And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights ,.... The time of Moses's stay in the mount, when it was just up, and not before: that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant , as in Deuteronomy 9:9 . Aben Ezra observes, that this shows that the day the tables were given to Moses the calf was made. read more
A six-weeks' religion; or, emotional religiousness not vital godliness. The homiletic treatment of the incidents referred to in De 9:1—10:5, will require a careful comparison of these chapters with the fuller account in Exodus 32-34. The special object, however, which Moses has here in view, is to show how entirely God's mercy to Israel was a self-moved one, and that it was not due to any virtue on the part of the people, So far from that, they had been wayward from the first. Even in... read more
Human memory a repository of guilt. The memory of man is a book of God; and, though the entries may be temporarily obscured, yet the light of eternity will make them all legible. The present tendency of sin is to weaken memory; its effect, to obliterate recollection. Our profoundest gratitude is due to the man that reminds us of our falls. I. REMEMBER SIN IN THE LIGHT OF ITS OBJECT , VIZ . OF GOD . Discourtesy to a king is a graver offence than discourtesy to an... read more
Moses reminds them of many instances of their rebelliousness by which they had provoked the Lord, from the time of their escape out of Egypt until their arrival in the plains of Moab. Their rebellion began even before they had wholly escaped from their oppressors, before they had passed through the Bed Sea ( Exodus 14:11 ). Even at Horeb, where, amid the most affecting manifestations alike of the Divine majesty and the Divine grace, just after the Lord had spoken to them directly out of the... read more
Humiliating memories. Following up the idea of their waywardness, Moses proceeds to recall instances of it. The remembrance of sin is salutary, if it induces humiliation; but detrimental, if it induces a repetition of the sin. When assured of its forgiveness, we should forget it, so far as the remembrance would provoke repetition. Moses here recalls sin, that it may be salutary in the remembrance. I. THEIR REBELLION HAD BEEN CONTINUAL . ( Deuteronomy 9:7 , Deuteronomy 9:24... read more
The sin at Horeb. Moses dwells on this sin, alike as memorable in itself, and as illustrating the proposition that the people had again and again forfeited their covenant standing by their acts of disobedience. I. THE ENORMITY OF THIS SIN . 1. It was a sin committed immediately after solemn covenant with God ( Deuteronomy 9:9 ). The transactions recorded in Exodus 24:3-9 were not yet forty days old. The people had literally heard God speaking to them. They had... read more
Warning against stubbornness (9:1-10:11)Moses warned the Israelites not to boast about their coming victories. The conquest of Canaan was by God’s power, not theirs. It was because of the wickedness of the Canaanites, not because of any goodness in the Israelites (9:1-5).Israel, in fact, was a stubborn people, who deserved none of God’s good gifts. Moses reminded them of their rebellion at Sinai, how they promised to obey God’s law, but broke it before it was even written down (6-21; see notes... read more
"And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that Jehovah gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. And Jehovah said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people that thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image. Furthermore Jehovah spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a... read more
Warning against self-righteousness 9:1-10:11"From a literary standpoint Deuteronomy 9:1 to Deuteronomy 10:11 is a travel narrative much like Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29, with which, in fact, it shares much in common. For example, both are introduced (Deuteronomy 1:1-5; Deuteronomy 9:1-6) and concluded (Deuteronomy 3:29; Deuteronomy 10:11) by a setting in the plains of Moab in anticipation of the conquest of Canaan." [Note: Merrill, Deuteronomy, p. 189.] This pericope contains the second... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 9:7-29
That they might have no pretence to think that God brought them to Canaan for their righteousness, Moses here shows them what a miracle of mercy it was that they had not long ere this been destroyed in the wilderness: ?Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God (Deut. 9:7); so far from purchasing his favour, thou hast many a time laid thyself open to his displeasure.? Their fathers? provocations are here charged upon them; for, if God had dealt with their fathers according... read more