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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:19-46

Moses here makes a large rehearsal of the fatal turn which was given to their affairs by their own sins, and God's wrath, when, from the very borders of Canaan, the honour of conquering it, and the pleasure of possessing it, the whole generation was hurried back into the wilderness, and their carcases fell there. It was a memorable story; we read it Num. 13:1-14:45; but divers circumstances are found here which are not related there. I. He reminds them of their march from Horeb to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:19

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 Adrichomius F12 Theatrum 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:20

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:21

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:22

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:23

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 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:24

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:25

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 1:22

We will send men before us - See on Numbers 13 (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 1:19

That great and terrible wilderness. An emblem of the rough and afflictive way by which God leads his people to the higher rest. I. THE FACT OF THIS WILDERNESS DISCIPLINE . We need not exaggerate. We admit all that can be said of the world as a fair and delightful residence, in which we have much to make us happy. But it cannot be denied that the picture has a darker side. The man who has drunk deepest of the world's pleasures is he who can tell best how unsatisfying it is... read more

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