Deuteronomy 30

1 When all these wordes are come vpo the whether it be the blessinge or the cursse which I haue set before the: yet yf thou turne vnto thyne hert amonge all the nacions whother the Lorde thi God hath thruste the,

2 and come agayne vnto the Lorde thi God ad herken vnto his voyce acordinge to all that I comaunde the this daye: both thou and thi childern with all thine hert and all thi soule:

3 Then the Lorde thi God wil turne thi captiuite ad haue coppassion vpo the ad goo ad fett the agayne from all the nacions, amoge which the Lorde thi God shall haue scatered the.

4 Though thou wast cast vnto the extreme partes of heauen: euen from thence will the Lorde thi God gather the and from thence fett the

5 and brynge the in to the lande which thi fathers possessed, and thou shalt enioye it. And he will shewe the kyndnesse and multiplye the aboue thi fathers.

6 And the Lorde thi God will circumcyse thine hert and the hert of thi seed for to loue the Lorde thi God with all thine hert and all thi soule, that thou mayst lyue.

7 And the Lorde thi God will put al these curses vpo thine enemyes and on the that hate the and persecute the.

8 But thou shalt turne and herken vnto the voyce of the Lorde and doo all his commaundmentes which I commaunde the this daye

9 And the Lorde thi God will make the plenteous in all the workes of thine hande and in the frute of thi bodye, in the frute of thi catell and frute of thi lande and in riches. For the Lorde will turne agayne and reioyse ouer the to doo the good, as he reioysed ouer thi fathers:

10 Yf thou herken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God, to kepe his commaundmentes and ordynaunces which are written in the boke of this lawe, yf thou turne vnto the Lord thi God with all thine hert and all thi soule.

11 For the commaundment which I commaunde the this daye, is not separated from the nether ferre of.

12 It is not in heauen, that thou neadest to saye: who shall goo vpp for us in to heauen, and fett it us, that we maye heare it ad doo it:

13 Nether is it beyonde the see, that thou shuldest saye: who shall goo ouer see for us and fett it us that we maye heare it and doo it:

14 But the worde is very nye vnto the: euen in thi mouth and in thine hert, that thou doo it.

15 Beholde I haue sett before you this daye lyfe and good, deeth and euell:

16 in that I commaunde the this daye to loue the Lorde thi God and to walke in his wayes and to kepe his commaundementes, his ordynaunces and his lawes: that thou mayst lyue and multipye, and that the Lorde thy God man blesse the in the londe whother thou goest to possesse it.

17 But and yf thyne hert turne awaye, so that thou wilt not heare: but shalt goo astraye and worshepe straunge goddes and serue them,

18 I pronounce vnto you this daye, that ye shal surely peresh and that ye shall not prolonge youre dayes vppon the londe whother thou passest ouer Iordayne to goo and possesse it.

19 I call to recorde this daye vnto you, heauen and erth, that I haue sett before you lyfe and deeth, blessynge and cursynge: but chose lyfe, that thou and thi seed maye lyue,

20 in that thou louest the Lorde thi God herkenest vnto his voyce and cleauest vnto him. For he is thi life and the lengthe of thi dayes, that thou mayst dwell vppon the erth which the Lorde sware vnto thi fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Iacob to geue them.

Deuteronomy 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

Mercies promised to the repentant. (1-10) The commandment manifest. (11-14) Death and life set before them. (15-20)

Verses 1-10 In this chapter is a plain intimation of the mercy God has in store for Israel in the latter days. This passage refers to the prophetic warnings of the last two chapters, which have been mainly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and in their dispersion to the present day; and there can be no doubt that the prophetic promise contained in these verses yet remain to come to pass. The Jewish nation shall in some future period, perhaps not very distant, be converted to the faith of Christ; and, many think, again settled in the land of Canaan. The language here used is in a great measure absolute promises; not merely a conditional engagement, but declaring an event assuredly to take place. For the Lord himself here engages to "circumcise their hearts;" and when regenerating grace has removed corrupt nature, and Divine love has supplanted the love of sin, they certainly will reflect, repent, return to God, and obey him; and he will rejoice in doing them good. The change that will be wrought upon them will not be only outward, or consisting in mere opinions; it will reach to their souls. It will produce in them an utter hatred of all sin, and a fervent love to God, as their reconciled God in Christ Jesus; they will love him with all their hearts, and with all their soul. They are very far from this state of mind at present, but so were the murderers of the Lord Jesus, on the day of Pentecost; who yet in one hour were converted unto God. So shall it be in the day of God's power; a nation shall be born in a day; the Lord will hasten it in his time. As a conditional promise this passage belongs to all persons and all people, not to Israel only; it assures us that the greatest sinners, if they repent and are converted, shall have their sins pardoned, and be restored to God's favour.

Verses 11-14 The law is not too high for thee. It is not only known afar off; it is not confined to men of learning. It is written in thy books, made plain, so that he who runs may read it. It is in thy mouth, in the tongue commonly used by thee, in which thou mayest hear it read, and talk of it among thy children. It is delivered so that it is level to the understanding of the meanest. This is especially true of the gospel of Christ, to which the apostle applies it. But the word is nigh us, and Christ in that word; so that if we believe with the heart, that the promises of the Messiah are fulfilled in our Lord Jesus, and confess them with our mouth, we then have Christ with us.

Verses 15-20 What could be said more moving, and more likely to make deep and lasting impressions? Every man wishes to obtain life and good, and to escape death and evil; he desires happiness, and dreads misery. So great is the compassion of the Lord, that he has favoured men, by his word, with such a knowledge of good and evil as will make them for ever happy, if it be not their own fault. Let us hear the sum of the whole matter. If they and theirs would love God, and serve him, they should live and be happy. If they or theirs should turn from God, desert his service, and worship other gods, that would certainly be their ruin. There never was, since the fall of man, more than one way to heaven; which is marked out in both Testaments, though not with equal clearness. Moses meant that same way of acceptance, which Paul more plainly described; and Paul's words mean the same obedience, on which Moses more fully treated. In both Testaments the good and right way is brought near, and plainly revealed to us.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 30

This chapter contains some gracious promises of the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, of their calling things to mind that have befallen them, of their repentance, and the circumcision of their hearts to love the Lord, of the return of them to their own land, and of the great increase of them, and of their enjoyment of plenty of good things, De 30:1-10; in it is an account of the Gospel, or word of faith, which at this time should be brought near to the Jews, and be received by them, De 30:11-14; and for the present Moses desires them to consider what he now set before them, and what would be the consequences of receiving or rejecting it, and so what it would be most proper for them to make choice of, De 30:15-20.