Deuteronomy 11:9-19

9 that ye may live long upon the land, which the Lord sware to your fathers to give to them, and to their seed after them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

10 For the land into which thou goest to inherit it, is not as the land of Egypt, whence ye came out, whensoever they sow the seed, and water it with their feet, as a garden of herbs:

11 but the land into which thou goest to inherit it, is a land of mountains and plains; it shall drink water of the rain of heaven.

12 A land which the Lord thy God surveys continually, the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

13 Now if ye will indeed hearken to all the commands which I charge thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to serve him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

14 then he shall give to thy land the early and latter rain in its season, and thou shalt bring in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

15 And he shall give food in thy fields to thy cattle; and when thou hast eaten and art full,

16 take heed to thyself that thy heart be not puffed up, and ye transgress, and serve other gods, and worship them:

17 and the Lord be angry with you, and restrain the heaven; and there shall not be rain, and the earth shall not yield its fruit, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land, which the Lord has given you.

18 And ye shall store these words in your heart and in your soul, and ye shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and it shall be fixed before your eyes.

19 And ye shall teach them to your children, so as to speak about them when thou sittest in the house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou sleepest, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 11:9-19 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Gr. made broad.