Deuteronomy 11:31

For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) For ye shall pass over Jordan.—In the place of Sichern, by the oak of Moreh, “the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.” It is the first recorded promise given to the patriarch that his seed should inherit that particular country. He had gone out from his own country, “not knowing whither he went” (Genesis 12:6-7).

Here ends the first portion of the exposition of the Decalogue—that which sets forth the relation of the people brought out of Egypt to Jehovah. The following chapters set forth the laws of the land of Israel—first, as the seat of worship of Jehovah; secondly, as the seat of His kingdom; thirdly, as the sphere of operation of certain rules of behaviour, intended to form a distinctive character for His people. For a complete analysis of this portion, see the Introduction to this Book. Some modern writers attribute these chapters to a later hand than that of Moses. It is therefore necessary to consider them carefully, not simply as chapters, but in their primary structure and according to their natural divisions.

The land is considered as the seat of Jehovah’s worship from Deuteronomy 12:1 to Deuteronomy 16:17 inclusive.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:26-32 Moses sums up all the arguments for obedience in two words, the blessing and the curse. He charged the people to choose which they would have. Moses then appointed a public and solemn proclamation of the blessing and curse, to be made upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal. We have broken the law, and are under its curse, without remedy from ourselves. In mercy, the gospel again sets before us a blessing and a curse. A blessing, if we obey the call to repentance, to faith in Christ, and newness of heart and life through him; an awful curse, if we neglect so great salvation. Let us thankfully welcome these glad tidings of great joy; and let us not harden our hearts, but hear this voice of God while it is called to-day, and while he invites us to come to him upon a mercy-seat. Let us be diligent to make our calling and election sure.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim - literally, thou shalt give, i. e., "give" utterance to it. On the ceremony see Deuteronomy 27:14 ff.

Mount Gerizim, barren like Ebal, was probably selected as the hill of benediction because it was the southernmost of the two, the south being the region, according to Hebrew ideas, of light, and so of life and blessing. The situation of the mountains is described more accurately in Deuteronomy 11:30. The words "by the way where the sun goeth down," should run, beyond the road of the west; i. e., on the further side of the main track which ran from Syria and Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt through the center of Palestine. This is called "the way of the west" in contrast to the ether main route from Damascus to the south which passed through the district east of Jordan. The further specifications "Gilgal" and "the plains (rather, the oaks, compare Genesis 12:6 note) of Moreh," are added to define more particularly the section of Canaanites intended.

This Gilgal is perhaps to be found in Jiljilia, a large village about twelve miles south of Gerizim.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

26-32. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse—(See on [125]De 27:11).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For ye shall pass over Jordan, to go in to possess the land Which the Lord your God giveth you,.... They were now near it, and by this they are assured they should pass over it, in order to take possession of the land God had given them, and which gift of his was a sufficient title to it:

and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein: should not only take possession of it, but make their abode in it; they are assured hereby of continuance in it, on condition they obeyed the laws of God, as follows.

Geneva Study Bible

For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31–32. Resumption of the Pl. form of address; either an editorial addition to mark the transition to the actual laws which begin with Deuteronomy 12:1, or the close of an original introduction, in the Pl., to the Code. The former is the more probable as the vv. are compounded of phrases characteristic both of the Sg. and the Pl. forms of address.

31. For ye are about to pass over Jordan] A Pl. phrase; see on Deuteronomy 4:14, Deuteronomy 6:1.

to go in to possess the land] Mainly a Sg. phrase; see on Deuteronomy 6:1.

which the Lord your God is about to give you.

32. and ye shall observe to do] Deuteronomy 5:32, etc.

all the statutes and the judgements] See on Deuteronomy 5:31.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 31, 32. - The assurance that they should pass over Jordan and possess the land of Canaan, is assigned as a reason and motive why they should observe to do all that God had commanded them.



Deuteronomy 11:31

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Deuteronomy 11:31-32 contain the reason for these instructions, founded upon the assurance that the Israelites were going over the Jordan and would take possession of the promised land, and should therefore take care to keep the commandments of the Lord (cf. Deuteronomy 4:5-6).