Laid out in 1530 or later, issued in 1532.
Translated from the Latin by Justus Jonas.
Preface of Justus Jonas.
When the high prophet Moses in his fifth book had presented and interpreted the ten commandments, namely the first and the second table, to the people by many noble, faithful, delicious sermons; as then this same fifth book is a real bundle, and an exceedingly excellent glossa ordinaria and commentarius about the ten commandments; Shortly before his death he left this song for the whole people of Israel and all his descendants as a memorial and for the last time, in which he summarized and understood in short words the summa of the first, most noble and highest commandment, and otherwise of all preaching, admonition and admonition, which he did for a long time, from the first day of his profession and entrance, with the great people; so that they might understand this first, highest commandment of the first table: "I am your God" 2c. and the whole divine law, not only to be proclaimed, read and preached by priests and Levites every seven years, and to be heard in its time, but also that the same teaching be practiced among the people, among young and old, in the congregation and in homes, with daily remembrance, with daily teaching, practicing and admonishing, with daily singing and saying, and be sounded to the people; just as songs and chants are still being made for the common man and the youth, in which the
Summa of the whole gospel and knowledge of Christ.
For Moses, as a special high man, knew well that this blessed teaching, namely to spread and preserve the true word of God among the people, no human wisdom, no work, no care, no effort, nor diligence is enough, and that it does not help that one has the books and writings; As some now think, if they have the books alone, they are learned and holy; indeed, that it does not help that Deuteronomy lies in the ark of the covenant, or in the Liberei [2 Mos. 25, 16. 40, 20. 2 Kön. 22, 8.], but if also the preachers (as, such high prophet of all high prophets, Moses himself, and others) drive the divine word with all highest faithful diligence, with living voice and daily stopping. If these ten commandments, or divine word, are imagined by young and old people alike, with daily incitement, with supplications, with entreaties, with entreaties, with singing and saying, with all inward and outward exercise, it may nevertheless be great good fortune, and special rich grace of God, that it adheres and remains with some, before such great, fierce raving and raging of the devil, who would gladly wipe it to the ground, and through false
*Luther originally wrote this interpretation in Latin, but no single Latin edition of it is known, nor is it included in the Latin collections of the Wittenberg and Jena editions. It is also not known exactly when the interpretation took place. Seckendorf (nist. Tutb. lib. II,? 53, x. 148 a) and Walch (Vorrede zum 3. Bande, § 12) place it in the year 1529; but there can hardly be any doubt that it is to be placed later. (Cf. the notes to ? 29,? 50 and? 70.] Justus Jonas translated it into German and added a preface. This translation (perhaps from a "manuscript") was first published by Georg Rhaw at Wittenberg in 1532 under the title: Auslegung I). Mart. Luther's on the Song of Moses at the Two and Thirtieth Cap. Deutero. Translated from Latin by Justum Jonam. In the same year another edition was published, printed at Nuremberg by Kunigund Hergotin. In the German collections, this translation is found: in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. V, p. 247b; in the Eisleben edition, vol. I, p. 555; in the Altenburg edition, vol. I V, p. 786; in the Leipzig edition, vol. I V, p. 287, and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 52, p. 400. Both Walch and the Erlangen edition are based on the text of the first edition, so we have followed these. The Wittenberg edition has allowed itself so many and in part so significant changes with the text that it can come into consideration for us only here and there for the correction of individual readings. If one had only the Wittenberg edition, one would believe that the preface also originates from Luther, for the title of the same reads: "Preface to the Song of Moses", and in the preface itself the words: "according to the interpretation of Martini" have been omitted, and the relevant passage there reads: "I have therefore printed this song in German". In the Erlangen edition, the preface by Jonas is missing.
Doctrine and other wiles of Satan and wickedness of the desperate world will not be completely forgotten and even suppressed.
And so Moses, as a great man, to whom such an unspeakably great burden of governing the great people was laid, shortly before his death, was already thinking in his heart how soon all the good that he had done would fall; how miserable and wretched it would be after his death and further on; how the longer it would become, the worse it would become in the same people in the future, he briefly touched upon and exalted the great, excellent blessing that God had bestowed upon the people in this song with very important words; 1) after that, throughout the entire song until the end, he, as a true, sharp Moses, uses all kinds of harsh, horrible words of punishment and ghastly threats of divine seriousness and wrath.
And, as his proverb reads [Matth. 12, 34]: "When the heart is full, the mouth overflows", one can see in these words that Moses wrote this song out of fierce, heated, godly zeal, and that this song, shortly before his death, cost the faithful pious heart, the excellent high man, many a heavy, sorrowful thought, many a strong challenge; as we shall see. As if a faithful, pious preacher, who from the bottom of his heart would like to see God's word remain among the people and reach out to the descendants, should sing a little song, as it will still be in thirty or forty years in all the world, for the sake of the excellent, unspeakable, great ingratitude and contempt, which now and then bishops and princes, and also noblemen, citizens, peasants 2c. on this side show against the divine word, he would also not find much joy or gaudeamus, but much heartache, requiem and lament to sing. Rather, Moses had great anguish and pain from it, who prophesied here in this song, how it should go to the whole people in the future and for a long time, when they will now have their kings and princes 2c., until s^es] be over with them.
Because this song does not only concern the Israelites, but also all of us, and the dear gentle fellows, who nowadays in all classes despise God, the Lord, with his ten commandments, and say: The pastors can do nothing else, but preach the ten commandments, I have given this song, according to the interpretation of D. Martini, 2) German want to give day, the scholars, so their parish priests with
1) recover --- repeat.
2) The words: "nach... Martini" are missing in the Wittenberg edition.
to make those who despise the Ten Commandments uninstructed again; to show that Moses does not hold the Ten Commandments in low esteem, that they may see what the Ten Commandments are, who the man is who was seen and heard on Mount Sinai (as described in Ex. 19:16, 18), with proofs of divine majesty, with great and terrible fire, with strong lightning and thunder. with proof of divine majesty, with great terrible fire, with strong lightning and thunder, as one who wants to be and remain the Lord, let himself be seen and heard; and what great things the whole world, emperor, pope, princes, lords, kingdoms, countries, people, is interested in the short ten commandments (which every peasant and farmhand can now hear, but nevertheless despises and tramples underfoot).
It is a great, special gift and grace of God that the catechism is now being taught purely in the church, namely, the Ten Commandments, faith, and the Lord's Prayer. For through this, every person has the whole theology, and can learn what the right, best, highest, true service of God is, what God's will and commandment is, what He demands of us; item, how each one in his state, in all conduct and life, should hold himself against his neighbor, and live so that it pleases God. And if the Lutheran doctrine (to which the devil is so bitterly hostile) had been of no use other than to make the Catechism and the Ten Commandments known to the people again, which under the Papacy had to be the least doctrine against the pilgrimages, against the doctrine of monasticism and hearing mass, it would still have built more in the Christian church than Paris and all the high schools, as long as they had been on earth.
But the wicked world is everywhere ungrateful and perverse, both against God's commandments and against the Gospel. When it hears the commandments, it cannot think how great the Lord is until it feels thunder and lightning, either physically or spiritually in its conscience. If grace and mercy are proclaimed to her, she cannot let them be given to her, but wants to earn God's grace with her own works.
So, when the Ten Commandments are preached to people, they do not think that God is so serious about the commandments, and that they concern all the greatest things that are in heaven and earth, in this world and that. For the first tablet concerns God Himself, His divinity, His divine honor, which angels and men owe Him. But the other panel concerns the greatest things that are under heaven and on earth, all polities and regiments, all
3) but --- again.
The commandments are the basis of all households, all commerce and advertising, and therefore there is no wisdom, life or being that is not included in the commandments.
But many, when they hear the ten commandments, think of the children's Bible, think it is a bad children's sermon; do not think that they are such very high, great commandments, and that behind them is such a great Lord, such a high majesty, such a high master. But we know, praise God, that hearing and learning the Ten Commandments, item, knowing what is law, what is gospel, what is commandment, what is promise, is not to be regarded as such a bad children's teaching, but they are the highest two teachings under the sun, without which no one can come to God or know the truth.
We will leave it for this time to speak of the Gospel; but when you hear the Ten Commandments mentioned, you must not go with your thoughts into the children's Bible, or think that they are short words, which are also written in other children's books, which one hears every day, but you may well go higher, and know that you are hearing a teaching, especially in the first commandment: "I am your God" 2c., "Thou shalt not have other gods", which no prophet, not even Moses himself, not even an apostle, not even an angel in heaven has learned or studied.
For a poor creature, a poor man, to truly consider the high majesty that created heaven and earth, angels and men, as their Lord and God, to promise himself all good things to him, to trust in him in life and death, is not an art that can be studied. No saint on earth ever lived in this way, not even John Baptist, who studied it. This is why the Lord Christ says in Matthew 22:40 that the whole law and all the prophets hang on the two commandments.
For in the first commandment everything is comprehended that concerns God's glory, His divinity, His holy name, His holy will, and the highest, holiest divine service. Therefore, all ceremonies, all spiritual life, all worship services, whether among Christians or pagans, should and must be judged by the first commandment, so that if they are in accordance with it, they are quite pleasing to God; if they are not in accordance with it, they are idolatrous, devilish and vile abominations before God.
So in the other commandment, "Love your neighbor," or in the other tablet, are comprehended all right, godly, Christian good works, which may be done in all the world by young or old, in whatever state they may be, shall also and must be judged by the other tablet, and
be judged. And they that cry much of good works, but tread under foot this greatest register, where the good works are told, and commit adultery, murder, thievery without ceasing, may well be reflected in the other table. For all other good works, though they seem great and shining, if they are not according to the commandments of the other table and are done in obedience to God according to the first commandment, are vain hypocritical works, which God does not respect and which are of no use to the neighbor.
So then, everything concerning God and the neighbor is set forth in the Ten Commandments; and all the books of the Prophets, as well as many of the Psalms, are all preaching, reminding, and interpreting, with more and richer words, the first commandment: "I am your God. Item, all the histories in Joshua, in the book of Judges, of Kings, of Chronicles are examples of how God held so firmly above the first commandment, how He punished the unbelieving and the wicked, and how He saved and comforted the faithful.
But so great is the cunning and wickedness of the devil, that he can destroy holiness and worship, which have the greatest glory and appearance before the world, as the innumerable statutes and monasticism under the pope and the Turk, so that everyone, or the greater part of them, falls upon them, and not only leaves the right commandments of God, especially the first, standing, but tramples them underfoot.
So under the Pabstthum no mad monk's dream has been, no lie of rosaries so impudently, it is more violently driven with teachings and preaching, with words and works, than the holy ten commandments, and the highest, holiest, noblest commandment, which demands the highest, purest, noblest service of God, that we should believe God from the heart, fear him 2c.
Therefore, when Moses knew that there were all kinds of hypocrites among the people of Israel, who were following the worship of Baal and other false worship, deviating from these commandments and throwing the first commandment to the wind, he left this song for them to read, In it, he warns them with short but strong words, which all the prophets have subsequently warned them of, which has also happened to them in such a way that both heaven and earth must testify that not a single word has been missing, that everything has come true.
And in this song we will now see that God does not want to joke with the Ten Commandments, but how small and weak they seem, how little they are respected by the mighty, by the rich, by the wise, by the false saints, yet they shall rule in heaven and on earth.
They will condemn all false holiness and heresies, overthrow and erect kingdoms and principalities, as they have proven in the kingdom of Israel and Judah, and still prove daily with many examples.
For even if the world does not believe it, and in certainty and blindness despises God with His commandments, God the Lord nevertheless continues.
He shows that he is the Lord and God, comforts and saves his pious children, shows them abundant kindness and grace; however, under all kinds of crosses and tribulations. Again, he afflicts, punishes, redeems, and finally overthrows the wicked, as the first commandment says, and as the Psalms sing about it; as can be seen in all histories, both of the Scriptures and of the Gentiles. This is what we will continue to hear and read in this song.