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英文原文
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)
繁體中文
勸人順服的論據（主前1451年）
1 「所以你要愛耶和華─你的 神，常守他的吩咐、律例、典章、誡命。
2 你們今日當知道，我本不是和你的兒女說話；因為他們不知道，也沒有看見耶和華─你們 神的管教、他的威嚴、他的大能的手、和伸出來的膀臂，
3 並他在埃及中向埃及王法老和其全地所行的神蹟奇事；
4 也沒有看見他怎樣待埃及的軍兵、馬匹、車輛；他們追趕你們的時候，耶和華怎樣使紅海的水淹沒他們，將他們滅絕，直到今日；
5 並他在曠野怎樣待你們，直到你們來到這地方；
6 也沒有看見他怎樣待流便子孫以利押的兒子大坍、亞比蘭：地怎樣在以色列眾人中間開口，把他們和他們的家眷、帳棚，與他們一切所有的，都吞下去；
7 惟有你們親眼看見耶和華所行的一切大事。
因為* 神使你人數如天上的星那樣多*（前一章如此結語），所以你要愛耶和華─你的 神（本章如此起首）。 神所建立成家的，起初雖小，終久必大大增多的，就當以此為論據勸服自己為何當事奉 神。你要守他的吩咐，就是他所交託他們、他們又當為之負責的——他話語的聖言和敬拜的典章。這話常用於祭司利未人的職任上，因為全以色列本就是祭司的國度、聖潔的國民。當注意這二者的聯繫：你要愛耶和華並守他的吩咐；因為愛必生發順服，而且惟有那從愛的原則流出來的順服，才是蒙悅納的順服（約一5:3）。
摩西在此提到他們親眼所看見之 神又大又可畏的作為（申11:7）。這部分講論是摩西對百姓中的長者——年長的長老——說的；在職的長老大概也是如此，此時就是他直接的聽眾：他們當中有些人能記得他們出埃及的拯救——年過五十的人——他就是對他們說這話，不是對那些只憑耳聞知道此事的兒女說的（申11:2）。當注意：我們年輕時所蒙 神的憐憫，到年老時仍當記念並保持其印象；我們親眼所看見的——尤其是在我們年幼的日子——曾影響我們，也當在我們日後長久被善用。他們既看見 神對以色列平安之仇敵所施行的可怕審判——（1）對那奴役他們的法老和埃及人。一個多麼美好的國家竟被一災接一災地毀壞荒廢，為要強使以色列得著釋放！（申11:3）。一支多麼精銳的軍隊竟全數淹沒在紅海之中，為要防止以色列再被奴役！（申11:4）。他如此把埃及作了他們的贖價（賽43:3）。那著名的國家寧可被毀滅，也要使以色列得蒙拯救。（2）對那使他們陷入混亂的大坍和亞比蘭。要記念他在曠野怎樣待你們（申11:5）——藉著多少次必要的管教（申11:2 如此稱之），他們才得免自取滅亡；特別是當那些膽大妄為的流便人藐視摩西的權柄，並在 神自己面前帶頭叛亂——這叛亂威脅整個國家的傾覆，若不是 神的大能立即把叛黨活活埋葬——他們和一切屬他們的（申11:6）——本可以此為結局。雖然心懷不滿的人誤解了此事（民16:41），但向以色列所行的實在是出於憐憫。拯救一個國家免受內部叛亂之害，與保護他們免受外敵入侵一樣，都是極大的恩惠，因此也使他們負有同樣強烈的義務。
8 「所以，你們今日所吩咐的一切誡命，你們當守，使你們可以壯膽，進去得你們所要進去得的那地；
9 並使你們的日子在耶和華向你們列祖起誓、應許給他們和他們後裔的地上得以長久；那是流奶與蜜之地。
10 你要進去得為業的那地，本不像你出來的埃及地，你在那裏撒種，好像澆灌菜園一樣，用腳澆灌；
11 但你們過去要得為業的地，乃是有山、有谷、得天雨滋潤之地，
12 是耶和華─你的 神所眷顧的。從歲首到年終，耶和華─你的 神的眼目時常看顧那地。
13 「你們若留意聽從我今日所吩咐的誡命，愛耶和華─你們的 神，盡心盡性事奉他，
14 他必按時降秋雨春雨在你們的地上，使你們可以收藏五穀、新酒和油，
15 也必使你田野的草生長，給你的牲畜吃；你必吃得飽足。
16 你們要謹慎，免得心中受迷惑，就偏離正路，去事奉敬拜別神；
17 耶和華的怒氣向你們發作，就使天閉塞不下雨，地也不出產，使你們在耶和華所賜的美地上速速滅亡。
摩西仍在反覆申論同一主題，彷彿不情願就此結束，直到他達成目的。「你若要進入生命，若要進入迦南——那生命的預表——並發現它對你實在是美地，*就當遵守誡命：要謹守遵行我今日所吩咐你們的一切誡命；*愛 神，並盡心盡性事奉他。」
**一、**因為這是取得並保持應許之地為業的途徑。1. 這是取得為業的途徑（申11:8）：「使你們可以壯膽」去爭戰，並因此進去得那地為業。他們對迦南戰事的艱苦或危險所知如此之少，以致他沒有說他們要進去為它爭戰；不，他們實際上只需進去得為業即可。他並不去教他們戰爭的技巧——如何拉弓、用劍、列陣——好使他們剛強、進去得地為業；不，只要他們守 神的誡命，他們的信仰只要真誠持守，就必成為他們的力量，並保證他們的成功。（2）這是保持為業的途徑（申11:9）：「使你們的日子……得以長久」。罪傾向於縮短個人的年日，也傾向於縮短一國繁榮的日子；但順服必使他們的太平得以延長。
二、因為他們所要進入的迦南地，比埃及地更明顯地仰賴屬天的賜福（申11:10-12）。埃及原是個相當肥沃的國家，但它全境平坦，灌溉不是像別國那樣靠雨水（論到埃及，亞14:18 說它沒有雨），而是靠尼羅河每年一定季節的氾濫；要善用這氾濫，農夫需要大量的技藝和勞力，所以在埃及人對一塊田所花的本錢和功夫，不下於對一塊菜園。這就使他們更易想像自己手中的能力得了這財富。但迦南地是個地勢不平的國家，是有山有谷之地，這不僅悅人眼目，也為農夫的各樣用途提供了更多樣的土壤。這地除了約旦河以外，沒有大河，卻喝天上的雨水，所以1. 為他們省了大量勞力。當埃及人在田裏挖溝開渠，在泥中沒膝，引水灌溉他們的地（否則不久就要變成曠野的荒地），以色列人卻可以安坐家中，溫暖舒適，把澆灌大地的事交託給 神——以秋雨春雨澆灌他們的地；這雨被稱為神的河（詩65:9），也許是暗指並藐視埃及人引以為傲的那條河。當注意： 神在我們外在境遇上為我們的安逸和便利預備得越豐富，我們在他的事奉上就越當豐盛；我們為身體所作的越少，就當為 神和為我們的靈魂作得越多。2. 這也引導他們仰望那從天上賜雨、賜豐年的 神（徒14:17），他應許親自成為以色列的甘露（何14:5）。當注意：（1）當我們看見憐憫是從天上來的、是神聖護理直接的恩賜時，它們便帶來最大的安慰和甘甜。（2）我們對 神越有密切的倚靠，就越當甘心順服他。請看摩西在此如何高舉迦南地超乎萬國——* 神的眼目時常看顧那地*，就是他必如此看顧，使之無所缺（只要他們恒心倚靠 神和本分）；它的肥沃不是土壤的結果，而是神聖賜福直接的果子——這一點可從它如今的狀態推論出來：因為據說如今 神既已離開它，它就成了天下最荒蕪的地方之一。不要稱它為拿俄米，要稱它為瑪拉。
**三、**因為他們若愛他、事奉他， 神必毫無疑問地以各樣美物使他們豐足（申11:13-15）：「我必按時降秋雨春雨在你們的地上」，使他們在地需要時不缺雨水，也不至雨水過多；他們必有播種時的秋雨，和收割前的春雨（摩4:7）。這代表了 神所要賜給他們的一切時令的福分，尤其是屬靈的安慰——那些必如秋雨春雨降下的（何6:3）。這樣蒙澆灌的土地就出產：1. 為人效勞的果實——五穀、新酒和油（詩104:13-15）。2. 給牲畜的草，使牲畜也可服事人——使他可以吃得飽足（申11:15）。敬虔在此有今生的應許；但 神的恩寵要因喜樂滿足人心，勝過五穀、新酒和油的豐收。
**四、**因為他們若從 神轉向偶像，就必滅亡：「你們要謹慎，免得心中受迷惑」（申11:16,17）。凡離棄 神、把情感獻給任何受造之物、或向它獻上敬拜的，都必發現自己悲慘地受欺，自取毀滅；使這事更為嚴重的是，這純粹是因為沒有謹慎。稍加留意，本可避免受那大騙子的欺哄。為喚醒他們謹慎，摩西在此明明白白地告訴他們：他們若偏離去事奉別神，1. 必惹動 神向他們發怒；而他的怒氣之能，誰能曉得呢？2. 美物必從他們被收回：天必閉塞不下雨，地當然也就不出產。3. 災禍必臨到他們：他們必從這美地上速速滅亡。地越美，從其中被滅亡就越覺痛心。當居民的邪惡使他們成熟於毀滅之時，地的美善不能作他們的安全保障。
18 「所以，你們要將我這些話存在心內，留在魂中，繫在手上為記號，戴在額上為經文；
19 也要教訓你們的兒女，無論坐在家裏、行在路上、躺下、起來，都要談論。
20 又要寫在你房屋的門框上，並你的城門上；
21 使你們和你們子孫的日子，在耶和華向你們列祖起誓應許給他們的地上，得以增多，如天覆地的日子那樣多。
22 你們若留意謹守遵行我今日所吩咐你們的這一切誡命，愛耶和華─你們的 神，遵行他的道，緊緊倚靠他；
23 耶和華必從你們面前趕出這一切國民，你們就要得著比你們更大、更強的國民之地。
24 凡你們腳掌所踏之地，都必歸你們；從曠野和利巴嫩，從伯拉大河直到西海，都要作你們的境界。
25 必無一人能在你們面前站立得住；耶和華─你們的 神，必照他所說的，使懼怕驚恐你們的心，臨到你們所踏之地的居民。
此處：**一、**摩西重複他所給百姓關於順服的引導和幫助、以及維持他們中間信仰的指示（申11:18-20），與我們從前在申6:6 等處所見的大意相同。讓我們都受此處所給的三條規則引導：1. 讓我們的心被 神的話充滿：「將我這些話存在心內，留在魂中。」心必須是 神的話所收藏的寶庫或倉庫，好在一切場合取用。我們不能期望為人上有好行為，除非心中有好的思想、好的情感、好的原則。2. 讓我們的眼目注視 神的話。「繫在手上為記號」（手是常在眼前的，賽49:16），「戴在額上為經文」（你無法避開不看見它的）；讓它對你又親切又熟悉，你的眼目又常在它身上，如同它寫在你房屋的門框上，無論你出去或進來，都不能忽略它。這樣我們必須把 神的判斷擺在自己面前，恒常以之為我們道路的引導、我們工作的準則（詩119:30）。3. 讓我們的舌頭常講論 神的話。無論身在何處，都要以它為我們日常談論的主題；尤其是與我們的兒女——當教導他們事奉 神，當作那惟一不可少的事，比禮儀的規矩、或他們將來在世上謀生的職業，都更為緊要。當盡早使兒女認識 神的話和他律法的奇事，並以之影響他們，這需要極大的細心和工夫。一個國家要使信仰繁盛並延續，沒有別的事比良好的兒女教育貢獻更大：種子若是聖潔，便是那地的根本。
**二、**他重複先前奉 神的名給他們的應許——他們若順服，必亨通得勝。1. 他們必有幸福的定居（申11:21）。他們的日子必增多；他們的日子滿足之後，他們兒女的日子也必增多，如天覆地的日子那樣多——就是迦南必永遠歸他們和他們的後嗣，只要世界存留，又只要他們不因自己的罪把自己從其中丟棄。2. 仇敵必沒有能力擾害他們，或使他們任何方面不安。「你們若守 神的誡命，並謹慎盡自己的本分（申11:22）， 神不僅要以地果的豐盛使農夫的勞苦得冠冕，更要悅納並使戰士更榮耀的事業亨通。勝利必隨你們的兵器；你們朝哪個方向， 神必趕出那些國民，使你們得著他們的地為業」（申11:23,24）。他們的疆域必擴展到應許的最遠邊界（創15:18）。一切鄰舍必敬畏他們（申11:25）。一個國家若宗教在其中作王，就沒有別的更能使它在國外受尊重、對朋友有價值、對仇敵可怕；因為既有 神為他們，誰能反對他們呢？他必定為那些真心為他的人效力（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)
繁體中文
祝福與咒詛（主前1451年）
²⁶ 看哪，我今日將祝福與咒詛都陳明在你們面前。 ²⁷ 你們若聽從耶和華─你們神的誡命，就是我今日所吩咐你們的，就必蒙福。 ²⁸ 你們若不聽從耶和華─你們神的誡命，偏離我今日所吩咐你們的道路，去事奉你們素來所不認識的別神，就必受咒詛。 ²⁹ 及至耶和華─你的神領你進入所要得為業的那地，你就要將祝福陳明在基利心山上，將咒詛陳明在以巴路山上。 ³⁰ 這二山豈不是在約但河那邊、日落之處、在住平原的迦南人之地、對著吉甲、靠近摩利橡樹嗎？ ³¹ 你們要過約但河，進去得耶和華─你們神所賜你們為業之地，並在那地居住。 ³² 你們要謹守遵行我今日在你們面前所陳明的一切律例典章。
摩西在此結束他對順服的一般勸勉；他的處理方式非常動人，按理應當使他們永遠歸向神，並在他們心中留下永不磨滅的印象。
一、他把一切支持順服的論據總歸為兩個字——祝福與咒詛（申 11:26），即賞賜與刑罰，正如它們在應許和警戒中所列的；這些乃是律法的重大制裁，抓住盼望和懼怕這人心的兩個把手，藉此把人抓住、留住、加以管理。這兩樣——祝福與咒詛——他陳明在他們面前，意思是：1. 他解釋了它們，使他們可以認識它們；他把祝福和咒詛中所包含的各項細則一一列舉，使他們更充分地看見祝福何等可慕，咒詛何等可畏。2. 他證實了它們，使他們可以相信；他藉著自己所受使命的憑據，向他們顯明：祝福並非虛幻的樂園，咒詛也不是用來嚇人的稻草人，二者都是神關乎他們之旨意的真實宣告。3. 他囑咐他們選擇所要的是哪一樣——他待他們何等公平，絕非如人所控告他的要剜這些人的眼睛（民 16:14）。他們和我們都明明被告知，我們與全能的神之間是站在怎樣的條件上。（1）我們若順從他的律法，就可以確保得福（申 11:27）。但（2）我們若悖逆，也可以同樣確知必受咒詛（申 11:28）。你們要對義人說（因為神已經說了，全世界都不能推翻它）必然得好處；惡人有禍了，必遭災禍。
二、他指定要在基利心山和以巴路山這兩座山上，公開而鄭重地宣告他所陳明在他們面前的祝福與咒詛（申 11:29–30）。關於這典禮更詳細的指示，見申 27:11 等處；關於其實行的記載，見書 8:33 等處。這事要在他們一進入迦南之後立即舉行，使他們在初得那地為業之時，就知曉自己是站在怎樣的條件上。這事當行之處，摩西雖未曾親眼看見，卻特別加以描述——這是許多證明他受神啟示的情形之一。據說那地靠近摩利平原——或作橡樹，或作草場——那是亞伯拉罕初到迦南時最先到的地方之一；所以神差他們到那裏聽祝福與咒詛，乃是要提醒他們神在那個地方對亞伯拉罕所應許的（創 12:6–7）。在此提及這項安排，1. 是為鼓勵他們對神應許的信心，使他們確信必快快作迦南的主人。「你們要在約但河那邊行這事」（申 11:30），因為你們可以確信必過約但河（申 11:31）。設立這在迦南當行的禮，就是向他們保證他們必被帶進去得那地為業，也是一個記號，如同神給摩西的（出 3:12）：你們必在這山上事奉神。 2. 是為約束他們順服，使他們可以逃脫那咒詛、得著那祝福——除了他們已經聽見的之外，他們不久還要親眼看見這二者鄭重的頒布（申 11:32）：你們要謹守遵行律例典章，免得你們在那典禮中成了作證控告自己的人。
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."
摩西在本章結束他對所當遵行的律例典章之重申的序言。他重申總體的勸勉（申十一1），又因在上一章末了已開始提到神在他們中間所行的大事，於此：一、他具體列舉神在他們眼前所行的幾件大事（申十一2–7）。二、他把未來的生死禍福擺在他們面前——按他們遵行或不遵行神的誡命而定——他們若順命，必亨通，必蒙各樣美物豐盛之福（申十一8–15），也必勝過仇敵，並由此擴張疆界（申十一22–25）；但他們若不順從，毫無疑問必自取滅亡（申十一16–17）。三、他指示他們當用甚麼方法才能銘記神的律法（申十一18–21）。四、以鄭重的勸勉結束，要他們選擇所要的——是祝福還是咒詛（申十一26–32等）。