Deuteronomy 30:12

12 It is not in the heavens {so that you might say}, 'Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?'

Deuteronomy 30:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 30:12

It [is] not in heaven
The scheme of it was formed in heaven, it was hid in the heart of God there, before revealed; it was ordained before the world was for our glory; it was brought down from thence by Christ, and committed to his apostles and ministers of the word to preach it to men; and has been ever since continued on earth, and will be at the time of the conversion of the Jews:

that thou shouldest say;
that there should be any occasion of saying; it forbids any such kind of speech as, follows:

who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear
it, and do it?
there is no need of that, for it is brought from thence already, and may be heard, and should be obeyed; for to put such a question would be the same as to ask "to bring Christ down from above", who is come down already by the assumption of human nature, to preach the Gospel, give the sense of the law, and fulfil it, to do the will of his Father, bring in an everlasting righteousness, and save his people; so that there is no need of his coming again on the same errand, since he has obtained eternal redemption, and is the author of everlasting salvation, which is the sum and substance of the Gospel.

Deuteronomy 30:12 In-Context

10 [He will do this] if you listen to the voice of Yahweh your God by keeping his commandment and his statutes written in the scroll of this law [and] if you return to Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your inner self.
11 "For this commandment that I [am] commanding you {today} [is] {not too wonderful for you}, and it [is] not [too] far [from you].
12 It is not in the heavens {so that you might say}, 'Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?'
13 And [it is] {not beyond the sea}, {so that you might say}, 'Who will cross for us to the other side of the sea and take it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?'
14 But the word is very near you, [even] in your mouth and in your heart, {so that you may do it}.

Footnotes 1

Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.