Deuteronomy29
New International Version
1These are the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
2Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.
3With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders.
4But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
5Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet.
6You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the Lord your God.”
7When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them.
8We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
9Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.
10All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel,
11together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.
12You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath,
13to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
14I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you
15who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today.
16You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here.
17You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold.
18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
19When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
20The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; his wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven.
21The Lord will single them out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
22Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it.
23The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.
24All the nations will ask: “Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?”
25And the answer will be: “It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt.
26They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them.
27Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book.
28In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now.”
29The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Deuteronomy 29.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Moses calls Israel's mercies to remembrance. (1–9). The Divine wrath on those who flatter themselves in their wickedness. (10–21). The ruin of the Jewish nation. (22–28). Secret things belong unto God. (29).
vv1-9
Both former mercies, and fresh mercies, should be thought on by us as motives to obedience. The hearing ear, and seeing eye, and the understanding heart, are the gift of God. All that have them, have them from him. God gives not only food and raiment, but wealth and large possessions, to many to whom he does not give grace. Many enjoy the gifts, who have not hearts to perceive the Giver, nor the true design and use of the gifts. We are bound, in gratitude and interest, as well as in duty and faithfulness, to keep the words of the covenant.
vv10-21
The national covenant made with Israel, not only typified the covenant of grace made with true believers, but also represented the outward dispensation of the gospel. Those who have been enabled to consent to the Lord's new covenant of mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, and to give up themselves to be his people, should embrace every opportunity of renewing their open profession of relation to him, and their obligation to him, as the God of salvation, walking according thereto. The sinner is described as one whose heart turns away from his God; there the mischief begins, in the evil heart of unbelief, which inclines men to depart from the living God to dead idols. Even to this sin men are now tempted, when drawn aside by their own lusts and fancies. Such men are roots that bear gall and wormwood. They are weeds which, if let alone, overspread the whole field. Satan may for a time disguise this bitter morsel, so that thou shalt not have the natural taste of it, but at the last day, if not before, the true taste shall be discerned. Notice the sinner's security in sin. Though he hears the words of the curse, yet even then he thinks himself safe from the wrath of God. There is scarcely a threatening in all the book of God more dreadful than this. Oh that presumptuous sinners would read it, and tremble! for it is a real declaration of the wrath of God, against ungodliness and unrighteousness of man.
vv22-28
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.
Key Words
אֵלֶּה: these or those
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
בְּרִית: a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
כָּרַת: to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
Cross References
Deuteronomy 29Paul cites this lack of eyes to see/ears to hear regarding Israel's judicial blindness.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Alludes directly to this verse's warning against a 'root of bitterness' (gall and wormwood) springing up.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel account of the miracle of clothes and shoes not wearing out during the wilderness wanderings.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
St. Paul's doxology on the unsearchable judgments of God mirrors the 'secret things' boundary.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Affirms that the hearing ear and seeing eye are the special workmanship and gift of God.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and burning, used as a covenant pattern.
Supported by JFB
Nations asking why the Lord did this to this land, directly echoing the language of verses 23-24.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts the old covenant made at Sinai/Moab with the promised New Covenant.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The promised remedy where God circumcises the heart to love Him, contrasting with the uncircumcised heart.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The New Covenant promise where God will put His law in their inward parts, giving understanding.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains that man does not live by bread alone, but by God's supernatural wilderness provisions.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Describes the wilderness manna as 'corn of heaven' and angels' food, replacing common bread.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical account of defeating Sihon and Og and possessing their lands before crossing Jordan.
Supported by JFB
Highlights that the covenant is made with the living generation, not just the deceased ancestors.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Detailed division of the conquered Transjordanian territory to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.
Supported by JFB