1Toto jsou slova, která pronesl Mojžíš k celému Izraeli v Zajordání, ve stepní pustině naproti Sufu mezi Paranem, Tofelem, Labanem, Chaserotem a Di-Zahabem. 2Jedenáct dní trvá cesta od Chorebu pohořím Seír do Kadeš-Barneje. 3Ve čtyřicátém roce, prvního dne jedenáctého měsíce, vyhlásil Mojžíš Izraelitům vše, co mu pro ně přikázal Hospodin, 4když porazil amoritského krále Sichona, sídlícího v Chešbonu, a bašanského krále Oga, sídlícího v Aštarotu a v Edrei. 5V Zajordání, v moabské zemi, začal Mojžíš vysvětlovat tento zákon: 6„Hospodin, náš Bůh, k nám promluvil na Chorebu: ‚Dosti dlouho jste sídlili na této hoře. 7Obraťte se a vydejte se na cestu, jděte k pohoří Amoritů a ke všem jejich sousedům v pustině, na pohoří i v Přímořské nížině, v Negebu a na mořském pobřeží, jděte do kanaánské země a na Libanon až k veliké řece, k řece Eufratu. 8Pohleďte, daroval jsem vám zemi. Jděte obsadit zemi, o níž Hospodin přísahal vašim otcům Abrahámovi, Izákovi a Jakubovi, že ji daruje jim a jejich potomstvu.’“ 9Tehdy jsem vám řekl: ‚Nemohu se o vás starat sám. 10Hospodin, váš Bůh, vás rozmnožil; je vás dnes tolik jako hvězd na nebi. 11Hospodin, Bůh vašich otců, ať vás rozmnoží ještě tisíckrát a požehná vám, jak vám slíbil. 12Jak bych se mohl starat sám o vaše stížnosti, obtíže a spory? 13Ustanovte si z každého svého kmene muže moudré, rozumné a zkušené a já vám je postavím do čela.’ 14Odpověděli jste mi: ‚Co navrhuješ, je dobré.’ 15Vzal jsem tedy z vašich kmenů moudré a zkušené muže a ustanovil jsem je vašimi náčelníky – veliteli nad tisícem, stem, padesáti, deseti – a správci vašich kmenů. 16Tehdy jsem také přikázal vašim soudcům: ‚Vyslechněte své bratry a suďte spravedlivě každého muže, jeho bratra i přistěhovalce. 17Při soudu buďte nestranní, vyslechněte jak malého, tak velkého a nikoho se nebojte; soud je věcí Boží. Záležitost, která bude pro vás obtížná, předložte mně a já ji vyslechnu.’ 18Tehdy jsem vám přikázal všechno, co máte dělat. 19Vytáhli jsme od Chorebu a překonali celou tu velkou a hrozivou poušť, kterou jste viděli, cestou k pohoří Amoritů, jak nám přikázal Hospodin, náš Bůh, a přišli jsme až do Kadeš-Barneje. 20Řekl jsem vám: ‚Přišli jste k pohoří Amoritů, které nám dává Hospodin, náš Bůh. 21Hleď, tu zemi, která je před tebou, ti daroval Hospodin, tvůj Bůh. Vytáhni a obsaď ji, jak ti přikázal Hospodin, Bůh tvých otců. Neboj se a nebuď ustrašený.’ 22Ale vy všichni jste ke mně přistoupili a řekli: ‚Chceme před sebou poslat muže, aby nám prozkoumali tu zemi a podali nám zprávu o cestě, po které bychom do ní měli vejít, a o městech, do kterých bychom měli vstoupit.’ 23Ten návrh byl podle mne dobrý. Vybral jsem tedy mezi vámi dvanáct mužů, po jednom z každého kmene. 24Ti se obrátili směrem k pohoří, vystoupili na ně, došli až k údolí Eškol a prozkoumali tu zemi. 25Vzali s sebou některé plody té země, vrátili se dolů k nám a podali nám zprávu: ‚Země, kterou nám dává Hospodin, náš Bůh, je dobrá.’ 26Vy však jste se nechtěli vydat na cestu a vzepřeli jste se hlasu Hospodina, svého Boha. 27Reptali jste ve svých stanech a říkali: ‚Hospodin nás nenávidí, vyvedl nás z egyptské země, aby nás vydal do rukou Amoritů, a tak nás vyhladil. 28Kam to jdeme? Naši bratři nás vyděsili, když říkali: «Viděli jsme tam lid větší a vyšší, než jsme my, velká města s hradbami, které sahají až k nebi. Viděli jsme také Anakity.»’ 29Řekl jsem vám: ‚Nedejte se zastrašit a nebojte se jich. 30Hospodin, váš Bůh, který jde před vámi, bude za vás bojovat, jak to pro vás učinil před vašima očima v Egyptě. 31Také v poušti jsi viděl, jak tě Hospodin, tvůj Bůh, nesl, jako člověk nosí své dítě, po celou cestu, kterou jste šli, až jste došli na toto místo.’ 32Navzdory tomu nevěříte Hospodinu, svému Bohu, 33který jde touto cestou před vámi, aby vám vyhlédl místo k táboření, a ukazuje vám cestu, po níž máte jít, v noci jako oheň a ve dne jako oblak. 34Hospodin slyše! váš hlasitý nářek, rozhněval se a přísahal: 35‚Nikdo z těchto lidí, z tohoto zlého pokolení, nespatří tu dobrou zemi, o níž jsem přísahal, že ji daruji vašim otcům. 36Pouze Jefunnův syn Kaleb ji spatří. Jemu a jeho synům daruji tu zemi, do které vstoupil, protože věrně následoval Hospodina.’ 37Také na mne se Hospodin kvůli vám rozhněval. Řekl: ‚Ani ty tam nevejdeš. 38Vejde tam Nunův syn Jozue, který ti slouží. Toho posiluj, neboť on rozdělí Izraeli zemi v dědictví. 39Vejdou tam vaše malé děti, o kterých jste řekli, že se stanou kořistí, a vaši synové, kteří dnes nedokážou rozeznat dobro od zla. Těm ji dám a oni ji obsadí. 40Ale vy se obraťte a vydejte se na cestu pouští k Rákosovému moři.’ 41Odpověděli jste mi: ‚Zhřešili jsme proti Hospodinu, svému Bohu. Chceme vytáhnout do boje, jak nám přikázal Hospodin, náš Bůh.’ Opásali jste se svou výzbrojí k boji a připravili jste se lehkomyslně vystoupit na pohoří. 42Hospodin mi řekl: ‚Pověz jim: Netáhněte do boje, protože já nejsem mezi vámi. Neobstojíte před svými nepřáteli.’ 43Promluvil jsem k vám, ale neposlechli jste, vzepřeli jste se hlasu Hospodina, jednali jste pyšně a vystoupili jste na pohoří. 44Amorité sídlící na tom pohoří vytáhli, aby se s vámi utkali. Pronásledovali vás jako včely a rozprášili vás od Seiru až po Chormu. 45Vrátili jste se a plakali před Hospodinem. Hospodin však neslyšel váš nářek, nenaslouchal vám. 46Proto jste v Kadeši zůstali po mnoho dní; tolik dní jste tam museli zůstat.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 MOSES' SPEECH AT THE END OF THE FORTIETH YEAR. (Deu. 1:1-46)
These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel--The mental condition of the people generally in that infantine age of the Church, and the greater number of them being of young or tender years, rendered it expedient to repeat the laws and counsels which God had given. Accordingly, to furnish a recapitulation of the leading branches of their faith and duty was among the last public services which Moses rendered to Israel. The scene of their delivery was on the plains of Moab where the encampment was pitched
on this side Jordan--or, as the Hebrew word may be rendered "on the bank of the Jordan."
in the wilderness, in the plain--the Arabah, a desert plain, or steppe, extended the whole way from the Red Sea north to the Sea of Tiberias. While the high tablelands of Moab were "cultivated fields," the Jordan valley, at the foot of the mountains where Israel was encamped, was a part of the great desert plain, little more inviting than the desert of Arabia. The locale is indicated by the names of the most prominent places around it. Some of these places are unknown to us. The Hebrew word, Suph, "red" (for "sea," which our translators have inserted, is not in the original, and Moses was now farther from the Red Sea than ever), probably meant a place noted for its reeds (
Num 21:14).
Tophel--identified as Tafyle or Tafeilah, lying between Bozrah and Kerak.
Hazeroth--is a different place from that at which the Israelites encamped after leaving "the desert of Sinai."
2 There are eleven days' journey from Horeb--Distances are computed in the East still by the hours or days occupiesd by the journey. A day's journey on foot is about twenty miles--on camels, at the rate of three miles an hour, thirty miles--and by caravans, about twenty-five miles. But the Israelites, with children and flocks, would move at a slow rate. The length of the Ghor from Ezion-geber to Kadesh is a hundred miles. The days here mentioned were not necessarily successive days [ROBINSON], for the journey can be made in a much shorter period. But this mention of the time was made to show that the great number of years spent in travelling from Horeb to the plain of Moab was not owing to the length of the way, but to a very different cause; namely, banishment for their apostasy and frequent rebellions.
mount Seir--the mountainous country of Edom.
3 in the fortieth year . . . Moses spake unto the children of Israel, &c.--This impressive discourse, in which Moses reviewed all that God had done for His people, was delivered about a month before his death, and after peace and tranquillity had been restored by the complete conquest of Sihon and Og.
4 Ashtaroth--the royal residence of Og, so called from Astarte ("the moon"), the tutelary goddess of the Syrians. Og was slain at
Edrei--now Edhra, the ruins of which are fourteen miles in circumference [BURCKHARDT]; its general breadth is about two leagues.
5 On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law--that is, explain this law. He follows the same method here that he elsewhere observes; namely, that of first enumerating the marvellous doings of God in behalf of His people, and reminding them what an unworthy requital they had made for all His kindness--then he rehearses the law and its various precepts.
6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount--Horeb was the general name of a mountainous district; literally, "the parched" or "burnt region," whereas Sinai was the name appropriated to a particular peak [see on
Exod 19:2]. About a year had been spent among the recesses of that wild solitude, in laying the foundation, under the immediate direction of God, of a new and peculiar community, as to its social, political, and, above all, religious character; and when this purpose had been accomplished, they were ordered to break up their encampment in Horeb. The command given them was to march straight to Canaan, and possess it [
Deut 1:7].
7 the mount of the Amorites--the hilly tract lying next to Kadesh-barnea in the south of Canaan.
to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon--that is, Phśnicia, the country of Sidon, and the coast of the Mediterranean--from the Philistines to Lebanon. The name "Canaanite" is often used synonymously with that of "Phśnician."
8 I have set the land before you--literally, "before your faces"--it is accessible; there is no impediment to your occupation. The order of the journey as indicated by the places mentioned would have led to a course of invasion, the opposite of what was eventually followed; namely, from the seacoast eastward--instead of from the Jordan westward (see on
Num 20:1).
9 I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone--a little before their arrival in Horeb. Moses addresses that new generation as the representatives of their fathers, in whose sight and hearing all the transactions he recounts took place. A reference is here made to the suggestion of Jethro (
Exod 18:18). In noticing his practical adoption of a plan by which the administration of justice was committed to a select number of subordinate officers, Moses, by a beautiful allusion to the patriarchal blessing, ascribed the necessity of that memorable change in the government to the vast increase of the population.
10 ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude--This was neither an Oriental hyperbole nor a mere empty boast. Abraham was told (
Gen 15:5-
Gen 15:6) to look to the stars, and though they "appear" innumerable, yet those seen by the naked eye amount, in reality, to no more than three thousand ten in both hemispheres. The Israelites already far exceeded that number, being at the last census above six hundred thousand [
Num 26:51]. It was a seasonable memento, calculated to animate their faith in the accomplishment of other parts of the divine promise.
19 we went through all that great and terrible wilderness--of Paran, which included the desert and mountainous space lying between the wilderness of Shur westward, or towards Egypt and mount Seir, or the land of Edom eastwards; between the land of Canaan northwards, and the Red Sea southwards; and thus it appears to have comprehended really the wilderness of Sin and Sinai [FISK]. It is called by the Arabs El Tih, "the wandering." It is a dreary waste of rock and of calcareous soil covered with black sharp flints; all travellers, from a feeling of its complete isolation from the world, describe it as a great and terrible wilderness.
22 ye came . . . and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land--The proposal to despatch spies emanated from the people through unbelief; but Moses, believing them sincere, gave his cordial assent to this measure, and God on being consulted permitted them to follow the suggestion (see on
Num 13:1). The issue proved disastrous to them, only through their own sin and folly.
28 the cities are great, and walled up to heaven--an Oriental metaphor, meaning very high. The Arab marauders roam about on horseback, and hence the walls of St. Catherine's monastery on Sinai are so lofty that travellers are drawn up by a pulley in a basket.
Anakims--(See on
Num 13:33). The honest and uncompromising language of Moses, in reminding the Israelites of their perverse conduct and outrageous rebellion at the report of the treacherous and fainthearted scouts, affords a strong evidence of the truth of this history as well as of the divine authority of his mission. There was great reason for his dwelling on this dark passage in their history, as it was their unbelief that excluded them from the privilege of entering the promised land (
Heb 3:19); and that unbelief was a marvellous exhibition of human perversity, considering the miracles which God had wrought in their favor, especially in the daily manifestations they had of His presence among them as their leader and protector.
34 the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth--In consequence of this aggravated offense (unbelief followed by open rebellion), the Israelites were doomed, in the righteous judgment of God, to a life of wandering in that dreary wilderness till the whole adult generation had disappeared by death. The only exceptions mentioned are Caleb and Joshua, who was to be Moses' successor.
37 Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes--This statement seems to indicate that it was on this occasion Moses was condemned to share the fate of the people. But we know that it was several years afterwards that Moses betrayed an unhappy spirit of distrust at the waters of strife (
Ps 106:32-
Ps 106:33). This verse must be considered therefore as a parenthesis.
39 your children . . . who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil--All ancient versions read "to-day" instead of "that day"; and the sense is--"your children who now know," or "who know not as yet good or evil." As the children had not been partakers of the sinful outbreak, they were spared to obtain the privilege which their unbelieving parents had forfeited. God's ways are not as man's ways [
Isa 55:8-
Isa 55:9].
40 turn you, and take your journey into the . . . Red Sea--This command they disregarded, and, determined to force an onward passage in spite of the earnest remonstrances of Moses, they attempted to cross the heights then occupied by the combined forces of the Amorites and Amalekites (compare
Num 14:43), but were repulsed with great loss. People often experience distress even while in the way of duty. But how different their condition who suffer in situations where God is with them from the feelings of those who are conscious that they are in a position directly opposed to the divine will! The Israelites were grieved when they found themselves involved in difficulties and perils; but their sorrow arose not from a sense of the guilt so much as the sad effects of their perverse conduct; and "though they wept," they were not true penitents. So the Lord would not hearken to their voice, nor give ear unto them.
46 So ye abode at Kadesh many days--That place had been the site of their encampment during the absence of the spies, which lasted forty days, and it is supposed from this verse that they prolonged their stay there after their defeat for a similar period.