The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 436

EXPOSITION. 11,'0od nnclerstanding and improvement of RJ:NEWAL 011' TUE COVENANT IN TilE PLAINS God's works; and partly to agg,-,wate their OF MOAD, sin, anrl to intimate that, although the hear- (Ch. xxviii. G9-Ch. xxx.) ing ear and the seeing eye and the under- standing heart are the workmanship of God CHAPTER X'XIX. (Prov. xx. 12), and the effects of liis special Tho first verse of this chapter is placed grace (eh. xxx. 6; Jer. xxxi. 33; xxxii. 39, _etc.), yet their ,vant of this grace was in the Hebrew text at the end of eh. their own faalt and the just punishment nf xxviii., but in the LXX. and Vulgate the their former sins" (Poole). As they would arrangement is as in tbe Authorized Version, not attend to God's word, as they ha.J shut where it appears as the title of the section their eyes and their ears, that they might tbat follows. In that section is contained not see. nr hear, or learn what God was au a,ldress to tbo people by Moses, in which theyteaching them by his conduct towards them, had been left to themselves; and, as he appeals to thP,m to enter anew into the a necessary consequence, they had become covenant with the Lord, which had been as persons who had no eyes to see, or ears before concluded at Horeb ; denounces to hear, or heart to perceive what was set apostaey as what would lead certainly to before them for-their learning. their being rejected of God; assures them Ver. 5.-Having referred to the gracious dealing of God with them in the wilderness, at the same time of God's readiness to Moses introduces Jehovah himself as speak- restore them should they sincerely repent ing to them (cf. eh. :ti. 14). (On vers. 5 and and return to him; and once more sets 6, see eh. viii. 3, 4; and on vers. 7 and 8, before tbem the blessing and the curse, and see eh. ii. 26, ttc.; iiL 1, e:c.) adjures them to choose the blessing. Ver. 9.-That ye may prosper in ell that Ver. 1.-Beside the oovenant which he ye do. The verb here used ("7-~i:';:,) weans made with them in Horeb. This was not primarily to look at, to consider or attend to, a. new covenant in addition to that made nt hence to ~ecome intelligent, to be prudeut, Sinai, but simply o. renewal and reaffirma- to e.ct wisely, and so to ham success, to tion of that covenant. At Sinai the cove- prosper. It is the prosperity which comes nant was, properly speaking, made; sacrifices from wise and prudent action that God were then offered, o.nd the people were commends to hia people (cf. Josh. i. 7, 8). sprinkled with the sacrificial blood, whereby· Vers. 10-15.-Summons to enll--r into the the covenant wo.s ratified ( Exod. xxiv.; cf. corenant of the Lord with fresh ardour ancl Ps. 1. 5); but on the occasion here referred cord fo Iity. to, no sacrifioes were offered, for this was Ver. l0.-Translnte: Ye stand this day merely the recognition of the coveno.nt ell of you before J ehova.h your God, year furmel'iy wade as still subsiBting. ohiefs, your tribes, your elders, and your Ver. 2.-Moses addresses the nation as officers, every man of Israel. The two such, nnd reminds them of their dulness to members are parallel: the heads or chiefs npl!rehend the mo.pife,tations of God's grnce are the elders and officers, the tribes are cill which had been so abundo.utly o.fforded in Israel. 'Jho Authorized Version follows tho their post history, in order that he mny LXX., but against the iJiom of the Hebrew. arouse tbem to a better stnte of mind, and lbn Ezra sciys c;:1•~~1 is illstead of •~ir,, but stimulate them· to htarken to the voice of this ccin hcirdly be. God in the future. Vars. 11-H.-The covenant wcis a Ver. 4.-Tbe Lord hath not given you an national engagement, and as such incladeu heart to perceive, eto. Moses says this•• not not only the o.dults and existing generation to excuse their wiokedness, but pnrtly to but the little ones, the strangers resident i,; direct theiu who.t course to take, and to Ismel, the lowest menial servants, that is, all whom they must lmve 1·ecomso for the the elements of which the nation wiis com- aincuclini: of their former errors, 11ucl for 11 posed, as well as their posterity iu comiui: 448 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. [orr. XXIX. 1-29.