“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. standing: or, pillar image of: or, figured stone: Heb. a stone of picture”
Cross references: : Exod. 20:4 ; Deut. 5:8 ; Ps. 97:7 Or, stone having any imagery.
“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”
By promising abundance of earthly things, he stirreth the mind to consider the rich treasures of the spiritual blessings.
“And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. rid: Heb. cause to cease”
Ye shall have no war. Hebrew, will cause the evil beast to cease. Job 11:19
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.”
Perform that which I have promised. Hebrew, I will turn unto you.
“And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.”
I will be daily present with you. Ezek. 37:16 ; 2 Cor. 6:16
“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.”
I have set you at full liberty, whereas before ye were as beasts tied in bands.
“But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;”
Deut. 28:15 ; Lam. 2:17 ; Mal. 2:2
“And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:”
Which I made with you in choosing you to be my people.
“And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:”
Ye shall have drought and barrenness, Hag. 1:10 .
“And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. contrary: or, at all adventures with me”
Or as some read, by fortune, imputing my plagues to chance and fortune.
“I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.”
Because none dare pass thereby for fear of beasts. Of your children, 2 Kings 17:25 .
“And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.”
One oven shall be sufficient for ten families. That is, the strength, whereby the life is sustained, Ezek. 4:16 and 5:16.
“And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.”
I will not accept your sacrifices.
“And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.”
Signifying that no enemy can come without God’s sending.
“As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.”
Which I commanded you to keep.
“And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. shaken: Heb. driven”
As if their enemies did chase them. Or, cowardness.
“And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.”
Forasmuch as they are culpable of their fathers’ faults, they shall be punished as well as their fathers.
“The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.”
While they are captives, and without repentance.
“These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.”
Fifty days after they came out of Egypt.