Dublin, OH
Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
1:6-4:43 Moses' First Speech: Historical Prologue. Moses' first speech rehearses Israel's past failure at Kadesh near the beginning of the wilderness period as well as its passing through Edom, Moab, and Ammon without fighting, its successes over Heshbon and Bashan, and the distribution of those two lands. Chapter 4 is an exhortation that functions as a transition from the history in chs. 1-3 to the rehearsal of the Ten Commandments in ch. 5. The purpose of chs. 1-3 is not simply to retell history but to use history to persuade Israel to trust God so the land will be conquered. Deuteronomy 1:6-3:29 parallels the historical prologue of ancient covenant treaties (see Introduction: Structure). Chapter 4 does not readily parallel such treaties.
1:6-8 Introduction to First Speech. Moses' first speech, or sermon, begins by focusing on the land.
1:6 Deuteronomy typically names God as the Lord our (or your) God. "Lord" is Yahweh, the personal and covenantal name for God revealed to Moses (Ex. 3:14-15; see note on Gen. 2:4).
1:7 Turn. Israel left Sinai in Num. 10:11ff. Amorites. A general term for the occupants of the land. The descriptions of the land reflect its geography, roughly east to west. Arabah. See note on Deut. 1:1. The hill country is the ridge of higher mountains overlooking the Jordan Valley from the west. The lowland is the next strip of land to the west, with low, undulating hills. The Negeb is the arid land across the south, which becomes desert. Seacoast refers to the flat Mediterranean coastline. In general terms, the land is occupied by Canaanites (a term virtually synonymous at this time with "Amorites," mentioned earlier in the verse). Lebanon lies to the north. The river Euphrates lies even farther north and east. Cf. the description of the land in the promise to Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21).
1:8 See has a sense of urgency, for it is a time of decision: from the plains of Moab Israel can now survey the land before it. Take possession of the land is a common command in Deuteronomy (e.g., 1:21, 39; 2:24, 31; 3:18; 4:1, 5, 14, 22, etc.). fathers. See 1:11, 21; 4:1; 6:3; 10:11; 12:1; 26:7; 27:3; 29:25. The promise of land was made first to Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 15:18-21), reiterated to Isaac (Gen. 26:4), and then to Jacob (Gen. 28:13; 35:12; cf. Deut. 6:10; 9:5; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The promises to the three patriarchs included land for their offspring after them. Moses is emphasizing that the current generation of Israel is included in the promises and God intends to keep his promise of the land. Thus the patriarchal reference functions rhetorically to persuade Israel to go in and possess the land.
