Deuteronômio 11

Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible

Deuteronômio 11:1-7

11:1 Notice how the two VERBS of this verse are related. They are theologically parallel. One should result in the other! "love the Lord" ‒ BDB 12, KB 17, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 11:13,22. See full note at Deut. 5:10. "keep His charge" ‒ BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal PERFECT with waw (see SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP) This is a repeat of Deut. 6:2,4-5; 10:12. Love is both an action (obedience) and a feeling ("with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might," cf. Deut. 6:5; 13:3) ▣ "His charge, His statutes, His ordinances and His commandments" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION 11:2 "And know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not seen" Moses is appealing to those who were eye witnesses ( as Levites and children under the age of military service, below 20 years old, cf. Deut. 1:6,9,14; 5:2,5; 11:2,7) to the events of the Exodus and wilderness wanderings (cf. Deut. 4:34; 7:19). ▣ "Know" See full note at Deut. 4:35 and SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW. ▣ "the discipline of the Lord" YHWH's discipline (BDB 416) is positive, Deut. 11:3; and negative, Deut. 11:6. Child training is a characteristic of our father God (cf. Heb. 12:5-13). This is another wisdom term used so often in Proverbs. SPECIAL TOPIC: FATHERHOOD OF GOD ▣ "His greatness" See notes at Deut. 10:17 and 4:31. ▣ "His mighty hand, and His outstretched arm" This is an anthropomorphic phrase used for God's power (cf. Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 6:21; 9:29). See note at Deut. 4:34 and SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND. 11:4 "horses and chariots" See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARIOTS ▣ "Red Sea to engulf them" The Hebrew word here is "Reed Sea" (BDB 410 CONSTRUCT BDB 693 I). "Engulf" is literally "flow over their faces" (BDB 847, KB 1012, Hiphil PERFECT, cf. Exod. 14:23-31), which is imagery for drowning. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE RED SEA ▣ "completely destroyed them" NKJV, NJB, Peshitta "destroyed them to this day" NRSV, JPSOA "destroyed them once and for all" "destroyed them, and so things remain to this day" "destroyed them to this very day" The MT has the VERB "destroyed" (BDB 1, KB 2, Piel IMPERFECT with waw plus the idiomatic phrase "to this day," which denotes a compete destruction whose consequences remain. 11:5 This is a reminder of YHWH's supernatural provisions during the wilderness wanderings. See full note at Deut. 8:4. 11:6 "Dathan and Abiram" See Numbers 16:1-35; 26:9-10; Ps. 106:16-18. ▣ "among all Israel" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (the name).

Deuteronômio 11:8-12

11:8 "therefore" This refers to all preceding historical allusions of chapter 11 or possibly even farther back. Much of Deuteronomy, up to this point, has rehearsed again and again the same admonitions. ▣ "possess the land" See SPECIAL TOPIC: POSSESS THE LAND 11:9 "so that you may prolong your days on the land" Compare Deut. 11:21 with Deut. 5:16. This is not an individual promise of longevity but a cultural promise of stability to a society which honors the Law of God (cf. Deut. 4:1; 8:1) and thereby honors the family (cf. Deut. 4:40; 5:16,33; 6:2). See full note at Deut. 4:40. ▣ "the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them" See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS. ▣ "a land flowing with milk and honey" This is not only a physical description but a technical designation for the land of Palestine in Ugaritic, Assyrian, and Egyptian documents. See full note at Deut. 6:3. 11:10 "not like the land of Egypt" The cultivation of crops was quite different in Egypt than Palestine. Palestine had seasonal rain (cf. v. 11), Egypt had to depend on irrigation from the Nile and its annual flood. ▣ "water it with your foot" This probably refers to an irrigation system in which a field was flooded and then the foot was used to punch a hole in the dike to let water out a treadmill used to lift water for irrigation 11:11 "the land. . .drinks water from the rain of heaven" For desert peoples there is no greater blessing than adequate, regular water (cf. Deut. 8:7-9). This good land is conditional on covenant obedience (cf. Deut. 11:16-17; Lev. 26:14-20; Deut. 28:12,23-24; 1 Kgs. 8:35; 17:1; 2 Chr. 7:11-14; Isa. 5:6; Jer. 14; Amos 4:7-8). SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS 11:12 "the eyes of the Lord" This is an anthropomorphic description of the Lord like Deut. 11:2. It expresses His special care and presence in the Promised Land. SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN (anthropomorphism).

Deuteronômio 11:13-17

11:13 Notice the conditional ("if" BDB 49, cf. Deut. 11:22; and "obey" BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and Qal IMPERFECT from the same root, which shows emphasis and means "to hear so as to do!") nature of YHWH's blessing is: "to love" ‒ BDB 12, KB 17, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT "to serve" ‒ BDB 712, KB 773, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT. In Arabic this root means to worship and obey God, cf. Exod. 3:12; 4:3; 7:16; 8:1 "with all your heart and all your soul," cf. Deut. 4:29; 6:5; and especially 10:12. Moses is repeating this exhortation which he heard from YHWH again and again for emphasis. SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S COVENANT REQUIREMENTS OF ISRAEL SPECIAL TOPIC: LISTEN/HEAR (shema) SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP ▣ "heart" For the ancient Hebrew the "heart" stood for the mind and intent, the intellect and motive of an individual. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART ▣ "soul" This word means "the life force given by God" (BDB 659). It can refer to humans or animals in Genesis. See note online at Gen. 35:18 and Lev. 17:11. SPECIAL TOPIC: NEPHESH 11:14 "He will give the rain" "He will give" (BDB 678, KB 733) describes YHWH's covenant blessings and cursings (i.e. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28): Deut. 11:9 ‒ Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT (blessing) Deut. 11:14 ‒ Qal PERFECT (blessing) Deut. 11:15 ‒ Qal PERFECT (blessing) Deut. 11:17 ‒ Qal IMPERFECT (curse) Deut. 11:17 ‒ Qal PARTICIIPLE (curse) Deut. 11:21 ‒ Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT (blessing) Deut. 11:25 ‒ Qal IMPERFECT (blessing) Deut. 11:26 ‒ Qal PARTICIPLE (blessing/curse) Deut. 11:29 ‒ Qal PERFECT with waw (blessing/curse) Deut. 11:31 ‒ Qal PARTICIPLE (blessing) Deut. 11:32 ‒ Qal PARTICIPLE (blessing/curse) YHWH wants to bless, but Israel's covenant obedience determines which response (blessing or cursing, cf. chapters 27-29) she receives (cf. Leviticus 26). YHWH is separate from nature yet is in control of it. He uses it to reveal Himself to mankind (cf. Deut. 27-28; Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:19-25; 2:14-15). SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS ▣ "early" Palestine has two annual times of rainfall. The early rains (for planting) come in October ‒ November (BDB 435, cf. Jer. 5:24; Hosea 6:2; Joel 2:23). ▣ "late rains" The late rains (for maturing crops) come in February ‒ April (BDB 545, cf. Jer. 3:3; Joel 2:23). At other times heavy dew is the only source of moisture. Hosea 6:3 uses this as imagery for end-time spiritual renewal. ▣ "your grain and your new wine and your oil" These were staples of their diet (cf. Deut. 7:13). SPECIAL TOPIC: BIBLICAL ATTITUDES TOWARD ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOLISM 11:15 "for your cattle" This term "cattle" (BDB 96) refers to: all living creatures other than humans, Gen. 8:1; Exod. 9:9,10,22 domestic animals, Gen. 47:17; Exod. 20:10; Lev. 19:19; 26:22; Num. 3:41,45; Deut. 2:35 ▣ "you shall eat and be satisfied" This VERB is a recurrent promise in Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 6:11; 8:10; 11:15; 14:29). It is made up of two VERBS: "eat" ‒ BDB 37, KB 46, Qal PERFECT with waw "be satisfied" ‒ BDB 959, KB 1302, Qal PERFECT with waw 11:16-17 These verses are a warning ("beware," BDB 1036, KB 1581, Niphal IMPERATIVE, cf. Deut. 4:9,15,23; 6:12; 8:11; 11:16; 12:13,19,28,30; 15:9; 24:8, see note at Deut. 6:12) about idolatry and its consequences. SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

Deuteronômio 11:18-25

11:18-20 These verses are a recapitulation of Deut. 6:6-9. They are meant to impress on the faithful the need to live life in light of God's words! ▣ "You shall therefore impress these words" This is imagery, BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 32:46. This is what the imagery of Deut. 6:8 and Exod. 13:9,16 means. Always keep God's word in the forefront of your thoughts. Review every action in light of them! 11:19 "teach them to your sons" This is a recurrent theme of Deuteronomy. See full note at Deut. 4:9. 11:20 "write" In the past some scholars have questioned the ability of Moses and the early Israelites to write. As the archaeological evidence has grown, no one today would deny this. See "The Question of Israelite Literacy" in Approaches to the Bible, vol. 2, pp. 142-53 (from Biblical Archaeology Society, 1995). Here. it refers to the mezuza of Deut. 6:9, which was put on the front doorpost of the home. It contained several texts from the Pentateuch. SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH 11:21 "as long as the heavens remain above the earth" "like the days of the heavens are above the earth" "as long as the heavens are above the earth" TEV, NJB "as long as there is sky above the earth" "as the days of heaven upon earth" JPSOA, LXX "as long as there is a heaven over the earth" This is a parallel statement to "perpetual ordinance" (e.g. Exod. 12:14,17,24,25; 13:10). This is imagery of the permanence of the natural order. This is the basis of modern western scientific research.. 11:22 The conditional nature of the covenant (cf. Deut. 11:13; see SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT) and its requirements are recurrent: the condition is similar to Deut. 11:13, but slightly different: "for if" and, BDB 49 "to keep" BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and Qal IMPERFECT VERB (grammatical construction used to bring emphasis; see SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP) the requirements (series of Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTS, like Deut. 11:13): "to do" ‒ BDB 793, KB 889 "to love" ‒ BDB 12, KB 17 "to walk" ‒ BDB 229, KB 246, cf. Deut. 8:6 (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY) "to hold fast to" ‒ BDB 179, KB 209, cf. Deut. 10:20; 13:4 11:23-25 These are the promised results (i.e. "as He has spoken to you," Deut. 11:25) of the conditional covenant: "The Lord will drive out all the nations before you," Deut. 11:23, BDB 439, KB 441, Hiphil PERFECT with waw, cf. Exod. 34:24; Num. 32:21; Deut. 4:37-38; 9:4-5; Josh. 23:5,13 "You will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you," Deut. 11:23, BDB 439, KB 441, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 7:17; 9:3; Num. 33:52 "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours," Deut. 11:24, BDB 201, KB 231, Qal IMPERFECT, cf Josh. 1:3. Their borders are described in Gen. 15:18; Exod. 23:31; Deut. 1:7; 3:12-17; Josh. 1:1-4; 13:8-12 "No man will be able to stand before you," Deut. 11:25, BDB 426, KB 427, Hithpael IMPERFECT, cf. Deut. 7:24; Josh. 1:5; 10:8; 23:9 "The Lord your God will lay," BDB 678, KB 733, Qal IMPERFECT "fear" ‒ BDB 808, cf. Deut. 2:25 "dread" ‒ BDB 432, cf. Gen. 9:2 This same truth, but in different terms is in Exod. 23:27 and Josh. 2:9. 11:24 For full notes on the boundaries of the Promised Land see Deut. 1:8.

Deuteronômio 11:26-28

11:26-28 These verses continue the consequences of the conditional covenant between YHWH and His people. They are expanded in Deuteronomy 27-29 (cf. Leviticus 26). These verses explain much of the history of the Jews. This paragraph starts out with a common call for attention, "See" ‒ BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Deut. 1:8,21; 2:24; 4:5; 11:26; 30:15; 32:39. The term "today" (BDB 398) is a way of urging decisive, immediate action (cf. Deut. 4:39). "blessing" ‒ BDB 139 "if you listen" ‒ BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERFECT, "hear so as to do," cf. commanded in Deut. 4:1; 5:1; 6:3,4; 9:1; 20:3; 27:10; 33:7; conditioned in Deut. 7:12; 11:13 (twice); 15:5 (twice); 28:1(twice),13; 30:10,17 "curse" ‒ BDB 887 "if you do not listen," same as above, Qal IMPERFECT "turn aside" ‒ BDB 693, KB 747, Qal PERFECT with waw "following other gods" ‒ BDB 229, KB 246, literally, "walking," cf. Deut. 6:14; 8:19; 11:28; 13:2; 28:14; Jdg. 2:12; Jer. 7:6,9; 11:10; 13:10 This contrast of destinies is often called "the two ways" (cf. Deut. 28 and 30:1,15-20; Ps. 1; Jer. 21:8; Matt. 7:13-14). ▣ "a blessing" See SPECIAL TOPIC: BLESSING (OT) 11:28 "which you have not known" This is literally "know." See full note at Deut. 4:35 and SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW.

Deuteronômio 11:29-32

11:29 "the blessing. . .the curse" This verse describes the covenant renewal ceremony conducted by Joshua at Shechem (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28 and Josh. 8:30-35). Apparently two groups of Levitical singers sang or chanted the blessing from Mt. Gerezim and the curses from Mr. Ebal. These two mountains flank Shechem (i.e. meaning shoulder blades, BDB 1014). Archaeology has found a large stone altar on Mt. Ebal which matches the description of this altar in the Talmud. See Introduction to the book VII. This follows the Suzerain Hittite Treaties, which relate to the king and his vassal subjects (cf. Deuteronomy 27; Joshua 24 for the same pattern). SPECIAL TOPIC: HITTITE (SUZERAIN) TREATIES 11:30 "Arabah" This is the Jordan Valley south of the Dead Sea. See note at Deut. 1:1. ▣ "Gilgal" This means a "circle of stones" (BDB 166 II), which was the name of the Israelites' first camp site in Canaan (cf. Josh. 4:19). However, this one is farther north near Shechem (see The IVP Bible Background Commentary, OT, p. 181). See full note at Gen. 13:18 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org. ▣ "oaks of Moreh" This was a sacred tree or grove near Shechem (cf. Gen. 12:6 and 35:4). The UBS Text Project, p. 281, gives the PLURAL "oaks" an "A" rating (high probability). Moreh means "teacher" (BDB 435). SPECIAL TOPIC: TREES 11:31-32 These are summary verses recounting what has been stated many times before.