Deuteronomy 1:8

Deu 1:8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

Ver. 8. Go in and possess it.] God was ready, but they were not ripe for such a mercy. So {2Ch 20:33} the high places were not taken away; for the people had not yet prepared their hearts for such a reformation: the work was ensnarled and retarded by their unfitness. See Isa 59:2.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:8 occupy it (literally acquire it as an inheritance): The land was already Israel’s because God had promised it to the nation’s ancestors centuries earlier (Gen 15:18-21; 26:3; Exod 23:31). Israel was not seizing new territory from its rightful owners but was taking possession of land occupied by squatters.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I have set the land before you--literally, "before your faces"--it is accessible; there is no impediment to your occupation. The order of the journey as indicated by the places mentioned would have led to a course of invasion, the opposite of what was eventually followed; namely, from the seacoast eastward--instead of from the Jordan westward (see on Num 20:1).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(8) To give unto them.—Note that the land is promised to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, not only to their seed. The promise is not forgotten, though the three patriarchs are in another world. (Comp. Act_7:5, and Heb_11:16. See also Note. on Deu_11:21.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. Behold] Sg. but even if this reading be correct (Sam. and LXX read Pl.) it is meant as an interjection and is no proof of a change to the Sg. address, cp. Deu_4:5.

I have set … before you] Heb. given before you, given up to you; in this sense both of land and foe; eleven times in D, and not elsewhere in Heb.; in D nearly always with Sg.

which the Lord sware] As the Lord Himself is the speaker, we ought perhaps to read with LXX and Sam. which I sware. Yet their reading may be a correction of the original, which in that case would be a symptom of the carelessness of the writer in not sustaining the situation he assumed. The anthropomorphism, imputing an oath to the Deity, is found in JE (Gen_22:16), especially in the phrases, sware unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen_50:24; Exo_32:13; Exo_33:1); to Abraham thy father (Gen_26:3); to thy fathers or to them (Num_11:12; Num_14:16; Num_14:23); thee and thy fathers (Exo_13:11). Used in D of special oaths (Deu_1:34, Deu_2:14, Deu_4:21); of the covenant (Deu_4:31); or as here of the land which he sware unto thy, your, or our fathers, 22 or 23 times.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, I have set the land before you,.... Described it to them, and set its bounds, as well as had given them a grant of it:

go in and possess the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and their seed after them: and which being thus made sure unto them, they had nothing more to do than to go and take possession of it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Before you, Heb. before your faces; it is open to your view, and to your possession; there is no impediment in the way. See Poole "Gen 13:9"; See Poole "Gen 34:10".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. I have set the land before you — It was, at the time of which Moses speaks, accessible. If obedient, under Jehovah’s guidance the Israelites could have marched from Horeb into the Land of Promise, entering it at the south, and conquering it in the order of the divisions given in the preceding verse.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Behold, I have set the land before you: literally, have given the land before you, i.e. have made it over to you, that you may go and take possession of it. The Lord had placed this land in the power of the Israelites, had given it up to them to possess and use it, according as he had sworn to their fathers, the patriarchs, to give it to them and their seed. (Gen_12:7 Gen_13:15 Gen_15:18, etc.; Gen_22:16) At Horeb, therefore, they received the charter of their inheritance, and might have gone on at once to take possession of the land. The delay that had occurred had arisen solely from their own waywardness and perversity, not from anything on the part of God.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Before you - Hebrew. Before your faces; it is open to your view, and to your possession; there is no impediment in the way.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ראה נתתי SEE, I HAVE GIVEN [THE LAND BEFORE THEE] — With your own eyes do you see this: I do not tell you this by conjecture or hearsay (Sifrei Devarim 7).

באו ורשו GO IN AND POSSESS [THE LAND] — There is no one who will contest the matter, and you will not need to wage war. Indeed, had they not sent the spies, but had trusted in God's promise, they would not have needed weapons of war (cf. Sifrei Devarim 7).

לאבתיכם [THE LAND WHICH THE LORD SWARE] UNTO YOUR FATHERS … [TO GIVE TO THEM] — Why does he further mention their names: to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob? But it is to suggest the following: The merit of Abraham would itself suffice, that of Isaac would itself suffice, that of Jacob would itself suffice, that I should give the land to you (cf. Sifrei Devarim 8:1; see also Rashi on Leviticus 26:42).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

WHICH THE ETERNAL SWORE. The reason [for using the third person the Eternal swore rather than the first person “I swore” which would be more appropriate, since G-d is the speaker] is similar to that in the verse, And unto Moses He said, Come up to the Eternal, [rather than “Come up unto Me”]. There I have explained it., Vol. II, pp. 422-424.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.