Deuteronomy 9:8

9:7-29 That the Israelites might have no pretence to think that God brought them to Canaan for their righteousness, Moses shows what a miracle of mercy it was, that they had not been destroyed in the wilderness. It is good for us often to remember against ourselves, with sorrow and shame, our former sins; that we may see how much we are indebted to free grace, and may humbly own that we never merited any thing but wrath and the curse at God's hand. For so strong is our propensity to pride, that it will creep in under one pretence or another. We are ready to fancy that our righteousness has got for us the special favour of the Lord, though in reality our wickedness is more plain than our weakness. But when the secret history of every man's life shall be brought forth at the day of judgment, all the world will be proved guilty before God. At present, One pleads for us before the mercy-seat, who not only fasted, but died upon the cross for our sins; through whom we may approach, though self-condemned sinners, and beseech for undeserved mercy and for eternal life, as the gift of God in Him. Let us refer all the victory, all the glory, and all the praise, to Him who alone bringeth salvation.

Also in Horeb ye provoked the Lord to wrath,.... The word "also" shows that they had provoked him before, but this instance is given as a very notorious one; here they made the golden calf and worshipped it, while Moses was on the mount with God, receiving instructions from him for their good. Near to this place a rock had been smitten for them, from whence flowed water for the refreshment of them and their cattle; here the Lord appeared in the glory of his majesty to them, and from hence, for it is the same mount with Sinai, the law was given to them in such an awful and terrible manner; and yet none of these things were sufficient to restrain them from provoking the Lord to wrath by their sins: so that the Lord was angry with you, to have destroyed you; so very angry with them, and so justly, that he proposed to Moses to destroy them, and make of him a great nation in their stead, Exodus 32:10.

Deuteronomy 9:8 . Also in Horeb ye provoked the Lord — Rather, even in Horeb; for there is an emphasis in this. Even when your miraculous deliverance out of Egypt was fresh in your memories; when God had but newly manifested himself to you, and delivered you the law in so stupendous and awful a manner, and with such visible displays of his divine majesty; when he had just taken you into covenant with himself, and was actually conferring still further mercies upon you.

31 . Moses is commanded to stand by God in order to receive other laws (than the Ten Words) to teach the people subsequently. all the commandment ] or charge ; Heb. miṣwah . ‘ “The (or this) commandment “recurs Deuteronomy 6:1 , Deuteronomy 7:11 , Deuteronomy 30:11 ; with “all,” Deuteronomy 6:25 , Deuteronomy 8:1 , Deuteronomy 9:8 ; Deuteronomy 9:22 , Deuteronomy 15:5 , Deuteronomy 19:9 , Deuteronomy 27:1 (of a special injunction), Deuteronomy 31:5 . As Deuteronomy 11:22 , Deuteronomy 19:9 show, it denotes the deuteronomic legislation generally (esp. on its moral and religious side) viewed as the expression of a single principle, the fundamental duty of Deuteronomy 6:5 ’ (Driver); yet it is also possible to interpret it here, as in Deuteronomy 11:22 , Deuteronomy 19:9 , of the principles underlying the laws and expounded in this discourse. See below on Deuteronomy 6:1 . the statutes, and the judgements ] With Sam. omit the preceding and. The statutes and judgements (the usual deuteronomic phrase) are thus the contents or detailed applications o (the miṣwah, the separate laws to be subsequently given in Moab on the eve of the people’s entrance to the promised land (as the rest of the verse declares), and which are contained in chs. 12–26. the land which I give them ] Rather, am about to give them .