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DEUTERONOMY 29

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:1
 ¹These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb.

29:1 "the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses" This is Moses' third address in Deuteronomy (chapters 29-30). He reminds Israel that these laws are from YHWH, not himself. See outline of Moses' sermons in Introduction to Deuteronomy, VIII.

▣ "besides the covenant" This refers to two covenants

1. at Mt. Sinai/Horeb (Exodus 19-24)
2. on the plains of Moab (cf. Deut. 1:5; 5:1,3,5-26). It was spelled out clearly in Exodus 20-31.

It was renewed in Exodus 34; Deuteronomy 29-30; and Joshua 24.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:2-9
 ²And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, "You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; ³the great trials which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. ⁴Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. ⁵I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. ⁶You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the Lord your God. ⁷When you reached this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to meet us for battle, but we defeated them; ⁸and we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. ⁹So keep the words of this covenant to do them, that you may prosper in all that you do."

29:2 "all Israel" This usually refers to only the elders, but because of Deut. 29:1-13, it seems to refer to the entire nation.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ISRAEL (the name)

29:2-3 "You have seen. . .your eyes have seen" This is a figure of speech (cf. Deut. 4:34; 7:19) because these people were the children of those who had seen (cf. Num. 14:29; Deut. 5:2-4). Verses 2-8 form a historical review like chapters 1-4, which was a common element of Near Eastern treaties.

▣ "sign and wonders" These terms "signs" (BDB 16) and "wonders" (BDB 68) are mentioned often in Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 11:3; 26:8; 28:46; 29:2; 34:11) to help the current generation of Israelis to remember YHWH's powerful, gracious acts of deliverance and provisions (cf. Deut. 29:5-7) during the Exodus and Wilderness Wandering Period.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SIGN (OT)

29:4 "to this day" This recurrent phrase may denote a later editor. See full note at Deut. 3:14.

The blindness of Israel to their special place in YHWH's eternal redemptive plan was not just an ancient problem (i.e., Deut. 29:4), but also a current problem (cf. Matt. 13:14-17; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10; John 12:36b-43; Acts 28:26-27; and especially Rom. 11:25-32).

The gospel is described as the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (cf. Acts 2:23; also note 3:18; 4:28; 13:29).

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

▣ "the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear" The Israelites of the exodus and wilderness wanderings saw the physical, but did not comprehend the spiritual dimension of YHWH's actions (i.e., they were a special covenant people who were part of an eternal redemptive plan). This phrase becomes imagery for spiritual blindness and hardness (cf. Isa. 6:9-10; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8).

There is a word play between Deut. 29:2, "you have seen" and Deut. 29:4, where it is stated they cannot see! This may refer to Israel's rebellions mentioned in Deut. 9:7-24. Without faith God is invisible in history, but with faith history becomes God's track record. It takes a gift (i.e., "given," BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PERFECT) of YHWH's grace for fallen humans to sense and understand His presence!

29:5 "clothes have not worn out. . .sandal has not worn out" The Jewish commentator, Rashi, says clothes and shoes grew as the children grew (cf. Deut. 8:4; Neh. 9:21).

29:6 Verses 5 and 6 show God's providential care during the entire period of judgment known as the Wilderness Wandering Period (cf. Num. 14:26-35; Deut. 8:2-3). The Israelites were to help maintain the relationship by focusing on YHWH (not food, drink produced by human hands, but on His provision). But these verses also show the continual spiritual blindness of God's people (cf. Isa. 6:9-10).

SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

29:7 This shows YHWH's military presence on behalf of Israel (cf. Num. 21:21-24, 33-35; and Deut. 2:26-3:17).

29:8 These are the tribes that settled on the eastern side of Jordan (cf. Deut. 3:12-13; Num. 32:28-32).

29:9 "So keep the words. . .do them" The conditional nature of the covenant (i.e., "keep," BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal PERFECT with waw and "do," BDB 793, KB 889, Qal PERFECT with waw) is recurrent in Deuteronomy (cf. Deut. 4:2,6,9,15,23,40;  5:1,10,12,29,32;  6:2,3,12,17,25;  7:9,11,12;  8:1,2,6,11;  10:13;  11:1,8,16,22,32;  12:1,28,32;  15:5;  16:12;  17:19;  19:9;  24:8;  26:16,17,18;  27:1;  28:1,9,13,15,45,58;  29:9;  30:10,16;  31:12;  32:46). Obedience is a visible measure of the spiritual faithfulness of Israel. To love YHWH is to obey YHWH!

This verse was later read by the rabbis when some of the people were publicly whipped (cf. Deut. 25:3). It contains 13 words to correspond to 13 stripes. Psalm 78:38 was also read.

SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP

▣ "that you may prosper in all that you do" This VERB (BDB 968, KB 1328, Hiphil IMPERFECT) usually means "be prudent" or "circumspect," but in the Hiphil stem it can mean "prosper," "have success" (cf. Josh. 1:7-8; 1 Sam. 18:5,14,15; 1 Kgs. 2:3; 2 Kgs. 18:7; 1 Chr. 22:13). Notice that success and prosperity are contingent on obedience!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:10-13
 ¹⁰"You stand today, all of you, before the Lord your God: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, ¹¹your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, ¹²that you may enter into the covenant with the Lord your God, and into His oath which the Lord your God is making with you today, ¹³in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

29:10 "You stand" Notice the different groupings of Israeli society mentioned in Deut. 29:10-11:

1.  chiefs, BDB 910
2.  tribal members, BDB 986
3.  tribal elders, BDB 278
4.  tribal officers, BDB 1009, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE
5.  all the men of Israel, BDB 481, 35, 975 (same as #2)
6.  children, BDB 381
7.  wives, BDB 61
8.  resident aliens, BDB 158
9.  servants, described in their servant tasks

All these different groups are called upon to attest to their commitment to the covenant (cf. Deut. 29:14-15). This was a formal covenant renewal ceremony!

The number of groups mentioned varies from translation to translation. Some translations (REB) assume that #1 and #2 should be combined (e.g., KJV, "your captains of your tribes," JPSOA, "your tribal leaders"). The ASV, NASB, NIV all have #1-4.

29:12-13 This is a covenant renewal text. Notice how "the covenant" (BDB 136) and "the oath" (BDB 46) are parallel (i.e., Gen. 26:28). YHWH's regulations are linked to His promises!

YHWH wants to culminate the promises made to the Patriarchs in Genesis by establishing a people (cf. Deut. 28:9), a people who reflect His character!

The VERBAL (BDB 716, KB 778, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) literally means "pass over." It is used only in the sense of entering into a covenant here. It is possibly connected to the idea of "cutting" a covenant by passing between the parts of the sacrificial animal as in Gen. 15:17-18. The inference is that the fate of the animal will pass on to the one making the covenant if they disobey the stipulations.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:14-21
 ¹⁴"Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, ¹⁵but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God and with those who are not with us here today ¹⁶(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; ¹⁷moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them); ¹⁸so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood. ¹⁹It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry.' ²⁰The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. ²¹Then the Lord will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law."

29:15 "and with those who are not with us here today" This refers to future generations (cf. Deut. 29:22,29; 5:3-5; 12:25,28).

29:16-17 These verses form a summary parenthesis about the pagan nations Israel encountered in its pilgrimage to the Promised Land.

▣ "their abominations" See SPECIAL TOPIC: ABOMINATION

29:18 The warnings against covenant disobedience (esp. idolatry) is clearly spelled out for each and every member and social group in Israeli society (i.e., individuals, families, tribes).

▣ "a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood" This phrase is parallel to "whose heart turns away" (BDB 815, KB 937, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE). The poison is disobedience and the consequences are severe!

1. YHWH will never be willing to forgive him (Deut. 29:20, negated Qal IMPERFECT, BDB 2, KB 3) and a Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT (BDB 699, KB 757).
2. YHWH's anger and jealousy will burn against him (Deut. 29:20, BDB 798, KB 896, Qal IMPERFECT).
3. Every curse will rest on him (Deut. 29:20, BDB 918, KB 1181, Qal PERFECT with waw). This same VERB describes sin as a crouching animal in Gen. 4:7.
4. YHWH will blot out his name from under heaven (Deut. 29:20, BDB 562, KB 567, Qal PERFECT with waw).
5. YHWH will single him out for adversity (Deut. 29:21, BDB 95, KB 110, Hiphil PERFECT with waw).

29:19 "he will boast, saying, 'I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart" This is the recurrent attitude of sinners who take God's patience as an excuse to continue to rebel. God's judgment, though often seemingly delayed, will call every stubborn covenant violation into account (i.e., we reap what we sow, cf. Job 34:11; Ps. 28:4; 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Eccl. 12:14; Jer. 17:10; 32:19; Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; 1 Cor. 3:8; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7-10; 2 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 2:23; 20:12; 22:12).

This is a proverb whose exact meaning is unsure, but the context demands an idiom of complete destruction. Because of one stubborn violator of YHWH's covenant all Israel would suffer (i.e., Hebrew corporality, e.g., Adam, Achan, Jesus). Today we might say, "one bad apple spoils the barrel" or "one bad egg spoils the omelet."

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRISTIANITY IS CORPORATE

29:20 "The Lord shall never be willing to forgive him" This hyperbole must be seen against the background of YHWH's willingness to forgive and accept any repentant believer (i.e., Deut. 30:1-10). Some Bible teachers link this verse with Ps. 103:9 and assert that there is a limit or threshold to YHWH's grace. I do not accept this. Psalm 103:9 in context (i.e., Deut. 29:8-14) shows He will forgive! The problem is not God's forgiveness, but fallen, rebellious mankind's continual sin! The relationship is broken from mankind's side and it remains broken from mankind's side. Unbelief and rebellion issue in destruction, both temporally and eternally!

▣ "jealousy" This term (BDB 888) is derived from something dyed an intense red (i.e., when anger or zeal caused the blood to flush the face). Human emotions are used to describe YHWH's emotions (anthropomorphism, see SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN). He is zealous for His people (cf. Isa. 26:11). This zealousness can turn to jealousy (cf. Ezek. 5:13; 16:38,42; 23:25; 36:5,6; 38:19; Zeph. 1:18; 3:8).

SPECIAL TOPIC: JEALOUS. . .ZEALOUS

The MT has the VERB (BDB 918, KB 1181, Qal PERFECT with waw), which means "stretch oneself out," "lie down." This same VERB is used as imagery for sin crouching at Cain's door in Gen. 4:7. It is a personification of sin and evil, as an animal lying in wait to destroy.

▣ "will blot out his name from under heaven" This idiom means (1) no children or (2) death (cf. Gen. 7:4; Exod. 17:14; 32:32; Deut. 9:14; 2 Kgs. 14:27; Ps. 9:5-6).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO BOOKS OF GOD

29:21 "all the curses of the covenant" See Deut. 29:27-28; 27:15-26; 28:15-19,20-26,27-37,38-48,49-57; also note Leviticus 26.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:22-28
 ²²"Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it, will say, ²³'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.' ²⁴All the nations will say, 'Why has the Lord done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' ²⁵Then men will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ²⁶They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. ²⁷Therefore, the anger of the Lord burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; ²⁸and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.'"

29:22-23 YHWH's blessing, which was meant to attract those who did not know Him, will be turned into a mocking questioning by foreigners:

1.  plagues of the land, Deut. 29:22
2.  diseases, Deut. 29:22
3.  land is brimstone, Deut. 29:23
4.  land is salt, Deut. 29:23
5.  land is a burning waste, Deut. 29:23
6.  land is sown, and no germination, Deut. 29:23
7.  land is unproductive, Deut. 29:23
8.  land has no grass, Deut. 29:23
9.  land like the cities of the Plain (cf. Gen. 19:24)

All of these YHWH sent (cf. Deut. 29:22-28).

29:22 "Now the generation to come. . .will say" This literary form (i.e., children asking questions) is seen earlier in Deut. 6:20, which reflects Exod. 13:8,14; 10:2; 12:26,27. Deuteronomy often speaks of teaching the children (e.g., Deut. 4:10; 6:7).

29:23 "All its land is brimstone and salt" The land will be as the southern Dead Sea area, which was the site of Sodom and Gomorrah (cf. Gen. 19:24-26).

29:24 "And all nations will say" Israel was a sign to all nations concerning YHWH. It was meant to be a blessing sign but even if judgment, still a sign!

29:25 "Because they forsook the covenant" This was and is the basic reason for the divine curses (cf. 2 Kgs. 17:9-23; 2 Chr. 36:13-21).

29:26 "gods. . .gods" Literally this is Elohim. This term is PLURAL. It usually is translated "God" (i.e., when combined with a SINGULAR VERB). It can also refer to angelic beings and judges.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANGELS AND DEMONS

▣ "have not known" See SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

The question is "Who does 'them' refer to?"

1. Israel (LXX)
2. pagan gods

Number 2 may refer to national angels (cf. Deut. 32:8 in the LXX; also Isa. 24:21; Dan. 10:13,20; see Jewish Study Bible, p. 435).

29:27 "the anger of the Lord burned against the land" The land is effected by Israel's sin (cf. Gen. 3:17) and human sin in general (cf. Rom. 8:18-22). God uses natural phenomena to redirect mankind's thoughts and priorities.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN LANGUAGE

29:28 "the Lord uprooted them" This VERB (BDB 684, KB 737, Qal IMPERFECT with waw, cf. 1 Kgs. 14:15; 2 Chr. 7:20; Jer. 12:14) is the opposite of "planted"! The covenant has been reversed!

Notice how YHWH's actions are described:

1.  in anger ‒ BDB 60 I
2.  in fury ‒ BDB 404
3.  in great wrath ‒ BDB 893 and 152
4.  cast them into another land (i.e., exile, BDB 1020, KB 1527, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw)

SPECIAL TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

▣ "as it is this day" See full note at Deut. 3:14. This may denote a later editor.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: DEUTERONOMY 29:29
 ²⁹"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law."

29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God" This refers to

1. the destiny of humans (cf. Deut. 29:19-20
2. complete knowledge of God
3. to His future plans

▣ "but the things revealed belong to us" Humans are responsible for the light they have. If they have no contact with the Bible or the gospel, they are responsible for the revelation in nature (cf. Ps. 19:1-6; Romans 1) and an inner moral nature (cf. Romans 2). If they have been exposed to Scripture, they are responsible for it content! Believers can know truth and are responsible for it!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1.  Why did God have the covenant renewed so often (Deut. 29:1)?
2.  Why did God blind the eyes of the Jews to His purposes (Deut. 29:4-6)?
3.  Does God ever become unwilling to forgive man (Deut. 29:20)?
4.  Why does the land suffer for man's sins (Deut. 29:27)?
5.  What is Deut. 29:29 referring to?

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