6<\/strong>. Keep therefore and do them<\/em> ] So eight times in D (as also eight in P); the similar keep<\/em> (or observe<\/em>) to do<\/em> occurs some 20 times both with Sg. and Pl. This practical emphasis is characteristic of the Book. Men are often content to remember the commandments.<\/p>\n for this is your wisdom and your understanding<\/em> ] Not your mere possession of the law, but this your doing of it<\/em>, shall be your intellectual strength. Cp. Joh 7:17<\/span>.<\/p>\n in the sight of the peoples, which shall say<\/em> ] So actually it came to pass. Loyalty to the Law ensured not only the national existence of Israel (see on Deu 4:1<\/em><\/span>), but their fame among the Gentiles; who shall say, This great nation is a wise and understanding people<\/em>. Most signally fulfilled by the fame of the Jews among illuminated Greeks after Alexander’s conquest of Asia. Hecataeus of Abdera, Clearchus, Theophrastus, Megasthenes, Hermippus all call the Jews the philosophers<\/em> of the East ( Jerusalem<\/em>, ii. 401, etc.). The cause of such a fame was not of course the wise details of the Law, nor even that the nation possessed and lived by it, in a way unparalleled by any nation in W. Asia the Greeks find the nearest parallel in India but the religious spirit of the Law, its unique monotheism<\/em>. And so the discourse now proceeds to speak of Israel’s God.<\/p>\n Surely<\/em> ] Heb. ra<\/em>. See on Deu 10:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 6<\/span>. Keep – and do<\/B><\/I> them; <\/B>for this<\/B><\/I> is <\/B>your wisdom<\/B><\/I>] There was no mode of worship at this time on the face or the earth that was not wicked, obscene, puerile, foolish, or ridiculous, except that established by God himself among the Israelites. And every part of this, taken in its connection<\/I> and reference<\/I>, may be truly called a wise<\/I> and reasonable service<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> The nations – and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and<\/B><\/I> <\/B>understanding people.<\/B><\/I>] Almost all the nations in the earth showed that they had formed this opinion of the Jews, by borrowing from them the principal part of their civil code. Take away what Asia<\/I> and Europe<\/I>, whether ancient<\/I> or modern<\/I>, have borrowed from the Mosaic laws<\/I>, and you leave little behind that can be called excellent.<\/P><\/p>\n For though the generality of heathen people in the latter and degenerate ages of the world, did, through inveterate prejudices, and for their own lusts and interest, condemn the laws of the Hebrews as foolish and absurd, yet it is most certain that divers of the wisest heathens did highly approve of them, so far that they made use of divers of them, and translated them into their own laws and constitutions; and Moses, the giver of these laws, hath been mentioned with great honour for his wisdom and learning by many of them. And particularly the old heathen oracle expressly said, that the Chaldeans or Hebrews, who worshipped the uncreated God<\/I>, were the only wise men. <\/P> <\/p>\n Keep therefore and do them<\/strong>,….. Observe them, take notice of what is expressed by them, and perform them, both as to matter and manner, as they require:<\/p>\n for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations<\/strong>; that is, their wisdom and understanding would appear to other nations by their observance of the commands of God:<\/p>\n which hear all these statutes<\/strong>; which they had a report, got knowledge of by some of the philosophers who travelled into those parts, and by the translation of the Bible into the Greek language:<\/p>\n and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people<\/strong>; that had such a body of laws, in which they were instructed, and according to which they were governed, and in which they walked; that were so agreeable to reason, truth, justice, and equity; insomuch that so far as they became known they were admired and copied after, both by Greeks and Romans; and hence it was that the oracle f declared, that only the Chaldeans and Hebrews were a wise people; the Hebrews came from Chaldea, as Abraham the father of them.<\/p>\n f Apud Porphyr. in Euseb Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 10. p. 413.<\/p>\n 6. Keep therefore, and do them. In order that they may set themselves more cheerfully about the keeping of the Law, and may proceed more steadily in this endeavor, he reminds them that nothing is better or more desirable for themselves. For God is not duly honored, except with ready minds and volutary obedience, to which we are rather attracted by pleasure than forced by rigor and violence. Now, since all desire to excel, he says, that this is the chief excellence of Israel, that they have God for their Lawgiver and Master. If any object that what he says may be refuted by two arguments, namely, because the Law of God was unknown to heathen nations; and because the form of God’s worship prescribed in it, and the whole Jewish religion, was not only despised but hated by them; I reply, that other nations are not here absolutely stated to be the judges or arbitrators, but that the words must be thus understood, viz., that there will be no nation, if it should come to a right understanding, which will dare to compare itself, much less to prefer itself to you; for by the very comparison it will acknowledge to what a height of dignity God has raised you. Wherefore, although the doctrine of the Law should remain neglected, nay, detested, by almost all the world, still Moses with truth declares, that since God has deigned to deliver to the Jews a rule of life, a stage had been erected before other nations, whereon the nobility of that one people would be conspicuous. For it was unreasonable that the glory of God should be tarnished or extinguished by the ignorance of the blind. But we gather from this passage that we then are truly wise, when we depend on God’s words, and submit our feeling to His revelations. Where I have rendered the words, “Surely (certo) this people,” the Hebrew particle, רק, (226) rak, is used, which is often applied in an exclusive sense, so that it would appropriately bear this meaning: “Only this people,” etc. Unquestionably, the eminent condition of the people, on account of their gracious privileges, is referred to. <\/p>\n (226) Only; at least; surely. — Nold. Concord. partic. — W. <\/p>\n (6) This is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations.<\/strong>The laws of Jehovah in Israel, and the constant presence of Jehovah with Israel, would make an impression upon the world that it would not be easy to resist. For, he adds, what nation is there so great, that hath God so nigh unto them?<\/p>\n They Are Fortunate Among The Nations because of What They Have Received ( Deu 4:6-9<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> ).<\/strong> <\/p>\n This may be analysed as follows: <\/p>\n a <\/strong> They are to keep (shamar) Yahweh’s statutes and judgments and do them for in doing so the nations will recognise that they are wise and understanding (Deu 4:6<\/span>). <\/p>\n b <\/strong> For no other nation, however great, has a God so near to them as Yahweh is when they call on Him (Deu 4:7<\/span>). <\/p>\n b <\/strong> No other nation has statutes and judgments so righteous as this Instruction (torah) that Yahweh has set before them at this time (Deu 4:8<\/span>). <\/p>\n a <\/strong> They are to take heed to themselves (shamar and keep (shamar) themselves diligently in case they forget what they have seen and lest those things depart from their heart all the days of their lives, and are to make them known to their children and their children’s children (Deu 4:9<\/span>). <\/p>\n Note that in ‘a’ they are to keep (shamar) His statutes and judgments and do them, and in the parallel are to keep (shamar) themselves with greatest care in case they forget them, and forget what they have seen, and so as to ensure that they make them known to their children and their children’s children. In ‘b’ no nation has a God like theirs Who is so near to them when they call on Him and in the parallel no nation has such righteous statutes and judgments as Yahweh has given them. <\/p>\n Deu 4:6<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> Keep therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” <\/p>\n So they are to keep (shamar) Yahweh’s words and do them. Then will the peoples admire their wisdom and understanding. They will hear the statutes that they live by and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people’. They will be full of admiration for their way of life, and their wondrous laws, and the benefits that would result as they revealed that they were a rejoicing people and greatly blessed. <\/p>\n This claim is quite remarkable. Every nation thought that its wisdom and its laws were superior to those of all others, as Hammurabi makes clear in his law code. But here it is pointed out that when it comes to the Instruction of Yahweh all else will be seen as secondary and will be conceded to be so by the nations. <\/p>\n This superiority was in fact actually recognised by many Greeks (and others) who would later become God-fearers because of the superiority of the Instruction (Torah). The same was true of the Christian world when it responded to Christ. Both were a declaration of the superiority of the teaching of Yahweh. <\/p>\n Deu 4:7<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> For what great nation is there, which has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him?’ <\/p>\n He now brings to their attention two of the ways in which Yahweh is superior to the so-called gods of the nations. Firstly because He is near to them and acts on their behalf. And secondly because He gives them such superior teaching. <\/p>\n He asks firstly, ‘What other nation has a responsive God like Yahweh, and One Who when called upon is so near?’ They only had to look at their past history in order to see that this was so. The nations would therefore recognise that Israel had in Yahweh their God what none other had, a God Who was near, a God Who truly heard when they called on Him, a God Who acted, a God Who was there, a God Who bound them to Himself. ‘Yahweh our God’. ‘Yahweh’ means, ‘the One Who will be whatever He wants to be’, ‘the One who is there’. And He would be seen to be their God. This would especially be so in the light of His great deliverance from Egypt in response to the cry of His people (Exo 2:23<\/span>; Exo 3:7<\/span>; Exo 3:9<\/span>), and many of their enemies would experience a similar thing personally as they fought against Israel. <\/p>\n The verse is not saying that Israel believed in the existence of other gods. It is rather making clear that the gods other nations believed in were far off and unreal. We equally today speak of the gods of other religions without believing in them. But the history of Moses demonstrates that he certainly believed and knew that there was only one God Who was totally irresistible and unique. And this will be demonstrated further when he declares that the true God has no form or shape. (Deu 4:12<\/span>; Deu 4:15<\/span>). The corollary is that those with form or shape are no gods, but are of the earth. <\/p>\n Deu 4:8<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And what great nation is there, which has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law (torah), which I set before you this day?’ <\/p>\n Furthermore what great nation had statutes and ordinances that were as righteous as those given to Israel? In spite of the great law codes of the ancients, none compared with the compassion and mercy, combined with the purity and righteousness, of those of Israel as revealed in God’s instruction (torah) through Moses. This was a direct challenge to the nations, and a claim for ‘the instruction of Yahweh’ that expressed its superlative content. It claimed that it was unique and unearthly, beyond the wisdom of even the greatest of men. <\/p>\n Deu 4:9<\/strong><\/span> a <\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n ‘Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.’ <\/p>\n “Take heed to yourself (shamar), and keep (shamar) your soul diligently.”<\/strong> Paul put this, ‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (with greatest care)’ (Php 2:12<\/span>) because of Who was at work within them (Deu 4:13<\/span>). Thus Israel too must take careful heed to themselves and keep themselves diligently (compare Deu 4:6<\/span>) and their attitudes and behaviour, and ensure that deep within them they remembered all that they had seen when God had revealed Himself at the Mount, lest His words at some stage in their lives slip away from them (compare Heb 2:1-4<\/span>). They are by this to remember how serious a matter it is to do God’s will. <\/p>\n Deu 4:9<\/strong><\/span> b<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n ‘But make them known to your children and your children’s children.’ <\/p>\n And they are not only to remember, but to ensure that their children also remember, and their children’s children also. It was as a result of such instructions that the Jews were famed as those who taught their children from their youngest days so that Gods truth was burned within them (compare Deu 6:7<\/span>; Deu 11:19<\/span>; Deu 32:46<\/span>; Exo 12:26-27<\/span>; Exo 13:8<\/span>; Exo 13:14<\/span>). <\/p>\n “Lest you forget.”<\/strong> Such forgetfulness could be avoided by constantly stirring each other to remembrance, especially at their great feasts. By reading and remembering His word, and considering it constantly, they would prevent themselves from falling into forgetfulness. How important it is for us to constantly read His word and thus ensure that we too do not forget. <\/p>\n Ver. <\/em><\/strong>6. <\/strong>This is your wisdomin the sight of the nations<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> See Psa 2:10<\/span>. In consequence of this, Herodotus, Diod. Siculus, and other heathen writers, who treat of the Jewish affairs, applaud their wisdom in adhering steadfastly to the institutions of their country, and rejecting all foreign rites; nay, the most ancient legislators have taken from them the greater part of their laws; witness the ancient Attic laws, and those of the twelve tables among the Romans. Hence the famous oracle, “that the Hebrews were the only wise people, because they honoured God, the eternal king, in all purity.” The testimony of many Greek Writers, to the same purpose, will be found in Clem. Alex. Strom. I. and Euseb. Prep. Evang. lib. ix. cap. 10. See also Macrob. Saturnal. lib. i. c. 18. It would be a pleasing speculation, and one which would abundantly demonstrate the truth of what Moses advances in the next verses, to trace the original of the most ancient laws, and to shew how the greater part of them was derived from those of Moses. Houbigant very well observes upon this passage, “If, as some pretend, the laws of Moses had been formed upon the model of the neighbouring nations, how could these laws have been appealed to, as something new and unheard of, and worthy the admiration of those nations? It is evidently collected from these words, that if the laws of the nations bore any similitude with those of Moses, they must have copied from him, and not he from them.” <\/p>\n Deu 4:6 Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people.<\/p>\n Ver. 6. For this is your wisdom.<\/strong> ] Omnis sapientia hominis in hoc uno est,<\/em> saith Lactantius, a<\/em> ut Deum cognoscat et colat: hoc nostrum dogma, hac sententia est:<\/em> To know and do the will of God, this is the whole of man’s wisdom. “The heart of the wise man is at his right hand,” Ecc 10:2 as teaching it to put things in practice, and to “prove by experience what that good, and holy, and acceptable will of God is.” Rom 12:2 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A wise and understanding people.<\/strong> ] The Spaniards are said to seem wise and are fools; the French to seem fools and are wise; the Portuguese neither to be wise, nor so much as to seem so; the Italians both to seem wise and to be so. But may not that of the prophet be fitly applied to them all, “Behold, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?” Jer 8:9 <\/p>\n<\/p>\n a<\/em> Lactan., Inst., <\/em> lib. iii, cap. 30.<\/p>\n understanding = discernment. <\/p>\n understanding = discerning. <\/p>\n this is your: Job 28:28, Psa 19:7, Psa 111:10, Psa 119:98-100, Pro 1:7, Pro 14:8, Jer 8:9, 2Ti 3:15, Jam 3:13 <\/p>\n Surely: 1Ki 4:34, 1Ki 10:6-9, Psa 119:99, Dan 1:20, Dan 4:9, Dan 5:11-16, Zec 8:20-23, Mal 3:12 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Lev 19:37 – General Deu 4:40 – keep Deu 6:3 – and observe Deu 28:10 – and they shall Deu 28:13 – if that thou Deu 29:9 – General Jos 22:5 – take Jdg 20:7 – ye are all 1Ki 8:42 – For they shall 1Ch 22:12 – that thou mayest 1Ch 28:8 – in the sight 2Ch 30:12 – the commandment Psa 19:8 – statutes Psa 53:2 – any that Psa 119:34 – I shall Pro 1:2 – General Pro 14:34 – Righteousness Son 6:9 – The daughters Isa 26:2 – righteous Isa 27:11 – for it is Jer 11:7 – in the Eze 5:5 – I have Eze 16:14 – thy renown Hos 8:12 – written Zec 8:23 – we have Mal 4:4 – the law Eph 5:17 – understanding 1Ti 1:8 – the law<\/p>\n Deu 4:6. In the sight of the nations For though the generality of heathen, in the latter ages, did, through inveterate prejudices, condemn the laws of the Hebrews, yet it is certain the wisest heathen did highly approve of them, so that they made use of divers of them, and translated them into their own laws and constitutions; and Moses, the giver of these laws, hath been mentioned with great honour for his wisdom and learning by many of them. And particularly the old heathen oracle expressly said, That the Chaldeans, or Hebrews, who worshipped the uncreated God, were the only wise men.<\/p>\n 4:6 Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your {f} wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people.<\/p>\n (f) Because all men naturally desire wisdom, he shows how to attain it.<\/p>\n Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people. 6. Keep therefore and do them ] So eight times in D (as also eight in P); the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 4:6”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"