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Moses briefly narrates everything that happened before, bringing to the Jews as a reminder both the good deeds of God and their wickedness. An admonition not to revere idols. The following saying is also found here: “And lest when you look up to heaven and see the sun, the moon, and the stars [and] all the host of heaven, you are deceived and worship them and serve them, since the Lord your God has allocated them to all the nations under the whole heaven” (Deut. 4:19). The expression: “distributed” does not mean that God commanded (to worship them) - no, it is similar to what blessed Paul said: “God gave them over to a depraved mind” (Rom. 1:28). This does not mean that He “betrayed,” but that He allowed them when they themselves wanted and remained incorrigible. So it is here: “gave” to them, i.e. allowed it when they chose error and did not want to correct themselves. Here a little further he says: “I testify to you today by heaven and earth that you will soon lose the land to inherit which you are crossing the Jordan; You will not remain there long, but you will perish” (Deut. 4:26). Then he shows that God did not give to anyone what he gave to them; and appoints three cities near the Jordan for refuge. He also reminds them of the former things and says: “And teach them to your children and talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you get up; And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as a blindfold over your eyes, and you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:7–9). Having said what disasters will befall them if they do not obey, he encourages them not to be afraid of their enemies. Reminds me of the past again. Here is the saying: “Beware lest [thy heart be deceived]” (Deut. 6:12), which he continues to often repeat to them; he exhorts to attribute victories not to one’s own strength, but to the grace of God. It says here: “Our God is a consuming fire” (Deut. 4:24), which Paul used in his Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 12:29). Here Moses admonishes them not to be arrogant. “It is not for your righteousness,” he says, “and it is not for the uprightness of your heart that you go to inherit their land, but for the wickedness [and iniquity] of these nations, the Lord your God” (Deut. 9:5). He also reminds them of the construction of the calf. It says: “Circumcise the foreskin of your heart and no longer be stiff-necked” (Deut. 10:16). Praises the Promised Land. Here is the saying: “Beware lest [thy heart be deceived]” (Deut. 6:12), and disasters are predicted for the disobedient, and good things for the obedient. Commands to pronounce “a blessing on Mount Gerizin and a “curse on Mount Ebal” (Deut. 11:29), to destroy idols and places of worship. He commands not to offer sacrifices to God everywhere, but in the place that He chooses; do not imitate the pagans and do not listen to anyone who advises to worship idols, even if he performs signs; not to listen to either a friend or anyone else, but to stone such an adviser, even if he was a brother; and if a whole city began to serve idols, destroy it. Talks about what should be eaten and what not. Gives laws on the forgiveness of debts, on the emancipation and emancipation of slaves, on the firstborn, and on Easter. Here is the saying: “You cannot kill the Passover in any of your dwellings that the Lord your God will give you” (Deut. 16:5). It speaks of weeks, of the Feast of Tabernacles, of judges, of kings, if they ever wish to make someone king; about the Levites, and what they should receive; that one should not resort to so-called “purifiers” or sorcerers, sorcery, fortune telling and the like (Deut. 18:10). Here is the saying: “For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand [before the Lord your God]” (Deut. 18:5). The commandment is given regarding cities of refuge. It says here: “At the words of two witnesses, or at the words of three witnesses, [every] thing will take place” (Deut. 19:15); and about false witnesses, what punishment they should be subject to. He says who should be sent to war, and commands not to allow internecine war. He exhorts not to kill enemies who fall into their hands, except for the seven nations, and says: plunder all the cities that you take, killing only the male sex; Of those whose land you inherit, do not leave anyone alive; Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees to build a fence during a siege. Gives a law on what should be done if a murdered person is found and the killer does not reveal himself. If someone, having two wives, hates one and loves the other, and the first-born is born from the hated one, then he should not prefer his son to his beloved. Talks about a disobedient son. Here is the saying: “Cursed before God is [everyone] who is hanged [on a tree]” (Deut. 21:23). Since it was determined by those who do not fulfill the law: “Cursed is [every person] who does not fulfill [all] the words of this law and does not walk in them” (Deut. 27:26), and Christ, as having fulfilled the law, could not be subject to this curse, instead of one curse He took upon Himself another, being hanged on a tree. Laws are given that one should not despise dumb animals, even those belonging to the enemy, and others; it talks about marital laws and punishes those who corrupt virgins. It is indicated who is prohibited from entering a church meeting, and other laws are given, among other things about not taking interest; so as not to delay in fulfilling vows, so that whoever makes any vow immediately fulfills it; about a wife receiving a letter of divorce; about pledges, about theft, about paying a mercenary, about an orphan, about a widow, about leaving ears of grain and grapes for the poor. It says here that a person guilty of any offense should not be given more than forty stripes; also about not stopping the mouth of the threshing ox, and about the surviving brother restoring the seed of the deceased, and about what the first must undergo if he does not want to restore; about scales, about measures; about the destruction of the Amalekites; about the firstfruits; about mercy for widows and orphans. From here curses and blessings begin, the former to the disobedient, and the latter to the obedient, and a long speech is made about the disasters that await them. This was fulfilled under the Assyrians and Babylonians; and that they would eat children was fulfilled during sieges. Christ is also mentioned here. “Your life,” he says, “will hang before you” (Deut. 28:66). Here is the saying: “Let there not be a root among you that produces poison or wormwood” (Deut. 29:18), which Paul also cited in his Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 12:15). It says here: “What is hidden belongs to the Lord our God, but what is revealed belongs to us and to our sons forever” (Deut. 29:29); “For this commandment, which I command you today, is not unavailable to you, nor far off; it is not in heaven, so that we can say: “Who would ascend for us into heaven and bring it to us, and let us hear it, and we would do it?”" (Deut. 30:11-12). Paul attributed these words spoken about the commandments of the law to faith in Christ (Rom. 10:6). “As witnesses,” says Moses, “I call heaven and earth today before you” (Deut. 30:19). Then he calls Joshua and commands him to lead the people and not be afraid of enemies, having God as an assistant; He also instructs that on the Feast of Tabernacles the law should be read to all the people. God predicts to Moses that after his death his people will serve idols and will be punished. Let this song, he says, be a witness against them, because they will never forget it. And Moses wrote a song and foretold to them that they would indulge in wickedness. Here is the saying: “They have provoked Me with no god; they have provoked Me with their vain things: and I will provoke them with no people; I will provoke them with a senseless people” (Deut. 32:21). Moses receives a command to ascend Mount Abarim, which was also called Nabab, and look at the Promised Land; and, having blessed each knee, he died. No one knows his tomb to this day. Here ends the five books of Moses, which alone were accepted by the Samaritans. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: