Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 4:13
And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
13. his covenant, which he commanded you ] Heb. b e rth (prob. from a root = to bind) meant any compact, contract or bargain: between friends, 1Sa 18:3; man and wife, Pro 2:17; master and servant, Job 41:4; king and people, 2Sa 5:3; former foes, whether individuals, id. Deu 3:12 f., or peoples, J, Exo 23:32; Deu 7:2 (the only instance in D of its non-religious use); conqueror and conquered, 1Sa 11:1. B e rth might apply either to the transaction or to the binding conditions on which it was based; the covenant or the terms of the covenant, i.e. ordinance or constitution. When the parties were of unequal power the terms were imposed by the stronger. So between God and Israel; His covenant which He commanded, here and Deu 29:1. Used first in a religious sense by JE, Gen 15:18, etc. of God’s covenant with the patriarchs; Exo 19:5; Exo 24:7 ff. etc. with Israel at oreb; less used by the prophets, e.g. Hos 6:7; Hos 8:1; Jer 11:10; Jer 31:32; but very frequent in Deu 4:31; Deu 7:12; Deu 8:18, etc., with patriarchs (cp. Deu 6:18, Deu 9:5, Deu 11:9, etc.); Deu 4:13; Deu 4:23, Deu 5:2, Deu 9:9; Deu 9:11; Deu 9:15, at oreb; Deu 17:2 (?), Deu 29:1; Deu 29:9; Deu 29:12; Deu 29:14; Deu 29:21; Deu 29:25 renewed in Mo‘ab. The terms commanded by God were the words of the covenant, J, Exo 34:28, or the covenant alone as here, i.e. the Decalogue, but in Deu 29:1 the whole Deuteronomic Code; book of the covenant, E, Exo 24:7, the oreb legislation, but in 2Ki 23:2 f., 21, cp. Deu 29:21, the Deuteronomic Code. The tables of the Decalogue were the tables of the covenant, Deu 9:9; Deu 9:11; Deu 9:15; hence D’s characteristic name for the Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, Deu 10:8, Deu 31:9; Deu 31:25 and in Josh. A covenant was solemnised by a sacrificial feast, Gen 21:28 ff; Gen 31:46; Gen 31:54. Hence probably the phrase to cut or strike a covenant ( karath b e rth), cp. . Beyond the frequent use of this phrase, e.g. Deu 4:23, D nowhere associates the covenant with sacrifice. God makes ( karath) it and it is His; swears to it; forgets it not, keeps, fulfils and establishes it, Deu 4:31, Deu 7:12, Deu 8:18, etc.; keeping covenant and true love, Deu 7:9; Deu 7:12. Israel enters into it, Deu 29:12, and is bound to keep and to do it, passim.
the ten commandments ] Words. So also Deu 10:4. E, Exo 20:1, all these words. A gloss in Exo 34:28 has the ten words. See Driver’s note on both passages; and below on Deu 5:5, ‘The Ten Words.’
he wrote them upon two tables of stone ] See below on Deu 5:22. On the ‘covenants’ mentioned in the Pentateuch see Driver, Exod. p. 175.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And he declared unto you his covenant,…. So the law was called, because it contained, on the part of God, things which he would have done or avoided, to which were annexed promises of long life and happiness in the land he gave them; and they, on their part, agreed to hearken to it, and obey it, Ex 24:3,
which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; which see at large in Ex 20:1, and in this book afterwards repeated, De 5:6,
and he wrote them upon two tables of stone; to denote the durableness of them; the Targum of Jonathan says on tables of sapphire; but it is most likely that they were written on tables of marble, since there were great quantities of it in Mount Sinai; [See comments on Ex 31:18].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13) His covenant . . . ten commandments.See on Deuteronomy 5.
He wrote them.See on Deu. 10:2.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Ten commandments Literally, ten words. Comp. Exo 20:1-17.
Upon two tables of stone Comp. Exo 31:18; Exo 34:1.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
even ten. Hebrew the ten.
wrote. See note on Exo 17:14; only here and Deu 10:4 in Deut. See also App-47.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And he: Deu 5:1-21, Exo 19:5, Exo 24:17, Exo 24:18, Heb 9:19, Heb 9:20
ten: Deu 10:4, Exo 34:28
he wrote: Deu 9:9-11, Deu 10:1-5, Exo 24:12, Exo 31:18, Exo 34:28, 2Co 3:7, Heb 9:4
Reciprocal: Exo 34:10 – I make Exo 34:27 – I have Deu 5:22 – he wrote Deu 29:1 – beside the 1Ki 8:9 – when Psa 25:14 – he will Psa 147:19 – word Eze 10:5 – the voice
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4:13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to {k} perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
(k) God joins this condition to his covenant.