Deuteronomy 11:12-22

12 It's a land that God, your God, personally tends - he's the gardener - he alone keeps his eye on it all year long.

13 From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you,

14 he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time, both autumn and spring rains, so that you'll be able to harvest your grain, your grapes, your olives.

15 He'll make sure there's plenty of grass for your animals. You'll have plenty to eat.

16 But be vigilant, lest you be seduced away and end up serving and worshiping other gods

17 and God erupts in anger and shuts down Heaven so there's no rain and nothing grows in the fields, and in no time at all you're starved out - not a trace of you left on the good land that God is giving you.

18 Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder.

19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night.

20 Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities

21 so that you'll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth.

22 That's right. If you diligently keep all this commandment that I command you to obey - love God, your God, do what he tells you, stick close to him -

Deuteronomy 11:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 11

In this chapter, the exhortation to love the Lord, and keep his commands, is repeated and urged again and again from various considerations; as not only from the chastisement of Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians, but of such Israelites who offended the Lord, and transgressed his law, De 12:1-7, from the goodness and excellency of the land they were going to inherit, De 11:8-11, from the blessing of rain that would come upon it, and be productive of all good things for man and beast, in case of obedience, and a restraint of it in case of disobedience, De 11:12-17, from the continuance of them and their offspring in the land, should they be careful to observe the commands themselves, and teach them their children, De 11:18-21, and from the extensiveness of their conquests and dominions, De 11:22-25 and from the different issue and effects of their conduct and behaviour, a blessing upon them if obedient, but a curse if disobedient, De 11:26-28 and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal; the situation of which places is described when they should come into the land of Canaan, of which they are assured, De 11:29-32.