Deuteronomy 4:1-22:30 KJV

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Deuteronomy 4:1

1. hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you—By statutes were meant all ordinances respecting religion and the rites of divine worship; and by judgments, all enactments relative to civil matters. The two embraced the whole law of God. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 4:1-8

1. The appeal to hearken and obey 4:1-8Moses urged the Israelites to "listen to" (Deuteronomy 4:1) and to "obey" (Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 4:5-6) the Mosaic Law. "Statutes" (Deuteronomy 4:1) were the permanent basic rules of conduct whereas "judgments" (ordinances, Deuteronomy 4:1) were decisions God revealed in answer to specific needs. The judgments set precedent for future action (e.g., the case of Zelophehad’s daughters).Moses used the illustration of the recent seduction of the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 4:1-40

B. An exhortation to observe the law faithfully 4:1-40Moses turned in his address from contemplating the past to an exhortation for the future. This section is the climax of his first speech."The parallel between the literary structure of this chapter and that of the Near Eastern treaty is noteworthy. The author of the treaty is named (1, 2, 5, 10), reference is made to the preceding historical acts, the treaty stipulations are mentioned, the appeal is made for Israel to obey, the treaty... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 4:1-43

First Discourse (Deu 1:14 to Deu 4:43)The long sojourn in the wilderness is now drawing to a close. The Israelites are encamped in the Plains of Moab within sight of the Promised Land. Moses, feeling that his death is approaching, delivers his final charges to the people. In the first, he reviews briefly the history of Israel from Mt. Sinai to the Jordan, dwelling on the goodness of God, and making it the basis of an earnest appeal to the people to remember all that He has done for them, and to... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 4:1-49

Exhortations To ObedienceThis chapter contains the practical part of the discourse. Having briefly rehearsed the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness up to the present point, Moses closes with an eloquent appeal not to forget what they had seen and learned, but to keep the commandments of the Lord. The argument is quite evangelical. Jehovah of His own free grace has chosen and redeemed this people, they ought, therefore, to love and serve Him alone: cp. Joshua’s exhortation in Joshua... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Deuteronomy 4:1

IV.(1) Now therefore hearken.—The whole point of the exhortation in this chapter is the same which we find in Joshua’s address to the people (Joshua 24:0), that they should serve Jehovah. And the ground of the exhortation is His revelation of Himself in Horeb as their God.The statutes . . . and the judgments.—Perhaps we should say “institutions and requirements” in modern language. For “judgments,” see Exodus 21-23.That ye may live, and go in.—Life is put before possession. The penalty of the... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Deuteronomy 4:1-49

Remembering the Past (for the Last Sunday of the Year) Deuteronomy 4:9 I. How far ought we to Remember the Past, and how far ought we to Forget it? It may indeed be said that remembrance and forgetfulness are largely independent of our control. We are naturally endowed with strong or with weak memories, and ardent or placid temperaments, and our fortunes in life are only to a small extent within our own determination. Whether we shall pass through experiences which cut deeply into the mind,... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 4:1-40

MOSES’ FAREWELL SPEECHESDeuteronomy 4:1-40, Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Deuteronomy 30:1-20.WITH the twenty-sixth chapter the entirely homogeneous central portion of the Book of Deuteronomy ends, and it concludes it most worthily. It prescribes two ceremonies which are meant to give solemn expression to the feeling of thankfulness which the love of God, manifested in so many laws and precepts, covering the commonest details of life, should have made the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Deuteronomy 4:1-40

3. Hearken, O Israel! CHAPTER 4 1. Obedience demanded (Deuteronomy 4:1-8 ) 2. The covenant to be observed (Deuteronomy 4:9-14 ) 3. Take heed unto yourselves lest ye forget (Deuteronomy 4:15-24 ) 4. The warning (Deuteronomy 4:25-31 ) 5. Israel, the chosen nation (Deuteronomy 4:32-40 ) “Now therefore hearken, O Israel” marks the beginning of the exhortation to keep the law of the Lord. First he had shown the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord and upon that Moses admonishes them to... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Deuteronomy 4:1

4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to {a} do [them], that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.(a) For this doctrine stands not in bare knowledge, but in practice of life. read more