Deuteronomy 1

Chap. I. Ver. 1—18. Moses reviews the Lord’s dealings (inspired person) at the same time as the account of the death of ‘Moses was added at the close. These be “the words of Moses,” and “the law of God.” That is, the discourse, or speech, was delivered by Moses, but the authority was of God, which is frequently the sense of the word law, in the Old Testament, and particularly in the Psalms. This discourse was delivered on the east side of Jordan, for Moses was never permitted to cross it, or to enter the land of Canaan. The words, “Ye have dwelt long enough in this place,” are not before recorded, but were probably uttered to Moses at the time that “the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle;”

((Numbers 10:11).) and they took their journey, “according to the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses;” on which we may remark, that there is a command in the leadings of Providence, as well as in the written word, and they are in harmony with each other: when the cloud moves, we must follow. When Moses speaks of the people being “multiplied as the stars of heaven for multitude,” he throws in a parenthesis, to their increase: “The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you as he hath promised you!” So all the faithful servants of God will rejoice in the increase and prosperity of his people, however they may find their work and duty thereby increased.

Those who labour for the salvation of others must not account their “own lives dear unto them.” Ver. 19—46. A farther review of the conduct of Israel in the wilderness.—The account of sending the spies to search out the promised land, their perverse report, and the melancholy consequences of the people’s listening thereto, we have had before, in the book of Numbers; but we have here a farther account of the manner in which Moses encouraged the people to go up and possess the land. “Thou hast seen (says he) how the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went.” So the Lord by the prophet Hosea some ages afterwards: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

((Hosea 11:1).) But the people would not believe the Lord, but basely insinuated that it was not out of love, but hatred, that the Lord had brought the people out of Egypt, to deliver them into the hand of the Amorites! Such are the perverse interpretations of an ungrateful heart! We also, as Christians, have a land of promise set before us; and, without disparaging Canaan, we may safely call it “a better country,” because a heavenly one. Let us, therefore, fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into rest,” any of us should fall short of it, “after the same example of unbelief.” ((Hebrews 4:1-11).)

Notes on the verses

Chap. I. Ver. 1. The Red (sea.)—Margin, “Zuph” (rather Suph:) Moses, says Dr. Clarke, was never farther from “the Red sea” in his life; nor is the word “sea” in the original, which is simply Suph, the name of a place in or near the plains of Moab. Ptolemy mentions a people called Sophonites, who probably had their name from hence. See Note on (Numbers 21:14), where the word “sea,” though not in italics, is supplied by the translators. The Swvhah there mentioned is probably the same place as is here called Suph, or Zuph.—Paran.—Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab, seem to have been either places or cities not far from the plains of Moab; for it is evident that Paran and Hazeroth could not have been those near the Red sea, and not far from Horeb.—Bagster.

z Ver. 6. The Lord our God spake, &c.—Most of the circumstances here mentioned have been already noticed; as the complaint of Moses, and the method he took to relieve himself: ver. 9-18, compared with (Numbers 11:11, 17); the sending men to spy out the land, and the result, ver. 22—46, compared with (Numbers 13)xiv.

z Ver. 10. Stars of heaven.—This was the promise made by God to Abraham, ((Genesis 15:5-6).) which Moses considers now as amply fulfilled. Many suppose this expression to be hyperbolical; and others, no friends to revelation, think it a vain, empty boast, because the stars, in their apprehension, amount to innumerable millions. But, as this refers to the number of stars which appear to the naked eye, which only amount to about 3800, in both hemispheres, the number of the Israelites far exceeded this; for, independently of women and children at the last census, they amounted to more than 600,000.—Bagster.

q Ver. 17, Respect persons.—(Heb. acknowledge faces.—That is, let not the bold, daring countenances of the rich or mighty induce you to give an unrighteous decision; and let not the abject look of the poor man induce you either to favour him in an unrighteous cause, or to give judgment against him at the demand of the oppressor. Be firm, uncorrupt, and incorruptible, for the High is God’s—ye minister in the place of God—act therefore like Him.)

Ver. 22. Send men before us.—[The people proposed this measure through unbelief; Moses mistaking their motive, approved of it; and God being justly displeased, permitted them to follow their own counsel, which proved injurious to them only through their sin and folly.]—Bagster.

Ver. 28. The cities are strong and walled up to heaven.—That is, with very high walls, which could not be easily scaled. The same hyperbole occurs in the best authors. Thus Homer speaks of a fir-tree— which was as high as heaven,” i.e. exceeding high. High walls in these parts of Arabia are still deemed a sufficient defence against the Arabs, who scarcely ever attempt to plunder except on horseback.—Bagster.

“The great monastery at mount Sinai, (Thevenot says,) is well built of good free-stone, with very high, smooth walls; on the east side there is a window, by which those who were within drew up the pilgrims into the monastery with a basket, which they let down by a rope that runs in a pulley.”

These walls, he observes in the next chapter, are so high, that they cannot be scaled; and without that, the place cannot be taken. Thus it was anciently, and by this representation did the spies discourage the hearts of the people.

Ver. 44. And chased you as bees do.—These insects, from their industry, ardour, and social union, have furnished poets of all countries and of all ages with similes and metaphors in abundance. When provoked or disturbed, the whole swarm attacks and pursues whatever annoys them, with great courage and fury, and sometimes is a most formidable enemy. They were so troublesome in some districts of Crete, that, according to Pliny, the inhabitants were actually compelled to forsake their homes.

Pliny reports, that some places in Scythia were formerly inaccessible on account of the numerous swarms of bees with which they were infested. Park relates that some of his associates imprudently attempted to rob a numerous hive which they found in their way. The exasperated little animals rushed out to defend their property, and attacked them with so much fury, that they quickly compelled the whole company, men, horses, and asses, to scamper off in all directions. The horses were never recovered, and a number of the asses were so severely stung, that they died the next day.—Bagster.