Deuteronomy 10:5

10:1-11 Moses reminded the Israelites of God's great mercy to them, notwithstanding their provocations. There were four things in and by which the Lord showed himself reconciled to Israel. God gave them his law. Thus God has intrusted us with Bibles, sabbaths, and sacraments, as tokens of his presence and favour. God led them forward toward Canaan. He appointed a standing ministry among them for holy things. And now, under the gospel, when the pouring forth of the Spirit is more plentiful and powerful, the succession is kept up by the Spirit's work on men's hearts, qualifying and making some willing for that work in every age. God accepted Moses as an advocate or intercessor for them, and therefore appointed him to be their prince and leader. Moses was a type of Christ, who ever lives, pleading for us, and has all power in heaven and in earth.

And I turned myself,.... From the Lord, out of whose hands he had received the tables: and came down from the mount; with the two tables in his hand as before, one in one hand, and the other in the other hand: and put the tables in the ark which I had made; or ordered to be made: and there they be, as the Lord commanded me; there they were when Moses rehearsed what is contained in this book, on the plains of Moab, about thirty eight years after the putting them, into it; and there they continued to be when the ark was brought into Solomon's temple, 1 Kings 8:9 and there they were as long as the ark was in being; which may denote the continuance of the law in the hands of Christ under the Gospel dispensation as a rule of walk and conversation to his people.

(5) I . . . put the tables in the ark which I (had) made; and there they be. —Or, and they were there, or they continued there. According to the narrative in Exodus, the ark in which the tables ultimately remained was made afterwards. The English reader must not be misled by the word “had” in “I had made.” There is no pluperfect in Hebrew. The time of an action is determined not so much by the form of the verb as by its relation to the context. “I put the tables in the ark which I made, and they remained there,” is the literal sense. “I made” may very well mean “I caused to be made,” and refers to the ark which Bezaleel constructed under Moses’ directions.

These verses are closely connected with the preceding chapter, and state very briefly the results of the intercession of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 9:25-29 . The people are reminded that all their blessings and privileges, forfeited by apostasy as soon as bestowed, were only now their own by a new and most unmerited act of grace on the part of God, won from Him by the self-sacrificing mediation of Moses himself Deuteronomy 10:10 . Deuteronomy 10:1-5. The order for making the ark and tabernacle was evidently given before the apostasy of the people (Exodus 25ff); but the tables were not put in the ark until the completion and dedication of the tabernacle Exodus 40. But here as elsewhere (compare the Deuteronomy 9:1 note) Moses connects transactions closely related to each other and to his purpose without regard to the order of occurrence.

5 . And I turned and came down from the mount ] So Deuteronomy 9:15 and Exodus 32:15 , E, but of Moses’ first descent with the tables. and put the tables in the ark ] This also certainly from the original form of E; see above, general note on Deuteronomy 10:1-3 . P, Exodus 40:20 has put the testimony in the ark . and there they be ] Whether this is said in accommodation to the date of the speaker, or as still true of the writer’s time in the seventh century, is uncertain. See above, the general note on Deuteronomy 10:1-3 . All that is certain is that such was the fact till at least the time of Solomon, cp. 1 Kings 8:9 . Deuteronomy 10:5

4 . And he wrote on the tables … the ten words ] Exodus 34:28 , J. This adds the words of the covenant , for which D has according to the first writing , cp. Deuteronomy 9:10 . the ten words ] See above p. 81. in the mount out of the midst of the fire ] Above Deuteronomy 9:10 . in the day of the assembly ] See on Deuteronomy 9:10 , Deuteronomy 5:22 . Deuteronomy 10:4

In Deuteronomy 10:1-5 Moses briefly relates the success of his earnest intercession. "At that time," of his intercession, God commanded him to hew out new tables, and prepare an ark in which to keep them (cf. Exodus 34:1 .). Here again Moses links together such things as were substantially connected, without strictly confining himself to the chronological order, which was already well known from the historical account, inasmuch as this was not required by the general object of his address. God had already given directions for the preparation of the ark of the covenant, before the apostasy of the nation ( Exodus 25:10 .); but it was not made till after the tabernacle had been built, and the tables were only deposited in the ark when the tabernacle was consecrated ( Exodus 40:20 ).

[Reformed Biblical] By the occasion and matter of Moses’s prayer here following, ## which is the same with the former. 3. By the words here following, as I fell down at first , which show that this was the second time of his so doing. ## Ver. 26. Through thy greatness, i.e. through the greatness of thy power, which appeared most eminently in that work, as is noted, #Deuteronomy 9:29 . ## Ver. 27. Thy servants, i.e. the promise made and sworn to thy servants, which was mentioned above, #Deuteronomy 9:5 . Ver. 28. No text from Poole on this verse. ## Ver. 29. Thy people, whom thou hast chosen to thyself out of all mankind, and publicly owned them for thine, and hast purchased and redeemed them from the Egyptians. ## Moses repeats God’s mercies in restoring the two tables, #Deuteronomy 10:1-5 . Aaron’s death. Eleazar his son officiates in his stead, #Deuteronomy 10:6 . The tribe of Levi is separated for the priesthood, #Deuteronomy 10:8,9 . God hearkening to Moses not to destroy them, #Deuteronomy 10:10 ; he is commanded to lead them towards Canaan, #Deuteronomy 10:11 . God requires their obedience, #Deuteronomy 10:12-15 . To circumcise their hearts, #Deuteronomy 10:16,17 . To help the fatherless and widow, #Deuteronomy 10:18 . To love strangers, #Deuteronomy 10:19 . To fear and serve the Lord for his mercies towards them, #Deuteronomy 10:20-22 . ## Ver. 1. At that time, When God was newly appeased by my intercession.