Deuteronomy 11:23

11:18-25 Let all be directed by the three rules here given. 1. Let our hearts be filled with the word of God. There will not be good practices in the life, unless there be good thoughts, good affections, and good principles in the heart. 2. Let our eyes be fixed upon the word of God, having constant regard to it as the guide of our way, as the rule of our work, Ps 119:30. 3. Let our tongues be employed about the word of God. Nor will any thing do more to cause prosperity, and keeping up religion in a nation, than the good education of children.

Then will the Lord drive out all those nations from before you,.... By little and little, even all the seven nations which then inhabited the land of Canaan; and this he would do to make room for them, that they might inherit the land; see Deuteronomy 7:1 . and ye shall possess greater nations, and mightier than yourselves; countries whose inhabitants were more in number, and greater in strength, than they; and therefore the conquest of them was not to be ascribed to themselves, but to the Lord; this is often observed; see Deuteronomy 7:1.

But if, on the other hand, their heart was foolish to turn away from the Lord and serve other gods, the wrath of the Lord would burn against them, and God would shut up the heaven, that no rain should fall and the earth should yield no produce, and they would speedily perish (cf. Leviticus 26:19-20 , and Deuteronomy 28:23-24 ). Let them therefore impress the words now set before them very deeply upon themselves and their children ( Deuteronomy 11:18-21 , in which there is in part a verbal repetition of Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ). The words, "as the days of the heaven above the earth," i.e., as long as the heaven continues above the earth, - in other words, to all eternity (cf. Psalm 89:30 ; Job. Deu 14:12), - belong to the main sentence, "that your days may be multiplied," etc. ( Deuteronomy 11:21 ). "The promise to give the land to Israel for ever was not made unconditionally; an unconditional promise is precluded by the words, 'that your days may be multiplied'" (Schultz). (For further remarks, see at Deuteronomy 30:3-5 .) For ( Deuteronomy 11:22-25 ) if they adhered faithfully to the Lord, He would drive out before them all the nations that dwelt in the land, and would give them the land upon which they trod in all its length and breadth, and so fill the Canaanites with fear and terror before them, that no one should be able to stand against them. (On Deuteronomy 11:23 , cf.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 ; Deuteronomy 9:1 , and Deuteronomy 1:28 .) The words, "every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours," are defined more precisely, and restricted to the land of Canaan on both sides of the Jordan by the boundaries which follow: "from the desert (of Arabia on the south), and Lebanon (on the north), and from the river Euphrates (on the east) to the hinder sea" (the Mediterranean on the west; see Numbers 34:6 ). The Euphrates is given as the eastern boundary, as in Deuteronomy 1:7 , according to the promise in Genesis 15:18 . (On Deuteronomy 11:25 , cf. Deuteronomy 7:24 ; Deuteronomy 2:25 , and Exodus 23:27 .)

[Reformed Biblical] ## His father’s wife; his mother-in-law. See #Leviticus 18:8 20:11 1 Corinthians 5:1 . ## His father’s skirt, i.e. the skirt of the mother’s garment, i.e. the nakedness, which is here called his father’s skirt , because his father and mother were one flesh, or because his father alone had the right to uncover it. The phrase is taken from the ancient custom or ceremony of the bridegroom’s spreading the skirt of his garment over the bride, to signify his right to her, and authority over her, and his obligation to the marriage duty. See #Ruth 3:9 Ezekiel 16:8 . ## Who are to be excluded from the congregation, #Deuteronomy 23:1-6 . An Edomite and Egyptian not to be abhorred, and why, #Deuteronomy 23:7,8 . No uncleanness to be in the camp, #Deuteronomy 23:9-14 . No filthiness, #Deuteronomy 23:17 . No abominable sacrifice must be, #Deuteronomy 23:18 . No usury, but to strangers, #Deuteronomy 23:19,20 . Vows must be kept, #Deuteronomy 23:21-23 . The liberty that was lawful in their neighbour’s field or vineyard, #Deuteronomy 23:24,25 . ## Ver. 1. Heb. wounded by compression , or attrition , or contusion , to wit, of the stones, which was the course the Gentiles took with infants to make them eunuchs.

1 . Hear, O Israel ] Deuteronomy 6:4 . thou art to pass over Jordan this day ] Similarly Deuteronomy 30:18 (and cp. Deuteronomy 2:18 ), Sg.; Deuteronomy 4:14 ; Deuteronomy 4:26 ; Deuteronomy 11:31 ; Deuteronomy 31:13 , Pl., but apparently editorial. to possess ] or dispossess . Deuteronomy 2:12 ; Deuteronomy 2:21 f., Deuteronomy 11:23 , Deuteronomy 12:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:29 , Deuteronomy 18:14 , Deuteronomy 19:1 , Deuteronomy 31:3 , with personal object as here. For another form of same vb. see on Deuteronomy 4:38 . nations greater and mightier than thyself ] So Deuteronomy 4:38 also Sg.; Deuteronomy 11:23 , Pl.: cp. Joshua 23:9 . cities … fenced , etc.] See on Deuteronomy 1:28 .

Westphal, Sources du Pent. ii. 111. whither ye go over to possess it ] A formula distinctive of the Pl. passages occurring, besides here, Deuteronomy 4:14 , Deuteronomy 11:8 ; Deuteronomy 11:11 ; whereas when the Sg. passages use the verb go over they add the Jordan , Deuteronomy 9:1 , Deuteronomy 30:18 , but elsewhere prefer the equivalent phrase, the land whither thou art entering (or thou art entering the land ), Deuteronomy 6:18 , Deuteronomy 7:1 , Deuteronomy 9:5 , Deuteronomy 11:10 ; Deuteronomy 11:29 , Deuteronomy 12:29 , Deuteronomy 18:9 , Deuteronomy 23:20 , Deuteronomy 28:21 ; Deuteronomy 28:63 , Deuteronomy 30:16 . The only verse in which this phrase occurs with the Pl. Isaiah 4:5 b ( q.v. ); while Deuteronomy 4:1 (Pl.) gives a variation.