Deuteronomy 11:4-14

4 They did not see what he did to the Egyptian army, its horses and chariots, when he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were chasing you. The Lord ruined them forever.

5 They did not see what he did for you in the desert until you arrived here.

6 They did not see what he did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the ground opened up and swallowed them, their families, their tents, and everyone who stood with them in Israel.

7 It was you who saw all these great things the Lord has done.

8 So obey all the commands I am giving you today so that you will be strong and can go in and take the land you are going to take as your own.

9 Then you will live a long time in the land that the Lord promised to give to your ancestors and their descendants, a fertile land.

10 The land you are going to take is not like Egypt, where you were. There you had to plant your seed and water it, like a vegetable garden, by using your feet.

11 But the land that you will soon cross the Jordan River to take is a land of hills and valleys, a land that drinks rain from heaven.

12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for. His eyes are on it continually, and he watches it from the beginning of the year to the end.

13 If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today and love the Lord your God and serve him with your whole being,

14 then he will send rain on your land at the right time, in the fall and spring, and you will be able to gather your grain, new wine, and oil.

Deuteronomy 11:4-14 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.