55:6,7 Jer 3:12-14 29:12-14

with all De 30:1-3 1Ki 8:47,48 2Ki 10:31 23:3 2Ch 15:12 31:21 Ps 119:2,10 119:58,145 Jer 3:10 Joe 2:12

30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

all these 1Ki 8:46-53 2Ch 6:36-39 Da 9:11-19

are come upon thee. [heb] have found thee De 31:17 Ex 18:8

in the latter De 31:29 Ge 49:1 Nu 24:20 Jer 23:20 Da 10:14 Ho 3:5 Heb 1:2

if thou De 30:10 La 3:40 Ho 14:2,3 Joe 2:12,13 Ac 3:19 26:20

obedient Isa 1:19 Jer 7:23 Zec 6:15 Heb 5:9

31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

the Lord Ex 34:6,7 Nu 14:18 2Ch 30:9 Ne 1:5 9:31 Ps 86:5,15 116:5 145:8,9 Jon 4:2 Mic 7:18

forget Le 26:42,45 Ps 105:8 111:5,9 Jer 14:21 Lu 1:72

32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

ask now Job 8:8 Ps 44:1 Joe 1:2

from the one De 30:4 Mt 24:31 Mr 13:27

33 Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

De 4:24-26 9:10 Ex 19:18,19 20:18,19 24:11 33:20 Jud 6:22

34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

take him Ex 1:9 3:10,17-20

temptations De 7:19 29:3 Ex 9:20,21 10:7

by signs Ex 7:3 Ps 78:12,48-53

by a mighty De 5:15 6:21 7:8,9 Ex 6:6 13:3 1Pe 5:6

and by great De 26:8 34:12 Ex 12:30-33

35 Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

know 1Sa 17:45-47 1Ki 18:36,37 2Ki 19:19 Ps 58:11 83:18

none else De 32:23 Ex 15:11 1Sa 2:2 Isa 44:6,8 45:5,18,22 Mr 12:29,32 1Jo 5:20,21

36 Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he showed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

De 4:33 Ex 19:9,19 20:18-22 24:16 Ne 9:13 Heb 12:18,25

37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;

because De 7:7-9 9:5 10:15 Ps 105:6-10 Isa 41:8,9 Jer 31:1 Mal 1:2 Lu 1:72,73 Ro 9:5

and brought Ex 13:3,9,14

in his sight 2Ch 16:9 Ps 32:8 34:15

with his De 4:34 Ps 114:1-6 136:10-15 Isa 51:9-11 63:11,12

38 To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.

drive De 7:1 9:1-5 11:23 Ex 23:27,28 Jos 3:10 Ps 44:2,3

as De 2:31-37 3:1-16 8:18

39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

and consider De 32:29 1Ch 28:9 Isa 1:3 5:12 Ho 7:2

the Lord De 4:35 Jos 2:11 1Ch 29:11 2Ch 20:6 Ps 115:3 135:6 Da 4:35

40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

keep De 4:1,6 28:1-14 Le 22:31 26:1-13 Jer 11:4 Joh 14:15,21-24

it may go De 5:16 6:3,18 12:25,28 22:7 Eph 6:3 1Ti 4:8

41 Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

Nu 35:6,14,15 Jos 20:2-9

42 That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:

De 19:1-10 Nu 35:6,11,12,15-28 Heb 6:18

43 Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.

Bezer Bezer is the same as Bozrah, formerly a royal city of Edom. Ge 36:33 Jos 20:8

Ramoth was a celebrated city in the mountains of Gilead, placed by Eusebius fifteen miles east from Philadelphia or Ammon, and by Jerome in the neighbourhood of Jabbok, and consequently north of Philadelphia. Jos 21:38 1Ki 4:13 22:3,4 1Ch 6:80

Golan This city gave name to the district of Gaulonitis, now called Djolan, which comprises the plain to south of Djedour or Iturea, and to the west of Haouran: its southern frontier is the Nahar Aweired, by which it is separated from the district of Erbad, and the Seriat el Mandhour, which separates it from the district of El Kefarat: on the west it is limited by the territory of Feik, and on the northward by Djebel Heish, or mount Hermon. Jos 21:27 1Ch 6:71

44 And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

This is evidently an introduction to the discourse of the sub- sequent chapters. Moses having practically improved some par- ticulars in the history of Israel, proceeded to repeat and enforce the laws which he had delivered before, with additions and explanations De 1:5 17:18,19 27:3,8,26 33:4 Le 27:34 Nu 36:13 Mal 4:4 Joh 1:17

45 These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt.

These De 6:17,20 1Ki 2:3 Ps 119:2,14,22,24,111

statutes De 4:1 Ps 11:5

judgments Ps 119:7

46 On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:

On this side De 4:47 1:5 3:29 Nu 32:19

over De 3:29

Beth-peor Beth-peor was a city which was situated, according to Eusebius opposite Jericho, and six miles above Livias. As the name signifies `the house of Peor,' it is probable that there was a temple to Peor, situated in this place, full in view of the people, while Moses was pressing upon them the worship of Jehovah alone; and perhaps the very temple where so many had sinned to their own destruction.

Moses De 1:4 2:30-36 3:8 Nu 21:21-32

47 And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

De 3:1-14 29:7,8 Nu 21:33-35

48 From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,

Aroer De 2:36 3:12 Jos 13:24

even unto The Samaritan interpreter has, `unto the mountain of snow, which is Hermon.' De 3:9 Ps 133:3

49 And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

under the springs De 3:17 34:1 Jos 13:20