Deuteronomy 30

Chapter 30 of Deuteronomy immediately follows chapter 29, which deals with the covenant made in the land of Moab. It concludes the portion of Moses' farewell addresses commonly regarded as his third discourse. Building on the declaration of blessings and curses in chapter 28, this chapter sets forth the way by which the scattered people may return and presents them with a final choice.

Outline

• Verses 1–10: After both the blessing and the curse have come upon them, if the people turn their hearts and obey in the nations to which they have been driven, the LORD will turn their captivity and gather them even from "the outmost parts of heaven," bringing them back to the land of their fathers. He will circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their descendants, turn the curses upon their enemies, and make them prosper in the work of their hands, in their offspring, in their cattle, and in the fruit of their land.
• Verses 11–14: The commandment given this day is neither too hard nor far off. It is not in heaven, nor beyond the sea; it is in their mouth and in their heart, so that they may do it.
• Verses 15–20: Moses sets before the people life and good, death and evil. He warns that if they serve other gods, they will not prolong their days in the land they are crossing the Jordan to possess. Calling heaven and earth to witness, he urges them to choose life. The LORD is their life, and they will dwell in the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 30:6 "The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed": a promise that God himself will renew the heart, connected with the prophets' promises of a new heart.
• Deuteronomy 30:14 "But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart": a verse that Paul quotes in Romans.
• Deuteronomy 30:19 "Therefore choose life": a summary of the decision one must make in the face of the covenant.

People and Places

• Moses: the speaker throughout the chapter, the "I" of the text.
• Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: the patriarchs who received the promise of the land, mentioned in verse 20.
• Jordan River: the boundary the people will cross to possess the Promised Land, mentioned in verse 18.

Interpretive Considerations

• The promise of restoration in verses 1–10: Many interpreters connect this promise with the Babylonian exile and the return from exile. Dispensationalist interpretation also links it to a future restoration of national Israel. Covenant theology tends to see it as fulfilled within the New Covenant. The circumcision of the heart in verse 6 is read alongside Ezekiel 36:25–27 and the statement in Romans 2 that circumcision is "that of the heart."
• Verses 11–14 and Paul: In its original context, the passage affirms that the law can be kept. In Romans 10:6–8, Paul applies it to "the word of faith." How this application should be understood depends on one's view of the relationship between law and gospel. In Jewish tradition, an anecdote in the Talmud reportedly cites verse 12, "It is not in heaven," as grounds for holding that the interpretation of the law has been entrusted to human deliberation.
• "Choose life": Verse 19 is frequently cited in discussions of predestination and free will. Arminians read it as a text demonstrating a genuine human ability to choose. Calvinists read it as an exhortation that underscores human responsibility, while holding that, as verse 6 indicates, such a choice becomes possible only when God transforms the heart.

In the Korean Church

Verses 15–20, and especially "choose life" in verse 19, are frequently used as sermon texts calling for a decision of faith.