The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 130

EXPOSITION. fathers hath promised thee a laud," eto., i.e. CHAPTER VI. a place in which thou mayest prosper and 'l"crs. 1-3.-Some connect this with what increase; the other, however, is the more ;cnes before, and take it as a sort of epilogue natural construction and rendering. 'l'Lere is, indeed, no preposition before "the land" to the preceding discourse; but it is rather in the Hebrew; but nothing is more com- to be regD.l'ded as introducto1·y to what mon in that language than for the accusa- follows. Being about to enjoin upon the tive of a noun to be used adverbiaily to people the commandments they were to obey describe the place where anything is done. in the land on which they were about to lttilk and honey; emblem of fruitfulness and sweetness (Song of Solomon iv. 11); enter, Moses prefaces this with a general an- proverbially descriptive of Canaan, as· rich nouncement of what he was about to deliver, in pasturage for flocks, and aboun'ding in•. and with a statement of the reason for such flowers whence the bees could extract honey deliverance, and of the benefits that would ( cf. Exod. iii. 8, I 7). flo'l'I' from the observance of what should be Vers. 4-25.-THE FIRST AlID GREAT enjoined. COllWARDMENT. "In the fear of Jehovah Ver.1.-Theee are the commandments. In all true obedience is rooted (vers. 2, 3): for the Hebrew it is, This u the commandment, this is the first and most intimate fact in i.e. the sum and substance of the Divine the relation of Israel and Jehovah (eh. v. 26). enactment; equi'ralent to "the Law" ( eh. iv. 44). "The statutes and judgments" But where the supreme fear of Jehovah (rights) are in apposition to "the com- hinders men from allowing self to prepon- mandment," and explain it. derate in opposition to God, there will be Ver. 2.-The reason for this announce- no stopping at this renunciation of self-will, ment of the Law '\'\'as that the people might though this comes first as the negativo fear the Lord, so as to keep all that he en- form of the ten commandments also shows, joined, they and their children, from gene. ration to generation, and that they might but there will come to be a coalescence of thereby continue long in life, and in the the human with the Divine will; nnd this enjoyment of the advantages accruing from is love, which is the proper condition of the land of which they were about to take obedience, as the ten commandments nlso possession. indicate ( eh. v. 10)" (Baumgarten). - Ver. 3.-God had promised from the first to the patriarchs that he wouid make of Ver. 4.-Hear, O Israel : The Lord our Ood their posterity a great nation (Gen. xii. 1; is one Lord. This is e.n e.ffirmation not so xvii 6; xnii. 18). But the fulfilment of much of the moneity ns of the unity and this promise was conditioned by their con- eimplicity of Jehovah, the alone God, tinuing as a people in the fear of God, and Though Elohim (plu.), he, is one. 'fhe in obedience to his Law. Everything, then, speaker does not say, "Jehovah is alone depended on their hearing what Moses had God," but "Jehovah our Elohim is one been com1111rnded to teach them, and ob- Jehovah" (comp. for the force of ii;i~, Exod. serving to do it (cf. Lev. xxvi. 9, etc.). In xxvi. 6, 11; Ezek. xxxvii.16-19). Among the land, etc. This is to be connected with the heathen there were many Baa.ls and the clause, " that it may be well with thee, many J npiters; and it was believed th11:t u.1,d that ye may increase miglitily;" the the deity might be divided and commum- Janel was to he the scene aud sphere of cated to many. But tho God of Israel, their prosperity and increase. Some would Jehovah, is one, indivisiblo and incom- reud.,r Urns: "As ihe Lord God of thy municable. Ifo is thl.l Absolute and the Ull. vt. 1-2/5,] TllE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 119