Deuteronomy 11

Moses exhorted Israel again in the keeping of Gods ten commandments first with a relation of Gods mercies and wonders manifested towards them verse1 &c. secondly with a description of the land of promise 9. Thirdly with a promise of the seasonable weather and the fruitfulness of the land 13 fourthly with threatening of the contrary in the case of back-sliding 16 and exhortation of having gods commandments continually before their eyes and to teach their children with their fair and special promises 18 setting before them both blessing and the curse 26 a charge and order concerning the pronouncing of the blessing and curse at the arrival in Canaan 29.

1. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thou halt keep his charge [Heb. Thou salt keep his keeping that is that which hath given thee in charge to keep see genesis 26 on verse 5] and his statutes and his judgments and his commandments see above chapter 5 on verse 31] all thy days or times [Heb. All the days to wit of thy life as after see chapter 12.1,19 and 10.9 and 17.19 &c.]

2. And I know this day that I speak not with your children that know it not seen the instruction of the Lord your God [that is all that God had done at that time unto his people to instruct which is related in the sequel] his greatness [that is his majesty and great divine power shining and appearing in his works as the following words declare so above chapter 3.24 and 9.27] his strong and his stretched out arm.

3. Besides his token and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt and unto his land?

4. And what he did unto the army of the Egyptians to his horses and to his chariots and that he made the waters of the Red-sea to swim above their face when they pursued after you and how the Lord destroyed them unto this day.

5. And what he did for you in the wilderness until ye came to this place.

6. Moreover what he did unto Dathan and unto Abiram the son of Eliab the son of Reuben how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up with heir household [Heb. Houses] and their tents ye all that subsisted [see Genesis 7on verse 4] that concerned them [Heb. That was their feet that is in their service power or possession or that concerned and attended them compare exodus 11.8] in the midst of all Israel.

7. For eyes are they that have seen all his great works of the Lord which he hath done [Moseh intimateth that it was special mercy of God that all these wonders were done in their lifetime add before their eyes compare above chapter 5.3.]

8. Keep then all commandments which I command thee this day [Heb. all or every commandment which I &c. so below verse 22] that ye may be strong and go in and inherit the land whether ye go over to inherit it.

9. And ye may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swear unto your father to give unto them and to their seed a land flowing with milk and honey [see exodus 3 on verse 8.]

10. For the land whether thou goest to inherit it, it id not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out which thou sowedst with thy seed and waterdst with thy going [Heb. With thy foot that is with thy service and labor being lain with labor and pain to bring or carry water into it to moisten it other according to thine own good liking or as it seemed good unto thee] as a garden of herbs.

11. But the land whither go over to inherit is a land of mountains of the valleys it drinketh water by the rain of heaven [without men’s labor of pain.]

12. A land which the Lord thy God careth for [Heb. Seeketh seeketh after or enquireth after its spoken of God after the manner of men for men do use to seek and after that which they bear a special affection to compare job 3.4 Isaiah 62:12] the eyes of the Lord thy god are continually upon it from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year.

13. And it shall come to pass when ye shall hearken diligently [Heb. Hearken shall hearken] unto my commandments which I command ye this day to love the Lord your God and to serve with all your heart and with all your soul.

14. Then I will give ye the rain [Here Moses bringeth god himself in speaking thus] of your land [that is which your land shall require] in due season the early rain [which God gave after the ground tilled and sold to make the seed spring up out of the earth] and the latter rain [which fell a little before harvest to make the fruit heavy and to ripen them see Jeremiah 5.24Hosiah 6.3 Joel 2:24 James 5:7] that thou mayest gather in thy corn and thy new wine and thy oil.

15. And I will give herb upon thy field for thy beasts and thou shalt and be satisfied.

16. Take heed to yourselves that your heart not be deceived that ye may turn aside and serve other Gods and bow yourselves before them.

17. The Lord’s wrath kindle against ye and he shut up the heaven [a kind of phrase whereby the way of similitude is expressed the divine providence ruling and governing in the air serving for the removal and with holding of rain see 1 Kings 8:39 2 Chronicles 6:26 and 7.13] that there be no rain and the ground yield not her increase and ye suddenly perish from the good land which the lord giveth ye.

18. Lay then these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a toke upon your hand that they may be as frontless before your eyes [see Exodus 13:9 and above chapter 6 on verse 8.]

19. And teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and thou goest on the way and when thou liest down and when thou riseth up.

20. And write them upon the posts of thine house and at thy gates.

21. That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swear unto fathers to give them as the days of the heaven upon thy earth [that is as long as the world stands will continue with his people in his blessings compare Psalms 89:37,38 Matthew 28:20 others thy and thy children days shall be many as the days of heaven are many.

22. For if ye diligently keep [Heb. Keep keeping] all these commandments which I command ye to do them loving the Lord your God walking in all his ways and cleaving unto him.

23. Then will the Lord drive out of possession all these nations before your face and ye shall hereditarily possess greater and mightier nations [that is the land greater and mightier nations as above chapter 9.1] then ye are.

24. All [or every] place whereon the sole of the foot tradeth [compare above chapter 2.5 Joshua 1:3 and 14.9] shall be you’re your from the wilderness and Libanon from the river the river Euphrates unto the hindmost sea [that is which liest in the west the east or the sun rising is called the foremost part and the suns setting the hindmost part compare below chapter 34.2 Joshua and 13.5 Joel 2:20] shall your border be [compare Genesis 10 on verse 19 and 15 on verse 18 Exodus 23:31 Numbers 34 and chapter 1.7 Joshua 1:4.]

25. No man shall be able to stand before your face the Lord your God shall your terror and your fear [as above chapter 2.25] upon all the land that ye may thread upon according as he hath spoken unto ye.

26. Behold I set before ye [Heb. I give or set before your face see below verse 32 and chapter 30.1] this day the blessing and the curse.

27. The blessing when ye shall hearken the commandment of the Lord your God which I command ye this day.

28. But the curse if ye shall not hearken the commandments of the Lord your God and turn aside out of the way which I command ye this day to walk after other gods which ye have not known.

29. And it shall come to pass when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land whither thou goest to inherit it then thou shalt pronounce [or utter deliver out Heb. Give compare below chapter 13.1 and 1 Kings 13:5] the blessing [which is received below chapter 28 that is thou shalt give in charge that the blessing be pronounced or uttered see the fulfilling hereof Joshua 8:33, 34] upon mount Gerisim and the curse [which is recorded below chapter 27 and 28] upon mount Ebal.

30. Are they not the other side Jordan behind the way of the suns going down in the land of the Canaanites which dwell in the champion over against Gilead by oak grooves of more? [To wit places named in the end of the former verse do certainly lie there of the word more see genesis 12 on verse 6.]

31. For ye shall pass over the Jordan to go in and inherit the land which the Lord your God shall give ye shall possess it hereditarily and dwell therein.

32. Observe then to do all the statutes and judgments which is et before ye this day.