Deuteronomy 6:23

6:17-25 Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be righteous before God. The knowledge of the spirituality and excellency of the holy law of God, is suited to show sinful man his need of a Saviour, and to prepare his heart to welcome a free salvation. The gospel honours the law, not only in the perfect obedience of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ; but in that it is a plan for bringing back apostate rebels and enemies, by repentance, faith, forgiveness, and renewing grace, to love God above all things, even in this world; and in the world above, to love him perfectly, even as angels love him.

And he brought us out from thence,.... By means of those miraculous plagues, even out of a state of bondage and misery: and in order that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers; to bring them into the land of Canaan, give it to them, and put them in the possession of it; and so fulfil his promise and his oath made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The command "to swear by His Name" is not inconsistent with the Lord's injunction Matthew 5:34 , "Swear not at all." Moses refers to legal swearing, our Lord to swearing in common conversation. It is not the purpose of Moses to encourage the practice of taking oaths, but to forbid that, when taken, they should be taken in any other name than that of Israel's God. The oath involves an invocation of Deity, and so a solemn recognition of Him whose Name is made use of in it. Hence, it comes especially within the scope of the commandment Moses is enforcing.

23 . and he brought us out ] This translation stifles the emphatic and even exultant note of the order in the original: But us He brought out from thence , cp. Deuteronomy 4:20 . that he might bring us in ] See on Deuteronomy 6:10 ; some LXX codd. omit. which he sware ] Deuteronomy 1:8 . Deuteronomy 6:23

35 . of this evil generation ] Omit of ; the clause being in apposition to these men . It is not in the LXX and is generally taken as a later explanation that these men are not merely the spies but the whole adult generation (Dillm). Whether a gloss or not the explanation is correct. the good land ] JE, Numbers 14:23 ; Exodus 3:8 , a good land ; cp. Numbers 13:19 , whether good or bad ; P, Numbers 14:7 , a very, very good land . Contrast the frequency of the phrase in D and deuteronomic passages, Deuteronomy 3:25 , Deuteronomy 4:21 f., Deuteronomy 6:18 , Deuteronomy 8:7 ; Deuteronomy 8:10 , Deuteronomy 9:6 , Deuteronomy 11:17 ; Joshua 23:16 : a good soil , Joshua 23:13 ; Joshua 23:15 . to give ] Sam. and LXX omit.

In Deuteronomy 6:20-25 , the teaching to the children, which is only briefly hinted at in Deuteronomy 6:7 , is more fully explained. The Israelites were to instruct their children and descendants as to the nature, meaning, and object of the commandments of the Lord; and in reply to the inquiries of their sons, to teach them what the Lord had done for the redemption of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, and how He had brought them into the promised land, and thus to awaken in the younger generation love to the Lord and to His commandments. The "great and sore miracles" ( Deuteronomy 6:22 ) were the Egyptian plagues, like מפתּים, in Deuteronomy 4:34 . - "To fear," etc., i.e., that we might fear the Lord.

Verse 6. - Israel was not to seek, i . e . care for and use means to promote, the welfare of these nations. Individuals, however, of these nations might be naturalized in Israel, and as proselytes enter the congregation, as the case of Ruth proves. It was against the nations, as such, that this ban was directed, and this they had brought on themselves by choosing to be enemies of Israel when they might have been friends and allies. Deuteronomy 23:6