Deuteronomy [Second giving of Torah] (Greek)
D'varim [Words, Things, Bees] (Hebrew)
Context: These are the final words of Moses to give guidance and instruction to Israel and Joshua who will be taking over leadership. Reflecting in retrospect on significant events that lead Israel to be where they are, of history events, and now, making the decision for blessing or curse, life or death, obedience or rebellion. This presents the opportuinity to learn from the past, as it presents itself today, to give guidance for the future generation.
Note Parallel: Deuteronomy is similar to Chronicles; both are written in retrospect. Chronicles accounts history of Samuel and Kings to Levites returning from the Babylon exile. Deuteronomy accounts history of the parents to the second generation before entering Cannan with Joshua. All were not counted in the first census because they were below age twenty, except for Joshua and Caleb who are permitted to enter in (Num 14:38). Now the children are the leaders and decision makers. The past is a record to learn from for those who will hear and understand.
Parashah 44: D'varim ·Words, Things, Bees· 1:1-3:22
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These are the words which Moses [Drawn out] spoke to all Israel [God prevails] beyond the Jordan [Descender] in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suf, between Paran, Tophel, Laban [White], Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb [Desert] by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea [Consecrated Son-inconstant].
3 In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month Shevat ·Staff / Rod / Royal scepter·, on the first day of the month, Moses [Drawn out] spoke to the children of Israel [God prevails], according to all that Adonai had given Moses [Drawn out], words of enjoinings to them;
4 after he had struck Sihon the king of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, at Edrei.
5 Beyond the Jordan [Descender], in the land of Moab [From father], Moses [Drawn out] began to declare this Torah ·Teaching·, saying,
6 “Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] spoke to us in Horeb [Desert], saying, ‘You have lived long enough at this mountain.
7 Turn, and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], and to all the places near there, in the Arabah, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the South, and by the seashore, the land of the Canaanites [Descendants of Humbled], and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates [Fruitful].
8 Behold, I have set the land before you. Go in and possess the land which Adonai swore to your fathers, to Abraham [Father of a multitude], to Isaac [Laughter], and to Jacob [Supplanter], to give to them and to their offspring after them.’ ”
9 I spoke to you at that time, saying, “I am not able to bear you myself alone.
10 Adonai your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as the stars of the sky for multitude.
11 Adonai, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you! (2)
12 How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife?
13 Take wise men of understanding and well known according to your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”
14 You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.”
15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
16 I enjoined your judges at that time, saying, “Sh'ma ·Hear obey· cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him.
17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall sh'ma ·hear obey· the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will sh'ma ·hear obey· it.”
18 I enjoined you at that time all the things which you should do.
19 We traveled from Horeb [Desert], and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], as Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] enjoined us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea [Consecrated Son-inconstant].
20 I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], which Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] gives to us.
21 Behold, Adonai your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Adonai, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”
(3)
22 You came near to me, everyone of you, and said, “Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up, and the cities to which we shall come.”
23 The thing pleased me well. I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe.
24 They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out.
25 They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down to us, and brought us word again, and said, “It is a good land which Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] gives to us.”
26 Yet you wouldn’t go up, but rebelled against the order of Adonai your God.
27 You murmured in your tents, and said, “Because Adonai hated us, he has brought us out of the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery], to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], to destroy us.
28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our heart melt, saying, ‘The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to the sky. Moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there!’ ”
29 Then I said to you, “Don’t dread, neither be afraid of them.
30 Adonai your God who goes before you, he will fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt [Abode of slavery] before your eyes,
31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how that Adonai your God bore you, as a man does bear his son, in all the way that you went, until you came to this place.”
32 Yet in this thing you didn’t trust Adonai your God,
33 who went before you on the way, to seek out a place for you to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud by day.
34 Adonai sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the voice of your words, and was angry, and swore, saying,
35 “Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers,
36 except Caleb [Dog] the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it. I will give the land that he has trodden on to him, and to his children, because he has wholly followed Adonai.”
37 Also Adonai was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there.
38 Joshua [Yah Salvation] the son of Nun, who stands before you, shall go in there. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel [God prevails] to inherit it. (4)
39 Moreover your little ones, whom you said should be captured or killed, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and I will give it to, and they shall possess it.
40 But as for you, turn, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Sea of Suf [Reed Sea].”
41 Then you answered and said to me, “We have sinned ·deviated (from the standard goal)· against Adonai, we will go up and fight, according to all that Yahweh Eloheikhem [Yahweh our God] enjoined us.” Every man of you put on his weapons of war, and presumed to go up into the hill country.
42 Adonai said to me, “Tell them, ‘Don’t go up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest you be struck before your enemies.’ ”
43 So I spoke to you, and you didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey·; but you rebelled against the order of Adonai, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill country.
44 The Amorites [Descendants of Talkers], who lived in that hill country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you down in Seir, even to Hormah.
45 You made teshuvah ·complete return· and wept before Adonai; but Adonai didn’t sh'ma ·hear obey· unto your voice, nor turn his ear to you.
46 So you stayed in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you remained.