Bible Commentaries
Deuteronomy 1

Verse 1

Beyond. The eastern side of the Jordan is so called in Scripture, with reference to the promised land. (Menochius) --- Hebrew may mean also, "on this side, or at the passage" about Bethabara, "the house of passage," near which the Hebrews were encamped, and where Josue probably crossed over the Jordan, as it was the usual ford. Calmet seems to think that these two first verses have been inverted by Esdras, &c., or interpolated, as he says Moses never crossed the Jordan, and certainly addressed the Hebrews near that river, at a great distance from the Red Sea: but the text does not assert the contrary. It only determines that the place where he harangued them, was a part of the wilderness, or the plains of Moab, over-against the Red Sea, which they had left when they came from Asiongaber, unless the term Suph, which signifies red, may be a proper name of the station Supha, near the torrent Zared, (Numbers xxi. 14,) as Calmet maintains. If this be admitted, this difficulty vanishes, for the camp of Israel was certainly over-against, and not even remote from this place. The other cities may have been in the environs, or Moses may have referred to the stations and places in the desert of Pharan, at Tophel, Laban, or Lebna, Haseroth, (Numbers xxxiii. 17,) where there is very much gold, (Septuagint, "gold mines;" Hebrew, "dizahab,") and Cades-barne. Lebna, Haseroth, and Cades-barne, were in the territory of the Idumeans, who dwelt to the south-west of the plains of Moab. Tophel and Dizahab are unknown (Calmet) as well as Laban, Haseroth, and Pharan, if they be not the names of encampments. Geographers vary so much in their descriptions of the road, which the Hebrews followed, and in maps of the adjacent countries, that it is now impossible to decide. (Haydock)

Verse 2

Cades-barne. All the distance between Horeb and the Jordan, by Mount Seir, on the road to Cades-barne, might have been traveled in eleven days’ time, being about 300 miles; or the Hebrews were so long in going thither, Numbers xxxiii. 17. (Calmet) --- It was to punish the Israelites for their frequent rebellions, that they were condemned to wander in that wilderness for forty years. (Du Hamel) --- They might have entered the promised land when they first came to Cades-barne, from Mount Horeb, (Numbers xiii. 1, 27,) which, even by the circuitous road of Mount Seir, would not have taken them above eleven days. He mentions this to remind them of their folly. Perhaps all the aforesaid places may have been between Horeb and Cades-barne, as Bonfrere maintains that Laban was in the neighbourhood of Sinai, where Moses first received the law which he is now going to explain. His discourse turns upon the chief occurrences of the forty years’ journey; and hence, these are the words, (ver. 1,) may refer not only to what he was going to say, but also to the commands which he had already notified to the Israelites, from the passage of the Red Sea till the station Abelsetim, upon the banks of the Jordan, Numbers xxxvi. 13. (Haydock) --- Deuteronomy contains a recapitulation of the law, and therefore it was to be read aloud to all the people on the feast of tabernacles, every seventh year; and the new kings, or rulers of the Hebrews, were commanded to transcribe it, and every day read some part for the rule of their conduct, chap. xvii. 18., and xxxi. 10. (Tirinus)

Verse 3

Month, corresponding with our January, if the ecclesiastical calculation be followed; but if we date from Tisri, this eleventh month will be our July or August. Moses died on the 7th of the following month. (Du Hamel)

Verse 4

Astaroth signifies "sheep," particularly ewes, with their dugs distended with milk. Hence the Sidonians formed the idea of their Astarte, 1 Kings xi. 5. (Haydock) --- The Rabbins say, that Astaroth denotes large mountains, generally covered with sheep. Astaroth-Carnaim was the city. (Eusebius) --- Here the famous Og resided, though he was defeated at Edrai, as the Hebrew intimates. (Calmet)

Verse 5

Expound. He begins, as usual, with commemorating the wonders of God, in favour of an ungrateful people. This book may be considered as a supplement to the other four books. (Calmet) --- We need not wonder, therefore, if we find some new observations. The reason why the sabbath is to be kept, is here said to be in memory of the law being given to the Hebrews, and their liberation from slavery; (chap. v. 15,) whereas in Exodus, it seems to be designed to remind people that God rested on the seventh day. But here is no contradiction. (Watson)

Verse 7

Turn you. The Hebrews, after the passage of the Red Sea, seemed to turn their backs upon the promised land, to go southward. Now, therefore, they are ordered to bend their course to the north, and to enter Chanaan, (Haydock) on the western side of the lake of Sodom, where the Amorrhites dwelt. (Calmet) --- Their mountain, and the other hills, and plains, and vales, (Hebrew sephela, mentioned [in] 1 Machabees xii. 38,) as far as the Nile and Mediterranean, were the southern limits of the Chanaanites, whose country extended to Libanus. See Numbers xxxiv. (Haydock) --- God promises also to deliver the country as far as the Euphrates to the Hebrews, provided they continue faithful to him, chap. xix. 8. As they neglected this condition, they never possessed the whole country, not even that of Chanaan, unmolested. Yet the whole was tributary to them in the days of David and Solomon. (St. Augustine, q. 21. in Jos.) (Masius) (Tirinus)

Verse 9

I said, following the advice of Jethro, Exodus xviii. 18.

Verse 11

CHAPTER I.

Verse 15

Who, &c. Hebrew, "and shoterim (officers like our serjeants, designed to publish and execute the sentence of the judges) over or among your tribes." The Persians still call such officers chaters. The Rabbins say, that the shoterim were generally selected from among the Cinites, the descendants of Jethro, 1 Paralipomenon ii. 55. But we find that the Levites were also chosen, 2 Paralipomenon xix. 11. They seem to have had sometimes the authority of judges, princes, or doctors for the instruction of the people, as the Vulgate here expresses it. (Calmet)

Ver 17. Respect. Hebrew, "fear." (Menochius) --- Those who judge ought to be quite impartial, and never suffer their sentence to be dictated either by love or by fear. (Haydock) (Ecclesiasticus vii. 6.) --- Of God, to whom you must give an account of your conduct, Wisdom vi. 4. Speak therefore in his name, and imitate his justice and other perfections. See Psalm lxxxi 1. (Calmet) --- If any one absolve an oppressor because he is rich, that judge is guilty of partiality. (Du Hamel) (Isaias i. 23.) --- Hear it, as the supreme judge. (Menochius) --- The people selected such as might be most proper, out of whom Moses made his choice. (Salien) --- An appeal might be made to himself. (Abulensis, q. 11.)

Verse 23

Pleased me. Even Moses was deceived by the appearance of prudence: and God permitted the people to follow the directions of their cowardice, ver. 26, 32. (Chap. ix. 29., and Numbers xiii. 1.) (Calmet)

Verse 26

Being. Hebrew, "but rebelled against, irritated, or rendered useless," &c. (Calmet)

Verse 27

Hateth us. Such an opinion, can bring nothing but destruction. (Du Hamel)

Verse 30

For you. Septuagint, "he will defeat them along with you." For man must do something. (St. Augustine, q. 1.)

Verse 37

Neither, &c. Hebrew simply, "The Lord was also angry with me on your account," &c. Moses had been so long witness to the rebellions of the Hebrews, that at last he gave way to a certain diffidence, when he was ordered by God to give them water out of the rock. He was afraid the Lord would not bear any longer with their repeated acts of ingratitude, nor work a miracle on this occasion, chap. iii. 26., and Numbers xx. 12. (Haydock) --- He had also consented to the sending of the 12 spies imprudently. (Du Hamel) (Ver. 23.)

Verse 39

Evil. These words were spoken to by God to the Hebrews, after they had refused to go from Cades-barne, to take immediate possession of the land of Chanaan, and not after Moses had offended at the waters of contradiction, which happened only a short time before his death. (Haydock) --- Those who were not come to the use of reason at the former period, (Menochius) or who had not arrived at 20 years of age, were now permitted to enter. (Haydock)

Verse 40

Sea. This they deferred complying with for a long time, (ver. 46,) and then they directed their course along Mount Seir, towards the west, and encamped at Hesmona. (Calmet) --- Many years after, they arrived at a different branch of the Red Sea from that which they had crossed, Numbers xxxiii. 30, 35. (Haydock)

Verse 41

Armed. Septuagint, "in crowds." Arabic, "quickly." Syriac, "encouraging one another." Chaldean, "impiously." (Calmet) --- The conduct of these people might seem to authorize all these interpretations. The Hebrew term occurs no where else. (Haydock)

Verse 44

Bees do. This similitude shews the vivacity, courage, and numbers of those who pursued the Hebrews from Seir to Horma. See Numbers xxi. 3., Psalm cvii. 12., and Isaias vii. 18.

Verse 46

Time. Hebrew adds, "according to the days that you abode." All the time that the Hebrews spent in that neighbourhood they remained at Cades-barne. The Rabbins say 38 years; but Moses informs us, that they were so long in coming thence to the torrent of Zared, chap. ii. 14. (Calmet)