Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Deuteronomy 11. Continues the exhortation to love and obey Yahweh, giving motives and promises and pointing out the consequence of disobedience.

Deuteronomy 11:2-Judges :. Read (adding one Heb. consonant), “ for ye are not as your children who know not and have not seen . . . midst of all Israel: for your eves, etc.”— chastisement: Deuteronomy 4:36 *.

Deuteronomy 11:5 . See Exodus 15, Numbers 32.

Deuteronomy 11:6 . See Numbers 16:25; Numbers 16:27; Numbers 16:32 (JE). Dt. using JE is silent about Korah mentioned by P ( Numbers 26:9-1 Kings :).

Deuteronomy 11:8 b. See Deuteronomy 4:1.

Deuteronomy 11:9 . land . . . honey: Exodus 3:8 *.

Deuteronomy 11:10 . wateredst . . . foot: probably some irrigation contrivance is meant, by which water sluices communicating with the Nile were opened and closed. Erman affirms, but W. Max Mü ller denies, that the water-wheel ( cf. modern Egypt) was used in ancient Egypt. A plentiful supply of rain, a great necessity in Palestine, is often mentioned in the OT as a proof of Yahweh’ s loving care; see Leviticus 26:4, Isaiah 55:10 f., Ezekiel 34:26, Hosea 6:3.

Deuteronomy 11:14 . former rain: in November and December after seed-sowing.— latter rain: in March to April, it matures the grain, vitalised by the autumnal showers.

Deuteronomy 11:18-Proverbs : . Almost verbatim as Deuteronomy 6:6-1 Samuel : *, though Deuteronomy 11:21 ( cf. Deuteronomy 11:9) adds a promise. Steuernagel and Bertholet omit Deuteronomy 11:18-Ecclesiastes :.

Deuteronomy 11:24 . Read, “ from the wilderness” (in the S.) “ to Lebanon” (in the N.) “ and from the great river” (Euphrates in the E.) “ to the western sea” (the Mediterranean). For these ideal boundaries, see Deuteronomy 1:7 *. The Hebrews commonly named the cardinal points from their direction looking east, hence “ hinder” = west.

Deuteronomy 11:30 . Read, “ Are they” (Gerizim and Ebal) “ not on the other side of the Jordan, west of it” (adding one consonant) “ on the western road in the land of the Canaanites, opposite to that Gilgal which is alongside the diviner’ s terebinth?” Omit which dwell in the Araban: it is senseless. The Gilgal named is the modern Julejib, 2½ miles SE. of Nablous (Shechem).— oaks of Moreh: render, “ the diviner’ s terebinth” ( Genesis 12:6; Genesis 13:18; Genesis 18:1, Joshua 24:26, Judges 6:11). The oak (including the terebinth) was among the ancient Semites and Kelts a sacred tree; hence oracles were sought from the deity supposed to dwell in it.