King James Version
Deuteronomy 6
25 verses with commentary
The Greatest Commandment
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: go: Heb. pass over
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses introduces the Shema section by stating that 'this is the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you.' The threefold designation—commandment (mitzvah), statutes (chuqqim), and judgments (mishpatim)—encompasses the full scope of Torah: moral law, ceremonial regulations, and civil ordinances. The purpose is explicitly stated: obedience in the l...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**VI.
FIRST PORTION OF THE COMMENTARY ON THE LAW** (Deuteronomy 6-11).
(1) **These are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord . . . commanded . . . that ye might do them in the land.**—After the Decalogue itself has been recapitulated, Moses proceeds to apply its principles to the conduct of Israel in the promised land. The first part of the application is more general, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**34-36. the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth--**In consequence of this aggravated offense (unbelief followed by open rebellion), the Israelites were doomed, in the righteous judgment of God, to a life of wandering in that dreary wilderness till the whole adult generation had disappeared by death. The only exceptions mentioned are Caleb and Joshua, who was to be Moses' successor.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
A persuasive to obedience.(1-3)
An exhortation to obedience.(4-5)
Obedience taught.(6-16)
General precepts, Instructions to be given to their children.(17-25)
**Verses 1-3**
In this and the like passages, the "commandments" seem to denote the moral law, the "statues" the ceremonial law, and the "judgments" the law by which the judges decided. Mos...
Read full commentary →That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The purpose of the law is relational: 'That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God.' Biblical 'fear' (Hebrew yirah) isn't terror but reverential awe that shapes conduct. The threefold audience—'thou, thy son, and thy son's son'—emphasizes intergenerational covenant transmission. The promise of prolonged days (longevity) connects obedience to blessing, a repeated theme in Deuteronomy. The 'fear of the...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**34-36. the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth--**In consequence of this aggravated offense (unbelief followed by open rebellion), the Israelites were doomed, in the righteous judgment of God, to a life of wandering in that dreary wilderness till the whole adult generation had disappeared by death. The only exceptions mentioned are Caleb and Joshua, who was to be Moses' successor.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
A persuasive to obedience.(1-3)
An exhortation to obedience.(4-5)
Obedience taught.(6-16)
General precepts, Instructions to be given to their children.(17-25)
**Verses 1-3**
In this and the like passages, the "commandments" seem to denote the moral law, the "statues" the ceremonial law, and the "judgments" the law by which the judges decided. Mos...
Read full commentary →Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses urges 'Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it.' The imperative to hear (shema) appears again, emphasizing that hearing must lead to doing. The promised result—'that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily'—connects obedience to flourishing. The description of Canaan as 'a land flowing with milk and honey' uses covenant language from God's promise to the patriarchs...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **That ye may increase mightily . . . in the land.**—The position of Israel in the land, and their continuance therein, depended entirely on their fulfilment of the purpose for which they were brought there—the observance of the Law of Jehovah, as it applied to their peculiar situation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**34-36. the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth--**In consequence of this aggravated offense (unbelief followed by open rebellion), the Israelites were doomed, in the righteous judgment of God, to a life of wandering in that dreary wilderness till the whole adult generation had disappeared by death. The only exceptions mentioned are Caleb and Joshua, who was to be Moses' successor.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 6
Chapter Outline
A persuasive to obedience.(1-3)
An exhortation to obedience.(4-5)
Obedience taught.(6-16)
General precepts, Instructions to be given to their children.(17-25)
**Verses 1-3**
In this and the like passages, the "commandments" seem to denote the moral law, the "statues" the ceremonial law, and the "judgments" the law by which the judges decided. Mos...
Read full commentary →Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:</strong><br><br>This is the <em>Shema</em> (שְׁמַע, 'Hear'), the most important confession of faith in Judaism. The Hebrew declares <em>Yahweh eloheinu Yahweh echad</em> (יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד), which can be translated several ways: 'The LORD our God, the LORD is one,' or 'The LORD our God is one LORD,' or 'The LORD is our God, the LO...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4, 5) **Hear, O Israel . . .**—These two verses are styled by our Lord “the first and great commandment” in the Law. The first words of the Talmud concern the hours when this form should be recited in daily morning or evening prayer—“Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah” The unity of Jehovah, as opposed to the belief in “gods many and lords many,” is the key-note of the Jewish faith. “*...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37. Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes--**This statement seems to indicate that it was on this occasion Moses was condemned to share the fate of the people. But we know that it was several years afterwards that Moses betrayed an unhappy spirit of distrust at the waters of strife (Psa 106:32, 33). This verse must be considered therefore as a parenthesis.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-5**
Here is a brief summary of religion, containing the first principles of faith and obedience. Jehovah our God is the only living and true God; he only is God, and he is but One God. Let us not desire to have any other. The three-fold mention of the Divine names, and the plural number of the word translated God, seem plainly to intimate a Trinity of persons, even in this express d...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.</strong><br><br>This verse commands comprehensive, wholehearted love for God using three Hebrew terms that together encompass the totality of human existence. <em>Levav</em> (לְבָב, 'heart') represents the center of thought, will, and emotion—the inner person. <em>Nephesh</em> (נֶפֶשׁ,...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **With all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.**—The word “heart” has been taken both as “thought” and “affection.” Hence, perhaps, the *four *terms, “*heart, mind, soul, *and *strength,” *which we find in St. Mark 12:30. Bashi says upon the expression “all thy heart”—“with both natures” (the good and evil nature). “With all thy soul” he expounds thus: “Even though He t...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 4-5**
Here is a brief summary of religion, containing the first principles of faith and obedience. Jehovah our God is the only living and true God; he only is God, and he is but One God. Let us not desire to have any other. The three-fold mention of the Divine names, and the plural number of the word translated God, seem plainly to intimate a Trinity of persons, even in this express d...
Read full commentary →And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse establishes the foundational principle of internalizing God's Word. The Hebrew phrase <em>al-levavekha</em> (עַל־לְבָבֶךָ, 'upon your heart') indicates that divine commands must not remain external, memorized formulas but must penetrate the inner person—the seat of thought, will, and affection. The words 'which I command thee this day' (<em>asher anokhi metsavvekha hayyom</em>) emphasiz...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39. your children ... who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil--**All ancient versions read "to-day" instead of "that day"; and the sense is--"your children who now know," or "who know not as yet good or evil." As the children had not been partakers of the sinful outbreak, they were spared to obtain the privilege which their unbelieving parents had forfeited. God's ways are not as ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. teach: Heb. whet, or, sharpen
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse details the comprehensive and continuous nature of biblical instruction. The verb <em>shanan</em> (שָׁנַן, 'teach diligently') literally means 'to sharpen' or 'whet,' suggesting repetitive, intensive instruction that hones and refines understanding. The scope is total: 'unto thy children' establishes intergenerational responsibility, while the four temporal clauses encompass all of life...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And thou shalt teach them diligently.**—The same Jewish commentator remarks that there should be no hesitation in answering anything that a man might ask. Had this system of education been carried on from the first, the history of Israel would hare been very different from what it is.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse prescribes physical symbols to remind Israel of God's commandments. The Hebrew <em>qashartam le'ot al-yadekha</em> (קְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל־יָדֶךָ, 'bind them for a sign upon your hand') and <em>totafot bein einekha</em> (טוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ, 'frontlets between your eyes') gave rise to the Jewish practice of <em>tefillin</em> (phylacteries)—small leather boxes containing Scripture po...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **And thou shalt bind them . . .**—From this precept the Jews derive the use of the Tephillin, the portions of the Law which they bind upon the head or arm when about to pray.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The command to write God's words 'upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates' makes covenant faithfulness visible and public. The Hebrew mezuzah (doorpost) would later refer to the small container holding Scripture that Jewish households affix to doorframes. This practice ensures God's Word permeates domestic space—entering, exiting, and dwelling in the home all involve encountering Scripture. ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Warning Against Forgetting God
And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Moses warns against forgetting God 'when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers.' The danger isn't in times of hardship but in prosperity—'great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not.' Israel would inherit established cities, filled houses, hewn cisterns, vineyards, and olive trees they didn't plant. The ease of receiving unearned blessings cre...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10-13) The song of Moses supplies a prophetic comment upon this in Deuteronomy 32:15 : “Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked . . . then he forsook God.” “In all time *of our wealth, *good Lord, deliver us.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not' describes unearned inheritance—God's grace providing what Israel didn't produce. The list of blessings (wells, vineyards, olive trees) represents comprehensive provision: water, wine, oil—essentials of ancient Near Eastern life. This generosity illustrates sovereign grace: election and blessing precede human merit or effort. The ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. bondage: Heb. bondmen or, servants
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The urgent warning 'Beware lest thou forget the LORD' addresses prosperity's spiritual danger. The Hebrew 'shamar pen' (beware/watch lest) indicates vigilant caution. The reminder 'which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage' grounds covenant obedience in redemptive history. Forgetting God manifests practically through ingratitude, self-reliance, and idolatry. Affl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. turn you, and take your journey into the ... Red Sea--**This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare Nu 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The triple command 'fear the LORD...serve him...swear by his name' defines comprehensive covenant loyalty. The Hebrew 'yare' (fear) includes reverential awe producing obedience. 'Serve' ('abad') indicates devoted worship and daily life orientation toward God. Swearing by God's name means invoking Him as ultimate witness to truth. Together, these commands require exclusive devotion—heart, actions, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him.**—Literally, *Jehovah thy God thou shalt fear, and him shalt thou serve: i.e., *Him only, as translated by the LXX., and cited by our Lord in His temptation. It is remarkable that all His answers to the tempter were taken not only from Deuteronomy, *but from one and the same portion of Deuteronomy*—Deuteronomy 5-10 inclusive—the portion which...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**46. So ye abode at Kadesh many days--**That place had been the site of their encampment during the absence of the spies, which lasted forty days, and it is supposed from this verse that they prolonged their stay there after their defeat for a similar period.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The prohibition 'Ye shall not go after other gods' warns against spiritual adultery. The phrase 'gods of the people which are round about you' identifies the specific temptation—Canaanite polytheism. Following other gods constitutes covenant violation, spiritual adultery against the divine husband (Hosea 1-3). The comprehensive sweep 'of the people which are round about you' acknowledges external ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The warning 'the LORD thy God is a jealous God' reveals divine intolerance of rivals. God's jealousy isn't petty possessiveness but righteous zeal for His honor and His people's exclusive devotion. The threat 'lest the anger of the LORD...be kindled against thee, and destroy thee' demonstrates that covenant violation brings severe judgment. The phrase 'from off the face of the earth' indicates tot...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **From off the face of the earth.**—Literally, *of the ground. *Absolute extermination is threatened by the fire of His jealousy.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 2 De 2:1-37. The Story Is Continued.
**1. Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea--**After their unsuccessful attack upon the Canaanites, the Israelites broke up their encampment at Kadesh, and journeying southward over the west desert of Tih as well as through the great valley of the Ghor and Arabah, they extended their removals as far as the gu...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The prohibition 'Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah' forbids testing God through demanding signs or doubting His promises. At Massah (Exodus 17:1-7), Israel demanded water, questioning whether God was among them. Tempting God manifests as: demanding proof beyond His Word, challenging His power or faithfulness, and presuming upon His grace. Jesus quotes this verse res...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God.**—In the LXX., “Thou shalt not tempt,” and so where our Lord used it against the tempter (Matthew 4 and Luke 4).
**As ye tempted him in Massah.**—How did they tempt Him in Massah? By raising the unbelieving question, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” (Exodus 17:7). Even by the side of Satan upon the giddy pinnacle of the Temple, our Saviour refused to dou...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-16**
Here are means for maintaining and keeping up religion in our hearts and houses. 1. Meditation. God's words must be laid up in our hearts, that our thoughts may be daily employed about them. 2. The religious education of children. Often repeat these things to them. Be careful and exact in teaching thy children. Teach these truths to all who are any way under thy care. 3. Pious ...
Read full commentary →Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The emphatic command 'Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God' employs intensive Hebrew construction ('shamar tishmoru'—keep ye shall surely keep) demanding scrupulous obedience. The comprehensive scope 'his testimonies, and his statutes' covers all revealed will: moral law (testimonies of God's character), ceremonial regulations (statutes), and civil ordinances. Diligent ke...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The command 'do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD' requires conduct pleasing to God, not merely conforming to human standards. The Hebrew 'yashar v'tov' (right and good) indicates both just/straight conduct and morally excellent character. The purpose clauses reveal obedience's benefits: 'that it may be well with thee' (prosperity) and 'that thou mayest go in and possess the go...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **And that thou mayest go in and possess.**—This should be taken with what follows, “Possess,” so as “to cast out all thine enemies from before thee” (Deuteronomy 6:19). There was no question now whether Israel should pass the Jordan; but how far the conquest of Canaan would be completed, or within what period of time, depended upon their faithfulness to His decrees. That it was delayed by th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir ... shall be afraid of you--**The same people who had haughtily repelled the approach of the Israelites from the western frontier were alarmed now that they had come round upon the weak side of their country.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The promise 'to cast out all thine enemies from before thee' demonstrates God's sovereign intervention enabling covenant obedience and inheritance. The phrase 'as the LORD hath spoken' grounds confidence in divine promise, not human strength. God accomplishes what He commands—He drives out enemies, enabling Israel to possess the land. This verse illustrates the Reformed doctrine of divine sovereig...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. Meddle not with them--**that is, "which dwell in Seir" (De 2:4)--for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Ge 36:12; Ex 17:14; De 25:17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in their persons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created appre...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →Teaching Your Children
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? in: Heb. to morrow
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The anticipated question 'What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments?' establishes the pattern of catechizing children. When children ask about covenant practices, parents must explain redemptive history and covenant obligations. The phrase 'which the LORD our God hath commanded you' indicates that younger generations require instruction in divine authority grounding obedience....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments.**—These three words appear for the first time together in the introduction to this discourse (Deuteronomy 4:45). The Law, or *Torah, *includes *charges, *and *institutions, *and *requirements. *The Decalogue itself is primarily the *Torah; *the charge which follows may come under the head of “testimony.” The “statutes” and “jud...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. Meddle not with them--**that is, "which dwell in Seir" (De 2:4)--for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Ge 36:12; Ex 17:14; De 25:17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in their persons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created appre...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The commanded response begins with personal testimony: 'We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt.' Starting with slavery emphasizes grace—salvation is deliverance from bondage, not reward for merit. The historical specificity ('Pharaoh...Egypt') grounds faith in objective redemptive events, not subjective experience or mythology. The verb 'brought us out' attributes deliverance entirely to divine initia...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **The Lord brought us out of Egypt.**—The simple explanation of the obligations of the Law given in these verses is based upon the message of Jehovah to Israel from Sinai. in Exodus 19:3-6 : “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how Ì bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a pecu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5-7. Meddle not with them--**that is, "which dwell in Seir" (De 2:4)--for there was another branch of Esau's posterity, namely, the Amalekites, who were to be fought against and destroyed (Ge 36:12; Ex 17:14; De 25:17). But the people of Edom were not to be injured, either in their persons or property. And although the approach of so vast a nomadic horde as the Israelites naturally created appre...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes: sore: Heb. evil
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The testimony continues: 'the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household.' The Hebrew 'otot u-mophtim' (signs and wonders) indicates miraculous divine intervention demonstrating God's power and authority. The plagues were 'great and sore'—comprehensive and severe, breaking Egypt's pride and power. The specific targeting 'upon Pharaoh, and up...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-18. we passed ... through the way of the plain--**the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
**Ezion-geber--**now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The testimony concludes with purpose: 'he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.' The double movement (out/in) reveals redemption's full scope—deliverance from bondage and entrance into blessing. God didn't merely liberate from Egypt but purposed to give Canaan inheritance. The grounding 'which he sware unto our fathers' connects...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-18. we passed ... through the way of the plain--**the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
**Ezion-geber--**now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always.</strong> This verse captures the essence of covenant obedience - God's law is not arbitrary restriction but revelation of what produces human flourishing.<br><br>The phrase <em>for our good always</em> reveals the benevolent purpose behind divine commandments. Reformed theology emphasizes tha...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-18. we passed ... through the way of the plain--**the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
**Ezion-geber--**now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.</strong> This crucial verse requires careful theological interpretation, as it addresses the relationship between obedience and righteousness within the old covenant framework.<br><br>In the old covenant context, obedience to God's commandments constituted covenan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **And it shall be our righteousness.**—In one Targum, “It shall be *merit *to us,” or more fully, in the other, “It shall be merit laid up for us against the world to come.” In the LXX., “It shall be alms to us.” This conjunction of ideas will help to explain why in Matthew 6:1 “alms” and “righteousness” occur as alternative readings. We have “alms” in the Authorised Version, “righteousness” ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-18. we passed ... through the way of the plain--**the Arabah or great valley, from Elath ("trees") (the Ailah of the Greeks and Romans). The site of it is marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.
**Ezion-geber--**now Akaba, both were within the territory of Edom; and after making a circuit of its southeastern boundary, the Israelites reached the border of Moab on the southeast of the Salt Sea....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 17-25**
Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be...
Read full commentary →