Deuteronomy — Chapter 30

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1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

2And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

3That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

4If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:

5And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

6And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

7And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

8And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

9And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:

10If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

11For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

12It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

13Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

14But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither Jehovah thy God hath driven thee,

2and shalt return unto Jehovah thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;

3that then Jehovah thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee.

4If [any of] thine outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:

5and Jehovah thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

6And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

7And Jehovah thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee.

8And thou shalt return and obey the voice of Jehovah, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.

9And Jehovah thy God will make thee plenteous in all the work of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, for good: for Jehovah will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers;

10if thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if thou turn unto Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

11For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither is it far off.

12It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?

13Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?

14But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16in that I command thee this day to love Jehovah thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, that thou mayest live and multiply, and that Jehovah thy God may bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.

17But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not prolong your days in the land, whither thou passest over the Jordan to go in to possess it.

19I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed;

20to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

1“When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses I have set before you, you will reflect upon them in all the nations where the Lord your God has banished you.

2Then if you and your descendants turn to the Lord your God and obey him with your whole mind and being just as I am commanding you today,

3the Lord your God will reverse your captivity and have pity on you. He will turn and gather you from all the peoples among whom he has scattered you.

4Even if your exiles are in the most distant land, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.

5Then he will bring you to the land your ancestors possessed and you also will possess it; he will do better for you and multiply you more than he did your ancestors.

6The Lord your God will also cleanse your heart, and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love him with all your mind and being and so that you may live.

7Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate you and persecute you.

8You will return and obey the Lord, keeping all his commandments I am giving you today.

9The Lord your God will make the labor of your hands abundantly successful and multiply your children, the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will once more rejoice over you to make you prosperous just as he rejoiced over your ancestors,

10if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him with your whole mind and being.

11“This commandment I am giving you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote.

12It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’

13And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’

14For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind so that you can do it.

15“Look! I have set before you today life and prosperity on the one hand, and death and disaster on the other.

16What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to possess.

17However, if you turn aside and do not obey, but are lured away to worship and serve other gods,

18I declare to you this very day that you will certainly perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

19Today I invoke heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!

20I also call on you to love the Lord your God, to obey him and be loyal to him, for he gives you life and enables you to live continually in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

1It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you,

2and return to Yahweh your God, and obey his voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul;

3that then Yahweh your God will release you from captivity, have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you.

4If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back.

5Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it. He will do you good, and increase your numbers more than your fathers.

6Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.

7Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies, and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

8You shall return and obey Yahweh’s voice, and do all his commandments which I command you today.

9Yahweh your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good; for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers;

10if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.

11For this commandment which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant.

12It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?”

13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?”

14But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

15Behold, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and evil.

16For I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it.

17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18I denounce to you today, that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it.

19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants;

20to love Yahweh your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God promises future restoration after exile, sets life and death before Israel, and urges them to choose life by loving and obeying Him.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Deuteronomy is the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch, written at the end of the 40 years of wilderness wandering (approximately 1406 BC). Hebrew title: "Devarim" — "Words/Things." Greek title: "Deuteronomion" — "Second Law" (a repetition/expansion of the Law for the new generation). The book consists of Moses' farewell speeches to Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. Moses will not enter with them — these are his final words to the nation he has led for 40 years.
Historical Context: Chapter 30 is one of the most theologically rich chapters in the entire Old Testament. After the devastating curses of chapter 28 and the warnings of chapter 29, Moses now reveals that exile and judgment are NOT the final word. There is hope beyond the curse. The chapter has three movements: (1) the promise of restoration after exile — if Israel returns to God, He will gather them from among the nations (vv.1-10), (2) the accessibility of God's commandment — it is not too hard or too far away (vv.11-14), and (3) the great choice set before Israel: life and death, blessing and cursing — "therefore choose life" (vv.15-20). This chapter is remarkable because it ASSUMES the exile will happen (the curses of chapter 28 will be fulfilled) and then promises restoration beyond it. It also contains the promise of heart circumcision (v.6) — God Himself will transform their hearts so they CAN love Him. This is the Old Testament foundation for the New Covenant promise of Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:26-27. Paul quotes verses 12-14 in Romans 10:6-8 to argue that the righteousness of faith is near and accessible — not requiring heroic effort but simple trust.
Restoration After Exile (vv.1-10): "When all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse" (v.1) — Moses assumes BOTH will be experienced. "And thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee" (v.1) — in exile, Israel will remember. "And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice... with all thine heart, and with all thy soul" (v.2). God's response: "the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations" (v.3). Even from "the outmost parts of heaven" (v.4) — no exile is too remote for God's gathering. "The LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed" (v.5). The critical promise: "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live" (v.6). God will do what Israel cannot do for themselves — transform their hearts. Then the curses will be transferred to their enemies (v.7), and Israel will again obey (v.8) and prosper (v.9). "For the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good" (v.9).
The Word Is Near (vv.11-14): "For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off" (v.11). "It is not in heaven" (v.12) — you don't need someone to ascend to get it. "Neither is it beyond the sea" (v.13) — you don't need someone to cross the ocean for it. "But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it" (v.14). God's word is accessible, near, and doable. Paul applies this to the gospel in Romans 10:6-8: the word of faith is near — "in thy mouth, and in thy heart." The righteousness of faith does not require impossible feats but simple confession and belief.
Choose Life (vv.15-20): "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil" (v.15). The choice is stark and binary. "In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments" (v.16) — this is the path of life. "But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear" (v.17) — this is the path of death. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (v.19). The appeal is passionate: CHOOSE LIFE. "That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days" (v.20). God Himself is life. To choose God is to choose life; to reject God is to choose death.

Map & Geography

  • Moses speaks from the plains of Moab. Even from exile "unto the utmost part of heaven" (v.4), God will gather them and bring them back "into the land which thy fathers possessed" (v.5).

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes verse 6 as the Old Testament promise of regeneration — God will circumcise the heart, enabling love that was previously impossible. He notes Paul's use of verses 12-14 in Romans 10 to show that the gospel is near and accessible — requiring faith, not heroic works.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "'Choose life.' God sets before you two paths and begs you to take the right one. He does not merely command — He pleads. He calls heaven and earth as witnesses to His earnestness. The God who could simply decree instead stoops to persuade. What manner of love is this, that the Almighty should plead with rebels to accept life rather than death?"

Reflection

  • 1. Judgment is not God's final word (vv.1-5). Even after the devastating curses of chapter 28 are fulfilled, restoration is promised. God's mercy outlasts His judgment. No exile is too remote, no scattering too complete, for God to gather His people back. This is the hope of the gospel: beyond judgment, there is grace.
  • 2. God will do what we cannot (v.6). "The LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart." We cannot change our own hearts. The command to love God (6:5) is impossible without the promise of heart transformation (30:6). This is regeneration — God doing in us what we cannot do for ourselves. The New Covenant fulfills this promise.
  • 3. The word is near (vv.11-14). God's will is not hidden, distant, or impossible. We cannot excuse disobedience by claiming God's commands are too hard to find or understand. The word is in our mouth and heart. For us today: the gospel is accessible, near, requiring only faith.
  • 4. Choose life (v.19). God sets before us a real choice with real consequences. He does not merely command — He pleads. "CHOOSE LIFE." The passion of God for our well-being is stunning. He who could simply decree instead stoops to persuade. Every day we face this choice: will we walk in life or death?
  • 5. God IS life (v.20). "He is thy life, and the length of thy days." God is not merely the source of life — He IS life. To have God is to have life; to reject God is to choose death. There is no neutral ground, no third option. Christ echoes this: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
  • 6. Repentance precedes restoration (v.2). "And shalt return unto the LORD thy God." God promises to restore, but the sequence matters: Israel must turn back to God first. Restoration is not unconditional — it requires repentance. But even the ability to repent is ultimately God's gift (v.6).