Bible Commentaries
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible
Deuteronomy 30
DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 30
A promise of gracious deliverance to the Jews upon their repentance, in future times, Deuteronomy 30:1-10. The law of God manifest and just, Deuteronomy 30:11-14. Life and death set before them, Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
The blessing when thou art obedient, and the curse when thou becomest rebellious and apostatical. Set before thee, Heb. placed before thy face, i.e. propounded to thy consideration and choice.
Call them to mind, or, bring them back to thy heart, i.e. deeply affect thy heart with the sense of these things, to wit, of the blessings offered and given to them by God’s mercy, and the curses brought upon themselves by their sins.
Turn thy captivity, i.e. bring back thy captives, as captivity is taken, Psalms 14:7 Ephesians 4:8. Gather thee, i.e. thy children; either spiritually such, as it is explained John 11:51,52; or literally such, as it is promised Ro 11$.
The Lord will circumcise thine heart, or, for the Lord will circumcise thine heart, i.e. will by his word and Spirit change and purge thy heart from all thine idolatry, and superstition, and wickedness, and incline thy heart to love him, as it here follows. See Deuteronomy 10:16. And so this is produced to show why and how those great things should be accomplished; God would first convert and sanctify them, the fruit whereof should be this, that they should return and obey God’s commandments, Deuteronomy 30:8, and they should pros per in all things, Deuteronomy 30:9. The Hebrew vau is oft rendered for, and notes the reason of a thing, as 1 Kings 1:21 18:3,4 Psa 1:3 5:12 Isaiah 16:2 64:5. And this promise principally respects the times of the gospel, and the grace which was to be then imparted to all God’s Israel by Christ, by whom alone this circumcision is obtained, Colossians 2:11. And so having fully described to them the law of God, the rule of their obedience, here and in foregoing chapters, and considering their great instability in the performance of their obedience to it, he now seasonably adds a glorious gospel promise, and directs their faith to the Messias by whom alone they could expect or receive the establishment of their hearts in the ways of God against apostacy.
Whereas thou didst formerly receive and enjoy these mercies for thy hurt, through thy own wicked and foolish heart, when thou wast full and fat, forgetting God, and kicking against him, Deuteronomy 31:20 32:15, now thou shalt have them for thy good; thy heart shall be so changed by the grace of the gospel that thou shalt not now abuse them, but employ them to the more cheerful and faithful service of God, the giver of them. Rejoice over thee for good, i.e. to do thee good; as he did rejoice to destroy thee, Deuteronomy 28:63.
This caution and condition is added to warn them that they should not receive the grace of God in vain, and to teach them that the grace of God doth not discharge man’s obligation to his duty, nor excuse him for the neglect of it, and that conversion and sanctification, though it be God’s work, yet it is man’s duty.
He seems to speak of the law, or of that great command of loving and obeying God, mentioned here Deuteronomy 30:2,6,10,16, which is the sum of the law, of which yet he doth not here speak simply, or as it is in itself, but as it is mollified and accompanied with the grace of the gospel, whereby God circumciseth men’s hearts to do this, as is expressed Deuteronomy 30:6. The meaning is, that although the practice of God’s law strictly and severely be now far from us, and above our strength, yet, considering the advantage of gospel grace, whereby God enables us in some measure to our duty, and accepts of our sincere endeavours instead of perfection, and imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness unto us that believe, now it is near and easy to us. And so this place well agrees with Romans 10:6, &c., where St. Paul expounds or applies this place to the righteousness of faith, by which alone the law is such as it is here described.
It is not hidden from thee, Heb. is not too wonderful for thee, as Deuteronomy 17:8 Proverbs 30:18 Jeremiah 32:17, i.e. not too hard for thee to know and do: the will of God, which is but darkly manifested to other nations, Acts 17:27, is clearly and fully revealed unto thee; thou canst not pretend ignorance or invincible difficulty.
Far off, i.e. out of thy reach.
In heaven, i.e. shut up there; but it hath been thence delivered and published in thy hearing.
Neither is it beyond the sea: the knowledge of this commandment is not to be fetched from far distant places, to which divers of the wise heathens travelled for their wisdom, but it was brought to thy very doors and ears, and declared to thee in this wilderness.
In thy mouth; thou knowest it so well, that it is the matter of thy common discourse; thou professest thy knowledge and belief of it: or, in the months of thy priests and Levites, who are daily preaching of it, and instructing thee in it.
In thy heart, i.e. in thy mind, (as the heart is very commonly taken,) to understand and believe it.
Life and good, i.e. a good or a happy life; a figure called heniaduo: or, life, and all the blessings of life, as good is oft used, as Job 7:7 Psalms 4:6 128:5 Ecclesiastes 2:24 4:8 6:3.
He is thy life, i.e. the cause or author of thy life, as life is used John 14:6 17:3.
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