And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
My judgment, which if a man do, he shall even live in them - quoted from Leviticus 18:5. Not 'by them,' as though they could justify a man, seeing that man cannot render the faultless obedience required, whereas the law curses everyone that continueth not in all things written in the law to do them (Galatians 3:10; Galatians 3:12). "By them" is the expression, indeed, in Romans 10:5; but there the design is to show that, IF man could obey all God's laws, he would be justified "by them" (Galatians 3:21); but he cannot: he therefore needs to have justification by "the Lord our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6); then, having thus received life, "live," - i:e., maintains, enjoys, and exercises this life only in so far as he walks "in" the laws of God. So Deuteronomy 30:15-16. The Israelites, as a nation, had life already freely given to them by God's covenant of promise; the laws of God were designed to be the means of the outward expression of their spiritual life. As the natural life has its healthy manifestation in the full exercise of its powers, so their spiritual being as a nation was to be developed in vigour, or else decay, according as they did or did not walk in God's laws.