Deuteronomy 29:25

29:22-28 Idolatry would be the ruin of their nation. It is no new thing for God to bring desolating judgments on a people near to him in profession. He never does this without good reason. It concerns us to seek for the reason, that we may give glory to God, and take warning to ourselves. Thus the law of Moses leaves sinners under the curse, and rooted out of the Lord's land; but the grace of Christ toward penitent, believing sinners, plants them again in their land; and they shall no more be pulled up, being kept by the power of God.

Then men shall say,.... The answer that will be returned to the above questions will be this because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers: breakers of covenants with men are always reckoned among the worst of men, see Romans 1:31; and especially breakers of covenant with God, and with such a God as the God of Israel was, so good, so kind, and gracious; and of such a covenant he made with them, in which so many good things were promised unto them, on condition of their obedience; as the continuance in, such a land they dwelt in, with an abundance of privileges, civil and religious: and this covenant God of theirs was the God of their fathers also; and it was always reckoned an heinous sin among the Heathens to forsake the gods of their ancestors; see Jeremiah 2:11, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt; which is another aggravation of their breach of the covenant the Lord made with them; it being made with them by that God, and at that time, when he in so wonderful a manner, with such mighty power, and a outstretched arm, and in great kindness and tenderness to them, brought then, out of hard bondage and most wretched slavery in Egypt.

The description is borrowed from the local features of the Dead Sea and its vicinity. The towns of the vale of Siddim were fertile and well watered (compare Genesis 13:10 ) until devastated by the wrath of God Genesis 19:24-25 . The ruin of Israel and its land should be of the like sort (compare Leviticus 26:31-32 ; Psalm 107:34 ; Zephaniah 2:9 ). The desolate state of Palestine at present, and the traces of former fertility and prosperity, are attested by every traveler.

10-29. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God—The whole congregation of Israel, of all ages and conditions, all—young as well as old; menials as well as masters; native Israelites as well as naturalized strangers—all were assembled before the tabernacle to renew the Sinaitic covenant. None of them were allowed to consider themselves as exempt from the terms of that national compact, lest any lapsing into idolatry might prove a root of bitterness, spreading its noxious seed and corrupt influence all around (compare Heb 12:15). It was of the greatest consequence thus to reach the heart and conscience of everyone, for some might delude themselves with the vain idea that by taking the oath (De 29:12) by which they engaged themselves in covenant with God, they would surely secure its blessings. Then, even though they would not rigidly adhere to His worship and commands, but would follow the devices and inclinations of their own hearts, yet they would think that He would wink at such liberties and not punish them. It was of the greatest consequence to impress all with the strong and abiding conviction, that while the covenant of grace had special blessings belonging to it, it at the same time had curses in reserve for transgressors, the infliction of which would be as certain, as lasting and severe. This was the advantage contemplated in the law being rehearsed a second time.

The picture of a once rich and flourishing region, blasted and doomed in consequence of the sins of its inhabitants, is very striking, and calculated to awaken awe in every reflecting mind. Such is, and long has been, the desolate state of Palestine; and, in looking at its ruined cities, its blasted coast, its naked mountains, its sterile and parched soil—all the sad and unmistakable evidences of a land lying under a curse—numbers of travellers from Europe, America, and the Indies ("strangers from a far country," De 29:22) in the present day see that the Lord has executed His threatening. Who can resist the conclusion that it has been inflicted "because the inhabitants had forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers. … and the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book"?

25 . Then men shall say , etc.] Similarly Jeremiah 22:8 f. The phrase, forsook the covenant occurs there, 1 Kings 19:10 ; 1 Kings 19:14 and Daniel 11:30 , but not elsewhere in Deut. ( forget is used instead); though Deuteronomy 28:20 has forsaking me , cp. Deuteronomy 31:16 , Deuteronomy 32:15 . Deuteronomy 29:25

25 . When thou shalt beget … and ye shall have been ] Read, ye shall beget . The sentence illustrates the difficulties raised by the variant forms of address. So quick a change from Sg. to Pl., confirmed by LXX (though Sam. has Pl. for both verbs), is logically possible ( thou = the mother nation; ye = the nation and its children). Yet the Sg. is more probably due to the attraction of the previous Sg., a copyist naturally continuing the latter till the changed form arrested him. For thy God both Sam. and LXX read your God . Thus the Pl. is complete throughout 25–28. The word for beget only here, Deuteronomy 27:1 and in P. ye shall have been long ] Or grown old or stale , used of old corn, Leviticus 26:10 , and inveterate leprosy, Deuteronomy 13:11 , Here not merely living long in the land, but growing aged in spirit, losing spiritual freshness. Similarly the prophets judged the wilderness days to have been the ideal period of Israel’s history, the subsequent ages decadent. corrupt yourselves ] See on Deuteronomy 4:16 ; graven image , etc., ibid.do evil in the eyes of the Lord ] Deuteronomy 9:18 , Deuteronomy 17:2 , Deuteronomy 31:29 , and P, Numbers 32:13 ; or good , Deuteronomy 6:18 , Deuteronomy 12:28 . to provoke him ] Deuteronomy 9:18 , Deuteronomy 31:29 , Deuteronomy 32:16 ; Deuteronomy 32:21 , also in deuteronomic passages in Kings and in Jeremiah. 25–31.

"What is this great burning of wrath?" i.e., what does it mean - whence does it come? The reply to such a question would be ( Deuteronomy 29:25-29 ): The inhabitants of the land have forsaken the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers; therefore has the wrath of the Lord burned over the land.

[Bible] 28:65. Neither shalt thou be quiet, even in those nations, nor shall there be any rest for the sole of thy foot. For the Lord will give thee a fearful heart, and languishing eyes, and a soul consumed with pensiveness: 28:66. And thy life shall be as it were hanging before thee. Thou shalt fear night and day, neither shalt thou trust thy life. 28:67. In the morning thou shalt say: Who will grant me evening? and at evening: Who will grant me morning? for the fearfulness of thy heart, wherewith thou shalt be terrified, and for those things which thou shalt see with thy eyes. 28:68. The Lord shall bring thee again with ships into Egypt, by the way whereof he said to thee that thou shouldst see it no more. There shalt thou be set to sale to thy enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you. Deuteronomy Chapter 29 The covenant is solemnly confirmed between God and his people. Threats against those that shall break it. 29:1. These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab: beside that covenant which he made with them in Horeb. 29:2. And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: You have seen all the things that the Lord did before you in the land of Egypt to Pharao, and to all his servants, and to his whole land. 29:3. The great temptations, which thy eyes have seen, those mighty signs and wonders, 29:4. And the Lord hath not given you a heart to understand, and eyes to see, and ears that may hear, unto this present day. Hath not given you, etc... Through your own fault and because you resisted his grace. 29:5. He hath brought you forty years through the desert: your garments are not worn out, neither are the shoes of your feet consumed with age. 29:6. You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink: that you might know that I am the Lord your God. 29:7. And you came to this place: and Sehon king of Hesebon, and Og king of Basan, came out against us to fight. And we slew them.