The Crucial Choice: Blessing or Curse: This is the last chapter of the great introduction to the law that began in chapter 4. It continues to expound the summarizing text of 10:12f., but interweaves examples and illustrations around the repeated exhortations to obedience. The constant thrust is on the importance of choice—the benefits of the right choice and the disasters that will result from the wrong choice. Ultimately, obedience or disobedience is the only choice, blessing or curse is the only prospect. Chapter 11 thus ends by setting out the blessing and curse option, which is then expounded more fully in chapters 27–28. Since so much of the chapter echoes and reinforces themes that have occurred already or anticipates themes to come later, our comments at this stage can be brief.

11:1…