Matthew Henry Commentary Deuteronomy 30:1-10

"And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither Jehovah thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto Jehovah thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; that then Jehovah thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee. If [any of] thine outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: and Jehovah thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And Jehovah thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of Jehovah, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And Jehovah thy God will make thee plenteous in all the work of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, for good: for Jehovah will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers; if thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law; if thou turn unto Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul." — Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (ASV)

In this chapter, there is a plain intimation of the mercy God has in store for Israel in the latter days. This passage refers to the prophetic warnings of the last two chapters, which have been mainly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and in their dispersion to the present day; and there can be no doubt that the prophetic promise contained in these verses still remains to come to pass. The Jewish nation will, in some future period, perhaps not very distant, be converted to the faith of Christ; and, many think, will be settled again in the land of Canaan.

The language used here consists, in large measure, of absolute promises; it is not merely a conditional engagement but declares an event that will assuredly take place. For the Lord Himself here engages to circumcise their hearts; and when regenerating grace has removed corrupt nature, and Divine love has supplanted the love of sin, they certainly will reflect, repent, return to God, and obey Him; and He will rejoice in doing them good. The change that will be worked in them will not be only outward, or consist in mere opinions; it will reach their souls.

It will produce in them an utter hatred of all sin and a fervent love to God, as their reconciled God in Christ Jesus; they will love Him with all their hearts, and with all their soul. They are very far from this state of mind at present, but so were the murderers of the Lord Jesus, on the day of Pentecost, who yet in one hour were converted to God. So it will be in the day of God's power; a nation will be born in a day; the Lord will hasten it in His time.

As a conditional promise, this passage belongs to all persons and all people, not to Israel only; it assures us that the greatest sinners, if they repent and are converted, will have their sins pardoned and be restored to God's favour.