Deuteronomy 1:6

The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:

The LORD {H3068} our God {H430} spake {H1696} unto us in Horeb {H2722}, saying {H559}, Ye have dwelt {H3427} long enough {H7227} in this mount {H2022}:

"ADONAI spoke to us in Horev. He said, 'You have lived long enough by this mountain.

The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.

Jehovah our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain:

Commentary

Deuteronomy 1:6 is a pivotal verse marking a transition point in Israel's journey, as Moses recounts God's words spoken at Mount Horeb (Sinai).

Context

This verse is part of Moses' long address to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, just before they are to enter the promised land. He is reminding the generation that grew up in the wilderness about the history of their journey, starting with God's command to leave Mount Horeb, where they had received the Law. They had been encamped there for almost a year, a crucial period for establishing their covenant relationship with God and receiving divine instruction.

Key Themes

  • Divine Timing: God determines the appropriate time for transition and movement.
  • Command to Move: God gives a direct instruction to leave a place of dwelling and move forward.
  • Leaving the Familiar: The Israelites were commanded to leave the mountain where they had experienced God's presence and received His law, signifying a move from preparation to action.
  • Purposeful Direction: The command to leave Horeb was not random but directed towards their ultimate destination, the promised land.

Linguistic Insights

The name "Horeb" is often used interchangeably with "Mount Sinai." It signifies the mountain where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1) and where the covenant was made and the Law was given to Israel (Exodus 19:1-2). The phrase "dwelt long enough" indicates a divinely appointed period had been completed.

Related Scriptures

This verse initiates the next phase after receiving the Law, highlighting God's guidance in their journey. The command to move forward is a recurring theme in scripture when God's people are called to advance in faith. The time at Horeb was essential for receiving the divine instructions found in books like Exodus and Leviticus. Now, they were to transition towards possessing the promised land.

Practical Application

Deuteronomy 1:6 speaks to believers today about recognizing God's timing. There are seasons for learning, preparation, and rest (like being at "this mount"), but there are also seasons when God says, "Ye have dwelt long enough." This may mean moving from a comfortable or familiar place into a new phase of service, faith, or obedience that requires leaving the past behind and following God's direction into the future He has planned. It's a call to action based on divine instruction.

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Cross-References

  • Exodus 3:1 (11 votes)

    ¶ Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb.

  • Numbers 10:11 (3 votes)

    ¶ And it came to pass on the twentieth [day] of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.

  • Numbers 10:13 (3 votes)

    And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

  • Exodus 19:1 (3 votes)

    ¶ In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they [into] the wilderness of Sinai.

  • Exodus 19:2 (3 votes)

    For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come [to] the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

  • Exodus 17:6 (3 votes)

    Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

  • Deuteronomy 5:2 (2 votes)

    The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.