For if you keep the commandments which I command you, and do them, to love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, cleaving unto him,

“שמר תשמרון [IF] YE SHALL DILIGENTLY OBSERVE [ALL THESE COMMANDMENTS] — The repetition of the verb implies an admonition to be very much on one’s guard: to be careful in respect to one’s study of the Torah that it should not be forgotten (cf. Sifrei Devarim 48:2). ללכת בכל דרכיו TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS — He is merciful, be thou merciful; He bestows lovingkindness, bestow thou lovingkindness (Sifrei Devarim 49:1). ולדבקה בו AND TO CLEAVE TO HIM — Is it possible to say this? Is He not “a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24)? But it means: cleave to the scholars and sages, and I will account it unto you as though you cleave to Him (Sifrei Devarim 49:2).”

“AND TO CLEAVE UNTO HIM. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “[You are to walk in His ways so that you will merit to cleave unto Him] ultimately, this being a great secret.” But the secret is not by reason of this reference [here in the verse before us]. Perhaps he is stating: “to love the Eternal, to walk in all His ways until you become worthy to cleave unto Him in the end” [as Ibn Ezra wrote]. But in the Book of Joshua it is stated, Neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor worship them; but cleave unto the Eternal your G-d, as ye have done unto this day [thus indicating that “cleaving to G-d” was not an ultimate goal, but something they had been experiencing all along]. If so, the verse [before us] is one of the admonitions against idolatry, meaning that one’s thought should not part from G-d [and transfer] to other gods, that one should not think that there is any substance to idolatry but instead it is all nought and worthless. Thus this verse is similar to what he said, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave, the intent being to warn that one is not to worship G-d [in combination] with anything besides Him, but to worship [only] G-d alone, with one’s heart and deeds. It is possible that the term “cleaving” includes the obligation that you remember G-d and His love always, that your thought should never be separated from Him when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up to such a degree that [a person] during his conversation with people by mouth and tongue, his [entire] heart will not be with them, but instead be directed towards G-d. With men of such excellence it is possible that even in their lifetime, their souls shall be bound in the bundle of life, since their very being is a “residence” for the Divine Glory, as the author of the Book of the Kuzari alludes. I have already mentioned this matter in the section on forbidden relations. And when Joshua said as ye have done unto this day he meant, that when they were in the wilderness and the cloud of the Eternal was over them, and the manna would descend from heaven, and the quail would come up and the well was always before them, and all their requirements were provided by Heaven in miraculous ways — then their thoughts and deeds were [perforce] always with G-d. Therefore Joshua warned them that even now in the Land, when these wonderful deeds would be removed from them, their thoughts should always be with them [i.e., the wonders that G-d had done for them], to cleave unto the glorious and fearful Name and their attention should not be withdrawn from Him.”

“There shall be no man able to stand before you,.... Meaning not a single man, such an one as Og, or any of the sons of Anak, the giants; because it could never be thought, imagined, or feared, that one man only should be able to stand against 600,000 fighting men, but any people or nation, though greater and mightier than they: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you, and the dread of you, upon all the land that ye shall tread upon: that is, upon all the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of it; who should hear what wonderful things had been done for them in Egypt, and at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; and what they had done to Sihon and Og, and to their countries, and which accordingly was fulfilled, Jos 2:9. as he hath said unto you; had promised them, Deu 2:25 and which was prophesied of in the prophetic song at the Red sea; see Exo 15:14.”