17 Carefully keep the commands of God, your God, all the requirements and regulations he gave you. 18 Do what is right; do what is good in God's sight so you'll live a good life and be able to march in and take this pleasant land that God so solemnly promised through your ancestors, 19 throwing out your enemies left and right - exactly as God said. 20 The next time your child asks you, "What do these requirements and regulations and rules that God, our God, has commanded mean?" 21 tell your child, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and God powerfully intervened and got us out of that country. 22 We stood there and watched as God delivered miracle-signs, great wonders, and evil-visitations on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his household. 23 He pulled us out of there so he could bring us here and give us the land he so solemnly promised to our ancestors. 24 That's why God commanded us to follow all these rules, so that we would live reverently before God, our God, as he gives us this good life, keeping us alive for a long time to come. 25 "It will be a set-right and put-together life for us if we make sure that we do this entire commandment in the Presence of God, our God, just as he commanded us to do."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:17-25

Commentary on Deuteronomy 6:17-25

(Read Deuteronomy 6:17-25)

Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be righteous before God. The knowledge of the spirituality and excellency of the holy law of God, is suited to show sinful man his need of a Saviour, and to prepare his heart to welcome a free salvation. The gospel honours the law, not only in the perfect obedience of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ; but in that it is a plan for bringing back apostate rebels and enemies, by repentance, faith, forgiveness, and renewing grace, to love God above all things, even in this world; and in the world above, to love him perfectly, even as angels love him.