‏ Deuteronomy 5

Summary for Deut 5:1: 5:1–26:19  ^a This section contains the heart of the covenant document, the stipulations. The first subdivision (5:1–11:32  ^b) sets forth the major stipulations relating especially to the first two commandments (5:7-10  ^c). The more specific minor stipulations make up the rest of the section.
Summary for Deut 5:1-32: 5:1-32  ^d The rest of the covenant laws expand and comment upon the Ten Commandments (5:6-21  ^e), on which they are based. Moses had first given the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel nearly forty years earlier (Exod 20:2-17  ^f). 5:1  ^g decrees and regulations: These technical terms describe the stipulations that Israel must obey as the junior partner in the covenant.
5:9  ^h The children of sinful parents are not punished for the wrongdoings of their mothers and fathers, but the sins of any generation have consequences that last for generations (see 2 Sam 12:10  ⁱ).

• The term reject (literally hate) does not relate to having bitter and hostile feelings but to forsaking a relationship.
5:10  ^j who love me: Those who choose to accept the Lord do not hate or reject him.
5:11  ^k misuse the name (literally take up the name in vain): Someone who “takes the name of the Lord in vain” uses it manipulatively to achieve a desired end, uses it thoughtlessly, or takes an oath by God’s name that a falsehood is true.
5:12  ^l keeping it holy: Certain holy days were set apart from others and were given extraordinary significance. On the Sabbath day, the community stopped working and worshiped the Lord (cp. 1 Cor 16:2  ^m; Heb 10:25  ⁿ).
5:15  ^o That is why: God commanded Israel to observe a day of rest to remember that God ceased his work of creation on the seventh day (Exod 20:11  ^p). In Deuteronomy, the Sabbath also celebrated Israel’s release from Egyptian bondage. In the Christian tradition, the first day rather than the seventh is generally set apart to observe the most significant event in Christian history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see study note on Rev 1:10).
Summary for Deut 5:16-20: 5:16-20  ^q Jesus quoted these five commands in response to the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Matt 19:17-19  ^r; Mark 10:19  ^s; Luke 18:20  ^t). 5:16  ^u Honor: Since parents are representatives of divine authority, children are to recognize them as worthy of obedience and great respect (cp. Eph 6:1-3  ^v).
5:17  ^w murder: The Hebrew word can mean either “kill” or “murder.” Killing was permitted in war and as punishment in capital cases, so here it must refer to premeditated homicide. See Jesus’ comments in Matt 5:21-22  ^x.
5:18  ^y adultery: See Jesus’ comments about adultery in Matt 5:27-28  ^z.
5:21  ^aa covet: This commandment differs from the others because it pertains to a desire rather than to an act. An evil desire is no less offensive to God than an evil deed (see Matt 5:27-28  ^ab).
5:33  ^ac Stay on the path: This figure of speech compares the course of life to making a journey. Israel was called to live in such a way that the nation would not be sidetracked from the purposes for which it had been chosen and equipped.

‏ Deuteronomy 6

Summary for Deut 6:1-25: 6:1-25  ^ad Moses here explains how the stipulations in the following sections should be applied and handed on to future generations. 6:1  ^ae Moses added commands to decrees and regulations, the usual formula for covenant stipulations (see 4:1  ^af; 5:1  ^ag); commands is a general term for the whole body of instruction.
6:2  ^ah God’s awesome power and glory (see 4:10  ^ai) require that God’s people fear him, treating him with respect and reverence (see study notes on 7:21; 10:12-13).
6:3  ^aj The milk and honey abundant in Canaan represented both agriculture and forage. Compared to the desert fare, Canaan’s food was sumptuous indeed (see Exod 3:8  ^ak, 17  ^al).
Summary for Deut 6:4-5: 6:4-5  ^am Listen (Hebrew shema‘): The Shema is the fundamental statement of Israel’s faith. Jesus described these verses as the greatest of the commandments (Matt 22:34-39  ^an; Mark 12:28-31  ^ao; Luke 10:25-28  ^ap), a sentiment shared by ancient and modern Judaism. The rabbi Hillel (first century BC) spoke of the Shema as the central theological idea of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), calling the rest mere commentary. 6:4  ^aq The Lord is our God, the Lord alone: Only God is worthy of worship (5:7  ^ar).
6:5  ^as love the Lord: See study note on Josh 23:11.

• The words heart, ... soul, and ... strength represent the intellect, the will, the emotions, the spirituality, and the physical being—all that a person is and can do for God. This commandment is the core of God’s covenant with Israel (see Jesus’ comments in Matt 22:37  ^at; Mark 12:30  ^au; Luke 10:27  ^av).
6:7  ^aw Repeat them: The Hebrew verb (shanan) might suggest “engraving” a text into a medium that cannot be obliterated, or it might simply mean “repeat.” Either way, the teaching of the Shema was to be indelibly imparted to children by constant repetition so that it would never be forgotten.
6:8  ^ax Tie them: The Lord’s commandments (6:6  ^ay) were to be as interwoven into the hearts and minds of children as though they were tied to them. Eventually, this figurative phrase in Judaism was practiced literally by wrapping the forearm with cords representing the Torah (see study note on 4:44).

• wear them: This figure of speech was represented literally in later Judaism by a small box containing a few brief Torah texts. The box and its contents (Hebrew tefillin; Greek phylactery) were reminders of the need to teach and obey the covenant (cp. 11:18  ^az; Matt 23:5  ^ba).
6:9  ^bb Write them on the doorposts: In later Judaism, people placed portions of Deuteronomy in a small metal case (a mezuzah) attached to the doorframes of houses or other buildings. It was customary to touch the mezuzah when passing through the doorway to show respect for and dependence upon the Scripture.
6:13  ^bc Jesus quoted this verse when tempted by Satan (Matt 4:10  ^bd; Luke 4:8  ^be).
6:16  ^bf When Israel journeyed through the Sinai desert after the Exodus, they came to Rephidim, where they found no water (Exod 17:1-7  ^bg). Moses saw the people’s demand for water as testing the Lord; hence the name Massah (“testing”) for this place. Jesus quoted this verse to rebut Satan (Matt 4:7  ^bh; Luke 4:12  ^bi).
6:21  ^bj The phrase his strong hand is an anthropomorphism (see study note on 8:2).
6:22  ^bk The signs and wonders were the ten plagues God sent to impress Israel and Egypt with his power when he brought about the Exodus (Exod 7–12  ^bl; see also Exod 3:20  ^bm; 4:5  ^bn; Josh 4:23-24  ^bo).
6:25  ^bp righteous when we obey: Obedience shows that one is already in a state of righteousness, a standing before God obtained by faith (see 24:13  ^bq; Hab 2:4  ^br; Rom 1:17  ^bs; 4:1-5  ^bt; Gal 3:6-7  ^bu; see also Gen 15:6  ^bv; Eph 2:8-9  ^bw). When other nations observed Israel’s commitment to the covenant, they could rightly conclude that Israel was righteous.

‏ Deuteronomy 7

Summary for Deut 7:1-26: 7:1-26  ^bx Before Israel could occupy the land of promise (cp. Gen 13:14-17  ^by; 15:18-21  ^bz), the nations already living there had to be removed. The land was the Lord’s, and only he could determine who the inhabitants should be. 7:1  ^ca The Hittites were native to Anatolia (now north-central Turkey). They established colonies in far-flung areas such as Syria and were also linked to Canaan in the list of ancient nations (see Gen 10:15  ^cb; 23:3-20  ^cc). The Hittite empire came to a sudden end around 1200 BC, but people known as Hittites continued to live in Israel (e.g., Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam 11:3  ^cd; 23:39  ^ce). It is impossible to prove that the Hittites of Anatolia were the same as those mentioned in the OT, but some commonality is probable.

• Girgashites were an otherwise unknown Canaanite people (Gen 10:16-17  ^cf).

• Amorites: See study note on Deut 1:4.

• The Canaanites were the native people of Canaan; their habitation there can be traced back to 3000 BC. They descended from Noah’s son Ham (see Gen 9:18-27  ^cg).

• The Perizzites are not listed in the Table of Nations (Gen 10:16-17  ^ch), so they might not have been related to the Canaanites.

• Many scholars identify the Hivites as the Horites (or Hurrians; see study note on Deut 2:1), a non-Semitic people found throughout the ancient Near East.

• The Jebusites were associated with Jerusalem (Judg 1:21  ^ci; 2 Sam 5:6-8  ^cj). David bought a piece of land from Araunah the Jebusite to build an altar (2 Sam 24:15-25  ^ck); this property later became the site of the Temple (2 Chr 3:1  ^cl).
7:5  ^cm Engraved stone pillars called stelae usually represented pagan male deities. These sacred pillars were commonly found at shrines dedicated to Baal.

• Asherah poles, usually made of wood, represented Canaanite fertility goddesses, particularly Asherah, the mother of the gods. These shrines might have developed as stylized sacred trees associated with fertility (see study note on 12:2).
7:6  ^cn Of all peoples on earth, God chose Israel as his special treasure. Israel had not done anything commendable; rather, God acted out of grace that was undeserved and freely given.
7:9  ^co A faithful God is absolutely dependable and can be leaned upon. Abraham was commended as being righteous because he believed God; he was wholly dependent upon God’s faithfulness (Gen 15:6  ^cp).

• Contrasted with human agents, who often break their pledges, the Lord faithfully keeps his covenant.
7:12  ^cq promised with an oath (literally swore): In a covenant or treaty, the parties to the covenant had to swear to keep its terms in order for it to be valid. God’s promises are always guaranteed by his character (7:9  ^cr; 32:4  ^cs; Heb 6:18  ^ct; Jas 1:17  ^cu). He fulfilled the requirements of the covenant with Israel by swearing to keep its terms (see Gen 22:16  ^cv).
7:15  ^cw The terrible diseases ... in Egypt were perhaps illnesses related to the plagues (e.g., Exod 9:9  ^cx) or other serious diseases that regularly afflicted the Egyptians.
7:19  ^cy The familiar word pair signs and wonders signifies the miraculous deeds God performed to induce fear in his enemies and to inspire awe and praise in his people (see 6:22  ^cz).

• strong hand and powerful arm: See study notes on 4:34 and 8:2.
7:20  ^da terror: Often rendered the hornet. Whether God sent stinging insects or some other source of terror, he would expel surviving Canaanites from the land (Exod 23:28  ^db; Josh 24:12  ^dc).
7:21  ^dd awesome (literally one to be feared): This fear is not the terror induced by a bully who strikes without reason or plan, but the reverential fear of a loving God whose nature is so majestic that it inspires a kind of dread.
7:24  ^de erase their names: An individual’s name represented that person’s existence as it would be carried into the future through generations of descendants. By destroying an entire nation, God cut off its line of descent and thus also its future. The Canaanites who suffered God’s war against them lost all their descendants and thus their existence and identity.
Summary for Deut 7:25-26: 7:25-26  ^df Worship of false gods is detestable to the Lord: It denies that God is unique and rejects his demand for exclusive worship (5:7-9  ^dg). The horrific and disgusting rituals typically associated with pagan worship were antithetical to God’s holy nature, but Israel was in danger of being led into similar beliefs and practices (12:31  ^dh; 13:12-17  ^di). An Israelite who acknowledged false gods committed an act of treason. The only remedy was complete and total destruction of these detestable objects.
7:26  ^dj set apart for destruction (Hebrew kherem): See study note on 2:34.

‏ Deuteronomy 8

Summary for Deut 8:1-20: 8:1-20  ^dk Once Israel inhabited the land, they might have the human tendency to take credit for the blessings that followed. Moses warned the people to guard against a self-congratulatory attitude. God alone is the source of all prosperity and achievement.
8:2  ^dl to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6  ^dm; 139:1  ^dn, 4  ^do, 23  ^dp); he wanted their character to come out in their actions.

• to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his knowledge, power, or transcendence. Here, God is figuratively described as having only a human knowledge of the future, but other passages make it clear that God knows everything—past, present, and future (Ps 139:1-18  ^dq; Heb 4:13  ^dr).
8:3  ^ds The word manna is derived from the Hebrew words man hu (meaning “what is it?”). God miraculously provided this food to teach his people total dependence on him (Exod 16:1-30  ^dt; Num 11:4-9  ^du). Manna represented the word of God, which is even more essential to life and well-being than food is.

• people do not live by bread alone: Jesus quoted this phrase to rebut Satan (Matt 4:4  ^dv; Luke 4:4  ^dw).
8:9  ^dx Iron was not widely used in this period of the Bronze Age because the process of smelting and working it was known to only a few cultures (see 1 Sam 13:19-21  ^dy). The time would come when Israel would exploit this vastly superior metal (see Josh 17:16-18  ^dz; 1 Kgs 6:7  ^ea; 2 Kgs 6:5  ^eb; 1 Chr 22:3  ^ec).
8:15  ^ed water from the rock! See Exod 17:6  ^ee; Num 20:2-13  ^ef; see also Deut 1:37  ^eg.
8:18  ^eh This was not the covenant that God made with the previous generation of Israelites at Sinai but the one he first made with Abraham (Gen 15:1-21  ^ei; 17:1-21  ^ej), then Isaac (Gen 26:1-5  ^ek) and Jacob (Gen 28:1-4  ^el, 13-15  ^em; 46:1-4  ^en).

• In order to be legal and proper, a covenant had to be sworn to with an oath that all parties to the agreement uttered. Although by his very nature God could never rescind a promise, he honored the protocol (see Deut 7:12  ^eo).

‏ Deuteronomy 9

9:1  ^ep walls that reach to the sky: This figurative language emphasizes the impossibility of breaching these walls by human effort alone (Num 13:28  ^eq). If Israel were to enjoy success, God must lead the way and fight the battle (Deut 9:5  ^er).
9:3  ^es The graphic metaphor like a devouring fire depicts God’s war against his enemies (see 1:30  ^et). God will not just use fire but will himself be a raging inferno, consuming everything in his path. In the end, Israel would simply have to step in and occupy the subdued land.
9:5  ^eu to fulfill the oath: In the covenant promises made to the patriarchs, God swore that their descendants would inherit the land of Canaan (Gen 13:14-17  ^ev; 15:18-21  ^ew; see Deut 1:8  ^ex; 8:18  ^ey).
9:6  ^ez Stubborn (literally stiff-necked) describes a draft animal that is unwilling to bend its neck to the yoke (Exod 32:9  ^fa; 33:3  ^fb, 5  ^fc; Isa 48:4  ^fd). Sadly, Israel was not just occasionally stubborn; stubbornness was the nation’s characteristic behavior and attitude.
9:9  ^fe Covenant here refers to the promises God made with Israel nearly forty years earlier at Sinai (see 4:13  ^ff).

• The common biblical expression forty days and forty nights represents trial or testing (Exod 34:28  ^fg). Moses’ fast was like Jesus’ fast (Matt 4:2  ^fh). It is physically possible to go without food for forty days, but a person cannot ordinarily survive without water for more than a few days. Moses was directly sustained by God (cp. Matt 4:11  ^fi).
9:10  ^fj Speaking of God’s own finger (see study notes on 4:34 and 8:2) emphasizes God’s personal interest and involvement in communicating the text of the covenant (Exod 31:18  ^fk; 32:15-16  ^fl; 34:1  ^fm, 28  ^fn).
9:12  ^fo The type of idol (from a Hebrew word meaning cast or pour) mentioned here was formed by pouring liquid metal into a mold (Exod 32:1-4  ^fp). Other idols were made of carved wood, stone, clay, or precious metals hammered in thin sheets over wooden cores.
9:14  ^fq erase their name: The Lord threatened to destroy Israel’s identity and existence (see study note on 7:24).
9:16  ^fr The gold calf idol Israel made at Sinai (Exod 32  ^fs) was probably modeled after bovine deities of Egypt, such as the bull god Apis and the cow goddess Hathor, both associated with fertility. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they would be confronted with the fertility gods of the Canaanite cults. They would be tempted to rely upon these false gods, rather than the one true God, as the source of their blessings (cp. Deut 8:18-20  ^ft).
9:22  ^fu Shortly after Israel left Sinai, the people began to murmur against the Lord so incessantly and bitterly that he sent a fiery judgment to slay some of them at Taberah (Taberah means “place of burning”).

• Even earlier, the people came to Massah, a place where they tested the Lord to see whether he could supply their need for water (Massah means “place of testing”).

• At Kibroth-hattaavah, the Israelites demanded food other than manna. The Lord miraculously provided quail, with which they gorged themselves. Many of them paid for this sin of gluttony with their lives. Kibroth-hattaavah means “graves of gluttony.”
9:23  ^fv Israel made Kadesh-barnea its major headquarters for the thirty-eight years of wandering in the wilderness (see also study note on 1:19).
9:26  ^fw The Lord redeemed Israel from their bondage in Egypt by his own gracious efforts on their behalf.
9:27  ^fx In Hebrew, the term translated remember does not always mean to recall something that has been forgotten, especially when God is the subject (see study notes on 8:2 and 32:36). Here the meaning is that God would honor the promises he made to the patriarchs by doing what he said he would do. Appealing to God to remember goes beyond urging him to be aware of a need; it is a petition for him to act in the face of that need (cp. Luke 23:42-43  ^fy).

‏ Deuteronomy 10

10:1  ^fz The Ark was a gold-plated wooden chest that contained the stone tablets; it was kept in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle or Temple (Exod 25:10  ^ga). Later, a pot of manna and Aaron’s flowering rod were also placed in the Ark (Heb 9:4  ^gb). The Ark was the throne upon which the invisible Lord sat on earth among his people (see study notes on Exod 25:22 and Lev 16:2).
10:3  ^gc acacia wood: This durable desert tree is probably the species Acacia raddiana; it is the only variety that grows large enough in the Negev to produce timber for building.
10:5  ^gd still there: Occasionally, phrases such as this one appear in Deuteronomy, indicating that the book received final touches sometime after Moses originally composed it. At the time the book was finally edited, the stone tablets were still in the Ark.
Summary for Deut 10:12-13: 10:12-13  ^ge fear the Lord your God: The fear of God is not terror from dread of his wrath. Rather, God wanted his people to recognize their finiteness and unworthiness in his divine presence (see study notes on 7:21 and Prov 1:7).
10:16  ^gf change your hearts (literally circumcise the foreskin of your hearts): This figure of speech encompasses both inward and outward conformity to the covenant (Gen 17:9-14  ^gg; Rom 2:28-29  ^gh).
10:17  ^gi The phrase God of gods does not affirm the existence of other gods; rather, it affirms God’s absolute sovereignty over all powers in heaven and earth. The Hebrew ’elohim, translated gods, can also refer to angels or other powerful beings (see Ps 82:1  ^gj).

• shows no partiality: God is not impressed with people who hold power and influence, and therefore he offers them no privileged consideration (see Deut 1:17  ^gk).
10:18  ^gl foreigners (literally sojourners): “A rabble of non-Israelites” (Exod 12:38  ^gm) came out of Egypt with the Israelites, and others later took up residence in Israel for various reasons. Some of these non-Israelites had no intention of becoming part of the covenant nation, but other foreigners, while not citizens of Israel, were God-fearers or potential proselytes. They lacked full equality with the Israelites and thus were often victims of neglect and discrimination.

‏ Deuteronomy 11

11:4  ^gn The common translation Red Sea (literally sea of reeds) comes from the Greek Old Testament. It was called the “Sea of Reeds” because of the marshy plants that grew along its shores.
11:6  ^go Dathan and Abiram: See Num 16:1-40  ^gp. In the Lord’s administration of his kingdom, he established levels of authority and command that were not to be transgressed. Because the Lord had appointed Moses and Aaron as leaders, the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram against Moses was the same as rebellion against God’s sovereign rule.
Summary for Deut 11:8-32: 11:8-32  ^gq Moses here appends to the covenant stipulations (chs 5–11  ^gr) a list of curses and blessings similar to those that follow the whole covenant text in chs 27–28  ^gs.
11:12  ^gt a land ... your God cares for: God’s care included blessing the land with all the resources his people would need to survive and prosper there.
11:24  ^gu you set foot (literally you tread the sole of your foot): This idea suggests claiming a territory by placing a foot on it or walking through it (see Gen 13:17  ^gv; Josh 1:3  ^gw; 14:9  ^gx).
11:26  ^gy In covenant contexts, a blessing is the outcome of obedience, while a curse is the result of disobedience (see chs 27–28  ^gz).
11:29  ^ha Mount Gerizim is a prominent hill lying just west of Shechem. In later times, the Samaritans built a temple there (cp. John 4:20  ^hb).

• Mount Ebal is across the valley from Mount Gerizim, to the east of Shechem.
11:30  ^hc Gilgal was the site of the first camp the Israelites would make in Canaan after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:19  ^hd). It was about two miles northeast of Jericho, although its exact location is no longer certain. A line from Jericho to Shechem would pass near Gilgal.

• The oaks of Moreh were near Shechem; they were where Abram had set up his first camp in Canaan (Gen 12:6  ^he) and where Jacob had later buried Laban’s idols (Gen 35:4  ^hf).