1 At that time the Lord said vnto me, Hew thee two Tables of stone, like vnto the first, and come vp vnto mee into the mount, and make thee an Arke of wood.
2 And I will write on the Tables the words that were in the first Tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the Arke.
3 And I made an Arke of Shittim wood, and hewed two Tables of stone like vnto the first, and went vp into the mount, hauing the two Tables in mine hand.
4 And he wrote on the Tables, according to the first writing, the tenne Commandements, which the Lord spake vnto you in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gaue them vnto me.
5 And I turned my selfe and came downe from the mount, and put the Tables in the Arke which I had made, and there they be, as the Lord commanded me.
6 ¶ And the children of Israel tooke their iourney from Beeroth, of the children of Iaakan, to Mosera; there Aaron died, and there he was buried, and Eleazar his sonne ministred in the Priests office in his stead.
7 From thence they iourneyed vnto Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Iotbath, a land of riuers of waters.
8 ¶ At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Leui, to beare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to minister vnto him, and to blesse in his Name, vnto this day.
9 Wherefore Leui hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren: the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him.
10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, fortie dayes, and fortie nights: and the Lord hearkened vnto mee at that time also, and the Lord would not destroy thee.
11 And the Lord said vnto me, Arise, take thy iourney before the people, that they may goe in, and possesse the land which I sware vnto their fathers to giue vnto them.
12 ¶ And now Israel, what doeth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to feare the Lord thy God, to walke in all his waies, and to loue him, and to serue the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soule,
13 To keepe the Commandements of the Lord, and his Statutes, which I commaund thee this day for thy good?
14 Behold, the heauen, & the heauen of heauens is the Lords thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
15 Onely the Lord had a delight in thy fathers, to loue them, and hee chose their seed after them, euen you, aboue all people, as it is this day.
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and bee no more stiffenecked.
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
18 He doeth execute the iudgement of the fatherlesse, and widow, and loueth the stranger, in giuing him food and raiment.
19 Loue yee therefore the stranger: for yee were strangers in the land of Egypt.
20 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serue, and to him shalt thou cleaue, and sweare by his Name.
21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes haue seene.
22 Thy fathers went downe into Egypt with threescore and ten persons: and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the starres of heauen, for multitude.
God's mercies to Israel after their rebellion. (1-11) An exhortation to obedience. (12-22)1-11 Moses reminded the Israelites of God's great mercy to them, notwithstanding their provocations. There were four things in and by which the Lord showed himself reconciled to Israel. God gave them his law. Thus God has intrusted us with Bibles, sabbaths, and sacraments, as tokens of his presence and favour. God led them forward toward Canaan. He appointed a standing ministry among them for holy things. And now, under the gospel, when the pouring forth of the Spirit is more plentiful and powerful, the succession is kept up by the Spirit's work on men's hearts, qualifying and making some willing for that work in every age. God accepted Moses as an advocate or intercessor for them, and therefore appointed him to be their prince and leader. Moses was a type of Christ, who ever lives, pleading for us, and has all power in heaven and in earth.
12-22 We are here taught our duty to God in our principles and our practices. We must fear the Lord our God. We must love him, and delight in communion with him. We must walk in the ways in which he has appointed us to walk. We must serve him with all our heart and soul. What we do in his service we must do cheerfully, and with good will. We must keep his commandments. There is true honour and pleasure in obedience. We must give honour to God; and to him we must cleave, as one we love and delight in, trust in, and from whom we have great expectations. We are here taught our duty to our neighbour. God's common gifts to mankind oblige us to honour all men. And those who have themselves been in distress, and have found mercy with God, should be ready to show kindness to those who are in the like distress. We are here taught our duty to ourselves. Circumcise your hearts. Cast away all corrupt affections and inclinations, which hinder you from fearing and loving God. By nature we do not love God. This is original sin, the source whence our wickedness proceeds; and the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God, #Ro 8:5-9|. Let us, without delay or reserve, come and cleave to our reconciled God in Jesus Christ, that we may love, serve, and obey him acceptably, and be daily changed into his image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord. Consider the greatness and glory of God; and his goodness and grace; these persuade us to our duty. Blessed Spirit! Oh for thy purifying, persevering, and renewing influences, that being called out of the state of strangers, such as our fathers were, we may be found among the number of the children of God, and that our lot may be among the saints.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.