| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Deuteronomy Chapter
One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 1
The
time and place when the subject matter of this book was delivered to the
Israelites are observed by way of preface, Deuteronomy 1:1,
and it begins with reminding them of an order to them to depart from Mount
Horeb, and pass on to the land of Canaan, which the Lord had given them, Deuteronomy 1:6,
and with observing the very great increase of their number, which made it
necessary for Moses to appoint persons under him to be rulers over them, whom
he instructed in the duty of their office, Deuteronomy 1:9,
and he goes on to observe, that when they were come to the mountain of the
Amorites, they were bid to go up and possess the land; but, instead of that,
they desired men might be sent to search the land first, which was granted, Deuteronomy 1:19,
and though these men upon their return brought of the fruits of the land, and a
good report of it, particularly two of them; yet being discouraged by the
report of the rest, they murmured, distrusted, and were afraid to enter, though
encouraged by Moses, Deuteronomy 1:24,
which caused the Lord to be angry with them, and upon it threatened them that
they should die in the wilderness, and only two of them should ever see and
enjoy the land, and therefore were bid to turn and take their journey in the
wilderness, Deuteronomy 1:34,
but being convinced of their evil, they proposed to go up the hill, and enter
the land, which they attempted against the commandment of the Lord, but being
repulsed by the Amorites, they fled with great loss, to their great grief, and
abode in Kadesh many days, Deuteronomy 1:41.
Deuteronomy 1:1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this
side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain[a] opposite
Suph,[b] between
Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
YLT
1These [are] the words which
Moses hath spoken unto all Israel, beyond the Jordan, in the wilderness, in the
plain over-against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and
Di-Zahab;
These be the words which
Moses spake unto all Israel,.... Not what are related in the latter part
of the preceding book, but what follow in this; and which were spoken by him,
not to the whole body of the people gathered together to hear him, which they
could not do without a miracle; but to the heads of the people, the
representatives of them, who were convened to hear what he had to say, in order
to communicate it to the people; unless we can suppose that Moses at different
times to several parties of them delivered the same things, until they had all
heard them:
on this side Jordan; before the passage of
the Israelites over it to the land of Canaan; for Moses never went in thither,
and therefore it must be the tract which the Greeks call Persea, and which with
respect to the Israelites when in the land of Canaan is called "beyond
Jordan", for here now Moses was; and the children of Israel had been here
with him a considerable time in the wilderness, the vast wilderness of Arabia,
which reached hither:
in the plain; the plains of Moab, between Bethjeshimoth
and. Abelshittim, where the Israelites had lain encamped for some time, and had
not as yet removed; see Numbers 33:49.
over against the Red sea: the word "sea"
is not in the text, nor is there anything in it which answers to
"Red"; it should be rendered "opposite Suph", which seems
to be the name of a place in Moab, not far from the plains of it, and perhaps
is the same with Suphah in Numbers 21:14 for
from the Red sea they were at a considerable distance:
between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab; these are
names of places which were the boundaries and limits of the plains of Moab, or
lay very near them; for Paran cannot be understood of the Wilderness of Paran,
which was too remote, but a city or town of that name. Tophel and Laban we read
of nowhere else; a learned manF1Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew
Bible, p. 471, &c. conjectures Tophel is the name of the station where the
Israelites loathed the manna as light bread, because of the insipidness of it,
which he observes this word signifies; but that station was either Zalmonah, or
Punon, or this station must be omitted in the account of their journeys, and
besides was too remote. Jarchi helps this conjecture a little, who puts Tophel
and Laban together, and thinks they signify their murmuring because of the
manna, which was white, as Laban signifies; but the above writer takes Laban to
be a distinct station, the same with Libnah, Numbers 33:20, and
Hazeroth to be the station between Mount Sinai and Kadesh, Numbers 12:16. But
both seem to be too remote from the plains of Moab; and Dizahab he would have
to be the same with Eziongaber, Numbers 33:35,
which he says the Arabs now call Dsahab, or Meenah el Dsahab, that is,
"the port of gold"; and certain it is that Dizahab has the
signification of gold, and, is by HillerusF2Onomastic. Sacr. p. 67,
300. rendered "sufficiency of gold", there being large quantities of
it here; perhaps either through the riches of the port by trade, or by reason
of a mine of gold at it, or near it; so the Vulgate Latin version renders it,
"where there is much gold", and the Septuagint version "golden
mines", Catachrysea; and JeromF3De loc. Heb. fol. 92. A. makes
mention of a place of this name, and says they are mountains abounding with
gold in the wilderness, eleven miles from Horeb, where Moses is said to write
Deuteronomy; elsewhereF4Travels, p. 319. he calls it Dysmemoab, i.e.
the west of Moab, near Jordan, opposite Jericho.
Deuteronomy 1:2 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by
way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.
YLT
2eleven days' from Horeb,
the way of mount Seir, unto Kadesh-Barnea.
There are eleven days'
journey from Horeb, by the way of Mount Seir, to Kadeshbarnea. Not that the
Israelites came thither in eleven days from Horeb, for they stayed by the way
at Kibrothhattaavah, a whole month at least, and seven days at Hazeroth; but
the sense is, that this was the computed distance between the two places; it
was what was reckoned a man might walk in eleven days; and if we reckon a day's
journey twenty miles, of which See Gill on Jonah 3:3, the
distance must be two hundred and twenty miles. But Dr. ShawF5De loc.
Heb. fol. 92. I. allows but ten miles for a day's journey, and then it was no
more than one hundred and ten, and indeed a camp cannot be thought to move
faster; but not the day's journey of a camp, but of a man, seems to be
intended, who may very well walk twenty miles a day for eleven days running;
but it seems more strange that another learned travellerF6Pococke's
Description of the East, vol. 1. p. 157. should place Kadeshbarnea at eight
hours, or ninety miles distance only from Mount Sinai. Moses computes not the
time that elapsed between those two places, including their stations, but only
the time of travelling; and yet Jarchi says, though it was eleven days' journey
according to common computation, the Israelites performed it in three days; for
he observes that they set out from Horeb on the twentieth of Ijar, and on the
twenty ninth of Sivan the spies were sent out from Kadeshbarnea; and if you
take from hence the whole month they were at one place, and the seven days at
another, there will be but three days left for them to travel in. And he adds,
that the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, pushed them forward, to hasten their
going into the land; but they corrupting themselves, he turned them about Mount
Seir forty years. It is not easy to say for what reason these words are
expressed, unless it be to show in how short a time the Israelites might have
been in the land of Canaan, in a few days' journey from Horeb, had it not been
for their murmurings and unbelief, for which they were turned into the wilderness
again, and travelled about for the space of thirty eight years afterwards. Aben
Ezra is of opinion, that the eleven days, for the word "journey" is
not in the text, are to be connected with the preceding words; and that the
sense is, that Moses spake these words in the above places, in the eleven days
they went from Horeb to Kadesh.
Deuteronomy 1:3 3 Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the
eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke
to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him as commandments to them,
YLT
3And it cometh to pass in
the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month hath Moses
spoken unto the sons of Israel according to all that Jehovah hath commanded him
concerning them;
And it came to pass in the
fortieth year,.... That is, of the coming of the children of Israel out of
Egypt:
in the eleventh month; the month Shebet, as the
Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of January and part of February:
in the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children
of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them; repeated to
them the several commandments, which the Lord had delivered to him at different
times.
Deuteronomy 1:4 4 after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who
dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in[c] Edrei.
YLT
4after his smiting Sihon
king of the Amorite who is dwelling in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan who is
dwelling in Ashtaroth in Edrei,
After he had slain Sihon
the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon,.... Either Moses,
speaking of himself in the third person, or rather the Lord, to whom Moses
ascribes the victory; of this king, and his palace, and the slaughter of him,
see Numbers 21:24,
and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Ashtaroth
in Edrei; or near Edrei; for Edrei was not the name of a country, in which
Ashtaroth was, but of a city at some distance from it, about six miles, as
Jerom saysF7De loc. Heb. fol. 87. I. ; hither Og came from Ashtaroth
his palace to fight with Israel, and where he was slain, see Numbers 21:33.
Ashtaroth was an ancient city formerly called Ashtaroth Karnaim, and was the
seat of the Rephaim, or giants, from whom Og sprung; see Gill on Genesis 14:5, see
also Deuteronomy 3:11.
Jerom saysF8lbid. E. in his time there were two castles in Batanea
(or Bashan) called by this name, nine miles distant from one another, between
Adara (the same with Edrei) and Abila; and in another place he saysF9De
loc. Heb. fol. 89. M. Carnaim Ashtaroth is now a large village in a corner of
Batanea, and is called Carnea, beyond the plains of Jordan; and it is a
tradition that there was the house of Job.
Deuteronomy 1:5 5 On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses
began to explain this law, saying,
YLT
5beyond the Jordan, in the
land of Moab, hath Moses begun to explain this law, saying:
On this side Jordan, in
the land of Moab,.... On that side of Jordan in which the land of Moab was, and
which with respect to the land of Canaan was beyond Jordan; this the Vulgate
Latin version joins to the preceding verse:
began Moses to declare this law: to explain it, make it
clear and manifest; namely, the whole system and body of laws, which had been
before given him, which he "willed"F11הואיל
"voluit", Montanus; "placuit", Junius & Tremellius,
Piscator; "statuit", Tigurine version. , as some render the word, or
willingly took upon him to repeat and explain unto them, which their fathers
had heard, and had been delivered unto them; but before he entered upon this,
he gave them a short history of events which had befallen them, from the time
of their departure from Horeb unto the present time, which is contained in this
and the two next chapters:
saying; as follows.
Deuteronomy 1:6 6 “The Lord our God
spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.
YLT
6`Jehovah our God hath spoken
unto us in Horeb, saying, Enough to you -- of dwelling in this mount;
The Lord our God spoke
unto us in Horeb,.... The same with Sinai, as Aben Ezra observes; while the
Israelites lay encamped near this mountain, the Lord spoke unto them:
saying, ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: or near it;
for hither they came on the first day of the third month from their departure
out of Egypt, and they did not remove from thence until the twentieth day of
the second month in the second year, Exodus 19:1 so that
they were here a year wanting ten days; in which space of time the law was
given them, the tabernacle and all things appertaining to it were made by them,
rulers both ecclesiastical and civil were appointed over them, and they were
numbered and marshalled in order under four standards, and so ready to march;
and all this being done, they must stay no longer, but set forward for the land
of Canaan. It is well for persons that they are not to stay long under the law,
and the terrors of it, but are directed to Mount Zion; Hebrews 12:18.
Deuteronomy 1:7 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of
the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain,[d] in the
mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of
the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.
YLT
7turn ye and journey for
you, and enter the mount of the Amorite, and unto all its neighbouring places,
in the plain, in the hill-country, and in the low country, and in the south,
and in the haven of the sea, the land of the Canaanite, and of Lebanon, unto
the great river, the river Phrat;
Turn you and take your
journey,.... That is, remove from Horeb, where they were, and proceed on
in their journey, in which they had been stopped almost a year:
and go to the mount of the Amorites; where they and the
Amalekites dwelt, in the south part of the land of Canaan, and which was the
way the spies were sent, Numbers 13:17,
and unto all the places nigh thereunto; nigh to the
mountain. The Targum of Jonathan and Jarchi interpret them of Moab, Ammon,
Gebal, or Mount Seir: "in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale";
such was the country near this mountain, consisting of champaign land, hills,
and valleys:
and in the south; the southern border of the land of Canaan,
as what follows describes the other borders of it:
and by the sea side: the Mediterranean sea,
the western border of the land, which Jarchi out of Siphri explains of
Ashkelon, Gaza, and Caesarea, and so the Targum of Jonathan:
into the land of the Canaanites; which was then possessed
by them, the boundaries of which to the south and west are before given, and
next follow those to the north and east:
and unto Lebanon; which was on the north of the land of
Canaan:
unto the great river, the river Euphrates; which was the
utmost extent of the land eastward, and was either promised, as it was to
Abraham, Genesis 15:18 or
enjoyed, as it was by Solomon, 1 Kings 4:21.
Deuteronomy 1:8 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess
the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’
YLT
8see, I have set before you
the land; go in and possess the land which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers,
to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them, and to their seed after
them.
Behold, I have set the
land before you,.... Described it to them, and set its bounds, as well as had
given them a grant of it:
go in and possess the land, which the Lord sware unto your
fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and their seed after them: and which
being thus made sure unto them, they had nothing more to do than to go and take
possession of it.
Deuteronomy 1:9 9 “And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am
not able to bear you.
YLT
9`And I speak unto you at
that time, saying, I am not able by myself to bear you;
And I spake unto you at
that time,.... About that time; for it was after the rock in Horeb was
smitten, and before they encamped at Mount Sinai, that Jethro gave the advice
which Moses took, and proceeded on it, as here related; see Exodus 18:1.
saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone; to rule and
govern them, judge and determine matters between them. Jethro suggested this to
Moses, and he took the hint, and was conscious to himself that it was too much
for him, and so declared it to the people, though it is not before recorded;
see Exodus 18:18.
Deuteronomy 1:10 10 The Lord your God
has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in
multitude.
YLT
10Jehovah your God hath
multiplied you, and lo, ye [are] to-day as the stars of the heavens for
multitude;
The Lord your God hath
multiplied you,.... Which was the reason why he could not bear them, or the
government of them was too heavy for him, because they were so numerous, and
the cases brought before him to decide were so many:
and, behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude; whereby it
appeared that the promise to Abraham was fulfilled, Genesis 15:5, they
were now 600,000 men fit for war, besides women and children, and those under
age, which must make the number of them very large.
Deuteronomy 1:11 11 May the Lord God of
your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless
you as He has promised you!
YLT
11Jehovah, God of your
fathers, is adding to you, as ye [are], a thousand times, and doth bless you as
He hath spoken to you.
The Lord God of your
fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are,.... This
prayer he made, or this blessing he pronounced on them, to show that he did not
envy their increase, nor was any ways uneasy at it, but rejoiced in it, though
he gave it as a reason of his not being able to govern them alone:
and bless you, as he hath promised you: with all kind
of blessings, as he had often promised their fathers.
Deuteronomy 1:12 12 How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens
and your complaints?
YLT
12`How do I bear by myself
your pressure, and your burden, and your strife?
How can I myself alone
bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? His meaning
is, that he could not hear and try all their causes, and determine all their
law suits, and decide the strifes and controversies which arose between them;
it was too heavy for him, and brought too much trouble and incumbrance upon
him.
Deuteronomy 1:13 13 Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from
among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’
YLT
13Give for yourselves men,
wise and intelligent, and known to your tribes, and I set them for your heads;
Take ye wise men, and
understanding, and known among your tribes,.... Not only whose
persons were well known, but their characters and qualifications, for their
probity and integrity, for their wisdom and prudence in the management of
affairs, for their skill and knowledge in things divine and human, civil and
religious, and for their capacity in judging and determining matters in
difference; see Exodus 18:21.
and I will make them rulers over you; the people
were allowed to choose their own officers, whom they were to bring to Moses,
and present before him, to be invested with their office. A like method was
taken in the choice and constitution of deacons in the Christian church, when
the secular affairs of it lay too heavy upon the apostles, Acts 6:3.
Deuteronomy 1:14 14 And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you
have told us to do is good.’
YLT
14and ye answer me and say,
Good [is] the thing which thou hast spoken -- to do.
And ye answered me and
said,.... As the speech of Moses to the people is not expressed
before, so neither this answer of theirs to him:
the thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do; to look out
for and present persons to him as before described; this they saw was for their
own good and profit, as well as for the ease of Moses, and therefore readily
agreed to it.
Deuteronomy 1:15 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and
knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders
of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.
YLT
15`And I take the heads of
your tribes, men, wise and known, and I appoint them heads over you, princes of
thousands, and princes of hundreds, and princes of fifties, and princes of tens,
and authorities, for your tribes.
So I took the chief of
your tribes, wise men, and known,.... The principal
persons among them, that were remarkable and well known for their wisdom and
understanding, whom the people presented to him:
and made them heads over you; rulers of them, as
follows:
captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains
over fifties, and captains over tens; see Exodus 18:21.
and officers among your tribes; which Jarchi interprets
of such that bind malefactors and scourge them, according to the decree of the
judges, even the executioners of justice; and so the Jews commonly understand
them to be, though some have thought they were judges also.
Deuteronomy 1:16 16 “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying,
‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a
man and his brother or the stranger who is with him.
YLT
16And I command your judges
at that time, saying, Hearkening between your brethren -- then ye have judged
righteousness between a man, and his brother, and his sojourner;
And I charged your judges
at that time,.... When they were appointed and constituted, even the heads and
rulers before spoken of; this charge is also new, and not recorded before:
saying, hear the causes between your brethren; hear both sides,
and all that each of them have to say; not suffer one to say all he has to say,
and oblige the other to cut his words short, as the Targum of Jonathan
paraphrases it; but give them leave and time to tell their case, and give the
best evidence they can of it:
and judge righteously; impartially, just as the
case really appears to be, and according to the evidence given:
between every man and his brother; between an Israelite and
an Israelite:
and the stranger that is with him; between an Israelite and
proselyte, whether a proselyte of the gate, or of righteousness; the same
justice was to be done to them as to an Israelite.
Deuteronomy 1:17 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall
hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s
presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you,
bring to me, and I will hear it.’
YLT
17ye do not discern faces in
judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face
of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye
bring near unto me, and I have heard it;
Ye shall not respect
persons in judgment,.... Or pass judgment, and give sentence according to the outward
appearances, circumstances, and relations of men; as whether they be friends or
foes, rich or poor, old or young, men or women, learned or unlearned; truth and
justice should always take place, without any regard to what persons are:
but you shall hear the small as well as the great; persons in
low, life, and in mean circumstances, as well as great and noble personages; or
little causes and of no great moment, as well as those of the utmost
importance; all must be attended to, a cause about a "prutah" or a
farthing, as well as one about a hundred pounds, in which Jarchi instances, and
if that came first it was not to be postponed:
ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; of the frowns
and threatenings of rich men, and of such as are in power and authority; not be
awed or intimidated by them from doing justice; see Job 31:34,
for the judgment is God's; judges stand in the
place of God, are put into their office by him, and act under him, and for him,
and are accountable to him; and therefore should be careful what judgment they
make, or sentence they pass, lest they bring discredit to him, and destruction
on themselves:
and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I
will hear it; which is said for their encouragement, as well as was an
instruction to them not to undertake a cause too difficult for them; see Exodus 18:22.
Deuteronomy 1:18 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which
you should do.
YLT
18and I command you, at that
time, all the things which ye do.
And I commanded you at
that time all the things which ye should do. Delivered to them all the
laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial, which were then given him at Mount
Sinai.
Deuteronomy 1:19 19 “So we departed from Horeb, and went through all that
great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the
Amorites, as the Lord our God had commanded us. Then
we came to Kadesh Barnea.
YLT
19`And we journey from Horeb,
and go [through] all that great and fearful wilderness which ye have seen --
the way of the hill-country of the Amorite, as Jehovah our God hath commanded
us, and we come in unto Kadesh-Barnea.
And when we departed from
Horeb,.... As the Lord commanded them to do, when they were obedient:
we went through all the great and terrible wilderness; the
wilderness of Paran, called "great", it reaching from Mount Sinai to
Kadeshbarnea, eleven days' journey, as AdrichomiusF12Theatrum
Terrae, p. 116. relates; and "terrible", being so hard and dry as not
to be ploughed nor sown, and presented to the sight something terrible and
horrible, even the very image of death; to which may be added the fiery
serpents and scorpions it abounded with, Deuteronomy 8:15,
which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites; that is, in
the way that led to the mountain:
as the Lord our God commanded us; to depart from Horeb,
and take a tour through the wilderness towards the said mountain:
and we came to Kadeshbarnea; having stayed a month by
the way at Kibrothhattaavah, where they lusted after flesh, and seven days at
Hazeroth, where Miriam was shut out of the camp for leprosy during that time.
Deuteronomy 1:20 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of
the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us.
YLT
20`And I say unto you, Ye
have come in unto the hill-country of the Amorite, which Jehovah our God is
giving to us;
And I said unto you, you
are come unto the mountain of the Amorites,.... Which was inhabited
by them, and was one of the seven nations the Israelites were to destroy, and
possess their land, and which lay on the southern part of the land of Canaan:
which the Lord our God doth give unto us; not the
mountain only, but the whole country of that people, and even all the land of
Canaan.
Deuteronomy 1:21 21 Look, the Lord your God
has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be
discouraged.’
YLT
21see, Jehovah thy God hath
set before thee the land; go up, possess, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath
spoken to thee; fear not, nor be affrighted.
Behold, the Lord thy God
hath set the land before thee,.... The land of Canaan, on the borders of
which they then were; See Gill on Deuteronomy 1:8,
go up; the mountain, by that way of it which was the way the spies
went, and up to which some of the Israelites presumed to go when forbidden,
they not complying with the call of God:
and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; as in Deuteronomy 1:8,
fear not, neither be discouraged; though the people of the
land were numerous and strong, and their cities large and walled.
Deuteronomy 1:22 22 “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let
us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back
word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we
shall come.’
YLT
22`And ye come near unto me,
all of you, and say, Let us send men before us, and they search for us the
land, and they bring us back word [concerning] the way in which we go up into
it, and the cities unto which we come in;
And ye came near unto me
everyone of you,.... Not every individual of them, but the heads of their tribes,
that represented them; this is not to be understood of the present generation
personally, but of their fathers, who all died in the wilderness, save a very
few of them; but they being the same people and nation, it is so expressed:
and said, we will send men before us; that is, they
thought it was proper and prudent so to do, and came to Moses to consult him
about it; for we are not to suppose that they had determined upon it, whether
he approved of it or not:
and they shall search us out the land: that they
might know what sort of land it was, whether good or bad, fruitful or not, and
whether woody or not: see Numbers 13:19.
and bring us word again by what way we must go up; or,
"concerning the wayF13את הדרך, "de via", Noldius, p. 117. No. 594. so the
Arabic version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. in which we must go";
which is the best way of entering it, most easy and accessible, where the
passes are most open and least dangerous:
and into what cities we shall come; which it would be the
most proper to attack and subdue first.
Deuteronomy 1:23 23 “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your
men, one man from each tribe.
YLT
23and the thing is good in
mine eyes, and I take of you twelve men, one man for a tribe.
And the saying pleased me
well,.... Taking it to be a rational and prudent scheme, not imagining
it was the effect of fear and distrust:
and I took twelve men of you out of a tribe; whose names
are given in Numbers 13:4.
Deuteronomy 1:24 24 And they departed and went up into the mountains, and
came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.
YLT
24`And they turn and go up to
the hill-country, and come in unto the valley of Eshcol, and spy it,
And they turned and went
up into the mountain,.... As they were ordered and directed by Moses, Numbers 13:17.
and came unto the valley of Eshcol; so called from the
cluster of grapes they cut down there, as they returned:
and searched it out; the whole land, and so
were capable of giving a particular account of it.
Deuteronomy 1:25 25 They also took some of the fruit of the land in
their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us,
saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is
giving us.’
YLT
25and they take with their
hand of the fruit of the land, and bring down unto us, and bring us back word,
and say, Good is the land which Jehovah our God is giving to us.
And they took of the fruit
of the land in their hands,.... Besides the cluster of grapes, which
was carried between two men on a staff; even pomegranates and figs, Numbers 13:23,
and brought it down unto us; who lay encamped at the
bottom of the mountain:
and brought us word again; what sort of a land it
was:
and said, it is a good land which the Lord our God doth give us; that is,
Caleb and Joshua, two of the spies, said this, as the Targum of Jonathan
expresses it, and so Jarchi; yea, all of them agreed in this, and said at first
that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, Numbers 13:27.
Deuteronomy 1:26 26 “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled
against the command of the Lord your God;
YLT
26`And ye have not been
willing to go up, and ye provoke the mouth of Jehovah your God,
Notwithstanding, ye would
not go up,.... And possess it, as the Lord had bid them, and Moses
encouraged them to do, as well as Joshua and Caleb, who were two of the spies
sent into it:
but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God; disregarded
the word of the Lord, and disobeyed his command, and thereby bitterly provoked
him, which rebellion against him, their King and God, might well do.
Deuteronomy 1:27 27 and you complained in your tents, and said, ‘Because
the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us
into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
YLT
27and murmur in your tents,
and say, In Jehovah's hating us He hath brought us out of the land of Egypt, to
give us into the hand of the Amorite -- to destroy us;
And ye murmured in your
tents,.... Not in a private manner; for though the murmurs began there,
they having wept all night after the report of the spies; yet it became general
and public, and they gathered together in a body, and openly expressed their
murmurs against Moses and Aaron, Numbers 14:1,
and said, because the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out
of the land of Egypt; a strange expression indeed! when it was such a plain amazing
instance of his love to them, as could not but be seen by them; being done in
such a remarkable and extraordinary manner, by inflicting judgments on their
enemies in a miraculous way, giving them favour in their eyes, to lend them
their clothes and jewels, and bringing them out with such an high hand, openly
and publicly in the sight of them, where they had been in the most wretched
slavery for many years; yet this is interpreted an hatred of them, and as done
with an ill design upon them, as follows:
to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us; which now,
under the power of their fears and unbelief, they thought would be quickly
their case; see Deuteronomy 4:37.
Deuteronomy 1:28 28 Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our
hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are
great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim
there.”’
YLT
28whither are we going up?
our brethren have melted our heart, saying, A people greater and taller than
we, cities great and fenced to heaven, and also sons of Anakim -- we have seen
there.
Whither shall we go up?.... What way
can we go up into the land? where is there any access for us? the mountain we
are come to, and directed to go up, is possessed by the Amorites, a strong and
mighty people, who keep and guard the passes, that there is no entrance:
our brethren have discouraged our hearts; ten of the
spies; for Joshua and Caleb encouraged them with very powerful arguments, which
had they listened to, it would have been well for them:
saying, the people is greater and taller than we; more in
number, larger in bulk of body, and higher in stature:
the cities are great, and walled up to heaven; an
hyperbolical expression; their fears exaggerated the account of the spies; they
told them they were great, large, and populous, walled, and strongly fortified;
which appeared in their frightened imaginations as if their walls were so high
as to reach up to heaven, so that it was impossible to scale them, or get
possession of them:
and, moreover, we have seen the sons of the Anakims there; the giants so
called from Anak, the son of Arba, the father of them; their names are given, Numbers 13:22.
Deuteronomy 1:29 29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid
of them.
YLT
29`And I say unto you, Be not
terrified, nor be afraid of them;
Then I said unto you,
dread not, neither be afraid of them. With such like words he
had exhorted and encouraged them before the spies were sent, and he still uses
the same, or stronger terms, notwithstanding the report that had been made of
the gigantic stature and walled cities of the Canaanites. This speech of Moses,
which is continued in the two following verses, is not recorded in Numbers 14:5, it is
only there said, that Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, but no account is
given of what was said by either of them.
Deuteronomy 1:30 30 The Lord your God,
who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in
Egypt before your eyes,
YLT
30Jehovah your God, who is
going before you -- He doth fight for you, according to all that He hath done
with you in Egypt before your eyes,
The Lord your God, which
goeth before you,.... In a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by
night:
he shall fight for you; wherefore, though their
enemies were greater and taller than they, yet their God was higher than the
highest; and cities walled up to heaven would signify nothing to him, whose
throne is in the heavens:
according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes: which is
observed to encourage their faith in God; for he that wrought such wonders in
Egypt for them, which their eyes, at least some of them, and their fathers,
however, had seen, what is it he cannot do?
Deuteronomy 1:31 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that
you went until you came to this place.’
YLT
31and in the wilderness,
where thou hast seen that Jehovah thy God hath borne thee as a man beareth his
son, in all the way which ye have gone, till your coming in unto this place.
And in the wilderness,.... Where he
had fed them with manna, brought water out of rocks for them, protected them
from every hurtful creature, had fought their battles for them, and given them
victory over Amalek, Sihon, and Og:
where thou hast seen how the Lord thy God bare thee as a man doth
bear his son; in his arms, in his bosom, with great care and tenderness:
in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place; supplying
their wants, supporting their persons, subduing their enemies, and preserving
them from everything hurtful to them; and therefore having God on their side,
as appeared by so many instances, of his favour to them, they had nothing to
dread or fear from the Canaanites, though ever so mighty.
Deuteronomy 1:32 32 Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God,
YLT
32`And in this thing ye are
not stedfast in Jehovah your God,
Yet in this thing ye did
not believe the Lord your God. That they might go up and possess the land
at once, and that he would fight for them, and subdue their enemies under them;
or notwithstanding the favours bestowed upon them, and because of them, they
did not believe in the Lord their God, and which was a great aggravation of
their unbelief, and was the cause of their not entering into the good land, Hebrews 3:19.
Deuteronomy 1:33 33 who went in the way before you to search out a place
for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by
night and in the cloud by day.
YLT
33who is going before you in
the way to search out to you a place for your encamping, in fire by night, to
shew you in the way in which ye go, and in a cloud by day.
Who went in the way before
you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in,.... For when
the cloud was taken up they journeyed, and when that rested, there they pitched
their tents; and hereby they were directed to places the most convenient for
water for them and their flocks, or for safety from those that might annoy
them:
in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go; which
otherwise they could not have found in dark nights, in which they sometimes
travelled, and in, a wilderness where there were no tracks, no beaten path, no
common way:
and in a cloud by day; to shelter them from the
scorching sun, where there were no trees nor hedges to shade them, only rocky
crags and hills.
Deuteronomy 1:34 34 “And the Lord heard the
sound of your words, and was angry, and took an oath, saying,
YLT
34`And Jehovah heareth the
voice of your words, and is wroth, and sweareth, saying,
And the Lord heard the
voice of your words,.... Of their murmurings against Moses and Aaron, and of their
threatenings to them, Joshua and Caleb, and of their impious charge of hatred
of them to God for bringing them out of Egypt, and of their rash wishes that
they had died there or in the wilderness, and of their wicked scheme and
proposal to make them a captain, and return to Egypt again:
and was wroth, and sware; by his life, himself;
see Numbers 14:28,
saying; as follows.
Deuteronomy 1:35 35 ‘Surely not one of these men of this evil generation
shall see that good land of which I swore to give to your fathers,
YLT
35Not one of these men of
this evil generation doth see the good land which I have sworn to give to your
fathers,
Surely there shall not one
of these men of this evil generation see the good land,.... The land
of Canaan; not only not one of the spies that brought the ill report of that
land, but of that body of people that gave credit to it, and murmured upon it:
which I sware to give unto your fathers; Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; see Deuteronomy 1:8.
Deuteronomy 1:36 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it,
and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he
wholly followed the Lord.’
YLT
36save Caleb son of Jephunneh
-- he doth see it, and to him I give the land on which he hath trodden, and to
his sons, because that he hath been fully after Jehovah.
Save Caleb, the son of
Jephunneh, he shall see it,.... Enter into it, and enjoy it:
and Joshua also; who was the other spy with him, that brought a good report
of the land; see Deuteronomy 1:38,
and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to
his children: not the whole land of Canaan, but that part of it which he
particularly came to and searched; and where the giants were, and he saw them,
and notwithstanding was not intimidated by them, but encouraged the people to
go up and possess it; and the part he came to particularly, and trod on, was
Hebron, Numbers 13:22 and
which the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, interpret of that; and
this was what was given to him and his at the division of the land, Joshua 14:13,
because he hath wholly followed the Lord; see Numbers 14:24.
Deuteronomy 1:37 37 The Lord was also
angry with me for your sakes, saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there.
YLT
37`Also with me hath Jehovah
been angry for your sake, saying, Also, thou dost not go in thither;
Also the Lord was angry
with me for your sakes,.... Not at the same time, though, as some think, at the same
place, near thirty eight years afterwards, they provoking him to speak
unadvisedly with his lips; see Numbers 20:10,
saying, thou shalt not go in thither: into the land
of Canaan; and though he greatly importuned it, he could not prevail; see Deuteronomy 3:25.
Deuteronomy 1:38 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall
go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
YLT
38Joshua son of Nun, who is
standing before thee, he goeth in thither; him strengthen thou; for he doth
cause Israel to inherit.
But Joshua, the son of Nun, which standeth before thee,.... His
servant and minister, which this phrase is expressive of:
he shall go in thither: into the good land,
instead of Moses, and as his successor, and who was to go before the children
of Israel, and introduce them into it, as a type of Christ, who brings many
sons to glory:
encourage him; with the promise of the divine Presence
with him, and of success in subduing the Canaanites, and settling the people of
Israel in their land; and so we read that Moses did encourage him, Deuteronomy 31:7.
for he shall cause Israel to inherit it; go before
them as their captain, and lead them into it; fight their battles for them,
conquer their enemies, and divide the land by lot for an inheritance unto them;
so the heavenly inheritance is not by the law of Moses, and the works of it,
but by Joshua, or Jesus, the Saviour, by his achievements, victories, and
conquests.
Deuteronomy 1:39 39 ‘Moreover your little ones and your children, who you
say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall
go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.
YLT
39`And your infants, of whom
ye have said, For a prey they are, and your sons who have not known to-day good
and evil, they go in thither, and to them I give it, and they possess it;
Moreover, your little
ones, which ye said should be a prey,.... To the Amorites,
into whose hands they expected to be delivered, Deuteronomy 1:27
see Numbers 14:3.
and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good
and evil; not being at years of understanding, and which is a common
description of children; it is particularly expressed "in that day",
for now they were the very persons Moses was directing his speech unto, and
relating this history, it being thirty eight years ago when this affair was, so
that now they were grown up to years of discretion:
they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they
shall possess it: the relation of which now might serve greatly to encourage their
faith, as well as it would be a fulfilment of the promise of the land made unto
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which was not made of none effect through the
unbelief of the Israelites, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, since their
posterity was to enjoy it, and did.
Deuteronomy 1:40 40 But as for you, turn and take your journey into
the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.’
YLT
40and ye, turn for
yourselves, and journey toward the wilderness, the way of the Red Sea.
But as for you, turn ye,.... From the
mountain of the Amorites, the border of the land of Canaan:
and take your journey into the wilderness, by the way of the Red
sea: see Numbers 14:25.
Jarchi says this wilderness was by the side of the Red sea, to the south of
Mount Seir, and divided between the Red sea and the mount; so that now they
drew to the side of the sea, and compassed Mount Seir, all the south of it, from
west to east.
Deuteronomy 1:41 41 “Then you answered and said to me, ‘We have sinned
against the Lord; we will go up and fight, just as the Lord our God commanded us.’ And when everyone of you had girded on his
weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the mountain.
YLT
41`And ye answer and say unto
me, We have sinned against Jehovah; we -- we go up, and we have fought,
according to all that which Jehovah our God hath commanded us; and ye gird on
each his weapons of war, and ye are ready to go up into the hill-country;
Then ye answered, and said
unto me,.... Not being willing to go into the wilderness again, though
they wished they had died in it; nor to go the way of the Red sea, which was
their way back again to Egypt, though they had been for appointing a captain,
and returning thither; but now they repented of what they had said and done:
we have sinned against the Lord; by murmuring against his
servants, and disobeying his commands:
we will go up and fight according to all that the Lord our God
hath commanded us; which is more than they were bid to do; they were only ordered
to go up and possess the land, and it was promised them the Lord would fight
for them:
and when ye had girded on every man his weapon; his sword
upon his thigh; a large number of them, for all of them were not so disposed,
though many were:
ye were ready to go unto the hill; though before backward
enough, when they were bid to do it. De Dieu, from the use of the wordF14"levis
et facilis fuit res", Golius, Colossians 2593.
in the Arabic language, renders it, "ye reckoned it easy to go up unto the
hill"; before it was accounted very difficult, by reason the passes were
kept and guarded by the Amorites; but now there was no difficulty, when they
were bid to go another way, but were ready at once to go up, which comes to the
same sense; he further observes, that the word, in another conjugation in the
same language, signifies to make light of, or despiseF15"Contempsit",
ib. ; and so may be rendered, "and ye despised"; that is, rejected
and despised the order given them to go into the wilderness by the way of the
Red sea in the preceding verse, by their attempting to go up the hill; though
the word so taken will bear another sense, agreeable to the first, that they
now made a light matter of it, as if it was nothing, and there was no
difficulty in it to go up the hill, which before was too hard and heavy for
them.
Deuteronomy 1:42 42 “And the Lord said to
me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest
you be defeated before your enemies.”
YLT
42and Jehovah saith unto me,
Say to them, Ye do not go up, nor fight, for I am not in your midst, and ye are
not smitten before your enemies.
And the Lord said unto me,.... When the
people had armed themselves, and were in motion, or ready to set forward to
ascend the hill:
say unto them, go not up, neither fight; neither go up
the hill, and if they did, contrary to this order, and should meet with
enemies, not fight them, but retreat:
for I am not among you: the ark of the covenant,
the symbol of his presence, was then among them, but it did not go with them,
it continued in the camp, Numbers 14:44 nor
did the Lord exert his power, or show himself present with them, or to be on
their side, but left them to themselves, and to their enemies:
lest ye be smitten before your enemies; God not being
with them to fight for them, protect and defend them, and give them victory.
Deuteronomy 1:43 43 So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but
rebelled against the command of the Lord, and
presumptuously went up into the mountain.
YLT
43`And I speak unto you, and
ye have not hearkened, and provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and act proudly, and
go up into the hill-country;
So I spake unto you,.... The
words, the orders he had received from the Lord to deliver to them:
and ye would not hear; so as to obey them, and
act according to them:
but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord: as before, by
not going up when he would have had them gone, and now by attempting it when he
forbid them:
and went presumptuously up into the hill; that is, of
themselves, in their own strength, disregarding the commandment of God, and
what they were threatened with; this they endeavoured to do, for they were not
able to effect it; the Amorites, perceiving them to make up the hill, came
pouring down upon them in great numbers, and stopped them, and obliged them to
retreat; see Numbers 14:45.
Deuteronomy 1:44 44 And the Amorites who dwelt in that mountain came out
against you and chased you as bees do, and drove you back from Seir to Hormah.
YLT
44and the Amorite who is
dwelling in that hill-country cometh out to meet you, and they pursue you as
the bees do, and smite you in Seir -- unto Hormah.
And the Amorites which
dwelt in the mountain,.... Elsewhere called Canaanites, being one, and a principal one
of the seven nations of Canaan, and who were joined and assisted in the attack
by the Amalekites, Numbers 14:45.
came out against you, and chased you, as bees do; which being
disturbed in their hives come out in great numbers, and with great fury and
ardour (for, though a small creature, it has a great deal of spirit); and
pursue the aggressor, and leave him not till they have stung him, though
thereby they lose their stings, and quickly their lives, at least their
usefulness; so these Amorites, being irritated at the approach of the
Israelites on their borders, came out in great numbers and with great wrath,
and fell upon them and smote them, and pursued them a long way, as is after
expressed, though these in the issue were destroyed themselves. The Syriac
version renders it, "as bees that are smoked": or irritated by smoke;
which is a method that has been used, and was anciently: to dispossess them of
their hives, and get their honey, as BochartF16Hierozoic, par. 2. l.
4. c. 10. col. 507. from various writers has shown, as from VirgilF17"-----Fumosque
manu", &c. Virgil. Georgic. l. 4. v. 230. , OvidF18"Quid,
cum suppositos", &c. Ovid. de Remed. Amor. l. 1. v. 185. , and others;
and when they are too much smoked become exceeding angry as AristotleF19Hist.
Animal. l. 9. c. 40. and PlinyF20Nat Hist. l. 11. c. 16, 18.
observe; and which same writers take notice of the strength and force of their
stings, as that they will kill with them the largest animals, even horses have
been killed by them; and, though such small feeble creatures, are not afraid to
attack men and beasts; yea, sometimes people have been obliged to leave their
habitations, and have been driven out of their country by them, of which
AelianusF21De Animal. l. 17. c. 35. gives an instance; all which
shows the aptness and propriety of this simile; see Psalm 118:12 and
destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah; pursued them as far as Mount Seir,
even to another place on the borders of Edom, which was called Hormah, either
from the destruction now or afterwards made here; See Gill on Numbers 14:45,
though some take it not to be the proper name of a place, but an appellative,
and render it, "even unto destruction"; so the Jerusalem Targum; that
is, destroyed them with an utter destruction.
Deuteronomy 1:45 45 Then you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not listen to your voice
nor give ear to you.
YLT
45`And ye turn back and weep
before Jehovah, and Jehovah hath not hearkened to your voice, nor hath he given
ear unto you;
And ye returned and wept
before the Lord,.... Those that remained when the Amorites left pursuing them,
returned to the camp at Kadesh, where Moses and the Levites were, and the rest
of the people; and here they wept at the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation, and hence said to be "before the Lord"; they wept
because of the slaughter that had been made among them, and because of their
sin in going contrary to the will of God, and because they were ordered into
the wilderness; and very probably they cried and prayed unto the Lord, that
they might not be turned back, but that he would go with them, and bring them
now into the promised land:
but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear
unto you; was inexorable, and would not repeal the order to go into the
wilderness again, where he had sworn in his wrath their carcasses should fall;
the sentence was irrevocable.
Deuteronomy 1:46 46 “So you remained in Kadesh many days, according to the
days that you spent there.
YLT
46and ye dwell in Kadesh many
days, according to the days which ye had dwelt.
So ye abode in Kadesh many days,.... Yea, some years, as
some think:
according to the days that ye abode there; that is,
according to Jarchi, as they did in the rest of the journeys or stations; so
that as they were thirty eight years in all at several places, they were
nineteen years in Kadesh; the same is affirmed in the Jewish chronologyF23Seder
Olam Rabba, c. 8. p. 24. . Maimonides saysF24Moreh Nevochim. par. 3.
c. 50. they were eighteen years in one place, and it is very probable he means
this; but Aben Ezra interprets it otherwise, and takes the sense to be, that
they abode as many days here after their return as they did while the land was
searching, which were forty days, Numbers 13:25, but
without fixing any determinate time, the meaning may only be, that as they had
been many days here before this disaster, so they continued many days after in
the same place before they marched onward into the wilderness again.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)