Deut. 11 Moses exhorts them to obedience by rehearsing God’s works, Deut. 11:1–9, and by the excellency of the land they were to possess, Deut. 11:10–12. A promise of blessings to their obedience, Deut. 11:13–15. They are warned against idolatry, Deut. 11:16–17. To teach it their children, Deut.

Know ye, i.e. acknowledge and consider it with diligence and thankfulness.

The effect of which destruction continueth to this day, in their weakness and fear, and our safety from all their further attempts against us.

In their possession, Heb. at their feet, i.e. under their power, Ps. 8:6, which followed them, or belonged to them.

All of them had seen some, and some of them had seen all the great things done in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness.

i.e. With great pains and labour of thy feet, partly by going up and down to fetch water and disperse it, and partly by digging furrows with thy foot, and using engines for distributing the water, which engines they thrust with their feet.

A land of hills and valleys; and therefore much more healthful than Egypt was, which as it was enriched, so it was annoyed with Nilus, which overflowed the land in summer time, and thereby made the country both unpleasant and, which is much worse, unhealthful.

Land which the Lord careth for, to wit, in a special manner, watering it immediately as it were by his own hand, without man’s help, and giving peculiar blessings to it, which Egypt enjoys not.

The rain of your land, i.e. which is needful and sufficient for your land; or which is proper to your land, not common to Egypt, where, as all authors agree, there is little or no rain.

That your heart be not deceived by the specious pretenses of idolaters, who will plead the general consent of all nations, except yours, in the worship of creatures, and that they worship the creatures only for God’s sake, and as they are glorious works of God, whom they worship in and by them;…

Heaven is compared sometimes to a bottle, Job 38:37, which may be either stopped or opened; sometimes to a great storehouse, wherein God lays up his treasures of rain, Job 38:22, Ps. 33:7, the doors whereof God is said to open when he gives rain, and to shut when he withholds it.

i.e. As long as this visible world lasts, whilst the heaven keeps its place and continues its influences upon earth, until all these things be dissolved. Compare Ps. 72:5, Ps. 81:15, Ps. 89:29, Jer. 33:25.

Every place; not absolutely, as if the Jews should be lords of all the world, as the rabbins fondly conceit; but in the Promised Land, as it is restrained in the following words. Shall be yours, either by possession, or by dominion, to wit, upon condition of your obedience.

I propose them to your minds and to your choice.

Which you have no acquaintance with, nor experience of their power or wisdom or goodness, as you have had of mine.

Thou shalt put the blessing, Heb. thou shalt give, i.e. speak or pronounce, or cause to be pronounced. So the word to give is used, Deut. 13:1–2, Job 36:3, Prov. 9:9. This is more particularly expressed Deut. 27:12–13, Josh. 8:33, whither I refer the reader.

Over against Gilgal; looking towards Gilgal, though at some considerable distance from it, as this particle is sometimes used.