likely they would have a greater regard to Joshua than they had to him who had such near familiarity with God as never any Man had Ver. 28. Gather unto me all the Elders of your Tribes Verse 28 I suppose after Moses had spoke to the People what God ordered v. 1 2 c. See there he dismissed them again that he might write the Book of the Law v. 9. and deliver it to the Priests c. and then write this Song which follows in the next Chapter v. 19 22 c. Which being done he is ordered here to summon all the Elders of the several Tribes and with them all the People came v. 30. that he might deliver to them by word of Mouth the Song which he had wrote And your Officers I have frequently observed that these Schoterim which we translate Officers were but Ministers to their Elders or Judges See V Exod. 14. I Deut. 15. XVI 18. Unto which I shall add here only the words of Abarbinel The Office of the Schoterim was to see that the Sentence which the Judges had given was observed and to compel Men to it They who would have more may find a long Roll of Authors who are of this mind both Jews and Christians in Jo. Benedic Carpzovius upon Schickard's Jus Regium who hath also said a great deal to the same purpose Cap. IV. Theorem XIV That I may speak these words in their ears The Song which God had suggested to him and commanded him to write v. 19 22. And call heaven and earth to record against them Call the whole World to witness how wicked they are if they fall from God after such care to preserve them in his Obedience Verse 29 Ver. 29. For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt your selves Fall to the foulest Idolatry II Judges 19. And turn aside from the way which I have commanded you Departing from that way of God which I have delivered to you by his command It was a very melancholy thing for Moses to leave the World in this belief that all his pains would be lost upon them but he comforted himself in doing his Duty to the very last and omitting no means to secure them from Apostasy And evil will befal you in the latter days This seems to express a foresight that they would not immediately revolt but after the death of Joshua and of the Elders who survived him II Judges 7 11 12 c. Because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands By making Images after the manner of other Nations and bowing down to them and worshipping them II Judges 12 13. III. 7. where the Groves signifie the Images in the Groves Verse 30 Ver. 30. And Moses spake With the assistance of Joshua XXXII 44. In the ears of all the Congregation of Israel Whom the Elders and Officers v. 28. had assembled according to their Tribes and Families unto whom they went severally and spake these words in their hearing The words of this song Which follows in the next Chapter and much differs in the raised Expressions and loftiness of the Stile from the rest of this Book hitherto Vntil they were ended Omitted nothing but compleatly delivered this Song to them Or they spake all these words to them at the same time with one continued Speech I observed before that the most ancient way of Instruction was by Poetical Compositions which was more ancient than Rhetorical Discourses And as their chief Learning did consist of Poetry so the excellency of their Poetry was seen in the proper and native Subject of this Faculty that is in Matters of sacred use or observation From whence the Title of Vates descended unto Secular and Prophane Poets who detained the manner of Speech used by the former But as Conradus Pellicanus here truly observes and see my Notes on XV Exod. 1. the Scripture Poetry doth not consist in the cadency and number of Syllables contrived to please the ear but in brief and weighty Sentences simply and sincerely composed in a lively manner to enlighten the Understandings move the Affections and stick in the Memory And the Ancients as a great Man of our own observes had this advantage of later Poets That the Fashion of the World as he speaks in their times was more apt to ravish their thoughts with admiration wonderful Events being then more frequent and their frequency not abating but rather increasing their wonderment because their variety was very great and the apprehension of invisible or supernatural Powers in those Events was usual and undoubted So that admiration was then inforced upon Men and the Breasts of those who diligently observed those Events or were any way disposed by Nature to it were inspired with lively and sublime Affections apt to vent themselves in such Poetical Phrase and Resemblances as we cannot reach unless we raise our Invention by Imitation and stir up Admiration by Meditation and Study But now our Senses being neither moved with such extraordinary Effects of God's Power nor our Minds bent to observe the ways of his Wisdom so as to be stricken with true observation of them we have fewer good Sacred Poems than of any other kind Thus Dr. Jackson Book I. on the Creed Chap. XIV David Chytraeus also hath an excellent Discourse on this Subject to show that the ancient Poetry among the Heathen contained the Doctrine of God and of Celestial Things all the Offices and Rewards of Vertue with the Punishment of Vice the History of their Kings and the noble Acts of famous Men Tome I. of his Works p. 154 c. Where he confirms this out of the Verses of Orpheus who lived as he computes about an Hundred and fifty years before David and those of Pindar Simonides and the rest who lived in the time of the War with Xerxes But Moses led the way to them all whose Mind was raised to that Sublimity of Thoughts and Speech which we find in his Songs by admiration of those strange Events which he saw XV Exod. XXI Numb and here in the next Chapter wherein he was followed by Deborah Barak and Hannah c. in after times V Judges 1 Sam. II. CHAP. XXXII Chapter XXXII Verse 1. GIve ear O ye heavens and I will speak Verse 1 and hear O earth the words of my mouth He calls Angels and Men to bear witness XXX 19. that the Israelites had been admonished of their Duty and warned of their Danger and this not by words of his own invention but which were put into his mouth by the Spirit of God Or after an elegant form of Speech he calls upon all insensible Creatures every where to listen to him that he might awaken the Israelites out of their stupidity or upbraid them as a People that had ears to hear and would not hear him And as some of themselves have observed he may be thought to intimate hereby
the Blessing wherewith Jacob his Father blessed them in a Land of Corn c. And so the Hierusalem Targum making more express mention of the word Fountain Israel shall dwell by himself securely from the Fountain of Benediction wherewith Jacob blessed them in a Land producing Wine and Oil and the Heavens above are commanded to send Dews and Rain upon them Ver. 29. Happy art thou O Israel He was not Verse 29 able further to express their Happiness and therefore breaks out into admiration of it exciting them thereby to be deeply sensible of it and affected with it Who is like unto thee Who had the LORD for their God as he said before v. 26 c. and IV. 7 8. A People saved by the LORD Who have been redeemed by his mighty Power So the Hierusalem Targum Whose Redemption I suppose he meant out of Egypt is from the presence of the LORD Who had preserved them ever since and would still protect them as it here follows This R. Isaac in Chissuk Emuna P. I. Cap. XVIII saith signifies the Spiritual Blessings God bestowed on them For true Felicity saith he doth not consist in Victory over Enemies and Plenty of Corn or such like things of which he had spoken before in the foregoing Verse but in the Salvation of the Soul of which no Nation in the World was secure but the Jews Which made Moses saith he break out into these words O happy People saved by the LORD As much as to say among all People is there any saved like to thee This he saith because Christians were wont to tell them that they fixed their Minds wholly on the Corporal Felicity which their Law promised them which made him look about to find out all that he could draw to an higher sense And he fixes so much upon these words that he repeats it again a little after that the Salvation here promised is everlasting And yet his Eyes could not be opened to see that this Salvation was to be brought to them by the MESSIAH and that our LORD Jesus is he whose Gospel is as full of such Promises as their Law is of the Promises of Corn and Wine and Oil. The shield of thy help To defend them from all the Assaults of their Enemies He adds this saith the same R. Isaac to show that they to whom he promises Spiritual Blessings are not thereby put out of hope of Temporal For the People that are saved by the LORD have him also for their Shield and their Sword as it here follows And who is the sword of thy excellency To cut their Enemies in pieces so that they should glory and boast in magnificent Victories over them Or as Onkelos translates it From his presence are all the Victories of thy valiant Men. And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee Find themselves deceived in all their vain hopes of saving themselves or hurting the Israelites Or should be so afraid of them that with feigned Stories they should court their Friendship as the Gibeonites did Or more simply should submit to them though not heartily yet out of fear as this Phrase is used XVIII Psal 44. LXVI 3. and other places And thou shalt tread upon their high places Upon the Necks of their Kings as both Onkelos and the Hierusalem Targum understand it taking bamoth here for great Men in high stations And thus Joshua did as we read X Josh 21. Chapter XXXIV But this word commonly signifies either strong holds or places of idolatrous worship which neither their great men nor their gods themselves should be able to preserve from ruin CHAP. XXXIV Verse 1. AND Moses went up Having thus declared Verse 1 his affectionate Concern for the Happiness of every one of them he took his leave of the Elders and all the People and went up whither God had commanded him XXXII 49 c. From the plains of Moab In which was their last station before they entred into Canaan XXXIII Numb 48 49 50. Where God delivered several Commands to them XXXV Numb 1. XXXVI 13. and where Moses spake to them what we read in this Book I Deut. 5. Vnto the Mountain of Nebo Which was the highest part of the Mountain of Abarim as appears from XXVII Numb 12. compared with XXXII Deut. 49. Near to which there was a City of the same Name XXXII Numb 38. XV Isa 2. To the top of Pisgah Which was the very top of the Mountain Nebo See III Deut. 27. XXI Numb 20. That is over against Jericho A famous City on the other side of Jordan I see no ground to believe that the People of Israel accompanied him hither as Josephus tells the story with so many tears that Moses wept also and having beseeched them not to take his Departure so heavily he dismissed them together with the Elders and remained there alone And the LORD Or as Jonathan hath it the WORD of the LORD who had accompanied him with his blessed Presence through the Wilderness Showed him all the Land of Gilead unto Dan. God had often promised him that he should see the good Land promised to their Fathers though not be permitted to enter into it XXVI Numb 12. III Deut. 27. And now fulfils his word and gives him a full prospect of it bidding him first look Northwards through the whole Land of Gilead which comprehends all that was given to the two Tribes and half on this side Jordan where they now were to the Land of Naphtali which was in the upper Galilee beyond the Sea of Genesaret as far as to the utmost Northern Border which was then called Laisch and afterwards Dan XIX Josh 47. XVIII Judg. 28. and in latter times Cesaraea Philippi The mention of Dan which was not the name of this place till after that Tribe had conquered Laish in the time of the Judges shows that this was not written at the same time with the rest of this Book no more than what we read v. 5 6 10. of his Death and Burial c. unless we suppose Moses to have given an account of his own Death and Burial by the Spirit of Prophecy which is not probable but it is most likely by Samuel who was a Prophet and wrote by Divine Authority what he found in the Records which were left by Joshua and others who succeeded him who gave an account of Moses his leaving the World and of all that was done after till the end of the time of the Judges Ver. 2. And all Naphtali and the Land of Ephraim Verse 2 and Manasseh Having seen the Northern Parts he bad him turn his Eyes towards the Midland Country where Ephraim and Manasseh were situated And all the Land of Judah Which lay Southerly Vnto the utmost Sea By which some understand the Salt Sea which lay on the South-Border of the Land of Judah XXXIV Numb 3. But then there will be no mention of the Western Part of Canaan which lay upon the Mediterranean or Midland
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
should lay a Fine or a Mulct upon her for her Immodesty which is sutable to their interpretation of that Law XXI Exod. 24. Eye for eye tooth for tooth c. See L'Empereur on Bava kama p. 198. But it is an intollerable presumption in Maimonides to say That if any one interpret this of a proper Abscission of the Womans hand though he pretend to be a Prophet and say the LORD hath said unto me these words Thou shalt cut off her hand are to be understood as the words sound i. e. literally as we speak and do a Miracle to confirm it he is to be lookt upon as a lying Prophet and may be put to death because it is contrary to the constant Tradition of their Elders So he writes in Seder Zeraim translated by our famous Mr. Pocock p. 15. p. 38. Upon which Principle they killed our Blessed Saviour Verse 13 Ver. 13. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights In the Hebrew the words are a stone and a stone for their weights then were made of Stone as are ours now commonly of Lead or Brass A great and a small To buy in Commodities with the great and sell them out again by the small which was then and is now an usual way of cheating Ver. 14. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures Verse 14 c. In the Hebrew an Ephah and an Ephah for this was the most known Measure among them by which all the rest of their Measures were made See XVI Exod. 36. From hence it was that Lucius Ampelius thought Mochâ—s that is Moses who by ancient Writers is called Moschos was the Inventor of Weights and Measures because he took such pious care there should be no deceit in them as the most Learned Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evangel Prop. IV. Cap. VIII N. 16. Ver. 15. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight Verse 15 and a perfect and just measure Neither too scanty nor too large See XIX Levit. 35 36. where all these three Verses are sufficiently explained That thy days may be long in the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee Justice as well as Charity was necessary to prolong their happiness in the Land of Promise XVI 20. Ver. 16. For all that do such things and all that do Verse 16 unrighteously All that any way wrong their Neighbours Are an abomination to the LORD thy God This is an Expression commonly used to declare God's hatred of all idolatrous practices See XVIII 9 12. Ver. 17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by Verse 17 the way when ye were come forth out of Egypt The Jews have framed three Precepts out of this and the two following Verses One is that they should remember what Amalek did unto them Which Maimonides according to their Oral Tradition refers to the Mouth that they should always be talking of what Amalek did to them The second Not to forget it which he refers to their Heart that they should never let slip out of their mind the hatred Amalek had to them And the third that they should blot out their remembrance from under Heaven i. e. utterly destroy them and leave none of them remaining But none of the Jews hath explained this better than Abarbinel who inquiring why such Severity was expressed against the Amalekites when the Edomites who were of the same Race were dealt withal very favourably as we read before XXIII 8. observes four Reasons given here by Moses himself why they should remember when they were settled in the Land of Canaan and able to effect it to exterminate this Nation For that is the single Precept he gives them in charge only he bids them not forget what Amalek had done to deserve that heavy Sentence long ago passed upon them and remaining on Record XVII Exod. 14 15 16. confirmed with a Solemn Oath though they were not able to execute it till they were settled in the Land of Promise The first of these Reasons is Because whereas Men undertake War against others either to defend their own Country or to subdue their Enemies Country the Amalekites came forth against the Israelites without any such Cause for the Israelites did not pass by their Country and consequently gave them no apprehension of an Invasion nor had the Israelites then possession of any Land of their own which might tempt the Amalekites to covet it and drive them out of it But they undertook this War with a petulant Malice only to bring them into slavery again Which is the thing here intimated in this Verse Remember what Amalek did to thee c. Unto which he should have added that their barbarity was much aggravated by their assaulting them when they were newly delivered from grievous Oppressions and were unaccustomed to War and without any provocation Ver. 18. How he met thee by the way This the Verse 18 same Abarbinel takes to be the second Cause of God's high displeasure against Amalek that whereas it is the Custom of all Countries before they begin a War to denounce it by Heralds showing the grounds of it they rose up against the Israelites unexpectedly which was a piece of the basest Treachery Which he thinks is intimated in these words He met thee by the way that is on a sudden by surprize without any Notice by a Declaration of War He might have added that they did this when the Israelites were in a Journey and had travelled a great way and in a Wilderness where they stood in need of Refreshment but were very unfit for fighting Then saith one of their Rabbins in Pirke Elieser Cap. XLIV They came like a Bear in their way to devour the Mother with the Children And smote the hindermost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint and weary This he makes the third Cause that they did not offer them a pitcht Battle but only fell upon their Rear as we speak and there cut off such as lagg'd behind through feebleness and weariness being unable to march so fast as the rest of their Brethren This is a very sober sense sutable to the use of the word in X Josh 19. But what some of the Jews say that the Amalekites cut off the Privy Members of certain of the Tribe of Dan in derision of Circumcision is disowned by others of them as having no foundation See Schickard in his Jus Regium p. 112 113. Where Carpzovius observes this was only a fancy of their Midraschim or Preachers wherewith they entertained the People in their Sermons on occasion of the ambiguity of the word we translate cut off the hindermost Which R. Zacharias much better interprets in Pirke Elieser Cap. XLIV where he makes it to signifie all that were behind the Cloud which protected those who were under it as those were who went out of the Camp by reason of some Uncleanness to wash themselves But this is no more than an ingenious Conceit for the Laws
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