Deuteronomy 29:8-18

8 and we took away their land, and we gave it to possession, to Reuben, and to Gad, and to the half lineage of Manasseh. (and we took away their land, and we gave it for a possession to Reuben, and to Gad, and to half of the tribe of Manasseh.)

9 Therefore keep ye the words of this covenant, and fulfill ye them, that ye understand all things which ye shall do. (And so keep ye the words of this covenant, and fulfill ye them, so that ye shall prosper in everything which ye shall do.)

10 All ye stand today before your Lord God, your princes, and lineages, and the greater men in birth, and your teachers or doctors, (with) all the people of Israel, (Ye all stand here today before the Lord your God, yea, the leaders of the tribes, and the men of great age, that is, the elders, and your officers, with all the people of Israel,)

11 your free children, and your wives, and the comelings that dwell with thee in the tents, besides the hewers of wood, and besides they that bear water; (yea, your children, and your wives, and the newcomers who live with thee in the tents, as well as the hewers of wood, and the bearers of water;)

12 that thou go into the bond of peace of thy Lord God, and in the oath which thy Lord God smiteth with thee, (that thou enter into the covenant of the Lord thy God, and accept the oath which the Lord thy God striketh with thee,)

13 that he raise thee up into a people to himself, and that he be thy Lord God, as he spake to thee, and as he swore to thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (so that he can raise thee up into a people unto himself, and that he be the Lord thy God, as he promised thee, and as he swore to thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)

14 And not to you alone I make this bond of peace, and confirm these oaths, (And it is not with you alone do I make this covenant, and confirm this oath,)

15 but to all men (but with all Israelites), present and absent.

16 For ye know how we dwelled in the land of Egypt, and how we passed by the midst of nations; which ye passed (by), (For ye know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how, when we passed through the midst of the nations,)

17 and saw abominations and filths, that is, their idols, (of) wood and stone, silver and gold, which they worshipped. (we saw their abominations and filths, that is, their idols, and false gods, made out of wood and stone, and silver and gold, which they worshipped.)

18 Lest peradventure among you be man either woman, family either lineage, whose heart is turned away today from your Lord God, that he go, and serve the gods of those folks; and a root burgeoning gall and bitterness be among you; (Lest there be among you a man or a woman, a family or a tribe, whose heart today is turned away from the Lord your God, so that they go, and serve the gods of those nations; and there be a root burgeoning gall and bitterness among you;)

Deuteronomy 29:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 29

This chapter begins with an intimation of another covenant the Lord was about to make with the people of Israel, De 29:1; and, to prepare their minds to an attention to it, various things which the Lord had done for them are recited, De 29:2-9; the persons are particularly mentioned with whom the covenant would now be made, the substance of which is, that they should be his people, and he their God, De 29:10-15; and since they had seen the idols in Egypt and other countries, with which they might have been ensnared, they are cautioned against idolatry and idolaters, as being most provoking to the Lord, De 29:16-21; which would bring destruction not only on particular persons, but upon their whole land, to the amazement of posterity; who, inquiring the reason of it, will be told, it was because they forsook the covenant of God, and particularly were guilty of idolatry, which, whether privately or openly committed, would be always punished, De 29:22-29.