Deuteronomy Chapter 1

From The Open Bible Project

1:1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

• The Argument - The wonderful love of God toward his Church is actively set forth in this book. Even through their ingratitude and many rebellions against God, for the space forty years. (Deuteronomy 9:7) they deserved to have been cut off from the number of his people, and forever to have been deprived of the use of his holy word and ordinances: yet he ever preserved his Church even for his own mercy’s sake, and would still have his name called upon among them. Wherefore he brings them into the land of Canaan, destroys their enemies, gives them their country, towns and goods, and exhorts them by the example of their fathers (whose infidelity, idolatry, adulteries, complaining and rebellions, he had most severely punished) to fear and obey the Lord, to embrace and keep his law without adding to it or diminishing from it. For by his word he would be known to be their God, and they his people, by his word he would govern his Church, and by the same they would learn to obey him: by his word he would discern the false prophet from the true, light form darkness, ignorance from knowledge, and his own people from all the other nations and infidels: teaching them by it to refuse and detest, destroy and abolish whatever is not agreeable to his holy will, seem it otherwise never so good or precious in the eyes of man. For this cause God promised to raise up kings and governors, for the setting forth of his word and preservation of his Church: giving to them a special charge for the executing of it: whom therefore he wills to exercise themselves diligently in the continual study and meditation of the same: that they might learn to fear the Lord, love their subjects, abhor covetousness and vices, and whatever offends the majesty of God. As he had before instructed their fathers in all things belonging both to his spiritual service and also for the maintenance of that society which is between men: so he prescribes here anew all such laws and ordinances, which either concern his divine service, or else are necessary for a common good: appointing to every estate and degree their charge and duty: as well, how to rule and live in the fear of God, as to nourish friendship toward their neighbours, and to preserve the order which God has established among men: threatening most horrible plagues to them that transgress his commandments, and promising blessings and happiness to those who observe and obey them.

(a) In the country of Moab. (b) So that the wilderness was between the sea and the plain of Moab.

1:2 It is eleven days' [journey] from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.

• (c) In Horeb, or Sinai, forty years before the law was given: but because all that were then of age and judgment were now dead, Moses repeats the same to the youth who either then were not born, or had not judgment.

1:3 It happened in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel, according to all that [1] Yahweh [See Deuteronomy Footnotes 1] had given him in commandment to them;

1:4 after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.

• (d) By these examples of God’s favour, their minds are prepared to receive the law.

1:5 Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

• (e) The second time.

1:6 "Yahweh our [2] God [See Deuteronomy Footnotes 2] spoke to us in Horeb, saying, You have lived long enough in this mountain:

• (f) In the second year and second month, (Numbers 10:11).

1:7 turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all [the places] near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.

1:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their seed after them."

1:9 I spoke to you at that time, saying, "I am not able to bear you myself alone:

• (g) By the counsel of Jethro my father-in-law, (Exodus 18:19).

1:10 Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of the sky for multitude.

• (h) Not so much by the course of nature, as miraculously.

1:11 Yahweh, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!

1:12 How can I myself alone bear your encumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

• (i) Signifying how great a burden it is, to govern the people.

1:13 Take wise men of understanding and well known according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you."

• (k) Whose godliness and uprightness is known.

1:14 You answered me, and said, "The thing which you have spoken is good [for us] to do."

1:15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.

• (l) Declaring what sort of men ought to have a public charge, read (Exodus 18:21).

1:16 I commanded your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.

1:17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike; you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.

• (m) You are his Lieutenants.

1:18 I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

1:19 We traveled from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as Yahweh our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea.

1:20 I said to you, "You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Yahweh our God gives to us.

• (n) So that the fault was in themselves, that they did not sooner possess the inheritance promised.

1:21 Behold, Yahweh your God has set the land before you: go up, take possession, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you; don't be afraid, neither be dismayed."

1:22 You came near to me everyone of you, and said, "Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come."

• (o) Read (Numbers 13:3).

1:23 The thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe:

1:24 and they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.

1:25 They took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, "It is a good land which Yahweh our God gives to us."

• (p) That is, Caleb, and Joshua; Moses prefers the better part to the greater, that is, two to ten.

1:26 Yet you wouldn't go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your God:

1:27 and you murmured in your tents, and said, "Because Yahweh hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

• (q) Such was the Jews unthankfulness, that they counted God’s special love, hatred.

1:28 Where are we going up? our brothers have made our heart to melt, saying, 'The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to the sky; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.'"

• (r) The other ten, not Caleb and Joshua.

1:29 Then I said to you, "Don't dread, neither be afraid of them.

1:30 Yahweh your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

• (s) Declaring that to renounce our own force, and constantly to follow our calling, and depend on the Lord, is true boldness, and agreeable to God.

1:31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how that Yahweh your God bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place."

1:32 Yet in this thing you didn't believe Yahweh your God,

1:33 who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.

1:34 Yahweh heard the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying,

1:35 "Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers,

1:36 save Caleb the son of Jephunneh: he shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he has trodden on, and to his children, because he has wholly followed Yahweh."

1:37 Also Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, "You also shall not go in there:

1:38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall go in there: encourage you him; for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

• (t) Who minister to you.

1:39 Moreover your little ones, whom you said should be a prey, and your children, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

• (u) Who were under twenty years of age, (Numbers 14:31).

1:40 But as for you, turn, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the [3] Red Sea [See Deuteronomy Footnotes 3]."

1:41 Then you answered and said to me, "We have sinned against Yahweh, we will go up and fight, according to all that Yahweh our God commanded us." You girded on every man his weapons of war, and were forward to go up into the hill country.

• (x) This declares man’s nature, who will do that which God forbids, and will not do that which he commands.

1:42 Yahweh said to me, "Tell them, 'Don't go up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest you be struck before your enemies.'"

• (y) Signifying that man has no strength, but when God is at hand to help him.

1:43 So I spoke to you, and you didn't listen; but you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.

1:44 The Amorites, who lived in that hill country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to Hormah.

1:45 You returned and wept before Yahweh; but Yahweh didn't listen to your voice, nor gave ear to you.

• (z) Because you rather showed your hypocrisy, than true repentance; rather lamenting the loss of your brethren, than repenting for your sins.

1:46 So you abode in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you abode [there].