Deuteronomy 32:47

47 for not in vain these things be commanded to you, but that all men should live in doing those things; which if ye shall do (them), then ye shall abide, and shall continue long time in the land, to which ye shall enter to wield, when (the) Jordan ye have over-passed. (for these things be not commanded to you in vain, but so that all of you should live by doing them; which if ye shall do these things, then ye shall live, and shall continue a long time in the land, which ye shall enter to take, when ye have crossed over the Jordan River.)

Deuteronomy 32:47 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 32:47

For it [is] not a vain thing for you
That is, the law is not, and the observance of it in them and their children; it was no light and trifling matter, but of great importance and consequence, obedience to it being attended with rewards, and disobedience with punishment:

because it [is] your life:
if obeyed, the means of a comfortable and happy life, in the enjoyment of all good things, of the preservation and continuance of it to a length of time; and long life was always reckoned a great temporal mercy:

and through this thing ye shall prolong [your] days in the land
whither you go over Jordan to possess it;
that is, through their obedience to the law they should live long in the land of Canaan, which they were just going to possess; which explains what is meant by its being their life; their comfortable living and continuance in the land depended on their obedience to the law; see ( Isaiah 1:19 Isaiah 1:20 ) .

Deuteronomy 32:47 In-Context

45 And Moses fulfilled all these words, and spake to all Israel, (And when Moses finished speaking all these words, to all Israel,)
46 and said to them, Put ye your hearts into all the words which I witness to you today, that ye command to your sons, to keep, and to do those, and to fulfill all things that be written in the book of this law; (he said to them, Put ye into your hearts all the words which I witness to you today, so that ye command to your children to obey them, and to do them, and to fulfill all the things that be written in this Book of the Law;)
47 for not in vain these things be commanded to you, but that all men should live in doing those things; which if ye shall do (them), then ye shall abide, and shall continue long time in the land, to which ye shall enter to wield, when (the) Jordan ye have over-passed. (for these things be not commanded to you in vain, but so that all of you should live by doing them; which if ye shall do these things, then ye shall live, and shall continue a long time in the land, which ye shall enter to take, when ye have crossed over the Jordan River.)
48 And the Lord spake to Moses in the same day, and said, (And the Lord spoke to Moses on that same day, and said,)
49 Go thou up into this hill Abarim, that is, passing, into the hill of Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, (over) against Jericho; and see thou the land of Canaan, which I shall give to the sons of Israel to hold, (Go thou up to the Abarim Mountains, that is, to The Passages, yea, onto Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite, or east of, Jericho; and see thou the land of Canaan, which I shall give to the Israelites for their possession,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.