Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 5:29
O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
29. Oh that there were such an heart in them, etc.] heart is in antithesis to the said and spoken of the previous verse. Approving their present mood as evinced in their words, God doubts its constancy.
all my commandments ] Sam. and LXX omit all.
always ] Heb. all the days. One of the many points of similarity between Hosea and Deut. is doubt, if not of the sincerity, yet of the constancy, of the nation’s feeling of repentance or obedience; cp. Hos 5:15 to Hos 6:3, Israel’s repentant prayer, with Deu 6:4-6, God’s rejection of it: your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the dew that goeth early. See on Deu 1:41. Both the prophet and D insist upon heart in religion.
that it might be well with them ] Deu 5:16 ; Deu 5:33, Deu 4:40.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 29. O that there were such a heart in them] Or rather, mi yitten vehayah lebabam zeh, Who will give such a heart to them, that they may fear, c. They refuse to receive such a heart from me who then can supply it? If they had not been such perfectly free agents as could either use or abuse their liberty, could God have made the complaint or expressed the earnest desire we find in this verse? He made the human will free; and in spite of all the influence of sin and Satan, he preserves its liberty. Had man no free will, he could neither be punished nor rewarded, because a mere machine, and consequently no more accountable for his actions than the fire for its consuming quality, or the stone for its gravity; the one having burned the house of the righteous, the other having crushed the innocent to death. See Clarke on De 29:4.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Heb. Who will give them such an heart? This is spoken of God after the manner of men, to show that such a heart is desirable to him, and required by him; otherwise it is certain that God can give such a heart, and hath promised to give it, Jer 32:40; Eze 36:27. And if God will work, who can hinder him? Job 11:10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29. Oh, that there were such anheart in them, that they would fear meGod can bestow such aheart, and has promised to give it, wherever it is asked (Jer32:40). But the wish which is here expressed on the part of Godfor the piety and steadfast obedience of the Israelites did notrelate to them as individuals, so much as a nation, whose religiouscharacter and progress would have a mighty influence on the world atlarge.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
O that there were such an heart in them,…. Not that there is properly speaking such volitions and wishes in God; but, as Aben Ezra observes, the Scripture speaks after the language of the children of men; and may be considered as upbraiding them with want of such an heart, and with weakness to do what they had promised; and, at most, as approving of those things they spoke of as grateful to him, and profitable to them: the words may be rendered, “who will give l that they had such an heart”; not to me, but to them, as Aben Ezra notes; they cannot give it to themselves, nor can any creature give it to them; none but God can, and therefore they ought to have prayed to him to give them an heart to hearken and do; agreeably to which is the Arabic version,
“it is to be wished by them, that such an heart would continue with them;”
which they by their language signified was in them: that they would fear me; which is not naturally in the heart of man, is a gift of God, a part of the covenant of grace, is implanted in regeneration, and is no inconsiderable branch of it; it is opposed to pride, and is consistent with faith and joy, and is increased by views of the grace and goodness of God, and is a distinguishing character of a good man:
and keep all my commandments always; not only one, but all, and not only at some certain times, but continually; and which are to be kept in faith from a principle of love, with a view to the glory of God, and in the strength of Christ; and to this the fear of God is necessary, for where there is no fear of God, there is no regard to his commandments; but where there is a reverential fear of God, there are faith, hope, love, and every other grace; yea, the Spirit, the author of all, who is in the saints, to enable them to walk in the statutes of the Lord, and to keep his judgments and do them; and such keep the commandments of God, not from a slavish fear, but from a sense of divine goodness:
that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever; for the fear of God, and the keeping of his commandments, issue in the good of men, in their own good, their inward peace, and spiritual welfare; in the good of others, their neighbours, servants, and children, by way of example and instruction; and even in the public peace and prosperity of a nation in which they dwell: not that these things are meritorious of eternal life, but are what are approved of by the Lord, and are grateful to him; which is the chief view in the expression of the text.
l “quis det”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius; “quis dabit”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
29. O that there were such an heart in them. God signifies that they would not be so firm and faithful in keeping their promises, as they were ready and willing to make them; and thus that hypocrisy was not altogether banished, or purged from their minds. Moreover, He figuratively (improprie) assumes a human feeling, because it would be vain and absurd for Him to desire what it was in His power to confer. Certainly He has the power of bending and directing men’s hearts whithersoever He pleases. Why, then, does He wish that it were given to the people from some other quarter, that they should be always kept in the path of duty, except that, speaking in the character of a man, He shows that it was rather to be wished than hoped that the people would constantly persevere in their fidelity? Wherefore this and similar passages have been ignorantly abused by some, to establish man’s free will. (220) They understand this passage, as if man’s will were capable of bending either way, and that he possessed the power of doing right, whilst God without interfering looked on at the event; as if God’s secret counsel, and not rather the end and use of external teaching, were referred to here. But we, taught by innumerable testimonies of Scripture, maintain, that it is the attribute of God alone to give what He here requires. So also immediately afterwards He says, that he wishes it may be well with the Israelites and their children, viz., because it is certain that it depends on men whether they are happy or not, as often as God invites them, when they refuse the grace offered to them; yet does it not therefore follow, that it depends on every man’s free will to attain happiness for himself. But here we must consider God’s will as it is set before us in His word, not as it is hidden in Himself; for, while by His word He invites all promiscuously to (eternal (221)) life, He only quickens by His secret inspiration those whom He has elected. In sum, although God approves of the people’s answer, he says that there will be too much difficulty in the performance of it, for the event to accord with it.
(220) Tels docteurs cornus. — Fr.
(221) Added from the French.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
29. Oh that there were such a heart In the Hebrew the words are very emphatic Who will give that their heart may be this to them. “Here the Christian fathers recognised a prophetic declaration of the doctrine of justification through faith working by love produced by God’s grace writing the law on the fleshly tables of the heart. 2Co 3:3.” Wordsworth.
Yahweh’s Additional Response ( Deu 5:29-31 ).
In His response Yahweh declares His longing that what His people had said might be true, and allows them to return to their tents, but commands that Moses will remain before Him in order to receive His commandment, that is, His statutes and ordinances in order to teach them to them so that they would do them once they had entered the land which Yahweh was giving them as a possession.
Analysis:
a Yahweh longs that the people might have such a heart as to fear Him and always keep His commandments so that it might be well with them and with their children for ever (Deu 5:29).
b He tells them to return to their tents (Deu 5:30).
a But Moses is to stand by Yahweh so that He might speak to Him all the commandment that He would give, the statutes and the ordinance which Moses was to teach to the people so that they might do them in the land that He was giving them to possess (Deu 5:31).
Deu 5:29
“ Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!”
But at the same time He had yearned that their hearts might have been such that they had not requested it, or at least such that they had continued to hear Him and obey Him. If only their hearts had been such that they would fear Him like Moses did, and keep His commandments permanently, and might thus find that all was well with them and with their children for ever. That was His longing for them. He only wished them well. For He knew that the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding (Psa 111:10 with Job 28:28).
This heart cry reveals that Yahweh was not deceived about this people. Even as He gave His word through Moses He knew what would finally result. Even their behaviour here had revealed the seeds of movement away from God and His covenant. The whole of the Old Testament history is contained within these words. They had found that knowing God was uncomfortable. But God never desires the death of the wicked. He longs that they might turn from their wickedness and live (Eze 33:11). And He therefore longs that people may hear Him and fear Him. We do no good to ourselves when we seek to hide from God.
God cries out in the same way today. He looks at us and says the same, and speaks to us through His word. But He knows what we are, and that therefore we will constantly be totally dependent on His mercy. Yet He longs for those who will be fully taken up with Him, and seek Him more earnestly so as to enter into the deeper things of God.
Deu 5:30
“ Go, say to them, “Return to your tents.”
So He tells Moses that the people are free to return to their tents (compare Deu 16:7). How sad this was. It was not because they had obtained victory that they returned to them, but because they did not want to have to face up to God as He really was. From now on they would be making do with second hand experience. And the saddest thing was that they were satisfied with it. It was really the beginning of the end for Israel’s hopes of fulfilling God’s purposes through Abraham. It was only through the coming of a greater than Moses that such hope would be restored, when One came Who spoke continually with God face to face, and in Himself revealed the face of God (2Co 4:4-6). And if we would know God we must not be afraid to face Him.
Yet the returning to their tents also indicated that they must take Yahweh’s instruction into their home lives as in Deu 16:7. The way was open to lives of obedience. We must not overlook the fact that God was giving them the opportunity that they had sought.
Deu 5:31
“ But as for you (thee), you stand here by me, and I will speak to you all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which you (thou) shall teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.”
The stark contrast between Moses and the people (including initially Aaron) comes out here. This returning to his tent was not for Moses. He could not return to his tent. (How he must have wished sometimes that he could). He must face what his people were unwilling to face. He must constantly ‘face God and live’, as he had at the bush (Exodus 3). He must ‘stand by’ Yahweh and hear Him as He spoke to him ‘all the commandment, and the statutes and the ordinances’. Then he must teach them to the people so that they may fulfil them in the land to which they were going so that they might continue to possess it. See Deu 6:1 which introduces those ‘commandments, statutes and judgments’. This reminds us that the way of Moses was a costly way. It was not easy to be the messenger of God.
Here we learn quite plainly how God intended to teach Moses all that was required of his people. Here was the promise of one large ‘commandment’, of statutes (recorded requirements) and ordinances (judgments), of legislation and instruction, which he would have to pass on as God’s revelation to them. And such revelations from a god were always written down among ancient peoples, just as Moses would ensure that they were written down, sometimes by his own hand, and sometimes by his scribe. Exo 17:14 would certainly have formed a precedent as Exo 24:4 reveals. Moses did not need nudging twice on such matters.
Ver. 29. O that there were such an heart in them, &c. God was pleased with the disposition of fear and reverence which they expressed towards his divine majesty; and, after the manner of men, delivers a most earnest wish, that the same good disposition might always continue, that they might be influenced thereby to a stedfast adherence to their duty, and so both they and their posterity might reap all the blessings promised to a rational and pious obedience. This expression denotes, that men’s compliance with their duty, and the happiness which thence arises to them, are things highly pleasing to God, the most sincere lover of souls. From these and the like texts of Scripture, some are apt to reason with themselves, if God be so desirous of men’s reformation, why does he not bring it about by his almighty power? Now, though God could easily overrule the liberty of men’s will, and restrain them from doing any thing but what is good; yet it is not consonant to wisdom that his power should be exerted this way; because it would entirely destroy all the morality of men’s actions, and take away the very nature of virtue and vice. Should God put forth an irresistible influence of his power upon free agents, in that case, however regular their operations might be, they could no more be denominated virtuous, than the movements of a clock or a watch; so far is it, therefore, from being unworthy of God to forbear exerting his irresistible power upon moral agents, that, on the contrary, it would be altogether unworthy of him to exercise that power, because it would be a subverting of his whole design, in creating rational and intelligent beings. Moral agents must be influenced by moral motives, by reason and argument, by persuasion and conviction, by hopes and fears.
O that, &c. Figure of speech (Eeonismos. App-6.
always = every day, or all the days.
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
The language of the original is emphatic: Mee yittain wehayah levavom zeh lahem, literally, “Who will give that there may be such a heart in them?” They refuse to receive such a heart from me, who then can supply it?
O that there: Deu 32:29, Deu 32:30, Psa 81:13-15, Isa 48:18, Jer 44:4, Eze 33:31, Eze 33:32, Mat 23:37, Luk 19:42, 2Co 5:20, 2Co 6:1, Heb 12:25
keep all: Deu 11:1, Psa 106:3, Psa 119:1-5, Luk 11:28, Joh 15:14, Rev 22:14
that it might: Deu 5:16, Deu 4:40, Deu 6:3, Deu 6:18, Deu 12:25, Deu 12:28, Deu 19:13, Deu 22:7, Rth 3:1, Psa 19:11, Isa 3:10, Jer 22:14, Jer 22:15, Eph 6:3, Jam 1:25
Reciprocal: Gen 6:6 – grieved Exo 20:6 – showing Deu 4:10 – fear me Deu 5:33 – well Deu 6:13 – fear Jos 1:8 – observe Jos 24:24 – General 2Ki 21:8 – only if they 2Ch 12:14 – to seek Neh 9:16 – hearkened Psa 78:7 – keep Psa 78:36 – Nevertheless Psa 107:8 – Oh that men Psa 119:4 – General Pro 17:16 – seeing Isa 58:2 – they seek Jer 7:23 – Obey Jer 11:7 – in the Jer 32:39 – for the Jer 36:3 – may be Jer 42:3 – General Jer 42:6 – that it Eze 12:3 – it may Luk 13:34 – how Rev 3:15 – I would
THE BLESSINGS THAT ATTEND A RELIGIOUS LIFE
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Deu 5:29
The same merciful God who said, I am a Father to Israel, has given us also the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father, and may be well supposed to address every human being on the face of the earth in the affecting language of the text, O that there were such an heart in thee, that thou wouldst fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with thee, and with thy children for ever! Let us, then, attentively consider this object, humanly speaking, of Gods earnest desire, and the rewards which are here said to be dispensed by Him upon all those who do their utmost to attain it. This view of the subject will at once present us with the whole duty of every created being, and the blessings which attend its performance.
I. The former of these is thus briefly expressed: To fear God and to keep all His commandments always.Although it is not improbable that the fear of God thus mentioned bore some reference to the awe and alarm of the Israelites at the terrors of the Lords presence, as if it had been said, to fear God always, as they do at this moment; yet, the fear of God is a common Scriptural expression for the duties consequent upon a just sense of the relation in which we stand to Him as our Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and future Judge. For this relation embraces two things. It regards the All-wise and All-powerful Maker of the universe as the exalted Being on whom we have to depend for every temporal and every spiritual good, and whose will it should be our greatest pleasure, as it is our surest interest and first of duties, to perform. And it next regards ourselves as the poor beings of a day, whose breath is in their nostrils, and the imagination of whose hearts is only evil continually, admitted by covenant (an act of undeserved grace and mercy) to be His children, the rescued and ransomed inheritors of a kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world; if they only do their utmost to make His revealed will the great law of their lives. It is this view of the relation in which we stand to God that renders the fear of the Lord equivalent in meaning to the fullest obedience to His commandments. And it is in this sense it is used by David, Job, and Solomon. But in the present instance the meaning of the phrase is placed beyond all doubt by the words which accompany it, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always. We perceive then at once that these phrases, whatever may be thought of them singly, can in conjunction mean nothing less than a strictly religious life in conformity with the known will of God declared in our Bibles. I say strictly, because it may be remarked that the words admit of no exceptions or excuses or reservations. The terms are, keep all My commandments always; not, as too many flatter themselves they do, some or even many of Gods precepts, but all of His commandments, and on all occasions. The favourite and besetting sin is not excepted; and no season of temptation, no cases of example or enticement, or following a multitude to do evil, have the shadow of a sanction.
II. Having, then, explained the duty which a merciful God (to use the same human mode of expression) so anxiously and earnestly requires from each of us, His creatures, His servants, who have been bought with a price, let us now turn our meditations upon the powerful motive proposed by the same gracious Being for our fearing Him, and keeping all His commandments always. This motive is expressed in the same short and summary way with the duty itself, and is this, that it may be well with us and with our children for ever; which means simply that the blessing of God may be upon us and upon our children for ever.
(a) In the Christian dispensation of acceptance and adoption by God, the believer is mercifully promised pardon for sin upon repentance and faith in the great Mediator of the covenant into which he has been admitted.
(b) Another blessing is this: all his prayers are heard. Every petition that he makes at the throne of mercy is received and answered, either by its performance, or (if divine wisdom foresees that it may in kind or in degree prove injurious to him) by the grant of that portion of it, or of something else, which may be truly beneficial and more expedient.
(c) But it is well with the man that fears God in another respect. He is blest with sound judgment and the best of knowledge upon the great concern of life. He is made wise unto salvation. He that is spiritual judgeth all things. He discerns clearly the real value of things, and can distinguish accurately between good and evil. The Lord layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous.
(d) The last blessing of the truly religious man which I shall now mention is this, that it will be well with him hereafter. His present trust and confidence in God and His promises, his full and zealous obedience to all His commandments always, will be repaid at length by an eternity of bliss.
Rev. A. B. Evans.
Illustration
The character of the book might be summed up in one sentence
Deuteronomy is one long, varied plea for hearty obedience to God, in based on the two grand motives of love and fear.
This plea for obedience is long, and Moses varies it in every way, shape, and manner. He pleads, not only for obedience, but for hearty obedience, and bases the plea on their love for God and fear of Him. God has given to Moses to see far down the ages. He has lifted the veil which hides the future from these mortal eyes, and everything is clear to Moses for hundreds of years to come. He sees stretching out to the right the path of obedience, and to the left the path of disobedience. He sees what will be the consequences to the nation if they take the path of obediencea future so glorious that words can scarcely depict it; and he also sees what will be the consequences to the nation if they take the path of disobediencea future so dark and dreadful that he can scarcely paint it in words.
Deu 5:29. O that there were such a heart in them! A heart to fear God, and keep his commandments for ever! The God of heaven is truly and earnestly desirous of the salvation of poor sinners. He has given abundant proof that he is so. He gives us time and space to repent; by his mercies he invites us to repentance, and waiteth to be gracious; he has sent his Son to redeem us, published a general offer of pardon, promised his Spirit to those that pray for it; and he has said, yea, and sworn, that he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner.
5:29 O {k} that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
(k) He requires nothing but obedience from us, showing also that we ourselves are the unveiling of it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes