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With this chapter Moses concludes his preface to the repetition of the statutes and judgments which they must observe to do. He repeats the general charge (De 11:1), and, having in the close of the foregoing chapter begun to mention the great things God had done among them, in this, I. He specifies several of the great works God had done before their eyes, De 11:2-7. II. He sets before them, for the future, life and death, the blessing and the curse, according as they did, or did not, keep God's commandments, that they should certainly prosper if they were obedient, should be blessed with plenty of all good things (De 11:8-15), and with victory over their enemies, and the enlargement of their coast thereby, De 11:22-25. But their disobedience would undoubtedly be their ruin, De 11:16,17. III. He directs them what means to use that they might keep in mind the law of God, De 11:18-21. And, IV. Concludes all with solemnly charging them to choose which they would have, the blessing or the curse, De 11:26-32, etc.
1-25
Persuasives to Obedience (1451 BC)
简体中文
劝勉顺服（主前1451年）
¹ 所以你要爱耶和华你的神，常守他的吩咐、律例、典章、诫命。 ² 你们今日当知道，我本不是和你们的儿女说话；因为他们不知道，也没有看见耶和华你们神的管教、他的伟大、和他大能的手、并伸出来的膀臂， ³ 并他在埃及中向埃及王法老和其全地所行的神迹奇事； ⁴ 也没有看见他怎样待埃及的军兵、马和车；你们追赶他们的时候，他怎样使红海的水淹没他们，将他们灭尽，直到今日； ⁵ 并他在旷野怎样待你们，直到你们来到这地方； ⁶ 也没有看见他怎样待流便子孙以利押的儿子大坍、亚比兰：地怎样在以色列众人中间开了口，吞了他们和他们的家眷、帐棚，与他们一切所有的； ⁷ 惟有你们亲眼看见耶和华所作的一切大事。
前章结尾说『神使你如同天上的星那样多』，本章开头便接以『所以你要爱耶和华你的神』。凡蒙神建立家室、起初虽然微小、终久大大增多的，都当以此为理由说服自己应当事奉神。你要『守他的吩咐』，就是他所交托并要你为之交账的——他话语的圣言与他敬拜的条例。这一说法常用于祭司和利未人的职任，因为全以色列本来就是祭司的国度、圣洁的国民。请注意这两者的关联：『你要爱耶和华』并『守他的吩咐』，因为爱必生发顺服，而惟有出自爱之原则的顺服才蒙悦纳。约一5:3。
摩西此处提到他们『亲眼看见』之耶和华大而可畏的作为，申11:7。他这一段话是对百姓中的年长者——年长的长辈——说的；大概在位的长老也是如此，此刻正是他直接的听众：他们中间有人能记得出埃及的拯救——凡五十岁以上的人都能记得——他正是对他们说话，不是对那些仅凭传闻而知此事的儿女说的，申11:2。注意：我们在年轻时所领受的神的怜悯，到了年老时仍当铭记不忘，并当保持当初所受的感动；我们亲眼所见的，尤其是在早年所见的，既曾深深打动我们，就当在日久之后仍善加运用。他们已经看见神向以色列平安的仇敌施行了何等可怕的审判，1. 向奴役他们的法老和埃及人所行的。一个多么美好的国家，竟因一场接一场的灾祸而被毁坏荒凉，只为迫使埃及释放以色列！申11:3。一支多么精锐的军队，竟全部淹毙于红海之中，只为防止以色列再度被奴役！申11:4。神如此『以埃及为他们的赎价』，赛43:3。宁可让那著名王国覆亡，也不容以色列不得拯救。2. 向搅扰他们的大坍、亚比兰所行的。要记念『他在旷野怎样待你们』（申11:5）——他们因着多次必要的『管教』（正如申11:2所用的词），才不至自我毁灭；尤其是当那些胆大包天的流便人公然违抗摩西的权柄，并带头向神自己发起危险的叛乱时——这场叛乱险些使全国倾覆，倘若不是神的能力立即以活埋叛党（包括他们及『一切所有的』）来镇压，其结局可能正是如此，申11:6。神向他们所行的，虽被心怀不满之派曲解（民16:41），其实是对以色列的怜悯。使一国得免内乱的祸患，与保护他们免受外敌入侵一样，都是对百姓极大的恩惠，因此同样使他们负有强烈的义务。
⁸ 所以你们要守我今日所吩咐的一切诫命，使你们胆壮，能以进去，得你们所要得的那地； ⁹ 并使你们的日子在耶和华向你们列祖起誓应许给他们和他们后裔的地上得以长久；那是流奶与蜜之地。 ¹⁰ 你要得为业的那地，并不像你出来的埃及地；在那里你撒种，还要用脚浇灌，如同菜园一样。 ¹¹ 但你们要过去得为业的那地，乃是有山有谷之地，得天上的雨水滋润； ¹² 是耶和华你神所眷顾的；从岁首到年终，耶和华你神的眼目时常看顾那地。 ¹³ 你们若留意听从我今日所吩咐的诫命，爱耶和华你们的神，尽心尽性事奉他， ¹⁴ 他必按时降秋雨春雨在你们的地上，使你们可以收藏五谷、新酒和油， ¹⁵ 也必使你吃得饱足，并使田野为你的牲畜长草。 ¹⁶ 你们要谨慎，免得心中受迷惑，就偏离正路，去事奉敬拜别神； ¹⁷ 免得耶和华的怒气向你发作，就使天闭塞不下雨，地也不出产，使你们在耶和华所赐给你们的美地上速速灭亡。
摩西仍紧握同一主题，仿佛不愿结束，直到达成目的方休。『你若要进入生命——你若要进入迦南这生命的预表，并发现那地于你确为美地——就当守诫命：要守我今日所吩咐你们的一切诫命；爱神，并尽心事奉他。』
I. 因为这是取得并持守应许之地的途径。1. 这是取得产业之路（申11:8）：『使你们胆壮』能以争战，从而『进去得那地为业』。他们在迦南的争战中将经历的艰难与危险是何等少，以至于他不说他们要进去争战；不，他们实际上只需进去得业就是了。他并不打算教授他们兵法——如何挽弓、用剑、列阵——好使他们刚强、进去得地；不，只要他们守神的诫命，他们的宗教只要忠于神，就必成为他们的力量，并保证他们的得胜。2. 这是持守产业之路（申11:9）：『使你们的日子在那地上得以长久』——就是你们眼所注视的那地。罪会缩短个人的寿数，也会缩短一国昌盛的日子；而顺服则会使他们的安宁得以延长。
II. 因为他们所要进入的迦南地，比埃及地更明显地依赖天上的赐福，申11:10-12。埃及虽是丰饶之国，却全然平坦，不是像别国那样靠雨水灌溉（论到埃及，亚14:18 说它『没有雨』），而是靠尼罗河在每年一定季节的泛滥来灌溉；要利用这水，农夫必须费许多工夫与劳力——所以在埃及，人对一块田所耗费的工夫和心血，竟如对一块菜园一样多。这就使他们更易以为自己是靠手的能力得着了这财富。但迦南乃是一处起伏不平之地，有山有谷，不仅眼界更为悦目，也因土壤多样而更适于农夫各样用途。这地除了约但河以外，并无大河，而是『喝天上的雨水』，如此一来，1. 节省了他们大量劳苦。当埃及人在田间挖沟筑渠、两腿沾泥、引水灌溉田地，否则田地便快快变成旷野的荒地时，以色列人却可安坐家中，温暖惬意，将浇灌之地的事交托给神——祂以秋雨春雨滋润，这雨被称为『神的河』（诗65:9），也许是带着对埃及那河（那国所引以为傲者）的影射与轻蔑。注意：神藉我们外在境遇为我们安排得越舒适、越便利，我们就越当在事奉祂的事上更加丰盛；我们为身体所作的越少，就当为神、为灵魂作得越多。2. 如此神就引导他们仰望天上的神，祂『从天上降雨赐福，使我们丰年』（徒14:17），并应许亲自作『以色列的甘露』，何14:5。注意：（1）怜悯当我们看见是从天上而来、是神亲自的赏赐时，便带来最大的安慰与甘甜。（2）我们越是依赖神，就当越发乐意地顺服祂。请看摩西在此如何将迦南地高举过于万国：『神的眼目时常看顾那地』，就是说，只要他们紧紧倚靠神、尽自己的本分，神的眼目就必常在其上，看顾一无所缺；那地的丰盛不当视为土壤的乐效，而当视为神赐福的直接果子；这一点可从它今日的光景推知——据说如今神既已离开那地，它就成了天下最为贫瘠的荒地之一。莫再称它为拿俄米，当称它为玛拉。
III. 因为只要他们爱神、事奉神，神就必赐他们丰丰富富地享受各样美物（申11:13-15）：『我必按时降秋雨春雨在你们的地上』，使他们既不至在地需要时缺水，也不至雨水过量；他们必有撒种时节的秋雨和收成之前的春雨，摩4:7。这预表了神将赐给他们的一切合时的福气，尤其是属灵的安慰，这些必『如春雨秋雨』降下，何6:3。这样得水滋润的地就出产：1. 供人享用的果子，『五谷、新酒和油』，诗104:13-15。2. 供牲畜吃的草，使牲畜也能服事人，叫人『吃得饱足』，申11:15。敬虔在此有『今生之福的应许』；但神的恩爱使心里欢喜，胜过五谷、新酒和油的丰盛。
IV. 因为他们一旦背离神转向偶像，就必自取灭亡：『你们要谨慎，免得心中受迷惑』，申11:16,17。凡离弃神、将感情或敬拜归于任何受造之物的，必发觉自己被大大欺骗，以至败亡；而加重这刑罚的是，这完全是因为没有谨慎。只要稍加留心，便不至于被那大骗子所蒙蔽。为唤醒他们谨慎，摩西在此明明告诉他们：他们若『偏离去事奉别神』，1. 必惹动神的怒气向他们发作；『谁知道他怒气的权能呢？』2. 美物必向他们止住；天必闭塞不雨，地自然也就不出产。3. 灾祸必临到他们身上；他们必从这美地上速速灭亡。地越是美好，从其中被剪除就越发可悲。居民的恶既已使他们对毁灭成熟，地的美必不能成为他们的保障。
¹⁸ 你们要将我这话存在心内，留在意中，系在手上为记号，戴在额上为经文； ¹⁹ 也要教训你们的儿女，无论你坐在家里，行在路上，躺下，起来，都要谈论； ²⁰ 又要写在房屋的门框上，并城门上； ²¹ 使你们和你们子孙的日子在耶和华向你们列祖起誓应许给他们的地上得以增多，如天覆地的日子那样多。 ²² 你们若留意谨守遵行这一切诫命，就是耶和华你们神所吩咐你们行的，爱耶和华你们的神，遵行他的道，专靠他， ²³ 他必从你们面前赶出这一切国民，你们必得着比你们更大更强的国民之地为业。 ²⁴ 凡你们脚掌所踏之地都必归你们；从旷野到利巴嫩，又到伯拉大河，直到西海，都要作你们的境界。 ²⁵ 必无一人能在你们面前站立得住；耶和华你们的神必照他所应许你们的，使惧怕惊恐临到你们所踏之地的居民。
在此，I. 摩西重申了他为百姓顺服之事所赐的指引与帮助，以及在他们中间维持信仰的吩咐（申11:18-20），与先前申6:6等处所记大同小异。我们当依照此处所立的三条准则而行：——1. 当以神的话语充满我们的心：『将我这话存在心内，留在意中。』心当作为府库或仓廪，将神的话语存于其中，以便随时取用。我们若不在心中存有善念、善情、纯正的原则，就不能指望在行为上有善行。2. 当眼目注目神的话语。『将这些话系在手上为记号』——手是常在眼前的（赛49:16）——『戴在额上为经文』，是你所不能不见的；当让这些话对你如此熟悉贴近、你也当时常注目它们，仿佛它们『写在房屋的门框上』，无论你出你入都不能忽视。如此我们当『将神的判断摆在自己面前』，常存敬畏，以此为行路的指引，为作工的准则，诗119:30。3. 当以舌谈论神的话语。当以此作为我们随处亲切交谈的题目；尤其是与儿女谈论——必须教导他们事奉神，以此为惟一不可缺少的事，比礼仪规矩或他们将来谋生的职业更为要紧。必须趁早用心教导儿女，以神的话语和他律法的奇事来感化他们。再者，要使信仰在一国之中昌盛延续，没有什么比好好教育儿女贡献更大：种子若是圣的，便是那地的实质。
II. 他重申先前奉神的名所给他们的应许——他们若顺服就必亨通得胜。1. 他们必安居乐业，申11:21。他们的日子必增多；当他们日子满足，他们儿女的日子也必照样长久，如天覆地的日子那样——就是说，只要他们不因自己的罪自取灭亡，迦南必永远归于他们和他们的后裔，直到世界末了。2. 仇敌必无力扰乱他们，也不能使他们有任何不安。『你们若谨守神的诫命，留心尽自己的本分』（申11:22），神不仅要以地土果实的丰盛奖赏农夫的劳碌，还要亲自赐福并使战士更荣耀的事业亨通。胜利必随你们的兵器；无论转向何方，神必赶出这些国民，使你们得着他们的地为业，申11:23,24。他们的疆界必扩展到应许的最远界限，创15:18。凡四围的邻邦都必敬畏他们，申11:25。要使一国在外邦受人敬重——为友邦所宝、为仇敌所惧——没有别的比宗教在其中掌权贡献更大；因为若有神帮助他们，谁能敌挡他们呢？而神必亲自与那些诚心归向祂的人同在，箴14:34。
英文原文
Persuasives to Obedience (1451 BC)
¹ Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
² And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
³ And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;
⁴ And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;
⁵ And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place;
⁶ And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
⁷ But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.
Because God has made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude (so the preceding chapter concludes), therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God (so this begins). Those whom God has built up into families, whose beginning was small, but whose latter end greatly increases, should use that as an argument with themselves why they should serve God. Thou shalt keep his charge, that is, the oracles of his word and ordinances of his worship, with which they were entrusted and for which they were accountable. It is a phrase often used concerning the office of the priests and Levites, for all Israel was a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Observe the connection of these two: Thou shalt love the Lord and keep his charge, since love will work in obedience, and that only is acceptable obedience which flows from a principle of love. 1Jo 5:3.
Mention is made of the great and terrible works of God which their eyes had seen, De 11:7. This part of his discourse Moses addresses to the seniors among the people, the elders in age; and probably the elders in office were so, and were now his immediate auditors: there were some among them that could remember their deliverance out of Egypt, all above fifty, and to them he speaks this, not to the children, who knew it by hearsay only, De 11:2. Note, God's mercies to us when we were young we should remember and retain the impressions of when we are old; what our eyes have seen, especially in our early days, has affected us, and should be improved by us long after. They had seen what terrible judgments God had executed upon the enemies of Israel's peace, 1. Upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians that enslaved them. What a fine country was ruined and laid waste by one plague after another, to force Israel's enlargement! De 11:3. What a fine army was entirely drowned in the Red Sea, to prevent Israel's being re-enslaved! De 11:4. Thus did he give Egypt for their ransom, Isa 43:3. Rather shall that famous kingdom be destroyed than that Israel shall not be delivered. 2. Upon Dathan and Abiram that embroiled them. Remember what he did in the wilderness (De 11:5), by how many necessary chastisements (as they are called, De 11:2) they were kept from ruining themselves, particularly when those daring Reubenites defied the authority of Moses and headed a dangerous rebellion against God himself, which threatened the ruin of a whole nation, and might have ended in that if the divine power had not immediately crushed the rebellion by burying the rebels alive, them and all that was in their possession, De 11:6. What was done against them, though misinterpreted by the disaffected party (Nu 16:41), was really done in mercy to Israel. To be saved from the mischiefs of insurrections at home is as great a kindness to a people, and therefore lays them under as strong obligations, as protection from the invasion of enemies abroad.
⁸ Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
⁹ And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
¹⁰ For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
¹¹ But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:
¹² A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.
¹³ And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
¹⁴ That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
¹⁵ And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.
¹⁶ Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
¹⁷ And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.
Still Moses urges the same subject, as loth to conclude till he had gained his point. "If thou wilt enter into life, if thou wilt enter into Canaan, a type of that life, and find it a good land indeed to thee, keep the commandments: Keep all the commandments which I command you this day; love God, and serve him with all your heart."
I. Because this was the way to get and keep possession of the promised land. 1. It was the way to get possession (De 11:8): That you may be strong for war, and so go in and possess it. So little did they know either of hardship or hazard in the wars of Canaan that he does not say they should go in and fight for it; no, they had nothing in effect to do but go in and possess it. He does not go about to teach them the art of war, how to draw the bow, and use the sword, and keep ranks, that they might be strong, and go in and possess the land; no, but let them keep God's commandments, and their religion, while they are true to it, will be their strength, and secure their success. (2.) It was the way to keep possession (De 11:9): That you may prolong your days in this land that your eye is upon. Sin tends to the shortening of the days of particular persons and to the shortening of the days of a people's prosperity; but obedience will be a lengthening out of their tranquillity.
II. Because the land of Canaan, into which they were going, had a more sensible dependence upon the blessing of heaven than the land of Egypt had, De 11:10-12. Egypt was a country fruitful enough, but it was all flat, and was watered, not as other countries with rain (it is said of Egypt, Zec 14:18, that it has no rain), but by the overflowing of the river Nile at a certain season of the year, to the improving of which there was necessary a great deal of the art and labour of the husbandman, so that in Egypt a man must bestow as much cost and pains upon a field as upon a garden of herbs. And this made them the more apt to imagine that the power of their own hands got them this wealth. But the land of Canaan was an uneven country, a land of hills and valleys, which not only gave a more pleasing prospect to the eye, but yielded a greater variety of soils for the several purposes of the husbandman. It was a land that had no great rivers in it, except Jordan, but drank water of the rain of heaven, and so, 1. Saved them a great deal of labour. While the Egyptians were ditching and guttering in the fields, up to the knees in mud, to bring water to their land, which otherwise would soon become like the heath in the wilderness, the Israelites could sit in their houses, warm and easy, and leave it to God to water their land with the former and the latter rain, which is called the river of God (Ps 65:9), perhaps in allusion to, and contempt of, the river of Egypt, which that nation was so proud of. Note, The better God has provided, by our outward condition, for our ease and convenience, the more we should abound in his service: the less we have to do for our bodies the more we should do for God and our souls. 2. So he directed them to look upwards to God, who giveth us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons (Ac 14:17), and promised to be himself as the dew unto Israel, Ho 14:5. Note, (1.) Mercies bring with them the greatest comfort and sweetness when we see them coming from heaven, the immediate gifts of divine Providence. (2.) The closer dependence we have upon God the more cheerful we should be in our obedience to him. See how Moses here magnifies the land of Canaan above all other lands, that the eyes of God were always upon it, that is, they should be so, to see that nothing was wanting, while they kept close to God and duty; its fruitfulness should be not so much the happy effect of its soil as the immediate fruit of the divine blessing; this may be inferred from its present state, for it is said to be at this day, now that God has departed from it, as barren a spot of ground as perhaps any under heaven. Call it not Naomi: call it Marah.
III. Because God would certainly bless them with an abundance of all good things if they would love him and serve him (De 11:13-15): I will give you the rain of your land in due season, so that they should neither want it when the ground called for it nor have it in excess; but they should have the former rain, which fell at seed-time, and the latter rain, which fell before the harvest, Am 4:7. This represented all the seasonable blessings which God would bestow upon them, especially spiritual comforts, which should come as the latter and former, rain, Ho 6:3. And the earth thus watered produced, 1. Fruits for the service of man, corn and wine, and oil, Ps 104:13-15. 2. Grass for the cattle, that they also might be serviceable to man, that he might eat of them and be full, De 11:15. Godliness hath here the promise of the life that now is; but the favour of God shall put gladness into the heart, more than the increase of corn, and wine, and oil will.
IV. Because their revolt from God to idols. would certainly be their ruin: Take heed that your hearts be not deceived, De 11:16,17. All that forsake God to set their affection upon, or pay their devotion to, any creature, will find themselves wretchedly deceived to their own destruction; and this will aggravate it that it was purely for want of taking heed. A little care would have prevented their being imposed upon by the great deceiver. To awaken them to take heed, Moses here tells them plainly that if they should turn aside to other gods, 1. They would provoke the wrath of God against them; and who knows the power of that anger? 2. Good things would be turned away from them; the heaven would withhold its rain, and then of course the earth would not yield its fruit. 3. Evil things would come upon them; they would perish quickly from off this good land. And the better the land was the more grievous it would be to perish from it. The goodness of the land would not be their security, when the badness of the inhabitants had made them ripe for ruin.
¹⁸ Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
¹⁹ And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
²⁰ And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
²¹ That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
²² For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
²³ Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.
²⁴ Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.
²⁵ There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.
Here, I. Moses repeats the directions he had given for the guidance and assistance of the people in their obedience, and for the keeping up of religion among them (De 11:18-20), which is much to the same purport with what we had before, De 6:6, etc. Let us all be directed by the three rules here given:—1. Let our hearts be filled with the word of God: Lay up these words in your heart and in your soul. The heart must be the treasury or store-house in which the word of God must be laid up, to be used upon all occasions. We cannot expect good practices in the conversation, unless there be good thoughts, good affections, and good principles, in the heart. 2. Let our eyes be fixed upon the word of God. "Bind these words for a sign upon your hand, which is always in view (Isa 49:16), and as frontlets between your eyes, which you cannot avoid the sight of; let them be as ready and familiar to you, and have your eye as constantly upon them, as if they were written upon your door-posts, and could not be overlooked either when you go out or when you come in." Thus we must lay God's judgments before us, having a constant regard to them, as the guide of our way, as the rule of our work, Ps 119:30. 3. Let our tongues be employed about the word of God. Let it be the subject of our familiar discourse, wherever we are; especially with our children, who must be taught the service of God, as the one thing needful, much more needful than either the rules of decency or the calling they must live by in this world. Great care and pains must be taken to acquaint children betimes, and to affect them, with the word of God and the wondrous things of his law. Nor will any thing contribute more to the prosperity and perpetuity of religion in a nation than the good education of children: if the seed be holy, it is the substance of a land.
II. He repeats the assurances he had before given them, in God's name, of prosperity and success if they were obedient. 1. They should have a happy settlement, De 11:21. Their days should be multiplied; and, when they were fulfilled, the days of their children likewise should be many, as the days of heaven, that is, Canaan should be sure to them and their heirs for ever, as long as the world stands, if they did not by their own sin throw themselves out of it. 2. It should not be in the power of their enemies to give them any disturbance, nor make them upon any account uneasy. "If you will keep God's commandments, and be careful to do your duty (De 11:22), God will not only crown the labours of the husbandman with plenty of the fruits of the earth, but he will own and succeed the more glorious undertakings of the men of war. Victory shall attend your arms; which way soever they turn, God will drive out these nations, and put you in possession of their land," De 11:23,24. Their territories should be enlarged to the utmost extent of the promise, Ge 15:18. And all their neighbours should stand in awe of them, De 11:25. Nothing contributes more to the making of a nation considerable abroad, valuable to its friends and formidable to its enemies, than religion reigning in it; for who can be against those that have God for them? And he is certainly for those that are sincerely for him, Pr 14:34.
26-32
The Blessing and the Curse (1451 BC)
简体中文
祝福与咒诅（公元前1451年）
²⁶ 看哪，我今日将祝福与咒诅的话都陈明在你们面前。 ²⁷ 你们若听从耶和华你们神的诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你们的，就必蒙福。 ²⁸ 你们若不听从耶和华你们神的诫命，偏离我今日所吩咐你们的道，去事奉你们素来所不认识的别神，就必受祸。 ²⁹ 及至耶和华你的神领你进入要去得为业的那地，你就要将祝福的话陈明在基利心山上，将咒诅的话陈明在以巴路山上。 ³⁰ 这二山岂不是在约旦河那边、日落之处，在住亚拉巴的迦南人之地、与吉甲相对，靠近摩利橡树么？ ³¹ 你们要过约旦河，进去得耶和华你们神所赐你们为业之地，你们也要得那地为业，住在其中。 ³² 你们要谨守遵行我今日陈明在你们面前的一切律例典章。
此处摩西结束了他关于顺服的一般劝勉；他的方法极具感染力，使人以为必能永远使他们归向神，并留下永不磨灭的印象。
I. 摩西以两个字——祝福与咒诅（申11:26）——将一切劝勉顺服的论证总括起来；即应许与威吓中所立的赏与罚，作为律法的大制裁——抓住盼望与惧怕这两个心中的把手，藉以捉住、把握、驾驭人心。这二者——祝福与咒诅——他陈明在他们面前，意即：
1. 他解释了它们，使他们可以认识；他将祝福与咒诅中所包含的各项一一列举，使他们更清楚看见祝福何等可慕，咒诅何等可怕。 2. 他证实了它们，使他们可以相信；他藉着自己蒙差遣的凭据向他们显明：祝福并非痴人说梦，咒诅也不是虚张声势，二者都是神关于他们的真实旨意的宣告。 3. 他吩咐他们选择所要的是哪一样——可见他待他们何等公平；他远没有像人所指控的那样要剜这些人的眼睛（民16:14）。他们和我们都被清楚地告知：我们与全能的神之间立于何种条件之上。 (1.) 我们若顺服祂的律法，就必确知有祝福（申11:27）。 (2.) 我们若不顺服，也必同样确知有咒诅（申11:28）。论到义人（因为神已经说了，全世界都无法推翻），他们必得福乐；至于恶人，祸哉！他们必遭灾祸。
II. 摩西又命他们过了约旦河、到了基利心山和以巴路山之后，当为他所陈明的祝福与咒诅举行公开庄严的宣告（申11:29-30）。关于这大典的细则，申27:11等处有更详尽的指示；其举行的情形，书8:33等处也有记载。这大典当在他们一入迦南之后立即举行，使他们在初次承受那地时，就知道自己立于何种条件之上。举行这大典的地点，摩西虽从未亲眼见过，却特别详细地描述了——这是许多证明他受神启示的情形之一。据说那地靠近摩利的平原（或橡树，或草场）——那是亚伯拉罕初入迦南时最早到的地方之一；所以神差他们到那里听祝福与咒诅，是要他们想起祂在那地给亚伯拉罕的应许（创12:6-7）。
此处提到这一安排的用意是：
1. 鼓励他们对神应许的信心，使他们深信不久必作迦南的主人。"你们要过了约旦河才可行这事"（申11:30，摩西如此说），因为你们可以确信必过约旦河（申11:31）。命他们在迦南行此礼，就是向他们保证必被领进去承受那地，正如神给摩西的凭证（出3:12）："你们必在这山上事奉神。"
2. 也是要约束他们顺服，使他们可逃避那咒诅、得着那祝福——这祝福与咒诅，除了他们已听见的之外，他们不久还要在庄严宣告中亲耳作见证（申11:32）：你们要谨守遵行……律例典章， 免得在那大典中作了对自己不利的见证。
英文原文
The Blessing and the Curse (1451 BC)
²⁶ Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
²⁷ A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
²⁸ And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
²⁹ And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.
³⁰ Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?
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.
³² And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.
Here Moses concludes his general exhortations to obedience; and his management is very affecting, and such as, one would think, should have engaged them for ever to God, and should have left impressions upon them never to be worn out.
I. He sums up all his arguments for obedience in two words, the blessing and the curse (De 11:26), that is, the rewards and the punishments, as they stand in the promises and the threatenings, which are the great sanctions of the law, taking hold of hope and fear, those two handles of the soul, by which it is caught, held, and managed. These two, the blessing and the curse, he set before them, that is, 1. He explained them, that they might know them; he enumerated the particulars contained both in the blessing and in the curse, that they might see the more fully how desirable the blessing was, and how dreadful the curse. 2. He confirmed them, that they might believe them, made it evident to them, by the proofs he produced of his own commission, that the blessing was not a fool's paradise, nor the curse a bugbear, but that both were real declarations of the purpose of God concerning them. 3. He charged them to choose which of these they would have, so fairly does he deal with them, and so far is he from putting out the eyes of these men, as he was charged, Nu 16:14. They and we are plainly told on what terms we stand with Almighty God. (1.) If we be obedient to his laws, we may be sure of a blessing, De 11:27. But, (2.) If we be disobedient, we may be as sure of a curse, De 11:28. Say you to the righteous (for God has said it, and all the world cannot unsay it) that it shall be well with them: but woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with them.
II. He appoints a public and solemn proclamation to be made of the blessing and curse which he had set before them, upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, De 11:29,30. We have more particular directions for this solemnity in De 27:11, etc., and an account of the performance of it, Joh 8:33, etc. It was to be done, and was done, immediately upon their coming into Canaan, that when they first took possession of that land they might know upon what terms they stood. The place where this was to be done is particularly described by Moses, though he never saw it, which is one circumstance among many that evidences his divine instructions. It is said be near the plain, or oaks, or meadows, of Moreh, which was one of the first places that Abraham came to in Canaan; so that in sending them thither, to hear the blessing and the curse, God reminded them of the promise he made to Abraham in that very place, Ge 12:6,7. The mention of this appointment here serves, 1. For the encouragement of their faith in the promise of God, that they should be masters of Canaan quickly. Do it (says Moses) on the other side Jordan (De 11:30), for you may be confident you shall pass over Jordan, De 11:31. The institution of this service to be done in Canaan was an assurance to them that they should be brought into possession of it, and a token like that which God gave to Moses (Ex 3:12): You shall serve God upon this mountain. And, 2. It serves for an engagement upon them to be obedient, that they might escape that curse, and obtain that blessing, which, besides what they had already heard, they must shortly be witnesses to the solemn publication of (De 11:32): "You shall observe to do the statutes and judgements, that you may not in that solemnity be witnesses against yourselves."
摩西在本章结束了他对必须遵守遵行的律例和典章之重述的序言。他重申了一般的吩咐（申11:1），并且在前章末了已开始提及神在他们中间所行的伟大作为，在本章：I. 他具体列举了几件神在他们眼前所行的大事，申11:2-7。II. 他将生死、福祸陈明在他们面前——取决于他们是否谨守神的诫命：他们若顺服，就必亨通，必蒙各样美物之福（申11:8-15），也必蒙赐胜过仇敌之胜利，并由此扩张疆土，申11:22-25。但他们若悖逆，就必无疑灭亡，申11:16,17。III. 他指示他们当用何种方法才能将神的律法铭记于心，申11:18-21。IV. 最后，他郑重地吩咐他们自行选择所要的——福或祸，申11:26-32等。