Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 26:17
Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
17. Thou hast avouched the Lord, etc.] i.e. acknowledged (see Wright’s Bible Word Book); lit. caused Jehovah to say that He will be thy God. This form of the Heb. vb. only here and Deu 26:18. It is probably a technical legal term, by which either of the two parties to a contract made the other utter a declaration of his obligation under it. Here it is figuratively applied to the contract between Jehovah and Israel. They did not actually cause Him to make this engagement, for His choice of them was an act of His free grace (Deu 7:8, etc.) and every covenant with Him was of His imposition (Deu 5:2, Deu 8:18). But by engaging to keep His laws Israel fulfilled the condition in which alone He could be their God. Therefore the formula, if not literally, is substantially, correct. The clever EVV. rendering avouched is unjustified by the Heb. form but has evidently been adopted to cover all the contradictory contents of the declaration; the text however is so deranged that it fails fully to do so.
and that thou shouldest walk in his ways, etc.] This belongs properly not to Jehovah’s, but to Israel’s, declaration, whereas the promise in Deu 26:19, and to make thee high above all nations, etc., which is attributed to them belongs, of course, to Him. There has been a displacement of the text.
The Syriac seeks to get rid of the difficulty by eliminating the conjunction at the beginning of the phrase here, so as to read by walking in his ways, etc.; but even so the difficulty is only partly removed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. Thou hast avouched the Lord] The people avouch – publicly declare, that they have taken Jehovah to be their God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Avouched, or declared, or professed, or owned. This day, i.e. at this time, in this wilderness, where thou hast accepted and ratified Gods covenant.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God,…. Said, affirmed, protested, and in the most solemn manner declared, that the Lord was their God, and him only; and that they would have no other God, nor worship, serve, or obey any other. The Lord is the God of all mankind, as he is the Creator and Preserver of them, and was of the people of Israel in a peculiar manner, they being chosen, redeemed, and privileged by him above all others; and especially is of his elect in Christ among all nations, whom he has loved and set apart for himself, and determined to save; whom he has adopted and regenerated; he provides for them, protects and preserves them, gives them grace here and glory hereafter: he is their God in Christ, and by virtue of the covenant of his grace made with them in him; and is known by them to be so in the effectual calling by the application of covenant blessings to them; and which is certified to them by the Spirit of God, upon which they claim their interest in him, and make profession of him as their God:
and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice; that is, this was then their resolution and determination, their protestation and declaration, to walk in all the ways of God, both in private and in public, he directed unto; and to observe all his laws, ceremonial, moral, and judicial, which he had given them as the rule of their walk and behaviour; and to regard whatsoever he should reveal by his prophets and ministers as his will; and a view of covenant interest in God lays all good men under the strongest obligation in the strength of divine grace to attend to his will; nor can there be a greater motive to them than covenant love, grace, and mercy.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
17. Thou hast avouched the Lord (231) He shews them from the consequence that nothing can be better or more desirable for them than to embrace God’s Law; for nothing can be more honorable to ourselves than to give to God His due honor, and to exalt His glory to its due preeminence. Moses declares that, if the Israelites submit themselves to the Law, this will be, as it were, to place Him in His rightful dignity; and he promises that the fruit of it will return to them, for that God, on his part, will exalt them, so that they shall far excel all other nations; as it is said in Isaiah, (Isa 8:13,) “Sanctify the Lord of hosts — and he shall be for a sanctuary.” For no otherwise does He desire to be glorified by us, than to make us in turn partakers of His glory; and thus Moses gently entices them to receive the Law, because their solid happiness consists in this pious duty, if they altogether devote themselves to obedience. But this excellency of the Church, although it shines forth in the world, is still hidden from the blind, and, since it is spiritual, only obtains its praise before God and the angels.
(231) Thou hast exalted, etc — Lat.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
17. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God We think the meaning is equivalent to this, Thou hast promised Jehovah this day that he shall be thy God, and that thou wilt walk in his ways.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 17. Thou hast avouched, &c. Thou hast said, solemnly professed, or protested; and so in the 18th verse it is said, the Lord hath avouched thee, &c. the close of which sentence should be rendered, if thou shalt keep his commandments. See Houbigant’s note on the place. The paraphrase of the Jerusalem Targum upon these words is remarkable: “You have stipulated that the words of the Eternal shall reign over you; and the Word of the Eternal hath stipulated to reign over you, who are a people dedicated to his name; if,” &c. By the Word, says Bishop Patrick, we can understand no other than the second person in the Divine Trinity.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 218
COVENANTING WITH GOD EXPLAINED
Deu 26:17-19. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
The covenant which was made with the Jews at Mount Horeb, though materially different from that which exists under the Christian dispensation, was yet intended to shadow forth that which all of us are called upon to enter into with our God. The Jewish covenant had respect in a great measure to temporal blessings, the bestowment of which was suspended entirely on their performance of certain conditions: whereas ours relates altogether to spiritual blessings; and though it has conditions as well as theirs, it provides strength for the performance of them, and thereby secures from failure all those who cordially embrace it. We may take occasion therefore from the words before us to consider,
I.
Our covenant engagements
The Jews were required to avouch, or profess openly, their acceptance of God as their God, and their determination to obey his will in all things; and such are the engagements which we also are called to take upon ourselves under the Christian dispensation:
1.
To accept God as our God
[The Jews had most satisfactory evidence that Jehovah was the only true God, and that he alone was worthy to be worshipped and adored. But, great as were the evidences of his kindness towards them, they are nothing in comparison of the demonstrations of his love to us. The gift of his only dear Son to die for us must for ever eclipse every other expression of his love [Note: Rom 5:8.]: and this peculiarly distinguishes the view in which we are to accept him: we must regard him as our incarnate God, as God In Christ Jesus, reconciling the world unto himself, and not imputing their trespasses unto them. Think a moment what is implied in such an acceptance of God: it supposes, that we feel our guilty, helpless, and hopeless state by nature; that we see the suitableness and sufficiency of the provision which God has made for us in the Son of his love; and that we are determined to have no dependence on any thing but on the meritorious death and the all-sufficient grace of the Lord Jesus
But it is not merely a secret determination which God requires: that determination must be avowed; we must avouch him to be the Lord our God. We must not be ashamed of Christ, but must confess him before men, and be as bold in acknowledging him, as the ungodly are in their allegiance to the god of this world ]
2.
To act towards him as becomes us in that relation
[Universal obedience to his commands was promised by the Jews of old; and the same must be promised by us also. We need not attempt to discriminate between the various terms here used: this we are sure is intended by them, that we are to yield obedience to the whole of his will as far as we know it, neither regarding any thing as unworthy of our notice, nor any thing as too difficult for us to perform: we must hearken to his voice, as the angels in heaven do [Note: Psa 103:20.], with an unwearied solicitude to know more of his will, and an incessant readiness to comply with the first intimations of it. We must be searching and meditating continually to find out what he speaks to us in his written word; and be listening also attentively to the still small voice of his Spirit, speaking to us in our consciences: and, whatever we ascertain to be his mind and will, that we are to do without hesitation, and without reserve.
Now this we must determine through grace to do. We must not come to God only as a Saviour to deliver us, but also as a Lord to govern us: and we must resolve that henceforth no other Lord shall have dominion over us. Nor must this determination be kept secret: this also must be avowed: we must let it be seen whose we are, and whom we serve; and must evince a firmness in his service which neither the terrors nor allurements of the world can ever shake ]
Precisely corresponding with our engagements are,
II.
Our covenant advantages
God affords us ample encouragement to lay hold on his covenant; for he avows his determination,
1.
To own us as his people
[The very moment that we look to Christ as all our salvation and all our desire, God will set his seal upon us as his peculiar treasure. Just as a person who has bought any thing of great value, regards it from that moment as his own property, and uses all proper methods for the securing the full possession of it, so does God: he sets apart him that is godly for himself: he gives his angels charge over him, and avouches him from that day to be his purchased possession. He avouches it, I say, and makes it manifest both to the man himself and to the world around him. To the man himself he gives a Spirit of adoption, enabling him to cry, Abba, Father, and to ascertain, by the witness of that Spirit, that he is a child of God [Note: Rom 8:15-16.]. To the world around him also he makes it manifest, by enabling him to walk as Christ walked, and to shine as a light in the midst of a dark benighted world. Instantly does the change in him become apparent, so that his friends and neighbours cannot but confess that he is a new creature: and, though some will ascribe the change to one thing, and some to another, they are constrained to acknowledge, that his new mode of life is such as they cannot attain to, and such as approves itself to be the very work of God himself.]
2.
To bestow on us blessings worthy of that relation
[The first thing which the child of God desires, is holiness: and behold, as soon as ever he embraces the Christian covenant, God engages to make him holy, and to enable him to keep all his commandments. This is a peculiar point of difference between the Jewish covenant and ours, as we have already observed; and it is that which is our greatest encouragement under the consciousness we feel of our own weakness. God will put his Sprit within us, and cause us to walk in his statutes, [Note: Eze 36:25-27.] This is actually a part of his covenant engagements; and must be esteemed by us as our security for the enjoyment of all our other advantages.
Together with this does God undertake to give us the most exalted honour and happiness: he will make us high above all people in praise, and in name, and in honour. Behold, says the Apostle, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! Yes, he calls us not servants, but friends, yea, sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. For us has he prepared crowns and kingdoms, that we may sit with him on his throne, and be partakers of his glory for ever and ever. This, and infinitely more than language can express, has God prepared for them that love him, and that embrace his covenant of life and peace: and he pledges his truth and faithfulness for the performance of his word.
O Christian, what advantages are these! what tongue can ever utter them; what imagination can ever conceive of them aright! Know however, that, unspeakable as they are, they are all thy rightful portion, thine everlasting inheritance.]
Application
Twice is the expression used, this day; this day thou hast avouched; and this day God has avouched, &c. Permit me then to ask, Have you ever known such a day as this, a day wherein you have solemnly surrendered yourselves to God as his redeemed people, with a full determination to serve him with your whole hearts; and a day wherein he has manifested himself to you as he does not unto the world, and sealed you with the Holy Spirit of promise, as the earnest of your inheritance?
To those who have known such a day:
[Perhaps you were brought to it through many and severe afflictions [Note: Zec 13:9; Eze 20:37.]; but have you ever regretted for a moment the means by which such a blessed end has been accomplished? We say then, Let not the remembrance of that day escape from your minds. You cannot but recollect what a solemn transaction it was between God and your own souls: what shame you felt that ever you had alienated yourselves from him, what gratitude to him for his gracious acceptance of you, what a determination to live entirely to his glory, and what a persuasion that you could never be base enough to forget the engagements of that day. But do you not find that the good impressions have been greatly weakened, and that, whilst the ardour of your will and affections has cooled, little remains except the convictions of your judgment? Ah! beware of leaving your first love, or of resting satisfied with past experiences. Know that it is not on any one day that these transactions must be realized, but every day of your lives. You should be again and again renewing your vows unto the Lord, and be daily occupied in fulfilling them. Look to it then, that neither the cares of the world, nor the deceitfulness of riches, nor the lusts of the flesh, nor the fear of man, nor any other thing, choke the good seed within you, or prevent your bringing forth fruit unto perfection.]
To those who wish for such a day,
[(For we trust that such there are amongst us, who yet cannot speak of such a day as past,) we would earnestly suggest some necessary cautions.
Delay not thus to give yourselves up to God: but be particularly on your guard not to do it in a legal, self-righteous, self-dependent spirit. There are two mistakes which are very generally made, which yet are of most fatal consequence: the first is, that our covenant-engagements relate only to the performance of our duties; whereas they relate primarily to our acceptance of God as our reconciled God in Christ Jesus: and the second is, that we are to found all our hopes of covenant advantages on our own obedience; whereas we should regard them, not as purchased by us, but as bestowed on us in the covenant, and as secured to us in Christ Jesus. Happy would it be, if this matter were more clearly understood: it lies at the very root of all our comfort, and of all our stability: till we see all our holiness secured to us as well as required of us, we shall never rely as we ought on the promises of God, or give to him the glory due unto his name. See how the covenant is expressed by an inspired prophet: not only does it say, They shall be my people, and I will be their God, but, to secure their part of the covenant as well as Gods, God promises not to turn away from them, or to suffer them to turn away from him [Note: Jer 32:38-41.]. Thus is the covenant ordered in all things, and therefore sure: but it is sure to those only who lay hold on it with a just apprehension of its nature, and a simple dependence on its provisions.]
Those, who have no idea of any such day,
[May probably be found amongst us. There are some who seem to take credit to themselves for never having made any profession of religion at all. But can they suppose that this is any excuse for their irreligion, or that it invalidates their obligation to serve the Lord? See the solemn injunction that precedes the text [Note: ver. 16.]: can they make that void? See what is the prophets description of things under the gospel dispensation [Note: Jer 1:4-5.]: there not only are the Lords people represented as encouraging one another to covenant thus with God, but the state of their minds is accurately delineated, and the whole mode of their proceeding described. Be it known then that this is the duty of every one amongst us. If we would have God for our portion in a better world, we must accept him now: and, if we would be his people in a better world, we must give ourselves up to him now. To make excuses is vain. This duty is paramount to every other: and therefore we call upon all of you this day to avouch God for your God, that he, in the day of judgment, may acknowledge you as his redeemed people.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 26:17 Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:
Ver. 17. Thou hast avouched. ] This we do, when with highest estimation, most vigorous affections, and utmost endeavours we bestow ourselves upon God, giving up our names and hearts to the profession of truth. And this our choosing God for our God, Psa 73:25 is a sign he first chose us. 1Jn 4:19 Mary answers not “Rabboni,” till Christ hath said “Mary” to her. It is he that brings us into the bonds of the covenant. Eze 20:37 He first cries out, Who is on my side? who? and then gives us to answer, as Isa 44:5 “One says, I am the Lord’s; another calls himself by the name of Jacob; another subscribes,” &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
avouched = avowed.
and. Note Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6) in verses: Deu 26:17-19.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
avouched: Deu 5:2, Deu 5:3, Exo 15:2, Exo 20:19, Exo 24:7, 2Ch 34:31, Isa 12:2, Isa 44:5, Zec 13:9, Act 27:23, Rom 6:13, 1Co 6:19, 1Co 6:20, 2Co 8:5
and to: Deu 10:12, Deu 10:13, Deu 13:4, Deu 13:5, Deu 30:16, Jos 22:5, 1Ki 2:3, 1Ki 2:4
to keep: Psa 147:19, Psa 147:20
hearken: Deu 13:18, Deu 15:5
Reciprocal: Gen 4:26 – Enos Gen 28:21 – then Exo 19:8 – General Deu 26:10 – I have Jos 10:40 – as the Lord Jos 24:21 – Nay Jos 24:22 – Ye are witnesses 2Ch 23:16 – that they should Psa 50:7 – O my Psa 91:2 – my God Psa 105:7 – the Lord Psa 119:57 – I have Jer 2:20 – and thou saidst Jer 24:7 – and they Jer 30:22 – General Jer 32:38 – General Hos 2:23 – Thou art my God Mal 3:17 – jewels 1Ti 6:12 – hast
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 26:17-18. Avouched Or declared, or owned. Avouched thee Hath owned thee for such before all the world, by eminent and glorious manifestations of his power and favour, by a solemn entering into covenant with thee, and giving peculiar laws, promises, and privileges to thee above all mankind.