Deuteronomy 4:34 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 34. Hath God assayed, &c.— Another prodigy; that God, by the ministry of two men like Moses and Aaron, should deliver his people from the midst of a nation so powerful as the Egyptians. This might be rendered, more properly, perhaps, Or who besides God hath assayed? or, hath any god assayed? because the expression, hath God assayed, sounds somewhat harsh, when applied to the true God, who never assays to do, but actually does whatever he pleases. In what follows of this verse, Moses attributes the deliverance of the Israelites to seven different means employed by God: these were, 1st, Temptations; or, as Onkelos renders it, miracles, by which God used to try, or to endeavour to bend to his obedience the Egyptians, as well as the Israelites. Indeed, the word miracles, with the two following, which we may render signs and prodigies, are found joined together in more than one place of the New Testament, Acts 2:22. Hebrews 2:4. 2 Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 12:21. Houbigant understands by temptations, the adversities, in general, which the Israelites experienced both in Egypt and in the desart, and which were the trials whereby God proved the faith of his people. 2nd, Signs, mentioned Exodus 9:3 rdly, Wonders, or prodigies, by which we may particularly understand the ten plagues of Egypt. 4thly, War; see Exodus 14:27; Exodus 28:5 thly, A mighty hand: not by the wiles and stratagems of war, but by a force superior to another, Exodus 6:6 thly, A stretched-out arm, Exodus 6:6 by redoubled strokes, or by the hand of the destroying angel. 7thly, Great terrors; such as he spread over the souls of the greater part of the enemies of his people, Exodus 9:20; Exodus 10:7; Exodus 12:30.