1 All the commaundements which I commaund thee this day, shall yee obserue to doe, that yee may liue, and multiply, and goe in, and possesse the land which the Lord sware vnto your fathers.
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these fourtie yeeres in the wildernesse, to humble thee, and to proue thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keepe his commandements, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffred thee to hunger, and fed thee with Manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know: that he might make thee know, that man doth not liue by bread onely, but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man liue.
4 Thy raiment waxed not old vpon thee, neither did thy foote swell these fourtie yeeres.
5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
6 Therefore thou shalt keepe the Commandements of the Lord thy God, to walke in his wayes, and to feare him.
7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a lande of brookes of water, of fountaines, and depths that spring out of valleys and hilles,
8 A land of wheate, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranats, a land of oyle oliue, and hony,
9 A lande wherein thou shalt eate bread without scarcenes, thou shalt not lacke any thing in it: a lande whose stones are yron, and out of whose hils thou mayest digge brasse.
10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God, for the good lande which hee hath giuen thee.
11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Commandements, and his Iudgements, and his Statutes which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy heards and thy flocks multiply, and thy siluer and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied:
14 Then thine heart bee lifted vp, and thou forget the Lord thy God (which brought thee foorth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wildernesse, wherein were fierie serpents, and scorpions, & drought, where there was no water, who brought thee foorth water out of the rocke of flint,
16 Who fed thee in the wildernesse with Manna, which thy fathers knew not, that hee might humble thee, and that hee might prooue thee, to doe thee good at thy latter end:)
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power, and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giueth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his Couenant, which he sware vnto thy fathers, as it is this day.
19 And it shalbe, if thou doe at all forget the Lord thy God, and walke after other gods, and serue them, and worship them; I testifie against you this day, that ye shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall yee perish; because ye would not be obedient vnto the voice of the Lord your God.
Exhortations and cautions, enforced by the Lord's former dealings with Israel, and his promises. (1-9) Exhortations and cautions further enforced. (10-20)1-9 Obedience must be, 1. Careful, observe to do; 2. Universal, to do all the commandments; and 3. From a good principle, with a regard to God as the Lord, and their God, and with a holy fear of him. To engage them to this obedience. Moses directs them to look back. It is good to remember all the ways, both of God's providence and grace, by which he has led us through this wilderness, that we may cheerfully serve him and trust in him. They must remember the straits they were sometimes brought into, for mortifying their pride, and manifesting their perverseness; to prove them, that they and others might know all that was in their heart, and that all might see that God chose them, not for any thing in them which might recommend them to his favour. They must remember the miraculous supplies of food and raiment granted them. Let none of God's children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful course for the supply of their necessities. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God is the food of the soul. Christ is the word of God; by him we live. They must also remember the rebukes they had been under, and not without need. This use we should make of all our afflictions; by them let us be quickened to our duty. Moses also directs them to look forward to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward, to Canaan. Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward will furnish us with arguments for obedience. Moses saw in that land a type of the better country. The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan, watered with the Spirit in his gifts and graces, planted with trees of righteousness, bearing fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the good land, in which nothing is wanting, and where is fulness of joy.
10-20 Moses directs to the duty of a prosperous condition. Let them always remember their Benefactor. In everything we must give thanks. Moses arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition. When men possess large estates, or are engaged in profitable business, they find the temptation to pride, forgetfulness of God, and carnal-mindedness, very strong; and they are anxious and troubled about many things. In this the believing poor have the advantage; they more easily perceive their supplies coming from the Lord in answer to the prayer of faith; and, strange as it may seem, they find less difficulty in simply trusting him for daily bread. They taste a sweetness therein, which is generally unknown to the rich, while they are also freed from many of their temptations. Forget not God's former dealings with thee. Here is the great secret of Divine Providence. Infinite wisdom and goodness are the source of all the changes and trials believers experience. Israel had many bitter trials, but it was "to do them good." Pride is natural to the human heart. Would one suppose that such a people, after their slavery at the brick-kilns, should need the thorns of the wilderness to humble them? But such is man! And they were proved that they might be humbled. None of us live a single week without giving proofs of our weakness, folly, and depravity. To broken-hearted souls alone the Saviour is precious indeed. Nothing can render the most suitable outward and inward trials effectual, but the power of the Spirit of God. See here how God's giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. All God's gifts are in pursuance of his promises. Moses repeats the warning he had often given of the fatal consequences of forsaking God. Those who follow others in sin, will follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.