TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Deuteronomy 6:4–16. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A brief summary of religion, containing the first principles of faith and obedience, Deu 6:4, Deu 6:5. These two verses the Jews reckon one of the choicest portions of scripture: they write it in their phylacteries, and think themselves not only obliged to say it at least twice every day, but very happy in being so obliged, having this saying among them, Blessed are we, who every morning and evening say, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. But more blessed are we if we duly consider and improve,
1.What we are here taught to believe concerning God: that Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
(1.)That the God whom we serve is Jehovah, a Being infinitely and eternally perfect, self-existent, and self-sufficient.
(2.)That he is the one only living and true God; he only is God, and he is but one. The firm belief of this self-evident truth would effectually arm them against all idolatry, which was introduced by that fundamental error, that there are gods many. It is past dispute that there is one God, and there is no other but he, Mar 12:32. Let us therefore have no other, nor desire to have any other. Some have thought there is here a plain intimation of the trinity of persons in the unity of the Godhead; for here is the name of God three times, and yet all declared to be one. Happy they that have this one Lord for their God; for they have but one master to please, but one benefactor to seek to. It is better to have one fountain that a thousand cisterns, one all-sufficient God than a thousand insufficient ones.
2.What we are here taught concerning the duty which God requires of man. It is all summed up in this as its principle, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. He had undertaken (Deu 6:2) to teach them to fear God; and, in pursuance of his undertaking, he here teaches them to love him, for the warmer our affection to him the greater will be our veneration for him; the child that honours his parents no doubt loves them. Did ever any prince make a law that his subjects should love him? Yet such is the condescension of the divine grace that this is made the first and great commandment of God's law, that we love him, and that we perform all other parts of our duty to him from a principle of love. My son, give me thy heart. We must highly esteem him, be well pleased that there is such a Being, well pleased in all his attributes, and relations to us: our desire must be towards him, our delight in him, our dependence upon him, and to him we must be entirely devoted. It must be a constant pleasure to us to think of him, hear from him, speak to him, and serve him. We must love him,
(1.)As the Lord, the best of beings, most excellent and amiable in himself.
(2.)As our God, a God in covenant with us, our Father, and the most kind and bountiful of friends and benefactors. We are also commanded to love God with all our heart, and soul, and might; that is, we must love him,
[1.]With a sincere love; not in word and tongue only, saying we love him when our hearts are not with him, but inwardly, and in truth, solacing ourselves in him.
[2.]With a strong love; the heart must be carried out towards him with great ardour and fervency of affection. Some have hence though that we should avoid saying (as we commonly express ourselves) that we will do this or that with all our heart, for we must not do any thing with all our heart but love God; and that this phrase, being here used concerning that sacred fire, should not be unhallowed. He that is our all must have our all, and none but he.
[3.]With a superlative love; we must love God above any creature whatsoever, and love nothing besides him but what we love for him and in subordination to him.
[4.]With an intelligent love; for so it is explained, Mar 12:33. To love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, we must know him, and therefore love him as those that see good cause to love him.
[5.]With an entire love; he is one, and therefore our hearts must be united in this love, and the whole stream of our affections must run towards him. O that this love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts!
II.Means are here prescribed for the maintaining and keeping up of religion in our hearts and houses, that it might not wither and go to decay.
And they are these: - 1. Meditation: These words which I command thee shall be in thy heart, Deu 6:6. Though the words alone without the things will do us no good, yet we are in danger of losing the things if we neglect the words, by which ordinarily divine light and power are conveyed to the heart. God's words must be laid up on our heart, that our thoughts may be daily conversant with them and employed about them, and thereby the whole soul may be brought to abide and act under the influence and impression of them. This immediately follows upon the law of loving God with all your heart; for those that do so will lay up his word in their hearts both as an evidence and effect of that love and as a means to preserve and increase it. He that loves God loves his Bible. 2. The religious education of children (Deu 6:7): "Thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children; and by communicating thy knowledge thou wilt increase it." Those that love the Lord God themselves should do what they can to engage the affections of their children to him, and so to preserve the entail of religion in their families from being cut off. Thou shalt whet them diligently upon thy children, so some read it; frequently repeat these things to them, try all ways of instilling them into their minds, and making them pierce into their hearts; as, in whetting a knife, it is turned first on this side, then on that. "Be careful and exact in teaching thy children; and aim, as by whetting, to sharpen them, and put an edge upon them. Teach them to thy children, not only those of thy own body" (say the Jews) "but all those that are anyway under thy care and tuition." Bishop Patrick well observes here that Moses thought his law so very plain and easy that every father might be able to instruct his sons in it and every mother her daughters. Thus that good thing which is committed to us we must carefully transmit to those that come after us, that it may be perpetuated. 3. Pious discourse. "Thou shalt talk of these things, with due reverence and seriousness, for the benefit not only of thy children, but of thy other domestics, thy friends and companions, as thou sittest in thy house at work, or at meat, or at rest, or to receive visits, and when thou walkest by the way for diversion, or for conversation, of in journeys, when at night thou art retiring from thy family to lie down for sleep, and when in the morning thou hast risen up and returnest to thy family again. Take all occasions to discourse with those about thee of divine things; not of unrevealed mysteries, or matters of doubtful disputation, but of the plain truths and laws of God, and the things that belong to our peace." So far is it from being reckoned a diminution to the honour of sacred things to make them subject of our familiar discourse that they are recommended to us to be talked of; for the more conversant we are with them the more we shall admire them and be affected with them, and may thereby be instrumental to communicate divine light and heat. 4. Frequent reading of the word: They shall be as frontlets between thy eyes, and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, Deu 6:8, Deu 6:9. It is probable that at that time there were few written copies of the whole law, only at the feasts of tabernacles the people had it read to them; and therefore God appointed them, at least for the present, to write some select sentences of the law, that were most weighty and comprehensive, upon their walls, or in scrolls of parchment to be worn about their wrists; and some think that hence the phylacteries so much used among the Jews took rise. Christ blames the Pharisees, not for wearing them, but for affecting to have them broader than other people's, Mat 23:5. But when Bibles came to be common among them there was less occasion for this expedient. It was prudently and piously provided by the first reformers of the English church that then, when Bibles were scarce, some select portions of scripture should be written on the walls and pillars of the churches, which the people might make familiar to them, in conformity to this direction, which seems to have been binding in the letter of it to the Jews as it is to us in the intent of it, which is that we should endeavour by all means possible to make the word of God familiar to us, that we may have it ready to us upon all occasions, for our restraint from sin and our direction and excitement to our duty. It must be as that which is graven on the palms of our hands, always before our eyes. See Pro 7:1-3. It is also intimated that we must never be ashamed to own our religion, nor to own ourselves under the check and government of it. Let it be written on our gates, and let every one that goes by our door read it, that we believe Jehovah to be God alone, and believe ourselves bound to love him with all our hearts.
III.A caution is here given not to forget God in a day of prosperity and plenty, Deu 6:10-12. Here,
1.He raises their expectations of the goodness of their God, taking it for granted that he would bring them into the good land that he had promised (Deu 6:10), that they should no longer dwell in tents as shepherds and poor travellers, but should settle in great and goodly cities, should no longer wander in a barren wilderness, but should enjoy houses will furnished and gardens well planted (Deu 6:11), and all this without any care and expense of their own, which he here lays a great stress upon - Cities which thou buildest not, houses which thou filledst not, etc., both because it made the mercy really much more valuable that what they had come to them so cheaply, and yet, if they did not actually consider it, the mercy would be the less esteemed, for we are most sensible of the value of that which has cost us dear. When they came so easily by the gift they would be apt to grow secure, and unmindful of the giver.
2.He engages their watchfulness against the badness of their own hearts: Then beware, when thou liest safe and soft, lest thou forget the Lord, Deu 6:12. Note,
(1.)In a day of prosperity we are in great danger of forgetting God, our dependence upon him, our need of him, and our obligations to him. When the world smiles we are apt to make our court to it, and expect our happiness in it, and so we forget him that his our only portion and rest. Agur prays against this temptation (Pro 30:9): Lest I be full and deny thee.
(2.)There is therefore need of great care and caution at such a time, and a strict watch over our own hearts. "Then beware; being warned of your danger, stand upon your guard against it. Bind the words of God for a sign upon thy hand, for this end to prevent thy forgetting God. When thou art settled in Canaan forget not thy deliverance out of Egypt; but look to the rock out of which thou wast hewn. When thy latter end has greatly increased, remember the smallness of thy beginnings."
IV.Some special precepts and prohibitions are here given, which are of great consequence.
1.They must upon all occasions give honour to God (Deu 6:13): Fear him and serve him (for, if he be a Master, we must both reverence him and do his work); and swear by his name, that is, they must not upon any occasion appeal to any other, as the discerner of truth and avenger of wrong. Swear by him only, and not by an idol, or any other creature. Swear by his name in all treaties and covenants with the neighbouring nations, and do not compliment them so far as to swear by their gods. Swearing by his mane is sometimes put for an open profession of his name. Isa 45:23, Every tongue shall swear, is expounded (Rom 14:11), Every tongue shall confess to God.
2.They must not upon any occasion give that honour to other gods (Deu 6:14): You shall not go after other gods, that is, "You shall not serve nor worship them;" for therein they went astray, they went a whoring from the true God, who in this, more than in any thing, is jealous god (Deu 6:15): and the learned bishop Patrick observes here, out of Maimonides, that we never find, either in the law or the prophets, anger, or fury, or jealousy, or indignation, attributed to God but upon occasion of idolatry.
3.They must take heed of dishonouring God by tempting him (Deu 6:16): You shall not tempt the Lord your God, that is, "You shall not in any exigence distrust the power, presence, and providence of God, nor quarrel with him," which, if they indulged an evil heart of unbelief, they would take occasion to do in Canaan as well as in the wilderness. No change of condition will cure a disposition of murmur and fret. Our Saviour uses this caution as an answer to one of Satan's temptations, with application to himself, Mat 4:7, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, either by despairing of his power and goodness while we keep in the way of our duty, or by presuming upon it when we turn aside out of that way.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
As the law teaches, “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul.” But the person who puts his entire hope in the Lord also praises with his whole heart. He does not put his trust in the transient consolations of the world, once he has trained himself on the Lord with total purity of mind.
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Summary
Deuteronomy 6:11 presents a vivid depiction of the abundant, unearned material blessings awaiting the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Moses, in his final address, paints a picture of a land flowing with prosperity, where they will inherit fully furnished homes, pre-dug wells, and established vineyards and olive groves—all provisions they did not labor to create. This verse emphatically underscores the immense, unmerited generosity of God, serving as a crucial prelude to the solemn warning in the subsequent verses against forgetting the divine source of such lavish provisions once they are settled and satisfied in their new, comfortable existence.
Context
Literary Context
Deuteronomy 6:11 is strategically positioned within Moses' final, pivotal discourse to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they cross into Canaan. It immediately follows the foundational command of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which calls for absolute, undivided devotion to Yahweh. This verse, along with Deuteronomy 6:10, details the lavish physical blessings they are about to receive. This promise of prosperity is not merely a description of future comfort but a critical lead-in to the solemn warning in Deuteronomy 6:12: "Then beware lest thou forget the Lord." The abundance described here highlights the potential for complacency and apostasy once they are settled and satisfied, making the spiritual warning all the more urgent and poignant. The contrast between God's generous provision and Israel's potential forgetfulness forms a central tension in this section of Deuteronomy.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Israelites stood on the cusp of entering Canaan, a land already inhabited and developed by various peoples, including the Canaanites. Unlike their nomadic existence in the wilderness, where they lived in tents and relied on miraculous provision, they were about to inherit a settled agricultural society. The concept of inheriting "houses full of all good things," "wells digged," and "vineyards and olive trees" speaks directly to the established infrastructure and agricultural wealth of the Canaanite inhabitants. For a people who had lived in tents and relied on manna for forty years, this promise represented an unimaginable level of comfort, security, and permanence. The mention of vineyards and olive trees is particularly significant, as these were long-term investments, requiring years to mature and produce, emphasizing the unearned nature of these blessings for the Israelites. This promise also fulfilled the ancient covenant God made with their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Deuteronomy and the broader Pentateuch. It exemplifies Divine Provision and Unmerited Favor, emphasizing that the Israelites' upcoming prosperity is not a result of their own merit or labor but a gracious, sovereign gift from God. The repeated refrain, "which thou filledst not... diggedst not... plantedst not," underscores God's immense generosity and faithfulness to His covenant promises, as seen in the foundational promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:7. It also highlights the theme of Inheritance of the Promised Land, vividly portraying the richness of Canaan, often described as a land of abundance. Finally, and most critically, it introduces the theme of The Peril of Prosperity. While a blessing, the anticipated abundance carries an inherent danger. The ease of life and full stomachs can lead to spiritual forgetfulness and a turning away from the Lord, as explicitly warned in the verses immediately following, particularly in Deuteronomy 6:12-15. This serves as a timeless reminder about the spiritual challenges that often accompany material comfort and the need for vigilance.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew word טוֹב (ṭûwb), translated as "good [things]," is a broad and comprehensive term. It encompasses not only material possessions but also implies a state of well-being, pleasantness, value, and overall favor. In this context, it suggests that the houses will be filled not just with random items, but with everything necessary for a flourishing and comfortable life, signifying a complete and desirable provision from God. This word carries a sense of inherent quality and beneficial nature.
The Hebrew verb מָלֵא (mâlêʼ), rendered "full" (H4392), denotes a state of completeness, abundance, or saturation. When applied to "houses full of all good things," it conveys that the provision is not partial or lacking but utterly comprehensive and overflowing. This emphasizes the lavishness of God's gift, ensuring the Israelites will lack nothing essential for their new life in the land. It speaks to a measure that is entirely sufficient and beyond expectation.
The Hebrew verb שָׂבַע (śāḇaʿ), translated "be full" (H7646) in the phrase "when thou shalt have eaten and be full," signifies a state of complete satisfaction, satiety, or being replete. It describes the physical experience of having eaten enough and being content, a state of material prosperity and comfort. This word is crucial because it sets the stage for the subsequent warning: it is precisely when they are fully satisfied and comfortable that the danger of forgetting God is most acute, as their immediate needs are met and their dependence might wane.
Verse Breakdown
"And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not,"
This opening clause immediately paints a picture of instant, unearned domestic comfort and prosperity. The Israelites will not need to engage in the arduous labor of building homes from scratch or furnishing them; they will find them already prepared, established, and stocked with everything desirable and beneficial for a comfortable life. The emphatic "which thou filledst not" highlights the gratuitous nature of this blessing, emphasizing that their prosperity is entirely God's doing, not a result of their own labor or merit.
"and wells digged, which thou diggedst not,"
Access to water was paramount in an arid region like Canaan, essential for human survival, livestock, and agriculture. Digging wells was a laborious, time-consuming, and often multi-generational undertaking, representing significant investment and effort. This promise means the Israelites will inherit essential infrastructure, vital for daily life and the sustenance of their new agricultural society, without expending any effort. Again, "which thou diggedst not" reinforces the theme of unmerited inheritance and God's comprehensive provision.
"vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not;"
Vineyards and olive groves represent long-term agricultural investments, requiring years—often decades—to mature and produce fruit. This promise signifies not just immediate sustenance but established, sustainable sources of wealth, food, and oil that the Israelites will simply step into and enjoy the harvest. The repeated "which thou plantedst not" underscores the extraordinary nature of this gift—they will reap where they have not sown, benefiting from the previous inhabitants' labor and God's sovereign timing.
"when thou shalt have eaten and be full;"
This concluding phrase describes the anticipated outcome of inheriting such overwhelming abundance: a state of complete physical satisfaction, material security, and comfort. It serves as the pivot point for the subsequent warning. It is in this very state of comfort and satiety, when all physical needs are met and there is no immediate sense of lack, that the spiritual danger of forgetting the Lord, the ultimate provider and covenant partner, becomes most pronounced. This phrase sets the stage for the crucial admonition to remember God in prosperity.
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 6:11 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with maximum impact. The most prominent is Anaphora (a specific type of Repetition), seen in the insistent refrain "which thou filledst not... which thou diggedst not... which thou plantedst not." This deliberate and emphatic repetition serves to underscore and deeply impress upon the audience the unearned, gratuitous nature of the blessings. It hammers home the point that the Israelites' future prosperity is entirely a gift from God, not a reward for their own efforts or merit. Imagery is also richly used, painting vivid pictures of "houses full," "wells digged," and flourishing "vineyards and olive trees," allowing the audience to visualize and deeply appreciate the tangible, comprehensive benefits awaiting them. The verse also implicitly uses Juxtaposition, setting the scene of overwhelming, unearned blessing against the implicit warning of spiritual danger that immediately follows in the next verse (Deuteronomy 6:12). This striking contrast highlights the potential for prosperity to become a snare if the source of the blessings is forgotten, creating a powerful tension that resonates throughout the passage.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Deuteronomy 6:11 stands as a powerful testament to God's sovereign provision and unmerited grace. It reveals a God who not only fulfills His covenant promises but does so with lavish generosity, bestowing blessings that far exceed human effort or expectation. This concept of receiving what one has not earned is foundational to biblical theology, foreshadowing the ultimate gift of salvation by grace through faith. The verse also serves as a profound theological warning: the very abundance that demonstrates God's faithfulness can, paradoxically, become a spiritual stumbling block if it leads to complacency, self-sufficiency, and a forgetting of the divine Giver. It challenges believers across all generations to cultivate a perpetual posture of gratitude and remembrance, recognizing that all good things ultimately flow from the benevolent hand of God, and that true security lies not in material possessions but in an abiding relationship with the Provider.
Reflection and Application
Deuteronomy 6:11 offers timeless wisdom for contemporary believers, reminding us that God's generosity often extends beyond what we earn or expect. Just as the Israelites were to inherit blessings they didn't labor for, we too experience God's unmerited grace in salvation and His daily provisions, often through means we did not directly create or deserve. This verse calls us to cultivate a profound sense of gratitude, acknowledging that every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. It challenges us to remember the Lord, the ultimate provider, especially in times of comfort and abundance. When life is "full," when our needs are met and our desires satisfied, there's a natural human tendency to become self-reliant, to take blessings for granted, and to subtly forget our dependence on God. Therefore, this passage serves as a vital spiritual safeguard, urging us to remain vigilant against complacency, to guard our hearts against the subtle allure of materialism and the deceptive security of earthly possessions, and to continually seek God's face, whether in seasons of scarcity or overflowing blessing. Our prosperity should draw us closer to Him in worship and service, not away into self-sufficiency.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the repeated phrase "which thou filledst not... diggedst not... plantedst not"?
This repeated phrase is a powerful literary device known as anaphora, used to emphasize the unearned and gratuitous nature of the blessings the Israelites were about to receive. It underscores that their prosperity in the Promised Land would not be a result of their own efforts, merit, or labor, but rather a direct, sovereign gift from God. This highlights God's immense generosity and faithfulness to His covenant promises, while also setting up the crucial warning in subsequent verses against forgetting the divine source of such lavish provision. It ensures the Israelites understand that their future abundance is entirely a demonstration of God's grace and serves to preempt any self-congratulation or pride that might arise from their newfound prosperity.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Deuteronomy 6:11, while describing the physical inheritance of Israel, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the spiritual inheritance offered through Jesus Christ. Just as Israel received houses, wells, and vineyards they did not labor for, believers in Christ receive an eternal salvation and spiritual blessings they could never earn or achieve through their own works. The New Testament consistently emphasizes that our salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, echoing the unmerited nature of Israel's physical inheritance. Jesus himself is the ultimate "good thing" provided, the Bread of Life who satisfies our deepest spiritual hunger, and the Living Water that quenches our spiritual thirst. Through His perfect life, atoning sacrifice on the cross, and victorious resurrection, He "dug" the well of salvation and "planted" the vineyard of the Kingdom of God, inviting us to partake of its fruit freely. We inherit "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3), a dwelling place not made with hands (Hebrews 9:11), and an eternal inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). Thus, the lavish, unearned physical blessings of Deuteronomy 6:11 beautifully prefigure the infinitely greater, unmerited spiritual abundance found in Christ, our true and everlasting Promised Land.