Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 4:7
For what nation [is there so] great, who [hath] God [so] nigh unto them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?
7. For what great nation hath a god so nigh ] Both noun, lohm, and adj., e robim, are plural. Elohm may signify a god, or gods, as Deu 6:14 and elsewhere; or the general idea of Deity, this chiefly but not always in the mouth of, or addressed to, the heathen, e.g. Deu 5:24, Gen 20:13, Exo 31:18; or may stand for the God of Israel (cp. the deuteronomic 2Sa 7:23). Here it is either of the first three a god, gods or God (R.V. marg.). The rest of the verse explains what is meant by nigh: He hears prayer and answers it by actual deeds. The prophets’ contrast of Israel’s experience of God with that of other nations is constant and remarkable a proof of the experimental, practical quality of their religion. Jeremiah insists that the gods of the heathen are vanities and do not profit them (Deu 2:8; Deu 2:11; Deu 2:13: broken cisterns, 28, Deu 16:19 f. etc.); cp. the Prophet of the Exile (Isa 44:9 f., Isa 47:12, Isa 48:17) and his argument that Jehovah alone promises and fulfils (Isa 41:21 ff.). To all the prophets, but especially to Isaiah, God; is not only the infinitely sublime, but the infinitely near, hearing prayer, ready to help, interested, vigilant and active in all the details of their everyday life. Legal Judaism lost this sense of the constant nearness of God, and did not compensate for the loss by its apocalypses.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Deu 4:7-8
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and Judgments so righteous?
A righteous Bible
The appeal of Moses is the eternal appeal of the Bible. That is the appeal to common sense and to common honesty. The commandments are not described as eloquent, marvellous intellectual conceptions, great advances in ethical thinking. Moses asks, What other nation can produce a Bible so righteous! Any Bible must go down that is not righteous above all other things, how high soever the varied attributes by which any book may be characterised. What is the moral tone of the Bible? Pure, righteous, true, holy. What are the great commandments of the Book? Love, love,–twice love. The first object?–God; the second?—thy neighbour. This is the strength of the Bible; and we can all begin at this point to inquire into the remainder of the Book. Men may ask bewildering questions about the archaeology and the so called science of the Bible, and may even puzzle the uncultured reader with many a question relating to spiritual mysteries; but taken from end to end, the Bible is charged with righteousness: it will have the neighbour loved as the man himself; it will have the harvest like the seed time; it will insist upon right balances and full weights; it will have no concealed iniquities; it carries its candle of flame with fire never kindled upon earth into the secrets of the mind and the chambers of the soul and the hidden places of motive and purpose and ultimate, but unexpressed, intent. The Word of God is sharp, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow. It is a righteous Word. The Bible has a thousand weapons in its armoury: not the lightest, not the weakest is its magnificent morality, its heavenly righteousness, its incorruptible integrity. It shakes off the wicked man; it will have no communion with darkness; it strikes the liar on the mouth; it avoids the unholy follower. This is–let us repeat–the argument of Moses, and it is the eternal argument of Christianity. (J. Parker, D. D.)
The Bible and civilisation
Wendell Phillips once said: The answer to the Shaster is India; the answer to Confucianism is China; the answer to the Koran is Turkey; the answer to the Bible is the Christian civilisation of Protestant Europe and America. (J. S. Gilbert, M. A.)
The national utility of the Bible
It is impossible to estimate the amount of evil which mankind would experience in their civil capacity were the Scriptures no longer considered of Divine origin, nor constituted the ultimate standard of all moral and political obligation. All reverence for the laws would cease, for the lawgiver would have only his own authority, or the mere glimmerings of the law of nature, to enforce his commands; while those who had to obey the laws would soon have every just and equitable principle banished from their minds, and every sacred feeling obliterated from their bosoms. The whole fabric of society would soon go to pieces if men were removed beyond the sphere of the public and private sanctions of scriptural morality. (J. Blakey.)
The glory of Israel
Moses reminds the people that God has chosen them as His special possession, and that this had been shown during forty years, and that if they would remain a people forever blessed it must be under the protection and blessing of God. They were highly favoured above all other peoples–for Jehovah the true God was theirs, and would be known among His people by this gracious name. And all the peoples around saw how great things God had done for Israel–how gloriously and graciously He had led His people. This was one reason why Israel should cleave to the Lord, who would plainly thus reveal Himself as the true God, the Holy One of Israel. From all this Israel should have learned–
I. To prize highly their relation to God.
1. They should have learned to realise what it was to be under the peculiar care of God, and how great and glorious was their fellowship with Him. Theirs was not merely to be a great and glorious history in the past. God was not merely to be the God who had mightily manifested Himself to their fathers, and then withheld His presence. Rather there was the promise that if they continued to call upon Him wonderful manifestations of grace and help would be given.
2. How blessed Israel was so long as they continued to call on God, prayed for His protection in faith, and kept in the way of His commandments! It was no hard thing to draw near to God. Priest and prophet were given to prepare the way, and each Israelite might experience the truth of the text for himself. But it was otherwise with Israel. In them we see–
II. The danger of neglecting to call upon God.
1. Israel went on their own way, according to their own will; and in order that they might not be stopped by listening to the voice of reason they no longer called upon God; they no longer sought His near presence.
2. Therefore, however He would have been pleased to draw near to them, He could do so no more, because they desired it not. Thus did Israel, and even when they inquired of His way they did not follow it.
3. How speedily, therefore, were they brought low; for all depended on their calling on God, and Him alone.
III. The spiritual Israel must call on God.
1. Even among the early believers to whom with visible manifestation the Holy Ghost came, whose voice and counsel they might ever hear, there was the temptation to walk more according to the flesh than according to the Spirit. Some neglected to hear His voice, and gave themselves up to the lusts of the flesh.
2. Then true believing calling on God ceased, the Lord came no more nigh to them, and the Holy Ghost was grieved.
3. Let us learn in simple faith to pray to and call upon Him. Then should we hope that all things would again become new in us, would be otherwise with us; and how glorious could our lives become! (J. C. Blumhardt.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
God nigh unto them, by glorious miracles, by the pledges of his special presence, by the operations of his grace, and particularly, as it here follows, by his readiness to hear our prayers, and to give us those succours which we call upon him for.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7-9. what nation is there sogreatHere he represents their privileges and their duty insuch significant and comprehensive terms, as were peculiarlycalculated to arrest their attention and engage their interest. Theformer, their national advantages, are described (Deu 4:7;Deu 4:8), and they were twofold:1. God’s readiness to hear and aid them at all times; and 2. theexcellence of that religion in which they were instructed, set forthin the “statutes and judgments so righteous” which the lawof Moses contained. Their duty corresponding to these pre-eminentadvantages as a people, was also twofold: 1. their own faithfulobedience to that law; and 2. their obligation to imbue the minds ofthe young and rising generation with similar sentiments of reverenceand respect for it.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Ver. 7 For what nation is there so great,…. Not so much for their number, for they were the fewest of all people; nor for the largeness of their territories, for the land they were going to possess was but a small country; nor for their wealth and riches, and warlike exploits, though they were not contemptible in either; but for their happy constitution in church and state, being directed and governed in both by laws which came immediately from God himself; for their knowledge of divine things, and for spiritual blessings and privileges they were favoured with, of which a special instance is given:
who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is, in all things that we call upon him for? God was nigh unto them in respect of relation, being their covenant God and Father, and they his sons and daughters, to whom the adoption belonged; and with respect to place and presence, his tabernacle being in the midst of them, the seat of his Shechinah, or divine Majesty, being in the most holy place, between the cherubim over the mercy seat; and he going before them in the pillar of cloud by day, and in the pillar of fire by night, and who might be applied unto at all times for whatsoever they stood in need of; and who was always near unto them, to give them advice and counsel, help and assistance; to hear their prayers, and communicate unto them things temporal and spiritual they stood in need of: and so the Lord is nigh to all that call upon him in faith, with fervency, and in sincerity and truth; and herein the glory and greatness of a people, as of Israel, lies, in being nearly related to God, a people near unto him, both as to union and communion; and in having a communication of good things from him. God is both a God at hand and afar off, Jer 23:23.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. For what nation is there so great? Moses now repeats in his own name what he had stated in the person of others, as if to shew by additional reasons, that not without cause would the Jews be celebrated in the whole world, because it would actually appear that none were equal to them. He mentions two points, first, because God would be ready to afford them help, as often as they call upon Him; secondly, because He had instructed them in perfect righteousness, beyond which nothing could be desired; for, when he says that God is “nigh unto them,” I refer it to the presence of His power, which had been abundantly manifested by many miracles. Justly does he deny that the Gentiles had ever experienced such aid from their gods, since their prayers and cries were offered to deaf and dead idols.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
DISCOURSE: 190
MOSES SOLEMN CHARGE TO ISRAEL
Deu 4:7-9. What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous, as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons sons.
PRACTICAL religion, however approved in theory, is not always admired when exhibited to our view. Not but that it has a beauty in it which commends itself to those who have a spiritual discernment; but it forms too strong a contrast with the ways of the world to gain its favour: the men of this world love darkness rather than light; and therefore agree to reprobate as visionary and gloomy, whatever opposes their evil habits. Nevertheless the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding: and, wherever any people are enabled to maintain an uniform and consistent conduct, there their very enemies must honour them in their hearts, and confess them to be a wise and understanding people. This at least was the opinion of Moses, who from that very consideration urged the Jews to contemplate their high privileges, and to walk worthy of them [Note: ver. 5, 6 with the text.]. To advance the same blessed end in you, we shall state,
I.
The peculiar privileges of the Jewish nation
They were certainly advanced above all the nations upon earth; as in other respects, so particularly,
1.
In their nearness to God
[Moses had enjoyed such access to God as no man had ever done before: and conversed with him face to face, even as a man converseth with his friend [Note: Exo 33:11.]. That generation to whom he ministered, had seen on many occasions the efficacy of his intercessions, and therefore could appreciate the force of that observation in the text, What nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? Nor was this privilege to be confined to Moses: the high-priest was furnished with an ephod and a breast-plate, by means of which he was to inquire of God in every difficulty, and to obtain answers from him. This was used from time to time, even till the Jews were carried captive to Babylon: and the great privilege of having such means of communion with God may be sufficiently seen in the advantage which David repeatedly derived from it, to learn the intentions of his enemies, and to gain direction respecting his own conduct [Note: See 1Sa 23:9-12; 1Sa 30:7-8.]. The heathen indeed had their oracles, which they consulted; but from which they could derive no certain information. The ambiguity of the answers given by them, left room for opposite constructions, and proved that no dependence whatever could be placed upon them. Those oracles were a compound of lying priestcraft, and diabolic influence: and were no more to be compared with the oracle of God, than the light of a deceitful vapour with that of the meridian sun.]
2.
In the excellence of the dispensation under which they lived
[The statutes and judgments which Moses had delivered to them were altogether righteous and good. The judicial law, which was given for the regulation of their civil polity, was founded in perfect equity, and conducive in every point to the happiness of the community. The moral law was a transcript of the mind and will of God: it was in every respect holy, and just, and good, and, if followed in every part, would assimilate the people to God himself. The ceremonial law also, notwithstanding it was burthensome in many respects, afforded peace and comfort to all who were bowed down with a sense of sin, and desirous of finding acceptance with an offended God. As for the heathen world, they had none of these advantages: they had no such light for the government of their states, no such instruction for the regulation of their conduct, no such consolations under the convictions of guilt or the dread of punishment. They had no better guide than their own weak unassisted reason: and though by means of that they were able to frame laws for the public good, they never could devise a system whereby the soul should be restored to holiness or peace. In these respects the Jews were elevated above all the world. The excellence and authority of their laws were undisputed; and every one was made happy by his observance of them.]
But still the Jews themselves had little to boast of in comparison of,
II.
The superior privileges which we enjoy
Our access to God is much nearer than theirs
[They had, it is true, in some respects the advantage. No person now can hope for such special directions as were imparted by the Urim and Thummim. But it must be remembered that this mode of ascertaining the mind of God was of necessity confined to few: it was not possible for every person to go to the high-priest, and to obtain his mediation with the Deity on every subject that might require light: this liberty could be used by few, and only on occasions of great public importance. But our access to the Deity is unlimited: every person, at all times, in every place, on every occasion, may come to God, without the intervention of a fellow-creature: in this respect every child of God is on a par with the high-priest himself, or rather, is elevated to a state far above him, in proportion as a spiritual approach is nearer than that which is bodily, and an immediate access is nearer than that which is through the medium of an ephod and a breast-plate. Indeed the liberty given to us is unbounded: In every thing we may make our requests known unto God; and we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us. Though therefore the Jews were privileged beyond the Gentiles, whose gods of wood and stone could not attend to their supplications, yet we are no less privileged above them, and can adopt a language unknown to them, Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.]
Our dispensation too is more excellent than theirs
[We need not to disparage theirs in any respect, in order to raise in our estimation that under which we live. We may give to that all the honour it deserves, and yet not be afraid that ours will suffer any thing in the comparison. Theirs, excellent as it was, was only a shadow, of which ours is the substance. Whatever good theirs had, is retained and perfected in ours; whatever it had that was weak and burthensome, is done away. The peace which that afforded to the guilty conscience was alight and temporary: the very means of forgiveness were only so many fresh remembrances of unforgiven sin: but the peace obtained by us passeth all understanding: the joy we taste is unspeakable and full of glory. The blood of bulls and of goats afforded a very weak ground for hope, in comparison of the blood of Gods only-begotten Son: that cleanseth from all sin, and perfects for ever them that are sanctified. Again, the law of the ten commandments denounced a curse for one single violation of them, however small; and afforded no assistance to those who desired to fulfil it: but the precepts of the Gospel, though as holy and as perfect as the Law itself, are accompanied with promises of grace and offers of mercy to all who endeavour to obey them: God undertakes to write them on our hearts, so as to make a compliance with them both easy and delightful. In a word, their law was a yoke of bondage, productive only of slavish fears, and ineffectual efforts: whereas our law, the law of faith, begets a filial spirit, and transforms us into the image of our God in righteousness and true holiness. Compare the two dispensations, and we shall see in a moment our superior advantages: for whilst they were only slaves under the lash, we have the happiness of being sons and heirs.]
If such be our distinguished privileges, it becomes us to consider,
III.
Our duty in reference to them
This was a point which Moses was extremely anxious to impress on the mind of every individual; Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently. In like manner would we urge you in relation to the privileges you enjoy,
1.
To keep up the remembrance of them in your own hearts
[It is scarcely necessary to observe, how apt we are to forget the mercies which God has vouchsafed unto us. The mere facts indeed may easily be retained in our heads; but a due sense of the kindness expressed in them, and of the obligations conferred by them, is not easily preserved upon the soul. The smallest trifle is sufficient to draw us from heavenly contemplations, and to engage those affections, which should be exclusively fixed on God. Hence Moses bade the people take heed, lest the things which they had seen should depart from their heart [Note: See also Heb 2:1.]. What then must we do? We must avoid the things which would weaken our sense of Gods mercies to us; and abound in those exercises which will keep alive the sense of them upon our hearts. Worldly cares, worldly pleasures? worldly company, should all be regarded by us with a godly fear and jealousy, lest they choke the seed which is springing up in our hearts, and prevent us from bringing forth fruit unto perfection. On the other hand, our meditation on the Christians privileges should be frequent: we should muse on them, till the fire kindle in our hearts, and we are constrained to speak of them with our tongues. It is thus that we must trim the lamps of our sanctuary; it is thus that we must be keeping up the fire on the altar of our hearts. In a word, if we will improve our privileges, we shall have them augmented and confirmed: if, on the other hand, we slumber over them, we shall give advantage to our enemy to despoil us of them [Note: Mat 13:12.].]
2.
To transmit the memory of them to posterity
[The Jews were made depositaries of divine knowledge for the good of the Christian Church: and it is in the same light that we are to consider the Scriptures which are committed to us; they are not for our personal benefit merely, but for the use of the Church in all future ages. Hence then we are bound to teach them to our sons, and our sons sons. It is greatly to be lamented indeed that so little attention is paid to the sacred oracles in the public seminaries of learning. Something of a form indeed may be observed; a form, from which the very persons who enforce it neither expect nor desire any practical effect: but if one half the pains were taken to make us understand and feel the exalted privileges of Christianity, as are bestowed on elucidating the beauties of classic writers, or exploring the depths of science and philosophy, we should see religion and morals in a very different state amongst us. It was for the instructing of their children in righteousness that the awful transactions that took place at Mount Horeb were required to be more particularly impressed on all succeeding generations [Note: ver. 10.]: and if the law from Mount Sinai was to be so carefully communicated to the children of Jews, ought not the law that came forth from Mount Zion [Note: Isa 2:3.], even the law of faith, to be proclaimed to our children? If they were to remember Horeb, shall not we remember Bethlehem, where the Son of God was born into the world; and Calvary, where he shed his blood; and Olivet, from whence he ascended up to heaven, and led captive all the powers of darkness? Yes surely, these great transactions should be dwelt upon, not as mere historical facts, but as truths whereon are founded all the hopes and expectations of sinful man: and we cannot but regard it as a blessing to the Christian world, that days are set apart for the special remembrance of those great events; that so not one of them may be overlooked, but that all in succession may be presented to the view of every Christian in the land. Let us then habituate ourselves to dwell upon them as the most delightful of all subjects [Note: Deu 11:18-20.], and account both our time and money well spent in promoting the knowledge of them in the world.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 4:7 For what nation [is there so] great, who [hath] God [so] nigh unto them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?
Ver. 7. Who hath God so nigh unto them. ] Yea, this was it that made them so great a nation, who otherwise were but methe mispar, few in number. This made Moses so passionately cry out, “Happy art thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord!” Deu 33:29
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
what. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
God = a god, or gods. Hebrew ‘Elohim. App-4.
nigh = nigh to help. Compare Psa 32:9; Psa 34:18; Psa 119:151; Psa 145:18. Neh 13:4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
what nation: Num 23:9, Num 23:21, 2Sa 7:23, Isa 43:4
who hath: Deu 5:26, Psa 46:1, Psa 73:28, Psa 145:18, Psa 148:14, Isa 55:6, Eph 2:12-22, Jam 4:8
Reciprocal: Exo 33:16 – separated Lev 15:2 – unto the Deu 26:19 – high above Deu 33:29 – Happy 2Sa 1:19 – beauty 1Ch 17:21 – what one Psa 75:1 – wondrous Psa 76:1 – In Judah Psa 119:151 – near Son 6:9 – The daughters Isa 1:2 – I have Jer 13:11 – I caused Jer 29:14 – I will be Jer 33:3 – Call Lam 1:7 – all her Zec 8:23 – we have Mal 3:12 – all Rom 2:14 – which Rom 3:2 – because Eph 2:17 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 4:7-8. So nigh By glorious miracles, by the pledges of his special presence, by the operations of his grace, and particularly by his readiness to hear our prayers, and to give us those succours which we call upon him for. So righteous Whereby he implies that the true greatness of a nation doth not consist in pomp and power, or largeness of empire, as commonly men think, but in the righteousness of its laws.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
4:7 For what nation [is there so] great, who [hath] God [so] {g} nigh unto them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?
(g) Helping us, and delivering us out of all dangers, as in 2Sa 7:23.