Another Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy means “Second Law”. Moses reminded Israel of the Law in his farewell address.  The letters can be used to spell, “To Me, you nerd!” a reminder of Deuteronomy 6:5, I suppose. 

1:1 Ergo, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy repeatedly while He was in the wilderness (Matthew 4). 

1:2-3 They took 40 years to take an 11-day trip. 

1:6 We have stayed long enough at the mountain of Law. We are not being tutored by it anymore (Galatians 3:24, 1 Timothy 1:7); we are to press on into grace by faith (Galatians 4, Hebrews 12:18-24). 

1:28 “Anakites” See Numbers 13:33. Although most Nephilim drowned in the Flood, there are still giants to face like King Og of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:11) and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Genesis 6:4 says in addition to giants, angel/human mating produced heroes and men of renown; "and after that" means the only thing preventing it now is the angels' fear of punishment. 

1:30-31 “The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you…your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way…” and He still does. Don’t forget past victories, and don’t remember past sins, because He doesn’t (Hebrews 8:12). 

1:33 Cloud and fire; holy, lethal, and mysterious.

1:35 Unbelief kept them out of the Promised Land. They had a sacrificial system to deal with sin, but faith is paramount. As in salvation, the “old man” dies and the New Creation enters the World to Come. 

Deuteronomy 2 – When He says not to provoke neighboring related peoples to war, He means their lands are not part of the Promised Land for Israel. Later fights with different causes are another matter. 

2:7 He still does this, too (Philippians 4:19). 

2:34 The next few books of the Bible feature plenty of genocide. What is crueler? Wiping out a relatively low number of idolatrous child-sacrificers (while perplexingly showcasing a loving God that seems to have gotten Toddler-Stabbing Mad™ occasionally before the Cross) or, because Canaanite extermination was incomplete, all of their behaviors still going on in a world with a much higher population? There is not an easy answer for that, and I don’t advise thinking too hard about it (Job 1:22, Job 2:9). See Deuteronomy 7:2 note and Deuteronomy 7:16 note. 

3:1 Bashan is ranchland in Northern Syria. Therefore, verse 7 was a big score.  

3:11 The iron bed may be a 14’ long, 6’ wide sarcophagus. They say everything is bigger in Texas. 

3:27 Moses eventually got to set foot in the Promised Land during the Transfiguration. Only Jesus can get you there, not the Law. 

4:1 “that you may live” Another verse for the “lives > laws” pikuach nefesh defense. 

4:2 same as Deuteronomy 12:32. Jesus never sinned (John 8:46, 2 Corinthians 5:21), so everything He taught during His earthly ministry is found in the Law. Moreover, not a jot nor a tittle (Matthew 5:18) has left the Law, but believers have died to the Law (Galatians 2:19, Romans 7:4), and Christ is the end of the Law for believers (Romans 10:4). 

4:3 refers to Numbers 25.

4:8 The extent to which human life is valued and the concern for the less powerful such as the widows, orphans, poor, and foreigners make the Law of Moses notable among the law codes of that time and place.

4:9 This would also apply to the conquest of Canaan. You might think that forcing Israel to “be” a metaphorical Flood of judgment and to pass that experience along to future generations would have kept them on the straight and narrow. However, the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32) correctly predicted that this was not to be. 

4:16 See Psalm 135:18. Becoming corrupt and making an idol leads to being corrupted by the idol, etc.

4:20 like Daniel 3. They are refined and useful. 

4:26 Two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Part of remembering our sins no more is the creation of a new Heaven and a new Earth (Revelation 21:1) so no one can bring charges. 

4:28 ”man-made gods”  like Baal (“lord”) for agricultural success (ergo, financial prosperity) and Asherah aka Ashtoreth (slightly different attributes regionally) aka Ishtar (source of name Esther and the holiday Easter) for fertility/sex. Modern pastors mean well when they discourage treating the good things God gives us as more important than Him, but we can stop short of saying we “make these things into idols” or that the false gods are hiding in plain sight now. Somewhere between Judaism and Greek philosophy arose the notion of the yetzer hara or “evil impulse”, the drive to create that runs wild and leads to sin. They say no man would build a business or get married without it. This line of thinking lumps sinful behavior in with mere appetite. Colossians 2:11 says Christ removed your sinful nature from you at salvation, and for most people I doubt that turned them into Stoics or robots. For us, put simply: thank God for His blessings, use them responsibly, and don’t be a pagan. 

4:29-31 They didn’t seek Him wholeheartedly or obey Him.  Ezekiel 36:20-23 suggests they were brought back to prevent further profaning of the Name of God among the nations by their conduct abroad.  This explains why they were still under the thumb of foreign oppressors even after returning to the Promised Land.  God is merciful; Christ still came. The promised obedience in verse 30 is powered by the new nature and the Holy Spirit we received at salvation.

4:41-42 Cities of refuge were available for accidental killings. Offerings were accepted for unintentional sins. For willful/intentional sin (and if we’re honest with ourselves, it basically all is), we need Jesus.

4:45-49 They listened to these laws on land that had been won through genocide. The things they’d seen and done should have underlined the seriousness of God’s commands. God used the Law to teach us what we were like (Romans 3:19), dead without Christ (Ephesians 2:5). It’s an impossible standard (Acts 15:10) to end the lie of achieved righteousness that began in Eden (Genesis 3:5). However, a great mystery of our faith is that God came to us as a Man under the Law (Galatians 4:4-5), and yet is always the same forever (Hebrews 13:8). Thus, when He tells us to give to whoever asks, it’s less a test for us to fail (we will) but a promise that He grants salvation to whomever asks Him. Jesus loves me, this I know, for my Bible tells me so in Leviticus 19:18 that He fulfills (Matthew 5:17) because He is sinless (John 8:46), but the Cross is probably the biggest hint.

5:1 My treatment of many of the laws will be somewhat redundant to hopefully keep you from having to go back to Exodus every time in case this is ever used as a reference. The point of the Law is to silence everyone regarding works-based righteousness (Romans 3:19). It is a shadow of what we have in Christ (Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1). Even the Ten Commandments (the only part of the Law engraved on stone) is called a ministry of death and condemnation inferior to the glory of Christ in 2 Corinthians 3. Law-based living increases sin (Romans 7:5). Instead of pushing for the Ten Commandments to be posted in classrooms and public buildings, we need depictions of the Cross and the Empty Tomb since the Resurrection is the only thing that fixes anyone. 

5:4 “face to face” vs. Deuteronomy 4:15 means it’s a colloquialism for “mouth to mouth” or with plain speech. Moses saw part of Him (Exodus 33:23, Numbers 12:8).

5:6 Obedience is encouraged as a response to salvation from slavery here. Since God is righteous, were they expected to imitate Him and free their own slaves? No. There are plenty of laws governing their treatment (including right here in verse 14). 

5:8 Exodus 31, the cherubim on the Ark, the bronze serpent, and later Temple decorations prove that ornate things, even for church, are okay. The problem is worshiping them as idols. 

5:9-10 sounds harsh, but even here mercy is greater than wrath. Individualism comes later in Ezekiel 18. Even so, sinning has earthly consequences that can be hard on the families of offenders; by saying three or four generations, God is promising not to leave people in dysfunction forever.

5:11 including swearing falsely by the Name. Also, the Jewish concept chillul Hashem pertains to giving God a bad name due to the bad behavior of his worshipers. You represent Father all the time.

5:12 See John 5:17, Romans 10:4, Hebrews 4:9, and Colossians 2:16-17. The Sabbath and freeing slaves to return to their land on Jubilee years were in recognition of deliverance from Egypt, similar to how Christians forgive because we are totally forgiven people.

5:13-14 Doing His work was never a problem, so marching around Jericho or carrying a sleeping mat on any day at His command was all right.

5:15 Exodus 20:11 emphasizes His role as Creator here.

5:16 Leviticus 19:3 reverses the order of names to keep things more level between father and mother in the text as a whole. Establishing/respecting a government (with the head of the family as ruler of the house) is part of the Laws of Noah. Rabbinic commentators explain “honor” as respecting, obeying, and taking care of your parents. Doing all three is best; two out of three (respectfully taking care of them) was just fine in certain scenarios: dementia, etc. Since the point of obedience in the Jewish worldview was to live (Leviticus 18:5), ben Sira (author of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus in the Apocrypha) implied that the long life promised in this commandment meant that sins could be forgiven due to honoring parents. In the New Testament, whenever someone is referred to as “a brood of vipers” they were being called a parent-killer (a high-level lawbreaker) since the ancients thought some snakes burst from their mothers at birth. 

5:17 This is “murder” as in Exodus 21:14 and Deuteronomy 19:11-13, not defense of self or others, legally sanctioned killing as in a war, etc., or divinely prescribed execution. See Genesis 9:6.

5:18 Adultery involves another man’s wife (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22).

5:19 Stealing insults God because He blesses whom He chooses to, and it also implies He cannot provide for you. Jewish law experts have even applied the prohibition of stealing to waking people up too early (stealing sleep), deceiving people (stealing the mind), speaking ill of others (lashon hara) even if it is the truth unless there is a “greater” law at risk like preserving lives (stealing reputation), etc. Notice nothing of value needs to be transferred to the thief; merely depriving the original owner of it is theft.

5:21 Hebrew scholars tell us that coveting is wanting something that belongs to another and wanting for them not to have it. It is the envious “evil eye” that begrudges another’s success. If you would settle for a substitute and would be perfectly happy for them to have an even better one, it does not rise to the level of covetousness. When translated into Greek from Hebrew, the best word they had access to was “epithumeo” (roughly, to set the heart upon) or inordinate out-of-bounds lust, which was subsequently translated merely as “lust” in English Bibles, creating many inconsistencies. Notice throughout the Bible how often “covet” goes with “and take”; there is an intent to steal (Exodus 34:24, Deuteronomy 7:25, Joshua 7:21). Also, notice the obsessive tone of the list of items.

5:29 Remember, “fear” is more like “be in awe of” and “worship” (Matthew 4:10). 

6:1-2 “so that you may enjoy long life” Again, the point of the Law was to live, so living superseded adherence (per pikuach nefesh) in all cases except for sexual immorality, murder, and idolatry because those were under a divinely-enforced death sentence anyway.

6:3 “milk and honey” The land was good for agriculture and for foraging.

6:4 “Hear” means hear and obey. Saying the LORD is “one” is saying that the LORD “alone” is God. Three Divine Persons are distinct but one in essence. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, but the Father is not the Son, etc. Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41 are recited twice daily (like in verse 7) in Judaism in a prayer called the Shema Yisrael. In the Old Testament, the Kingdom of God amounts to obeying Him as ruler of Israel. Therefore, it meant saying the Shema with meaning (with kavanah—sincere direction of the heart). In the New Testament, the Kingdom is Jesus (the King), and we are in Him, and He is in us (Acts 17:28, Luke 17:20-21, John 17:20-26, 1 Corinthians 6:17).

6:5 is identified as the greatest commandment in the Law by Jesus in Matthew 22:37 (and in Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27). “Stringing pearls” of laws together with common words was a common Scripture interpretation method, and Hillel and Jesus used “love” to tie it to Leviticus 19:18 (your neighbor is as much the Image of God as you, of course). “Love” in Hebrew thought (hesed) is more faithful/loyal action than fuzzy feelings. Luke 10:27 adds “mind” to this list because Luke wrote to a Greek audience that wouldn’t understand that the mind is part of what is meant when Hebrew texts say “heart” and “soul”, therefore study is a form of worship. Congratulations for making it this far. To keep this commandment, one would have to love God with every thought, every hour, with every breath, with every ounce of strength, and with all they possess. They would have to be always willing to die or spend at His command and always prefer His way to their own wants or the ways of humanity. Only Jesus could do this, and only Jesus has. He loved us that way at the Cross. The Old Covenant commands love for God; the New Covenant is God loving us.

6:6-7 Some say that a meal over which the discussion does not include something about Scripture may as well have been offered to idols.

6:8-9 You see the back of your hand all the time; other people see your forehead. The commitment to God was to be obvious (not just for show; ever-present).

6:10-11 fulfills Genesis 9:26.

6:12 like Proverbs 30:8-9.

6:16 God has nothing to prove. Do not question His presence or motives. The Cross is the last word about how far He’s willing to go for us; the troubles of this world are but a fever dream. 

6:18-19 Clearing out the Canaanites was contingent on the Israelites’ obedience.     

6:25 “obey all” Uh-oh. Thankfully, “the LORD is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). See Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Hebrews 10:14.

7:2 The rules of a Holy War differ from normal conflict.

7:3,16 Refers to the unconverted. Rahab’s in Jesus’ family tree. The Israelites failed in wiping out the Canaanites. Jesus died for all sinners (including these child-sacrificers, should you find one), so we are to love, heal, and forgive rather than obsess over genealogies.

7:4 Idolatry was always the root problem.

7:16 Even though much of Jesus’ ministry was to Pharisee-influenced people who (in practice) forgot that love of neighbor is commanded in Leviticus 19:17-18, and Jesus emphasized it as one of the top two commands in the Law of Moses, the love of neighbor (made in God’s Image) is based on the love of God. God matters, and we only matter because He says we do as His Image/handiwork. Therefore, the idolatry risk was a pikuach nefesh exception to the command to love in the case of the Canaanites. Again, we live on this side of the Cross, so while sexual immorality, murder, and idolatry are not consistent with our new identity in Christ, we aren’t called as individual Christians to punish sins already paid for at Calvary. The legitimacy of governments punishing sins like murder, etc., is still affirmed in the New Testament (Romans 13, especially verse 4).

7:21 Among?  Now, we have something even better (John 17:20-26, 1 Corinthians 6:17).

7:22 God grows us little by little. An oak tree is an oak even as a sapling and at every stage of its development. We are growing and learning, but we are always righteous children of God. 

7:25 “covet..and…take” often go together.  Coveting involves intent to deprive another of something, not mere desire for something nice for yourself.  God cares about how you treat others and how you would treat others in a real opportunity.

7:26 Those who worship idols become like idols.

8:2 God knew what was in their hearts; the lesson was for them.

8:3 Jesus is the Word of God (John 1), so Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Shepherds in those days led sheep with their voice to each new puddle or sprout of “just enough” grass. Now, while we can be content in all circumstances with Christ (Philippians 4:13), He’s not a “get-by” God. He’s an overflowing, more-than-enough, baskets-of-leftovers-after-feeding-thousands God. See 1 Corinthians 2:9.

8:4 Our inheritance in Heaven (1 Peter 1:4) and our new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40-54) are both incorruptible.      

8:5 Much is made of God’s discipline. For us, it is primarily instructing us through the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and through Christ within us (John 15:3). He trains us for the future rather than punishing us for the past. See Hebrews 10:17-18. He uses whatever this fallen world throws at us to make us more Christlike (Romans 8:28-29), but He’s not sending the evil stuff our way (Matthew 7:11).

8:9 Iron metallurgy was precious in those days. 

8:18 Therefore, wealth is not bad in and of itself. See Deuteronomy 8:18 and 1 Corinthians 4:7.  

9:2 See Joshua 11:21-22. 

9:4-6 Every good thing we get under the New Covenant is because of Christ’s righteousness that He freely gave us rather than any of our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

9:8 refers to the sin seen in Exodus 32:1-6. Aaron was still high priest after that thanks to Moses’ intercession; even better for us, we have Jesus (Hebrews 7:25).     

9:9 Jesus and Elijah did this fast, too.     

9:11 The tablets are identical. Both parties got copies of a treaty, which God’s covenant with the Hebrews resembles. Keeping God’s copy with them symbolized Him living among them.     

9:14 He hints He can be talked out of it (Ezekiel 22:30). If He really wanted them gone, He could have acted without explanation, and it’s not like Moses could have stopped Him. 

9:17 Breaking one of the rules in the Law is to break all of it (James 2:10). The Old Covenant was broken and reinstated from the start. There ended up being many “second” chances. The New is not an assisted do-over of the Old. 

10:12 To “walk in all of His ways” as some translations put it is traditionally understood to be like Him, to be His children.     

10:16 He told them to do this. Knowing they’d fail, He said He’d do it for them (Deuteronomy 30:6) if they followed Deuteronomy 30:1-10. He reiterated this promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27.  Moreover, knowing they’d fail to keep the Old Covenant, He promised the heart-cleansing and a New Covenant of grace in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It is called New, but it is older than the Old Covenant; it is of faith (Genesis 15:6), and it is this New way we walk in now. See Galatians 2:19-21, Colossians 2:11-14, and Hebrews 8:6-13. 

10:18 Traditionally, they could correct sinners, employees, etc., without violating this, but they had to speak kindly. “Orphan” (fatherless) status lasted until a person became capable of supporting themselves. 

10:20 “cleave to Him” in some translations carries the connotation of God as Husband. See Deuteronomy 10:12 note. The Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-32) and children of God (John 1:12) roles have been there all along. 

11:9 “milk and honey” Agriculture and forage.     

11:12 Like the Eden it used to be. See Genesis 15:18 note.    

11:16 They ran to false gods for the blessings just described.  

11:17 is a preview of Elijah’s story.   

11:22 Again, living as His Bride and His children.     

11:24 See Genesis 13:17. This is why dirty sandals could be land deeds in other Bible stories, i.e. Ruth. See Genesis 15:18 and its note. The land described encompasses modern Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, some of Egypt (east of the Nile), most of Syria, some of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait, etc. 

11:29 See Genesis 12:6 note.

11:32 A conditional relationship with God always fails. He is perfect, and we are not (apart from what Jesus did for us – See Hebrews 10:14).

12:1 “as long as you live in the land” Apart from some ordinances that make one distinctly Jewish, it was debated whether the exiled needed only to avoid the sins God enforces among peoples apart from the Law of Moses (Gentiles), like the Canaanites.     

12:2-5 People thought Earth touched Heaven at high places and especially fertile places. Mount Sinai and the Garden of Eden would feel like appropriate settings to most ancient readers. The similarities to the Sinai experience (levels of access, elevated Holy of Holies) and the Garden imagery gave the Temple (already a replica of the Heavenly version) a familiar awesomeness. The “high places” mentioned throughout the historical books were sites of pagan worship and unauthorized worship of the true God. The authorized worship site was, at various times, Gilgal, Shechem/Mount Ebal, Shiloh, and finally Jerusalem. Only the Name was said to dwell there; even Heaven cannot contain the omnipresent God. Centralizing worship prevented attempts at syncretic worship of false gods alongside Him. Genesis 14:18-20 and Genesis 22 foreshadowed God’s choice of Jerusalem and the associated Temple Mount as “the” place (2 Samuel 7:10-11).

12:8-9 On this side of the Cross, we get to pretty much do as we please (unless we’re being tricked by Sin) because being led by the Spirit feels like doing what we truly want to do (Philippians 2:13). 

12:15,20,21 The Arby’s® verses, for those that get the reference. Not all meat was a sacrifice, so the loss of the Temple did not require vegetarianism. The apostles were commercial fishermen even after their calling, Jesus ate fish after His resurrection, and God serves everyone good meat in Isaiah 25:6. The Ebionites (a sect of adoptionist heretics and vegetarians looking back to Genesis 1:29) and those that present them as the legitimate heirs of the Way of John the Baptist and Jesus in order to discredit Paul were, and are, mistaken at best. Paul and Daniel’s diets were because of meat sacrificed to idols. Psalm 36:6 does demonstrate God’s concern for all creatures, so this isn’t a license for purposeless cruelty.

12:23-24 Because of Genesis 2:19, this is “dust to dust”.     

12:31 How well did they do at avoiding worshiping Chemosh and Molech? Solomon, whom God made very wise, built them temples (1 Kings 11:7). Ahaz and Mannaseh sacrificed sons (2 Kings 16:3, 2 Kings 21:6). See also 2 Kings 17:17, and 2 Kings 23:10. It seems like every curse we covered in Leviticus 26 and will see in Deuteronomy 28 were eagerly sought. The Law entices people to sin (Romans 7:5). Everything the Canaanites felt when the Israelites invaded in the next few books came back around via Assyria and Babylon as promised. The sudden mention of child sacrifice after lots of exposition about the place God chose is a reminder that Mount Moriah (later known as the Temple Mount) was where He gave the world a lesson opposed to child sacrifice in Genesis 22 by continuing to bless Abe despite not sacrificing Isaac.     

12:32 Again, like Deuteronomy 4:2. Therefore, sinless Jesus did not “raise the bar” or deliver “Moses 2.0” in the Sermon on the Mount; He reminded the audience of things their leaders failed to do or that they slept through amidst the sacrifice talk (Leviticus 19:18). 

13:1-11 The people that applied this passage to Jesus forgot that they also should have been looking for Deuteronomy 18:14-22 and that “the LORD” visited Abe in bodily form in Genesis 18.

13:3 Thankfully, tests are a thing of the past (James 1:13). Jesus aced them all. 

13:5 In a theocracy, God is King, and therefore apostasy is treason.  

13:9-10 “Murder” is different from “kill”, otherwise the whole community wouldn’t have been commanded to stone people to death.  

13:15-17 They couldn’t profit from idolatry. The village becomes “under the ban” as if it were a Canaanite town (irrevocably given to the LORD by total destruction). They already disobeyed Deuteronomy 13:10 about stoning the tempters to death. Destroying the livestock also removes a profit motive for lying about such matters. Since God gave Earth to humanity (Psalm 115:16), and humans are largely idolatrous, is the destruction of the world/”global village” (Zephaniah 1 for starters) a surprise to you? 

Deuteronomy 14 – The Fall warped some animals more than others (Romans 8:19-21). For example, humanity has dominion over animals and predators don’t, so they’re unclean. Death is the result of sin, so scavengers are unclean. Look back to the Creation account: Flying birds were pronounced good, swarming fish tend to be scaled, etc. Light was called good, so nocturnal animals are disorderly and therefore unclean. Crawling on the belly and eating dust were not spoken well of, so those are out. Insects without association with feces or dead things are clean unless they undergo metamorphosis (and therefore do not reproduce according to their own “kind” in a straightforward fashion). The clean/unclean animal distinction isn't part of the New Covenant (Acts 10:9-16), so feel free to enjoy shrimp while reading this.  

14:21 Leviticus 17:15 covered mishaps with dead animals. Again, “do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk” appears as in Exodus 23:19 and Exodus 34:26. It’s speculated to be a prohibition of a pagan fertility ritual. It’s hard to develop a summary of the Law that accounts for this being in there three times, so I like to think of it as similar to a band specifying “no brown M&Ms® in the dressing room” as a way to tell if the venue read the more important stuff about amplifiers, etc. Later, the Pharisees made rules that were stricter than the Law to avoid getting close to breaking it. Boiling a goat in the milk from a different mother would be legal, but an onlooker might think they were breaking the Law. The principle of marit ayin prohibited doing legal things that would give the appearance of wrongdoing. Somehow, this extended to avoiding the combination of milk and meat even of different species. Today, there are people that won’t eat a chicken quesadilla even though milking a chicken sounds like the sort of miracle an apostle would do in the Book of Acts.

14:22-29 The tithe was an agricultural tax (not applicable to all jobs), some of which the farmers got to eat. Giving the first things honored the Source and showed faith that more and better things were coming. Notice that partying in Jerusalem with it was one way to do that in addition to giving alms to the poor. The whole arrangement is based on the Levites in the Temple system having no property (Deuteronomy 18:1). Levites got paid in years 3 and 6; there was also a 2% levy on certain other products (Deuteronomy 18:4). Pastors, while entitled to enough to survive on (1 Corinthians 9:3-6,14), can have day jobs (Paul was a tentmaker), book deals, houses, cars, podcasts and other income streams from their ministries, etc., so tithing was a matter of the Law (Matthew 23:23) that we died to (Romans 7:4). Now, we give as the Spirit leads to meet pressing needs without pressure or percentages (2 Corinthians 8 and 2 Corinthians 9). It was the crops and not the seed that was taxed, so combining everything into a nebulous substance called “money” has believers giving away what they need for retirement (Romans 13:8 says to stay out of debt, and 1 Corinthians 7:21 encourages getting free from the employer/employee dynamic if you can). For readers in America, since the USA ostensibly began as a Christian nation (“The Mayflower Compact”), and our tax-funded programs for illness and poverty are equivalent to the community poor chest the Israelites had for these verses, the average 3% post-tax donation believers are led to donate by the Spirit brings the total in line with what the Israelites shouldered. Philippians 2:13 is an amazing realization. 

14:29 Note the repeated concern for aliens, orphans, and widows throughout Deuteronomy especially. 

15:1-3 The debt cancellation is a remembrance of being freed in Egypt.  Apart from this scenario, there was a cultural expectation that the poor would repay (Psalm 37:21) what was borrowed.  See Exodus 22:25-27 note.      

15:4-5 “there need be no poor” was contingent on not sinning.      

15:7-8 Rabbinic thought has parsed this verse to mean that the order of responsibilities are family obligations (1 Timothy 5:8), congregation or local people, and the needs of distant people. All Christians are family. People complain about subsisting on what the safety net in some developed countries provides, but I suspect our efforts to feed the Bread of Life to those in need of Jesus worldwide (our attempts at the Great Commission) and to support persecuted believers in hostile countries are usually better primary focuses. The “tightfisted” is the “evil eye” or begrudging faith in scarcity Jesus warned about in Matthew 6:22-24 and Luke 11:34-36 (He also mentioned the concept in Matthew 20:15). Even so, Deuteronomy 15:8 is about “lending” rather than donating. 

15:11 This was what Jesus meant in John 12:8, not callous disregard for them.     

15:12 Selling yourself into slavery to repay debts wouldn’t be an option in the Bible if propping up a permanent non-working caste (apart from the orphans, widows, disabled, elderly, etc.) were the goal. Compare the slavery rules to those in Exodus 21 and Leviticus 25.

15:13 The parting gift incentivized them to serve well and increase the master’s holdings. 

15:17 This, along with the frequent mentions of earrings (and a nose ring at least once in Genesis 24) mean piercings aren’t the big deal that many respectable folk make of them. 

15:18 “twice as much” because they’ve been available day and night. Paul called himself a slave of Christ in Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1, and Titus 1:1 to signify that his commitment exceeded that of a mere hireling. 

15:21 Pilate found no defect in Jesus the Sacrifice in John 19:6. 

16:14 This is mandatory fun. Smile. I said to smile! The Law of Moses commands smiling! See how artificial a Law-based relationship with God seems compared to the way of Grace?

16:16-17 The Old Covenant believers had to approach the house of God with meat bribes; under the New Covenant, we are God’s house (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), and Jesus’ offering is the only one that matters (Hebrews 10:14).

17:11-13 is the source of Jesus’ admonition to obey the religious leadership of His time on Earth in Matthew 23:2-3. 

17:14 This does not mean this was a good idea (1 Samuel 8, 1 Samuel 12:18-19). The Israelites had a theocracy. Asking for a king was asking God to abdicate. A king like all the nations around them had would be another viceroy of Satan. Still, God knew (and knows) the future and had rules for even this scenario. 

17:15 Being a foreign vassal leads to idolatry, oaths taken in the name of false gods, etc. God is Israel’s King, and Israel’s earthly leader had to serve Him. 

17:16-17 Many Israelites already died in the wilderness because they wanted to go back to Egypt. Also, inflating the size of the military would have led them to rely on that strength rather than God (Judges 7:2). The same went for wealth. Likewise, many wives for a king would mean many political alliances to trust instead of God. Also, finding many brides of suitable status leads to marrying foreign worshipers of false gods to lead the king’s heart astray. The traditional limit for wives for a monarch was 18; three per day not counting a Sabbath of rest. Anything beyond that was thought to interfere with his political and religious duties. The Law allows polygamy (really polygyny, since only one husband was allowed); a wealthy man could have as many wives and concubines as he could financially support. 

17:18-20 like Joshua 1:8      

18:3 The rest was burned or eaten by the person who brought the offering.      

18:4 Approximately 2% of the crop was customary.      

18:9-14 Notice, we’re talking about things that got the Canaanites removed; things that God doesn’t like to see whether people are under the Law of Moses or not. Canaan has been historically implicated in temple prostitution, idolatry, adultery, bestiality, incest, period sex, male-male buggery or anal penetration (Leviticus 18, Leviticus 20), child sacrifice (See also 2 Kings 17:17, 2 Kings 21:6, Ezekiel 16:21), etc. Here we find idolatry under other names (going to something other than God for its control over your circumstances, particularly with sacrifice and/or ritual) such as drug-induced religious hallucinations, divination, casting spells, and trying to get information from the dead instead of praying to God. Worshiping the sun (like in Ezekiel 8:16) and other heavenly bodies also draws His ire. Therefore (not to get legalistic), Ouija, Tarot, EVP (as a method of divining information), crystals for magic use, most abortions, tying magic charms or strings to yourself, horoscopes, spells, seances, wishing on stars, hard drug abuse, etc., are probably still things to avoid. Utterly “blameless” is impossible apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ, so here it means “blameless with regard to the stuff Moses just said”. The Phoenicians were leftover Canaanites (you are reading this in their alphabet) that built a vast shipping empire on commodities like tin for bronze metallurgy. They founded Carthage; Romans abhorred Carthaginian child sacrifice practices. Between lingering irrevocable financial blessings, a global trade empire built by Baal worshipers, suspected fallen angel ancestry of certain leaders and heroes, and the tendency of the wealthy and powerful to intermarry with each other, there are many conspiracy theories about how the world that God gave to humanity and that humanity subsequently gave to Satan really works. Just focus on Jesus. He is coming back, and His love and grace should be our message to the world instead of getting sucked into debates over minutiae.

18:15-19 Jesus. See Luke 9:35, John 16:8-9, and Acts 3:23. The people that misapplied Deuteronomy 13 to Him should have kept reading. Since Moses had many miracles associated with him, those would have been expected to accompany the Prophet as well (Deuteronomy 34:12).

18:20-22 If bad things don’t happen (like with Hezekiah and Jonah), God is merciful. See Jeremiah 18:7-8. His blessings are irrevocable (Romans 11:29) unless Jeremiah 18:9-10 is applicable, though. If good things didn’t happen, they were spoken by a false prophet (Jeremiah 28:9). It was safer for prophets to predict doom and gloom; thus, the news media was born. 

19:5 Logging is a dangerous occupation. From a Jewish lesser-to-greater standpoint, contact sports are permissible. 

19:11-13 See Exodus 21:14; even the sanctuary provided no sanctuary.

19:14 Since God set the boundaries, land theft was especially heinous.      

19:21 This is a court principle (Deuteronomy 19:17-18), not a recipe for personal vengeance, which would violate Deuteronomy 32:35 and Leviticus 19:18. This is behind Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 5:38. 

20:1 The same goes for us (Romans 8:31).      

20:3-8 It is practical to send the morale poison home to keep the rest of the troops useful. It is also practical to get rid of anyone whose attention is divided or may lead to sad propaganda stories when they die. 

20:11-15 Professional standing armies with salaries did not exist yet there. The plunder was the pay. A few decisive ancient battles (that led to national boundaries and the presence or absence of cultural influences in parts of the world still seen today) came down to troops breaking ranks to run straight for the enemy baggage instead. All slavery is not unbiblical since verse 11 commanded it during the Old Covenant (and universal emancipation was not commanded in the New, either). These were the rules of regular war (that God approves of; He could have just said “no war” if that were His intention) as opposed to the total holy war with the Canaanites. This is incomprehensible by the modern “all you need is love”/common interpretation of the Bible. However, let’s think about a few things. Mark’s summary of “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19) is “don’t cheat people” (Mark 10:19). “Do not resist an evildoer” (Matthew 5:39) may be more like “do not be vexed by an evildoer” (Proverbs 24:19, Psalms 37:1) since God will assuredly avenge you (Deuteronomy 32:35). Abe’s (Genesis 14, Genesis 26:5) and David’s (1 Samuel 30, 1 Kings 15:5) self-defense/rescue missions are presented as valid pursuits. John the Baptist wasn’t a pacifist Essene but a distinctly different desert-dwelling stickler for the rules who didn’t even disarm soldiers (Luke 3:14) (who were probably detested Roman collaborators). We’ve already seen that Israel’s eventual borders were destined to reach to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18), including the lands of enemy nations like Ammon in addition to the Canaanite territory. Israel was a small country surrounded by big enemy armies (Deuteronomy 20:1). We’ve covered how holy wars were a pikuach nefesh handling of the command to love (and it’s reiterated in Deuteronomy

20:16-18); this sits more at the corner of “Mess Around and Find Out”. Once engaged, they weren't to play defense and get stuck in an unwinnable quagmire, but instead could take enemy cities to try to end things quickly (even with nasty siege tactics). The Bible is internally consistent. 

20:19-20 Preserves the conquest value.  Fruit-bearing trees can take a long time to cultivate.      

21:1-9 Since Adam was made from dirt, this is dirt’s version of Numbers 19 to cleanse the land after a death.

21:10-14 Concubines are slaves, not wives. Verse 14 is a manumission, not a divorce. Marriage is until death or until someone breaks the marriage contract; legal proceedings are a formality.  The “like a slave” in verse 14 of modern translations can be read closer to “brutally” like being beaten for low brick output in Egypt (Exodus 2:11). 

21:15-16 God had a chance to affirm the beliefs of the people who say that marriage is between one man and one woman here and did not do so. Polygamy (really polygyny, specifically) is allowed. Consult your local laws. Also, it’s okay to want what God doesn’t object to you having.

21:17 The firstborn heir gets a double portion of the inheritance (if there are two sons, divide the pie by three and give two slices to the firstborn) and also the responsibility of leading the family and taking care of the widowed mother, etc.

21:18-21 The high costs of meat and alcohol may have implied the son was bankrupting the family (Proverbs 23:21) or was a robber, etc. They called Jesus a glutton and a drunkard in Matthew 11:19 (God liked drink offerings in the Old Covenant). 

21:22-23 Death atones for sin, but the body is still God’s Image and deserves prompt proper burial (or cremation nowadays, we’ll cover that when we get to it). Egypt just left their executed corpses up as a warning (Genesis 40:19). Here, it seems that displaying the corpse is related to removing the bloodguilt or curse from the land as in Deuteronomy 21:1-9. You can see this at work in 2 Samuel

21:6-14 and back in Numbers 25:4. God’s land had God’s Tabernacle/Temple on it, so something had to be done about curse-worthy behavior (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 have plenty of examples) especially since the Day of Atonement only came annually. Christ had to die in this manner (Galatians 3:13, Galatians 4:4-5); He took the curse. He is sinless, so it’s like dividing by zero to get infinity. Christ’s finished work makes the whole world suitable for us walking around with God’s Presence in us, so the curtain in the Temple ripped (Matthew 27:51). 

22:5 This one’s tricky regarding current applicability for Christians. The “abomination” is no help; yes, it applies to various unsavory behaviors like scamming people with false weights in business and even several sins attributed to the Canaanites, but it is also applied to foods declared permissible for Christians to eat in the New Testament. Is this rule about tricking straight men into buggery, or about androgyny softening the boundaries that prevent that? However, this rule is down here in the miscellaneous section rather than in the sex crimes section, and there doesn’t seem to be a blood sacrifice or a death penalty. It’s also separated from the “keeping categories separate” stuff in verses 9-11. Pants weren’t invented yet; everyone basically wore robes, tunics, etc. Leaving it to the prevailing culture doesn’t seem eternal. Kilts are for men in Scotland. Veils are probably the best guess for a gender-specific article of clothing of the period. Gender-bending Ishtar priests committed buggery in worship services (Deuteronomy 12:4), but other prohibitions like child sacrifice and cutting at least mentioned false gods or the dead. The word for “man” here is a grown, manly, soldier-type rather than just a male, so some speculate it’s about armor, etc. Others offer that it’s about deception to gain access to gender-specific areas for nefarious purposes. Can you say a drag queen’s shoes are women’s clothing if they don’t make them in women’s sizes? What about comedy sketches in which no one is fooled regarding the gender of the participants? When in doubt about an issue, apply the same reasoning Paul did (in Romans and 1 Corinthians) regarding food previously sacrificed to idols sold in markets: don’t do anything you think is wrong, and be willing to curtail your freedom in certain group settings for the benefit of more “scrupulous” believers that would be scandalized by your actions. 

22:6-7 Note the similarity of this random dictum to Exodus 20:12. Rabbi Acher saw a boy fall from a ladder and die while doing this very thing for his father (which would have made him doubly blessed with long life), proving the existence of the World to Come.

22:8 This has been broadly applied promoting the safety of others: avoiding drunk or reckless driving, etc. 

22:9-11 They were to keep things separate. Israel was called to a more persnickety standard of living just as priests were more set apart by their conduct. Monoculture is suboptimal (foregoing nitrogen fixation, etc.), so good harvests under this rule would be evidence of God’s blessing. Verse 10 comes around again in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 and 2 Corinthians 6:14. As to the extent we are to keep things separate now, we are now a priestly kingdom in Christ, but our sanctification is not due to our rule-keeping. It is due to our Savior (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:10). Like Paul, we are competent as ministers of the New Covenant because it’s not about our genealogy or achievements, but about what He did for us. If asked, spread the Good News gently and respectfully (1 Peter 3:15).

22:13-14 Jewish men were able to get divorced, so this man wants to get his wife stoned to death. 

22:15-17 The parents kept the bloody sheet for just such an occasion. The rules in Leviticus 21 led to high bride prices for virgins.      

22:18-19 is double the bride price in verse 29. Why was he not stoned to death per Deuteronomy 19:19-21? It must be reasoned that losing money and having to remain married to a woman thusly angered is equivalent to death on the eye-for-an-eye judicial scale and a better deterrent for God to pick this instead. 

22:21 “in her father’s house” is the key. This meant being promiscuous after passing the virginity inspection for betrothal (because it would have happened if verse 14 were to be an issue for this husband), and betrothal was as good as married when it came to the adultery punishment. There were plenty of non-temple, non-stoned-to-death hookers. See the stories of Samson, Judah, Jephthah, and Solomon. 

22:22 Adultery gets the death penalty for both participants. Notice in John 8, they only brought the woman to Jesus.      

22:23-24 Again, adultery gets the death penalty. I’m being repetitive, but I’m going somewhere with this.      

22:25-27 The involuntary “adulteress” is spared, and the rapist gets the death penalty. Rape is said to be analogous to murder in verse 26. There were wars fought over rapes in Judges and in (maybe) Genesis 34. 

22:28-29 Here we go. They are “discovered”. She’s not yelling for rescue. “Rape” is not in all translations. The “seizes” of verse 28 is not like the “forces” of verse 25. If it says “seduces”, it says the same thing as Exodus 22:16-17. The Bible has been accused of forcing women to marry their rapists. Looking ahead to 2 Samuel 13, people use Tamar’s statements to support this interpretation. Women traditionally did not study Torah. Her (possible) attempt to apply Deuteronomy

22:29 to her situation, especially given Leviticus 20, is maybe less biblical than Absalom’s application of Deuteronomy 22:25-27 when David would not. If she did know the Torah, she knew being sent away would leave her as “damaged goods” but getting the story in the open in front of the paterfamilias might result in the application of the law resulting in Amnon’s death and the restoration of her freedom to remarry by any reckoning (if less profitable for David), which Absalom later accomplished. 

23:1 In Deuteronomy 31:28,30 and Judges 20:2 the “assembly” are the leaders of the nation.  This resembles Leviticus 21:20-23. Notice in that passage, castrated Levites are still Israelites and even get to eat sacrifices, but could not take the lead roles. Having a child is a commitment to leaving a world fit for them to live in, and being able to manage a family is a good indicator of being able to manage other groups, so the New Testament analogue to this principle is found in 1 Timothy 3:4. Ancient peoples’ concept of immortality was through the memories of their descendants, so Israelites that had been castrated for service in Babylon had concerns that were eased by Isaiah 56:3-5. “Be fruitful and multiply” was for the early generations, it was not repeated at Sinai, and neither Jesus nor Paul followed it. For anyone who has ever been hassled by a priest about a vasectomy, orchiectomy, etc., they didn’t get that from the Bible. See Matthew 19:12; if it’s a godly way to live, it’s not an ungodly thing to do.

23:2-6 Some translations limit this to bastardy (but see Judges 11:1 note), but it broadly includes “forbidden marriage”. Intermarriage with Canaanites is already prohibited (Deuteronomy 7:3). The various prohibited incestuous relationships are detailed in Leviticus 18. The actions of the Ammonites and Moabites during the days of the Exodus add them to the list. As Ruth, Rahab, and Tamar (even with the Hittite version of Levirate marriage prohibited in Leviticus 20:12) didn’t cause problems for David’s family tree, predictably the Iron Age document is talking about dudes in leadership roles again. Although not even Moses kept the Law of Moses, the Septuagint (like the New Testament authors quoted from) says in Exodus 6:20 that Moses’ parents were cousins, and therefore Leviticus 18:12 didn’t disqualify him for his role.

23:7-8 Esau’s still family (except for the Amalekites; see Deuteronomy 25:17-19). The Israelites were commanded to be grateful for Joseph-era hospitality in Egypt despite the other unpleasantness.      

23:10-11 Modern translations say “nocturnal emission” in place of “some occurrence in the night”.  See Leviticus 15:16 notes if that’s of interest.      

23:12-14 If He finds it indecent on the ground, why wouldn’t He find it indecent on you? Most peoples’ horror at scat play is applicable to buggery (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1: 26-27) in the ancient world that lacked lubricants and baby wipes for copulation. Also, this verse means the shame of uncontrolled defecation added to the agony of crucifixion. When the Pharisees tried to apply the Law wherever possible, some of them considered Jerusalem the camp of the Lord and declared the latrine out of town too far to walk on the Sabbath, resulting in them being “full of it”. For historical interest, Acts 1:12 says that the distance from the Mount of Olives to the Old City of Jerusalem was an acceptable Sabbath day’s walk.

23:15 “with you” implies a foreign master. 

23:16 If runaway Gentile slaves, whom the Hebrews would have considered the lowest of the low, were free to live in any neighborhood, logically no neighbor is objectionable on the basis of their national or racial identity, etc.

23:17-18 Unlike the neighboring religions, there was to be no temple hooking for God. Leviticus 21:9 prohibited priests’ daughters from being hookers because it looks adjacent to this. Leviticus 19:29 prohibited Israelites from pimping out their own daughters. Saying “no whores” would have been a lot simpler if that were His intent; legislating a few exceptions implies a broader legality. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the sale of food and drugs; food and drugs can be obtained legally without much difficulty.

23:19-20 Only the poor were in focus in Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:35-37.      

23:21-23 The source of Matthew 5:34 and James 5:12. While God as Father (and Christ as Husband) nullifies our rash vows, it’s still not a good idea to say “I’ll never do that again” or “I swear to God…”  Trust Jesus living inside you for guidance, and try to be of such integrity that your “yes” and your “no” are believed without qualification. 

23:25 The disciples did this in Mark 2:23 and Matthew 12:1, but on a day that would have been unacceptable per Exodus 16:29 if not for them following God made flesh. Doing His work on the Sabbath was never a problem (marching around Jericho, etc.).

24:1-4 The focus of this is on prohibiting remarriage to the first husband after the second divorce to avoid the appearance of adultery, pimping out a wife, wife-swapping, etc. Matthew 19:8 was just Jesus pointing out that this wasn’t the plan pre-Fall (Genesis 2:24), and that God expects people to keep their promises. He wasn’t negating Law (Deuteronomy 4:2, Matthew 5:17). We’ll discuss why they asked Him that question (and where they asked Him) in Matthew. Shammai and Hillel were two influential Jewish scholars and Torah interpreters a few decades before Christ. Shammai was known for his strict and rigorous approach to religious matters, while Hillel was thought to be more lenient or compassionate. The interpretation of “indecent about her” as “basically for any reason” by Rabbi Hillel was meant to kindly skip the public unpleasantness of Deuteronomy 22:13-19. God got a Deuteronomy 24 divorce in Jeremiah 3:8,14 but there are no other real gods, so the reconciliation was not complicated by a second husband.

24:5 the “happiness” being understood by ancient readers/hearers as offspring to ensure immortality by their reckoning.

24:6 Therefore, don’t “cancel” peoples’ livelihoods, etc. 

24:7 As regular theft lacks a death penalty and kidnapping has one, some Jewish scholars think “Thou shalt not steal” pertains to stealing people. Given the finite nature of your time and effort on this planet, anything you earn costs a certain amount of life energy; therefore, taking other people and/or their stuff is bad. As an aside, consider the length and difficulty of the time you will have to work (and pay taxes on) to buy any purchase you consider making to decide if it is worth it.

24:10-11 God made us in His Image and gave us this reality (Psalm 8:6), we owe ourselves to Him (Matthew 22:20-21), and He politely stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20).

24:14-15 Day laborers lived hand-to-mouth. Taking their labor and sending them to bed hungry was egregious. 

24:16 “for” is “in place of” as a substitute. The people from Korah’s rebellion, Achan’s family, Canaanites, Egyptian firstborn, Flood babies, etc., are not in focus here. All of that is above my pay grade per the Book of Job.

24:17-22 They were to remember being slaves in Egypt and care for aliens, orphans, and widows who reminded them of being slaves in Egypt. It’s a cycle.

24:21 The poor still had to harvest for themselves.

25:4 Modern pastors seem to discourage using office supplies for personal use, and that can be unethical, but this rule is more like “don’t hassle your employees over small stuff, man”. Biblically, employers have more verses admonishing them to pay employees enough and on time than the employees have against paperclip harvesting. Also, arguing lesser-to-greater, if this is a rule, then egregious animal cruelty is bad too (not including the sacrifices and meat-eating mandated elsewhere).

25:5-10 Levirate marriage (from the Latin levir—brother-in-law) kept the names, family lines, and property boundaries intact. There is no mention of the living brother’s wife because the Law is fine with polygamy. Since it’s the “first” son in verse 6 and not “keep going until there’s a son and then stop”, they were in the clear to keep on having sex after the duty was fulfilled. The bit with the sandal has to do with property ownership and/or is a parody of a mourning gesture as the brother was 100% dead according to their reckoning. This is why that other guy in Ruth 4 is nameless. 

25:11-12 That’s if she’s interfering. As a combatant on her own, all bets are off. This is an attempt at equivalent value per Deuteronomy 19:21 and the high stakes of Deuteronomy 23:1. 

25:17-19 Saul lost the throne for being insufficiently genocidal (1 Samuel 15:2-9, 1 Samuel 28:18). These verses sound like a grudge, but we forgive because we’re forgiven; God is a righteous judge by default. The Amalekites attacked the weak and weary. Wipe out their memory by not reminding anyone of them with your behavior; instead, take care of the stragglers. 

26:5-10,13-15 These are early creed patterns.      

27:4 Mount Ebal is near Shechem, where Abe got the promise in Genesis 12:6-7. It’s a natural amphitheater. These commands were fulfilled in Joshua 8:32-35. 

27:5 The ground they farmed was cursed (Genesis 3:17), so they had to get the sacrifices off the ground. Christ removed curses and sacrifices. Carving was prohibited because human effort is bad (John 6:63, Isaiah 64:6), and it would have almost definitely led to idolatry given what goes on in the rest of the Old Testament. 

27:12-13 The blessings referred to here begin at Deuteronomy 28:1, and the curses begin at Deuteronomy 28:15. Otherwise, the Levites providing general curses for all Israel in Deuteronomy 27:14 (see verse 12) with no one blessing anything would be inconsistent with God’s instructions.  

27:14 The curses that follow are mostly for secret sins unlikely to be addressed by human courts. These relatives would have shared a home.

27:17 God allocated the land (Genesis 13:15, Genesis 17:8, Leviticus 25, etc.). 

27:18 They wouldn’t be able to testify to the perpetrator’s identity. 

27:19 They had less power in the legal system, despite warnings to the contrary.

27:25 “innocent”: Executions, war, etc., were different. 

27:26 See Galatians 3:10 (quotes the Septuagint translation of this) and James 2:10; we all need Jesus. The Masoretic text’s wording may be aimed at ineffective judges/leaders, but the Septuagint makes it clear that the Law of Moses is an all-or-nothing prospect. “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Deuteronomy 28 – The Israelites were offered the choice of being so blessed or so cursed but still alive that God’s activity in it would be evident to the whole world. As righteous people (2 Corinthians 5:21) thanks to Jesus (Romans 8:32), we will be well-off for the thousand years we rule the world with Christ (Revelation 20:4) even before Heaven. 

28:10 There was a taste of this in 1 Kings 10:1-3. 

28:15 “all” Uh-oh. The verses from the rest of this chapter do not tend to appear on greeting cards and motivational social media posts. See Galatians 3:10-14 for why we are okay now. 

28:20-24 God had already threatened to reboot Israel from just Moses ala Noah, and Matthew 3:9 says he can make more descendants of Abe from rocks; utterly destroying them would not have violated his end of the deal. 

28:25, 33 like the Canaanites experienced. 

28:27 if they acted like Canaan and Egypt (Leviticus 18:3), they experienced what Canaan and Egypt experienced. 

28:30 See Deuteronomy 20:5-7. 

28:53-57 similar to 2 Kings 6:24-31, Lamentations 2:20, and Lamentations 4:10.  

28:61 Surprise! That’s why there’s not a totally corresponding “curse for every verse” for every malady they experience or are promised (in Revelation, for example).

28:63 See Ezekiel 18:23. Any of this tragedy could have been a new wilderness experience to bring them back to God. 

28:28 This comes true in 2 Kings 25:26.

29:4 like idols. 

29:6 He saved those for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). 

29:18 Hebrews 12:15 references this verse about straying from Judaism to warn against straying back to Judaism away from Christ. 

29:19 Many sermons have been preached about the danger of going your own way, but just to be clear in this instance “such a person” is the worshiper of foreign gods from verse 18 and verse 26. 

29:22-24 A burning waste of sulfur like when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed looks like an early hint at the lake of fire to me.

29:29 We have it even better now (John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Romans 8:32).  

30:1 Humanity wanted to know good and evil, after all…

30:2 They didn’t do this. Ezekiel 36:20-23 suggests they were brought back to prevent further profaning of the Name of God among the nations by their conduct abroad. This explains why they were still under the thumb of foreign oppressors even after the Return. The New Covenant happened anyway because of God’s mercy.

30:4 like a Shepherd (Ezekiel 34, Luke 19:10). After that big rant about the hurt He promised to put on them or allow when they strayed, here are some of the promises He gave about one of His favorite subjects, the Return to the Promised Land: Psalm 107:3, Isaiah 11:12, Isaiah 43:1-3, Ezekiel 39:28, Ezekiel 20:34, 41-42, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Jeremiah 23:7-8, Jeremiah 30:2-10, and Zechariah 10:9. 

30:6 He reiterated this promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27. Moreover, knowing they’d fail to keep the Old Covenant, He promised the heart-cleansing and a New Covenant of grace in Jeremiah 31:31-34. It is called New, but it is older than the Old Covenant; it is of faith (Genesis 15:6) and it is this New way we walk in now. See Galatians 2:19-21, Colossians 2:11-14, and Hebrews 8:6-13. 

30:11-13 They didn’t need an Egyptian occultist to get rulings on what to do. Actually keeping the Law is a different matter (Romans 3:19-20).

30:14 “the Word” This takes on a new meaning for them after John 1.

30:15 like the two trees in the Garden.      

30:16 Only Jesus did this.      

30:20 “the LORD is your life” For us, this is literal (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:4, Philippians 1:21, John 11:25).      

31:6 This sentiment keeps coming back: Joshua 1:5, 1 Chronicles 28:20, John 14:18, Hebrews 13:5, etc.      

31:16-18 This gets awkward after the promises to never leave or forsake them in Deuteronomy 31:6. They forsook Him and He forsook them for a time in accordance with the curses promised earlier. Beyond an academic interest in nitpicking the text, most peoples’ real question is “Can that happen to us?” That was the Old Covenant of human effort and failure for slaves to sin; we’re under the New Covenant of grace as slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:15-23). The promise of Deuteronomy 30:6 that hadn’t happened yet for them is a reality for us, so we are incapable of truly forsaking him. Romans 5:5 says God put His love into our hearts. We’re safe; read all of Romans 5 while you’re there. Jude 22-23 even assures us that seasons of doubt are okay. Christ has got us (Hebrews 7:25). Back to the verses in Deuteronomy, this pattern may lurk behind a few other occurrences. They step outside the lines (Habakkuk 1:13), God lets them have it their way, and then destruction comes (Hebrews 2:14) because Satan waits for opportunity (Genesis 4:7). (Before anyone brings up Gnosticism, Revelation 16 does mention God’s wrath in the literal translations.)

31:19-22 Their failure was as promised as the land. We need Jesus. 

31:29 Moses was a prophet.  722 BC, 586 BC, and 70 AD were interesting years.      

31:30 Remember when Moses said he wasn’t eloquent?      

32:2 Israel’s climate is comparable to Southern California. They have hot summers and cool, damp winters. Between April and October, there is usually no rain. Crops and plant life need dew like manna. This is another “Word = nourishment” comparison like Deuteronomy 8:3.  

32:3-4 I’m sorry Dwayne Johnson, but God is the Rock and the Great One.      

32:5 like John 8:44 or Exodus 32:9.      

32:8 “sons of God”: Here are the angels that watch each nation. See Genesis 11:8, Ephesians 3:10-11. Compare Ephesians 2:2 with Ephesians 6:12. See also Daniel 10:13, 20-21, Genesis 6:2, Jude 6, and 2 Peter 2:4. The angel government stuff is just background to help make sense of a few odd verses; Christ is supreme (Colossians 1:16-17, Matthew 28:18). 

32:20 The Septuagint says “will show what shall happen to them in the last days” like in Daniel 10:14. Jesus’ audience saw the back half of the Song of Moses as Messianic prophecy. 

32:21 We were part of the plan all along. The “foolish” are unbelievers (Psalm 14:1), and “nations” usually refers to Gentiles. See Ephesians 2:12. Paul references Deuteronomy 32:21 in Romans 10:9-21 much like he references Hosea 2:23 in Romans 9:25-26. Paul’s argument in Romans 9 through Romans 11 is that mostly Gentiles are getting saved at first to make the Jewish people jealous and want in on it. 

32:22 Instead of a Flood, next time it’s fire (Zephaniah 3:8; 2 Peter 3:10).      

32:24-25 Sword, famine, pestilence, etc., like in Leviticus 26, throughout Jeremiah, the Horsemen in Revelation, etc.  

32:26-27 This is fulfilled in Ezekiel 36:2-3.     

32:35 God called dibs on revenge. Efforts to avenge yourself are like climbing onto His throne.  Adding this principle to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; the Image of God in them is like the Image of God in you) seems to have been ben Sira’s inspiration (in the Apocrypha) for Sirach 28:1-2 (aka Ecclesiasticus 28:1-2, not to be confused with Ecclesiastes): “The Lord is taking note of your sins, and if you take vengeance on someone, the Lord will take vengeance on you. But if you forgive someone who has wronged you, your sins will be forgiven when you pray.” This forgive-to-be-forgiven is seen in the contemporary Jewish teachings Jesus preached to those under the Law to convince them of their need for grace (Romans 3:19). That’s a scary standard, especially for people who have been abused, etc. Instead of another test to fail, on our side of the Cross we have Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32 which encourage us to be forgiving because we have already been forgiven. Only Jesus kept Jesus’ teachings. We killed Him with our sin, and He forgave us anyway (Luke 23:34). It’s not about our ability to forgive, but His perfect forgiveness. (Additionally, note that 2 Samuel 22:38-43 plus 1 Kings 15:5 equals “not all fights are vengeance”.)  

32:36 Due to the multiple meanings of Hebrew words, this also says that “The LORD will rule His people…” which is another hint that the Messiah would be God made flesh. 

32:39 “No one can deliver out of my hand” is a scary warning to worshipers of false gods. For us, no one can snatch us out of His hands (Isaiah 51:16, John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39). We’re safe (Deuteronomy 33:3). 

32:40-42 God is love, but here and in the prophets, He can sound a lot like metal lyrics. This wrath is born from love for us as in verse 43. God avenging us is a big theme in Revelation.

32:43 “nations” is us again (Deuteronomy 32:21). The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls add “let all the angels worship Him” which is referenced in Hebrews 1:6 (by way of the Messianic interest in Deuteronomy 32:20-43). He will avenge us (Revelation 6:10). The promises to martyrs are to us. Remember, we died with Him (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6). Regarding God’s promise to “make atonement for his land and people”, Jesus did that (John 1:29). 

32:50 Another mountain death like Aaron and not-quite Isaac (Genesis 22). 

Deuteronomy 33 – The tribal blessings line up pretty well with Genesis 49. See those notes.  

33:2 This verse is what the New Testament authors (Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 2:2) have in mind when they say that the Law was given through angels.

33:3 He’s got us.

33:6 See Genesis 49:2-4 and Genesis 35:22.

33:9 See Exodus 32:25-29 and Matthew 10:37.

33:11 “crush the loins…till they rise no more” to prevent the birth of more enemies; genocide.    

33:12 The “beloved” seems to be Jerusalem; Ben’s land was centrally located.

33:13-17 And yet, the prosperous northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians because they were unfaithful to God.

33:20 “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain” at the expense of Ammon. Gad’s, Reuben’s, and half of Manasseh’s lands are across the Jordan from the rest of the tribes, and their next door neighbors are Ammon and Moab. Just to orient us for stories, Moab is south of Reuben and across the Dead Sea from Judah. 

33:22 “Bashan”: Moses prophetically predicted Dan’s migration that we will see in Judges 18.     

33:23 Naphtali included the land just south of the freshwater Sea of Galilee, which was “southward to the lake”.  

33:24 which is to say rich enough (by having olive crops abundant enough) to wash his feet in olive oil in addition to the customary use on the head.

34:5 We have it better thanks to Jesus. Moses was a faithful servant (Hebrews 3:5), but we’re God’s children and God’s friends (John 1:12, John 15:15-17). 

34:6 Therefore, performing funerary rites is considered a righteous imitation of God (Ephesians 5:1-2). The location is believed to be a secret so the Israelites wouldn’t worship it. Jude 9 (referencing an apocryphal book “The Assumption of Moses” that we don’t have, which is no surprise given Jasher, etc.) mentions a time Michael and Satan fought over Moses’ body, whether here (over Moses being a murderer according to the reckoning of some) or in other Jewish literature a debate about whether Moses’ physical body was permissible near the Heavenly Temple that he was shown during his other mountaintop experience. Jude just referenced it to point out something admirable about Michael’s behavior. We don’t know everything, nor do we need to.  Moses shows up again at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). 

34:9 A spiritual power transfer similar to the one in Numbers 11. Now, believers receive the Holy Spirit forever by believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:2,5; Ephesians 1: 3,13-14; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Peter 1:3). Some of the laying-on-of-hands to approve ministries lingers into Acts, but we’ll talk about that later. 

34:10-12 That is, as of the time Deuteronomy was written down, which was way before Jesus. Again, the Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) would have been expected to have many accompanying miracles, and Jesus delivered (John 7:31). 

Previous Post

Next Post