John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee , etc] They wanted not clothes all the forty years they were in the wilderness; which some account for by the rising generation being supplied with the clothes of those that died in the wilderness, and with the spoils they took from Amalek, ( Exodus 17:1) and others, as Aben Ezra observes, remark that they brought much clothes with them out of Egypt, which no doubt they did; (see Exodus 12:35) and he adds, as worthy of notice, that the manna they lived upon did not produce sweat, which is prejudicial to clothes; but be it so, that they were sufficiently provided with clothes, it must be miraculous that these clothes they wore should not wax old. This, in a spiritual sense, may denote the righteousness of Christ, which is often compared to raiment, the property of which is, that it never waxes old, wears out, or decays; it is an everlasting righteousness, and will never be abolished, but will answer for the saints in a time to come; (see Isaiah 51:6,8 Daniel 9:24) neither did thy foot swell these forty years; or puff up like paste, as Jarchi explains it, which is often the case in long journeys; the Septuagint version is, “did not become callous”; a callousness or hardness is frequently produced by travelling; in ( Deuteronomy 29:5) it is explained of the shoes on their feet not waxing old; so Ben Melech, and the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, and the Syriac and Arabic versions here, “thy feet were not naked”, were not without shoes; these were no more wore out by travel than their clothes upon their backs, and this was equally as miraculous: the Gibeonites, pretending to come from a far country, and to have travelled much and long, put on old garments and old shoes, to make it probable and plausible, ( Joshua 9:5,13). This may be an emblem of the perseverance of the saints in faith and holiness: shoes upon the feet denote a Gospel conversation, which is very beautiful, ( Song of Solomon 7:1) the feet of saints being shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; which, as shoes to the feet, guides and directs the Christian walk, strengthens and makes fit for walking, keeps tight and preserves from slipping and falling, and protects from what is harmful, accompanied by the power and grace of God.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - Obedience must be, 1. Careful, observe to do; 2. Universal, to do all the commandments; and 3. From a good principle, with a regard to God a the Lord, and their God, and with a holy fear of him. To engage them to this obedience. Moses directs them to look back. It is good to remembe all the ways, both of God's providence and grace, by which he has le us through this wilderness, that we may cheerfully serve him and trus in him. They must remember the straits they were sometimes brough into, for mortifying their pride, and manifesting their perverseness to prove them, that they and others might know all that was in their heart, and that all might see that God chose them, not for any thing in them which might recommend them to his favour. They must remember the miraculous supplies of food and raiment granted them. Let none of God' children distrust their Father, nor take any sinful course for the supply of their necessities. Some way or other, God will provide for them in the way of duty and honest diligence, and verily they shall be fed. It may be applied spiritually; the word of God is the food of the soul. Christ is the word of God; by him we live. They must als remember the rebukes they had been under, and not without need. Thi use we should make of all our afflictions; by them let us be quickene to our duty. Moses also directs them to look forward to Canaan. Loo which way we will, both to look back and to look forward, to Canaan Look which way we will, both to look back and to look forward wil furnish us with arguments for obedience. Moses saw in that land a typ of the better country. The gospel church is the New Testament Canaan watered with the Spirit in his gifts and graces, planted with trees of righteousness, bearing fruits of righteousness. Heaven is the goo land, in which nothing is wanting, and where is fulness of joy.
Original Hebrew שׂמלתך8071 לא3808 בלתה1086 מעליך5921 ורגלך7272 לא3808 בצקה1216 זה2088 ארבעים705 שׁנה׃8141
