Deuteronomy chapter 29

vs 11

This promise is being bound not just to the leaders, not just to the men of fighting age, but to everyone - children, wives, even the foreigners who live with the Israelites. It is for all the community to take direct responsibility.

vs 12

A covenant which includes all the curses you just heard. So unless you're deaf or stupid you have no recourse - you know what you're getting into. This is serious oath language, a contractual type arrangement - well, it's more than that, it's a huge commitment to make.

vs 13

Commitment is a great word for this, because it is so much more relational than 'contract'. Obviously the suzerain-vassal covenant is in mind, but it is more benevolent and also much deeper than that, because it is about more than rules.

vs 14

What separates the covenant from the oath? The (T)NIV has commas to separate it to that effect, but even the KJV and the NASB use the word 'and' which makes them sound distinct. Covenant is the relationship, I guess, and oath is the binding promise. That's how I think of it... but it seems I'd be wrong. When I look at the Hebrew, covenant (b'reet) is an alliance, a positive relationship type word. Oath ('alah) is translated more often as curse than it is as oath. This word is used 6 times in Deuteronomy: five of them in chapter 29, and once in 30, twice translated "oath" (here and in vs 12), and the other four translated as "curse". I think it's like saying "I swear I will kill your parents" - it's a promise, but not a happy promise like "till death do us part."

vs 15

Who isn't there that day? Had some people gone shopping? I suppose this might be a way of saying "the future generations", although it's not like he couldn't just say that. It might also be "those who are patrolling the settlement, or those on priestly duties, or those going to the bathroom".

vs 16

That is, only by God's grace really.

vs 17

I wonder if Israel had a problem with idolatry while living in Egypt? It doesn't seem like they brought any idols with them. However, they did fall into golden calf worship pretty easy.

vs 18

The bitter poison of curses, I think he's talking about. It's not the kind of poison you want to let enter your water supply, because it destroys whole nations.

vs 19

Even dry land will be cursed because of these people! How much more cursed can it already be? Obviously trying to do things without God is not an option here, if you make the commitment.

vs 20

Eep. Angry God. My first thought on reading this is that perhaps we could use a few more verses like this in the New Testament to remind us that God is in fact very damn holy. But then I thought, "Wait a minute, that just means we're not reading our Old Testament enough!" Read your OT!