Deuteronomychapter 30

20 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 255 cross-references outward and receives 205 — heaviest partner: Deuteronomy.

Chapter summary

‘Life or death, blessing or cursing’. When the blessings and the curses have come upon Israel and they are scattered, ‘thou shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice … and the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity’. The word is not hidden, not far off, not beyond the sea — ‘the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it’ (Paul quotes in Rom 10). ‘I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil … therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life’.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Deuteronomy overview for the book's full setting.

1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither Jehovah thy God hath driven thee,

2 and shalt return unto Jehovah thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;

3 that then Jehovah thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee.

4 If any of thine outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:

5 and Jehovah thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

6 And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

7 And Jehovah thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee.

8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of Jehovah, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

9 And Jehovah thy God will make thee plenteous in all the work of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, for good: for Jehovah will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers;