Deuteronomy 30:15-20: Edit history
Revision #13712
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
English baseline before localization
Status: approved
Changes from the previous English revision
+ ## Context
+
+ Deuteronomy consists of the farewell sermons that Moses delivered to Israel on the plains of Moab before they crossed the Jordan River. Chapters 29–30 depict the renewal of the covenant in Moab, and this passage forms its conclusion. Moses has already set forth blessings and curses (chapter 28), the promise of restoration after exile (30:1-10), and the assurance that the commandment is not far off (30:11-14). He now calls the people to choose between two ways: loving and obeying God, or serving other gods. The expression "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you" signifies the summoning of witnesses to the covenant.
+
+ ## Interpretation
+
+ - **Historical and literary reading**: A view widely known in Old Testament scholarship compares this structure—blessings and curses set side by side, with witnesses summoned—to the suzerainty treaties of the ancient Near East. A suzerainty treaty was an agreement between the king of a great power and a vassal state. In this reading, "good" and "life" refer to the community's long life in the promised land.
+ - **Reformed reading**: The Reformed tradition understands this exhortation as setting forth the responsibility of the covenant people. At the same time, it reads the passage together with the promise in verse 6 of the same chapter that God "will circumcise thine heart." It therefore holds that even the ability to obey comes from the grace of God.
+ - **Wesleyan reading**: Traditions shaped by Wesleyan theology, such as Methodist and Holiness churches, cite this passage as grounds for holding that human beings bear a genuine responsibility to respond and to choose. The prior grace of God that makes such a response possible is called prevenient grace.
+ - **Jewish reading**: Within Judaism, too, this passage has long been cited as a classic text on human free choice.
+
+ ## Debates and Issues
+
+ - **Predestination and free will**: In the predestination and free will debate, this passage is frequently cited in support of positions that emphasize free will. Calvinists respond that a command to choose does not in itself imply an ability to choose on one's own.
+ - **The scope of "good"**: Proponents of prosperity theology sometimes cite this passage as grounds for the claim that obedience brings material blessing to the individual. Critics respond that this blessing is bound to a covenantal context concerning the community of Israel and the promised land and therefore cannot be turned into a formula for personal wealth.
+ - **Translation**: In the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul), the word *bujong-hara* is an archaic term meaning "to cling to and follow." It renders the Hebrew *dabaq* ("to cleave, to hold fast"), which the KJV translates "cleave unto him" (Deuteronomy 30:20). The alternation in the Korean text between *neo* (singular "you") and *neohui* (plural "you") reflects the interchange of singular and plural forms in the original Hebrew.
+
+ ## Related Passages
+
+ - Deuteronomy 30:11-14
+ - Deuteronomy 28:13-15
+ - Joshua 24:14-25
+ - Galatians 3:10-14
+ - Matthew 7:13-14
In this passage Moses, making a covenant on the plains of Moab, sets before Israel life and good, death and evil, and urges the people to choose life. It forms the conclusion of the sermons in Deuteronomy and is often cited in discussions of human choice and responsibility.
Full revision
In this passage Moses, making a covenant on the plains of Moab, sets before Israel life and good, death and evil, and urges the people to choose life. It forms the conclusion of the sermons in Deuteronomy and is often cited in discussions of human choice and responsibility.
Context
Deuteronomy consists of the farewell sermons that Moses delivered to Israel on the plains of Moab before they crossed the Jordan River. Chapters 29–30 depict the renewal of the covenant in Moab, and this passage forms its conclusion. Moses has already set forth blessings and curses (chapter 28), the promise of restoration after exile (30:1-10), and the assurance that the commandment is not far off (30:11-14). He now calls the people to choose between two ways: loving and obeying God, or serving other gods. The expression "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you" signifies the summoning of witnesses to the covenant.
Interpretation
- Historical and literary reading: A view widely known in Old Testament scholarship compares this structure—blessings and curses set side by side, with witnesses summoned—to the suzerainty treaties of the ancient Near East. A suzerainty treaty was an agreement between the king of a great power and a vassal state. In this reading, "good" and "life" refer to the community's long life in the promised land.
- Reformed reading: The Reformed tradition understands this exhortation as setting forth the responsibility of the covenant people. At the same time, it reads the passage together with the promise in verse 6 of the same chapter that God "will circumcise thine heart." It therefore holds that even the ability to obey comes from the grace of God.
- Wesleyan reading: Traditions shaped by Wesleyan theology, such as Methodist and Holiness churches, cite this passage as grounds for holding that human beings bear a genuine responsibility to respond and to choose. The prior grace of God that makes such a response possible is called prevenient grace.
- Jewish reading: Within Judaism, too, this passage has long been cited as a classic text on human free choice.
Debates and Issues
- Predestination and free will: In the predestination and free will debate, this passage is frequently cited in support of positions that emphasize free will. Calvinists respond that a command to choose does not in itself imply an ability to choose on one's own.
- The scope of "good": Proponents of prosperity theology sometimes cite this passage as grounds for the claim that obedience brings material blessing to the individual. Critics respond that this blessing is bound to a covenantal context concerning the community of Israel and the promised land and therefore cannot be turned into a formula for personal wealth.
- Translation: In the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul), the word bujong-hara is an archaic term meaning "to cling to and follow." It renders the Hebrew dabaq ("to cleave, to hold fast"), which the KJV translates "cleave unto him" (Deuteronomy 30:20). The alternation in the Korean text between neo (singular "you") and neohui (plural "you") reflects the interchange of singular and plural forms in the original Hebrew.
Related Passages
| Revision | Time (UTC) | Contributor | Summary | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #13713 | 2026-11-05 01:48:32 | AI localization | Localized for English-speaking readers | approved |
| #13712 | 2026-11-05 01:48:32 | AI localization | English baseline before localization | approved |