Moses Exhorts Israel to Obedience

41 'And now, Israel, hearken unto the statutes, and unto the judgments which I am teaching you to do, so that ye live, and have gone in, and possessed the land which Jehovah God of your fathers is giving to you. 2 Ye do not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor diminish from it, to keep the commands of Jehovah your God which I am commanding you. 3 'Your eyes are seeing that which Jehovah hath done in Baal-Peor, for every man who hath gone after Baal-Peor, Jehovah thy God hath destroyed him from thy midst; 4 and ye who are cleaving to Jehovah your God, 'are' alive, all of you, to-day. 5 'See, I have taught you statutes and judgments, as Jehovah my God hath commanded me—to do so, in the midst of the land whither ye are going in to possess it; 6 and ye have kept and done 'them' (for it 'is' your wisdom and your understanding) before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these statutes, and they have said, Only, a people wise and understanding 'is' this great nation. 7 'For which 'is' the great nation that hath God near unto it, as Jehovah our God, in all we have called unto him? 8 and which 'is' the great nation which hath righteous statutes and judgments according to all this law which I am setting before you to-day?

Israel's Experience at Horeb

9 'Only, take heed to thyself, and watch thy soul exceedingly, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from thy heart, all days of thy life; and thou hast made them known to thy sons, and to thy sons' sons. 10 'The day when thou hast stood before Jehovah thy God in Horeb—in Jehovah's saying unto me, Assemble to Me the people, and I cause them to hear My words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days that they are alive on the ground, and their sons they teach;— 11 and ye draw near and stand under the mountain, and the mountain is burning with fire unto the heart of the heavens—darkness, cloud, yea, thick darkness: 12 'And Jehovah speaketh unto you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words ye are hearing and a similitude ye are not seeing, only a voice; 13 and He declareth to you His covenant, which He hath commanded you to do, the Ten Matters, and He writeth them upon two tables of stone. 14 'And me hath Jehovah commanded at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, for your doing them in the land whither ye are passing over to possess it;

Warning against Idolatry

15 and ye have been very watchful of your souls, for ye have not seen any similitude in the day of Jehovah's speaking unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest ye do corruptly, and have made to you a graven image, a similitude of any figure, a form of male or female— 17 a form of any beast which 'is' in the earth—a form of any winged bird which flieth in the heavens— 18 a form of any creeping thing on the ground—a form of any fish which 'is' in the waters under the earth; 19 'And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens. 20 'And you hath Jehovah taken, and He is bringing you out from the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be to Him for a people—an inheritance, as 'at' this day. 21 'And Jehovah hath shewed himself wroth with me because of your words, and sweareth to my not passing over the Jordan, and to my not going in unto the good land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee—an inheritance; 22 for I am dying in this land; I am not passing over the Jordan, and ye are passing over, and have possessed this good land. 23 'Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He hath made with you, and have made to yourselves a graven image, a similitude of anything 'concerning' which Jehovah thy God hath charged thee: 24 for Jehovah thy God is a fire consuming—a zealous God. 25 'When thou begettest sons and sons' sons, and ye have become old in the land, and have done corruptly, and have made a graven image, a similitude of anything, and have done the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger:— 26 I have caused to testify against you this day the heavens and the earth, that ye do perish utterly hastily from off the land whither ye are passing over the Jordan to possess it; ye do not prolong days upon it, but are utterly destroyed; 27 and Jehovah hath scattered you among the peoples, and ye have been left few in number among the nations, whither Jehovah leadeth you, 28 and ye have served there gods, work of man's hands, wood and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 'And—ye have sought from thence Jehovah thy God, and hast found, when thou seekest Him with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 30 in distress 'being' to thee, and all these things have found thee, in the latter end of the days, and thou hast turned back unto Jehovah thy God, and hast hearkened to His voice; 31 for a merciful God 'is' Jehovah thy God; He doth not fail thee, nor destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which He hath sworn to them. 32 'For, ask, I pray thee, at the former days which have been before thee, from the day that God prepared man on the earth, and from the 'one' end of the heavens even unto the 'other' end of the heavens, whether there hath been as this great thing—or hath been heard like it? 33 Hath a people heard the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, thou—and doth live? 34 Or hath God tried to go in to take to Himself, a nation from the midst of a nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a strong hand, and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terrors—according to all that Jehovah your God hath done to you, in Egypt, before your eyes? 35 Thou, thou hast been shewn 'it', to know that Jehovah He 'is' God; there is none else besides Him. 36 'From the heavens He hath caused thee to hear His voice, to instruct thee, and on earth He hath shewed thee His great fire, and His words thou hast heard out of the midst of the fire. 37 'And because that He hath loved thy fathers, He doth also fix on their seed after them, and doth bring thee out, in His presence, by His great power, from Egypt: 38 to dispossess nations greater and stronger than thou, from thy presence, to bring thee in to give to thee their land—an inheritance, as 'at' this day. 39 'And thou hast known to-day, and hast turned 'it' back unto thy heart, that Jehovah He 'is' God, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath—there is none else; 40 and thou hast kept His statutes and His commands which I am commanding thee to-day, so that it is well to thee, and to thy sons after thee, and so that thou prolongest days on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee—all the days.'

The Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan

41 Then Moses separateth three cities beyond the Jordan, towards the sun-rising, 42 for the fleeing thither of the man-slayer, who slayeth his neighbour unknowingly, and he is not hating him heretofore, and he hath fled unto one of these cities, and he hath lived: 43 Bezer, in the wilderness, in the land of the plain, of the Reubenite; and Ramoth, in Gilead, of the Gadite; and Golan, in Bashan, of the Manassahite.

Moses Recounts Israel's Law

44 And this 'is' the law which Moses hath set before the sons of Israel; 45 these 'are' the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses hath spoken unto the sons of Israel, in their coming out of Egypt, 46 beyond the Jordan, in the valley over-against Beth-Peor, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorite, who is dwelling in Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel have smitten, in their coming out of Egypt, 47 and they possess his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorite who 'are' beyond the Jordan, 'towards' the sun-rising; 48 from Aroer, which 'is' by the edge of the brook Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which 'is' Hermon— 49 and all the plain beyond the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

The Ten Commandments

51 And Moses calleth unto all Israel, and saith unto them, 'Hear, Israel, the statutes and the judgments which I am speaking in your ears to-day, and ye have learned them, and have observed to do them. 2 Jehovah our God made with us a covenant in Horeb; 3 not with our fathers hath Jehovah made this covenant, but with us; we—these—here to-day—all of us alive. 4 Face to face hath Jehovah spoken with you, in the mount, out of the midst of the fire; 5 I am standing between Jehovah and you, at that time, to declare to you the word of Jehovah, for ye have been afraid from the presence of the fire, and ye have not gone up into the mount; saying:

6 'I Jehovah 'am' thy God, who hath brought thee out from the land of Egypt, from a house of servants. 7 'Thou hast no other gods in My presence. 8 'Thou dost not make to thee a graven image, any similitude which 'is' in the heavens above, and which 'is' in the earth beneath, and which 'is' in the waters under the earth; 9 thou dost not bow thyself to them nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God 'am' a zealous God, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on a third 'generation', and on a fourth, to those hating Me; 10 and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commands. 11 'Thou dost not take up the Name of Jehovah thy God for a vain thing, for Jehovah doth not acquit him who taketh up His Name for a vain thing. 12 'Observe the day of the sabbath—to sanctify it, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee; 13 six days thou dost labour, and hast done all thy work, 14 and the seventh day 'is' a sabbath to Jehovah thy God; thou dost not do any work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy handmaid, and thine ox, and thine ass, and all thy cattle, and thy sojourner who 'is' within thy gates; so that thy man-servant, and thy handmaid doth rest like thyself; 15 and thou hast remembered that a servant thou hast been in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah thy God is bringing thee out thence by a strong hand, and by a stretched-out arm; therefore hath Jehovah thy God commanded thee to keep the day of the sabbath. 16 'Honour thy father and thy mother, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee, so that thy days are prolonged, and so that it is well with thee, on the ground which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee. 17 'Thou dost not murder. 18 'Thou dost not commit adultery. 19 'Thou dost not steal. 20 'Thou dost not answer against thy neighbour—a false testimony. 21 'Thou dost not desire thy neighbour's wife; nor dost thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, and his man-servant, and his handmaid, his ox, and his ass, and anything which 'is' thy neighbour's.

The People's Fear

22 'These words hath Jehovah spoken unto all your assembly, in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness—a great voice; and He hath not added, and He writeth them on two tables of stone, and giveth them unto me.

23 'And it cometh to pass as ye hear the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and of the mountain burning with fire, that ye come near unto me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders, 24 and say, Lo, Jehovah our God hath shewed us His honour, and His greatness; and His voice we have heard out of the midst of the fire; this day we have seen that God doth speak with man—and he hath lived. 25 'And, now, why do we die? for consume us doth this great fire—if we add to hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more—then we have died. 26 For who of all flesh 'is' he who hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire like us—and doth live? 27 Draw near thou, and hear all that which Jehovah our God saith, and thou, thou dost speak unto us all that which Jehovah our God speaketh unto thee, and we have hearkened, and done it. 28 'And Jehovah heareth the voice of your words, in your speaking unto me, and Jehovah saith unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee; they have done well 'in' all that they have spoken. 29 O that their heart had been thus to them, to fear Me, and to keep My commands all the days, that it may be well with them, and with their sons—to the age! 30 'Go, say to them, Turn back for yourselves, to your tents; 31 and thou here stand thou with Me, and let Me speak unto thee all the command, and the statutes, and the judgments which thou dost teach them, and they have done in the land which I am giving to them to possess it. 32 'And ye have observed to do as Jehovah your God hath commanded you, ye turn not aside—right or left; 33 in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you ye walk, so that ye live, and 'it is' well with you, and ye have prolonged days in the land which ye possess.

The Great Commandment

61 'And this 'is' the command, the statutes and the judgments which Jehovah your God hath commanded to teach you, to do in the land which ye are passing over thither to possess it, 2 so that thou dost fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commands, which I am commanding thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all days of thy life, and so that thy days are prolonged. 3 'And thou hast heard, O Israel, and observed to do, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest multiply exceedingly, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee, 'in' the land flowing with milk and honey.

4 'Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God 'is' one Jehovah; 5 and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, 6 and these words which I am commanding thee to-day have been on thine heart, 7 and thou hast repeated them to thy sons, and spoken of them in thy sitting in thine house, and in thy walking in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up, 8 and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes, 9 and thou hast written them on door-posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Warnings against Disobedience

10 'And it hath been, when Jehovah thy God doth bring thee in unto the land which He hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to thee—cities great and good, which thou hast not built, 11 and houses full of all good things which thou hast not filled, and wells digged which thou hast not digged, vineyards and olive-yards which thou hast not planted, and thou hast eaten, and been satisfied; 12 'Take heed to thyself lest thou forget Jehovah who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants; 13 Jehovah thy God thou dost fear, and Him thou dost serve, and by His name thou dost swear; 14 ye do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who 'are' round about you; 15 for a zealous God 'is' Jehovah thy God in thy midst—lest the anger of Jehovah thy God burn against thee, and He hath destroyed thee from off the face of the ground. 16 'Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;

17 ye do diligently keep the commands of Jehovah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee, 18 and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers, 19 to drive away all thine enemies from thy presence, as Jehovah hath spoken. 20 'When thy son asketh thee hereafter, saying, What 'are' the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you? 21 then thou hast said to thy son, Servants we have been to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Jehovah bringeth us out of Egypt by a high hand; 22 and Jehovah giveth signs and wonders, great and sad, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes; 23 and us He hath brought out thence, in order to bring us in, to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers. 24 And Jehovah commandeth us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for good to ourselves all the days, to keep us alive, as 'at' this day; 25 and righteousness it is for us, when we observe to do all this command before Jehovah our God, as He hath commanded us.

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

111 And when they come nigh to Jerusalem, to Bethphage, and Bethany, unto the mount of the Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2 and saith to them, 'Go away to the village that is over-against you, and immediately, entering into it, ye shall find a colt tied, on which no one of men hath sat, having loosed it, bring 'it': 3 and if any one may say to you, Why do ye this? say ye that the lord hath need of it, and immediately he will send it hither.' 4 And they went away, and found the colt tied at the door without, by the two ways, and they loose it, 5 and certain of those standing there said to them, 'What do ye—loosing the colt?' 6 and they said to them as Jesus commanded, and they suffered them. 7 And they brought the colt unto Jesus, and did cast upon it their garments, and he sat upon it, 8 and many did spread their garments in the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way. 9 And those going before and those following were crying out, saying, 'Hosanna! blessed 'is' he who is coming in the name of the Lord; 10 blessed is the coming reign, in the name of the Lord, of our father David; Hosanna in the highest.' 11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple, and having looked round on all things, it being now evening, he went forth to Bethany with the twelve.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

12 And on the morrow, they having come forth from Bethany, he hungered, 13 and having seen a fig-tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he shall find anything in it, and having come to it, he found nothing except leaves, for it was not a time of figs, 14 and Jesus answering said to it, 'No more from thee—to the age—may any eat fruit;' and his disciples were hearing.

The Cleansing of the Temple

15 And they come to Jerusalem, and Jesus having gone into the temple, began to cast forth those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those selling the doves, he overthrew, 16 and he did not suffer that any might bear a vessel through the temple, 17 and he was teaching, saying to them, 'Hath it not been written—My house a house of prayer shall be called for all the nations, and ye did make it a den of robbers?' 18 And the scribes and the chief priests heard, and they were seeking how they shall destroy him, for they were afraid of him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching;

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 11:1-18

Commentary on Mark 11:1-11

(Read Mark 11:1-11)

Christ's coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably, shows that he was not afraid of the power and malice of his enemies. This would encourage his disciples who were full of fear. Also, that he was not disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings. But all marked his humiliation; and these matters teach us not to mind high things, but to condescend to those of low estate. How ill it becomes Christians to take state, when Christ was so far from claiming it! They welcomed his person; Blessed is he that cometh, the "He that should come," so often promised, so long expected; he comes in the name of the Lord. Let him have our best affections; he is a blessed Saviour, and brings blessings to us, and blessed be He that sent him. Praises be to our God, who is in the highest heavens, over all, God blessed for ever.

Commentary on Mark 11:12-18

(Read Mark 11:12-18)

Christ looked to find some fruit, for the time of gathering figs, though it was near, was not yet come; but he found none. He made this fig-tree an example, not to the trees, but to the men of that generation. It was a figure of the doom upon the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit, but found none. Christ went to the temple, and began to reform the abuses in its courts, to show that when the Redeemer came to Zion, it was to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. The scribes and the chief priests sought, not how they might make their peace with him, but how they might destroy him. A desperate attempt, which they could not but fear was fighting against God.