prejudic'd with false Notions addicted to some foolish Opinions or blinded with some naughty and vicious Inclinâ—â—sion And to such a Reader many Things seem obscure But still the Reader is blameable not the Book He is in this Case like the blind Woman in Seneca who cou'd not be perswaded but that the House was dark when her Eyes were blinded There are some obscure passages in Holy Writ but these Holy Books are not therefore to be discharg'd from being the Writing of those persons whose Names they bear There are very many things exceeding plain to the Reader and many things that are not so are yet very excellent and to be reputed so by a modest Reader When Socrates had read a Book written by Heraclitus and was ask'd how he lik'd the Book he answer'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Those things in it says he which I understood are excellent and so I presume are the things which I did not understand This modesty becomes us well in reading the Holy Scriptures Where every carefull Reader will not fail to meet with a great many very excellent things which he will easily understand he ought to presume so of those things which he does not comprehend Obj. XXI I find it objected also that there is a different Style in the several parts of the Pentateuch and that therefore 't was not writ by Moses but by several Hands I answer 1. That if this were true it must be allow'd to be a very material Objection and though it wou'd not be altogether concluding yet it wou'd have more weight than all that hath been said before 2. But 't is so far from being true that the Objector does impose upon the more ignorant Reader in this matter For which matter I do appeal to all those that understand the Biblical Hebrew and that have been most conversant in it The Objector ought to have offer'd some proofs of this at least to have told us where any such diversity of Style appears and till he does that he cannot expect any other answer I do grant that in other Books written by several Hands this diversity of Style does manifestly appear The Prophet Isaiah writes in a style that is lofty and sublime Jeremiah on the other hand in a style that is more vulgar and popular Some other parts are written in a style that is concise and elliptical some in a style more ample and copious And as they were written by several Hands so there is that variety in style that wou'd induce the Reader to this belief But I do solemnly averr That there is no such variety in the style of the Pentateuch that gives any colour to such a belief 'T is true that the Songs in Moses are somewhat different from the style of his Prose and some few expressions may be allow'd to be more elliptical and concise but all this still is not such a difference as can inferr him not to be the Writer and are such Things as must be allow'd elsewhere in one and the same Writer and Book Obj. XXII The last Objection and the most common of all is That Moses cou'd not write what we read Deut. 34. The account of his Death and Burial and his Character This therefore must be allow'd to be written by another Hand I answer 1. That it is absurd to say that he cou'd not when 't is remembred that he was not onely a Prophet but the greatest of Prophets There are less Prophets than Moses that tell us many Things that came not to pass till after their own Death And therefore if I shou'd affirm that he wrote this by way of Prophecy as I shou'd not be alone in affirming it but shou'd have good Authority from Antiquity on my side so I am sure I cannot be confuted by any of those who have abdicated Moses Philo the Jew de vit Mos l. 3. tells us that Moses before his Death did fore-tell what Things shou'd happen to the several Tribes Some of which things says he are already come to pass some of them are expected But then he adds That Moses being just going to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. being as yet living and divinely inspired did distinctly fore-tell those things which related to his own Death and Burial 2. As to this matter every Man may believe as he sees cause I am very little concern'd about it if he wrote the Pentateuch to this Deut. 34. where we have the account of his Death c. I am satisfied Let what follows be written by another whether Joshua or the High-priest or some other authorized Person this will do the Objectors little service as to the main purpose and me no harm at all He that believes St. Paul wrote the Epistles that go under his Name believes enough as to that matter though he shou'd at the same time believe the Post-scripts at the close of those Epistles were written by another Hand Again he that believes the Book of Psalms an inspir'd Book and written by those Persons whose Names they bear believes enough tho' at the same time he might believe that the words Psal 72.20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended were written by another Hand to intimate that there ended one of the Books for the Jews made a Pentateuch of the Book of Psalms and in the following Psalm another Book begins But after all I do not see why what I said before under the first Head shou'd be receiv'd with such laughter and scorn as I find it is And though I think the Cause will not suffer by this Concession yet I do not quit my first Answer And thus I have consider'd the Pretences against Moses I have represented Them with all the advantage on my Adversaries side that I possibly cou'd and have endeavour'd to render their Arguments as pungent and strong as I cou'd and have sometimes found it a greater difficulty to sharpen them and make them appear like Arguments than it was to Answer them I find Moses hath a good Title to the Author of these Books A Title that a good Man esteems more valuable than Crowns and Scepters and that hath preserv'd the Name of Moses and made it Renowned Some few People have attempted to deprive him of this Honour I find nothing of any moment in the above-named Pretences and therefore must own him to be the Author of them still THE First Book of Moses CALLED GENESIS THE General Argument OF THE First Book of MOSES CALLED GENESIS THE Jews call the several Books of Moses which follow by Names that are taken from the first Hebrew word or words with which those Books begin Hence it is that this Book is by them commonly called Bereshith which signifies in the beginning that being the first word with which this Book begins But the Names by which they are known among Christians are taken from the Subject-matter contained in them Hence it is that this first
once The Author above-named was under no necessity of parting with this place He was too forward to part with his Divine Author when he was content to drop him upon so slight a ground To which I add the words Exod. 23.11 But the seventh thou shalt let it rest and lie still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the poor of thy people may eat or and the poor of thy people shall eat and what they leave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beast of the field shall eat Where again the first word which is a preterperfect hath the sense of a future as much as the following which is really and grammatically so Obj. VIII We read Gen. 22.14 And Abraham call'd the name of that place Jehovah-jireh as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen These are supposed not to be the words of Moses but of a later Writer It is pretended that this place was Mount Moriah in which the Temple was afterwards built and that it was not call'd so before such time as the Temple was built and therefore this cou'd not be written till that time which was long after the Time of Moses It is farther pretended that it is not likely that Moses shou'd write those words In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seen because the Writer of those words affirms that That proverbial Speech was used in his Time To which I answer 1. I am not concern'd whether this were the very place that was afterwards call'd Moriah or not 'T is enough to my purpose that it is not call'd Moriah even in this place Whatever affinity Men may fansie between Jehovah-jireh and Moriah 't is certain they are not one and the same Name Here 's nothing proved and we are not obliged to regard groundless Imaginations and that is all we have here offer'd to us 2. Nor is there any thing in the following words but what is very agreeable to the Time and Age of Moses For why might not this proverbial Speech be in use from the Days of Abraham to the Time of Moses Here is space enough from the Time of Abraham to that of Moses for such a Saying to become a common Saying or proverbial Speech If a later Writer might say As it is said to this day why might not Moses say it as well I confess sincerely I do not see in this Objection any thing that hath the least appearance of weight in it And shou'd have been asham'd to mention it were it not incumbent upon me in this matter to lay the Objections I meet with fairly before the Reader Obj. IX The Author of the Leviathan roundly affirms that Moses cou'd not be the Author of those words Numb 21.14 Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord what be did in the Red-sea and in the Brooks of Arnon But he offers no reason for this Opinion of his and therefore I do not think my self obliged to take any farther notice of him in this matter However I find that Spinosa offers something like a Reason for this Opinion and as near as I can guess here lies the Argument That Moses wrote a Book of the War against Amalek by God's Command he says is evident from Exod. 17.14 But it does not from that place appear in what Book he wrote it But in Numb 21. he adds a Book is cited call'd The Book of the Wars of the Lord and in this Book says he without doubt the War against Amalek and the several Journeys of the Israelites which were written by Moses as we find 't is said Numb 33.2 are related Hence he seems to insinuate that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses but by some other hand who cites the Writings of Moses And that therefore the Pentateuch was on this account rather written of Moses than by Him This is the most that I can make of the Pretence of this obscure Writer and after all I can see very little that needs an Answer The Place I grant is obscure and difficult but that does not prove it was not written by Moses The Place is consider'd in the following Notes to which I referr the Reader However having this Occasion offer'd me that I may not seem to neglect any thing for the farther satisfaction of the Reader I shall endeavour to explain the Matter related in Numb 21. and then shew how vain this Pretence is First As to the Matter related thus it is The Israelites had receiv'd a Command not to distress or disturb the Ammonites or Moabites in their Possessions God declaring that he wou'd not bestow their Land upon them Deut. 2. It is the business of Moses to shew that the Israelites had not broken that Law It is true it might be pretended and was pretended afterwards in the days of Jephthah that they had broken it Because upon the Conquest of Sihon and Og 't is certain that the Israelites had taken possession of those Lands which sometime belong'd to this People whom they were forbid to disturb But 't is to be consider'd that these Lands were at that time in the possession of the Amorites who had dispossessed the Ammonites and Moabites I will not so far make a digression as to shew who were the Possessors of these Lands from the Time of Abraham I shall content my self in shewing the design of Moses in this relation And that was 1. To shew when the Israelites came to the River Arnon they found it to be the Boundary or Border between Moab and the Amorites This he affirms v. 13. and confirms it out of a known Book in those Times call'd The Book of the Wars of the Lord v. 14. 2. To prove that the Country which the Israelites took from Sihon and which did formerly belong to the Moabites was quite lost from the Moabites in the time of a former King before Balak This is affirmed v. 26. And therefore Israel found Sihon in full possession of this Country This he also proves from some known and acknowledged Sayings at that time that serv'd to preserve the memory of the fact Whether it were in some Song or contain'd in some Commentary of Facts that were passed I enquire not v. 27 28 c. The words seem to imply that the victorious Amorites did express their Triumph on the score of their Victory over the Moabites in those terms which the Text lays before us This account of the design of Moses and his way of gaining that design will easily give the Reader to understand that these words must needs be obscure and difficult because we are not acquainted with the perfect History of those Times nor with the Memorials of Facts that then had hapned Secondly I proceed to shew the great Vanity of the foregoing Pretence I might very well premise that the Proofs that Moses wrote not these Books had need be very clear or else we are guilty of great Vanity in admitting them And this is far
from that it being one of the most difficult and obscure Passages of the whole Pentateuch But still here is nothing proved That Moses wrote this Book called The Wars of the Lord appears not And granting it to be true it is nothing to the purpose For why might not Moses cite a Book of his own Writing as well as another and later Author And what if Moses did write the Wars of Amalek must he therefore write that of the Amorites Warring against the Moabites before he was concerned with them also These kind of pretences may amuse some that are not given to Thinking they can never prevail with them that consider duly Obj. X. 'T is pretended that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses but rather of him And that because Moses is generally mentioned by the Writer as a third Person And besides that we find Moses is commended in the Pentateuch Numb 12.6 8. Deut. 34.10 And if we take him for the Writer of those Books we must suppose him also to have commended himself which will hardly be granted in a Man of so great Humility and Wisdom as Moses was I answer 1. As to the Pretence that Moses is not the Author because he speaks of himself as of a third Person then it follows That whoever does in his History or Work mâ—ntion himself as Moses in these Books is supposed to do he cannot be the Author of that Book or Relation This wou'd be to conclude too much And yet if this Proposition be not true tâ—â—â— Objection hath so far as it goes no manner of force in it That he cannot be the Author of a Book that mentions himself as a third Person may be affirm'd indeed easily but can never be proved If this were admitted we must discharge several Authors of the Books of the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament also and then we must not believe that Julius Caesar wrote the Commentaries that go under his name or Josephus that part of his reputed Works where he speaks of himself as of a Third Person 'T is hardly credible that the Objectors can believe the Consequence of this Objection and I think there is no fear if they should that any indifferent Person shou'd believe with them 2. As to the second Part of the Objection That we cannot suppose that Moses wou'd commend himself nor consequently that he shou'd write the Pentateuch where he is commended I answer That this Objection whatever may be inferr'd from it does not conclude that Moses was not the Author of these Books For 't is not impossible for a Man to write an Encomium of himself But let us consider the Matter more closely 'T is said indeed that the Man Moses was very meek above all the Men which were upon the face of the Earth Numb 12.3 This is said upon occasion of what was said against him by Miriam and Aaron They spake against him very sharply Upon which 't is said And the Lord heard it Moses is not said to take notice of it himself He was not like to give any just offence nor apt to fall into anger when others reproach'd him It follows Now the man Moses was very meek c. I do not see what there is in these words unbecoming Moses Here 's no boasting or pride no shadow or foot-steps of it He had a just occasion to mention that he had neither provoked these angry persons nor did he highly resent the reproaches they followed him with He might say this well enough and ascribe due honour to God who had wrought this Temper in him The best Man in the World may well be allowed to defend his own Innocence and to own the great Things which God hath done for him The Objection will lie against Job against the Psalmist against St. Paul as well as against Moses if a good Man may not lawfully upon any occasion speak well of himself For what follows in v. 6 7 8. where Moses is preferr'd to any other Prophet 't is certain that they are the Words not of Moses but of God himself And well might he write what God himself said upon this occasion especially when it tended so much to justifie his Divine Mission upon the credit whereof the success of all his Ministry intirely depended The Sin of Moses is related Numb 20.12 and the Punishment inflicted on him on that account The relating of this is as strong an Objection against another Person 's writing these Books as what is nam'd above is against Moses For supposing another Person had been the Writer that Writer must be suppos'd not onely to relate what we read Numb 20. but to repeat it frequently also Obj. XI It is pretended that Moses cannot be supposed to be the Author of those words Exod. 6. These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies These are they which spake to Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Moses and Aaron v. 26 27. 'T is suppos'd that Moses wou'd not write thus of himself I answer 1. That he may well be suppos'd to write as a Third Person as hath been shewed before And then 2. Allowing him to write for the sake of Posterity and not onely for the Persons of that present Age of which there can be no doubt He may well be granted to be the Writer of these words concerning himself and Aaron who were both greatly concerned in the Matters related afterwards Obj. XII The Author of the Book call'd Tractatus Theologico politicus mentions some other Books written by Moses and wou'd thence inferr by a way of reasoning peculiar to himself that Moses was not the Author of the Pentateuch He mentions the Book of the Covenant Exod. 24. This Book he says contains very little viz. Those Precepts onely which are found from Exod. 20.24 to chap. 24. And he allows that Moses wrote the Book of the Law of God Deut. 31.9 which Joshua afterwards enlarged viz. with the Relation of the Covenant which the People enter'd into in his Time Josh 24.25 26. And because we have no Book that contains at once the Covenant of Moses and that of Joshua he concludes that this Book of the Law is lost He grants that Moses wrote a Book of the Law and gave it to the Priests with a Command that it shou'd be at a certain time read unto the People which cou'd not therefore be the Pentateuch that being too great a Volume to be read at one Solemnity He grants also that Moses wrote the Song mentioned Deut. 32. And this Book of the Law containing part of the Deuteronomy and this Song is all that he will allow him to have written and left to Posterity I answer 1. I am willing to grant that the Book of the Covenant might not contain more than three or four Chapters of Laws And let it
for For those we have of this kind some of them are too voluminous and the People have not ability to purchase or leisure to peruse them Others are not perhaps so fitted for common use But that which I insist mainly upon is this That 't is fit something of this kind should be contrived which might serve the Reader 's necessity to the greatest advantage that might be short and perspicuous cheap and easie to be purchased and after all such as bears the stamp of publick allowance For the following Notes I shall not need say much having acquainted the Reader already with the Occasion of them Some few things I think fit to add First That I have all along made the Hebrew Text my Rule nor do I see how I could do otherwise I am sure this is agreeable to the Sense of the Church of England and this was the Rule which our Translators were governed by Secondly That I have never attempted to advance any private Opinion nor in the least departed from my Rule for any Consideration whatsoever And though I have a great Opinion both of the LXXII Interpreters especially on the Pentateuch and no mean one of the Vulgar Latin and have with some labour compared them yet I have always had my Eye on the Hebrew Text as upon the Rule which was to govern me Nothing could tempt me to alter the Hebrew Text or to depart from it Thirdly I must own that as to the Sense of the Text I have received considerable assistance from the Ancient Interpreters and from the Modern especially from the LXXII the Vulgar and the Targum of Onkelos which is generally a Version rather than a Paraphrase nor hath the Syriac been forgot and the Samaritan hath upon occasion been considered For the Modern Versions I know none better than our own in English that of Diodati in Italian and the Tigurin in Latin which have been considered in the following Notes Fourthly Nor have I neglected Josephus and Philo the Jew I have considered how they have rendred the words of the Pentateuch as they have cited them on occasion and what other accounts they have given of many passages of these Books Nor have I over-looked the Rabbinical Commentators And I have received great help from Maimon especially whom I have frequently consulted and made use of upon this occasion I am fully of opinion the Writings of that Jew next to the Sacred are one of the greatest Blessings that the learned World hath And that if young Divines would read his Works with due care they would arrive at a greater degree of Scripture-knowledge than by all the other methods which are usually taken I do not wonder that the Jews when they speak of Moses Maimonides should say That from Moses to Moses there never was a Man like Moses Fifthly I have endeavoured to make things as plain as I can to the ordinary Reader I have studied to be short and not to disturb the Reader with hard Words or unnecessary Quotations For those few Quotations I have they are not taken upon Trust but I have constantly seen with my own Eyes What-ever defects there may be found in this Work this I can truly say for my self That I have diligently pursued the Truth And shall be very ready to listen to any Man that shall shew the my mistakes and shall most readily retract them I have used what care I could to minister to the Necessities of others and done what lies in me to this purpose I am fond of no singular Opinions have pursued no worldly Advantage and what-ever Censure I may meet with from abroad I am not conscious to my self of any want of diligence or integrity If this will be of any use to others I shall be well satisfied and shall be much better pleased if it should be any occasion to excite others to carry on the Work which is begun to better purpose and a far greater advantage to the well-disposed Readers THE CONTENTS Of the following Dissertation ATtempts to disparage the Holy Scriptures and particularly the Writings of Moses Of those who have endeavoured to prove that Moses did not write the Pentateuch That this is a matter of great moment The design of the following Dissertation That Moses did write the Pentateuch is shewed and hath been owned by a multitude of Witnesses The Objections of some late Writers against it with their Answers The first Objection from Deut. 1.1 answered The second Objection from Gen. 36.31 with some Reflections on a late Writer of a Commentary on Genesis Printed at Amsterdam An Answer thereunto Obj. 3. concerning Hebron and Dan. An Answer to it Obj. 4. from Deut. 2.12 answered Obj. 5. from Gen. 12.6 with its Answer Obj. 6. from Deut. 3.11 14. answered Obj. 7. from Exod. 16.35 with its Answer Obj. 8. from Gen. 22.14 answered Obj. 9. from Numb 21.14 answered Obj. 10. from Numb 12.6 and Deut. 34.10 answered Obj. 11. from Exod. 6. answered Obj. 12. answered Obj. 13. from Gen. 40.15 answered Obj. 14. from Gen. 35.21 An Answer to it Obj. 15. from Gen. 20.7 That the word Prophet was as old as Moses shewed in the Answer to it Obj. 16. from Exod. 16.36 answered Obj. 17. from Gen. 2.11 12. and chap. 10.8 answered Obj. 18. from the many Repetitions in these Books The Reader is referred to the General Argument to Deuteronomy where this Objection is answered at large Obj. 19. 'T is pretended that this Pentateuch is confused and therefore not written by Moses An Answer to that Objection Obj. 20. from the obscurity of these Books An Answer to this Objection Obj. 21. from the difference of Style in the several Books of the Pentateuch An Answer to this Objection Obj. 22. from Deut. 34. 'T is pretended that Moses cou'd not write that Chapter An Answer to that Objection The Conclusion A Dissertation CONCERNING The Author or Writer OF THE PENTATEUCH IT hath been the business and study of some Men of late years to disparage the Holy Scriptures and all revealed Religion What attempts have been made to that End is sufficiently known The Authority and Inspiration of these Sacred Oracles hath not onely been called in question but professedly opposed And those who have been so hardy and profane as to Libel the Scriptures have not onely escaped without Punishment or Censure but they have been cried up and famed for their Performances of this kind as great Wits and Men of wonderfull Sagacity Their Writings have been industriously spread And those who set up for Wit have openly avowed their disbelief of the Scriptures The Books of Moses have not escaped They have been so far from it that there have been those who have given out that the Five Books commonly believed to be his were never written by him And they pretend that they neither were nor could be written by him And there are three Writers of late that in their Works have boldly asserted this Mr. Hobs in his Leviathan the Author
of the Book called the Praeadamitae and Spinosa in his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus This matter is of great moment and that wherein our Common Religion is greatly concerned It strikes at the very root of it and calls its Antiquity in question and leaves the pious Reader at a great loss For whereas we all own that God spake by Moses yet still if these Men be in the right we shall be perfectly at a loss for the Author of these Books and not know whether he were a Servant of God or not Besides when the Authors of the New Testament quote Moses and our Saviour appeals to his Writings we shall however be very uncertain where to find these Writings if he be not allowed to be the Author of the Pentateuch and so will the Christian Religion suffer at the same time My design in what follows is to defend Moses against all the attempts that the Authors above-named have made against his being the Author of the following Books This is as much as my present Argument does oblige me to I am not obliged operosely to prove Moses to be the Author or Writer of the Pentateuch He is in possession of that Title It hath been allowed from the highest Antiquity owned by all sorts of Men Jews and Christians by Infidels and Pagans by Men of all Sects and Parties by Men that in other things have differed greatly from one another But that I may not seem to have neglected any thing of moment in this matter I shall before I proceed any farther shew what good reason we have to believe that Moses was the Writer of these Books and then I shall consider the force of those Objections which have been produced against it For the first part of my design I need not say much both because it hath been made out by others beyond all exception and because the thing is attended with as great Evidence as can be reasonably expected by any that are unprejudiced It is certain that Moses wrote the Law and as will appear farther afterwards that by the Law in the Scripture is meant the Pentateuch Exod. 24.4 And delivered it to the Priests the Sons of Levi Deut. 31.9 He was commanded to write and he did it Exod. 17.14 with Josh 1.8 I shall not need go over the Old Testament and shew the many passages cited by the Sacred Writers of the Books thereof out of the several Books of the Pentateuch as the Law of Moses I will to put this matter out of doubt with all Christians pass on to the New Testament where these Books of the Pentateuch are quoted frequently and they are cited as the Books of Moses I will not shew how often they are quoted in the New Testament which would be more than is needfull it will be enough to shew that they are cited severally as the Law and as the Law of Moses An historical Passage of the Book of Genesis is cited by St. Paul under the Character of the Law Gal. 4.21 and the written Law that was v. 30. and Rom. 4.3 St. Stephen was charged to have spoken blasphemous Words against Moses and against the Law Act. 6.11 13. He was charged to have affirmed that Jesus should change the customs which Moses delivered v. 14. Upon this he makes his defence and owns his belief of the matters related even in the Book of Genesis chap. 7.3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Which had not been to his purpose had not that Book been part of that Law which he was accused to have spoken against as well as against Moses Again We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Joh. 1.45 This Law here cannot be exclusive of the Book of Genesis which contains the first and also the clearest Prophecy of the Messias of which no Christian can make any doubt that consults Gen. 3.15 and chap. 49.10 These Prophecies are allowed by the Jews themselves the great Enemies of Jesus to belong to the Messias The Book of Exodus is by our Saviour expressly called the Book of Moses Mark 12.26 as it is called the Scripture by St. Paul Rom. 9.17 and the Law of the Lord by St. Luke chap. 2.23 Leviticus is cited also by our Saviour as a part of the Law of Moses Matt. 8.4 And what that Book describes St. Paul reckons as described by Moses Rom. 10.5 And Moses is said to Command what is commanded in that Book Joh. 8. â— For the Book of Numbers though I find it not particularly quoted as other Books under this character yet have we no cause to exclude it from what that place referrs to mentioned above viz. Joh. 1.45 Tâ—â— which we may add what our Saviour says Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me Joh. 5.46 For so indeed he did in the Book of Numbers chap. 24.17 And farther still our Saviour referrs to a passage related in this Book of Numbers as a Type of himself As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up Joh. 3.14 Deuteronomy is quoted as part of the Law of Moses Matt. 19.7 8. And what we find said there is imputed to Moses as said by him which cannot be if he were not the Writer of it Act. 3.22.7.37 This Book is expressly called the Law of Moses 1 Cor. 9.9 And what is therein contained is said to have been said by Moses Matt. 22.24 The whole Pentateuch is included by the word Law in the style of the New Testament as well as in that of the other and later Jewish Writers Our Saviour says That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Luk. 24.44 Whence 't is manifest that under the Law of Moses the whole Pentateuch is comprized For Jesus gives us the whole Scripture as the Jews divide it to this day For they divide it into three parts The Law which taken in these Five Books of Moses the Prophets which the Jews divide into the former and latter and the Kethuvim or Hagiographical Books And the Book of Psalms being the Principal of them is put by our Saviour here for all that fall under that General Head This Law came by Moses Joh. 1.14 He wrote it and when the Law is read Moses is said to be read Act. 13.15 and chap. 15.21 2 Cor. 3.15 If I should add to what hath been said that Moses hath been owned to be the Writer of these Books by all Mankind by all sorts of Authors and by an Universal Tradition I think nothing can be wanting to confirm us in this belief And yet is this not denied by our Adversaries in this Question I shall now proceed to consider what can be said on the other side The Proofs had need be very clear before Moses can be dispossessed of so just a claim and title which he hath enjoyed
be granted that the Book of the Law to be read to the People did not contain the whole Pentateuch Be all this as it will I cannot see how 't will serve the Purpose of this Author For 2. It does not follow from thence that Moses did not write the whole Pentateuch When 't is agreed that he wrote and deliver'd some parts of it does it thence follow he did not write the whole I shou'd have been much asham'd to have troubled the Reader with this passage of the Author above-written because there is nothing worthy of the Reader 's notice no Argument nor appearance of any But I think my self oblig'd fairly to represent what the Objector's say in this matter though they prove nothing Obj. XIII It is farther pretended that Moses cou'd not write those words where Joseph is brought in saying I was stollen away out of the Land of the Hebrews It is pretended that it was not then the Land of the Hebrews and that therefore Moses cou'd not term it so nor any Writer till after his time when the Israelites had invaded and taken possession of the Land To which I answer 1. That the Writer of this passage does onely report the words of Joseph so that the Objection bears as hard against a later Writer as against Moses For who-ever the Writer be 't is not the Writer that calls it the Land of the Hebrews he brings in Joseph calling it so If Joseph did not call it so the Relater or Writer hath not told us Truth and then the Objection bears against any Writer be it Moses or some other person and then in truth it is an Objection against the Book it self as not worthy of belief If Joseph did call it the Land of the Hebrews why might not Moses be the Writer as well as a later Author He was rather better able to report the Matter a-right than a later Writer as he liv'd nearer to that time when the words were spoken 2. That Joseph might at that time very properly call that Country the Land of the Hebrews And that he might do upon these accounts 1. Because it was the Land in which the Hebrews did at that time and had ever since the Time of Abraham done so inhabit Surely it may be call'd the Land of the Hebrews where the Hebrews dwelt and where they have dwelt for some-time past whether they dwelt there by permission or by force of Arms against the Will of the other Inhabitants 2. 'T was also that Land which was promis'd the Hebrews and particularly to Abraham the Father of that People And 3. The Hebrews had some propriety in that Land Abraham by purchase Gen. 23. Jacob by conquest Gen. 24. who afterwards bestow'd his part of the Land to Joseph by his Last Will and Testament ch 48.22 Obj. XIV It is pretended that Moses cou'd not write those words Gen. 35.21 And Israel journeyed and spread his Tent beyond the Tower of Edar This Tower of Edar or Tower of the Flock is by the Objector supposed for I see no offer of proof to be a Tower plac'd in After-times and put upon one of the Gates of the City of Jerusalem called the Sheep-gate and then this must be written not by Moses but by a later Writer who liv'd after that Tower was so call'd To which I answer 1. That here being nothing but the Objector's Supposition this Objection needs no Answer for 't is not reasonable that mere Suppositions shou'd be regarded without any shadow of proof 2. That it is by no means reasonable to suppose this Tower of Edar to be a Tower upon the Sheep-gate in Jerusalem One of the Ancients who is a more competent Judge than any later Objector affirms that the Tower of Edar was the place of the Shepherds near to Bethlehem where the Company of Angels declar'd the Nativity of our Saviour and that it was the place where Joseph fed his Flock and where the Shepherds that watched by night at the time of our Saviour's Birth Luke 2. heard the heavenly Host saying Glory be to God in the highest and on Earth peace good-will towards Men. Hieron quaest in Genes Idem ad Eustochium Epitaph Paul This account is confirm'd by the Context and also by the Targum of Jonathan on Gen. 35.21 who adds to the Text That this is the place from whence the King Messias shall be revealed in the last days And still this account receives a farther Confirmation from Micah 4.8 where we meet with the Tower of Edar in a most illustrious Prophecy of the Messias There are the same words with these of Gen. 35.21 For the Sheep-gate in Jerusalem there is no kind of Affinity between the words in the Hebrew that signifie the Sheep-gate and those which import the Tower of the Flock and that are used both in Genesis and in Micah And 't is therefore most like that this Name of the place continued from the Time of Jacob and therefore this can be no Objection of any moment in this case Obj. XV. It is pretended that Moses cou'd not write those words Gen. 20.7 Now therefore restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet It is pretended that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render a Prophet was not used in the Time of Moses and that therefore Moses cou'd not write those words but a later Writer And this they attempt to prove from 1 Sam. 9.9 where 't is said Before-time in Israel when a man went to enquire of God thus he spake Come and let us go to the Seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before-time called a Seer To which I answer 1. That if this be any Objection against Moses then may we with as good Reason object this where-ever we find the word we here render Prophet in the Pentateuch We find this word in several places and shall we therefore conclude that Moses wrote none of those places If it has any force here it has the same every-where else And yet Mr. Hobbs allows that Moses did write the Book of Deuteronomy from chap. XI to the end of chap. XXVII and yet in that part of Deuteronomy we find this word which we render Prophet several times E. g. If there arise among you a Prophet c. And thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet Deut. 13.1 3. Again The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet c. I will raise them a Prophet And the Prophet which shall presume c. And when a Prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord Deut. 18.15 18 20 22. Besides the word is used elsewhere as Exod. 7.1 Numb 12.6 and chap. 11.29 and Deut. 34.10 Will any believe this word was not used in the time of Moses or that if he wrote these places yet he wrote Seer and the word Prophet was added by a later Hand 2. Some of these words are quoted in the New Testament and there the word
Prophet is retain'd and not the word Seer And they are quoted in such terms also as may put this matter out of dispute and satisfie us that Moses wrote the words quoted and that the word Prophet was known in his time Let us hear how St. Peter quotes these words from Deut. 18.18 For Moses truly said unto your Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you He tells us that 't was Moses and not a later Writer that said this he expresseth it not by Seer but by the word Prophet St. Stephen cites the same passage and after the same manner This is that which Moses said unto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you c. Act. 3.22 and chap. 7.37 Nothing can be plainer nothing more convincing than these words are both that Moses wrote these words and that the word render'd Prophet was used in his time 3. I shall consider the words in the Book of Samuel and shew that they will not serve the purpose to which they are produced The words are these Before-time in Israel when a man went to enquire of God thus he spake Come and let us go to the Seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before-time called a Seer Does this Writer say That the word we render Prophet was not known in the time of Moses He says no such thing Does he say That the word we render Prophet was not known till that Age He says it not All that he affirms is this That before that time the person called a Prophet was called a Seer This we grant readily He was called a Seer before but this does not inferr that he was not called a Prophet also even then when he was called a Seer The most that can be concluded from the place is this That for some-time before he that was called a Prophet then was commonly called a Seer And then there is no more than this to be inferred That how old soever the word Prophet had been yet for some-time before that passage was related it was very common to call him a Seer It seems the word Prophet was at that time when this is related in common use and yet after these words the word Seer is used 1 Sam. 9.11 And so it was in the days of Micah when the word Prophet was in common and ordinary use Micah 3.7 And as the word Seer was used when Prophet was used most commonly so have we good Reason to believe that the word Prophet was also used when Seer was a word in common and ordinary use And 't is apparently evident from what hath been said above that the word was as old as Moses Obj. XVI It is pretended that Moses wou'd not write these words Now an Omer is the tenth part of an Ephah Exod. 16.36 'T is pretended that these words cou'd not be written by Moses when these Measures were in use and well known but by a much later hand after the dispersion of the Israelites among other Nations among whom they had been used to other Measures that the Reader might the better understand the Measure here mentioned To which I answer 1. That it does not appear that the Israelites did ever alter their Measures whilst they continued in the Possession of the Land of Canaan And if they did not there cou'd be no reason assign'd why we shou'd suppose any thing added here by way of Explication by a later hand 2. Nor can we reasonably suppose such an Explication cou'd signifie any thing in this case For how cou'd any Man be the wiser for it For how shou'd an Ephah be better known than an Omer This wou'd be no Explication in After-times when the Measures used of old were once forgotten And why may not an Ephah be as well forgot as an Omer And if it were the Reader cou'd gain nothing at all by such words as these 3. And therefore 't is much more reasonable to believe that these words were here from the beginning when an Ephah was in use commonly and that so it was in the days of Moses Obj. XVII I meet with some other Objections mention'd in a late learned Writer mention'd before which because I cannot discern any great force in them I will here put together and answer viz. Gen. 2.11 12. The name of the first is Pison that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah where there is gold and the gold of that land is good there is Bdellium and the Onyx-stone 'T is pretended that these are the words of one who lived in Chaldaea where 't is suppos'd that Pison was and that Geography was not well enough known to Moses to relate such Particulars Again 'T is pretended that the account we have of Nimrod and his Kingdom chap. 10.8 is more than Moses can be supposed to give and that That account wou'd have been more usefull after the Jews had been better acquainted with Babylon And Lastly The account we have of Niniveh which is suppos'd to have been Founded after the Time of Moses is therefore supposed to be none of his To which I answer 1. As to Pison not to examine the Situation of it which for what appears might not be so distant from Moses as Chaldaea the Objector hath no reason to object hence against Moses because he does not know how far Moses did understand Geography nor hath he any cause to say the places mention'd did not trade and traffick into Egypt where Moses was born Gen. 37.25 2. As to the account of Nimrod and his Kingdom we have no shadow of reason to suspect it For Babylon and some other places mention'd on this occasion were afterwards so famous in story that 't is not to be wonder'd at that Moses shou'd give an account of this person who was so very remarkable in his Time and of these Places that were so famous afterwards Nor cou'd any thing be done more properly than in that very place where Moses gives an account of the Families deriv'd from the Sons of Noah which Peopl'd the several parts of the Earth 3. For the Name of Niniveh which is pretended to be later than the Times of Moses I need say no more than this That this is supposed onely but I never yet to my remembrance saw any kind of proof of it or any thing that looks that way And cou'd I see any thing like a proof I shou'd think my self oblig'd to give an answer to it But I cannot be obliged to follow mere Suppositions and wander after the Fansies and vain Imaginations of Scriblers Obj. XVIII It is pretended by the Author of the Book call'd Prae-adamitae that the Pentateuch cannot be writ by Moses and that because 't is full of Repetitions which therefore so wife a Man as Moses cannot be supposed to be guilty of I answer That this looks like an Objection and deserves to be accounted for And because this Objection bears hardest against the Book
of Deuteronomy therefore I have very fully consider'd it in the General Argument prefix'd to that Book and therefore I referr the Reader to that place for satisfaction as to this matter Obj. XIX 'T is also said that these Books do not report Facts in that Order in which they hapned and that Moses therefore is not the Author of so confused and distorted a Work And the Author last above-named gives one remarkable instance to this purpose from Deut. 10.6 To which I answer 1. That if the Objector mean no more than this That things are not always related in that very Order in which they hapned I do allow that this is true and that it cannot be deny'd This will be readily granted by Jews and by Christians who yet do believe Moses to be the Author of the Pentateuch Nothing is more common among the Hebrew Doctors than this Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Non est prius posterius in Lege They allow that things are not laid before us in that order in which they hapned or came to pass Josephus when he reckons up the number of the Books of the Old Testament tells us expressly that Moses wrote the Pentateuch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. contra Apion l. 1. He tells us elsewhere that all things are written as Moses left them That they had added nothing not even for Ornament which Moses had not left But yet he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That these Writings were left by him dispersed as he had occasion to consult the Divine Majesty This says he I think needfull to premise that none of our People might when they read be scandalized on this account Jos Antiq. l. 4. c. 8. 2. That it does not thence follow that Moses was not the Author 'T is strange that any Man who professeth Christianity shou'd argue at this rate Because it must be allow'd that the Evangelists themselves do not always in their Gospels relate Facts in that Order in which they came to pass and yet they do believe that these Gospels were written by those persons whose Names they bear 3. As 't is far from being an Argument that Moses was not the Author of these Books so the thing it self is of a very trifling Consideration For the Journey of Jethro to Moses whether it hapned before the giving of the Law or after is a thing of very small Consideration As long as we have the Fact related we are well enough dealt with And if it cou'd be prov'd that what is related of that matter Exod. 18. did not come to pass till after the Law was given yet will this be no Objection against Moses because that might notwithstanding be the fittest place to relate Jethro's Journey Moses being just entring upon the account of the giving the Law and then of the particular Laws that were given c. Moses does not date the Coming of Jethro and for what appears 't is related in the fittest place For Abraham's Journey with Sarah to Gerar we are not concern'd to know the precise time of it nor does Moses give it us and we have no cause to find fault with his placing the Relation where we find it We are very unreasonable in this matter The Historian was best Judge where to relate the several Facts he had to mention And we do not when we object this allow him the liberty that all other Historians are allow'd viz. To make their Relations in such places as they judge most convenient And it is to me a very evident proof that those Men have very little to say against Moses who will lay hold on such impertinent trifles as these are These are mere Cavils and speak a bad Temper 4. Nor is there much of this to pretend Moses indeed did not write his History by way of Annals nor his Laws in the exact method and form of Justinian's Institutions But this is no Objection against the Author of the Books or the Books themselves As there is not that method so there is not that confusion which is pretended The Objector needed not to have said that there are in the Pentateuch Tam multa confusa inordinata extra locum seriem posita For there is no great matter of this kind to be objected after all this noise For the Instances he gives of Jethro's Journey and Abraham's going to Gerar they are not worth his while For in truth they do not serve his purpose And though he instance in the Journey of Isaac to Gerar that will do his Cause no good I appeal to any indifferent Reader The Objector shou'd have laid these things before the Reader and shewed how they tend to his great End For here 's nothing prov'd nor is there any thing in the Instances above that do in the least bear against Moses For as I observ'd above Moses does not write Annals nor date those Facts and might therefore insert them in that place of his Book which he judged most reasonable 5. I◠is true that this Author does produce one Instance that looks like an Objection And I do grant that the place hath a considerable difficulty attending it and that is what we read Deut. 10.6 But because there are some difficult passages in the Pentateuch must not Moses therefore be allow'd to be the Author At this rate we may discharge all the Writers of the Old and New Testament also But as to that difficult place it is very particularly consider'd in the following Notes on that Chapter to which therefore I referr the Reader 6. After all 't is very unfit we shou'd prescribe Laws and Methods that God's Holy Prophets are to use in revealing his Will to us 'T is great sawciness in us to prescribe God is wise when he does not use our methods Obj. XX. The same Author objects the Obscurity of these Books as an Argument that Moses was not the Author of them To which I answer 1. It is not to be wonder'd that there shou'd be some obscure places in the Pentateuch allowing it to be written by Moses for then the Book was written above 3000 years ago and that in the Eastern Country and in a Language much different from the Modern We are not acquainted with the History of that Age the Customs of those Times and Idiotisms of the Language in which it was written And therefore we are apt to mistake and many times at a loss where these Books referr to some Facts or Records or Rites and Usages then well known But then as I intimated this is no Argument that Moses was not the Author of it For this wou'd oblige us to discharge all the ancient Authors which we do not understand 2. Besides this Obscurity is very often to be imputed to a fault or defect of the Readers not to any defect or fault in the Books The Reader perhaps wants Skill and good Judgment he does not use fit means or sufficient diligence Perhaps he is
23.19 In Hebron Or near Hebron So the Hebrew Particle sometimes signifies 1 Sam. 29.1 2 Chron. 15.16 CHAP. XIV The ARGUMENT Four Kings overcome five in Battel Lot is taken Captive and his Goods become a spoil The news of Lot's Captivity is brought to Abram He pursues the Conquerors and rescueth Lot c. Melchizedek blesseth Abram and receives Tithes of him Abram refuseth to enrich himself with the Spoils he had taken Having given a part of them to those who were partners with him in this expedition restores the remainder to the King of Sodom 1. AND it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar Arioch king of Ellasar Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of nations 2. That these made war with Bera king of Sodom and with Birsha king of Gomorrah Shinab king of Admah and Shemeber king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela which is Zoar. 3. All these were joyned together in the vale of Siddim which is the salt sea 4. Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer and in the thirteenth year they rebelled 5. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim and the Zuzims in Ham and the Emims in Shaveh-Kirjathaim 6. And the Horites in their mount Seir unto El-paran which is by the wilderness 7. And they returned and came to En-Mishpat which is Kadesh and smote all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezon-Tamar 8. And there went out the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela the same is Zoar and they joyned battel with them in the vale of Siddim 9. With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam and with Tidal king of nations and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar four kings with five 10. And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there and they that remained fled to the mountain 11. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their victuals and went their way 12. And they took Lot Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom and his goods and departed 13. And there came one that had escaped and told Abram the Hebrew for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner and these were confederate with Abram 14. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive he armed his trained servants born in his own house three hundred and eighteen and pursued them unto Dan. 15. And he divided himself against them he and his servants by night and smote them and pursued them unto Hobah which is on the left hand of Damascus 16. And he brought back all the goods and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods and the women also and the people 17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that were with him at the valley of Shaveh which is the king's dale 18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was the priest of the most high God 19. And he blessed him and said Blessed be Abram of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth 20. And blessed be the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand and he gave hiâ— tithes of all 21. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram Give me the persons and take the goods to thy self 22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom I have lift up my hand unto the LORD the most high God the possessor of heaven and earth 23. That I will not take from a threed even to a shooe latchet and that I will not take any thing that is thine lest thou shouldest say I have made Abram rich 24. Save only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men which went with me Aner Eshcol and Mamre let them take their portion 1. SHinar i. e. Babylon See the Note on ch 10.10 And because Nimrod reigned there some of the Jews think Amraphel to be Nimrod Ellasar This is thought to be Syria Elam See ch 10. v. 22. Of nations i. e. Of a place whose Inhabitants were of divers Nations and People met together This is supposed to be the same which was afterwards called Galilee See Josh 12.23 2. Zoar See ch 13. v. 10. These five Cities above-named lay near each other on the East of the Inheritance of Judah in the Land of Canaan 3. All these i. e. These five Kings last named Were joined together They were not onely Neighbours but Confederates also as the Greek Interpreters intimate See v. 4. Vale of Siddim So called from the open Fields as the Chaldee rendring implies Salt sea So called afterwards even in the time in which this Book was written For the wickedness of its Inhabitants it was rendred a barren place Deut. 29.23 Psal 107. v. 34. 5. Rephaims The Giants or Mighty men say the Seventy and Chaldee A people of force and power in the Land of Canaan ch 15.20 Deut. 3.13 compare Deut. 2.11 in the Hebrew Text and with the Context there Ashteroth Karnaim This City was in Basan placed between two high Mountains whence it was called Ashteroth Karnaim Karnaim signifies two horns or high places Deut. 1.4 Zuzims Another strong people as the Greek and Chaldee intimate Emims Of them see Deut. 2.10 11. In Shaveh Or in the Plain as it is in the Margent Kirjathaim Josh 13.19 6. Horites A people that dwelt in Seir Deut. 2.22 Gen. 36.20 El-paran Or the Plain of Paran a City near the Wilderness so called Gen. 21.21 Numb 13.3 7. En-Mishpat The fountain of Judgment Hebr. Possibly it might be the place wherein the Controversies of the neighbouring places were decided which might be the occasion why it was so called Amalekites Afterwards so called from Amalek Gen. 36.12 Hazezon-Tamar The name of a City The Chaldee renders it Engedi And very good reason there is for that rendring Compare 2 Chron. 20.2 This City belonged afterward to the Tribe of Judah Josh 15.62 10. Fell there i. e. Were there discomfited 14. His Brother i. e. His Kinsman He was his Brother's Son Compare v. 12. and ch 13.8 The word Brother is taken in the Scripture in a large sense Lot was however Abram's Brother he having married Sarai the Sister of Lot Armed Or brought forth Trained Or instructed See the Note on ch 12.5 Dan This says Josephus is one of the Fountains of the River Jordan 15. Damascus A City of Syria and in after-times the head thereof Isa 7.8 17. King's-dale A place that retained that name unto David's time and is probably the same which is mentioned 2 Sam. 18.18 18. Melchizedek The word signifies King of Righteousness Heb. 7.2 Salem i. e. Of Jerusalem says the Chaldee Salem
go up unto the LORD peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin 31. And Moses returned unto the LORD and said Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold 32. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written 33. And the LORD said unto Moses whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my book 34. Therefore now go lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee Behold mine angel shall go before thee Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them 35. And the LORD plagued the people because they made the calf which Aaron made 1. THE People Not all the People but a considerable part of them See v. 26. and 1 Cor. 10.7 Vnto Aaron Or against Aaron 'T is very probable that they came in a very tumultuous and violent manner v. 22. Vp make us Gods c. Act. 7.40 They desire an Image or visible Symbol of the Divinity which might at their pleasure go before them Moses having been absent some considerable time and the Pillar which was wont to go before them having during that time stood still 2. Golden Ear-rings Possibly those very Jewels which the Egyptians had furnished them with at their departure out of Egypt ch 12.35 These Ear-rings were materials of Idolatry both now and before and after this time Gen. 35.4 Judg. 8.24 4. And c. 1 King 12.28 Psal 106.19 Thy Gods Or thy God Nehem. 9.18 They Worshipped God by this Image v. 5. which yet does not excuse them from Idolatry Act. 7.41 1 Cor. 10.7 Exod. 20.4 5. 5. To the LORD To Jehovah but yet the Calf by which Jehovah is Worshipped is called an Idol Act. 7.41 6. People 1 Cor. 10.7 Play This mirth was an attendant upon their Idolatrous Worship and is expressed by a word in the Hebrew that is sometimes applied to Whoredom Idolatry being esteemed a spiritual Whoredom or Fornication Gen. 39.17 7. Go Deut. 9.12 Thy people They have no right to be called God's people 8. They have Deut. 9.8 9. I have seen c. Ch. 33.3 Deut. 9.13 10. Let me alone c. i. e. Do not pray or intercede for them as the Chaldee hath it 11. And Moses c. Psal 106.23 The LORD Heb. The face of the LORD 12. Wherefore Numb 14.13 13. I will multiply Gen. 12.7 and 15.7 and 48.16 14. Repented c. He was appeased and turned from the Evil as the Vulgar and Chaldee have it 15. On both their sides i. e. On the two fore-sides 16. Tables Ch. 31.18 17. Shouted In the mirth mentioned v. 6. 18. Being overcome Heb. Weakness Sing Play says the Chaldee Moses being before instructed v. 7. discerned it not to be the voice of conquering or conquered People but of those who rejoiced or sang as Men were wont to do in Festivals and the Dancing attending upon them Vid. Psal 68.25 Judg. 21.19 21. 19. Brake them c. The People having first broken their Covenant with God 20. And he took c. Deut. 9.21 Burnt it He melted it probably and by that means he first destroyed the form or figure of the Calf Ground it to powder And did by this destroy the whole Compages of it and expose the Vanity of the Idol Drink c. And by this means Moses utterly destroyed all the reliques of this Idolatry Deut. 7.25 There is an Opinion among the Jews that this drink was like the Water of Jealousie Numb 5. serving for the discovery of the Idolaters whom the Levites destroyed 24. And there came out this Calf A very weak excuse of his Sin much like that which we read Gen. 3.12 and 1 Sam. 15.15 25. Naked i. e. By reason of their Sin stripped and robbed of the favour and protection of God which was their glory and their strength vid. Numb 14.9 And now they were exposed to the scorn and violence of their Enemies Their enemies Heb. Those that rose up against them 26. On the LORD's side i. e. That have not fallen into Idolatry 29. For Moses c. Or And Moses said Consecrate your selves to day to the LORD because every man hath been against his son and against his brother c. 32. Out of thy book which thou hast written This is spoken of God after the manner of Men and speaks the great Charity of Moses who chooses rather to suffer though death it self see Num. 11.15 than to behold the destruction of his People 33. Whosoever c. He that sins shall die 34. Angel See ch 23.20 35. Plagued By the Levites and in the plagues afterwards CHAP. XXXIII The ARGUMENT God refuseth to go with the People at which Message they mourn The Tabernacle or Tent of Moses is removed out of the Camp The cloudy Pillar stands at the door of it God speaks unto Moses Face to Face Moses desires God to shew him his Way and his Glory God's words to Moses upon this occasion 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses Depart and go up hence thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt unto the land which I sware unto Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob saying Vnto thy seed will I give it 2. And I will send an Angel before thee and I will drive out the Canaanite the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite the Hivite and the Jebusite 3. Vnto a land flowing with milk and honey for I will not go up in the midst of thee for thou art a stiff-necked people lest I consume thee in the way 4. And when the people heard these evil tidings they mourned and no man did put on him his ornaments 5. For the LORD had said unto Moses Say unto the children of Israel Ye are a stiff-necked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee 6. And the children of Israel stript themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 7. And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation And it came to pass that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the Tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp 8. And it came to pass when Moses went out unto the tabernacle that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent-door and looked after Moses untill he was gone into the tabernacle 9. And it came to pass as Moses entred into the tabernacle the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the LORD talked with Moses 10. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle-door and all the people rose up and worshipped every man in his tent-door 11. And the LORD spake unto
The Chaldee understands it of the Shecinah or Divine Presence 10. I make Deut. 5.2 A terrible thing Such as speaks the Majesty and Power of God who is terrible in his doing toward the children of men Ps 66.5 12. Take heed Ch. 23.32 Deut. 7.2 13. Images Heb. Statues 14. Jealous Ch. 20.5 15. Go a whoring Idolatry is a spiritual Whoredom Ps 73.27 He that loves and honours the Creature instead of the Creator is guilty of it Jam. 4.4 And thou eat of his sacrifice And so have Communion with an Idol Num. 25.2 Ps 106.28 Ezek. 18.6.22.9 1 Cor. 10.20 Rev. 2.20 16. Their daughters 1 King 11.2 17. No molten They are specially warned against molten Gods they having transgressed so lately in the molten Calf ch 32.4 18. Vnleavened Ch. 23.15 Month Ch. 13.4 19. All Ch. 22.29 Ezek. 44.30 20. Lamb Or Kid. Empty Ch. 23.15 21. Six Ch. 23.12 Deut. 5.12 Luk. 13.14 22. And Ch. 23.16 Years end Heb. Revolution of the year 23. Thrice Ch. 23.14 17. Deut. 16.16 25. Thou c. Ch. 23.18 26. Kid Ch. 23.19 Deut. 14.21 27. Write thou these words Deut. 4.13 i. e. Do thou write them in a Book apart The ten Commandments onely were written in the two Tables and they were written by God v. 1. Deut. 10.2.4 28. And he Ch. 24.18 Deut. 9.9 And he wrote Not Moses but God See v. 27. Commandments Heb. Words 29. Shone Was glorious says the Greek which rendring agrees well with what we read 2 Cor. 3.7 While he talked with him These words express the cause why the Face of Moses did shine viz. from his converse with God 2 Cor. 3.18 30. Were afraid And by this means it is likely Moses came to the knowledge of it 33. He put Or He had put Viz. during the time that he spake with them A veil 2 Cor. 3.13 14. 34. He took the veil off 2 Cor. 3.16 35. With him That is With God as appears from v. 34. CHAP. XXXV The ARGUMENT The People are commanded to rest on the Sabbath-day Free-will Offerings for the Tabernacle to be received Both Men and Women offer Materials Bezaleel and Aholiab chosen for the Work 1. AND Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together and said unto them These are the words which the LORD hath commanded that ye should do them 2. Six days shall work be done but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day a sabbath of rest to the LORD whosoever doth work therein shall be put to death 3. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath-day 4. And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel saying This is the thing which the LORD commanded saying 5. Take ye from amongst you an offering unto the LORD Whosoever is of a willing heart let him bring it an offering of the LORD gold and silver and brass 6. And blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goats hair 7. And rams skins died red and badgers skins and shittim-wood 8. And oyl for the light and spices for anointing oyl and for the sweet incense 9. And onyx-stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breast-plate 10. And every wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that the LORD hath commanded 11. The tabernacle his tent and his covering his taches and his boards his bars his pillars and his sockets 12. The ark and the staves thereof with the mercy-seat and the veil of the covering 13. The table and his staves and all his vessels and the shew-bread 14. The candlestick also for the light and his furniture and his lamps with the oyl for the light 15. And the incense-altar and his staves and the anointing oyl and the sweet incense and the hanging for the door at the entring in of the tabernacle 16. The altar of burnt-offering with his brasen grate his staves and all his vessels the laver and his foot 17. The hangings of the court his pillars and their sockets and the hanging for the door of the court 18. The pins of the tabernacle and the pins of the court and their cords 19. The clothes of service to do service in the holy place the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office 20. And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses 21. And they came every one whose heart stirred him up and every one whom his spirit made willing and they brought the LORD's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation and for all his service and for the holy garments 22. And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted and brought bracelets and ear-rings and rings and tablets all jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD 23. And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goat's hair and red skins of rams and badgers skins brought them 24. Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD's offering and every man with whom was found shittim-wood for any work of the service brought it 25. And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun both of blue and of purple and of scarlet and of fine linen 26. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goat's hair 27. And the rulers brought onyx-stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breast-plate 28. And spice and oyl for the light and for the anointing oyl and for the sweet incense 29. The children of Israel brought a willing-offering unto the LORD every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses 30. And Moses said unto the children of Israel See the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Vri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah 31. And he hath filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship 32. And to devise curious works to work in gold and in silver and in brass 33. And in the cutting of stones to set them and in carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work 34. And he hath put in his heart that he may teach both he and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35. Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the engraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple in scarlet and in fine linen and of the weaver even of them that do any work and of those that devise cunning work 2. Six days Ch. 20.9 Levit. 23.3 Deut. 5.12 Luk. 13.14 An holy day Heb. Holiness Put to
1. These Repetitions of Laws formerly given are such that they give a more clear and distinct meaning of those Laws than was to be collected from what had been said So that the Repetition does lay before the Reader an Explication of the repeated Law Of this I shall give some instances Exod. 21.16 He that stealeth a man c. shall surely be put to death Onkelos renders it He that stealeth one of the children of Israel I shou'd in this case be ready to suspect that Paraphrast as partial and giving too limited a sense of those words But when Moses repeats the Law he â—ixeth the Sense and confirms that Sense which that Paraphrast hath given For thus he hath it If a man be found stealing any of his â—rethren of the children of Israel Deut. 24.7 Again If thou buy an Hebrew servant six years it shall serve and in the seventh he shall go â—â—t free for nothing Exod. 21.2 This Law is repeated and explained in Deuteronomy There 't is said When thou sendest him out free from thee thou shalt not let him go away empty thou shall furnish him liberally out of thy flock c. chap. 15.12 13 14. Again If thou meet thine enemies ox or his ass going astray c. Exod. 23.5 c. This Law is repeated thus Thou shalt 〈◊〉 see thy brother's Ass c. Deut. 22.24 see Deut. 22.1 Which words determine the sense of that Law Exod. 23.15 And none shall apâ—ear before me empty This Law is farther explained Deut. 16.2 See the Note on that place The wages of him that is hired shall not 〈◊〉 with thee all night c. Levit. 19.13 This Law receives a great Explication from Deut. 24.14 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy whether he be 〈◊〉 thy brethren or of thy strangers that are in â—â—y land c. At his day thou shalt give him â—â—s hire c. 2. Sometimes a Law is repeated with a Caution to the Israelites that they do not make an ill use of the Law Of this we have a remarkable instance Deut. 15. where there is a Repetition of the Law of Release mentioned Levit. 25 But there is added a Caution v. 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart saying The seventh year the year of release is at hand And thine eye be evil against thy poor brother and thou givest him nought and he cry unto the Lord against thee and it be sin unto thee 3. Sometimes new matter or a new reason is added to the repeated Law Thus it is in those Laws repeated from Exod. 20. in Deut. 5.15 16. Another instance we have to this purpose chap. 16.2 And another Deut. 18.3 where we have an addition granted towards the Maintenance of the Priests 4. Sometime we have a Dispensation allowed in some case as to a Temporal Law that was mentioned before Of this we have a remarkable instance Deut. 12.15 21. IV. These Repetitions do mightily engage the diligent and carefull Reader to compare Spiritual things with Spiritual God is not tied to our Rules and Methods to deliver his Laws as we teach Arts and Sciences by certain Rules which the Wit of Man hath devised 'T is enough that he deliver his Will as he thinks fit And if He think fit to do it by Parts and upon sundry Occasions 't will well become us to use the greater diligence in collecting and laying things together that we may by this means arrive at the sense and meaning of the whole Revelation If these things be duly considered we shall not find any force in this popular and loose Objection which is brought against this Book And I shall onely on this occasion add V. That if these Repetitions had not been written by Moses and had been put together by an uncertain Collector of some loose Papers they might have been omitted easily 'T is not very likely we had ever had these Books in this Order if Moses himself had not been the Author of them Here 's no shew of worldly Artifice or Craft nothing appears here like Artifice And the Way and Order in which these things are delivered will hardly allow us if we consider things with Application to call the Author or Authority of these Holy Books in question I am of belief that the little variety we find in the four Gospels is so far from being an Objection against those Books that they rather confirm us in the belief of them as Books that were not composâ—â— by Confederacy and Combination The sâ—me may be said of these Books The Repetitions and Varieties are no Objection against them or against their Author I return to this Book called Deuteronomy which lies before us A Book that hath all the Marks and Signatures of a Divine Original and an inspired Author as Moses was 'T is hardly possible for any man to read it with any care but he must be the better for it 'T is fraught with admirable Precepts of Piety Justice Charity Humanity and Fortitude These Precepts are backed with Motives to Obedieâ—ce that are strong and penetrating that are lively and poinant that are most pathetical and moving He must be very stupid and profligate that does not embrace it with the Highest Veneration How does Moses this Man of God Court the Israelites to be Obedient and Happy What wondrous Care does he shew He speaks as becomes the greatest Prophet and one Divinely inspired Take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen chap. 4.9 Take ye therefore good heed unto your selves v. 15. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God chap. 8.11 Take heed to your selves that your heart be not deceived chap. 11.16 He calls Heaven and Earth to witness against them He lays before them Life and Death Blessing and a Curse To conclude Here 's enough to engage the Reader that hath any sparks of Goodness left And for the Pious Reader his Heart must be melted down when he reads it and burn within him Here 's nothing required so much as an honest Mind The Book is generally plain and very easie to be understood God grant we may read it with due care and not put a bar to our profiting by it NOTES ON THE Book of DEUTERONOMY CHAP. I. The ARGUMENT The Speech of Moses to the Israelites at the end of the fortieth year He puts them in mind of God's Oath to their Fathers of his giving them Rulers and the sending the Spies to search the Land and of God's Anger for their Vnbelief 1. THese be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness in the plain over against the Red sea between Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab 2. There are eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea 3. And it came to pass in the fortieth year in the eleventh month on
thee 6. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever 7. Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian because thou wast a stranger in his land 8. The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation 9. When the host goeth forth against thine enemies then keep thee from every wicked thing 10. If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night then shall he go abroad out of the camp he shall not come within the camp 11. But it shall be when evening cometh on he shall wash himself with water and when the sun is down he shall come into the camp again 12. Thou shalt have a place also without the camp whither thou shalt go forth abroad 13. And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon and it shall be when thou wilt ease thy self abroad thou shalt dig therewith and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee 14. For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee 15. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee 16. He shall dwell with thee even among you in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates where it liketh him best thou shalt not oppress him 17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel 18. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God 19. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother usury of money usury of victuals usury of any thing that is lent upon usury 20. Vnto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it 21. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sin in thee 22. But if thou shalt forbear to vow it shall be no sin in thee 23. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform even a free-will-offering according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God which thou hast promised with thy mouth 24. When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel 25. When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbours then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn 1. SHall not enter into the Congregation of the LORD The Congregation of the Lord is as much as the whole Body of the People or Common-wealth of the Israelites Numb 16.3 and Chap. 27.16 17. To enter into this Congregation is as much as to become one of that Community The way of becoming such an one is by affinity contracted by Marriage To this all men were not admitted we are here and in the following Words told who are excluded from these Affinities or who they are who may not marry any of the Daughters of Israel nor by that means be incorporated into the Common-wealth of Israel This Sense of these words is confirmed not onely by the Consent of the most learned Jewish Writers but by the Context compare ch 22. v. 30. with ch 23. v. 8. and most of all by what we read Nehem. 13. v. 1 2 3. and v. 23 24 25. They who are excluded from this priviledge are these viz. I. He that is wounded in the Stones c. v. 1. Such an one is absolutely rejected as unfit to enter into this Affinity though he might otherwise be inclined to it II. A Bastard i. e. One begotten in Fornication and that is illegitimate v. 2. Not onely one born of a strange Woman Nehem. 13.27 but born out of Wedlock Such an one is absolutely rejected also III. An Ammonite and Maobite who are also absolutely rejected v. 3 IV. Edomites and Egyptians who are not for ever excluded For their Children in their third Generation are admitted v. 7 8. 2. Even to his tenth generation In the Hebrew it is even his tenth generation shall not enter i. e. None of his Off-spring shall be admittted See v. 3. 3. Even to their tenth generation c. In the Hebrew it is Even their tenth generation shall not enter c. If ever they might enter they might in their tenth Generation but this being denied them they are absolutely excluded which appears not onely from for ever which follows but from Neh. 13.1 where there is no mention of the tenth Generation but 't is said that they read in the Book of Moses where it was written that the Ammonite and the Maobite should not enter into the congregation for ever 4. Because they met you not c. i. e. Because the Ammonites met you not See Deut. 2.29 Because they hired i. e. Because the Moabites hired See Numb 22.5 6 7. 6. Thou shalt not seek their peace c. All that is forbid is publick Confederations and Alliances with them notwithstanding which prohibition it was lawfull for private Persons to use them with civility and respect 7. Thou wast a stranger Thou oughtest not to forget the relief thy Fore-fathers received there during the Famine 8. The children c. When they have been Proselytes and so continue to the third Generation it is permitted to them of the third Generation to marry the Daughters of Israel and enter into the Congregation 9. Then keep thee from every wicked thing Then especially when men use to take the greatest liberty and when they so much depend upon the Divine Providence for success 10. By night Of this see Levit. 15. v. 16 17. 12. Abroad viz. To ease thy self as it is v. 13. 14. The LORD thy God walketh in the midst c. That is the Presence of God who is with his People in their Just Wars ought to over awe them and make them carefully avoid what-ever is indecent 15. Thou shalt not deliver c. In times of War it might happen frequently that their Enemies would make their escape and by that means provide for their own Safety And that the place is to be understood not of the Servants of the Hebrews their brethren but of Aliens and Strangers is evident from the Context and also from the Words of the Text He is said to be escaped and permitted to
water 12. That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God and into his oath which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day 13. That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. 14. Neither with you onely do I make this covenant and this oath 15. But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God and also with him that is not here with us this day 16. For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt and how we came through the nations which ye passed by 17. And ye have seen their abominations and their idols wood and stone silver and gold which were among them 18. Lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of these nations lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drankenness to thirst 20. The LORD will not spare him but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heavâ—â— 21. And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law 22. So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you and the stranger that shall come from a fâ—â— land shall say when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it 23. And that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning that it is not sown nor beareth nor any grass groweth therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the LORD overthrew in his anger and in his wrath 24. Even all nations shall say Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land What meaneth the heat of this great anger 25. Then men shall say Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers which he made with them where he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt 26. For they went and served other gods and worshipped them gods whom they knew not and whom he had not given unto them 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 28. And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day 29. The secret things belong unto the LORD our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for even that we may do all the words of this law 1. BEside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. This is the same Covenant with that in Horeb But because they had broken that and because they are now just entring into the promised Land and Moses had given them a more full Explication of the Law and was ready to die he renews the Covenant which they had before entred into 4. Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see c. That is God hath thought fit for your Sins and Provocations to leave you to your own Stupidity and Blindness of Heart God had done great things for them In his love and in his pity he redeemed c. But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Isa 63.9 10. And that they were utterly inexcusable will appear from what follows v. 5 6 7. In which words we are told that God took great care of them that they might be at leisure to consider For they were not distracted with the cares for Food and Raiment c. God having made a great and miraculous Provision for them 6. Bread i. e. Bread which required not any labour of plowing or sowing of threshing and grinding c. But Manna from Heaven prepared ready to your Hands Wine or strong Drink These would have required some considerable Pains Instead of that they were supplied with Water which followed them 7. We smote them We were not enfeebled for want of Wine and strong Drink nor left without the Divine Assistance 10. All of you They were all concerned and therefore all stood ready to renew their Covenant 11. The hewr c. i. e. The meanest Servant Jos 9.27 12. And into his Oath What is rendred Oath signifies rather a Curse which was generally annexed to an Oath See the LXXII and v. 19 20. And because this Covenant had Curses annexed which were solemnly denounced against Transgressours Chap. 27.14 15. The entring into Covenant and into the Curse in case of failure are here conjoined Nehem. 10.29 15. With him that is not here i. e. With your Posterity The promise was to Abraham and his Seed 16 17. These two Verses contain Motives to incline them to enter into Covenant with God viz. Both because God had brought them out of Egypt and throuh other Nations and because they had had the opportunity of discerning the Folly of these People in worshipping Idols which cannot help them 18. Lest there should be c. These words connect with that Declaration which God makes in order to prevent the Sinner's flattering himself in an Evil way v. 20. We may find a like Expression Gen. 3.22 23. A root that beareth gall and wormwood That is an Evil principle called an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 which will infect and poison the Mind and produce the Curses denounced which will be very bitter Compare Act. 8.23 Heb. 12.15 19. To add drunkenness to thirst That is to abound in all manner of Wickedness To add sin to sin Isa 30.1 And drink it up like water Job 34.7 which course of Wickedness does but begâ—t a greater Inclination to do wickedly still As Drunkenness does not 〈◊〉 but increase the Thirst Isa 56.12 20. Blot out his name i. e. Destroy him For Name is frequently put for the person to whom that Name does belong as hath been observed 21. Shall separate him unto Evil c. Whereas such a Sinner may think to escape in a Crowd and flatter himself that the Blessings promised to God's People among whom he lives shall be his Portion he shall be singled out and rendred a Monument of God's Displeasure 23. Burning i. e. Parched and dried up and made barren Psal 107.34 26. He had not given unto them See