V.1 These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, the second time after he had made the same 2c.
This chapter with the two that follow is, as it were, the last sermon that Moses preached to the people, and it contains exhortations and reminders and other things of this kind to put the law to their hearts. And he says that this covenant was made "in the land of Moab the second time, after he had made it with them in Horeb," that is, it was renewed for the sake of those who were not in Horeb and were born in the meantime, when their fathers died in the wilderness, so that they should not think that the law, which was given to the fathers and was not kept by them, did not concern them. Therefore the lawgiver Moses had to live so long that he also renewed the law to the other generation.
V. 2. ff. You have seen all that the Lord has done 2c.
Ye, saith he, and your eyes have seen, as he speaketh unto the seed of them that have seen these things, but they themselves have not seen them, being born in the wilderness, and all the fathers were dead, except Joshua and Caleb, in whose stead they came up. Unless this is understood to be said of the descendants who were almost grown up when they went out of Egypt, and by the fathers who had died [are understood] those who were in full manhood, and, as the text says, the men of war who were
from the twentieth year and above had been counted, 4 Mos. 1,1 ) 3. that in such a way Moses addresses those who were nineteen years and under at the time of the exodus from Egypt or at the time of the counting, then the word of Moses could not exist. Or one would have to say that he speaks after the figure of speech of the synecdoche to those who belong to the people, although this had already died, except for two 2c. who had seen these signs. But I like the first opinion better.
Moses speaks this in the manner of a reproach and uses this former harshness to make the admonition sharper, as if he said: "See to it that you keep the commandments of God better in the future than you have kept them up to now. For even though you have seen all these things, you have not become more understanding and obedient, "for (he says) the Lord has not yet given you until this day a heart to understand, eyes to see and ears to hear". Therefore it is to be feared that he may not give you these things in the same way hereafter. Therefore you must be anxious and diligent to earn this grace through humility, that you may obtain an understanding heart, hearing ears and seeing eyes.
Here you see that it is not enough that signs are shown and the word is taught, if there is not also the spirit inside, which teaches. Thus Pharaoh with his own did not turn to the signs of Moses, and the Pharisees blasphemed even the signs of Christ. So great is the hardness of man's
1) In the editions: Nurne. 2.
The heart is so weak that it will not be moved by signs and wonders, it will not be instructed by words, it will not be frightened by threats.
And it is quite clear that from this passage the prophecy of Isaiah Cap. 6, 10. is taken, and similar ones, which the evangelists, since also the same hardness [of the Jewish people] moved them,1 ) so repeat (Matth. 13, 14. Marc. 4, 12. Luc. 8, 10. Joh. 12, 40.], by saying: 2) "Blind their eyes, and let their ears be thick" 2c. And obviously Moses indicates by this word that those who deal with the works of the law would be such people in front of others that they do not keep the commandments of God, since he is sure that not all will be given this grace. Therefore, he speaks in such a way to humble and frighten them, if there were such people who realize that it is not in their power to keep the law, and would humbly ask God for His grace, as spiritual people do; but the presumptuous hypocrites do not.
After that he repeats the benefits that for forty years in the wilderness their clothes did not become stale and their shoes did not become outdated, that they did not eat bread and did not drink wine and intoxicating drink, by which the LORD showed them and they should know that he was their GOD, namely, that he could feed and clothe them without human intervention (opere), as he said above Cap. 8, 3: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of GOD" 2c.
Then he tells of the victory they had over the two kings of the Amorites, and that the land had been divided among them, and concludes, "Keep therefore," 2c., "that you may act wisely in all your doings," that is, that you may wisely and happily carry out all that you have undertaken. For this is what the Hebrew word [XXXXXX] expresses: "that you may act wisely," as it is written of David (1 Sam.
1) Wittenberger: wonente instead of: rnovents.
2) In the form, as here, the saying is found only in Isaiah, but not in the Evangelists. Therefore it can hardly be doubtful that instead of "tioentss in the editions ciioeiitis (referring to Esaias) must be read, after which we have translated.
18, 30] that he acted more wisely than all the servants of Saul, as it is also said to Joshua [Jos. 1, 7]: "That you may act wisely", that is, happily and prosperously, and not commit foolishness; but this will happen when they will keep the law of God.
Then he confirms the covenant by listing by name all the ranks (ordines), the rulers, the officials, the elders, the tribes, the children, the women, the strangers, except for the hewers of wood and the drawers of water, so that all and every one, both those present and those absent, would know that this covenant concerns them. Moses certainly could not have spoken these words alone in such a large nation, for how could all hear him? It is therefore necessary that he had this preached in a prescribed sermon by the priests and Levites at different places in the whole people (per populum).
But he beats and preempts the secret malice of the heart, by which many console themselves inwardly when they hear the threats and curses of God, and say: It will not be so bad, and remain so secure in their wickedness. This is what most of all, deceived by the pretense of godliness, do the idlers and the idolaters, who believe that what the law threatens does not concern them, as can be seen in all the prophets. For as godliness by its nature brings with it the fear of God, so godlessness and hypocrisy bring security. Against this security of the godless Moses now proceeds very sharply, until the end of this chapter, as do all the prophets, and says before that they are most threatened by curses and desolations, so that they, reversed (subversi) like Sodom and Gomorrah, become the talk (fabula) and the mockery of the whole world.
And Moses shows in this passage that his sermons thunder especially against the hypocrites and works saints, who presume to fulfill the law without the Spirit, so that from this passage the prophets have taken a large part of their sermons against the same hypocrites and idolaters. Therefore he calls such a person a root that bears gall and wormwood, using the following words
bitter words and things attack the bitter and pernicious hypocrisy. These words are also used in the Epistle to the Hebrews [Hebr. 6, 8], 1) and almost also by Peter in the Acts of the Apostles, Cap. 8, 23, against Simon the sorcerer. So such a teacher of works is a root that bears gall and wormwood, for he brings bitter fruit by his teaching and examples, that is, the works of the law without the Spirit, which are sweet on the outside through false appearances, but on the inside they trouble and embitter the conscience. That is, they portray God as bitter and angry, since He is blasphemed by such righteousness, ascribing to our powers what belongs to His Spirit.
"So (he says) the drunken woman goes along with the thirsty." "The drunkard" he calls
1) The words "gall and wormwood" are not used in the briefs to the Hebrews, but: "thorns and thistles". Therefore, "these words" is to be interpreted by "bitter words".
a teacher who is full of his own opinions in the law of God. Therefore in the prophets, especially in Isaiah, much is said about this drunkenness and spitting and wine (Isa. 28, 1. Jer. 25, 27. 48, 26.]. But "the thirsty one" is the listener who is eager to know godliness and accepts and drinks everything without any distinction.
At the end he adds [v. 29.], "The mystery of the Lord is revealed unto us, that we should do all the words of this law." This also belongs to the sharpness of the exhortation, as if he wanted to say: The mysteries which God thinks concerning us, that He may curse the ungodly and bless the godly, and all that He wills that we should do, are revealed to us, and not to other nations, but not in vain. As if he wanted to say: Therefore fear. He who reveals these things reveals them for this reason, to frighten you, so that you may be sure that all these things will happen if you do not keep all the parts of this law.