Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 10:20
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
20. See on Deu 6:13, which this repeats (with LXX, Sam., read, as there, and him) but adds another clause,
and to him shalt thou cleave ] This verb daba is used in J of close and warm affection from man to woman (Gen 2:24; Gen 34:3), and in J and D of the adhesion of evil (Gen 19:19; Deu 13:17 (18) of the devoted thing, Deu 28:21; Deu 28:60 of diseases). It is not applied to the relation of Israel to God in the Pent, except in D, Deu 10:20, Deu 11:22, Deu 13:4 (5), Deu 30:20, in which passages it is combined with some or other of the verbs love, fear, obey, serve, walk after. In Deu 4:4 the adj. dabe is used by itself. Cp. deuteronomic passages in Jos 22:5; Jos 23:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To him shalt thou cleave, with firm confidence, true affection, and constant attendance and obedience.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God,…. Which includes the whole worship of him, external and internal:
him shalt thou serve; heartily and sincerely, according to his revealed will, and him only:
and to him shall thou cleave; and not turn aside to follow other gods, and worship them:
and swear by his name; and his only, whenever it is necessary to take an oath, which should not be done rashly or on trivial accounts; and never by any creature, but by the living God; see De 6:13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After laying down the fundamental condition of a proper relation towards God, Moses describes the fear of God, i.e., true reverence of God, in its threefold manifestation, in deed (serving God), in heart (cleaving to Him; cf. Deu 4:4), and with the mouth (swearing by His name; cf. Deu 6:13). Such reverence as this Israel owed to its God; for “ He is thy praise, and He is thy God ” (Deu 10:21). He has given thee strong inducements to praise. By the great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen, He has manifested Himself as God to thee. “ Terrible things ” are those acts of divine omnipotence, which fill men with fear and trembling at the majesty of the Almighty (cf. Exo 15:11). , “done with thee,” i.e., shown to thee ( in the sense of practical help).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Lev 19:12
. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely. Although Moses is treating of the duties of the Second Table, and had previously forbidden men to deal fraudulently with their neighbors, he still adds this sentence by way of confirmation. It may, however, be inferred from the second clause of the verse that He directly had regard to the glory of God when he says, “ Thou shalt not profane the name of thy God.” For raging greediness after gain causes the avaricious and rapacious man not only to defraud men, but to become insolent to God Himself. Moses, therefore, although he is professedly condemning the falsehood and deceit whereby our neighbors are injured, at the same time takes occasion to introduce the declaration that we must beware lest, whilst covetousness impels us to do wrong, injury should be done not only to men but to God Himself also. The word used here, however, is not שוא, shau, as before, but שקר, sheker, which properly signifies deceitfulness; and therefore I have said that it enjoins us to beware lest any one by his perjury should do any injury to his neighbor; nevertheless, that this prohibition has direct reference to the Third Commandment, since Moses especially insists on this point, that God’s name is profaned by perjury, and thus he not only inculcates integrity, but also has regard to religion, that God’s majesty may not be violated. The expression is worthy of notice, “Thou shalt not pollute the name of God,” because God, who is eternal and immutable truth, cannot be more grossly insulted than by being summoned as a witness to falsehood, which is assuredly a shameful and wicked pollution. This was not regarded by the heathen, who, although they pretended to reverence God’s name in their oaths, yet made no scruple of deceiving, if he whom they had promised deserved it. Thyestes in the poet says, “I never have pledged my faith, nor do I pledge it to any faithless person;” (310) since his brother was a villain, he considered that he lay under no valid obligation to him. This is as if God’s majesty were dependent upon men’s deservings, so that it was allowable to call Him to witness whilst we deal deceitfully. Let this, then, be our firm conclusion, that in our oaths God is first to be regarded, whose holy name is more precious than a hundred worlds.
(310) Cic. de Off. 3 28, 29. “ Deinde illud etiam apud Actium Fregisti fidem. Neque dedi neque do infideli cuiquam, quanquam ab impio rege dicitur, luculente tamen dicitur. “Nam illud quidem, Neque dedi, neque do fidem in fideli cuiquam,idcirco recte a poeta; quia, cum tractaretur Atreus, personae serviendum fuit.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve.In the New Testament, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. It was our Lords last answer to the tempter in the wilderness. The order of the Hebrew gives the emphasis. Jehovah thy God shalt thou fear, Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave; and (adds Rashi) after all these qualities are established in thee, then thou shalt swear by His name. At least His name would not be profaned in such a case.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
What is cleaving to the LORD, in New Testament language, but being joined to the LORD in one spirit? 1Co 6:17 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 10:20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
Ver. 20. To him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. ] Cleaving will call for swearing. Act 11:23 Broken bones must have strong bands to close them fast again. A crazy piece of building must be crampt with iron bars, to keep it up from tottering.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Him. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Targum of Onkelos, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read “and Him”.
cleave. Compare Jos 23:8. 2Ki 17:36.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
fear
(See Scofield “Psa 19:9”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
fear: Deu 6:13, Deu 13:4, Mat 4:10, Luk 4:8
cleave: Deu 4:4, Deu 11:22, Deu 13:4, Jos 23:8, Act 11:23, Rom 12:9
swear: Deu 6:13, Psa 63:11, Isa 45:23
Reciprocal: Gen 2:24 – cleave Gen 24:3 – swear Exo 23:25 – And ye Deu 6:2 – fear Deu 30:20 – cleave Jos 22:5 – cleave Rth 1:14 – but Ruth 1Sa 7:3 – serve him 1Sa 29:6 – the Lord 2Ki 17:36 – him shall ye fear 2Ki 18:6 – he clave Psa 119:31 – stuck Isa 19:18 – and swear Isa 48:1 – which swear Isa 65:16 – he that Jer 4:2 – shalt swear Jer 12:16 – my name Zep 1:5 – and that Mat 19:5 – cleave Luk 8:38 – besought
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 10:20-21. To him shalt thou cleave With firm confidence, true affection, and constant obedience. He is thy praise The object and matter of thy praise, as Exo 15:2. It is thy greatest honour to belong to him, to be his subject and servant, his child and spouse, and it should be thy chief duty and delight to praise and glorify him.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
10:20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and {i} swear by his name.
(i) Read De 6:13.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
". . . Moses emphasized a vital relationship with God as fundamental to all other issues in life. Second to this was a genuine love relationship with fellow-man." [Note: Schultz, p. 48. Cf. Matthew 22:37-39.]