them on the Ground and needed not to be told by Moses how tall he was And therefore they conclude this was written by some body else in after times As if Moses did not write for the benefit of those that came after as well as for the present Generation Who that they might be satisfied what a vast Man Og was he left it upon record how large his Bedstead was and where it might be seen whereby they might judge of his Stature Besides there were in the present Generation great numbers of Children old Men Women and Servants who could not go to see Og lye at length upon the Field but by this means were instructed from what a terrible Enemy God had delivered them They that question the truth of this Relation may read if they be able what the learned Huetius hath at large discoursed concerning Men of a portentous bigness in all Countries in his Quaestiones Alnetanae Lib. II. Cap. XII N. III. of which no Man can doubt who is not resolved to disbelieve all the World In his Demonstratio Evangelica also he observes that Homer makes Tityon when he was dead to have lain stretcht out upon not nine Cubits but nine Acres of Ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Hyperbole may excuse the Jewish Rabbins when they say that Og was nine Cubits long when he lay in his Cradle See Propos IV. Cap. VIII N. IV. Verse 12 Ver. 12. And this Land which we possessed at that time from Aroer which is by the River Arnon See II. 36. And half mount Gilead and the Cities thereof gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites See XXXII Numb 34 35 c. but especially XIII Josh 15 c. where he distinctly relates what Portion of this Country was given to the Reubenites and v. 23 24 c. what was given to the Gadites And it appears that none of Gilead belonged to the Reubenites but the Gadites had one half of it as the Manassites had the other Ver. 13. And the rest of Gilead Which was not Verse 13 given to the Gadites And all Bashan being the Kingdom of Og. That is all that was taken from Og of which he was King Gave I unto the half Tribe of Manasseh all the Region of Argob with all Bashan It is repeated again lest any one should think that Argob which was a distinct Province in that Kingdom was not given to them by this Grant See v. 4. Which was called the Land of Giants Where the Rephaims formerly inhabited of whom Og was the last See XIV Gen. 5. compared with XV. 20. XIII Josh 12. Ver. 14. Jair the Son of Manasseh took all the Country Verse 14 of Argob This is one reason why he gave this Country to them See XXXII Numb 41. Vnto the Coasts of Geshuri and Maachathi We had no mention of these places before which were in the Northern part of this Country as appears from XII Josh 4 5. XIII 11. But the People of these places they could not expel XIII Josh 13. And called them after his own Name XXXII Numb 4. Vnto this day From hence likewise Cavils are raised against Moses being the Author of this Book when the most that can be concluded from hence is that upon the revising of these Books by Ezra he put in these few words to certifie the Reader that still they retained this Name as some body no doubt added the History of Moses his death at the end of this Book This the greatest Defenders of the Authority of these Books as written by Moses himself make no scruple to allow particularly Huetius and since him Hermannus Witzius in his Miscellanea Sacra Lib. I. Cap. XIV Sect. 47. But there is no necessity to yield so much for Moses might say this himself though it was not long before he wrote this Book For so the holy Writers do sometimes mention places which had their Name but newly given them from a particular Fact that Posterity might know the Original of it See I Acts 19. Verse 15 Ver. 15. And I gave Gilead All that was not possessed by the Gadites Vnto Machir To the Posterity of Machir XXXII Numb 40. Verse 16 Ver. 16. And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites Here is a more exact Description of that part of the Country which was given to the other two Tribes I gave from Gilead Half of which as I observed was given to the Gadites v. 12. Even unto the River Arnon Which was the Bounds of the Country toward Moab See II. 36. Half the Valley The same word in the Hebrew Language signifies both a Valley and a Brook or River and being translated in the foregoing words the River it should be so here likewise half the River That is to the middle of the River Arnon by which the Bounds of their Country is most exactly set And thus not only the LXX and the Vulgar but Onkelos also translates it the middle of the Torrent yea we our selves also in the XIIth of Josh 2. where there are the same words which in the Hebrew run thus Vnto the River Arnon the midst of the River where the City of Aroar stood incompassed by the River as I observed in the foregoing Chapter v. 36. And the border Something is understood viz. went as the Phrase is XV Josh 6 7 c. or reached or some such word Or the meaning must be the Country bordering upon that River Even unto the River Jabbok which is the border of the Children of Ammon This River was the other Boundary of the Country Ver. 17. The Plain also and Jordan The flat Verse 17 Country toward the River Jordan which was the Western Bounds of this Country of Sihon as the River Arnon was the Southern and the River Jabbok the Northern the Country of the Children of Ammon being on the East And the Coast thereof from Cinnereth The word thereof is not in the Hebrew therefore these words may be better rendred the Coast from Cinnereth Called the Sea of Cinnereth XII Josh 3. XIII 27. it lying upon a Country and a City called by that Name XI Josh 2. XIX 35. Which gave the Name to this Sea called in the New Tastament the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Genesareth and at last the Sea of Tiberias in honour of the Emperour Tiberius See upon XXXIV Numb 11. Even unto the Sea of the Plain even the Salt-Sea The Dead-Sea as it is called in other places which before the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah had been a most pleasant Plain Vnder Ashdoth Pisgah The Name of a City in this Country XIII Josh 20. Eastward Which lay East of the Salt-Sea and Jordan which was the Western Bounds as I said of this Country Verse 18 Ver. 18. And I commanded you at that time That is he gave this Charge to the two Tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half Tribe of Manasseh before mentioned The LORD your God hath given you this Land to possess
A COMMENTARY UPON THE Fifth Book of MOSES CALLED DEUTERONOMY BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard 1700. A COMMENTARY UPON DEUTERONOMY Chapter I. THE Fifth Book of MOSES CALLED DEUTERONOMY CHAP. I. THIS Book had the Name of DEUTERONOMY given it by the Greeks from the principal Scope and Design of it which was to repeat unto the Israelites before he left them the chief Laws of God which had been given them that they who were not then born when they were first delivered or were uncapable to understand them or had not sufficiently regarded them might be instructed in them and awakned to attend to them See v. 1. 5. In order to this he premises a short Narrative of what had befaln them since they came from Mount Sinai unto this time in the three first Chapters And then in the fourth urges them by a most pathetical Exhortation to the observance of those Laws which he had taught them especially the Ten Commandments with which he begins the fifth Chapter Where he makes a solemn Rehearsal of the Covenant God made with them in Horeb and what immediately followed upon the delivery of the Law by God himself from Mount Sinai And then having earnestly pressed the observation of the first Commandment in the former part of the sixth Chapter and in the latter part of it and in several Chapters that follow to the end of the eleventh reminded them of a great many things which God had done for them and given them several Cautions lest they let them slip out of their Minds and used many Arguments from several Topicks as we call them to move them to be obedient to all the other Commandments he proceeds in the twelfth Chapter and so forward to the twenty eighth to remember them of a great many other Laws besides the Ten Commandments which he had delivered to them Some of which he explains others he inforces with further Reasons and in several places adds new Laws for the greater Security of the whole particularly he orders the writing of God's Law upon Stones when they came into the Land of Canaan Chapter XXVII And then pronounces those Promises which God had made to the Obedient and his Threatnings to the Disobedient more largely and with greater force then he had done in the XXVIth of Leviticus After which he again remembers them of several wonderful Works of God for them Chapter XXIX and renews the Covenant between God and them using several Arguments to perswade them to a dutiful observance of God's Law Which he commands Chapter XXXI to be read to all the People in the conclusion of every Seventh Year that none might pretend ignorance of it And then concludes all with a most admirable Song which he orders every one to learn and with a Blessing upon the Twelve Tribes All this was done in the two last Months of the last Year of Moses his life But not all at once as plainly appears by several parts of the Book in which he writes what he delivered to them at several times Which is the reason of the Repetition of the very same thing over and over again that he might make it sink into their Minds by being often inculcated Some have been so foolish as to make this an Objection against this Book being composed by Moses But it shows their great ignorance all wise Men having ever judged it necessary to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very same things concerning the same things that they might be thoroughly understood and fixed in the memory of their Auditors and setled in their Hearts and Affections Particularly Epictetus as David Chytraeus long ago observed delivered this as a profitable Rule in all Studies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This must be known as a certain Truth that it is not easie for a Man to attain the solid knowledge of any thing unless he both read and hear the same things every day and also set himself to the practice of them This Course Moses took with the Children of Israel spending every day it is likely of the latter end of his life in calling to their mind again and again what he had taught them and the reason they had to do accordingly Verse 1. THese be the words This Book contains the words Verse 1 Which Moses spake unto all Israel All the People could not hear what he said but he ordered the Elders and Heads of the several Tribes to communicate to the whole Congregation what he delivered to them in the Audience of many of the People who were assembled with them Thus these words are commonly understood But considering the great weight of what is here said I rather think that Moses himself at several times spake what here follows in the Ears of the People See V. 1. On this side Jordan The Vulgar Latin having translated the Hebrew words beeber on the other side Jordan it hath furnished some ill disposed Minds with an Argument that Moses was not the Author of this Book For he that wrote plainly shows that he was in Canaan when he wrote it But a very little consideration would have prevented this frivolous Objection there being nothing more certain than that the Hebrew words signifie indifferently either one side or the other and may be literally translated in the passage over Jordan or as they were about to pass over it as Huetius observes and proves by plain Examples that the Hebrews have no other word to express their mind when they would say either on this side or beyond See Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. Cap. XIV To which another learned Writer since him Hermannus Witsius Lib. I. Miscel Sacr. Cap. XIV hath added several other places which evidently show that beeber is a word that indifferently belongs to either side of any place See 1 Sam. XIV 40. and must be determined by the Matter in hand to which it is to be applied And here undoubtedly it is to be rendered on this side Jordan See III. 8. In the Wilderness in the Plain In the Plain of Moab where they had remained a long while as appears from the foregoing Book XXII Numb 1. XXVI 3 63. XXXI 12. XXXIII 48 49. XXXV 1. XXXVI 13. Over against the Red Sea There is no word in the Hebrew Text for Sea and therefore the Marginal Translation is to be preferred which is over against Suph which was a place in the Country of Moab See XXI Numb 14. over against which they now lay encamped but were so far distant from the Red Sea that there can be no respect to it here Between Paran He doth not mean the Wilderness of Paran frequently mentioned in the foregoing Book for that was as remote from hence as the Red Sea but some place in the Country of Moab as Zuph was and the rest of the places which here follow And Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth
and Dizabah There was a place called Hazeroth where they had encamped a long time ago XI Numb 35. XXXIII 17. but it was in another Wilderness far from this place as appears by the account Moses gives of their Removals from that place to this where they now lay XXXIII Numb 17 48 49. And therefore I take this and the other three places here mentioned to have been frontier Towns in the Country of Moab which lay upon the borders of this Plain The last of which Dizabah is translated by the LXX and the Vulgar as if it signified a place where there were Mines of Gold Onkelos and the Hierusalem Targum who take Suph to signifie the Red Sea and Paran for the Wilderness through which they had come many years ago c. are forced to add several words to make out the sense of this Verse in this manner These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan c. reproving them because they sinned in the Desert and provoked God in the Plain over against the Red Sea and murmured in Paran about Manna and at Hazeroth for Flesh c. And so they proceed to mention other Sins committed in other places but not in these here named which they force from their natural sense to comply with this Conceit Verse 2 Ver. 2. There are eleven days journey from Horeb c. Or eleven days we were a coming from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-Barnea Which cannot be understood of the whole time they spent between these two places but only of the time they spent in travelling For they stayed a Month at Kibroth-Hattaavah and a Week more at Hazeroth XI Numb 21. XII 15 16. before they came to Kadesh-Barnea This he represents to them to make them sensible they had been kept in the Wilderness so many years as had passed since they came out of Egypt not because it was a long way to Canaan but for the reason mentioned in the XIVth of Numbers For from Horeb whither he order'd them to go when they came out of Egypt they came in eleven days and took no long Journeys to the borders of the Land of Canaan where Kadesh-Barnea lay So Maimonides the way was plain and known between Horeb whither God brought them on purpose to serve him and Kadesh which was the beginning of an habitable Country according to what he saith XX Numb 16. See More Nevochim P. III. Cap. L. See XIII Numb 26. By the way of Mount Seir. The Country of the Edomites Chapt. II. v. 12. Vnto Kadesh-Barnea How they were ordered to come hither and what they did here he relates v. 6 19. and so proceeds to give an account of several remarkable things which befell them unto the time when he wrote these things which he sets down in the next Verse Ver. 3. And it came to pass in the fortieth year Verse 3 After they came out of Egypt In the eleventh month on the first day of the month In the first Month of this fortieth Year they came into the Wilderness of Zin unto another Kadesh XX Numb 1. From whence they removed to Mount Hor where Aaron died on the first Day of the fifth Month of this Year See there v. 28. Where it appears v. 29. they mourned for him thirty days that is till the beginning of the sixth Month. In which they fought with King Arad XXI Numb and from Mount Hor travelled from place to place as we read there and XXXIII Numb till they came to these Plains of Moab In which Journeys and in the rest of the Transactions mentioned in the latter end of the Book of Numbers they spent the other five Months of this Year as I have observed in their proper places And now began the eleventh Month when Moses being to leave the World before the end of this Year spake all that follows in this Book And this Speech which he begins v. 6. and continues to the fortieth Verse of the fourth Chapter the great Primate of Ireland thinks he made to the People on the twentieth of February and on the Sabbath-day as the Reader may find in his Annals That Moses spake unto the Children of Israel according unto all that the LORD had given him in Commandment unto them Made a Rehearsal of all that at several times he had received from the LORD and delivered unto them Ver. 4. After he had slain Sihon the King of the Amorites Verse 4 which dwelt at Heshbon About five Months ago for it was after Aaron's death which was the first Day of the fifth Month XXXIII Numb 38. and they mourned for him all that Month. See XXI Numb 21 c. And Og the King of Bashan which dwelt at Astaroth This was a City in the Country of Bashan XIII Josh 31. and a City it was of very great Antiquity as appears from XIV Gen. 5. See there From whence some think the famous Goddess Astarte had her Name being here worshipped But whether that Goddess took her Name from this City or the City from the Goddess is not certain as Mr. Selden observes in his Syntagma II. de Diis Syris cap. 2. But that the Heathen Deities were wont to have their Names from the Groves Mountains Cities and Caves where they were worshipped is as certain as it is uncertain from whence Astarte or Astoreth as the Scripture Name is was so called In Edrei His Royal Palace was at Astaroth as Sihon's was at Heshbon but he was slain in Edrei XXI Numb 33. Verse 5 Ver. 5. On this side Jordan in the Land of Moab In the Plains of Moab before they passed over Jordan See v. 1. Began Moses to declare this Law saying To call to remembrance that which any one had forgotten and to explain that which any one did not understand So Maimonides expounds these words in Seder Zeraim In the end of the fortieth Year in the beginning of the Month Shebat Moses called the People together saying The time of my Death draws near if any one therefore hath forgot any thing that I have delivered let him come and receive it or if any thing seem dubious let him come that I may explain it And so they say in Siphri If any one have forgotten any Constitution let him come and hear it the second time if he need to have any thing unfolded let him come and hear the Explication of it For which he quotes this Verse and says that Moses spent all his time in this from the beginning of the Month Shebat to the seventh day of Adar And what he now said was likely to be the more regarded because these were in a manner his dying words for he lived but till the seventh day of the next Month and seems to have composed this Book as a Compendium of his whole Law for the familiar use of the Children of Israel from whence it is called Deuteronomy i. e. a second Law See Huetius in his Demonstr Evang.
any such Jurisdiction which the Sanhedrim had over their Kings but all this may well be lookt upon as a meer invention of the Jewish Doctors to magnifie the Power of their great Council That his heart turn not away From all serious Business and Employment whilst he was caressing and studying to please a multitude of Women Some understand it lest they turned his heart away from God and the Duties of Piety of which there was great danger if he married Worshippers of strange gods as Solomon did Otherwise I should think it might be interpreted of turning his Thoughts from minding his People and their good and welfare which must needs suffer much when they were burdened with a great company of Wives who were to be richly maintained and provided for Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold No more saith the Sanhedrim Cap. II. than would pay Stipends to his Servants c. Others of them scan the words more nicely and observe That first he is forbidden to multiply Gold and Silver greatly That is to content himself with moderate Riches and not set himself to heap up Treasure which could not be done commonly without great Oppression of his Subjects And secondly he is forbidden to multiply them to himself But for the Publick Benefit he might lay up Money in the Treasury at the Temple though in his own Coffers for his private Interest he might not See Schickard in his Mischpat Hammelech Cap. III. Theorem XI where he produces their Answer to this Question How should the King be able to manage a War or do any other great thing if he did not furnish himself with good store of Gold and Silver He might say they fill the Publick Exchequer though not his own private Bags And that for two Reasons First Lest he should wax proud and haughty when his Purse swelled And secondly Lest he should be tempted to squeeze his Subjects and exact more from them than they were able to bear as Solomon seems to have done whose Treasurer the People stoned 1 Kings XII 18. Verse 18 Ver. 18. And it shall be when he sitteth on the Throne of the Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book Not only of this Book of Deuteronomy but of the whole Law and that with his own hand as a means to fix it more in his mind Insomuch that though a Copy was left him by his Father he was notwithstanding to transcribe one himself as the Jews say in the Gemara Sanhedrim Cap. II. Sect. XIII All this is very agreeable to these words but whether he was bound if he had not written a Copy before he was King as every private Israelite they say was bound to do to write two when he sate on the Throne may be doubted for it cannot without violence be drawn from these words and their authority is not sufficient to warrant it They give indeed a plausible reason for it That the one he was to carry about with him whithersoever he went and to read in the other at home but why one Copy might not serve for both these purposes I do not see Out of that which is before the Priests the Levites He was not to write one word of it out of his memory meerly or any private Man's Copy but out of the Book which was in the Sanctuary where the original and uncorrupted Copy was in the Custody of God's Ministers There are a great many Rules the Jews give about the right writing of this Copy Which may be seen in Guil. Schickardi Mischpat Hammelech Cap. II. Theorem V. Ver. 19. And it shall be with him Wheresoever Verse 19 he was either in the Camp or at home or in any other place provided it was pure and free from filth as the Jews limit it See there Theor. VI. And he shall read therein all the days of his life Diligently study it not spending his time as Maimonides glosses in drinking and making merry but in learning the Law of God See there p. 53. From the neglect of this Precept their Kings became so ignorant of the Laws of God and of their Obligation to observe them that in the days of the good King Josiah he was strangely startled at what he heard read out of this Book of the Law when it was found in the Temple where it had long lain without any knowledge of it That he may learn to fear the LORD his God Be preserved in the true Religion To keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them Be acquainted with his whole Duty and perform it constantly See I Joshua 8. Ver. 20. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren Verse 20 Not imagining himself to be above all Laws nor slighting his Subjects as unworthy of his notice but taking a due care to promote their happiness For as the Scriptures saith Maimonides provided the King should have great honour done him obliging all to reverence him so it commands him to be lowly in heart and not to carry himself insolently Let him be gracious and full of clemency to little and great so shall he go out and come in with the love and good wishes of them all Unto which Nachmanides adds this pious Reflection If the Scripture deters Kings from pride and haughtiness of heart how unbecoming is it in other Men who are far inferiour to them c. And that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or the left Neither by changing the Laws on pretence of making better nor by abrogating them on pretence of their inconveniency But where the Divine Law was not clear or where nothing was there defined he might by his Authority make new Constitutions as David and Solomon did as well in Sacred as in Civil Matters To the end that he may prolong his days in his Kingdom he and his Children in the midst of Israel This shows that God intended to establish a successive Right in that Family to which he chose to give the Kingdom if they continued in a constant Observation of his Laws And indeed there is no way to establish and perpetuate a Family in the Throne like the due observation of Laws though they be but Humane not Divine Laws For as Aristotle truly said He that commands the Law should govern all i. e. all things be ordered according to Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to command that God should rule and the Laws But he that bids a Man to rule without Laws according to his own will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sets up a Beast to govern Chapter XVIII And above all things he ought to endeavour to win the love of his Subjects by Humility and Clemency as the same Aristotle taught Alexander if we may believe R. Jedaja in his Book called Mibâ—har Happeninim where he reports a Letter of his to that great Prince advising him to gain the Affection of
be corrupted by Bribery From which Moses took care all Judges should be so free that he expresly requires they should be Men hating Covetousness XVIII Exod. 21. And Solon did not forget to make this a part of the Oath which every Judge in Athens took which is mentioned at large by Demosthenes in his Oration against Timocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I will receive no Gift upon the account of my Sentence neither I my self nor any body else for me nor others with my knowledge by any artifice or device whatsoever And made them Heads over you Set them to govern and rule the People as it is expressed v. 13. by deciding all Causes which were brought before them as far as they were able to understand them Captains over thousands and Captains over hundreds and Captains over fifties and Captains over tens It is a question whether they were Commanders over so many Families or Persons as I observed upon XVIII Exod. 25. Hermannus Conringius thinks they were Rulers as the word signifies over so many Fathers of Families understanding by a Family that which we now call an Houshold De Republ. Hebraeorum Sect. XVIII And Officers among your Tribes The same great Man in the XXVIth Section of the same Book takes Schotrim to have been Judges as well as the rest His great reason is because the Seventy Elders were ordered to be chosen out of them among others XI Numb 16. Now it is altogether improbable he thinks that such a Prophetical Colledge as that was should be chosen out of such mean Officers as the Hebrew Doctors make these Schotrim to have been But see what I have noted upon V Exod. 14. and XI Numb 16. And let me here add that if they were Judges and not Attendants upon them they were very mean ones being put below the Rulers of ten But howsoever this be it is certain some of these Judges had greater Authority then others being intrusted with a larger Jurisdiction and its likely greater Abilities were required in those over thousands than in those over tens As in the great Sanhedrim afterwards the Jews make more things necessary to qualifie Men for a Place in it then were requisite for those in lower Courts Where no Man could sit much less in the highest unless these seven things were remarkable in him as Maimonides saith Halacah Sanhedrim Cap. IV. Sect. 7. Wisdom Humility the Fear of God Contempt of Riches Love of Truth a good Fame and he was beloved also of others Ver. 16. And I charged your Judges at that time Verse 16 saying As the quality of their Persons and their Endowments made them considerable so they were dignified with the honourable Name of Schofetim and were also called Elders which had been a long time a Title of Honour among the Jews and in other Nations Hear the Causes between your Brethren This was a necessary quality in a good Judge to give Audience to every one that brought a Cause before him and not to delay any Man But the Jews infer from these words that it was not lawful to hear any Man when his Adversary was absent but both Parties were to be there present And they were also to be heard speak for themselves if they pleased Which was part of the forenamed Oath which Solon ordered all the Athenian Judges to take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will hear the Accuser and the Defender both alike And judge righteously The next thing required of a Judge was to be upright and impartial not considering what the Man was but his Cause This is implied in the following words Between every Man and his Brother i. e. Between one Israelite and another And the Stranger that is with you i. e. Between an Israelite and a Proselyte whether he were received into the Covenant by Circumcision or not For of this latter sort there were no doubt a great number amongst that mixt multitude who came with them out of Egypt XII Exod. 38. And while they were in the Wilderness there was not a distinct Court for Israelites and Proselytes but their Causes were tried in one and the same as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Synedris Cap. III. N. 1. Verse 17 Ver. 17. And ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment Not be swayed by particular Affection or Interest but judge sincerely without respect to Relation or any Benefit or Injury received Ye shall hear the small as well as the great Be equally disposed patiently to attend to the Cause of a poor Man as of a great and to do him as speedy and impartial Justice See XIX Lev. 15. And here the Hebrew Doctors tell us of some singular Practices in their Courts to preserve the dispensation of exact Justice For if one of the contending Parties came into them richly clothed and the other poorly they would not hear them till both were clothed alike Nor would they suffer one of them to sit and the other stand but both of them either sat or stood And if they sat one of them was not permitted to sit higher than the other but they sat by each others side c. See Selden Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. XIII N. 10. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of Men. Courage and undaunted Resolution is another necessary qualification in a Judge who must not be over-awed by what any Man can do unto him but remember as it here follows that he is in God's place For the judgment is Gods God gave them their Commission by Moses so that they were his Ministers and acted by his Authority and therefore might be confident he would defend them in the discharge of their Office This shows that though Moses alone acted by immediate Authority from God yet these also being constituted by him were to be lookt upon as pronouncing Sentence in his Name who after a peculiar manner was the King and Supreme Governour of the People of Israel And the Cause which is too hard for you bring it unto me and I will hear it Another quality is Humility in not adventuring to judge of Things above their reach Some think there were certain Causes reserved to the cognizance of Moses as I observed upon XVIII Exod. 12. but the contrary appears by these words that all manner of Causes were brought before these Judges and they not the People brought such Causes before Moses as they found too hard for them to determine So that they not the Person whose Cause it was judged of the difficulty of the Cause See Selden Lib. I. de Synedris Cap. XVI Ver. 18. And I commanded you at that time all Verse 18 the things that ye should do As he rightly informed their Judges so he instructed the People also in their Duty before they went from Horeb by delivering to them the judgments which God commanded him to set before them XXI Exod. 1. contained in that and in the two following Chapters whereby both they and their Judges were to govern
said unto their Fathers upon this occasion which he doth not mention in the Book of NUMBERS where we read only of his falling down before God that he might awaken this Generation to a greater confidence in God and a dread of his Judgment Dread not nor be afraid of them Do not consider so much how strong they are as how powerful the LORD your God is who hath promised you this good Land Verse 30 Ver. 30. The LORD your God which goeth before you In a glorious Pillar of Cloud and Fire He shall fight for you As he had done hitherto XIV Exod. 14. XVII 8 c. According to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes Why should you think he is less able to bring you into Canaan than he was to redeem you from Egypt where you were oppressed by very powerful Enemies Verse 31 Ver. 31. And in the Wilderness Ever since they came from thence through the Wilderness of the Red-Sea XIII Exod. 18. and the Wilderness of Sin XVI Exod. 1. and the Wilderness of Sinai XIX Exod. 1 2. and then through that terrible Wilderness of Paran See above v. 19. Where thou hast seen how the LORD thy God bare thee as a Man doth bear his Son The long Experience they had had of his tender care over them which was as indulgent as that of a kind Father towards his only Son when he is a Child whom he carries in his Arms should have made them confident of his gracious Providence for the future In all the way that ye went until ye came to this place He made provision for them in the most desolate places bringing them Water out of a Rock sending Bread down to them from Heaven defending them from wild Beasts and from their fiercer Enemies c. Ver. 32. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Verse 32 LORD your God He could not prevail with them to trust God and go up as he commanded in his Power and Might to possess the Land Nor could all that Caleb and Joshua said at all move them XIV Numb 7 8 9. Ver. 33. Who went in the way before you Never Verse 33 failed constantly to direct and guide you in your Journeys XIII Exod. 22. To search you out a place to pitch your Tents in But always markt out your Encampments where they should be X Numb 17. In fire by night to shew you by what way you should go and in a cloud by day That they might be able to travel by Night as well as by Day which was most convenient in Summer time when the Sun was very scorching in a Wilderness where there was no shelter XIII Exod. 21. X Numb 16 21. Ver. 34. And the LORD heard the voice of your words They not only distrusted God v 32. but murmured against their Leaders and against God in Verse 34 a mutinous manner consulting to return into Egypt XIV Numb 1 2 3 4. And moreover spake of stoning Caleb and Joshua for their good Advice v. 10. And was wroth and sware saying Which so provoked the Divine Majesty that he irrevocably determined what follows confirming it with an Oath XIV Numb 21. Verse 35 Ver. 35. Surely there shall not one of these Men of this evil Generation see that good Land c. See XIV Numb 21 28 29. Verse 36 Ver. 36. Save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh And Joshua the Son of Nun. See XIV 24 30. and see below v. 38. He shall see it and to him will I give the Land that he hath trodden upon c. This was as exactly fulfilled as their disinheriting was XIV Josh 9 12. Where the particular Portion of Land is mentioned which God promised to him and which Joshua gave him in the Mountain where the Anakims dwelt For such was the wonderful Faith and Courage of Caleb that he doubted not to dispossess those whom the rest of the Israelites dreaded as invincible Verse 37 Ver. 37. Also the LORD was angry with me Not at that time but afterwards when they came into the Wilderness of Zin to another Kadesh XX Numb 1 12. For your sakes By occasion of their fresh discontents and mutinous upbraidings of him XX Numb 2 3 4. which provoked him so that he spake unadvisedly with his Lips as the Psalmist observes CVI Psal 31 32. This was an high aggravation of their guilt that they not only undid themselves but brought great Displeasure upon their worthy Leader and Governour whom they wearied with their Tumults and Rebellions Or the meaning may be which doth not much differ from the account now given that they murmuring in a tumultuous manner when they saw the Water did not flow out of the Rock at the first stroke he himself also was put into such a Commotion that he began to doubt and say God would do nothing for such a rebellious People though he had declared he would If this be true he soon recovered himself and smote the Rock again in confidence God would be as good as his word But God was so angry at the words he had spoken that he so far punished him for them as to deny him entrance into Canaan Saying Thou shalt not go in thither Which threatning is renewed a little before his death XXVII Numb 13 14. and he could not get repealed by any Entreaties as we read in this Book III. 26. Ver. 38. But Joshua the Son of Nun which standeth Verse 38 before thee i. e. Waits upon thee He shall go in thither So God promised when he as well as Caleb indeavoured to put Courage into the People to go and possess the Land XIV Numb 6 7 c. 30. Incourage him for he shall cause Israel to inherit it Not only go thither and have his Portion there but be the Captain of Israel and conquer the Land for them and divide it among them This intimates as if Joshua was afraid he might be excluded as well as his Master being extreamly troubled it is likely that he was not suffered to reap the Fruit of his long Labours Therefore God bids Moses incourage his hope and command him to take heart as we speak for undoubtedly he should do more than go into Canaan Which may be the reason why his Name is not put into the Exception v. 35 36. together with Calebs but they are mentioned separately because there was something to be said peculiar to each of them Verse 39 Ver. 39. Moreover your little ones whom ye said should be a prey See XIV Numb 31. Which in that day had no knowledge of good and evil And consequently did not provoke God by their Disobedience They shall go in thither c. Their innocence moved pity towards them though Children in some cases were cut off for their Fathers sins Verse 40 Ver. 40. But as for you turn you From the Land of Canaan to which they were not permitted to go And take your journey into the Wilderness And get you back again
4. By Signs Which are mentioned IV Exod. 9. VII 9 10. And by Wonders This signifies all the Ten Plagues of Egypt For Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go till God had multiplied his Wonders on the Land of Egypt as we read VII Exod. 3. X. 1 2. XI 9 10. And by War This seems to relate to the Overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea where the LORD is said to fight for Israel XIV Exod. 14. XV. 3. while they which is the greatest Wonder of all were delivered without striking a stroke And by a mighty Hand and a stretched-out Arm. These are Phrases which we often meet withal when Moses speaks of their Deliverance out of Egypt III Exod. 19. VI. 6. XV. 12. and many other places And the Hebrews think that his mighty Hand particularly refers to the grievous Murrain and the Pestilence which are called the Hand of the LORD X Exod. 3 15. And his stretched-out Arm to have a particular respect to the killing of the First-born the Angel that was going to smite Jerusalem appearing with a drawn Sword and his Hand stretched out I Chron. XXI 16. And by great Terrors Wherewith the Minds of those were stuck who heard of these things XV Exod 14 15 16. Or else he means the Frights in which the Egyptians were while they remained three Days in most dismal Darkness X Exod. 23. for the conclusion of this Verse signifies that he speaks of all that the LORD their God did for them in Egypt before their Eyes Verse 35 Ver. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed This was a particular kindness to the Israelites which God never before manifested to any other Nation That thou mightest know that the LORD he is God there is none else besides him That they might believe him to be the only true God and worship none but him Which two Articles saith Maimonides More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXIII that God is and that he is but One are Fundamentals of Religion which were known not only by Prophets but by every Body else Verse 36 Ver. 36. Out of Heaven he made thee to hear his Voice See XX Exod. 22. That he might instruct thee Teach them his Will which was chiefly declared in the Ten Commandments And upon Earth he shewed thee his great Fire He means either that they saw it as they stood upon the Earth or that it burnt upon the top of the Mount in their sight XXIV Exod. 17. And thou heardest his Words out of the midst of the Fire Ver. 11 12. and XX Exod. 18 19. Verse 37 Ver. 37. And because he loved thy Fathers therefore he chose their Seed after them See XV Gen. 5 6 7. And many other Places in that Book III Exod. 15 16 17. And brought them out in his sight with a mighty power For as he led them the way out of Egypt in a Pillar of Cloud and of Fire XIII Exod. 21. So when they were in danger by Pharaoh's pursuit of them he came behind them and they marched in his sight XIV Exod. 19. Out of Egypt This is mentioned in Scripture as the highest Benefit never to be forgotten by them So G. Sckickard observes in his Mischpat Hamelek Cap. III. Theorem X. That they are put in Mind of this in the Frontispiece of the Decalogue XX Exod. 2. in the Institution of Sacrifices XXII Levit. 33. in the Promise of a Blessing XXVI 13. and here in the enumeration of God's wonderful Works and afterwards in the commendation of his Love VII Deut. 8. in his Dehortation from Ingratitude VIII 14. in his Institution of the Passover XVI 6. in the Speech which the reproving Angel made to them II Judges 1. in the hope he gave them of Victory over the Midianites VI. 9. in his Answer to their Petition for a King I Sam. X. 18. and on a great many other occasions For this was Velut Fundamentum initium Reipublicae c. as another learned German speaks Gierus on IX Dan. 15. the Foundation as we may call it and the Beginning of their Commonwealth founded by God which comprehended in it abundance of Miracles far exceeding all the Power of Nature Ver. 38. To drive out Nations before thee greater Verse 38 and mightier than thou art So mighty that they frighted their Fathers from attempting the Conquest of them XIII Numb 28 29 31. To bring thee in to give thee their Land for an Inheritance as it is this day That is as he had given them a late Experiment by overthrowing the two Kings of the Amorites and giving them their Land for a possession Verse 39 Ver. 39. Know therefore this day and consider it in thy Heart that the LORD he is God in Heaven above and upon the earth and there is none else Be sensible therefore and settle this Belief in thy Heart that the LORD is the sole Governour of the whole World Verse 40 Ver. 40. Thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes and his Commandments which I command thee this day c. Worship and obey him as the only way to make them and their Posterity live happily in the Land which God was about to give them That it may be well with thee and with thy Children after thee and that thou mayst prolong thy days upon the earth c. Tho' Moses speak of their long Life upon Earth yet the better sort of Jews did not set up their rest here but from this word prolong extended their hope as far as the other World For thus Maimonides saith in his Preface to Perek Chelek they were taught by Tradition to expound these Words That it may be well with thee in the World which is all good and mayest prolong thy days in the World which is all long i. e. never ends Verse 41 Ver. 41. Then Moses severed three Cities I observed in the Preface to this Book that Moses did not deliver all that is contained in this Book in one continued Speech but at several times as appears even by the beginning of the next Chapter where it is said He called all Israel and said unto them c. Which supposes that after this Preface in these four Chapters he dismissed them to consider what he had said and then some time after assembled the People again to put them in Mind of the Laws which he so earnestly pressed them to observe But between these two times after he had spoken all that is contained in these four Chapters and before he rehearsed the Decalogue he put in execution the Command of God lately given to set apart three Cities of Refuge on this side Jordan Which he here relates in the order I suppose wherein it was done On this side Jordan towards the Sun-rising On the East-side of Jordan according to what was ordered XXXV Numb 14. Ver. 42. That the Slayer might flee thither which Verse 42 should kill his Neighbour unawares c. See there v. 11 12 c. Ver. 43. Namely Bezer in the Wilderness in
XXIV 3. And he wrote them in two Tables of Stone and delivered them unto me That is the Ten Commandments and no more XXIV Exod. 12. XXXI 18. XXXIV 1 28. Lest what they heard with their Ears should quickly slide out of their Minds he took care to have it engraven with his own Hands in these Tables Verse 23 Ver. 23. And it came to pass when ye heard the Voice out of the midst of the Darkness for the Mountain did burn with Fire that ye came near unto me even all the Heads of the Tribes and Elders After they had recovered out of the Fright wherein they were at the Conclusion of these Words When the Thunderings Lightnings and Noise of the Trumpet was so terrible that they removed and stood afar off XX Exod. 18. Verse 24 Ver. 24. And ye said Behold the LORD our God hath shewed us his Glory and his Greatness and we have heard his Voice out of the midst of the Fire Here Moses relates more largely what he said in short XX Exod. 19. We have seen this day that God doth talk with Man and he liveth This looks like a thankful Acknowledgment of the great Goodness of God in vouchsafing them such a Favour as never any Men had before and which they could not expect again And accordingly Moses makes use of it as an Argument to be very observant of God's Commands XX Exod. 22 23. Verse 25 Ver. 25. Now therefore why should we die For this great Fire will consume us For if we hear the Voice of the LORD our God any more then we shall die It is an ungrounded Conceit of Maimonides in the place above-mentioned that when they had heard the first Words they fell into a Swoon and did not recover themselves till all the rest was spoken which made them conclude that they should really die and never come to themselves again as we speak if they should hear him speak to them any more The plain meaning is that mortal Men could not endure to hear him speak in that manner For the Voice was so loud and accompanied with such Flashes of Fire and such Claps of Thunder as made them conclude if it had continued longer they should have expired Ver. 26. For who is there of all Flesh i. e. Of all Verse 26 Men who are weak and frail as the word Flesh denotes That hath heard the Voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of Fire as we have and lived There is no Instance of such a thing as this which made them afraid of hearing him speak in this manner any more For they did not mind God's End and Intention in this which Moses suggests to them in the XX Exod. 20. but in a confusion of Thoughts imagined that tho' they had escaped once the Flames out of which he spake might devour them if they came near them again Ver. 27. Go thou near and hear all that the LORD Verse 27 our God will say and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it See XX Exod. 19. This shews their Opinion of Moses that he could be able not only to endure that without disorder which made them ready to die but go into the very midst of the Darkness out of which those Flames came Ver. 28. And the LORD heard the Voice of your Verse 28 Words when ye spake unto me and the LORD said unto me I have heard the Voice of the Words of this People c. As Moses here reports more largely what they said to him than he did in Exodus so he likewise gives a larger Account what God bad him say to them in answer to their desire They have well said all that they have spoken It very much becomes them out of a sence of their meanness and unworthiness and of the inconceivable Majesty of God to desire he would speak to them by a Mediator Verse 29 Ver. 29. O that there were such an Heart in them that they would fear me and keep my Commandments always The words are wonderful emphatical in the Hebrew Who will give that there may be such an Heart in them Which is an Expression of the most earnest desire but withal signifies that if what he had done for them would not move them to fear and obey him it was impossible to perswade them to it Not but that he could miraculously work upon them and change their Hearts saith Maimonides if he pleased as he miraculously changed the Nature of other things but if this were God's Will to deal with them after this fashion there would have been no need to send a Prophet to them or to publish Laws full of Precepts and Promises Rewards and Punishments by which saith he God wrought upon their Heart and not by his absolute Omnipotence More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXXII That it might be well with them and with their Children for ever For God desired nothing more than this which they themselves promised v. 27. which moved him to vouchsafe such a special Priviledge to them as first to speak to them himself and at their desire consent to speak to them by his Prophet Verse 30 Ver. 30. Go say to them get you into your Tents again All this shews that Moses was a Mediator between God and them and between them and God Ver. 31. But as for thee stand thou here by me He invites Moses unto the nearest approaches unto his Majesty and the most familiar converse with him Verse 31 XX Exod. 21. XXIV 2 18. For this was the highest degree of Prophecy as Maimonides calls it in his More Nevochim P. III. Cap. LI. And in his Preface to that Book he saith This is the greatest degree of Illumination of a Prophet concerning whom it is said Stand thou here with me And again The Skin of his Face shone Which he supposes signified that his Mind was always full of light whereas other Prophets were sometime in darkness and saw nothing And I will speak unto thee all the Commandments and the Statutes and the Judgments which thou shalt teach them According to their own desire v. 27. See VI. 1. And that they may do them in the Land which I give them to possess it According to their Promise in the same v. 27. Ver. 32. Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD Verse 32 your God hath commanded you Being obliged by such singular Benefits as no other Nation ever had the like v 24 25 26. and having engaged themselves so solemnly to be obedient v. 27. Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left This is a Phrase often used to signifie a strict observance of God's Laws neither superstitiously adding to them nor profanely laying aside any of them XVII 20. XXVIII 14. 1 Josh 7. Ver. 33. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD Verse 33 your God hath commanded you That is observe all his Laws
with us all our Days Or more literally For good to us all our Days That is say our Rabbins they are the Words of Maimonides P. III. More Nevochim Cap. XXVII where he repeats what I observed before upon IV. 40. That it may be well with us in that World which is wholly good and our Days may be prolonged in that World which is wholly long Or in short that thou mayest come into the World which is wholly good and long which is a perpetual Subsistence As for the last Words they belong he thinks to their Corporeal Subsistence here which endures but for a time and therefore he saith As at this Day to shew he speaks of the present World wherein they should live happily by observing his Laws Verse 25 Ver. 25. And it shall be our Righteousness if we observe to do all these Commandments Their Children might say If there be such Benefits in observing the Statutes which lead to the fear of God and to Happiness here and hereafter what need we trouble our selves about the other two Unto which Abarbinel imagines they are taught to give this Answer It is our Righteousness if we observe to do ALL these Commandments i. e. We cannot be righteous before God if we have not respect to all his Precepts whether Testimonies Statutes or Judgments which are all comprehended in this word Mitzvoth or Commandments This is something nice and curious Chapter VII but there is a great deal of Truth in it The word Righteousness also it must be acknowledged often comprehends Mercy in it And thus the LXX and the Vulgar Latin here understand it And to take in this Sence these Words may be thus expounded If we observe to do all these Commandments God will account us a righteous People and be kind to us Before the LORD our God as he hath commanded us Having a sincere Respect to God in all that we do CHAP. VII Verse 1. WHen the LORD thy God shall bring thee Verse 1 into the Land whither thou goest to possess it That is when he had put them into possession of it And hath cast out many Nations before thee the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites c. There were Ten Nations inhabited this Country in the Days of Abraham But Three of them were either worn out since that time or being but a small People were incorporated with the rest For the Kenites and the Kenezites see XV Gen. 19. are not mentioned after that time and the Rephaim possessed but a little part of Canaan the great Body of them being in Bashan on this side Jordan where Moses now was See upon XV Gen. 19. Seven Nations greater and mightier than thou The Amorites alone seem to have been mightier than the Israelites for there were no less than five Kings of them that dwelt in the Mountains X Josh 5 6. besides those in other parts and therefore all the Seven Nations were much superiour to them in strength Verse 2 Ver. 2. And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them c. He still pursues his Intention to preserve in them a due care to observe the First Commandment of which he began to treat in the foregoing Chapter For that is the Reason why they were to destroy these Seven Nations that they might not be in danger to be seduced by them to serve other Gods v. 1. But whether they were not first to offer them Terms of Peace according to the Directions in the Twentieth Chapter of this Book is a Question which I have endeavoured to resolve in another place upon XXIII Exod. 33. Certain it is that if they refused their Offers there was the greater Reason to be severe to them And without offering them any Terms God might in Justice order the Israelites to destroy them For every King hath Power in his Dominions to cut off Evil-doers and therefore much more the King of Kings Who might order whom he pleased as other Kings do to be Executioners of his Vengeance upon these Seven Nations for their abominable Idolatries beastly Lusts and horrid Cruelties and other such-like Sins of which they were guilty This was a thing of such moment that God ordered Moses to give them this Charge some time ago XXXIII Numb 52. which he now renews Thou shalt make no Covenant with them To suffer them to live with them in the same Country XXXIV Exod. 12. Nor shew Mercy to them For that had been Cruelty to themselves and their Posterity to spare such incurable Idolaters How far the Talmudists extend this see in Dionys Vossius upon Maimonides's Treatise of Idolatry p. 139. and Maimon himself in the following Paragraphs 4 5 6. Ver. 3. Neither shalt thou make Marriages with them Verse 3 thy Daughters thou shalt not give to his Sons nor his Daughters shalt thou take to thy Sons See XXXIV Exod. 15. Some of the Jews think they might marry with them if they became Proselytes of Justice as they called those who received Circumcision and undertook to observe the whole Law and they that think this was not lawful yet think that they might marry with the Children of such Proselytes See Selden Lib. V. De Jure Nat. Gent. c. Cap. XIV XV. And the Talmudists say this Law did not extend to Proselytes who might marry with any of these Nations as he shews there Cap. XVIII Ver. 4. For they will turn away thy Sons from following Verse 4 me that they may serve other Gods c. There was great danger if they loved their Wives that they might draw them to their Idolatry in which they were so rooted that there was little hope of converting them to the true Religion Therefore this is opposed to the Love of the LORD their God for the preserving of which in their Hearts they are forbidden such Marriages XXIII Josh 11.12 And indeed it was but a piece of Natural Equity that they should abstain from such familiarity with those who would certainly undo them Which made Abraham before this Law charge his Son Isaac not to take a Wife from among the Canaanites and the same care was taken of Jacob. And when this Law of Moses was abolished the Apostle warns Christians themselves against such unequal Matches 2 Corinth VI. 14. The danger of which David had noted CVI Psal 35 36. So will the Anger of the LORD be kindled against you c. See VI. 15. Verse 5 Ver. 5. But thus shall ye deal with them Or therefore thus shall ye deal with them That is to prevent the forementioned Mischief he orders them to leave no Relick of their Idolatry remaining Ye shall destroy their Altars The very same Precept XXXIV Exod. 13. And break down their Images The very same words with these are in XXIII Exod. 24. only there it is said quite breaks down and in XXXIV Exod.
13. And cut down their Groves There is the same mention of Asherim which we translate Groves in the place last named only another word for cut down See there But Mr. Selden both there and here understands by Asherim wooden Images of Astarte a great Goddess worshipped in that Country For which among other Reasons he gives this that Gideon is said to have thrown down the Altar of Baal and cut down the Grove that was by it So we translate it VI Judg. 25 28. where in the Hebrew the last word is Alau which signifies upon it and not by it And so the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore the Asherah which is said to be upon the Altar must not signifie a Grove but an Image and none more likely than that of Astarte See De Diis Syris Syntagm 2 Cap. 2. and 2 Kings XXIII 6 7. And burn their graven Images with Fire As he was commanded to destroy their molten Images XXXIII Numb 52. that so no sort of Image nor any Monument of their Worship might be left in the Country but all so entirely abolished that they might have no Incentive to Idolatry This was the work of the Supreme Governour as Grotius prudently observes For tho' out of private places it belonged to the Lord of the place or if he were negligent to the King to remove Idols yet none but the Supreme Power might remove them out of publick places or such Persons who were delegated thereby to that Office See L. de Imper. Sum. Potest circa Sacra Cap. VIII Sect. 3. Ver. 6. For thou art an holy People unto the LORD Verse 6 thy God This is an Argument frequently used particularly in the Book of Leviticus why they should cleave to God alone because he had separated them to himself by many peculiar Laws which no other People had but they XI Levit. 44 45. XIX 2. XX. 7 26. The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all People that are upon the face of the Earth As he had distinguished them from all other People by peculiar Laws so by special Favours and singular Priviledges which no other Nation whatsoever enjoyed See XIX Exod. 5 6. Some interpret the Words special People to signify that they belong'd to none but him and he had no other People but they whom he had espoused to himself From whence it is that as the Israelites are called God's People so that Country is called his Land LXXXV Psal 1. for there he dwelt by his special Presence And the King of that Country is called God's King XVIII Psal 50. and he is said to sit on God's Throne and to be Nelech le Jehovah King for the LORD 2 Chron. IX 8. and the Kingdom is called the Kingdom of the LORD XIII 8. and therefore with this Argument Asa addresses himself to God in the next Chapter XIV 11. for Help in time of Distress because he was their God and would not he hoped let their Enemies prevail against himself And accordingly these Enemies are said to be destroyed before the LORD and before his Host v. 13. Jehoshaphat also exhorts the Judges in that Book to great Caution 2 Chron. XIX 6. because they judged not for Man but for the LORD And the Prophet exhorts in the following Chapter XX. 15. not to be afraid of a mighty Host which came against him because the Battle is not yours but Gods the Cause in which they fought being his more than their own Verse 7 Ver. 7. The LORD did not set his Love upon you nor choose you To be his special People as he calls them in the foregoing Verse Because ye were more in Number than any People for ye were the fewest of all People When God declared his Love first to Abraham and his Posterity he had no Child XII Gen. 1 2 3. XV. 1 2. And when he had his Family continued so small after there were XII Heirs of the Promise that in the space of Two Hundred Years they were but LXX Persons XLVI Gen. 27. Nor do we read of any great increase of them till after the Death of Joseph which was near Fourscore Years more I Exod. 7 8 c. So St. Steven observes VII Acts 17. When the time of the Promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the People grew and multiplied in Aegypt Ver. 8. But because the LORD loved you Because it was his good Pleasure to single them out from all other People to receive special Tokens of his Favour to them Verse 8 And because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand c. Not for any desert of theirs but to make good his Promise confirmed with an Oath did he work their wonderful Deliverance out of Egypt XV Gen. 13 14. XXII 16 c. Ver. 9. Know therefore that the LORD thy God he Verse 9 is God He exhorts them therefore to preserve this Sense in their Mind that their God is the only God The faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments c. Who will not only faithfully keep his Word and make good his Promises but do abundantly more than he hath promised to those that cleave unto him alone and serve no other God For it appears by the Second Commandment that is peculiarly meant by loving him To a thousand Generations See XX Exod. 6. Ver. 10. And repay them that hate him Punish all Verse 10 Idolaters who are peculiarly called haters of God as I have often observed See XX Exod. 5. To their Face They themselves should live to see and feel the Punishment of their Idolatry So the Chaldee Paraphrases it Becajehon in their Life He will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his Face Though he do not punish him immediately yet he will not defer it long but be avenged of him before he die Therefore when he threatens to punish them to the Third and Fourth Generation the meaning is not that he will only punish their Posterity but them with their Posterity whom they shall see destroyed before their Face For the Fourth Generation as Maimonides observes is as much as the oldest Men commonly live to see Verse 11 Ver. 11. Thou shalt therefore keep the Commandments and the Statutes and the Judgments which I command thee this day to do them All the Laws of God see VI. 1. especially this great Commandment to have no other God but him Verse 12 Ver. 12. Wherefore it shall come to pass if ye hearken to these Judgments and keep and do them that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and Mercy which he sware unto thy Fathers As faithfully fulfil his Promises to them as he did to their Fathers Verse 13 Ver. 13. And he will love thee Continue his Love to them And bless thee and multiply thee
rewarded their Obedience to them as if he had received the Benefit thereof Verse 14 Ver. 14. Behold the Heaven Where the Sun Moon and Stars shine And the Heaven of Heavens And all the glorious Regions beyond them Is the LORD 's thy God Are all his Possession as they are his Work The Earth also with all that therein is As well as this Earth and all the Creatures that are in it Ver. 15. Only the LORD had a delight in thy Fathers to love them and he chose their Seed after them Verse 15 even you above all People c. He would have them sensible therefore that the Possessor of Heaven and of Earth could have no need of them or of their Services who were a very inconsiderable Part of his Creatures But it was his own meer good Will and Pleasure which moved him to show such Love to Abraham as he had done and to his Posterity for his sake above all other Nations on Earth Ver. 16. Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your Verse 16 heart Do not satisfie your selves therefore with the bare Circumcision of your Flesh and the Observance of such External Rites and Ceremonies but cut off and cast away all your naughty Affections which make you insensible both of God's Mercies and Corrections and disobedient to his Commands And be no more stiff-necked As he had often before complained they were particularly XXXII Exod. 9. and see IX 6. of this Book It is a Metaphor as I observed from Oxen who when they are to draw in a Yoke and go forward pull back their Neck and their Shoulder to withdraw themselves from the Yoke To both which the Scripture alludes IX Nehem. 29. And sometime severally we find mention of them as in the place before-named in Exodus he speaks of their stiff-neck and in VII Zachar. 11. he saith They pull'd away the shoulder St. Stephen puts both these together in his Character of the wicked Jews that killed our blessed Saviour VII Acts 51. that they were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart Therefore the contrary disposition God promises towards the Conclusion of this Book as the greatest Blessing he could bestow on them XXX 6. Ver. 17. For the LORD thy God is God of gods and Verse 17 Lord of lords Superiour to all other Beings whether Kings on Earth or Angels in Heaven A great God a mighty and a terrible Who can do what he pleases every where and therefore is to be greatly dreaded Which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward The most righteous Judge of Men who will not connive at your Sins because you are Circumcised nor be bribed by any Sacrifices to overlook your Wickedness XXIII Exod. 8. XIX Lev. 15. I Deut. 17. Nor on the contrary reject those that uprightly obey him though they be not Jews So St. Peter learnt to understand these words X Acts 34. Verse 18 Ver. 18. He doth execute the Judgment of the Fatherless and Widow Takes their part as we speak and defends them against those that would oppress them And loveth the Stranger in giving him Food and Raiment Provideth for those who are driven unjustly out of their own Country or travelling on their honest Occasions fall into want For he seems here to speak of those who were neither Proselytes of Justice nor of the Gate as the Jews speak but were meer Gentiles Verse 19 Ver. 19. Love ye therefore the Stranger Be kind and hospitable to such distressed Persons which is a Vertue that flows from the Love of God v. 12. to which it is in vain to pretend if we love not all Mankind This Love consists in imitating God's Care of such Persons whereof he speaks in the foregoing Verse viz. doing them Justice equally with others and affording them Food and Raiment For ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt This Vertue was peculiarly required of the Jews who had been in that Condition which he commanded them to pity See XXIII Exod. 9. XIX Levit. 33 34. And if they had sincerely practised this Duty towards Aliens the Grace of God shown to the Gentiles in our blessed Saviour would not have seemed so strange to them as it did Ver. 20. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God him Verse 20 shalt thou serve This was explained before v. 12. To him shalt thou cleave Serve that is and Worship none but him And swear by his Name See VI. 13. Ver. 21. He is thy praise Whom thou oughtest Verse 21 therefore to praise Or rather in whose Love and Favour thou oughtest to glory and to think it the highest honour to be his Servant and to have him for thy God as it here follows He is thy God Who hath bestowed upon thee all the good things which thou enjoyest That hath done for thee all these great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen In bringing them out of Egypt destroying Pharaoh in the Red-sea leading them through the Wilderness giving them the Country of Sihon and Og c. Whom therefore they were bound to Love and Serve and to confide in his Mercy and not in their own Power or Righteousness VIII 17 18. IX 4 5 6. Ver. 22. Thy Fathers went down into Egypt with Verse 22 threescore and ten persons See XLVI Gen. 27. I Exod. 5. Their Family he would have them remember was very small Chapter XI about Two hundred Years ago And now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude Vastly increased them according to his Promise unto Abraham XV Gen. 5. XII Exod. 37. XXVI Numb 51 62. Which alone as Conradus Pellicanus here notes was sufficient to fill their Hearts with his Love and their Mouths with his Praise CHAP. XI Verse 1 Verse 1. THerefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God Who of so small hath made thee so great a Nation And keep his charge A Phrase used frequently concerning the Levites III Numb 7 8 c. But here comprehends all the Particulars following His Statutes and his Judgments and Commandments which he had charged them to observe See VI. 1. Verse 2 Ver. 2. And know you this day Consider seriously what I have said to you till you be sensible of it VIII 5. IX 6. For I speak not with your Children which have not known and which have not seen The words I speak are not in the Hebrew and they may as well be supplied thus For not with your Children have these things been done c. Which agrees well with v. 7. The Chastisement of the LORD your God The Plagues he sent upon the Egyptians His greatness Which appeared by the many great things he did only upon the stretching out of Moses his Rod. His mighty hand and stretched out arm These are more words to express the same thing Ver. 3. And his miracles and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt Or His miraculous Acts c. Verse 3 He uses so many words to make them sensible how much they were
a low flat Country like that of Egypt but full of Hills which could not be made fruitful but by Rain from Heaven which seldom fell in Egypt but the Israelites might expect in due season if they were obedient to God Who by this means after they had ploughed their Ground and sowed their Corn made it spring up plentifully without any further Labour or Care of theirs Such a Country also was more pleasant and healthy than that of Egypt whose Ground next to Nile being overflowed more or less every Year by the rising of Nile to the fall of it which was from the Solstice to the Aequinox or as some say an hundred Days See Salmasius upon Solinus p. 427 c. 436 c. they could not walk abroad into their Fields and many times there followed after the Water was gone off great Sicknesses and Diseases by the smell of the Silt which it had left behind Ver. 12. A Land which the LORD thy God careth Verse 12 for Takes care that it want not Water by sending Showers of Rain plentifully from Heaven in their proper Season The Eyes of the LORD thy God That is the Providence of God whose Majesty dwelt in the Sanctuary Are always upon it To see what is wanting and to supply it From the beginning of the Year even unto the end of the Year At all Seasons to give them both the first and latter Rain as he speaks v. 14. and such Weather as might both produce and kindly ripen the Fruits of the Earth This he mentions as an Argument to Obedience in which if they failed he plainly tells them the Land should not yield her Fruit v. 17. For this Country was not so Fertile of it self as by the peculiar Blessing of God upon it whilst they kept his Laws Verse 13 Ver. 13. And it shall come to pass if ye will hearken diligently unto my Commandments which I command you this day To hearken diligently here signifies to consider them seriously and lay them to heart To love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul He repeats this so often because it is the Great Commandment as our Saviour speaks and because nothing is more natural than to love our Benefactors God especially our greatest Benefactor who gave us our being with all our Heart and with all our Soul See X. 12. And being the first and great Commandment it draws along with it Obedience to all the rest and is in effect the whole Duty of Man to God For constant Experience shows us that whosoever gets the firm hold of this Affection governs a Man as he pleaseth .. Ver. 14. That I will give you the Rain of your Land as much as is sufficient for such an hilly Country In his due season At the proper times which Verse 14 here follow The first Rain Before the sowing of their Seed to prepare the Ground and after it was sown that it might take root in the Earth and spring up And the latter Rain When the Corn was grown up towards earing time and after it was eared to make the Ears full and plump This appears from IV Amos 7. where he speaks of with-holding the Rain from them while there were yet three Months to the Harvest Which is meant of this latter Rain whereby their Corn was brought forward when it was but in the Blade to earing and so on to Harvest That thou mayest gather in thy Corn and thy Wine and thine Oil. Till the Corn and all the Fruits of the Earth be brought to maturity Ver. 15. And I will send Grass in thy Fields for Verse 15 thy Cattle To make them fat or to give plenty of Milk That thou mayest eat and be full Eat Flesh if they pleased as well as the Fruits of the Earth in great Plenty Ver. 16. Take heed to your selves that your heart be Verse 16 not deceived By the specious Colours that other Nations put upon their Idolatry as the Antiquity of it Vniversal Consent c. there being no part of the World at that time as Maimonides observes where all were not accustomed to worship Images c. whereby the Israelites were in danger to be seduced into an Imitation of their Neighbours And ye turn aside and serve other Gods and worship them By this it is evident that Moses is still pressing them to Care in observing the first and second Commandment Verse 17 Ver. 17. And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you For their being deceived into Idolatry by false Reasonings which perswaded them what they did was lawful did not excuse them before God Who expected they should have used greater Caution and governed themselves by his plain and express Commands And he shut up the Heavens that there be no Rain The contrary to this is called opening his good Treasure XXVIII Deut. 12. signifying that they lived upon the Royal Bounty of the King of Heaven which their Sins would hinder from flowing to them That the Land yield not her Fruit and lest ye perish quickly from off the good Land which the LORD giveth you To with-hold Rain from them was a sore Judgment which quickly brought a Famine which was very grievous to those who used to live so plentifully And it was frequently attended with various Diseases whereby they were wasted and consumed Verse 18 Ver. 18. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul See VI. 6. And bind them for a sign upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes Always in sight as the Rule whereby they should order their steps lest they trod amiss This is one of the Portions of Scripture from v. 13. to the end of v. 21. which the Jews write in their Tephilim as they call them which they use when they say their Prayers which they fancy are thereby made more acceptable unto God This Conceit began not long before our Saviour's time in the School of Hillel and Schammai and took such Root in the Minds of the most Religious that it hath grown to a great Superstition ever since See upon Chap. VI. v. 8 9. Which is another Portion of Scripture that they wrote in these Parchments though at the first St. Hierom saith upon XXIII Matth. 5. they wrote only the Ten Commandments Ver. 19. And ye shall teach them your Children Verse 19 This is repeated very often IV. 10. VI. 7. And out of this place and V. 1. the Jews have framed this as one of their affirmative Precepts That they ought themselves to learn the Law of God and to teach it unto others And this they do so diligently that as soon as their Children are capable to understand any thing they make them carefully read the Holy Books and instruct them so that before they can be called Youths they are acquainted with the whole Law of God In which we must confess they shame a great many Christians who scarce understand
This was the great Commandment to serve God alone and the observance of it was the great Condition upon which all their Happiness depended Which makes him again press their care in this matter When thou dost that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God Pleased God by a strict obedience to this Precept Verse 29 Ver. 29. And when the LORD thy God shall cut off the Nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them c. See IX 1. Ver. 30. Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them after that they be destroyed from before thee It is plain from hence that in this Chapter as well as the foregoing he is still endeavouring Verse 30 to secure them from the Idolatrous Customs of the Country which they went to possess Which is the ground of the following Prohibition about which he could not say too much they being so prone to Idolatry and the danger they incurred thereby so exceeding great There are some of the Jews who think that by following them is meant following their Fashions in their Clothes and in their Ornaments as it is explained in the Book Siphri which might intice them to imitate their Religious Rites which it appears by the next words are principally intended After that they be destroyed from before thee It was the most unaccountable folly to worship the gods of those Nations whom they saw expelled their Country for their Idolatries And that thou enquire not after their gods They were not so much as to ask what gods they worshipped Saying How did these Nations serve their gods Nor endeavour to know the manner of their Worship Which was very different as Maimonides observes according as their gods differed one from another for that sort of Worship which was acceptable to one god might not be given to another As they uncovered themselves if we may believe him before Baal-peor and threw a Stone to Mercury See his Tract concerning the Worship of the Planets Cap. III. Sect. 2 c. and Dionys Vossius his Annotations there Where he resolves that if they uncovered themselves to Mercury or threw a Stone to Baal-peor it was not Idolatry because not their proper Worship Which is a foolish Opinion for they were not to use any of their Religious Rites no more than to offer Sacrifice burn Incense or bow down to any of their Idols which he acknowledges was Idolatry In short if they gave the Idol the Worship proper to him or that Worship which was proper to the true God he acknowledges they were guilty Even so will I do likewise Though Men only resolved to do it yet they were guilty of committing this Sin The Jews indeed make no great account of sins committed in the heart yet in this Case they are very strict having framed this Maxim as R. Levi Barcelonita observes Proecept CCXXVI which their Rabbins industriously inculcate into their Scholars That the blessed God imputes no thought of any Transgression to an Israelite as if it were the fact it self except only the thought of Idolatry which is imputed to a Man as if he had committed Idolatry Now it was a reasonable Presumption that he who enquired how the People of Canaan worshipped their gods intended at least to worship the God of Israel as they did those Idols And this gave too much cause to suspect that he had an inclination to worship their Idols instead of God For otherwise he would have rested content with that way of worshipping God which the Law had prescribed Whereupon the Jews have determined as our Mr. Thorndike hath observed that there are four Ceremonies which whosoever performs to any thing but to God alone must be understood to worship it for God which are Sacrificing Burning Incense Pouring out Drink-offerings and Adoration But others there are by doing which Men cannot be concluded to worship any thing but God till they do it in that way and fashion as is done by those who profess to worship it for God See his Principles of Christian Truth Chap. XXVI Ver. 31. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy Verse 31 God See v. 4. Of which the Reason is here given For every Abomination to the LORD which he hateth have they done unto their gods For instance The Zabij saith Maimonides I find in their Books offered to their great God the Sun seven Batts and seven Mice and seven other creeping Things which alone may suffice to demonstrate how vile and abominable their Worship was and what reason there was so severely to prohibit their Idolatry and every thing pertaining to it More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXIX For even their Sons and their Daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods This is the great Instance of their abominable Wickedness Of which see XVIII Levit. 21. XX. 2. This was notoriously practised by the Carthaginians who it is certain derived it from the Phaenicians the ancient Inhabitants of this Country Plato mentions it in Protagora where he saith The Athenian Laws did not permit them to sacrifice Men but among the Carthaginians it was an holy Rite so that some of them permitted their Sons to be offered to Saturn Which wicked Custom at last overspread all Nations even the Greeks themselves as Joh. Gensius hath demonstrated Lib. de Victimis Humanis P. I. Cap. XI and P. II. Cap. VI. Ver. 32. Whatsoever thing I command you observe to Verse 32 do it Keep close to the Precepts I have given you about my Worship v. 28. and see IV. 2. Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it They were not to add any other Rites of Worship of their own devising or from the Idolatrous Customs of those Countries nor omit any of those which God had commanded them to use For if they had used any of the Gentile Ceremonies whereby they honoured their gods it would easily have introduced the Worship of the gods themselves and if they had omitted any of the Rites which God had ordained some other would have easily stept into their room which were used by Idolaters Maimonides from these words labours to prove the Eternity of the Law of Moses But it is very strange that so great a Man should be so blind as not to see what some of his Brethren could discern That God did not bind up himself neither to change nor alter these Laws though he did not permit the Israelites to do it So the Author Sepher Ikkarim wisely glosses upon these words Lib. III. Cap. XIV The Scripture prohibits us to add unto or detract from these Precepts according to our Will and Pleasure but what hinders the blessed God either to add or detract when his blessed Wisdom shall think fit Which he illustrates in the foregoing Chapter by this Example among others A Physician prescribes a Diet to his Patient for such a time as he judges convenient which he doth not declare to the sick Man Now when the time
that Moses should admonish the Israelites so often diligently to pay their Tithe And the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks See concerning these XII 6. That thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always This justifies what I said that the design of this was to preserve them stedfast in their Religion by having Communion with him in so solemn a manner every year For that is meant by fearing the LORD alway continuing in the Worship and Service of him alone See VI. 1. Ver. 24. And if the way be too long for thee so that Verse 24 thou art not able to carry it or if the place be too far off from thee which the LORD thy God shall chuse c. If they lived at so great a distance from the Sanctuary or the way was so bad that it would be very troublesome and chargeable to carry those Tithes in kind here they have a liberty granted them to make Money of them and with that to buy Provision for the Feast at the Sanctuary when they came thither as it follows in the next Verse All things likewise which would not keep so long as till they could go to the House of God they were to turn into Money but things that were not perishable they were to carry in kind if they did not dwell too far off from it Ver. 25. Then shalt thou turn it into Money Adding a fifth part to it as the Law is XXVII Levit. 31. And bind up the money in thine hand and shalt go unto Verse 25 the place which the LORD thy God shall chuse Put it into a Bag by it self and not mix it with other Money but keep it bound up till the next Feast and then carry it in their hand to the place where God's House was settled God would not have them excused from going to that place with these things in kind upon every slight reason and therefore made it something chargeable to exchange them into Money by requiring a fifth part to be added And besides the Elders made a Constitution That this liberty should be allowed to none but those who lived above a days Journey from Jerusalem which at last was the fixed place of God's Worship And that it might be known certainly what was a days Journey the places at that distance were fixed from every Quarter viz. Lydda on the West the River Jordan on the East Aarabatta on the North and Elath on the South as J. Wagenseil hath observed in his Confutation of that blasphemous Book called Toldos Jeschu pag. 22. Verse 26 Ver. 26. And thou shalt bestow that Money for whatsoever thy Soul lusteth after for Oxen or for Sheep c. Purchase such Provision as they most delighted in of all Meats that God's Law allowed And thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God Make an holy Entertainment at the House of God And thou shalt rejoyce thou and thine Houshold Men-servants and Maid-servants as well as Sons and Daughters XII 18. together with the Levites Widows Orphans and Strangers Ver. 27. And the Levite that is within thy Gates thou shalt not forsake him They were always to be invited to these Feasts See XII 19. For he hath no part nor inheritance with thee They Verse 27 being wholly devoted to the Worship of God and the Study of the Law as Maimonides observes in his More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXXIX See XII 19. Ver. 28. At the end of three year thou shalt bring forth Verse 28 all the Tithe of thine Increase The Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors is that this was not a distinct Tithe from that which they call the second Tithe paid every year but the very same which every third year was not to be carried to the Sanctuary but to be employed to the Comfort of the Poor in their own Cities and Houses For thus they explain it That in the third year after the Year of Release and in the sixth year the Tithe that was wont to be carried to the place where the Sanctuary was and there spent in Feasts before God was to be spent upon the Poor in every Town where they that paid the Tithe lived But every first second fourth and fifth year from the Year of Release it was spent in holy Entertainments at the House of God In the Year of Release it self which was every seventh year no Tithes at all were paid of any kind because all lay common So that every year the owner of the Ground set out a second Tithe but he was not bound to carry it every year to Jerusalem for in the compass of seven years four of those years only were appointed for their journey thither and two they staid at home See Selden of Tithes and Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. p. 693. But this is contradicted by other great Men particularly by Bishop Mountagu who asserts these to be two distinct Tithes See p. 332 c. especially p. 346. and those that follow And Josephus seems plainly to be of his mind p. 349. Old Tobit calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the third Tithe I. 8. The Tithe of thine increase the same year i. e. Of the third year And shall lay it up within thy Gates It was not to be carried to the place where God's House was but to be spent at home Verse 29 Ver. 29. And the Levite because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee See v. 37. And the Stranger and the Fatherless and the Widow which are within thy Gates shall come and shall eat and be satisfied This Tithe was not spent in Joy and Gladness as the second Tithe was v. 26. when they went to God's dwelling place but meerly in the Relief and Comfort of the poorer sort of People who otherwise might have been forced to beg or to serve Strangers and thereby be in danger of being perverted from their Religion That the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest This Tithe the Jews say was called the Consummation of Tithes because herein the love of their Neighbours was most eminently apparent For it is likely they themselves had no share in this as they had at the Feasts upon the second Tithe but is wholly spent upon the Persons here named Whose hearts could not but be moved to pray to God for his Blessing upon them in all their Labours which he here promises to bestow CHAP. XV. Chapter XV. Verse 1. AT the end of every seventh year It Verse 1 appears from v. 9. that this Phrase signifies as much as every seventh year Thou shalt make a release Perfectly free their Brethren from all their Debts which they owed to their Creditors This year was famous not only for this but for letting Servants go free as some think XXI Exod. 2. and for letting their Ground rest XXV Levit 34. and for reading this Law publickly to all the People XXXI Deut. 10. Ver. 2. And this is the manner
was but till they had eaten the Paschal Lamb after which they might return home if they pleased So Bochartus who from hence proves that the most Solemn Days of the Feast of unleavened Bread were not observed like a Sabbath because Men might travel home upon the first Day of unleavened Bread as the whole Nation travelled out of Egypt on this day from Rameses to Succoth Yet pious People who were able to bear so great a Charge were wont no doubt to stay the whole seven Days before they returned home because the first and last Days of the Feast were great Solemnities So they did in the Passover of Hezekiah and Josiah 2 Chron. XXX 21. XXXV 17. And there being special Sacrifices to be offered every day during this Festival as was before said Solomon ben Virgoe observes that all the Country thereabouts brought their Oxen and their Sheep to be sold at this time to those who came from far so that the Mountains round about Jerusalem were covered with them and not a bit of Grass to be seen He adds also That whosoever did not come up to this Feast all his Goods were forfeited and converted to Sacred Uses Shebet Jehuda p. 378. Ver. 8. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread and Verse 8 on the seventh day shall be a solemn Assembly unto the LORD thy God This is to be understood as if he had said that after they had eaten unleavened Bread six days they should conclude the Solemnity upon the seventh day with a Solemn Assembly or as it is in the Hebrew with a restraint but still continue also on this day to eat unleavened Bread For this Feast was to last seven days and in all the foregoing Books they are expresly required to ear unleavened Bread seven days XII Exod. 15. XXIII Levit. 6. XXVIII Numb 17. A Solemn Assembly Which the Hebrews call Atzereth of the meaning of which see XXIII Lev. 36. Thou shalt do no work therein That is no Servile Work as it is explained XXVIII Numb 25. but they might dress their Meat which the LXX seems to mean by those words which they add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 save only such things as shall be done to preserve life Verse 9 Ver. 9. Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee From the morrow after the Sabbath when they brought the Sheaf of the Wave-offering as it is explained in XXIII Levit. 15. See there Begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the Corn. For they began to cut Barley at the Passover as is manifest from hence that Joshua passed over Jordan to enter into Canaan in the time of Harvest III Josh 15. and this was in the month of Nisan when they kept the Passover as appears from V Josh 10. Which Month could not be called Abib or the Month of New Fruits if some Corn was not then ripe viz. Barley This Josephus confirms Lib. III. Antiq. Cap. X. Which must be understood as Hermannus Conringius observes in his Treatise de Initio Anni Sabbatici c. of that sort of Barly which was sown in Autumn as it is this day in Frisia which required a stronger Soil than that sown in the Spring and produced a much richer Crop See Mr. Mede's Works p. 355. who observes how very different their Climate was from ours Ver. 10. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto Verse 10 the LORD thy God The reason of this Name is given in the foregoing Verse And see XXXIV Exod. 22. It was called also the Feast of Harvest See XXIII Exod. 16. With a Tribute of a Free-will-offering of thine hand which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God c. Besides those Offerings which are prescribed XXIII Levit. 17 18. XXVIII Numb 27 c. The quantity is not directed but left to every Man's Piety And whatsoever it was he brought it was wholly given to God and he that brought it had no share in it but God gave it to his Priests According as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee Though no quantity was prescribed yet God expected every Man should offer proportionably to his Estate and they who had a religious sense of God's goodness in blessing their Labours no doubt acknowledged it by a Liberal Tribute Ver. 11. And thou shalt rejoyce before the LORD thy Verse 11 God thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant and the Levite that is within thy gates c. This Feast was made of such Offerings as are mentioned XII 7 17 18 19. Ver. 12. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a Verse 12 bondman in Egypt They are often put in mind of this as an Argument to Charity particularly towards their Servants See XV. 15. And thou shalt observe and do these Statutes There was a particular reason for keeping this Feast because it was in remembrance of God's giving them his Law from Mount Sinai where he spake with them himself Ver. 13. Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days after that thou hast gathered in thy Corn and Verse 13 thy Wine This is the third great Feast at which all their Males were bound to appear every year as we read XXIII Exod. 16 17. XXXIV 22 23. Of which he puts them in mind again XXIII Levit. 34 35 36. and here v. 16. Verse 14 Ver. 14. And thou shalt rejoyce in thy Feast thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant c. There was the like Law at Athens where King Cecrops ordained as Macrobius tells us Lib. I. Saturnal Cap. X. the Master of every Family should after Harvest make a Feast for his Servants and eat together with them who had taken pains with him in tilling his Ground Delectari enim Deum honore Servorum contemplatu laboris for God delighted in the honour done to Servants in consideration of their Labour This it 's likely he learnt from Moses for he reigned at Athens much about the same time that Israel came out of Egypt and was the first as Eusebius saith who taught the Greeks to call God by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. X. Proepar Evangel which we may interpret the Living God Though therein he seems to be a little mistaken For Pausanias saith more than once both in his Arcadia and his Attica That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was the first that called Jupiter by the name of the Most High or Supream And the same we read in St. Cyril against Julian Lib. I. See Joh. Meursius de Regibus Atheniensium Lib. I. Cap. IX Verse 15 Ver. 15. Seven days shalt thou keep a Feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall chuse In order to which that it might be kept the more Solemnly it is once more enjoyned and all the Sacrifices that were to be offered in each of the seven days appointed in XXIX Numb from v.
was when a Cause came before them upon an Appeal for it was not so Criminal to disobey every Sentence of the Supream Court but only such as these or to the place where it was made which was to be no where else but at God's dwelling place or to the things about which the Decree was made which some will have to be only weighty Matters and the act of Contumacy also was considered for he was not put to death they say unless in open Court he declared a contrary Sentence The death he suffered was strangling and he could suffer in no other place but where this High Court sat See Selden of all these in the place before-mentioned N. II III IV V VI. And it may be further observed that the Prophets themselves were subject to the Power and Jurisdiction of this High Court by whom they might be sentenced to Capital Punishment if they taught contrary to the Law of God But our Mr. Thorndike makes a doubt whether the Constitution which the Jewish Writers mention about a Rebellious Elder as they call him who taught any thing contrary to the determination of this Supream Court was ever in force or no For it was made because of the differences between the Schools of Hillel and Sammai who lived not long before our Saviour's time when it appears by the Gospel that Nation had lost the Power of Life and Death See Rights of the Church Chap. V. p. 256. And thou shalt put away the evil from Israel This may refer either to the evil Person or to the great scandal and dangerous Example he gave by resisting the highest Authority and thereby breaking the Bond of Unity and Peace Verse 13 Ver. 13. And all the People shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously This Punishment was intended to strike a terror into all the People that they should not adventure to oppose the Supream Authority And for this end the Offender was to be kept in custody as R. Aquiba understood this till the next great Feast either of the Passover or Pentecost or Tabernacles and then executed when the whole Nation i. e. all the Males were present This Mr. Selden observes in the forenamed place N. VII is the most received Opinion though R. Jehuda saith they did not make the Sentence sharper by a long delay but executed it presently And for the further publication of it they sent Letters to all the Tribes and Cities of Israel to give notice that such a Man was executed at such a time for this Crime See Selden there N. VIII Verse 14 Ver. 14. And when thou comest into the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee and shalt possess it and shalt dwell therein When they had conquered the Land of Canaan and were settled in it And shalt say I will set a King over me The Jews commonly from this and the next Verse fancy that God commanded them to make a King when they came to the Land of Canaan and had a quiet possession of it following herein the Gemara of the Sanhedrim Cap. II. Insomuch that they have presumed to make this an affirmative Precept That a King of the People should be chosen and quote this place for it To which some Learned Men among Christians have seemed to incline particularly Petrus Cunaeus Lib. de Republ. Hebr. Cap. XIV and Guil. Schikardus in his Jus Regium Cap. I. Theor. I. But Abarbinel himself contradicts this and so doth Josephus who observes that God intended they should keep their present Government but if they would have a King he should be one of their Brethren For thus he interprets this place Lib. I. Antiq. Cap. VIII that they should not affect any other Government but love the present having the Laws for their Master and living according to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is sufficient that God is your Ruler And then he adds but if you desire to have a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be one of your own Nation as it here follows in the next Verse Like as all the Nations that are about me Such as the Edomites who had been governed by Kings before the days of Moses See XXXVI Gen. 31. Ver. 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee Install and receive him into the Throne Whom the LORD thy God shall choose They could not elect whom they pleased but the first King at least was to be appointed oy God himself who was their Supream Governour So the People understood it when they desired Samuel who was their chief Ruler under God to make them a King 1 Sam. VIII 5. but durst not to presume to set one up of themselves And to confirm them in this Opinion Samuel saith to Saul 1 Sam. X. 1. The LORD hath anointed thee to be Captain over his Inheritance and saith to all the People v. 24. See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen And accordingly when the lot was to be cast to show who was to be their King Samuel bids all the Tribes present themselves before the LORD v. 19. And when it fell upon Saul and they could not find him they enquired of the LORD and the LORD answered where he was v. 22. In like manner when Saul was rejected the LORD himself appointed David to be anointed their King and settled that Authority in his Family And to determine which of his Sons should have it God himself appointed his immediate Successor viz. Solomon For so David declares to all the Princes and the great Men whom he assembled before his death Of all my Sons the LORD hath chosen Solomon to sit upon the Throne of the Kingdom of the LORD God of Israel 1 Chron. XXVIII 5. And again XXIX 1. David said unto all the Congregation Solomon my son whom alone God hath chosen is yet young c. But though it was thus in the beginning of this Kingdom yet God intended at length to make it hereditary as appears from v. 20. of this Chapter One from amongst thy Brethren shalt thou set over thee i. e. Saith the Tradition mentioned by the Jews out of Tosiphta the most select and choice Person that could be found not one of mean Extraction or Employment This they fancy is meant by from among thy brethren Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother This the Jews extend to all Offices whatsoever as Maimonides reports their sense See Selden Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. XX. p. 647. And by thy brother some of them understand one that was an Israelite both by Father and Mother though others think it sufficient if a King was an Israelite by the Mother's side See there Cap. XXII Which in his Book de Succession ad Pontificat Lib. II. he shows was sufficient for any Dignity among the Israelites but only the Priesthood See also Lib. III. de Synedr Cap. IX N. VI. where he observes the Talmudists say the great Sanhedrim was
Abominations which no doubt had some relation to Idolatry and therefore were forbidden to the Israelites Ver. 13. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy Verse 13 God This shows there was something of Idolatrous Worship in all the forenamed Practices which if they followed it was in some degree to forsake the LORD on whom they were wholly to depend and seek to him alone in the ways which he had prescribed in his Laws For this was to be perfect with the LORD to have nothing to do with any other god nor with the Rites and Ceremonies that were used in their Worship And therefore the LXX translate this word sometimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XXII Job 3. as well as by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for then they were perfect with God when they kept his Worship simple and pure without the mixture of any Forreign Religion Which the whole Context shows to be the sense both in the words foregoing and followng Ver. 14. For those Nations which thou shalt possess hearkned unto observers of times and to diviners The ancient Heathen as Strabo tells us Lib. VI. had these Verse 14 Diviners in such esteem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they thought them worthy of the highest Authority But God would not have his People so much as to consult such Persons for it appears by these words that not only they who were Diviners for instance but they who hearkned to them were odious to God For that even the Art of Divination depended upon some Idolatrous Opinions and Practices appears evidently even from the most refined Account we have of it in ancient Authors For Instance Ammianus Marcellinus who to acquit his Master Julian from the suspicion of Sorcery which some said he used to get the fore-knowledge of things future makes it a principal point of Wisdom not unworthy such a Prince who was a professed Lover of all Sciences to offer placatory Sacrifices to draw in the Spirit of all the Elements to endue him with a Spirit of Divination For so his words are in the beginning of his One and twentieth Book The spirit of all the Elements being alway and every way invigorated with the fore-perceiving motion of the everlasting i. e. the heavenly bodies make us partakers of the gifts of divining and the substantial Powers ritu diverso placatae being rendred favourable by respective Rites i. e. such as were proper and sutable to each of them convey Praedictions to Mortality as from so many perpetual Springs or Fountains Over which Substantial Powers the goddess Themis is said to praeside c. Which shows that Julian who called Jupiter the most high god the king of all yet courted other inferiour powers by such rites as he imagined would win their favour which was rank Idolatry But as for thee the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do But absolutely forbad it XIX Lev. 31. XX. 6. where he warns them to have nothing to do with some of the Persons here mentioned and not only instructed them in the way to live happily but established an Oracle among them to be consulted on all weighty occasions and governed them by Men whom he had endued with his Spirit XI Numb 16 17 25. Therefore if any Israelite practised any of the things here forbidden though he did not worship any Idol he was scourged by the Sentence of the Court of Judgment See Selden Lib. de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. VII Ver. 15. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Verse 15 Prophet Since the Jews as all other Nations were extreamly desirous to know things to come Moses reveals unto them from God a thing future of the highest importance viz. the Coming of CHRIST and the greatness of his Authority and in after times God revealed to them by degrees the time of his Birth his Death Resurrection c. The Jews indeed commonly take these words to be a promise of a constant Succession of Prophets that should be among them to preserve them from going to such Diviners as were famous among their Heathen Neighbours and thus many Christian Interpreters make out the connexion of these words with the foregoing But though this may be allowed to be intimated and this Promise be acknowledged to be partly verified in those Prophets which God raised up from Age to Age after Moses for further knowledge of his Will as the promise of a Saviour was in part verified in those Judges and Kings by whom God delivered his People from their Enemies yet it is very evident that he speaks of a single Prophet more eminent than all the rest and that these words in their most literal sense cannot belong to any other Person but the MESSIAH So that albeit the continuance of Prophets among this People was a means to prevent all occasions of consulting Sorcerers or Witches yet the chief ground upon which Moses disswades them from such practices according to the literal connexion of these words with the foregoing the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee to do so i. e. to hearken unto Observers of Times and Diviners was the consideration of their late mighty Deliverance by Moses the excellency of their present Law which God had given them for their direction and their expectation of a greater Law-giver in future times when the first Covenant should wax old and Prophecy it self for a long time fail as it did before the Coming of this great Prophet the LORD CHRIST To this purpose Dr. Jackson in his Third Book upon the Creed Chap. XXI paragr 19. From the midst of thee of thy brethren It was a great honour to them to have such a Prophet as is here spoken of arise out of their Nation but as he was after a peculiar sort raised up by JEHOVAH not meerly by the External Assistances or Impulsion of his Spirit to use the words of the same excellent Person paragr 9. but by intrinsick assumption into the Unity of his Person So likewise he was raised up in a strict and proper sense from the midst of them being as it were extracted out of a pure Virgin as the first Woman was out of the Man by the Almighty's own immediate hand Like unto me This shows he speaks of a single Prophet and not of a constant Succession of Prophets there being none of them like to Moses whom God himself distinguished from them all XII Numb 6 7 8. And accordingly that Divine Writer who added those Verses which are at the end of this Book concerning the Death of Moses testifies that there never rose in Israel a Prophet like to Moses See XXXIV Deut. 10. It is commonly thought to be done by Ezra who hath effectually confuted all the Conceits of R. Bechai Aben-Ezra Abarbinel and other Jewish Doctors who take either Joshua or Jeremiah to have been this Prophet If Joshua as some fancy added these words then he excluded himself from being the Person nor did Joshua act as a Prophet but
to have married her But all this is judged by the famous Abarbinel upon 2 Sam. XIII to be very absurd and neither believes that David would have committed such a Fact as to lie with a Woman in her Gentilism nor if he had that this Child would have been lookt upon as a Gentile since he afterward married her Mother And therefore he takes those words of Tamar v. 13. Speak to the King and he will not withhold me from thee to be a meer put off as we speak to get rid of his Company which Amnon understood very well who knowing he could not have her to Wife proceeded to force her Ver. 14. And it shall be if thou have no delight in Verse 14 her then thou shalt let her go whither she will If at the Months end or before his Mind was changed and he did not like to take her for his Wife then he might neither meddle with her any more as the Hebrew Doctors understand it nor keep her any longer as a Slave nor sell her or make merchandise of her as the Text here expresly orders but give her liberty to go whither she her self thought good This he lost say the Jews by his short pleasure he took at first For other Captives whom a Man had made himself Master of by the Law of War he might imploy in his Work as Slaves or make Money of them but one whom he had lain with he was either to marry or set her a liberty This they ground upon the last words of this Verse which I shall show may have another interpretation And therefore I shall not insist upon their sense which depends upon the same words who think Moses speaks of his not likeing her after she was become his Wife her Humour Manners and Conversation being disagreeable to him in which case he was to give her a Bill of Divorce as he might do another Wife but not keep her as a Slave Because thou hast humbled her It must be acknowledged that this is an usual Phrase for having had Carnal Knowledge of a Woman as the Scripture modestly elsewhere speaks in the like case It signifies so in the very next Chapter of this Book XXII Deut. 29. XIX Judg. 24. XX. 2. and many other places where it is used for Violence offered to a Woman which was the greatest Affliction to her as the Hebrew word properly signifies From which I see no reason why we should depart in this place for it was sufficient Affliction and Humiliation to a Captive Woman as Carpsovius observes in his Annotations upon Schickard's Book which I have so often named that after she had been brought into a Souldiers House and kept there a Month having her Head shaved Garments changed c. in hope of Marriage she was rejected at last when it should have been consummated And thus Abarbinel here understands the word humbled not of his lying with her but of all the forementioned Conditions which were imposed upon her as a preparation for his Bed and of her disappointment after she had submitted to be baptized And indeed the Hebrew word denotes any sort of Affliction See I Exod. 11. LXXXVIII Psal 8. LXXXIX 23. XC 15. XCIV 5 c. Verse 15 Ver. 15. If a Man have two Wives one beloved and another hated That is less loved as the word hated sometimes signifies XXIX Gen. 31. VI Matth. 24. R. Solomon thinks that this Case follows the other because it might so happen that if a Man suffered himself to be carried with too violent a passion towards such a Woman as is before-mentioned it might turn into hatred when he found her not to be agreeable to him And they have born him Children both the beloved and the hated Towards which it was likely he would be affected very differently as he was to his Wives And if the first-born Son be hers that was hated As it fell out in the Case of Leah and Rachel Ver. 16. Then it shall be when he makes his Sons to Verse 16 inherit that which he hath that he may not make the Son of the beloved first-born c. He speaks of Sons for Daughters were not to have a double Portion And he speaks of Sons as the Jews will have it born before the death of their Father to whom he divided his Inheritance For a posthumous Son had not a double Portion as the Gemara upon Bathra saith See Selden de Successionibus Cap. VII p. 29. Ver. 17. But he shall acknowledge the Son of the hated Verse 17 for the first-born Which had his first love and was to enjoy the effects of it By giving him a double portion of all that he hath Of all that he was in possession of when he died but not of that which was his in Reversion after his death as Mr. Selden shows the Opinion of the Jewish Lawyers is Lib. de Success Cap. VI. p. 24. For he is the beginning of his strength See XLIX Gen. 1. The right of the first-born is his By a very ancient Custom antecedent to the Law which made the first-born the Head of the Family and gave him as much more as any of his Brethren of the Estate belonging to it that he might be able to maintain and support the Dignity of it XXV Gen. 31. But if there was no Son and the Inheritance was to be divided among Daughters the eldest Daughter had not a double share of the Estate as Mr. Selden shows in the same Book Cap. VIII Verse 18 Ver. 18. If a Man have a stubborn and rebellious Son By a stubborn Son the Jews understand one that will not do as he is bidden and by a rebellious one that doth what he is forbidden And they imagine this Law is annexed to the foregoing about the marriage of a Souldier to a Captive Woman because the Issue of such Marriages commonly proved refractory or at least gave their Parents great trouble So Schickard observes out of Tanchuma And they confirm it by an Example out of Scripture viz. the two Children of David Absolom and Tamar who were both born of a Captive Woman made a Proselyte the former of which conspired the Death of his Father and the other being ravished by Amnon was the occasion of the Death of some of her Brethren Mischpat Hammelech Cap. V. Theorem XVII Which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice of his Mother Behaved himself not only undutifully but crosly to them and with such contempt of their Authority as argued he had not only lost all filial Affection and Reverence to them but would if he could undo them And that when they have chastned him will not hearken unto them Is never the better for Admonitions Reprehensions and Corrections which they were bound to give him Verse 19 Ver. 19. Then shall his Father and his Mother lay hold of him It is absurd to say as the Hebrew Doctors do in their qualifications of this Law that his Parents were with
was hanged VIII Josh 29. and five Kings more X. 26. and they were not hanged because they were Blasphemers or Idolaters for then all the rest of the Canaanites should have been so treated but because they were such Enemies of God as had rebelliously withstood the gracious Summons of Surrender And there are other Examples also which confute this as the two Traitors that murdered Isbosheth 2 Sam. IV. 12. and the five Sons of Saul 2 Sam. XXI 9. It is more probable therefore that all those whom the Judges thought to be such great Offenders that it was fit to make them very publick Examples were hanged up after they had suffered the punishment of Death to which they were sentenced This seems to be denoted in the word Chatta which signifies sometimes a very great Crime as appears from XII Hosea 8. where he speaks of iniquity which is sin Not as if all iniquity were not sin but some acts of iniquity were not so heinous as to be called by that name And thou hang him After he had been put to death as appears by the foregoing words which speak of his being put to death before this Suspension Which shows that this Punishment was not the same with the Roman Crucifixion as Baronius Sigonius Lipsius and others have mistaken for they hanged Men alive upon the Gibbet whereby they expired before they were taken down But this was only hanging up their Bodies after they were dead and exposing them to open shame for a time On a Tree On a piece of Timber saith the Sanhedrim struck into the Ground out of which came a Beam whereunto his Hands were tied as they tell us in the place before-mentioned And so Schickard in his Mischpat Hammelech Cap. IV. Theor XIV So that his Body hung in such a posture as crucified Men did Ver. 23. His body shall not remain all night upon the Tree but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day This is excellently interpreted by Josephus Lib. IV. Archaeol Verse 23 Cap. VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having remained the whole day a Spectacle unto all he was to be buried at night for as soon as the Sun went down the Body also was taken down Examples of which we have in the Book of Joshua VIII 29. X. 26 27. In which he is far more sincere then their Rabbins who say the Law was satisfied if they hanged up the Body just before the setting of the Sun and presently after took it down again Which Exposition seems to have been contrived in favour of their Country-men for only Israelites they confess were to be thus exposed not Proselytes of the Gate as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. c. Cap. XII For he that is hanged is accursed of God The Jews interpret this Clause as if the meaning were he was hanged because he blasphemed God So Onkelos himself and the Samaritan Versions with those of the Spanish and Mauritanian Jews as Selden observes L. II. de Synedr Cap. XIII N. IV. And Hottinger in his Smegma Orientale p. 96 97. But though this be a common Opinion among the Hebrew Doctors yet the LXX have taken the sense right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cursed of God is every one that is hanged on a Tree And so S. Paul III Galat. with very little difference For they observed what those Doctors did not that Moses doth not here give a reason why the Man was hanged up but why he was to be taken down from the Gallows Now what Consequence is there in this Let him be taken down and buried because he cursed God Every one sees that though the word cursed should be taken in an active sense this is not a right interpretation of these words For though it had been good sense to have said Let him be hanged because he cursed God yet not let him be taken down for that reason Now such Persons are said here to be accursed of God not because they were hanged up but because of their Sin which deserved they should be thus exposed So S. Hierom upon III Galatians Non ideo maledictus quia pendet sed ideo pendet quia maledictus He was not accursed because he was hanged but he was therefore hanged because he was accursed Hanging up being a Token that the Man had committed a horrid Crime whereby he had incurred the high displeasure of Almighty God So that every one who saw him hang on that fashion were to think with themselves This Man was under the Curse of God because of his Sin And unless he had undergone this Curse he could not have been buried and put into the Condition of other Men. But when he had undergone it for his Sin then it had been a sin in the People not to have taken him down or prolonged his Suspension longer than God imposed this Curse upon him And the Land had been defiled if after this Suffering which God had appointed they had not buried him To this purpose Abarbinel who refutes several other accounts of this matter particularly that of Sol. Jarchi who thinks he was not to hang longer than till the Evening because it would have been a dishonour to the Soveraign of the World after whose Image Man was made This is followed by many and even by Grotius himself who gives no other reason of it in his Book de Jure Belli Pacis Lib. II. Cap. XIX Sect. IV. But this is a reason as Abarbinel notes why he should not have been hanged up at all It may be also usefully noted further that they say in the Tract called Sanhedrim that not only the Malefactor but all the Instruments of Punishment were to be buried at the going down of the Sun Even the Tree it self upon which he was hanged was to be buried that no memory of so foul a thing might be left in the World nor any might say Behold this was the Tree upon which such a one was hang'd That the Land be not defiled which the LORD thy God giveth thee By the stench of the Body after it putrified as the same Abarbinel expounds it who observes that the dead Body of no Creature corrupts and stinks sooner than that of a Man which is exceeding offensive to the living For which cause saith he the Book Siphre determines not only that all Malefactors should be buried as soon as the Law here orders that they might not imitate the manners of the Egyptians and Philistims and such like People who let Bodies rot in the Air after they were hanged up but that every Man should bury his dead the same day they died or be deemed to have transgressed a Negative Precept Which may pass for a very good natural reason of it but there is something more in it respecting a Legal Pollution under which their whole Country lay as long as an accursed thing hung openly among them just as all that entred into the Tent where a dead Body lay and all that
at their number For if only the Ten Commandments fewer than Twelve would serve if the whole Book of Deuteronomy so many were not sufficient As for the Marginal Reference in our Bibles unto IV Josh 1. it can have no respect to this place for those Twelve Stones were ordered to be taken our of Jordan and left there where they lodged that Night which was at Gilgal See there v. 3 8 20. And plaister them with plaister That being plain and smooth they might write what is here commanded upon them which they could not do while they were rough and uneven Ver. 3. And thou shalt write upon them all the words Verse 3 of this Law Many think he means the whole Book of Deuteronomy which because it is long great stones are ordered to be provided for this purpose Others think only the Ten Commandments are here intended which were the principal words of the Covenant as Moses calls this Law XXIX 1. But Josephus L. IV. Archaeol Cap. ult is of opinion that he means the Cursings which here follow from v. 15. to the end of the Chapter Which is no improbable Opinion they containing several select Precepts and the last of them seems to respect the whole Law of Moses v. 26. But however we understand this it is certain that before the use of Paper was found out the Ancients particularly the Phoenicians and Egyptians were wont to write their minds upon Stones as a great many Authors testifie mentioned by Huetius Who observes that this Custom continued long after the Invention of Paper especially if they desired any thing should be vulgarly known and conveyed down to Posterity See Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. Cap. II. N. XV. where he observes that Moses ordered the Book of Deuteronomy to be inscribed upon Stones I suppose he means all the Laws contained in this Book not all the Exhortations and Historical passages which agrees very well with this Injunction that they should write on the stones all the words of this Law When thou art passed over that thou mayest go in unto the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee c. When they were gone over Jordan to take possession of the Land of Canaan and were come to the place where he directed these Stones to be set up and this Inscription made upon them Which place is particularly named in the next Verse And from these words Fortunatus Scacchus thinks he hath reason to assert that none of the things forementioned are meant by the words of this Law here commanded to be written But that upon the very top of these Stones or the Altar made of them as he would have it understood were written only the words of this Covenant whereby the People of Israel confessed themselves to have received the Land of Canaan from God and to hold it on Condition of their Obedience unto him For so he interprets the words write upon them in summa superficie And to make us know what he means by the words of this Law he thinks the following words are added That thou mayest go in unto the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee c. That is thou shalt declare who brought thee hither and gave thee possession of this Country and upon what Condition viz. that thou shouldst keep the Commands given to thee by God in Horeb. And therefore Moses doth not bid them write on the Stones the Law of the LORD nor the Law absolutely but the words of this Law Where the demonstrative Particle hazoth limits the sense to the present Matter of which he is speaking Thus he Myrothec 2. Sacror Elaeochrism Cap. LVII where he endeavours to strengthen this Interpretation by observing that after this Command for writing this Law upon the Stones Moses and the Priests and Levites spake unto all Israel saying Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the People of the LORD thy God c. v. 9 10. Ver. 4. Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Verse 4 Jordan that ye shall set up these stones This Phrase set up seems to imply that they were a kind of Pillars erected for this purpose that the Inscription might appear more fairly upon them In Mount Ebal Here the Samaritan Pentateuch hath in Mount Gerizim which is a manifest corruption to justifie their building a Temple there which they pretend God commanded in these words Ver. 5. And there shalt thou build an Altar unto the Verse 5 LORD thy God That they might offer Sacrifice to God and renew their Covenant with him An Altar of Stones Upon which Josephus himself fancies the forenamed Inscription was to be made and so the Talmudists also in Mischna Sota Cap. VII But it is plain the Stones designed for that use were to be set up before the Altar was built the intention of it being as I shall show presently that they might promise to observe the words which were there written Thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them See XX Exod. 25. Verse 6 Ver. 6. Thou shalt build the Altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones Not hewn nor polished whereby all manner of imagery was avoided Such Rustick Altars of rough Stone piled one upon another were in use among the Heathen who seem to have imitated this Pattern The Form of one of them Fortunatus Scacchus hath given us out of some ancient Monuments at Brixia related by Octavius Roscius See his forenamed Book Cap. LIX p. 585. Such Altars the Israelites were permitted to build upon some special occasion as Gideon and Manoah did VI Judg. 24 26. XIII 19. and Samuel 1 Sam. VII 17. and Saul 1 Sam. XIV 35. and David 2 Sam. XXIV 25. And such an one Moses himself built XXIV Exod. 4. And as Moses there set up Twelve Pillars according to the number of the Tribes of Israel when they entred into Covenant with God at Horeb so the forementioned Author thinks at the Confirmation of it when they came into Canaan they built not Twelve Altars but heaped up Twelve Stones which made one Altar without any Cost at all bestowed upon it And thus Elijah took Twelve Stones and on a sudden built an Altar with them when he endeavoured to bring the Israelites back again into the Covenant of God 1 Kings XVIII 31 32. And thou shalt offer Burnt-offerings thereon As they did at Horeb XXIV Exod. 5. and as Joshua did when they came into Canaan and had built the Altar here commanded VIII Josh 31. which Burnt-offerings were an acknowledgment of God's Soveraign Dominion over them and that they held this Land of him as their Supream LORD from whom they had received it They kept the Passover as soon as they came into Canaan but we read of no Altar erected nor Burnt-Sacrifices offered till they came to Ebal Ver. 7. And thou shalt offer Peace-offerings So Verse 7 Moses also did at Horeb as we read in the forenamed place XXIV Exod. 5. and so Joshua did
was resolved by the common consent of all Christians that no Jew should live in their Territories but be driven out of them throughout all the World By which means the greatest part of them died of several kinds of death or made away themselves so that vix pauci residui fierent in orbe Romano there remained but a very few of them in the Roman World They are the words of Glauber who relates this Lib. III. Cap. VII Verse 63 Ver. 63. And it shall come to pass as the LORD rejoyced over you to do you good and to multiply you so the LORD will rejoyce over you to destroy you and to bring you to nought The state of the Jews from the time of Adrian till the expiration of the Roman Empire cannot be gathered from the Roman Writers but the Fathers of the Church often mention their Miseries and so do their own Authors Particularly the Author of Schebet Jehuda who saith It is not in the power of Man to tell all the Kingdoms and Cities where they were scattered in which they suffered things so horrid that it is fitter to pass them over in silence than to relate them But therein was verified the Divine Prediction XXVI Lev. 38. Ye shall perish among the heathen and the Land of your Enemies shall eat you up Sect. XLIX And Dr. Jackson to explain this hath more particularly observed That as God raised up Cyrus in testimony of his rejoycing to do them good who released them from their Captivity in Babylon so to give the World a proof of his rejoycing to destroy them and bring them to nought he advanced Philip Augustus to the Crown of France about An. 1179. to defeat all the hopes which some kindness shown unto them had put into their hearts For he spoiled their Synagogues of all their Donatives and Ornaments confiscated all their Lands and immoveable Goods and granted a Release of all Debts due unto them from Christians See Book I. upon the Creed Cap. XXVIII Paragr 13. And ye shall be plucked from off the Land whither thou goest to possess it This was wonderfully fulfilled by Adrian who after the strange Desolation before-mentioned prohibited by a Publick Decree ratified with the Senates consent any Jew to come within sight of Judaea This he did out of a politick respect lest the sight of their Native Soil might inspire them with some fresh desperate Resolutions to endeavour their Settlement there again but herein he was unwittingly the Angel of God as the same excellent Person speaks to keep this wicked Race out of that Paradise the good Land out of which he had driven them Verse 64 Ver. 64. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people That was the effect of Adrian's severe Decree of not coming within view of their own Country which made them disperse all the World over where they could find any admittance From the one end of the earth even unto the other Such as were carried Captive in Adrian's War were transported by his order into Spain his own native Country which was then accounted the End of the World westward And many of them it is evident by their own Books fled to Babylon and the Countries thereabout which was as far as they knew Eastward In Spain they continued many years in great abundance as it were expecting a Wind for their Passage to some place more distant from their ancient Seat And who knows whether many of them have not since the discovery of America been transported thither as I before observed Certain it is that the Jews themselves are sensible this Prophecy was not fulfilled till this their last dispersion after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans For thus R. Isaac who had occasion to mention these words in his Munimen Fidei lately brought to light by Wagenseil Perek VI. glosses upon them In the Roman Captivity the Jews were dispersed and dissipated through all the Regions of the East and of the West For every Nation of which the Roman Army consisted when they returned to their own Countries carried some of them along with them into Greece Germany Italy Spain France and all other Countries which either Christians or Mahometans now possess And there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have known even wood and stone Here that excellent Person I have so often mentioned Dr. Jackson commends it to the Readers consideration whether this part of Moses his Prophecy may not be understood of the Convert Jews throughout the Pope's Dominions who are often urged to commit Idolatry with Stocks and Stones upon more tyrannical terms if they gain-say than their forefathers were either by the Assyrians Chaldaeans Egyptians Romans or any whatsoever that led them Captive out of their Land If it be said There is a great difference between the Heathen Idolatry and the present Image-worship in the Roman Church it is granted the Idolatry is of a divers kind and so it seems Moses meant when he threatens the Jews after their final Transportation into these Western Countries should serve such gods as their fathers had not known for their Fore-fathers before Moses his time and after had known the Heathen gods too well but were perfect Strangers to this Image-worship now in use And to strengthen this interpretation it ought to be observed that these words which neither thou nor thy fathers have known are omitted in the thirty sixth Verse of this Chapter where he speaks of their serving of other gods of wood and stone as he doth here But that part of the Prophecy belongs to what they did in the first Captivity into Babylon as Manasseh ben Israel observes Who understands these words to be a Prophecy of what they have suffered in this last Dispersion For reciting these words Lib. III. de Termino Vitae Sect. 3. p. 131. as containing the greatest Calamity that hath befaln them he saith This we see fulfilled after a singular manner in this present Captivity because of all those Evils wherewith the Hebrews have been afflicted in France and England and Spain For they had been often pressed either to renounce their Religion or to be undone and many times chose rather to comply with the Idolatrous Worship in the Roman Church then be banished and have their Goods confiscated Verse 65 Ver. 65. And among these Nations shalt thou find no rest This was wonderfully fulfilled in the Ages which followed that in which Adrian lived when they both disturbed others and could find no rest themselves For in the third Century they raised Sedition in the Reign of Severus by whom they suffered very much about the Year 202. after our Saviour's Birth And in the next Century we are informed by St. Chrysostom in his second Oration against the Jews Tom. VI. Edit Savil. p. 333. That they rebelled again in the Time of Constantine who causing their Ears to be cropt off dispersed them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as vile Fugitives and
21. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel Though he offended Verse 21 never so secretly for he speaks of one that blessed himself in his heart c. v. 19. God threatens to make him a publick and notorious Example of his Vengeance to all the People of Israel According to all the Curses of the Covenant that are written in the Book of the Law It was a singular condescension in the Divine Majesty to enter into Covenant with them but it contained not only Blessings to the obedient but Curses upon the disobedient the latter of which were as certain as the former Ver. 22. So that the Generations to come of your Children Verse 22 that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a far Land shall say That which follows v. 24. When they see the Plagues of that Land This shows that these Threatnings are denounced not meerly against a simple Idolater but such an one as made it his endeavour to draw others from the Worship of God not being content to be drunk himself with Heathenish Superstition but zealous to intoxicate as many as he could with it and to root true Religion out of the Nation And the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it In the Hebrew it is The sicknesses wherewith he hath made it sick i. e. the heavy Punishments which he hath inflicted upon it and thereby made it a miserable Nation Ver. 23. And that the whole Land is brimstone and salt and burning Or as it may be translated Is burnt up with brimstone and salt For these make Land Verse 23 barren and unfruitful as Pliny particularly observes of Salt Lib. XXX Cap. VII Omnis locus in quo reperitur Sal sterilis est nihilque gignit All ground in which Salt is found is barren and produceth nothing See IX Judges 45. CVII Psal 34. XVII Jerem 6. XLVII Ezek. 11. II Zephan 9. That it is not sown nor beareth nor any grass groweth therein That neither Nature nor Art will make it fruitful Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim And the Country about them which was the most beautiful of all other in that part of the World XIII Gen. 10. but on a sudden turned into a filthy stinking Lake where no Creature neither Fish nor Fowl can live Which the LORD overthrew in his anger and in his wrath Being highly incensed by their wickedness See Gen. XVIII 20. XIX 24 25. as he was by the wickedness of the Jews which was the more provoking because they had such an example of his Vengeance continually before their eyes and yet went on in their evil ways till they brought the like Judgment upon all Judoea This was more exactly fulfilled in the last destruction of the Jews by the Romans than in their first by the Babylonians For the whole Land was laid waste and deserted by its Inhabitants and made a Den of Thieves being brought to desolation by repeated returns of Wars More especially in the time of Adrian when Julius Severus as I observed upon the foregoing Chapter made such a devastation that the whole Country was turned in a manner into a Wilderness Ver. 24. Even all Nations shall say All that were near them or came that way from far Countries as it goes before v. 22. Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this Land Verse 24 Which he formerly made so populous and plenteous And what means the heat of this great anger These exceeding dreadful Calamities which evidently proceeded from a Divine Vengeance For the Jews fought so valiantly and defended Jerusalem so resolutely as appears by Josephus that the Author of Schebet Juda had reason to say that it was not want of Arms nor the unusual terrour of new Machines but the Anger of God provoked by their Wickedness which was the true and only Cause of their destruction And indeed Titus himself said as much that God fought for the Romans and drove the Jews from their Fortifications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what could the hands of Men or Machines have done against such strong Towers See Chap. XXXII v. 22. Ver. 25. Then shall men say because they have forsaken Verse 25 the Covenant of the LORD God of their Fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt This account must be supposed to be given by the pious Jews or by those who were made sensible when it was too late how stedfast God was in his Covenant which contained Curses as well as Blessings as was before observed v. 21. And see VII 9 10. XI 26 27 28. Ver. 26. For they went and served other gods and Verse 26 worshipped them whom they knew not This aggravated their sin that they sought for acquaintance with strange gods directly contrary to the Covenant of God XII 30 31. And whom he had not given unto them Or as it is in the Margin had not given or divided to them any portion that is never bestowed any benefit upon them as the LORD their God had done who brought them out of Egypt Or more simply as Bootius thinks the words will bear to whom no worship belonged Verse 27 Ver. 27. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this Land to bring upon it all the Curses that are written in this Book So Moses foretold them VII 4. XI 16 17. Verse 28 Ver. 28. And the LORD rooted them out of their Land in anger and wrath and in great indignation Here is one word more to express his displeasure against them than was used before when he speaks of the destruction of Sodom c. v. 23. And they all denote the great Plagues threatned in XXVI Levit. and in the foregoing Chapter of this Book And cast them into another Land as it is this day This may seem to relate only to their Captivity in Babylon for after they were rooted out by the Romans they were scattered into all Lands XXVIII 63 64. But considering what goes before v. 23 24. and that they were not quite rooted out many of them remaining in the Land when Nebuchadnezzar conquered them till the desolation made by the Romans I think these words relate to them also and another Land is only the singular number as is usual for the plural And so the Author of Schebet Juda understood it who quoting these words cast them out into another land adds which experience now proves to be true Verse 29 Ver. 29. The secret things belong unto the LORD our God but those that are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever c. The Jews generally take these words to be meant of the punishment of secret sins particularly of Idolatry spoken of before v. 19. which belongeth unto God as the punishment of open sins belonged unto them in obedience to his Law who commanded them to put to death him that seduced any Person to Idolatry and to raze the
will deliver them but if they did repent he would shorten the days of their Banishment and immediately bring them to their own Land Thus the ancient Nitzacon set forth not long ago by Wagenseil p. 254. And R. Isaac since him and more lately often insists upon this in his Chissuk Emuna published by the same very learned Person Particularly Perck VII where he saith There can be no time prefixed for their Deliverance because it depends upon their Repentance whereby they may cut off the length of this Banishment provided they turn to God with their whole heart and a full repentance For which he alledges this place And he repeats it again Perck XXVII as the great comfort they have in this long Banishment that upon their perfect Repentance God will be merciful to them and overcome their Sins and perform this Promise Which I find still more lately mentioned in Manasseh ben Israel his Book de Termino Vitae L. III. Sect. III. where he saith Herein all the Prophets imitate Moses being wont after terrible Threatnings to conclude with some singular Consolation Which made R. Aquiba as the Talmudists report fall a laughing when all the wise Men who were with him wept and lamented at the sight of the ruins of Jerusalem and the Temple Which they wondering at he said After the Clouds the Sun will break out and after the end of the Evils which Moses threatned we may hope for good things for God is not more faithful in fulfilling the one than in performing the other But alas in all Ages hitherto there are no signs of Repentance much less of a perfect one but they have been strangely hardned in their unbelief and have bitterly reproached the LORD Jesus and his Religion Abarbinel himself though a Gentleman of a noble Family a well bred Person and of an excellent Understanding is extreamly guilty of this And since his time Solomon Virgae in the Age before us considering the astonishing Plagues that have befaln them and that never any People as he acknowledges conflicted with so many Miseries and for so many Ages as they have done enquires the Causes why the Divine Majesty should be so angry with them He reckons Seven among which he accounts the putting of Jesus of Nazareth to death as one yet not as a Crime but that which hath enraged Christians against them For he wickedly illustrates this by that Speech of Moses VIII Exod. 24. which he thus translates If we slay and sacrifice the abominable gods of the Egyptians in their sight will they not stone us Which is the highest Reproach he could vomit against our Saviour mingled with the most stupid folly in giving that as a Reason of the Divine Anger which at the most is only a Reason in their account of Mens indignation Schebet Jehuda Sect. LXIII The most cruel Usage which they have met with in all Christian Countries might thus exasperate and embitter their Spirits and I cannot excuse the violent hatred of Christians to them and their barbarous treatment of them though they therein fulfilled the Divine Threatnings as I have shewn upon the Twenty eighth Chapter which being ceased since the Reformation of Religion the Jews have not been so virulent against our blessed Saviour and it is to be hoped will be won to the Obedience of Faith by our Christian usage of them when those other stumbling Blocks which hinder their Conversion are removed out of the way Ver. 5. And the LORD thy God will bring thee into Verse 5 the Land which thy fathers possessed and thou shalt possess it Be again planted in it as they were at their return from the Captivity of Babylon especially after they had laid the foundation of the House of the LORD he blessed them exceedingly II Haggai 18 19. VIII Zachar. 7 8 9 10 11 12. And he will do thee good The Prophet Zachary hath given a full Explication of these words VIII 13 14 15. And the Prophet Jeremy before him XXXII 42 43 c. which was fulfilled in the building of the House of the LORD though great opposition was made to it and in the compassing Jerusalem with Walls and settling them in a state of liberty according to the Prophecy of Isaiah LII 1 2. And multiply thee above thy fathers The Hebrew words import that he would make them greater then their fathers Which he did by their vast increase after they returned from Babylon See VIII Zachar. 4 5. and before him I Hosea 10. Which is manifest from their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. spreading themselves in so many Colonies through all Asia both the great and the less with Egypt Greece Italy and Spain See Strabo Lib. XVI concerning Joppa By this means they were very much exalted as Zachariah prophecied after the Captivity XII 6. for as they had their liberty in their own Country God being a Wall of Fire to them while Jerusalem had no Walls so they spread themselves as I said and had their Synagogues in Babylon Arabia Syria and divers other Countries before-mentioned and a great many Proselytes also joyned themselves to them Yet one cannot well think that so magnificent a Prophecy as this is was intirely fulfilled after their return from Babylon when they were Tributaries to the Persians and afterwards fell under the power of the Graecians under whom they suffered very much especially in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes whose death did not conclude their Troubles as Hermannus Witsius hath shown at large in his Decaphylon Cap. X. N. 9 10 11 12 c. where he endeavours to prove that there was no moment of time after their return from Babylon wherein they could be said to be made greater than their fathers especially in the days of David and Solomon And therefore he concludes that this Promise is still to be compleatly fulfilled And thus R. Isaac in his Book before-named Chissuk Emuna argues Perck VI. that God did not bestow Benefits upon them equal to those which their Fathers enjoyed much less superiour while the second Temple stood but all that time was full of Straits and Calamities for which he alledges the Prophecy of Daniel IX 25. And therefore saith these words of Moses can by no means be thought to be fulfilled when the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin returned from Babylon and left a vast number behind them who would not come back with them but stay there to this day Ver. 6. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart By such singular Benefits bestowed upon them in a miraculous manner God designed to take away the stubborn refractoriness of their Spirits called Verse 6 hardness of heart XXIX 19. and to cut off all their wicked Inclinations and Dispositions to Idolatry and Superstition which had been their ruin which is called humbling their uncircumcised heart XXVI Levit. 41. But though God circumcised them yet their hearts might remain uncircumcised as appears from XXIX 3 4. And therefore he calls upon them
for instance in III Galat. 21. asks this question Do you not hear the Law and then quotes what we read in XVI Gen. 21. And so Nehemiah saith X. 34 35. that they brought First-fruits unto God as it is written in the Law viz. XIII Exod. 12. XXIII 19. And Josiah put away the workers with familiar Spirits c. that he might perform the words of the Law 2 Kings XXIII 24. which we find XIX Levit. 30. XX. 6 27. And Ezekiah also 2 Chron. XXXI 3. appointed the daily Oblations and those required at stated times to be offered as it is written in the Law of the LORD which plainly refers to the XXVIIIth and XXIXth of Numbers And Joshua built an Altar on Mount Ebal VIII 30 31. as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses which we find no where but in this Book of Deuteronomy XXVII 4. And delivered it unto the Priests the sons of Levi. Concerning this form of Speech the Priests the sons of Levi see XVII 9. It is probable Moses had wrote most of these Five Books some time ago and so the foregoing words may be translated Moses had wrote this Law but did not finish them till a little before his death and then delivered them to the Priests But there is no necessity thus to understand it for he might have had time enough between this and his death to write the whole Pentateuch It being only said v. 14. Thy days approach that thou must die which doth not imply he was to die in a day or two but there might be some weeks before his departure Which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD It was most proper to deliver it unto them who alone might touch the Ark in which this Law was to be laid v 26. The Kohathites who were mere Levites and not Priests did carry the Ark in their Travels through the Wilderness after the Priests had covered it and put in the Staves thereof as I have shown IV Numb 5 6 c. but it is evident they served only as Ministers to the Priests who upon great occasions bare the Ark themselves As when they passed over Jordan III Josh 3 6. when they compassed Jericho VI Josh 6. and when the Temple of Solomon was dedicated and the Ark brought into it 1 Kings VIII 3 4 6. When David indeed brought the Ark to Jerusalem it is said the Levites bare it but at the same time the Priests also were summoned to take care of it which shows the Levites bare it as their Servants 1 Chron. XV. 2 11 13 14 15. And unto all the Elders of Israel As he delivered this Book of the Law that is the whole Pentateuch as Abarbinel and others of the Jews understand it unto the Priests commanding them to preserve it safe near the Ark v. 24. so he delivered another Copy of this Book to the Elders of every Tribe as the Jews affirm in Debarim Rabba Where they say and it is highly probable that Moses before his death wrote Thirteen Copies of the Law with his own hand as they add and having delivered one unto the Priests to be preserved in the holy Place gave one to each Tribe which he committed to the care of the Elders of it Thus Maimonides also in his Preface to Jad Chazakah as Buxtorf observes in his Histor Arcae Foederis Cap. 5. The intent of which was I suppose that all the People of each Tribe might resort to it as the whole Nation were to resort to that in the Sanctuary if they doubted of any thing which might be thought to be amiss by the errors of Transcribers Ver. 10. And Moses commanded them Both the Verse 10 Priests and the Elders to take care of what follows At the end of every seventh year in the solemnity of the year of release Mentioned XV. 1 c. In the Feast of Tabernacles When they had gathered in all the Fruits of the Earth and thereby had greater leisure to attend to the hearing of the Law read to them Which when Mens minds were also freed from Cares by the Release of their Debts was likely to make a greater impression upon them Ver. 11. When all Israel is come to appear before the Verse 11 LORD thy God in the place which he shall chuse As they were bound to do at this Feast and at Pentecost and the Passover XVI 16. Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing This Order being directed not to all Israel but to a particular Person plainly imports that the Supream Governour whosoever he was had this charge laid upon him to take care these Laws should be read at this Solemn Time that all the People might hear them And therefore I think the Jews rightly say that their Kings when they had them were bound not only to look after this matter but to read the Law themselves to as many that is as could hear them appointing the Priests and the Levites to read it in as many other Assemblies of the People as were necessary for the fulfilling of this Precept In order to which a Pulpit was set up in the Court of the Men of Israel on the very first day of the Feast for they did not think fit to defer it till the last because it is here said when Israel is come to appear before the LORD not when they were ready to depart as the Jews observe the King going up into it the Minister took the Book of the Law and delivered it to the Ruler of the Synagogue who gave it to the Sagan or Vicar of the High Priest who delivered it to the High Priest and he to the King who stood up to receive it and then sâ—t down to read All this expresses the reverence with which this holy Book was delivered and likewise the reverence with which they approached to the King Who they say began to read at this Book of Deuteronomy which is a Compendium of the Law and proceeded before he stopt to those words VI. 4. Hear O Israel c. which having also read he omitted the rest till he came to Chap. XI 13. And it shall come to pass if thou wilt hearken diligently c. reading on to the 22d Verse And then skipt to XIV 22. And thou shalt truly tithe c. reading on to the Section concerning the King XVII 14. and then the Cursings and Blessings out of the XXVIIth and XXVIIIth Chapter till he had ended all that Section of the Law Thus the Mischna in the Title Sota Cap. VII Sect. VIII which Wagenseil hath lately illustrated with most Learned Annotations and our Dr. Lightfoot also hath given an account of it long ago in his Temple Service Chap. XVII Sect. I. where he saith the King might sit down if he pleased when he read but it was esteemed more honourable if he stood as King Agrippa did when he performed this Office And before he began to read he made a Prayer to God
and all this he adds was done in the Court of the Women which well agrees with what is said in the next Verse Gather the people men and women c. But it doth not contradict what I said before of his reading it in the Court of the Men of Israel For if the King were of the Family of David it was always done there if he were not then in the Court of the Women as Wagenseil observes out of Maimonides Ver. 12. Gather the people together All that came Verse 12 to this Feast could not meet in one place but were divided into several Assemblies probably in their Synagogues For as many as the Courts of Israel would hold meeting there it is reasonable to think that the rest assembled in some other holy Place Such were their Synagogues which Philo in his Book of the Embassy to Caius calls Places of Secondary Holiness And Maimonides discourses at large of the Holiness of Synagogues and Schools in his Book of Prayer and the Priests Blessing Cap. XI See upon XIX Levit. 30. Men Women and Children Though the Males only were bound to go up to the great Feasts yet many devout Women went also voluntarily as appears by Hannah 1 Sam. I. 3 4. And all the Women in Jerusalem were likewise bound to attend at these Solemnities with the Children who were capable of Instruction See VIII Nehem. 2 3. To whom some Person of Authority read the Law in their Court while the King of the House of David was reading it in the Court of the Men of Israel And the stranger that is within thy gates Such as were Proselytes to the Jewish Religion not excluding those who were only Proselytes of the Gate if they would come to their Assemblies That they may hear and that they may learn and fear the LORD your God and observe to do all the words of this Law That by this means they might be instructed in the true way of worshipping God which is here called his fear and to his Worship and Service add a careful Obedience to all that he commanded in this Book which they might read and were bound to do so in their own private Houses and which they heard read every Sabbath-day in their publick Synagogues For which indeed there is no particular Command in the Law but they being commanded to teach their Children every day at home the things contained in the Law and consequently to read it VI. 7 8. XI 16. they thought it most reasonable to have it read on the Sabbath in their Publick Assemblies where some portion of the Law was read But now the whole Volume as an Authentick Testimony of the whole Nation to the truth of what is contained in these Books Verse 13 Ver. 13. That their Children which have not known any thing For the early Instruction of Posterity in the Sacred Authority of this Law May hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as ye live in the land c. Be preserved in the true Religion by so solemn an Acknowledgment made by the King himself that God delivered all these Laws to Moses Accordingly we find that Joshua their Supream Governour after the death of Moses did read all the Words of the Law not omitting a word that Moses commanded before all the Congregation with Women and the little ones and the Strangers that were conversant among them VIII Josh 34 35. But from that time to the Reign of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. XVII 7 8 c. which is commonly computed to be Five hundred and thirty years we find no mention of a Publick Reading of it Nor from that time to the eighteenth year of King Josiah 2 Chron. XXXIV 30 31. which was the space of two hundred eighty and two years nor from that time till after the Captivity of Babylon VIII Nehem. 2 3 c. By which neglect they more easily fell into Idolatry and continued in it more or less till that Captivity for a forgetfulness of the Law ensued upon this neglect Ver. 14. And the LORD said unto Moses behold Verse 14 thy days approach that thou must die He admonishes him that the end of his days upon Earth was near when he must resign up his Office into the hands of Joshua who had been before appointed his Successor XXVII Numb Call Joshua and present your selves in the Tabernacle of the Congregation that I may give you a charge This was done I suppose in the Face of all the People to whom Moses had been speaking v. 1 2. to give Joshua the greater Authority and to make him reverenced by them when they saw he was appointed by God himself to be their Governour as he had been before ordained publickly by God's Order XXVII Numb 18 19 c. And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tabernacle of the Congregation In the Court of the Sanctuary with their Faces towards it for it was not lawful for any but the Priests to go into the Sanctuary it self Some indeed have thought that by a special Order from God Joshua was now admitted into it but this seems to me to be contradicted by the next Verse which saith God appeared in a Cloud over the door of the Tabernacle Verse 15 Ver. 15. And the LORD appeared in the Tabernacle in a pillar of a Cloud This signifies that the Glory of the LORD as other places speak appeared unto them and unto the People as it had done upon many occasions XXXIII Exod. 9 10. IX Numb 15. XVI Numb 42 43. And the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the Tabernacle Being a Symbol of the Divine Presence whose Glory appeared out of the Cloud as it did XVI Numb 42. For the Cloud was always upon the Tabernacle XL Exod. 35 38. IX Numb 18. but when the LORD would strike an awe into the People and move them to regard what he said or did then the Cloud stood at the door of the Tabernacle and the Glory of the LORD came out of the most Holy Place and appeared in it Verse 16 Ver. 16. And the LORD said unto Moses Out of the Cloud I suppose as he did XVI Numb 44. Behold thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers He first admonished Moses again of his departure in the audience I suppose of Joshua who heard all the following Admonition to make him more carefully observe the end and design of it Sleep is a common word for Death either of good Men or bad which was not used meerly as a soft expression of that which the Heathen dreaded as the most terrible of all things but â—o put them in mind perhaps that death should not last always but they should as certainly rise again as they lay down so the word is in the Hebrew to sleep with their Fathers And this people will rise In Rebellion And go a whoring God who searches all Mens hearts discerned such bad inclinations in this People that he knew they would fall into Idolatry
which is called going a whoring from him as hath been often noted notwithstanding all the Means he had prescribed to prevent it And therefore he adds one more which was the learning them the following Song notwithstanding which he foresaw that after the death of Joshua and the Elders who survived him they would forsake him and worship other gods See CVI Psal 36 38. After the gods of the strangers of the land This is an unusual Phrase signifying no more than what he calls in other places strange gods Though some think it imports peculiarly the gods of the Canaanites who were the former Inhabitants but being expelled became Strangers of the Land And thus Onkelos seems to have understood it who translates it After the Idols of the People of the Land Which was an high aggravation of their sin that they should worship such gods as had not been able to protect their Servants Whither they go to be among them This seems to countenance the foregoing Exposition And God charges them in future Ages with this as a very great guilt that they worshipped the gods of the Amorites in whose Land they dwelt VI Judges 10. And will forsake me For he lookt upon himself as forsaken that is not worshipped if they worshipped any other god with him XX Exod. 3. And break my Covenant which I have made with them This being the principal thing in the Covenant as I have often observed that they should worship him alone XX Exod. 22 23. XXIII 32 33. V Deut. 3 4 c. VI. 3 4 c. Verse 17 Ver. 17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day So we read it was upon their very first Apostasy to Idolatry II Judges 14. and continued so in all Ages as we read frequently in that and the following Books See there v. 20. and III. 8 c. And I will forsake them Go no longer before them against their Enemies but deliver them up into their hands v. 8. And will hide my face from them Withdraw my favour and protection So that they were devoured as it follows by their Enemies and wild Beasts and many evils and troubles beset them or as the Hebrew phrase signifies came upon them on a sudden The Prophet Ezekiel expresses this in these words My face will I turn from them VII 22. The effect of which was the Divine Presence departed out of the Sanctury and he left it as he there speaks to be polluted and defiled by Robbers And so it here follows So that they will say on that day are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us For whithersoever they went out the hand of the LORD was against them for evil as we read II Judges 15. Which was so remarkable a change that it could not but at last make them reflect upon the Cause of it as we find it did and moved them to cry unto the LORD for help III. 9 15. IV. 3 c. Ver. 18. And I will surely hide my face from them c. He repeats it again because they were a People dull of hearing Or the former words may relate to their first Captivity and these to the last as they Verse 18 call it wherein they now are For they themselves take notice that these words have been fulfilled by the many Calamities which have befaln them since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans This appears from Schebet Jehuda where Solomon Virgoe quotes this very Verse to prove that their present Sufferings proceed not from Nature but from an angry God more powerful than Nature as he speaks Sect. XIII Ver. 19. Now therefore write ye This shows these Verse 19 words were directed both to Moses and to Joshua who was to take care after Moses his death to see this Command observed This song for you Which follows in the XXXIIth Chapter And teach it the Children of Israel Make them get it by heart as we now speak Put it in their mouths That they might sing it and thereby preserve it in their memory For it hath been always thought the most profitable way of instructing People and communicating things to Posterity by putting them into Verse and especially Children and young People are best taught in this way And the greater moment any thing is of the more carefully it ought to be preserved which Plato himself thought could be done by no better means than this And therefore having spoken of the Songs which he would have composed for the use of the People he would have it enacted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That all Men and Children whether bond or free male or female should be bound through the whole City to sing such Songs and never cease so to do c. See Eusebius Lib. XII Praepar Evang. Cap. XXXII And Plato himself Lib. II. de Legibus where he gives a great many Cautions about this Matter and concludes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 657. this must be the work of a God or some God-like Man As if he had been acquainted with what Moses the Man of God or rather God himself here ordained that every one should have this Song in their mouths as a means to preserve them in the Worship of God alone However this justifies the admirable discipline of the Hebrews in those ancient times who were taught by such Hymns as the wisest Men among the Heathen in future times thought the best way of Instruction For which reason as Aristotle reports in his Problems Sect. XIX Probl. 28. People anciently sung their Laws as the Agathyrsi he saith continued to do in his days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not be forgotten Particularly the Laws of Charondas as Athenaeus informs us out of Hermippus were wont to be sung at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over a Glass of Wine And were therefore written in some sort of Verse or tunable Measure as our incomparable Dr. Bentley hath made it probable in his late Dissertation on the Epistles of Phalaris p. 373. Tully also to add no more tells us that Cato in his Book de Originibus reports That it was the Custom among the old Romans to have the Vertues and Praises of famous Men sung to a Pipe at their Feasts Which he thinks they learnt from the ancient Pythagoroeans in Italy who were wont carminibus praecepta quaedam occultiùs tradere to deliver in Verses certain Precepts which were the greatest Secrets in their Philosophy and composed the Minds of the Scholars to Tranquillity by Songs and Instruments of Musick See upon XXI Numb 30. concerning this way of Instruction That this song may be a witness for me against the Children of Israel Testifying that they were sufficiently warned and could not complain that they were not taught their duty and told their danger and reproving also their ingratitude and putting them in mind how ill they requited their God v. 21. Ver. 20. For when I have brought them unto the
Land Verse 20 which I sware unto their Fathers that floweth with milk and honey VI. 10 c. XV. 8 9. And they shall have eaten and filled themselves and waxen fat VIII 10 11 12 c. XXVII 15. Then they will turn unto other gods and serve them c. Against which he had most solemnly foremarned them in the places before-mentioned and XI 16. XII 29 30. Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass when many evils Verse 21 and troubles are befaln them that this Song shall testifie against them as a witness That they are most justly punished for their foul ingratitude and unbelief with which this Song upbraided them having told them plainly XXXII 18 19. what would be the effect of their forsaking him and at the delivery of it God having solemnly said here v. 17. that when they went a whoring from him he would forsake them and hide his face from them For it shall not be forgotten out of the mouth of their seed The Calamities which fell upon them according to what is predicted in this Song brought it to their remembrance when they had forgotten it or did not regard it For these words do not seem to be a Precept requiring them to remember this Song but a Prediction foretelling that their Miseries should not suffer them quite to forget it For I know their imagination which they go about even now before I have brought them into the Land which I sware He saw the secret Inclinations and Designs which were in their hearts and perceived that at that very present they hankered as we speak after Idols Verse 22 Ver. 22. Moses therefore wrote this Song the same day And so did Joshua as he was commanded v. 19. who spake the words of this Song unto the People as well as Moses XXXII 44. And taught it the Children of Israel Commanded them to learn it v. 19. In order to which the Jews say every Man was bound to write for himself a Copy of it and more than that they make it one of the affirmative Precepts as Maimonides tells us which obliged every Israelite to write out the whole Book of the Law with his own hand For so they interpret those words v. 19. Write ye this Song for you as if they were spoken to all the People and their meaning had been Write ye this Law for you wherein is this Song for they were not to write the Law by small parts and sections as his words are but all of it intirely And if a Man's Parents had left him a Copy yet he was bound to write one himself or if he could not write to procure one to be written for him by some other Person c. See Schickard's Mischpat Hameleck Cap. II. Theor. V. Verse 23 Ver. 23. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge That is the LORD who had hitherto spoken to him by Moses now spake to him himself and gave him this charge to gain him the greater Authority For which end he had ordered Joshua to present himself before him together with Moses verse 14. Be strong and of a good courage Which he repeats to him after the death of Moses I Josh 6 7. For thou shalt bring the Children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them I have appointed thee to be the Captain of my People to lead them into the Land of Canaan And I will be with thee To give him success in all his Enterprises Which words being spoken in the audience of all the People as may be supposed from v. 14. made them readily submit to the Authority of Joshua and confide in his Conduct Ver. 24. And it came to pass when Moses had made Verse 24 an end of writing the words of this Law in a Book until they were finished The whole Book of his Laws which he put together before his death as I said on v. 9. Ver. 25. That Moses commanded the Levites c. Verse 25 The Priests who were of the Tribe of Levi. See v. 9. Ver. 26. Take this Book of the Law and put it in the Verse 26 side of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God Not in the inside of it for he doth not say put it into the Ark but in the side of the Ark that is on the outside in a little Box as Jonathan and others expound it For it is the very same Phrase with that 1 Sam. VI. 8. where the Philistims are said to have put the Jewels of Gold which they returned for a Sin-offering in a Coffer by the side of the Ark. Where none could put it but the High Priest because no Body else might go into the Holy Place where the Ark was And therefore those Priests who received the Book of the Law from Moses delivered it to Eleazer to be there placed See Buxtorf Histor Arcae Cap. V. and Huetius more lately in his Demonstratio Evangelica Propos IV. Cap. de Can. Libr. Sacrorum Sect. VIII where he observes that R. Meir in both the Talmuds Abarbinel himself and many others have been of opinion from this very place that the Book of the Law was put into the Ark it self being no less precious than the Tables of Stone which were there But the Scripture tells us There was nothing in the Ark save the two Tables of Stone 1 Kings VIII 9. 2 Chron. V. 10. and their reason is good for nothing the two Tables far excelling this Book because written by the Finger of God And therefore other great Doctors among the Jews rightly place it without the Ark as the very words of Moses import That it may be there for a witness against thee It was deposited in that place as a publick Record that if any one should falsifie or deprave any thing in the Law as Abarbinel interprets it he might be convicted out of this Book which was sacredly preserved to be produced as a Witness against him Or as the Author of Tzeror Hammor expresses it that if they should be so wicked as to lose the Books of the Law this Copy kept under the care of the Priests might remain to testifie what was the Will of God As we see it did in the days of Josiah when it was casually found in the House of God as they were about the reparations of it Though I cannot say they found it in the side of the Ark but rather upon the Roof of the House or in the Rafters where the Priests had hid it as some of the Jews think when Manasseh endeavoured to destroy this Authentick Copy of the Law as he had done all other that he could find and when they came to uncover the House there it appeared Ver. 27. For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff-neck I have been sufficiently acquainted with your perverse disposition Behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye Verse 27 have been rebellious against the LORD and how much more after my death For it was not
whence in the Future Tense and the Plural Number comes Jeshuru which by the addition of Nun paragogicum as they speak makes Jeshurun That is The People who had the Vision of God I know nothing more simple nor more probable than this which highly aggravated their sin who having God so nigh unto them IV. 7. and their Elders having had a sight of him XXIV Exod. 10. were so ungrateful as to rebel against him and worship other gods Some refer this kicking to their revolt from the House of David when Jeroboam to preserve his new Kingdom set up the golden Calves to prevent the return of the People to their old Master by going up to Jerusalem to worship Thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness This variety of Expressions is used to signifie how exceeding bountifully God had provided for them and withal how very wanton and insolent they were grown as Cattle fed in a fat Pasture are wont to be The words with fatness after covered are not in the Hebrew but are well supplied out of other places particularly XVII Psal 10. Then he forsook God The Hierusalem Targum here hath it they forsook the WORD of God Which made him Advanced them from a desert where he found them v. 6 10. into a very rich and plentiful Country This was the lamentable effect of their Plethora or Fulness unto which we are all too prone as an excellent Person of our own hath long ago observed Even such as seem most upright saith he when they wax fat spurn with the heel and cast away the memory of their Misery and of God's former Mercy behind their backs And what was the reason that the Israelites waxed thus full and fat Only because they did not use that Exercise which God had appointed to keep them under and preserve their Hearts from being lifted up VIII Deut. 11 c. Take heed to thy self lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy self c. then thy heart be lifted up and thou forget the LORD thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. The daily and lively Representation or Recognition of their Condition there should have been as usual to them as their Meat and Drink yea as it were their Thanksgiving before and after Meats as our Dr. Jackson speaks Book XI on the Creed Chap. XXXIV And Maimonides himself mentioning those very words Lest when thou hast eaten and filled thy self c. very well observes That to prevent Pride and Apostasy which grow out of great Plenty God commanded them to offer their First-fruits before him every year with a solemn Confession how poor they were in the beginning and then raised by God to be a mighty People XXVI Deut. 5 6 c. For which end the Passover was instituted That they might remember the day when they came forth out of Egypt all the days of their Life XVI Deut. 3. See More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXIX .. And lightly esteemed the Rock of their Salvation As there was a progress in their insolent forgetfulness of God expressed in three Phrases which may signifie three degrees of their stupidity waxen fat grown thick and covered with fatness so some observe as many degrees of their Rebellion First They kicked against God i. e. threw off the Yoke of his Laws and refused to observe them Secondly They forsook God and fell into Idolatry And lastly They lightly esteemed the Rock of their Salvation Where the Hebrew word nibbel signifies more than a light esteem for if it come from Nebelah a dead Carcase as some think it doth it denotes the greatest abhorrence nothing being so much abominated among the Jews as a dead Carcase the touching of which was the highest pollution And thus J. Cocceius and Campeg Vitringa understand it who observe that this was never so fulfilled as in their behaviour towards our Lord Christ who was indeed the Rock of their Salvation and so vilely used by them as if he had been the most loathsome Man upon Earth So Vitringa expounds these words in his Observ Sacr. Lib. II. Cap. IX p. 173. instar flagitij tractavit rupem salutis suae For this is a word used by God himself when he would express his utter detestation of Nineveh and his dealing with her according to her abominable Wickedness III Nahum 6. I will cast abominable filth upon thee and make thee vile c. and when he speaks of the disgrace he would put upon his own Temple XIV Jerem. 21. The LXX indeed simply expound the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he departed but the last words they expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from God his Saviour as Onkelos also his most mighty Redeemer Which in the most eminent sense is the LORD Jesus for none brought such Salvation to them and wrought such a Redemption for them as he did who is the Stone which God laid in Sion c. XXVIII Isa 16. But instead of flying to him as Men in danger do to a Rock or strong Fortress they not only rejected him but abused and put the highest Indignities upon him Verse 16 Ver. 16. They provoked him to jealousie Made him extreamly angry with them For so Jealousie is described as the Rage of a Man VI Prov. 34. With strange gods Whom they fell in love withal and worshipped This was the ground of his Jealousie their falsness to God who had espoused them to himself And the Hebrew word zar strange we sometimes translate another XIX Job 27. So that a strange god and another god are the very same LXXXI Psal 9. XX Exod. 3. Therefore God saith he will not give his glory to another XLII Isa 8. and that their Sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god XVI Psal 4. With abominations provoked they him to anger I take this to be a Repetition of the same thing their Idols being called Abominations because God exceedingly hates them VII 25. 1 Kings XI 5. Tho' R. Solomon and Abarbinel by Abominations here understand those filthy Mixtures forbidden in Levit. XVIII with Witchcrafts and such like Wickedness And Abarbinel refers the first part of this Verse to the times under the first Temple when they worshipped the Sun Moon and Stars and the latter part of it to the times under the second Temple when though they were free from Idolatry they were corrupted with other abominable filthiness Ver. 17. They sacrificed to Devils and not to God Verse 17 The Hebrew word Schedim which we translate Devils imports as much as Destroyers as the Devil is called in the Book of Revelation IX 11. Evil Spirits delighting in Mischief and leading those that worship them into Perdition Though some think they are called Schedim ironically by way of Scorn the true God being Schaddai the Omnipotent and All-sufficient and these called by way of mockery counterfeit gods who had no power to help their Worshippers nor were sufficient to preserve themselves Either of these
so much as a wrinkle in his Cheeks So some of the Ancients interpret the last Clause Others He had not lost so much as a Tooth out of his Mouth See Bocharius in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. Cap. XLV p. 506. Both Onkelos and the Hierusalem Targum refer it to the Splendor of his Countenance which continued to the last From hence it was that the Heathen who were not wholly unacquainted with this Story but had not a perfect knowledge of it imagined that Moses was troubled to die when he was so vigorous For Trebellius Pollio in the Life of Claudius saith that the most learned Mathematicians were wont to say that no Man lived beyond an Hundred and twenty years For though Moses lived an Hundred and five and twenty years so he mistakes being Dei ut Judaeorum libri loquantur familiaris a Man familiar with God as the Books of the Jews tell us yet he complaining that juvenis interiret he died when he was young they say he was told by an uncertain God that no Man should ever live longer This Mistake arose from their misinterpretation of those words VI Gen. 3. Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years For Huetius well observes that this incertus Deus was the true God the Creator of Heaven and Earth whom St. Paul saith they called also the unknown God Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. Cap. I. N. LVII And I cannot but add that this passage out of Trebellius was taken notice of above an hundred years ago by a learned Man I have often mentioned David Chytraeus to show that these Sacred Books were not unknown to the Heathen and that they had a Reverence for them Verse 8 Ver. 8. And the Children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days The time of Mourning for the Dead was longer or shorter according to the Dignity of the Person And the Jews have a Tradition which distinguishes between the days of Weeping and Mourning The former of which never exceeded a Month which was the time they wept for Moses the latter never lasted more than a year as they gather from the Example of the greatest Doctor they ever had R. Judah who composed the Mischna for whom they mourned Twelve Months See Schickard in his Jus Regium Cap. VI. Theor. XIX and upon L Gen. 3 10. XX Numb 29. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended They lamented him compleatly thirty days and no longer By which it seems that weeping and mourning whatsoever difference was between them were anciently of the same length though the Jews in the forenamed Tradition are pleased to make the one last much longer than the other Now by this and what follows in the Book of Joshua we may certainly know the truth of what I said on v. 5. concerning the day on which Moses died For if we add unto these thirty days which followed immediately upon it the three days wherein the Spies lay hid in the Mountain II Josh 22. and allow three or four days more for their going and coming back and then add the three days they lay by Jordan before they passed over III Josh 2. they make just a Month and ten days from the first day of the last Month when I supposed Moses died unto the day they got safe over Jordan which was the tenth day of the first Month. Whereas if we reckon as the Jews do that Moses died on the seventh day of the last Month it would have been the seventeenth day of the first Month before they got over Jordan I observe also that though the Talmudists generally make him to have died on the seventh day of Adar yet there have been some who placed it on the first For the Medrasch Rabbah telling the story of Haman's casting Lots to find the best time to do Execution on the Jews saith he pitched upon the Month ADAR because it had been unlucky to the Jews by the death of their Master Moses therein But he did not consider saith that Medrasch that as Moses died on the first day of this Month so he was born on the same first day Ver. 9. And Joshua the Son of Nun was full of the Spirit of Wisdom To take the Government upon Verse 9 him and manage it prudently as soon as Moses left them Which was necessary to be mentioned that it might not be thought they wanted a Head to conduct them as their Neighbours possibly might imagine when the News came of Moses his death For as the Samaritans tell the story in Hottinger's Smegma Orientale p. 462. when they heard the Lamentations which the whole Congregation made for Moses they began to rejoyce and gather their Forces together to set upon the Israelites as wanting a Leader But they soon found themselves mistaken Joshua having taken the Charge of them and being endued with his Spirit For Moses had laid his hands upon him Whereby he committed to him the Supream Authority after his departure and implored the Spirit of God to qualifie him for it For power to execute any Office among the Jews was given by laying on of hands whereby they were ordained and appointed to it And this was a Rite of Prayer also as many have observed for the obtaining the Gifts of the Spirit which were necessary for the discharge of that Office And though no words of Prayer be mentioned yet the very laying on of hands denotes it as our learned Dr. Outram observes from this very place and from I Tim. V. 22. Lib. I. de Sacrif Cap. XV. N. VIII Of Moses his laying on Hands upon Joshua we read XXVII Numbers 18 c. And he was solemnly also a little before Moses his death presented unto God by his own Command XXXI of this Book 14 c. And the Children of Israel hearkned unto him and did as the LORD commanded Moses Obeyed him as their Supream Governour according to God's Command delivered to Moses XXVII Numb 20. XXXI Deut. 23. See 1 Josh 16 17 c. Ver. 10. And there rose not a Prophet since in Verse 10 Israel like to Moses This is a plain demonstration that the promise God makes by Moses that he would raise up a Prophet like to him XVIII Deut. 15 19 c. was not fulfilled either in Joshua or in Samuel who it is likely wrote this Chapter as I said before and the best of the Jews confess shall not be fulfilled till MESSIAH come Thus the Author of Sepher Ikkarim Lib. III. Cap. XX. It cannot be but that a Prophet shall at last arise like to Moses or greater than he for the King Messiah shall be as great or greater Therefore these words are not to be expounded as if there should never be such a Prophet but that in all the time of the following Prophets till the Cessation of Prophecy none should arise like to Moses But after that there shall be one like him or rather greater than he Whom the LORD
to see that no King but one thus qualified was set over the People Which when there was such a Court may be allowed to be true though all the Power which they ascribe to their Sanhedrim over their Kings is by no means to be admitted but is an apparent figment For it is manifest out of the Bible that their Kings had that very Power which they ascribe to the Sanhedrim Particularly it is notorious that Solomon by his own Power put Abiather out of the Office of High-Priest 1. Kings II. 6 26. which Judgment the Talmudists say belonged only to the great Sanhedrim In like manner other Kings judged Prophets which they appropriate to the same Court Ver. 16. But he shall not multiply Horses to himself Verse 16 There is no certain number determined but the Jews well resolve that he was not to keep them for meer pomp and state but only so many as were for use and service To draw his Chariot for instance and for the guard of his Person But he was to take care that he did not burden his People by too many under this or any other pretence And therefore not to keep up a Body of Horse for War For among the Jews their Armies consisted altogether of Footmen there being no breed of Horses in that Country and their People who were all Husbandmen and Shepherds being accustomed to labour and to run as swiftly as a Horse 2 Sam. II. 18. XVIII 19 22 c. Certain it is that in the days of David they had no Horse-men in their Army for when Absolom lost the Battle and fled it was upon a Mule that he indeavoured to make his Escape And though Solomon was so prodigiously rich that he was able to maintain Forty thousand Stalls of Horses for his Chariots and Twelve thousand Horse-men 1 Kings IV. 26. yet succeeding Kings could not keep up such an Expence but when they had occasion sent for Succours from Egypt which commonly consisted of Horse-men Now one of the Reasons the Jews give why their King was not to multiply Horses is lest he should be puffed up with pride for an Horse being a stately Creature his Rider is often swoln with an high conceit of himself as more than one of the Heathen have observed See Bochart in his Hierozoicon Lib. II. Cap. IX Nachmanides gives another good Reason Lest he should confide and trust in the power of his Horse-men more than in God See Schikard in his Mischpat Hammelech Cap. III. Theorem X. But the chief Reason is given by Moses himself in the next words Lest they should be tempted to go to Egypt with which Country it was dangerous to have familiarity Nor cause the People to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply Horses Send his People thither to buy Horses for him it being a Country which abounded with them as Judaea did with Asses For when Sheshak King of Egypt whom the Greek Writers call Sesostris came against Jerusalem there were Threescore thousand Horse-men in his Army 2 Chron. XII 3. Which shows how they abounded with Horses in that Country in those days though in after times they did not care to breed them They might indeed have had Horses out of other Countries as well as Egypt but not so easily nor so good Which made Solomon send thither and Pharaoh set a great price upon them because he knew their value and that they could not furnish themselves so easily with them elsewhere 1 Kings X. 28 29. Forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you ye shall henceforth return no more that way Or the first words may be rendred Forasmuch as the LORD saith unto you c. as he did now by him that they should not maintain Traffick with the Egyptians at lest while they continued Idolaters We read indeed that many Jews went thither and Vrijah the Prophet fled thither XXVI Jerem. 21. of which the Jews give this account First Some say this was but a temporary Constitution which was not to last always Secondly They distinguish about the way of returning thither conceiving that they might not go thither out of the Land of Israel but they might out of another Country whither they were driven Maimonides thinks they might go thither as Merchants but not fix their dwelling there But the true meaning is that they might not voluntarily go thither upon any account at least while they remained as I said so corrupted in their Religion and Manners as they were at this present For there is an express Law XVIII Levit. 3. According to the works of the Egyptians ye shall not do See Schickardus in the forenamed place p. 78. Whence those words of the Prophet Isaiah where when he saith the Land of Israel was full of Horses he adds their Land also is full of Idols II Isaiah 7 8. For by multiplying the one they multiplied the other And therefore though David did reserve some Chariots and Horse-men which he took in his Conquests for his own use yet no great number 2 Sam. VIII 4. But still great Men rode upon Mules 2 Sam. XVIII 9. 1 Kings I. 33 38 41. as they had done in the days of the Judges V. 10. X. 4. XII 14. Verse 17 Ver. 17. Neither shall he multiply Wives to himself This is not a Prohibition to take more Wives than one but not to have an excessive number after the manner of the Eastern Kings whom Solomon seems to have imitated I see no ground for what the Jews say that he might have Eighteen See Schickard in the Book above-named Cap. III. Theor. IX Selden's Vxor Hebr. Lib. I. Cap. VIII Buxtorf de Sponsal Pars I. Sect. 40. For the proof which R. Solomon and Bechin give of it is very weak which is that David having already six Wives 2 Sam. V. 13. the Prophet tells him if he had not offended God he would moreover have given him such and such things i. e. say they twice as many Wives 2 Sam. XII 8. Much less is there any ground for what they say that if he took more than this number he was to be scourged by the Authority of the Sanhedrim as he was they pretend for the breach of any of these Precepts here mentioned See Selden Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. IX N. V. Which Grotius indeed endeavours to soften by affirming that these Lashes were no disgrace to him because he received them voluntarily in Token of his Repentance and therefore was not scourged by the common Executioner but by such a Person as he himself chose to give this Correction and he received also such a number of Stripes as he himself pleased and no more Lib. I. de Jure Belli Pacis Cap. III. Sect. XX. But this is directly against Maimonides who saith in downright words that the Sanhedrim appointed this Chastisement as Selden observes in another place Lib. III. de Synedr Cap. IX N. V. And there is no Example in the whole Book of God of
second Husband whom she married nor with respect to any other Man who might marry her without any pollution but only with respect to her first Husband Unto whom by this Law she was made unclean for so all things forbidden to the Jews were accounted as appears from X Acts 14 15. where all Meats prohibited by the Law are called unclean and God is said to have cleansed them by taking off that Prohibition For that is abomination before the LORD That is to return to her first Husband and to be his Wife again For this saith Abarbinel was to imitate the Egyptians who changed their Wives and took them again into their Houses which was the occasion of great filthiness But this intimates that if she had not been married to any other Man but kept her self free she might have been his Wife again if he had a mind to be Reconciled to her And this shows also that God intended to discourage them from putting away their Wives by making them uncapable after they had been married to another for ever to enjoy them again though they grew very rich or otherwise desirable which inclined many no doubt to consider well before they parted with them And thou shalt not cause the Land to sin which the LORD thy God giveth thee c. The People of the Land might by such a large Indulgence have been tempted to pollute it with many sins and thereby bring God's Judgments upon it See III Jerem. 1. For as Isaac Arama glosses if this had not been prohibited a Gate had been opened unto vile Men to make a trade of changing their Wives and thereby filled the Land with Whoredoms Ver. 5. When a man hath taken a new wife The Verse 5 Hebrews think as I observed before XX. 7. that whether he had married a Virgin or a Widow he was to have the Priviledge here mentioned yea they extend it to him who had married his Brother's Wife but not to him who had married her whom he put away and might take again if she had not been married since that to another Man For she could not be said to be a new wife He shall not go out to war See XX Deut. 7. Nor be charged with any business No Publick Employment was to be put upon him which might occasion his absence from his Wife Not so much as watching or such like For the better understanding of which it must be remembred what was said about the fearful and timorous who were bid to return home from the Army lest they disheartned their Brethren XX. 8. And yet these Men were bound to furnish the Army with Victuals and Water to clear the Ways and take up their Quarters But a new Bridegroom was free from all these Only they made a difference between a War by the Divine Commandment and one undertaken voluntarily unto the former of which they think this Immunity doth not extend but only to the latter In the Margin these words are translated Nor any thing pass upon him that is he shall not pay tribute But he shall be free at home for one year The same time of freedom it was thought reasonable to grant unto Builders and Planters because they are joyned with new married Men in the Speech the Priest made before they went to battle XX. 5 6 7. And shall cheer up his wife whom he hath taken Make much of her as we speak and so endear himself to her by his kindness that there might be no occasion of a Divorce For the prevention of which this Law seems to have been intended that by so long a Conversation together without any interruption they might have so perfect an understanding one of another and such a mutual confidence might be settled that he might not easily entertain any jealousies of her when he should be absent in the Wars or elsewhere Verse 6 Ver. 6. No man shall take the nether or the upper Milstone to pledge This is a Law of the same nature with that XX Exod. 26 27. for the preservation of Mercy Beneficence and Clemency towards the Poor as Maimonides speaks More Nevochim P. III. Cap XXXIX For he taketh a man's life to pledge That is his livelyhood by which he maintains himself and his Family and keeps them from starving By this reason it was unlawful to take any other thing for a Security by the want of which a Man might be in danger to be undone For instance they did not allow any Man to seize upon the Oxen which were at Plough He who broke this Law was scourged Ver. 7. If a man be found stealing any of his brethren Verse 7 the children of Israel If he were either taken in the fact or it was plainly proved against him So the very words of the Athenian Law were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if a Man be an apparent Man-stealer And maketh merchandise of him or selleth him This was the end of Man-stealing to make a gain of him either by exchanging him for some Commodity or selling him for Money Then that Thief shall die This Crime was punished with death though stealing of Beasts or other things was not See XXI Exod. 16. because it was very heinous on a double account both by depriving the Community of one of its Members and making him a Slave in another Country And indeed the most moderate Lawyers did not know how to secure Men in the possession of things very valuable but by inflicting such a Punishment on those that stole them Thus after Solon had tempered the rigid Law of Draco which punished all Theft with death by ordering in most Cases only the payment of double he enacted the stealing of a great Sum of Money to be Capital Nay he made it a great Crime to steal Dung because it was a thing of great value in that Country which was very barren needed it for their Ground How much more valuable was a Man in all Mens account whom if any Man stole the Law was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that death should be his punishment as Xenophon reports it And he was accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man-stealer who not only by force or by fraud carried away a free Man and sold him for a Slave or suppressed him but he who inveigled away another Man's Servant and perswaded him to run away or concealed such a Fugitive as Samuel Petitus observes out of Pollux and others Lib. VII in Leges Atticas Tit. V. p. 533. which makes me think not only he that stole one of his Brethren of the Children of Israel but he that stole a Proselyte of any sort or the Servant of a Stranger was liable to the punishment mentioned in this Law of Moses And thou shalt put away evil from among you By these words we may understand the greatness of this Crime for they are never used in this Book but when Moses speaks of the punishment of some enormous sin See XIII 5. XVII 7. XIX 19 c. Verse 8
Ver. 8. Take heed in the plague of Leprosie that thou observe diligently This was the highest legal Uncleanness and therefore the greatest Caution was to be used to prevent its Contagion And do according to all that the Priests the Levites They were constituted by the Law the sole Judges whether a Man had the Leprosie or no and were to order his Separation from others if he had and frequently make inspection whether it spread or was at a stand c. See the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Chapters of LEVITICVS where there are Laws about Houses and Garments as well as Persons infected with this Disease by the Hand of God as the Jews understand it Shall teach you To teach in this place signifies to declare the Obligation of the Law by the Judges of it the Priests the Levites Thus Jehosaphat is said to have sent his Princes to teach in the Cities of Judah and with them he sent Levites and Priests 2 Chron. XVIII 18. where R. Solomon notes that it was the business of the Priests and Levites to teach and instruct as is here written in this place which he quotes and the Princes went with them that none might disobey them but be constrained by their Authority to do according to their command See Mr. Thorndike in his Religious Assemblies Chap. II. p. 22. where he observes that in LEVITICUS direction is given to the Priests how to proceed in judging Leprosies but no Provision made till now that the People should stand to their Judgment They who imagine that the Priest had the care of Lepers as their Physicians forget that no other diseased Persons are ordered to repair to them which is a sign they did not pretend to cure them but only to preserve others from being defiled by them and to do what was necessary for their cleansing when they were healed by God As I command them so shall ye observe to do They were so to observe the Priests as to mark what God commanded and accordingly obey them not against but according to his command Ver. 9. Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Verse 9 Miriam by the way after that ye were come forth out of Egypt This seems to be mentioned that they might not think much to be shut up seven days when they were but suspected to have the Leprosie and seven days more to make farther trial and to be put out of the Camp when it appeared plainly they had this Disease XIII Levit. 4 5 45 46. Since so great a Person as Miriam was excluded so long from the Society of God's People XII Numb 15. And this may be also lookt upon as an Admonition to take care lest they spoke Evil of Dignities which brought this Punishment on Miriam or disobeyed the Commands of the Priests which might bring the like or some other Judgment upon them Verse 10 Ver. 10. When thou dost lend thy brother any thing thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge This was a very merciful provision for the Poor whose Houses he would have so priviledged that no Man might enter into them without their consent and there chuse what he pleased for the Security of his Debt But he was to take what the Borrower could best spare Verse 11 Ver. 11. Thou shalt stand abroad Keep without door And the Man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee So the Debtor not the Creditor was to chuse what Pledge he would give For he best knew what he could with most convenience to himself part withal and if it was sufficient the Lender had reason to be satisfied with it Verse 12 Ver. 12. And if the Man be poor thou shalt not sleep with his pledge But restore it before Night Which is to be understood of such things as were necessary for the preservation of his Life or Health as the following words demonstrate Verse 13 Ver. 13. In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the Sun goeth down that he may sleep in his own raiment And not to be forced to borrow of others a necessary Covering to defend him from the Cold and not be able perhaps to procure it See XXII Exod. 26 27. which Laws seems to have been intended to keep them from taking any pledge of a very poor Man For to what purpose should they every Morning fetch a pledge and every Evening carry it back again which would only create them a great deal of trouble And bless thee Pray God to bless thee And it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God Procure thee a Blessing from God who will esteem it an Act of great Mercy which is often called by the name of Righteousness in the Holy Books CXII Psalm 9. X Prov. 2 c. Nay such like actions are properly called tzedekah or righteousness according to the opinion of Maimonides who observes More Nevochim P. III. Cap. LIII that this word doth not meerly signifie giving to every Man his own For when a Man pays the Hireling his wages or a Debtor pays his Creditor that is not called tzedekah but what a Man doth out of pure love to Vertue and Goodness as when a Man cures a poor Wretch of his wounds is properly called by that name From whence it is said concerning the restoring of a poor Man's pledge it shall be to thee for righteousness That is saith Dr. Hammond in his Practical Catechism that degree of Mercy which the Law required of every Jew without which he could not be accounted righteous but there was a degree of Bounty beyond this called chusidah which was an excess of Righteousness or Goodness Ver. 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant Verse 14 Either by putting more work upon him than he is able to do or by detaining his Wages when it is done The latter of these is most properly here denoted as Const L'Empereur observes out of D. Kimchi who in his Book of Roots saith the difference between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not lye in this that the former signifies to defraud the latter to take away by violence but the former signifies to detain by force and the other to take away by force what belongs to another And for the proof of it alledges this place in Deuteronomy which he thus translates Thou shalt not detain by force the wages of the hireling Which is expressed more clearly III Malachi 5. Annot. in Bava kama Cap. IX Sect. VII p. 247. That is poor and needy And therefore the more to be pitied and not oppressed either by giving him less Wages than another Man when he ought rather to have greater or by keeping back his hire beyond the time wherein it ought to be paid For as the ancient Lawyers say Minus solvit qui tempore minus solvit as it is observed by Grotius upon V James 4. Whether he be of thy brethren or