nor the likeness of any thing c. The Second Principle That God's Nature is invisible is contained in this Second Commandment Being the Ground of this Prohibition to make any Image of him Which the best of the Heathen forbad also for this very reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it is impossible to conceive God otherwise but by the Mind alone as Plutarch reports the sence of Numa among the Romans And we find the same as plainly said by Antisthenes among the Greeks in Clemens Alexandrinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is not seen by the Eyes nor is like to any thing and therefore none can learn any thing of him by an Image Nor could the Vulgar I am apt to think have been kept so long and so generally as they were to the worship of them if it had not been by bold Fictions that some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faln down from Heaven and that all of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine Things and full of a Divine Communication as Jamblichus speaks And to make them more reverenced while some of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conspicuous to all the People others were kept secret in the inmost part of their Temple as having hidden in them a Symbolical Presence of God as Proclus speaks upon Timaeus Which Ezek Spanhemius justly thinks was done in imitation of what Moses saith concerning God's Presence upon the Mercy-Seat in the Holy of Holies Observationes in Callimachum p. 586 c. See upon these three Verses my Annotations on XX Exod. 4 5 6. Verse 11 Ver. 11. Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain c. This contains the Third Principle before-mentioned that God takes Notice of all things even of our Thoughts and governs all our Affairs For it is the Foundation of an Oath that God knows our very Hearts and is Witness to our Meaning as well as our Words and will if we swear falsly punish us for it Which is an acknowledgment also both of the Justice and the Power of God See upon XX Exod. 7. Ver. 12. Keep the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it They were to keep it in Memory that they might sanctifie it as it is XX Exod. 8. see there And it was sanctified Verse 12 or set apart for special Ends and Purposes that they might give to the blessed God the seventh part of the Week as Abarbinel speaks upon these Words and might learn the Divine Law together with the Kabalah or Traditional Exposition of the Words and mark well the Niceties of it For which he quotes a Saying out of the Gemara of the Hierusalem Talmud Sabbaths and Feasts were not given but to learn the Law upon them Which is the reason he saith of another Speech of theirs in their Midrasch or Allegorical Exposition upon Exodus That the Sabbath weigheth against all the Commandments Because it was a principal means to make them known and observed There is not much said indeed in express Words concerning this End of the Rest of the Sabbath But common Reason told the Jews it could not be intended meerly as a Day of Ease from Labour but for the solemn Service of God and Instruction in their Duty to him As the LORD thy God commanded thee At Marah say the Jews commonly where he gave them a Statute and an Ordinance See XV Exod. 25. But one of them saith better At Marah it was designed and at Sinai it was commanded But they do not look back far enough for the Original of this Commandment For there being two Things in this Day the Rest of it and the Religion the Rest of it was in Remembrance of their Deliverance out of Egypt and the Overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea which compleated their Deliverance immediately after which they kept their first Sabbatical Rest The Religion was in Remembrance of the Creation of the World and so this Day had been observed from the beginning by the Patriarchs tho' we find no mention made of their Resting And that may possibly be the meaning of these Words As the LORD thy God commanded thee That is immediately after he had finished the Creation of the World Verse 13 Ver. 13. Six Days shalt thou labour and do all thy Work See upon XX Exod. 9. Verse 14 Ver. 14. But the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God in it thou shalt not do any Work c. The reason why they might not do any Work on this Day is given in the XX Exod. 11. which is wholly omitted here because Moses had another Reason to add for the Inforcement of this Precept And refers them in the foregoing Words v. 12. As the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to what he had said in the Book of Genesis and Exodus where he had set down the Reason which God himself gave with his own Mouth for the Religious Observation of this Day because in Six Days the LORD made Heaven and Earth c. So that this Commandment was designed to establish the Fourth Principle I mentioned that God is the Maker of all Things To preserve the Memory and Sence of which as the Author of the Answer Ad Orthodoxos observes LXIX this Rest was instituted to be observed with a more than ordinary Sanctity It being of such great moment that the first Sabbath-breaker was punished with Death because the voluntary Violation of it contained in it a Denial that the World was created by God That thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant may rest as well as thou Mercy towards Men as well as Piety towards God was a Reason for the observation of this Sabbatical Rest Ver. 15. And remember that thou wast a Servant in Verse 15 the Land of Egypt and that the LORD thy God brought thee from thence c. therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath-day This is a new Ground for the observation of the Sabbath because God had given them rest from their hard Labour in Egypt Which obliged them to keep that Seventh Day which God appointed at the giving of Manna being the Day on which he overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea as the Memory of the Creation of the World obliged them to keep one Day in seven So our Mr. Mede hath explained it See my Annotations on XIV Exod. 30. And Maimonides hath something to the same purpose in his More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXI See upon XX Exod. 11. Ver. 16. Honour thy Father and thy Mother as the Verse 16 LORD thy God hath commanded thee In the Twentieth of Exodus v. 12. See there To which I shall here add That the Laws of Solon made those Children infamous who did not afford Sustenance to their Parents and provide them an Habitation And by the ancient Law of Athens he that reproached his Parents was disinherited if he struck them his Hand was cut off if he left them unburied he lost their Estate and was banished his
no long time XXVI Numb 15 16 17 23 24 35 38 39 c. And from Gudgodah to Jotbath And so to the rest of the Places mentioned XXXIII Numb 34 35 36. till they came to Mount Hor. A Land of Rivers of Waters A place where there was plenty of Water which he mentions I suppose that they might reflect upon their foul distrust of God's Providence a little after when they murmured for want of Water at Kadesh XX Numb 3 4 c. Verse 8 Ver. 8. At that time Not long after Moses came down from the Mount the second time of which he had been speaking v. 5. The LORD separated the Tribe of Levi. To his own special Service as we read III Numb Some think that God renewed his Choice of them to the Employment here mentioned after Aaron's death when he confirm'd them in their Office But we read of no such thing and it cannot be inferred meerly from these words at that time which may well relate to the time mentioned v. 5. To bear the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Here are three parts of their Office mentioned in these and the following words The first of which was to carry the Ark which peculiarly belonged to the Kohathites III Numb 27 31. when the Camp removed from one place to another Who were good Witnesses that the same Ark still remained at that day wherein Moses first placed the Tables of the Covenant for it never stirred but by their means To stand before the LORD This is a Phrase used of Servants that wait upon their Masters before whom they are said to stand Thus Gehazi attended the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings V. 25. And the Prophets tnemselves are thus said to stand before the LORD 1 Kings XVII 1. XVIII 15. Therefore here signifies that the Levites were separated to be God's Ministers as it follows To minister unto him As Assistants to the Priests in the Tabernacle III Numb 6. and as a guard to the Tabernacle v. 7 8. Which was the second part of their Office And to bless in his Name unto this day This was the greatest thing of all and was peculiar to the Priests who were a part of the Tribe of Levi but had the sole Priviledge among them to bless in the Name of the Lord as we read expresly VI Numb 23 24. If indeed it could be made out that by blessing in the Name of the LORD is meant only to bless the Name of the LORD that was common to all the Levites who sang Praises and gave Thanks continually to him in the Temple as I suppose they did in the Tabernacle But I find no Example of the use of this Expression in this sence And therefore it must be restrained to the Priests who were Sons of Levi as well as the rest and are so called when Moses mentions this part of their Office XXI Deut. 5. Verse 9 Ver. 9. Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his Brethren Because God would have them only attend to this Service and not look after other Affairs Particularly of guarding the Sanctuary and keeping constant watch there to secure all the Holy Things especially the Ark which they took care none should meddle withal And therefore the People might be sure it remained as Moses left it when he put it into the Tabernacle with the Tables of the Covenant in it The LORD if his Inheritance according as the LORD thy God promised him He took care to provide for the Levites without having any Land to plough or sow c. See XVIII Numb 20. Verse 10 Ver. 10. And I stayed in the Mount according to the first time forty days and forty nights This doth not signifie that after the separation of the Levites he went up again into the Mount but having confirmed what he said concerning his putting the Tables of Stone in the Ark which he made after he came the second time down from the Mount v. 5. he returns to what he was speaking of in the beginning of the Chapter and had begun to say before IX 25. how he prayed to God for them when he went to carry the Tables he had hewn up unto God in the Mount that now he might relate to them the Success of his Prayers which follows in the next words And the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also and the LORD would not destroy thee As he feared he would because he had so threatned IX 15. Ver. 11. And the LORD said unto me Arise take Verse 11 thy journey before the People that they may go in and possess the Land c. This cannot refer to what he said unto him after the making the Golden Calf as I find some take it from XXXIII Exod. 1. for that was before he went up into the Mount again But to what he said at the Conclusion of their Removals from place to place some of which he mentions here v. 6 7. for then he orders them what to do when they entred into Canaan which he saith I have given you to possess it XXXIII Numb 51 52 53. Ver. 12. And now Israel what doth the LORD thy Verse 12 God require of thee Unto whom he hath given Tables wherein he himself hath wrote his Will with his own Hand v. 4 5. and hath graciously pardoned your foul Breach of his Covenant upon my Intercession v. 10. But to fear the LORD thy God The Fear of God sometimes includes in it all Religion but here seems to signifie one of the great Principles of Obedience See VI. 2. And to walk in all his ways Unto which the Fear of God inclines Men when their Hearts are possessed with it And to love him Especially if the Love of God be in them which is still a stronger Principle of Obedience VI. 1. And to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Being constant in his Worship and Service and worshipping him alone VI. 13. XIII 3. For loving him with all the Heart and Soul seems here to have particular respect to their having no inclination to serve other Gods 1 Kings VIII 23 48. Which the Jews after they had smarted for their Idolatry understood to be the great Commandment As their Father Jacob they say taught his Twelve Sons when they came about him on his Death-bed saying to them Ye perhaps worship the Idols which Terah the Father of Abraham worshipped or those which Laban my Mother's Brother worshipped or ye worship the God of Jacob. To whom they all made this Answer with a perfect Fear Hear O Israel our Father THE LORD OVR GOD IS ONE LORD Whereupon Jacob said LET HIS GREAT NAME BE BLESSED FOR EVER Thus the Hierusalem Targum upon VI. 4. of this Book Verse 13 Ver. 13. To keep the Commandments of the LORD and his Statutes which I command this day for thy good Self-love should have inclined them to obedience to God's Commands which he gave them for their good though he
and Dizabah There was a place called Hazeroth where they had encamped a long time ago XI Numb 35. XXXIII 17. but it was in another Wilderness far from this place as appears by the account Moses gives of their Removals from that place to this where they now lay XXXIII Numb 17 48 49. And therefore I take this and the other three places here mentioned to have been frontier Towns in the Country of Moab which lay upon the borders of this Plain The last of which Dizabah is translated by the LXX and the Vulgar as if it signified a place where there were Mines of Gold Onkelos and the Hierusalem Targum who take Suph to signifie the Red Sea and Paran for the Wilderness through which they had come many years ago c. are forced to add several words to make out the sense of this Verse in this manner These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan c. reproving them because they sinned in the Desert and provoked God in the Plain over against the Red Sea and murmured in Paran about Manna and at Hazeroth for Flesh c. And so they proceed to mention other Sins committed in other places but not in these here named which they force from their natural sense to comply with this Conceit Verse 2 Ver. 2. There are eleven days journey from Horeb c. Or eleven days we were a coming from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-Barnea Which cannot be understood of the whole time they spent between these two places but only of the time they spent in travelling For they stayed a Month at Kibroth-Hattaavah and a Week more at Hazeroth XI Numb 21. XII 15 16. before they came to Kadesh-Barnea This he represents to them to make them sensible they had been kept in the Wilderness so many years as had passed since they came out of Egypt not because it was a long way to Canaan but for the reason mentioned in the XIVth of Numbers For from Horeb whither he order'd them to go when they came out of Egypt they came in eleven days and took no long Journeys to the borders of the Land of Canaan where Kadesh-Barnea lay So Maimonides the way was plain and known between Horeb whither God brought them on purpose to serve him and Kadesh which was the beginning of an habitable Country according to what he saith XX Numb 16. See More Nevochim P. III. Cap. L. See XIII Numb 26. By the way of Mount Seir. The Country of the Edomites Chapt. II. v. 12. Vnto Kadesh-Barnea How they were ordered to come hither and what they did here he relates v. 6 19. and so proceeds to give an account of several remarkable things which befell them unto the time when he wrote these things which he sets down in the next Verse Ver. 3. And it came to pass in the fortieth year Verse 3 After they came out of Egypt In the eleventh month on the first day of the month In the first Month of this fortieth Year they came into the Wilderness of Zin unto another Kadesh XX Numb 1. From whence they removed to Mount Hor where Aaron died on the first Day of the fifth Month of this Year See there v. 28. Where it appears v. 29. they mourned for him thirty days that is till the beginning of the sixth Month. In which they fought with King Arad XXI Numb and from Mount Hor travelled from place to place as we read there and XXXIII Numb till they came to these Plains of Moab In which Journeys and in the rest of the Transactions mentioned in the latter end of the Book of Numbers they spent the other five Months of this Year as I have observed in their proper places And now began the eleventh Month when Moses being to leave the World before the end of this Year spake all that follows in this Book And this Speech which he begins v. 6. and continues to the fortieth Verse of the fourth Chapter the great Primate of Ireland thinks he made to the People on the twentieth of February and on the sabbath-Sabbath-day as the Reader may find in his Annals That Moses spake unto the Children of Israel according unto all that the LORD had given him in Commandment unto them Made a Rehearsal of all that at several times he had received from the LORD and delivered unto them Ver. 4. After he had slain Sihon the King of the Amorites Verse 4 which dwelt at Heshbon About five Months ago for it was after Aaron's death which was the first Day of the fifth Month XXXIII Numb 38. and they mourned for him all that Month. See XXI Numb 21 c. And Og the King of Bashan which dwelt at Astaroth This was a City in the Country of Bashan XIII Josh 31. and a City it was of very great Antiquity as appears from XIV Gen. 5. See there From whence some think the famous Goddess Astarte had her Name being here worshipped But whether that Goddess took her Name from this City or the City from the Goddess is not certain as Mr. Selden observes in his Syntagma II. de Diis Syris cap. 2. But that the Heathen Deities were wont to have their Names from the Groves Mountains Cities and Caves where they were worshipped is as certain as it is uncertain from whence Astarte or Astoreth as the Scripture Name is was so called In Edrei His Royal Palace was at Astaroth as Sihon's was at Heshbon but he was slain in Edrei XXI Numb 33. Verse 5 Ver. 5. On this side Jordan in the Land of Moab In the Plains of Moab before they passed over Jordan See v. 1. Began Moses to declare this Law saying To call to remembrance that which any one had forgotten and to explain that which any one did not understand So Maimonides expounds these words in Seder Zeraim In the end of the fortieth Year in the beginning of the Month Shebat Moses called the People together saying The time of my Death draws near if any one therefore hath forgot any thing that I have delivered let him come and receive it or if any thing seem dubious let him come that I may explain it And so they say in Siphri If any one have forgotten any Constitution let him come and hear it the second time if he need to have any thing unfolded let him come and hear the Explication of it For which he quotes this Verse and says that Moses spent all his time in this from the beginning of the Month Shebat to the seventh day of Adar And what he now said was likely to be the more regarded because these were in a manner his dying words for he lived but till the seventh day of the next Month and seems to have composed this Book as a Compendium of his whole Law for the familiar use of the Children of Israel from whence it is called Deuteronomy i. e. a second Law See Huetius in his Demonstr Evang.
Propos IV. Cap. 1. Ver. 6. The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb Verse 6 saying X Numb 13. Ye have dwelt long enough in this Mount From the third Month of the first Year XIX Exod. 1. to the twentieth day of the second Year after they came out of Egypt X Numb 11. they stayed at Mount Sinai which is the same with Horeb they being only two tops of the same Mountain one of them something higher than the other as they are described by those who have taken a view of them For Moses was twice with God for the space of Forty days in in this Mount and here the Tabernacle and all things belonging to it were made according to the Orders he there received and then was erected and consecrated and the People all numbred and disposed under their several Standards to march in such order as God appointed II Numb 3 10 17 c. X. 14 15 c. Verse 7 Ver. 7. Turn you From this Mountain And take your Journey Resume your Journey which you have so long intermitted And go to the Mount of the Amorites A Mount on the South part of Canaan inhabited by the Amorites together with some Canaanites and Amalekites XIV Numb 25 43 45. But the principal Possessors of it were Amorites as is expressed more than once in this Chapter v. 19 20 44. This is the Mountain to which Moses bid the Spies go up XIII Numb 17. and so they did v. 22. And unto all the places nigh thereunto And so pass into all the neighbouring Country which lies near it In the Plain in the Hills and in the Vale. This is a Description of the Country nigh unto this Mountain some of which was Champion as we speak and other parts of it consisted of Hills and Dales And in the South and by the Sea-side to the Land of the Canaanites and unto Lebanon and unto the great River the river Euphrates And so go into all the rest of the Land of Canaan the several quarters of which he here sets forth The Southern part lying toward this Mountain the Western upon the Sea where the People properly called Canaanites dwelt the Northern toward Lebanon and the Eastern towards the River Euphrates Which by other Authors as well as Moses is called the great River So Callimachus in his Hymn to Apollo v. 103. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great Flood of the Assyrian River which the Scholiast observes is meant of Euphrates And Lucan cum Tigride magnus Euphrates L. III. v. 253. Ver. 8. Behold I have set the Land In the Hebrew Verse 8 Given the Land i. e. bestowed it upon you and am ready to bring you into the possession of it Before you That every one of you may have his share of it Or that you may go whether you please and settle your selves in it XIII Gen. 9. XXXIV 10. Go in and possess the Land Therefore make no longer stay here in the Wilderness but go and take possession of my Gift Which the LORD sware unto yuor Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. XV Gen. 18. XVII 7 8. XXVI 3. XXVIII 13. Ver. 9. And I spake unto you at that time saying Verse 9 About the time of their coming to Horeb or Mount Sinai For the Story of Jethro unto which this relates preceded that immediately XVIII Exod. Many great Men place it after the giving of the Law Of which see Selden L. II. de Synedr Cap. 2. N. IV. I am not able to bear you alone We do not read before now that Moses spake thus to the People But Jethro spake in this manner to him XVIII Exod. 18. and gave him advice to take some others to his assistance v. 21. which advice he followed v. 24. And then spake to the People what Jethro had said to him and enlarged upon it in the words we read here in the following Verses where he gives them the reason why he could not perform the Office of a Judge alone Ver. 10. The LORD your God hath multiplied you Verse 10 and behold ye are this day as the Stars of Heaven for multitude Increased unto a greater number then can easily be told Verse 11 Ver. 11. The LORD God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many as you are As if he had said I am not troubled at your vast increase but bless God for it and beseech him to make you a thousand times more numerous then at present you are And bless you as he hath promised you In the Promise often repeated to their Fathers XII Gen. 2. XV. 5. XVII 5 6. XVIII 18. XXII 17. XXVI 4. XXVIII 14. Verse 12 Ver. 12. How can I my self alone bear your cumbrance and your burden and your strife But how is it possible for one Man alone to undergo the labour of hearing all the Complaints of such a Multitude and of remedying all their Grievances and determining all their Controversies So the last word signifies Suits at Law as we speak as the two former signifie other Differences which arose between one Man and another about such things as are mentioned in the XXI XXII and XXIII Chapters of EXODUS The first word which we translate cumbrance signifies tediosam litigantium serram as Hottinger interprets it in his Smegna Orientale Lib. I. Cap. 6. the tedious Pleadings of those that manage Causes before a Judge by Bills and Answers suppose and Rejoynders c. Verse 13 Ver. 13. Take ye In the Hebrew it is Give ye i. e. present unto me such Persons as you think fit according to the following Characters Wise men and understanding and known among your Tribes Men of known Wisdom Prudence and Integrity skilful in Divine and Humane Laws See XVIII Exod. 21. Some take Wise men to signifie such as knew much and understanding such as had prudence to make use of their knowledge being Men of Experience and they were to be noted for both these otherwise the People would not have reverenced them Ver. 14. And ye answered me and said The thing Verse 14 which thou hast spoken is good for us to do This Consent of the People is not recorded before but sufficiently implied in their Submission to this Regulation mentioned XVIII Exod. 26. Ver. 15. So I took the chief of your Tribes wise men Verse 15 and known From among those Men that they presented to him he took I suppose such Persons among the chief of their Tribes as were endowed with the Qualities here named and were known by all so to be For obscure Persons either for Birth or Experience in Affairs would have been contemned and therefore he chose the noblest of those that were presented to him called here the chief of their Tribes if they were no less worthy than others For some such no doubt there were among their great Men as might be thought fit for this high Employment And they were the fitter because being Men of Quality as we speak they were less liable to
said unto their Fathers upon this occasion which he doth not mention in the Book of NUMBERS where we read only of his falling down before God that he might awaken this Generation to a greater confidence in God and a dread of his Judgment Dread not nor be afraid of them Do not consider so much how strong they are as how powerful the LORD your God is who hath promised you this good Land Verse 30 Ver. 30. The LORD your God which goeth before you In a glorious Pillar of Cloud and Fire He shall fight for you As he had done hitherto XIV Exod. 14. XVII 8 c. According to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes Why should you think he is less able to bring you into Canaan than he was to redeem you from Egypt where you were oppressed by very powerful Enemies Verse 31 Ver. 31. And in the Wilderness Ever since they came from thence through the Wilderness of the Red-Sea XIII Exod. 18. and the Wilderness of Sin XVI Exod. 1. and the Wilderness of Sinai XIX Exod. 1 2. and then through that terrible Wilderness of Paran See above v. 19. Where thou hast seen how the LORD thy God bare thee as a Man doth bear his Son The long Experience they had had of his tender care over them which was as indulgent as that of a kind Father towards his only Son when he is a Child whom he carries in his Arms should have made them confident of his gracious Providence for the future In all the way that ye went until ye came to this place He made provision for them in the most desolate places bringing them Water out of a Rock sending Bread down to them from Heaven defending them from wild Beasts and from their fiercer Enemies c. Ver. 32. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Verse 32 LORD your God He could not prevail with them to trust God and go up as he commanded in his Power and Might to possess the Land Nor could all that Caleb and Joshua said at all move them XIV Numb 7 8 9. Ver. 33. Who went in the way before you Never Verse 33 failed constantly to direct and guide you in your Journeys XIII Exod. 22. To search you out a place to pitch your Tents in But always markt out your Encampments where they should be X Numb 17. In fire by night to shew you by what way you should go and in a cloud by day That they might be able to travel by Night as well as by Day which was most convenient in Summer time when the Sun was very scorching in a Wilderness where there was no shelter XIII Exod. 21. X Numb 16 21. Ver. 34. And the LORD heard the voice of your words They not only distrusted God v 32. but murmured against their Leaders and against God in Verse 34 a mutinous manner consulting to return into Egypt XIV Numb 1 2 3 4. And moreover spake of stoning Caleb and Joshua for their good Advice v. 10. And was wroth and sware saying Which so provoked the Divine Majesty that he irrevocably determined what follows confirming it with an Oath XIV Numb 21. Verse 35 Ver. 35. Surely there shall not one of these Men of this evil Generation see that good Land c. See XIV Numb 21 28 29. Verse 36 Ver. 36. Save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh And Joshua the Son of Nun. See XIV 24 30. and see below v. 38. He shall see it and to him will I give the Land that he hath trodden upon c. This was as exactly fulfilled as their disinheriting was XIV Josh 9 12. Where the particular Portion of Land is mentioned which God promised to him and which Joshua gave him in the Mountain where the Anakims dwelt For such was the wonderful Faith and Courage of Caleb that he doubted not to dispossess those whom the rest of the Israelites dreaded as invincible Verse 37 Ver. 37. Also the LORD was angry with me Not at that time but afterwards when they came into the Wilderness of Zin to another Kadesh XX Numb 1 12. For your sakes By occasion of their fresh discontents and mutinous upbraidings of him XX Numb 2 3 4. which provoked him so that he spake unadvisedly with his Lips as the Psalmist observes CVI Psal 31 32. This was an high aggravation of their guilt that they not only undid themselves but brought great Displeasure upon their worthy Leader and Governour whom they wearied with their Tumults and Rebellions Or the meaning may be which doth not much differ from the account now given that they murmuring in a tumultuous manner when they saw the Water did not flow out of the Rock at the first stroke he himself also was put into such a Commotion that he began to doubt and say God would do nothing for such a rebellious People though he had declared he would If this be true he soon recovered himself and smote the Rock again in confidence God would be as good as his word But God was so angry at the words he had spoken that he so far punished him for them as to deny him entrance into Canaan Saying Thou shalt not go in thither Which threatning is renewed a little before his death XXVII Numb 13 14. and he could not get repealed by any Entreaties as we read in this Book III. 26. Ver. 38. But Joshua the Son of Nun which standeth Verse 38 before thee i. e. Waits upon thee He shall go in thither So God promised when he as well as Caleb indeavoured to put Courage into the People to go and possess the Land XIV Numb 6 7 c. 30. Incourage him for he shall cause Israel to inherit it Not only go thither and have his Portion there but be the Captain of Israel and conquer the Land for them and divide it among them This intimates as if Joshua was afraid he might be excluded as well as his Master being extreamly troubled it is likely that he was not suffered to reap the Fruit of his long Labours Therefore God bids Moses incourage his hope and command him to take heart as we speak for undoubtedly he should do more than go into Canaan Which may be the reason why his Name is not put into the Exception v. 35 36. together with Calebs but they are mentioned separately because there was something to be said peculiar to each of them Verse 39 Ver. 39. Moreover your little ones whom ye said should be a prey See XIV Numb 31. Which in that day had no knowledge of good and evil And consequently did not provoke God by their Disobedience They shall go in thither c. Their innocence moved pity towards them though Children in some cases were cut off for their Fathers sins Verse 40 Ver. 40. But as for you turn you From the Land of Canaan to which they were not permitted to go And take your journey into the Wilderness And get you back again
can tell why yet Diodorus Siculus acknowledges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the God from whom Moses pretended to have his Laws i. e. JEHOVAH Ver. 7. For what Nation is there so great who hath Verse 7 God so nigh unto them as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for Both Onkelos and the Paraphrase of Jonathan and likewise the Hierusalem Targum are very significant upon this place What People is there who have a God that approaches to them so as the LORD our God doth to us At whatsoever Hour we cry unto him he answers us It is the manner of other People to carry their Gods upon their Shoulders to shew that they are near to them when alas they are afar off and cannot hear them But the LORD our God sits on his Throne on high and hears our Prayers whatsoever time we call upon him c. To which may be added that they had a Symbol of God's Presence continually among them in the Holy Place where he dwelt with them and Moses whensoever he pleased consulted him in all difficult Affairs as their High-Priest might do with the Vrim and Thummim in all times to come Ver. 8. And what Nation is there so great that hath Verse 8 Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this Day The true Greatness of a Nation it appears by this and the foregoing Verse consists in the sincere Worship of God and in the upright Administration of Justice Both which were so provided for by the Divine Laws among the Jews that no Nation could compare with them or was really so great as they were For though their Country was but small and they were often oppressed by several cruel Enemies who desired their Extirpation yet they recovered themselves and kept their Laws in their worst Condition when commonly they best observed them Insomuch that as a very learned Person of our own Church long ago observed After so many Changes and Alterations as there were in their State from better to worse and back again after so many Victories got by them over others and so many Captivities of their Persons and Desolations of their Country as others had wrought they continued still one and the same People governed by the same Laws under several great and potent Monarchies The successive Rise and Fall of Three of which they were preserved to behold and in their declining State able to stand out a great while against the Fourth the mightiest that ever was on Earth and that when this Monarchy was in its full strength This is a plain Demonstration of the Truth of these Words of Moses That no Nation was so great as they See Dr. Jackson's First Book upon the Creed Chap. XXI Maimonides observes That the word Zaddikim which we translate righteous signifies as much as equal and proportionate Such saith he were all these Laws of God in which there was no excess by the prescription of long Pilgrimages or severe Fastings nor any defect which might open the Window to any Vice or make them careless in the Practice of Vertue More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXIX Verse 9 Ver. 9. Only take heed to thy self and keep thy Soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thou hast seen c. Their only danger was lest they should grow careless and unmindful of all the wonderful Things that God had done for them Which he therefore exhorts them to think of frequently and to keep in Memory and lay to Heart so that they might preserve the Sence of them as long as they lived and likewise teach all Posterity to be mindful of them Ver. 10. Especially the Day that thou stoodest before Verse 10 the LORD thy God in Horeb. But above all that memorable Day when the LORD delivered his Law to them from Mount Sinai at which the oldest of them were present and had seen and heard what he said and how it was delivered When the LORD said unto me Gather me the People together Unto the foot of Mount Sinai where they stood at such a distance from it as God prescribed XIX Exod. 10 11 12 13. And I will make them hear my Words XIX Exod. 9 c. XX Exod. 1 c. That they may learn to fear me all the Days that they shall live upon the Earth c. For those Words which they heard were pronounced in so terrible a manner as to make them dread to offend his Majesty and to instruct their Children to stand in awe of him Ver. 11. And ye came near and stood under the Verse 11 Mountain XIX Exod. 17. And the Mountain burnt with Fire XIX Exod. 16 18. Into the midst of Heaven Into the middle of the Air which is frequently called Heaven in Scripture as the Fouls of Heaven are the Fouls of the Air But whether the Fire flamed up precisely into the very midst of the lower Region of the Air or only a great height is not material either way the Expression is proper enough Ver. 12. And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the Fire XIX Exod 20. XX. 1 22. Ye heard the Voice of the Words XX Exod. 19. Verse 12 But saw no Similitude Tho' sometimes the Divine Majesty seems to have appeared in a visible Shape VII Dan. 9 10. yet when he came to give them his Law he would not appear in the Figure of a Man or any other thing that might seem to represent him to their outward Senses or their Imagination For it had been dangerous then to manifest himself under any Resemblance when he forbad them to make any Resemblance of him They would have thought he forbad them to make any other Resemblance but that wherein he shewed himself to them in which they would have concluded it was lawful to represent him Only ye heard a Voice From hence some of the Jews would gather that the People only heard the Sound of God's Words when he spake the Ten Commandments but not the Distinction of the Sound so as to understand the Sense of what he said Thus Maimonides in his More Nevochim P. 2. Cap. XXXIII Which is manifestly false as appears from Ver. 10. and 13. and XX Exod. 22. For therefore the Day wherein he spake to them in Horeb was so remarkable as never to be forgotten because he made them hear his Words so that they might learn to fear him c. For tho' he did not appear in the likeness of any thing to them yet he vouchsafed to speak to them plainly in their own Language that they might be instructed in their Duty both which was to keep them from Idolatry He did not let them see any Shape that they might not make any Image of him to worship it or him by it after the manner of the Heathens but he let them hear his Voice that they might not go and worship any other Gods which the Heathens pretended spake to them Ver.
13. And he declared unto you his Covenant which Verse 13 he commanded you to perform even ten Commandments These were the principal Laws which they covenanted with him to observe tho' afterwards he added others after the Tenor of which he made a Covenant with them XXXIV Exod. 27. And he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone XXIV Exod. 12. XXXIV 28. Ver. 14. And the LORD commanded me at that Verse 14 time to teach you Statutes and Judgments that ye might do them in the Land whither ye go over to possess it This doth not signifie that they themselves did not hear the Ten Words from Mount Sinai but were taught them by Moses as Maimonides fancies in the forenamed place for it plainly relates to the rest of the Laws which God immediately after gave him Exod XXI XXII XXIII It being their own desire that God would speak to them no more by himself but communicate the rest of his Will by Moses XX Exod. 19. And accordingly he told the People all the Words of the LORD and all the Judgments which he delivered to him XXIV Exod. 3. All this will appear more plainly from the next Chapter of this Book v. 22 c. It is a meer Imagination of those Jews who take the Statutes and Judgments here mentioned for their Oral Law as Aben Ezra R. Solomon R. Bechai and others do upon this place Who say That when God gave Moses the written Law he expounded it to him Which Exposition he delivered to Joshua and he to the LXX Elders c. so that it came down to them in a successive Tradition Ver. 15. Take ye therefore good heed to your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the Day that the Verse 15 LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the Fire He gives them a special Caution about this because the Nations of the World were so prone to make Images of their Gods which he expresly forbids in the Second Commandment Upon this Text the present Jews ground the Third Article of their Faith which is that God is incorporeal Verse 16 Ver. 16. Lest ye corrupt your selves By worshipping any thing but God himself alone Unto whom they being espoused the giving Divine Worship unto any thing else was such a Corruption as Adultery is in a married Woman And make you a graven Image the similitude of any Figure See the Second Commandment XX Exod. 3 4. The likeness of Male or Female The representation of God in Humane Shape is first forbidden because it was most common among the Heathens Therefore I cannot think this relates to the Egyptian Worship who honoured Oxen as sacred to Osiris and Cows as sacred to Isis Unto which Mr. Selden thinks the LXX had respect when they translated these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Diis Syris Syntag. I. Cap. IV. Verse 17 Ver. 17. The likeness of any Beast that is on the Earth c. The word Or is to be here supplied and in all that follows in this manner Or the likeness of any Beast that is on the Earth or the likeness of any winged Fowl that flieth in the Air Where Col tzippor Canaph which we translate Any winged Fowl signifies all Birds and Insects that fly in the Air For in the shape of such Creatures also the Heathen represented their Gods or some of their Qualities For not only Oxen were sacred to Apis and Rams to Jupiter Ammon but Hawks and Eagles and even Beetles to other Deities Ver. 18. Or the likeness of any thing that creepeth on Verse 18 the Ground Nothing was more common among the Heathen than the Worship of Serpents Or the likeness of any Fish that is in the Waters The famous Dagon whom the Philistims worshipped was a Fish with an Humane Face Hands and Feet Certain it is the Syrians worshipped a Fish as Cicero tells us in his third Book of the Nature of the Gods Syri Piscem venerantur Which Mr. Selden thinks relates to the famous Goddess Atazgatis which is a word made out of the Hebrew Addir-dag i. e. magnificent or potent Fish See De Diis Syris Syntag. II. Cap. II. The Egyptians were famous in After-times for worshipping all sorts of Animals and if one could find they were so in the Days of Moses it might be assigned as the most probable Reason of his cautioning the Israelites against these things so particularly they being lately come out of Egypt Ver. 19. And lest thou lift up thine Eyes unto Heaven Verse 19 From hence I believe that common Speech among the Arabians was derived Take heed how thou gazest on the Splendor of the Stars Which is in the first Century of Arabick Proverbs set forth by Erpenius Prov. XXVIII who saith he knew not what to make of it But I take it to be a Caveat against Idolatry to which the ancient Arabians were addicted And when thou seest the Sun and the Moon and the Stars even all the Host of Heaven The most ancient Idolatry of all other seems to have been the Worship of the Sun and the rest of the heavenly Bodies which began among the Chaldaeans For there is not any God or Goddess among the ancient Gentiles but hath a respect to the Sun or the Moon as Gisbertus Cuperus hath very plainly demonstrated in his Harpocrates P. 87 c. 108 c. And a very learned Man of our own hath lately said a great deal on the same Subject See Appendix to the Antiquity of Palmyra Cap. IV. by Mr. A. Seller And Maimon More Nevoch P. III. Cap. XXX Shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them Drawn in enticed and deceived as Onkelos and the LXX translate it either by the instigation of some evil Genius or admiration of their Splendor or imitation of other Nations or a vain Opinion that some Divinity inhabits such illustrious Bodies or out of a Sense of the Benefits Mankind receive by them For the chief Philosophers themselves were led by their weak Reasonings into this Error as appears even by Plato who saith It is most just that the Heaven should be worshipped with all the Gods and Demons and that we should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as he speaks in his Epinomis See Eusebius in his Praepar Evang. Lib. XIII Cap. XVIII where he shews how much better the Hebrews speak in this matter and quotes some Words of Plato out of a Work of his not now extant for the Explication of these Words of Moses And to make this Idolatry seem more reasonable some of the Philosophers asserted the Sun to be indued with Understanding and therefore is called by Proclus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King of Intellectual Fire to distinguish it from other Fires which are without Understanding And from thence in one of the Coyns of Caracalla there is over the Sun surrounded with Rays the word PROVIDENTIA In short the World had been so long settled in this Worship that it was no easie matter when the
4. By Signs Which are mentioned IV Exod. 9. VII 9 10. And by Wonders This signifies all the Ten Plagues of Egypt For Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go till God had multiplied his Wonders on the Land of Egypt as we read VII Exod. 3. X. 1 2. XI 9 10. And by War This seems to relate to the Overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea where the LORD is said to fight for Israel XIV Exod. 14. XV. 3. while they which is the greatest Wonder of all were delivered without striking a stroke And by a mighty Hand and a stretched-out Arm. These are Phrases which we often meet withal when Moses speaks of their Deliverance out of Egypt III Exod. 19. VI. 6. XV. 12. and many other places And the Hebrews think that his mighty Hand particularly refers to the grievous Murrain and the Pestilence which are called the Hand of the LORD X Exod. 3 15. And his stretched-out Arm to have a particular respect to the killing of the First-born the Angel that was going to smite Jerusalem appearing with a drawn Sword and his Hand stretched out I Chron. XXI 16. And by great Terrors Wherewith the Minds of those were stuck who heard of these things XV Exod 14 15 16. Or else he means the Frights in which the Egyptians were while they remained three Days in most dismal Darkness X Exod. 23. for the conclusion of this Verse signifies that he speaks of all that the LORD their God did for them in Egypt before their Eyes Verse 35 Ver. 35. Vnto thee it was shewed This was a particular kindness to the Israelites which God never before manifested to any other Nation That thou mightest know that the LORD he is God there is none else besides him That they might believe him to be the only true God and worship none but him Which two Articles saith Maimonides More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXIII that God is and that he is but One are Fundamentals of Religion which were known not only by Prophets but by every Body else Verse 36 Ver. 36. Out of Heaven he made thee to hear his Voice See XX Exod. 22. That he might instruct thee Teach them his Will which was chiefly declared in the Ten Commandments And upon Earth he shewed thee his great Fire He means either that they saw it as they stood upon the Earth or that it burnt upon the top of the Mount in their sight XXIV Exod. 17. And thou heardest his Words out of the midst of the Fire Ver. 11 12. and XX Exod. 18 19. Verse 37 Ver. 37. And because he loved thy Fathers therefore he chose their Seed after them See XV Gen. 5 6 7. And many other Places in that Book III Exod. 15 16 17. And brought them out in his sight with a mighty power For as he led them the way out of Egypt in a Pillar of Cloud and of Fire XIII Exod. 21. So when they were in danger by Pharaoh's pursuit of them he came behind them and they marched in his sight XIV Exod. 19. Out of Egypt This is mentioned in Scripture as the highest Benefit never to be forgotten by them So G. Sckickard observes in his Mischpat Hamelek Cap. III. Theorem X. That they are put in Mind of this in the Frontispiece of the Decalogue XX Exod. 2. in the Institution of Sacrifices XXII Levit. 33. in the Promise of a Blessing XXVI 13. and here in the enumeration of God's wonderful Works and afterwards in the commendation of his Love VII Deut. 8. in his Dehortation from Ingratitude VIII 14. in his Institution of the Passover XVI 6. in the Speech which the reproving Angel made to them II Judges 1. in the hope he gave them of Victory over the Midianites VI. 9. in his Answer to their Petition for a King I Sam. X. 18. and on a great many other occasions For this was Velut Fundamentum initium Reipublicae c. as another learned German speaks Gierus on IX Dan. 15. the Foundation as we may call it and the Beginning of their Commonwealth founded by God which comprehended in it abundance of Miracles far exceeding all the Power of Nature Ver. 38. To drive out Nations before thee greater Verse 38 and mightier than thou art So mighty that they frighted their Fathers from attempting the Conquest of them XIII Numb 28 29 31. To bring thee in to give thee their Land for an Inheritance as it is this day That is as he had given them a late Experiment by overthrowing the two Kings of the Amorites and giving them their Land for a possession Verse 39 Ver. 39. Know therefore this day and consider it in thy Heart that the LORD he is God in Heaven above and upon the earth and there is none else Be sensible therefore and settle this Belief in thy Heart that the LORD is the sole Governour of the whole World Verse 40 Ver. 40. Thou shalt therefore keep his Statutes and his Commandments which I command thee this day c. Worship and obey him as the only way to make them and their Posterity live happily in the Land which God was about to give them That it may be well with thee and with thy Children after thee and that thou mayst prolong thy days upon the earth c. Tho' Moses speak of their long Life upon Earth yet the better sort of Jews did not set up their rest here but from this word prolong extended their hope as far as the other World For thus Maimonides saith in his Preface to Perek Chelek they were taught by Tradition to expound these Words That it may be well with thee in the World which is all good and mayest prolong thy days in the World which is all long i. e. never ends Verse 41 Ver. 41. Then Moses severed three Cities I observed in the Preface to this Book that Moses did not deliver all that is contained in this Book in one continued Speech but at several times as appears even by the beginning of the next Chapter where it is said He called all Israel and said unto them c. Which supposes that after this Preface in these four Chapters he dismissed them to consider what he had said and then some time after assembled the People again to put them in Mind of the Laws which he so earnestly pressed them to observe But between these two times after he had spoken all that is contained in these four Chapters and before he rehearsed the Decalogue he put in execution the Command of God lately given to set apart three Cities of Refuge on this side Jordan Which he here relates in the order I suppose wherein it was done On this side Jordan towards the Sun-rising On the East-side of Jordan according to what was ordered XXXV Numb 14. Ver. 42. That the Slayer might flee thither which Verse 42 should kill his Neighbour unawares c. See there v. 11 12 c. Ver. 43. Namely Bezer in the Wilderness in
Evil but he serves God truly because he is the Truth and the chiefest Good that he may be admitted to Communion with him And a Man ought to love him with the most vehement and intense Affection so that he languish with love to him just as a Man that is in love with one he desires to make his Wife Wheresoever he is at home or abroad when he eats and drinks when he lies down and rises up he thinks of her To which Solomon compares the Love of the Spouse who saith I am sick of Love 2 Cant. 5. To this purpose Baal Chasidim mentioned by Wagenseil upon Sota Cap. V. p. 611. By the Heart may be here meant the Will which is the Original of all that a Man doth as the Jews speak whether Good or Evil By the Soul the Affections to which St. Mark adds the Mind i. e. the Understanding or Rational Faculty and by Might or Strength is meant the Power of the Body for Action which four all together make up the whole Man And the word ALL added to each of these doth not exclude all other things from any share in our Thoughts and Affections but only from an equal Interest in them The Love of God ought to be superiour and direct all our other Motions to serve him as Maimonides expresses it in his Preface to Pirke Avoth Ver. 7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children In the Hebrew the words are as our Margin observes shall whet or sharpen them signifying Verse 7 as some think that they should endeavour to make them pierce their Hearts But De Dieu rather thinks it signifies Beat them into them as things are hammered on an Anvil with repeated Strokes Which the famous Bochartus doth not so well approve who observes that the word Sanan which in Arabick signifies in the first place to sharpen or whet signifies also Exquisitè docere c. to teach exquisitely so that he who is taught be made thereby more acute and perspicacious Which is the intention he thinks of the Hebrew word here L. 2. Canaan Cap. XVII However it be expounded it imports the Diligence they should use as we translate it to instil this Principle into their Children's Minds that there is but One God and to work in them a fear and love of his Divine Majesty For to that which goes before v. 4 5 6. these words have a particular respect By which it appears that Moses thought his Law was so plain that every Father might be able to instruct his Sons in it and every Mother her Daughters And shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up As much as to say they should take all occasions to inculcate this great thing at home and abroad Night and Day never ceasing their most earnest Endeavours to perswade their Children not to worship any other God nor to fail to worship the LORD their God with sincere Affection The Jews have made from hence one of their affirmative Precepts That twice a Day at least they should recite these words Hear O Israel c. which is a very dilute Sence of this Precept Wherein Moses requires not meerly their saying these words in which there might be a great deal of Superstition but taking all opportunities to imprint them upon the Minds and Hearts of their Children Verse 8 Ver. 8. And thou shalt bind them for a Sign upon thine Hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes Just thus he commands them to preserve the Memory of their Deliverance out of the Land of Egypt almost in the same words See XIII Exod. 9 16. where this is sufficiently explained And it appears to be a Proverbial Speech from XLIX Isa 16. There are some learned Men indeed who take these words literally notwithstanding St. Hierom hath delivered his Opinion to the contrary that there is no Command for Phylacteries which are grounded upon these words particularly Jos Scaliger in his Elench Trihaeres Nic. Serarii Cap. 7. 8. Where he thinks God gave this Command to the Israelites to prevent their following the Rites of other Nations who armed themselves against Dangers with superstitious Amulets in their Foreheads which the Egyptians he thinks called Totaphot But since neither here nor in Exodus there are any such words as thou shalt make thee Frontlets but Moses only saith the things he is speaking of shall be for Frontlets between their Eyes I take it not to be meant literally Tho' it 's likely they intended well who so understood it For our blessed Saviour doth not seem to reprove the Jews for wearing Phylacteries but for their Ostentation in making them broader than ordinary Ver. 9. And thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thy House and on thy Gates This looks more like a literal Command than the former and it might Verse 9 have been very useful to them when they went in and out of their House to read these words Hear O Israel the LORD thy God is one LORD c. But the Jews are too scrupulous about the Words they should write and upon what part of the Posts and Gates they were to put them c. as Mr. Selden observes Lib. III. De Synedr Cap. XIII N. 2. Tho' after all it may be this was not intended but only that they should never let this Principle slip out of their Mind but think of it when they went out and came in as well as when they were in their Houses and by the Way when they rose up and when they lay down Yet it must be observed that other Nations used to write their Laws upon their Gates as Huetius notes in his Demonstratio Evangelica p. 58. which it 's likely they did in imitation of the Jews who to this Day have written in a Parchment these Words from v. 4. to the end of this Verse with that other passage Chap. XI from v. 13. to v. 20. which they roll up and writing on it the Name of Shaddai put it into a piece of Cane or other hollow Wood and fasten it to the Doors of their Houses and of each particular Room in them and as often as they go in and out they make it a part of their Devotion to touch this Parchment and kiss it As Leo Modena tells us in his History of the Jews P. 1. Cap. 2. Ver. 10. And it shall be when the LORD thy God Verse 10 shall have brought thee into the Land which he sware c. Of this he speaks with the greatest assurance there being no doubt to be made that God would immediately give them possession of the good Land promised to them The only danger was lest they should be thrown out of it for their Disobedience Great and goodly Cities which thou buildedst not For they did not lay all waste as they did Jericho for which there was a particular Reason but dwelt in them
the Jews did not differ in its form or substance from that which commonly fell in those Countries and doth so at this Day But herein consisted the Miracle that he gave it them in a prescribed Measure and so abundantly as to suffice such a vast Number and that every Morning in all Seasons of the Year This made it a Divine Manna for the common fell only in small Quantities and not always but at some times in the Year That he might humble thee This word is commonly understood of humbling by Affliction which may seem not to belong to Manna For that was a singular Benefit being an excellent Nourishment and of a delicious Taste But they having nothing else beside this to live upon were soon tired with it as we find XI Numb 6. and much more did it seem an Affliction to them to live upon one thing alone for forty Years together And God intended by it to humble them at the same time that he was extraordinary kind to them And that he might prove thee Whether they would be thankful that they were not starved and submit to his wise Providence and obey his Laws which they had the greater reason to observe because it was evident they owed their very Life and Being to him every Moment For without new Supplies every Day from Heaven they had been famished in that desolate Wilderness And do thee good at thy latter end That in Conclusion his kindness to them might be more thankfully received and more safely enjoyed So Maimonides expounds this Passage in his More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXIV God was pleased to accustom them to labour in the Wilderness that he might increase their happiness when they came into the Land of Canaan For this is certain A transition from labour to rest is far sweeter than continual rest Nor could they so easily have subdued the Land and overcome the Inhabitants of it unless they had indured some hardship in the Wilderness For rest and idleness takes away Mens Courage but labour and hard fare augments it And this is the good saith he which was in the issue to redound to them by this wise dispensation of God's Providence Verse 17 Ver. 17. And thou shalt say in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth Such vain Conceits are apt to arise in Mens minds if they preserve not a sence of God and of all his Mercies to them Verse 18 Ver. 18. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth Continually call to mind that they owed all they had and the increase of it to his Almighty Providence without whom they could never have gotten possession of this Land nor have prospered in it That he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy Fathers c. He would have them sensible of their own unworthiness also which would make them more grateful to him of all the Blessings God had bestowed on them and acknowledge them to his meer goodness and fidelity to his Promises for they had been a murmuring and rebellious People Ver. 19. And it shall be if thou do at all forget the Verse 19 LORD thy God Luxury and Pride the usual effects of Fulness naturally made them unthankful and unmindful of God And neglect of God's Service made them easily fall to Idolatry And walk after other Gods and worship and serve them The two last Expressions are the Explication of the first for then they walked after the Idols of the People as Onkelos paraphrases it when they worshipped and adored them It is evident by this that the drift of Moses in all this Discourse is as I observed before to press upon them the first and great Commandment I testifie against you this day that ye shall utterly perish See IV. 26. Ver. 20. As the Nations which the LORD destroyeth Verse 20 before your face He speaks in the Present Tense because he was about to destroy them and when he began he destroyed them by little and little VII 22. and there were still more to be destroyed So shall ye perish because ye would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God It was but just that they should perish as those Nations did because they fell into their Sins Chapter IX CHAP. IX Verse 1 Verse 1. HEar O Israel He begins a new Exhortation to them at some distance of time from the former but still aiming at the same thing to represent to them the danger of Idolatry Thou art to pass over Jordan this day That is shortly not long hence for it cannot be meant precisely all these things being spoken in the eleventh Month of the last Year of their Travels and they passed not over Jordan till the first Month of the next Year Between which and this time Moses died and they mourned a whole Month for him To go in to possess Nations A Country inhabited by Nations for the People themselves they were to destroy Greater and mightier than thy self Whom notwithstanding God would deliver up into their Hands Cities great and fenced up to Heaven As the Spies had represented them I. 28. and they were indeed very strong Cities whose Walls could not easily be scaled Verse 2 Ver. 2. A People great and tall XIV Numb 28 32. The Children of the Anakims whom thou knowest Who seem to have been the chief of those Nephilim or Rephaim which we sometimes translate Giants in those parts XIII Numb 22 28 33. Of whom thou hast heard say who can stand before the Children of Anak A common Proverb in those days The Children of Anak being so famous that the whole Nation as Bochartus thinks took it's Name from them For Bene-Anak i. e. Children of Anak or Pheneanak is easily changed into Phaenicia These Anakims were vanquished by Joshua who drove them out of the Cities where they dwelt and made them flee to the Philistims Where a Remnant of them seem'd to have liv'd till the days of David For Goliah and his Brethren Lahmi Sippai and Ishbibanob 1 Chron. XX. 4 c. were Anakims and so was that Man with six Toes on each Foot and six Fingers on each Hand 2 Sam. XXI 16. for they were all born at Gath which was one of the Cities to which the Anakims fled XI Josh 22. Some think that from hence Kings among the Greeks were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because commonly they chose those to rule over them who were Persons of a great Stature and carried Majesty in their Faces But it is not improbable as I observed before that some of the Anakims fled into Greece and settled there when they were driven out of Canaan Ver. 3. Vnderstand therefore this day Settle this Verse 3 therefore in your Minds before you go over Jordan as undoubted truth That the LORD thy God is he that goeth before thee Over Jordan III Josh 3 4 c. As a consuming fire Before
whom none can stand IV. 24. He shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face See III Josh 10 11. The Hebrews have a conceit that the Fire which burnt upon the Altar appeared in the Form of a Lion to show what God would be to their Enemies if the Israelites obeyed him otherwise what he would be to them So shalt thou drive them out and destroy them utterly as the LORD hath said unto thee Not the whole seven Nations intirely whom he said God would drive out by little and little VII 22. but so many as to make a Settlement for themselves in Canaan without much difficulty Verse 4 Ver. 4. Speak not in thine heart after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out When this is done do not so much as entertain a Thought For my righteousness hath the LORD brought me in to possess this Land Nothing is more dangerous than Pride and Self-conceit And therefore as he taught them before VIII 7. to have an humble Opinion of their own Power so now not to arrogate any thing to themselves on the account of their own Righteousness But for the wickedness of these Nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee XVIII Lev. 24 25 27 28. Verse 5 Ver. 5. Not for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thine heart dost thou go to possess their Land but for the wickedness of these Nations c. and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy Fathers c. It was of great moment which makes him repeat it again that they should understand the true Causes why God expelled these Nations and gave their Land to the Israelites which were these two First The abominable wickedness of the Canaanites for which they deserved to be rooted out Secondly God's gracious Promises to the pious Ancestors of the Israelites with whom he made a Covenant and confirmed it with an Oath to plant them there in the room of the former Inhabitants Ver. 6. Vnderstand therefore that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good Land to possess it for thy Verse 6 righteousness He repeats it a third time that if it were possible he might root out of the Israelites the Opinion of their own Deserts before he rooted the Canaanites out of their Country For thou art a stiff-necked People So far from being Righteous that they were very Refractory Of which God often complained XXXII Exod. 9. XXXIII 3 5. and Moses acknowledges it in his Prayer to God for them XXXIV 9. Ver. 7. Remember and forget not how thou provokedst Verse 7 the LORD thy God to wrath in the Wilderness In order to destroy the Opinion of their own Righteousness it was necessary to call to mind some of their most notorious Provocations which he exhorts them carefully to preserve in their Mind as a Means to keep them humble From the day that thou didst depart out of the Land of Egypt until you came to this place ye have been rebellious against the LORD This appears by the many Murmurings we read of in the two first Years after they came out of Egypt and likewise in the last of which only we have a particular Account but their behavour all the rest of the time they spent in the Wilderness was no better Ver. 8. Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to Verse 8 wrath Or rather Even in Horeb for there is an Emphasis in this and he speaks it with some Indignation when they had newly received the Law and had a visible Appearance of God in great Glory upon Mount Sinai and had entred into Covenant with him they so shamefully revolted from him that he thought to have destroyed them XXXII Exod. 7 8 c. Verse 9 Ver. 9. When I was gone up into the Mount to receive the Tables of Stone even the Tables of the Covenant which the LORD made with you See XXIV Exod. 11. Then I abode in the Mount forty days and forty nights I neither did eat bread nor drink water See XXIV Exod. 18. XXXIV 28. Verse 10 Ver. 10. And the LORD delivered unto me two Tables of Stone written with the finger of God See XXXI Exod. 18. According to all the words which the LORD spake with you in the Mount See XXXIV Exod. 28. Out of the midst of the fire in the day of the Assembly When the whole Body of the People were assembled and heard God speak these Ten Words out of the midst of the Fire See IV Deut. 10 11 12 13. Verse 11 Ver. 11. And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights that the LORD gave me the two Tables of Stone c. That is having given him the two Tables as was said before v. 10. Verse 12 Ver. 12. The LORD said unto me Immediately after he had delivered to him the Tables XXXI Exod. 18. XXXII 7. Arise get thee down quickly from hence for the People which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves c. See XXXII Exod. 7 8. Verse 13 Ver. 13. Furthermore the LORD spake unto me saying I have seen this People and behold it is a stiff-necked People Who will not bend to the Yoke of my Laws XXXII Exod. 9. Ver. 14. Let me alone Do not make any Intercession to me for them That I may destroy them and blot out their Name from under Heaven and I will make of thee a Nation Verse 14 greater and mightier than they See XXXII Exod. 10. Ver. 15. So I turned and came down from the Mount Verse 15 See XXXII Exod. 15. And the Mount burnt with fire Was all in a flame in token of God's high displeasure against them and as if he intended presently to consume them And the two Tables of the Covenant were in my hand XXXII Exod. 15. Ver. 16. And I looked and behold ye had sinned against Verse 16 the LORD your God and had made you a molten Calf About which he found them dancing XXXII Exod. 19. Ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you For a few Weeks before he had commanded them with his own Mouth not to make to themselves any graven Image c. XX Exod. 4. And immediately after commanded Moses to repeat this Precept particularly to them Not to make with him Gods of Silver or Gold v. 22 23. Ver. 17. And I took the two Tables and cast them Verse 17 out of my two hands and brake them before your eyes By God's order no doubt in token that they had broken his Covenant and were unworthy to be owned by him for his People XXXII Exod. 19. or that the Covenant was made void and God no longer engaged to them Ver. 18. And I fell down To pray God for Pardon though not presently but after he had broken the Calf in pieces reproved Aaron and made a Verse 18 slaughter among the People XXXII Exod. 20 21 c. As at the first When he
first heard of their Sin XXXII Exod. 11 12 13. and the next Morning after he had broken the Calf and done Execution upon the Offenders v. 30 31 32. Forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water XXXIV Exod. 2 28. Because of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger He spent this time very much in earnest Supplication to God to forgive not only this but all their other sins whereby they had deserved to be cast off by him For they provoked him at Marah XV Exod. 23. and in the Wilderness of Sin XVI 2 3. and at Massah XVII 2 3 4. Verse 19 Ver. 19. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you Which God had expressed both before he came down from the Mount and after XXXII Exod. XXXIII 3 5. Insomuch that the LORD removed out of the Camp and would not for the present dwell among them v. 7. But the LORD hearkned unto me at that time also See XXXIV Exod. 8 9 10. Where the LORD tells him he expected they should be more faithful hereafter in observing their Covenant with him particularly this part of worshipping no other God See there v. 10 11 12 13 14. Ver. 20. And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him c. This shows the heinousness of this Sin which had like to have cost Aaron his Life though he meerly complied with the impetuous Verse 20 Desire of the People out of Fear and want of Courage to resist them Ver. 21. And I took your sin So Idols are termed Verse 21 in XXXI Isa 7. The Object or Occasion of Sin as well as the Punishment of it being called by the Name of Sin The Calf which you had made and burnt it with fire and stamp'd it and ground it very small c. This he did before he went up the second time into the Mount XXXII Exod. 20. And I cast the dust thereof into the Brook that descended out of the Mount From the Rock which Moses smote with his Rod XVII Exod. 6. which constantly supplied them with Drink which for the present they could not have but mixed with their Sin as we read XXXII Exod. 20. Ver. 22. And at Taberah Besides this great Sin Verse 22 committed at Horeb he puts them in mind of several other that they might be the more humbled and have no Opinion of their own Righteousness remaining in them See concerning this XI Numb 1 2 3. And at Massah As the foregoing Sin was committed after the making the Golden Calf so this was before it XVII Exod. 7. And at Kibroth hattaavah ye provoked the LORD to wrath This Provocation was immediately after that at Taberah XI Numb 33 34. All which three places had their Names from the Sin of the Israelites or from their Punishment Ver. 23. Likewise And yet this was not all When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-Barnea saying Go up and possess the Land which I have given you Verse 23 XIII Numb 1 2 3. Then ye rebelled against the Commandment of the LORD your God and ye believed him not nor hearkned to his word XIV Numb 1 2 3. of which unbelief God there complains v. 11. Verse 24 Ver. 24. Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you To comprise all in a few words You have been a disobedient People ever since I was acquainted with you So he suspected they would prove IV Exod. 1. and upon the first disappointment found it to be true V Exod. 24 25. Verse 25 Ver. 25. Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights as I fell down at the first because the LORD had said he would destroy you Having interposed some other Instances of their rebellious Disposition besides their making the Golden Calf he returns to what he had begun to say concerning his Intercession with God for a Pardon which he could not obtain without long Importunity For we cannot from these words gather as some of the Jews do that Moses was three times in the Mount forty days and forty nights it being plain that he speaks here of the same time which he mentioned v. 18. And if we should think he intended any other we might conclude he was four times in the Mount so many days and nights because he mentions it over again in the next Chapter X. 10. Because the LORD had said he would destroy you XXXII Exod. 10. XXXIII 5. This wade him so earnest to obtain an Assurance from God that he would continue to be as gracious to them as he had been of which he had given him some hope before he went up into the Mount See XXIII Exod. 17. XXXIV 9 10. Ver. 26. I prayed therefore unto the LORD and said Verse 26 O LORD God destroy not thy People and thine Inheritance which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness c. He used the same Argument in his Petition for them when he went into the Mount the second time which he had urged before he came down the first time from it XXXII Exod. 12. Ver. 27. Remember thy Servants Abraham Isaac Verse 27 and Jacob. The very same he had said there v. 13. And look not unto the stubborness of this People nor to their wickedness nor to their sin He prays that the gracious Promise of God to their pious Fore-fathers would move him to over-look the high Provocations of their Posterity Which he aggravates in several words the more to humble them and to magnifie God's Mercy in granting them a Pardon The word Stubborness seems to relate to their very evil Disposition of Mind and their Wickedness to all their undutiful Murmurings and their Sin to their Idolatry which is often called in Scripture peculiarly by the Name of Sin It being the highest Provocation from whence sprang all manner of Wickedness Thus Jeroboam is said to have made Israel to sin by setting up the Calves at Dan and Bethel to be worshipped Ver. 28. Lest the Land whence thou broughtest them Verse 28 out say Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the Land which he promised them and because he hated them he hath brought them out to slay them in the Wilderness Chapter X. The sence of this also he had before urged XXXII Exod. 12. Ver. 29. Yet they are thy People and thine Inheritance Verse 29 which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power c. They were redeemed by him out of the Land of Aegypt and after a wonderful manner separated from all other People to be his peculiar XIX Exod. 4 5 6. and besides having repented of this Sin in making the Golden Calf God had again owned them to be his and promised his Presence should go with them XXXIII Exod. 14. Insomuch that Moses there saith before he went into the Mount again v. 13. Consider
that this Nation is thy People And see v. 15 16. CHAP. X. Verse 1 Verse 1. AT that time the LORD said unto me Hew the two Tables of Stone like unto the first and come up unto me into the Mount After his Anger was something appeased he ordered Moses to come up to him where he had been before and bring with him two Tables of Stone like those he had broke that God might renew his Covenant with them But there was this difference as I observed XXXIV Exod. 1. that God himself made the former Tables but he bad Moses make these which signifies some Abatement of his Favour And make thee an Ark of Wood. This Command was given at his first going up into the Mount XXV Exod. 10. and perhaps was renewed again now upon the occasion of making these new Tables which were to be put into it Ver. 2. And I will write on the Tables the words that were in the first Tables which thou brakest So we read he told him XXXIV Exod. 1. And thou shalt put them in the Ark. As soon as it Verse 2 was made to receive them Ver. 3. And I made an Ark of Shittim-wood This Verse 3 looks as if he made an Ark before he made the Tables that when he brought them down it might be ready to receive them And it hath given some ground to the Jewish Doctors to say that there were two Arks one made by Moses wherein he put the Tables of Stone that were broken and those that were renewed until the others was made by Bezaleel For we read expresly that Bezaleel made the Ark XXXVII Exod. 1. and here it is said that Moses made it So that they conclude there were two made and this made by Moses they fancy was the Ark that went before them in their Marches and Battles which the other never did by God's order but only when they entred into Canaan III Josh for when of their own selves they carried it forth in the days of Eli God was angry with them and delivered it into the Enemies hand 1 Sam. IV. 3 4 11. But Aben-Ezra Nachmanides and Abarbinel have confuted this by strong Reasons to the contrary as may be seen in Buxtorf's Histor Arcoe p. 35 36 c. And as to this place they are of Opinion that Moses speaks of the Ark made afterwards by Bezaleel which Moses is said to have made because he commanded him to make it Just as Solomon is said to have built the Temple because he caused it to be built Or if it be granted that Moses made an Ark before he went the second time into the Mount which this Verse seems to Countenance it will not follow that there were two Arks in use among the Israelites for this Ark now made was of meer Wood not overlaid with Gold and designed only as a Chest wherein to keep the Tables handsomely till the Ark could be made by Bezaleel and then the Tables were translated into that and this Chest of Moses laid aside And hewed two Tables of Stone like unto the first and went up into the Mount c. See XXXIV Exod 4. Verse 4 Ver. 4. And he wrote on the Tables according to the first writing the Ten Commandments XXXIV Exod. 28. Which the LORD commanded you in the Mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the Assembly When the whole Congregation was gathered together at the foot of the Mount See IX 10. And the LORD gave them unto me To carry down to the People Verse 5 Ver. 5. And I turned my self From the Divine Presence where he had been supplicating for Mercy and had received from thence the Tables of the Covenant And came down from the Mount At the end of Forty Days and Nights XXXIV Exod. 28 29. And put the Tables in the Ark which I had made Which he commanded to be made by Bezaleel XXXVII Exod. 1. and put into the Tabernacle as soon as it was built with these Tables in it XL Exod. 20 21. And there they be as the LORD commanded me Though Moses mention his making the Ark before his hewing the Tables and going up into the Mount v. 3. yet these words seem to determine that he speaks of the Ark made by Bezaleel according to his directions For now that they were going over Jordan the Tables were in the Ark which he is said here to have made Which was certainly the Ark of the Covenant not that Chest which some suppose Moses to have made to keep the Tables in till the other could be sitted for their Reception Ver. 6. And the Children of Israel took their journey Verse 6 from Beeroth of the Children of Jaakan to Mosera Not immediately but after they had passed through several other places and made some stay in them For they went from Bene-Jaakan to Gudgodah or Hor-hagidgad and so to Jotbath and the rest of the Mansions mentioned XXXIII Numb 32 33 c. until they came to Mount Hor. There Aaron died and there he was buried At Mosera or the top of Mount Hor which was another part of the same Mountain as Horeb was of Sinai And Eleazar his Son ministred in the Priests Office in his stead The greatest difficulty is to give an account how this comes in here and what connexion this and the following Verse have with what went before All the satisfaction that I can give to it is this that Moses having told them that he put the Tables of the Testimony or Covenant into the Ark as a Token God was reconciled to them and that there they still were as the LORD commanded he puts them out of all doubt of it by telling them that though Aaron who had the special Care of the Holy Place and all things in it committed to him was dead yet Eleazar his Son was still alive who could testifie those Holy Things remained as when Moses first placed them there he being Consecrated to the Priests Office instead of Aaron and in this very Mount XX Numb 25 26 c. which is the occasion of mentioning this Station here when most of the rest are omitted Verse 7 Ver. 7. And from thence Not from Mosera but from Bene-jaakan as appears from XXXIII Numb 32. where a full Account is given of their Removals which are but just touched here They journeyed to Gudgodah Called in the Book of Numbers by the Name of Hor-hagidgad And none will think it strange that there is such variation in the proper Names of Places and of Men in Profane Writers as well as the Scriptures who considers as Conradus Pellicanus here notes how differently the Names of Places are pronounced now from what they were in former Ages and how much one Nation differs from another when they speak of them and what Alterations are made from the first Founders of Nations and Cities by those that conquer them and change all Names to their own Glory See how Names were changed among the Israelites in
obliged to God for their deliverance out of the Slavery of Egypt which nothing could have effected but God's Almighty Power declared in various Instances This is the first Argument wherewith he excites their Love to God which he pressed in the foregoing Chapter and begins this again with it that God had loved them so much as to work many astonishing Miracles rather than let them continue Slaves to Pharaoh Ver. 4. And what he did unto the Army of Egypt Verse 4 unto their Horses and to their Chariots Who pursued after the Israelites and overtook them XIV Exod. 6 7 8. Whereby the kindness of God appeared after he had delivered them in preserving them from being brought back to their Slavery How he made the water of the Red-sea to overflow them as they pursued after you See XIV Exod. 23 24 27 28. And how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day Brought them so low that they have not recovered their strength to attempt any thing against you since that time Ver. 5. And what he did to you in the Wilderness Verse 5 until ye came unto this place Provided for them protected and preserved them Forty years giving them possession also of the Country of Sihon and Og two Kings of the Amorites These Benefits if they considered which they could not but see they owed to his Love alone were powerful Arguments to move them to love him Ver. 6. And what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab the son of Reuben XVI Numb 1 c. The remembrance and consideration of the terrible Verse 6 Vengeance the LORD took upon rebellious People he uses as another Argument to make them obedient And there was none more remarkable than this upon Dathan and Abiram He doth not mention Korah but they could not well forget him when they thought of his Confederates though he suffered another Punishment How the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their Housholds and their Tents c. See XVI Numb v. 32 33 c. Verse 7 Ver. 7. But your eyes have seen the great Acts of the LORD which he did In Egypt at the Red-sea and in the Wilderness v. 3 4 5. Some of which all of them had seen and there were none of them who had not seen some Verse 8 Ver. 8. Therefore shall ye keep all the Commandments which I command you this day Remembring what had befall'n both their Enemies and themselves That ye may be strong and go in and possess the Land whither you go to possess it In hope that the same God would empower them to subdue the Canaanites and give them full possession of their Country Verse 9 Ver. 9. And ye may prolong your days in the Land which the LORD sware unto your Fathers to give unto them and to their Seed This may relate both to the present Generation and to their Posterity who after their Fathers had lived long in the Land of Canaan should succeed them and enjoy it in future Ages See v. 21. A Land that floweth with Milk and Honey This is a common description in all Authors of a rich and pleasant Country Particularly in Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the like Bochartus hath observed in Virgil Horace and other Writers Hierozoic Lib. IV. P. I. Cap. XII Ver. 10. For the Land whither thou goest to possess Verse 10 it is not as the Land of Egypt from whence ye came out He uses all manner of Arguments to perswade them to Obedience from a grateful remembrance of God's former Mercies v. 2 3 c. from the terrible Punishment of the Disobedient v. 6. from the Benefits that would redound to themselves by their Obedience v. 9. and now he represents to them what a noble Country he was going to bestow upon them but of such a Condition as would keep them in a constant dependance upon his Favour for the blessing of it Where thou sowedst thy Seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a Garden of Herbs This doth not signifie that the Land of Egypt was not so fruitful as the Land of Canaan for their Fertility is not to be compared but that there they reaped the Fruits of their Labour with more pains Diodorus Siculus indeed and Herodotus say that the Egyptians take the least pains of all other Men about their Corn insomuch that it may be affirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bring in the Fruits of the Earth without Labour being at no such trouble about ploughing as other Men are c. See in his Euterpe Cap. XIV Yet it must be considered that as the Nile which made this fruitfulness failed them sometimes and did not overflow all the flat Country so the upper parts of Egypt had not the benefit of it nor all the lower neither without great pains in cutting Rivers to bring the water to them Which Pliny calls rigua Nili For the word rigua properly signifies the little Rivers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuts which were made to derive Water from the Nile into places at a distance from it as Salmasius observes p. 588. in Solinum Hesychius calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receptacles of Water Ditches or Dikes which we now call Canals as the same Author observes p. 908. And this I find Strabo speaks so plainly in his Geography Lib. XVII pag. 788. that his words may serve as a good Commentary upon those of Moses Nature saith he doth much for Egypt by the Nile but Industry and Art about that River doth a great deal more For the higher it flows the more ground it naturally waters and makes fruitful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. but Industry sometimes hath prevailed when Nature hath failed insomuch that as great a part of the Country hath been watered in the smallest rise of Nile as in the highest Which was effected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Cuts and Banks which were made by Art For before the time of Petronius he saith there was the greatest fruitfulness when Nile rose fourteen Cubits and when it rose only eight there was a Famine But in the time of his Government there was as great Plenty when it rose only twelve Cubits and no Man felt any want when it rose only eight This was by the Care and Industry of the People who were forced also sometimes to carry Water from these Cuts as well as from the River in Vessels to moisten the Ground when the Mudd which the Nile left was baked into a Crust by the great Heat of the Sun So that the Ground of Egypt might properly be said to be watered by the foot as we water our Gardens when there wants Rain Concerning which Expression see Dr. Hammond upon the Psalms p. 7. col 2. of the first Edition Ver. 11. But the Land whither ye go to possess it is Verse 11 a Land of Hills and Valleys and drinketh Water of the Rain of Heaven Not
a low flat Country like that of Egypt but full of Hills which could not be made fruitful but by Rain from Heaven which seldom fell in Egypt but the Israelites might expect in due season if they were obedient to God Who by this means after they had ploughed their Ground and sowed their Corn made it spring up plentifully without any further Labour or Care of theirs Such a Country also was more pleasant and healthy than that of Egypt whose Ground next to Nile being overflowed more or less every Year by the rising of Nile to the fall of it which was from the Solstice to the Aequinox or as some say an hundred Days See Salmasius upon Solinus p. 427 c. 436 c. they could not walk abroad into their Fields and many times there followed after the Water was gone off great Sicknesses and Diseases by the smell of the Silt which it had left behind Ver. 12. A Land which the LORD thy God careth Verse 12 for Takes care that it want not Water by sending Showers of Rain plentifully from Heaven in their proper Season The Eyes of the LORD thy God That is the Providence of God whose Majesty dwelt in the Sanctuary Are always upon it To see what is wanting and to supply it From the beginning of the Year even unto the end of the Year At all Seasons to give them both the first and latter Rain as he speaks v. 14. and such Weather as might both produce and kindly ripen the Fruits of the Earth This he mentions as an Argument to Obedience in which if they failed he plainly tells them the Land should not yield her Fruit v. 17. For this Country was not so Fertile of it self as by the peculiar Blessing of God upon it whilst they kept his Laws Verse 13 Ver. 13. And it shall come to pass if ye will hearken diligently unto my Commandments which I command you this day To hearken diligently here signifies to consider them seriously and lay them to heart To love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul He repeats this so often because it is the Great Commandment as our Saviour speaks and because nothing is more natural than to love our Benefactors God especially our greatest Benefactor who gave us our being with all our Heart and with all our Soul See X. 12. And being the first and great Commandment it draws along with it Obedience to all the rest and is in effect the whole Duty of Man to God For constant Experience shows us that whosoever gets the firm hold of this Affection governs a Man as he pleaseth .. Ver. 14. That I will give you the Rain of your Land as much as is sufficient for such an hilly Country In his due season At the proper times which Verse 14 here follow The first Rain Before the sowing of their Seed to prepare the Ground and after it was sown that it might take root in the Earth and spring up And the latter Rain When the Corn was grown up towards earing time and after it was eared to make the Ears full and plump This appears from IV Amos 7. where he speaks of with-holding the Rain from them while there were yet three Months to the Harvest Which is meant of this latter Rain whereby their Corn was brought forward when it was but in the Blade to earing and so on to Harvest That thou mayest gather in thy Corn and thy Wine and thine Oil. Till the Corn and all the Fruits of the Earth be brought to maturity Ver. 15. And I will send Grass in thy Fields for Verse 15 thy Cattle To make them fat or to give plenty of Milk That thou mayest eat and be full Eat Flesh if they pleased as well as the Fruits of the Earth in great Plenty Ver. 16. Take heed to your selves that your heart be Verse 16 not deceived By the specious Colours that other Nations put upon their Idolatry as the Antiquity of it Vniversal Consent c. there being no part of the World at that time as Maimonides observes where all were not accustomed to worship Images c. whereby the Israelites were in danger to be seduced into an Imitation of their Neighbours And ye turn aside and serve other Gods and worship them By this it is evident that Moses is still pressing them to Care in observing the first and second Commandment Verse 17 Ver. 17. And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you For their being deceived into Idolatry by false Reasonings which perswaded them what they did was lawful did not excuse them before God Who expected they should have used greater Caution and governed themselves by his plain and express Commands And he shut up the Heavens that there be no Rain The contrary to this is called opening his good Treasure XXVIII Deut. 12. signifying that they lived upon the Royal Bounty of the King of Heaven which their Sins would hinder from flowing to them That the Land yield not her Fruit and lest ye perish quickly from off the good Land which the LORD giveth you To with-hold Rain from them was a sore Judgment which quickly brought a Famine which was very grievous to those who used to live so plentifully And it was frequently attended with various Diseases whereby they were wasted and consumed Verse 18 Ver. 18. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul See VI. 6. And bind them for a sign upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes Always in sight as the Rule whereby they should order their steps lest they trod amiss This is one of the Portions of Scripture from v. 13. to the end of v. 21. which the Jews write in their Tephilim as they call them which they use when they say their Prayers which they fancy are thereby made more acceptable unto God This Conceit began not long before our Saviour's time in the School of Hillel and Schammai and took such Root in the Minds of the most Religious that it hath grown to a great Superstition ever since See upon Chap. VI. v. 8 9. Which is another Portion of Scripture that they wrote in these Parchments though at the first St. Hierom saith upon XXIII Matth. 5. they wrote only the Ten Commandments Ver. 19. And ye shall teach them your Children Verse 19 This is repeated very often IV. 10. VI. 7. And out of this place and V. 1. the Jews have framed this as one of their affirmative Precepts That they ought themselves to learn the Law of God and to teach it unto others And this they do so diligently that as soon as their Children are capable to understand any thing they make them carefully read the Holy Books and instruct them so that before they can be called Youths they are acquainted with the whole Law of God In which we must confess they shame a great many Christians who scarce understand
so much of our Religion when they are Men and Women as the Jews do of theirs when they are meer Children From the Hebrew word limmathtem in this Verse ye shall teach them the Jews have framed a Conceit that their Talmud hath its Name signifying teaching and instruction as R. Jechiel saith in his Disputation with Nicolaus pag. 9. Speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way c. Taking all occasions to inculcate these Precepts upon them See VI. 7. and upon their Daughters as well as their Sons though the Jewish Doctors commonly fancy there is no command to instruct their Daughters in the Law See Mischna Sota Cap. III. Sect. IV. with Wagenseil's Annotations and the Gamara there p. 471 501. Verse 20 Ver. 20. And thou shalt write them upon the Door-posts of thy House and upon thy Gates See VI. 9. By this means God's Word being so rooted in the hearts of the Parents to use the words of Dr. Jackson as to bring forth this good Fruit in their Practice the Seed of it might be sown in the tender Hearts of their Children and be propagated from one Generation to another Verse 21 Ver. 21. That your days may be multiplied and the days of your Children in the Land which the LORD sware unto your Fathers to give them Nothing is wont to move Men more than Love to themselves and Love to their Children whom they Love next to themselves As the days of Heaven upon the Earth As long as this World shall last Which the Psalmist speaking of David expresses in this manner His Seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven LXXXIX Psal 29. Which doth not signifie absolutely for ever but a long time For thus Baruch says the Jews in Babylon were commanded to pray for the Life of Nebuchadnezzar and the Life of Baltasar his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that their days might be as the days of Heaven upon Earth Which is the very Phrase of Moses here in this place importing a very long Life And such Hyperbolical Expressions every one knows are used by the Heathen particularly by Virgil. Aeneid 1. Convexa polus dum sidera pascet Ver. 22. For if ye shall diligently keep all these Commandments Verse 22 c. To love the LORD your God This is still made the Condition of all their Happiness See v. 13. X. 20. To walk in all his ways In observance of his Laws which was the Fruit of true love to him And to cleave unto him So as to serve no other God but to persevere in the Worship of the LORD their God alone The Jews make this one of the DCXIII Precepts of the Law as they count them distinct by it self but they interpret it foolishly of sticking to the CABALA of their wise Men whereby they fancy themselves united unto God Ver. 23. Then will the LORD drive out all these Verse 23 Nations from before you As he had often promised VII 23. XXIII Exod. 27. And ye shall possess Nations greater and mightier than your selves VII 1. Ver. 24. Every place wherein the soles of your feet Verse 24 shall tread shall be yours That is every place of the promised Land as it is explained in the next words From the Wilderness Viz. of Sin which was on the South of Canaan And Lebanon Which was its Bounds on the North. From the River the River Euphrates Which was the Eastern Limits when in the days of Solomon their Empire reached hither according to the Promise unto Abraham in XV Gen. 18. Even unto the uttermost Sea shall your Coast be Which is now called the Mediterranean or the Midland Sea which bounded it on the West See XXXIV Numb 6. where it is called the Great Sea and in that Chapter the Bounds of their Country round about are described Verse 25 Ver. 25. There shall no Man be able to stand before you See VII 24. For the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the Land that ye shall tread upon as he hath said unto you For God had promised to terrifie the Inhabitants of Canaan and take away their Courage XXIII Exod. 27. And accordingly the Spies whom Joshua sent brought him an account of the great Consternation wherein the whole Country was when they were about to enter into it II Josh 9 24. Verse 26 Ver. 26. Behold I set before you this day a Blessing and a Curse That is he proposed them to their choice Verse 27 Ver. 27. A Blessing if you obey the Commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this day Which he more largely explains XXVIII 2 3 4 c. Verse 28 Ver. 28. And a Curse if ye will not obey the Commandment of the LORD your God Which is also more particularly laid before them XXVIII 15 16 17 c. The whole Historical Part of the Old Testament witnesses the Truth of this that God blessed or cursed them according as they observed or broke his Laws And if the People of Israel had diligently marked considered and laid to heart that their Happiness or Misery were always correspondent to their good and bad Behaviour towards God it would have confirmed their Belief of their Law as much as if they had seen all the Miracles done before their Fore-fathers and supplied the want or the rarity of them in after Ages Nay this would have done more than all the Miracles did which were forgotten in a short time whereas their own daily Experience of the happy Fruits of Obedience and the Mischief of Disobedience would have sealed these Truths unto their Conscience But turn aside out of the way which I command you this day to go after other gods which ye have not known It was not every sin that turned God's favour from them but their Idolatry and Apostacy from him against which he principally warns them throughout all these Chapters IV. 3 4 15 16 23. V. 32. VI. 4 14. VII 4 5 25. VIII 19. IX 12. X. 20. Ver. 29. And it shall come to pass when the Lord thy Verse 26 God hath brought thee into the Land whither thou goest to possess it that thou shalt put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon Mount Ebal To quicken them unto a strict care in their Obedience Blessings and Cursings were to be pronounced with great Solemnity at their first entrance into the Land of Canaan as is more fully ordered XXVII 11 12 c. and performed by Joshua VIII 33 34 35. And Moses seems to enjoyn them the like Solemnity every Seventh Year XXXI 10 11 12 13. Ver. 30. Are they not on the other side Jordan Verse 30 With respect to the place where Moses now was the Mountains he mentions were on the other side of Jordan in the Land of Canaan In which they had no sooner got footing but Joshua took care to execute this Command that their
of the release It is Verse 2 thus to be understood Every Creditor that lendeth ought unto his Neighbour shall release it It was an entire acquittance not of Debts contracted by Sale of Lands or Goods to those who were able to pay but of Money lent to a Neighbour or Friend meerly to relieve his Poverty not to carry on Trade or to make a Purchase For nothing could have been more absurd than to have extinguished such Debts whereby the borrower was inriched He shall not exact it of his Neighbour or of his Brother Here the word Brother is added to explain what is meant by a Neighbour viz. an Israelite or a Proselyte entirely of their Religion who had all the Priviledges of an Israelite Some think that by not exacting Money lent to such a Man is meant no more but only forbearing to demand it in this year because there was no sowing or reaping in it or if he did that he should not have power to recover it by Law this year though afterward he might But the plain meaning seems to be that he should be perfectly free from his Debt as a Servant after six years was from his Service Though if afterward he grew rich in good Conscience he was bound to pay it Because it is the LORD's release In the Hebrew the words Schemitta laihova signifie that this year was a Release to the LORD or for the LORD In honour that is of him who made this a year of great Charity In obedience to whom they were bound to be very kind to their poor Brethren But the Jews fancy they were not bound to be so kind as to make this Release till the very last day of the year So that if a Man had borrowed Money in the beginning of it he was not acquitted till the year expired Verse 3 Ver. 3. Of a forreigner thou mayest exact it again Of an Alien as we translate the word Nocri in the foregoing Chapter v. 21. That is of one who was neither an Israelite nor proselyted to their Religion but a meer Gentile The only question is whether they were not to remit the Debts of a Proselyte of the Gate who I think is no where called their Brother in the Law and therefore they were not obliged to discharge them from what they owed But that which is thine with thy Brother thine hand shall not touch This seems to restrain it wholly to those who were Jews or had all the Priviledges of Jews Verse 4 Ver. 4. Save when there shall be no poor among you Whether we follow this Translation or that in the Margin of our Bibles it appears that they were obliged to acquit only their poor Brethren Of whom they were not to exact their Debts least they should be tempted to flee to the Gentiles and forsake their Religion So this was a Provision still against Idolatry Or if we understand it as it is in the Margin to the end that there be no poor among you the sence is the same that they were by this Charity to keep Men from extream Necessity which might force them to go a begging or to seek for Relief in strange Countries For the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it He would not have them think that they might become poor themselves by this means for he assures them God would prevent that by sending his extraordinary Blessing upon them Cardinal Cajetan and some others understand this Verse as if it were all of it a Promise and contained no Precept in it viz. That God would take care they should not be burdened by this Law for he would so bless them that they should have no Poor among them and then they were not obliged to acquit those of their Debts who were able to pay them Ver. 5. Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice Verse 5 of the LORD thy God to observe to do all these Commandments which I command thee this day Particularly this of releasing their poor Neighbours from their Debts which would intitle them to the Blessing he promises again in the next Verse Ver. 6. For the LORD God blesseth thee as he promised Verse 6 thee God had many ways blessed them already and he promises to reward their Obedience with greater Blessings And thou shalt lend unto many Nations but thou shalt not borrow Grow so very rich that other Nations should come to borrow of them but they be beholden to none And thou shalt reign over many Nations c. I suppose he means no more than Solomon doth when he saith The borrower is servant to the lender XXII Prov. 7. But it may extend to their dominion over many Nations whom they conquered till they enlarged their Bounds as far as Euphrates Verse 7 Ver. 7. If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren in any of thy gates in the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother As they might be inclined to do after the passing of this Law thinking with themselves that what they lent to such a Man they should never have again but must lose it if he were not able to repay it before the Year of Release This seems to be the meaning of this Verse which the Jews interpret not of lending but of giving Alms. It is not much material which way we take it For he that lent to a poor Man was willing to give what he lent if he could not pay him before the Year of Release after which he could not demand it Thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shalt thou shut thine hand from thy poor brother Covetousness proceeds from want of Pity Tenderness and Compassion towards others in their Miseries unto which Nature it self inclines us especially towards Members of the same Society And the Jews had several particular Obligations to be tender-hearted as they were all Children of God after a peculiar manner who had been wonderful kind and merciful to them XIV 2. Verse 8 Ver. 8. But thou shalt open thine hand wide to him Bountifully supply him with what he wants And shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanted The Jews understood this not meerly of affording him Food sufficient to satisfie his hunger and Clothes to cover his nakedness and keep him warm but furnishing him with Houshold-goods if he had been forced to sell all he had that he might live comfortably Yea they proceed so far as to determine that the Neighbourhood should joyn together and make a Purse for him to put him in as good a Condition as he was before he fell into this want They determine also the quantity that every Man should give A very liberal Person the fifth part of what he had if need required a Man of moderate Bounty a tenth part If any Man gave less when the Case required
was but till they had eaten the Paschal Lamb after which they might return home if they pleased So Bochartus who from hence proves that the most Solemn Days of the Feast of unleavened Bread were not observed like a Sabbath because Men might travel home upon the first Day of unleavened Bread as the whole Nation travelled out of Egypt on this day from Rameses to Succoth Yet pious People who were able to bear so great a Charge were wont no doubt to stay the whole seven Days before they returned home because the first and last Days of the Feast were great Solemnities So they did in the Passover of Hezekiah and Josiah 2 Chron. XXX 21. XXXV 17. And there being special Sacrifices to be offered every day during this Festival as was before said Solomon ben Virgoe observes that all the Country thereabouts brought their Oxen and their Sheep to be sold at this time to those who came from far so that the Mountains round about Jerusalem were covered with them and not a bit of Grass to be seen He adds also That whosoever did not come up to this Feast all his Goods were forfeited and converted to Sacred Uses Shebet Jehuda p. 378. Ver. 8. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread and Verse 8 on the seventh day shall be a solemn Assembly unto the LORD thy God This is to be understood as if he had said that after they had eaten unleavened Bread six days they should conclude the Solemnity upon the seventh day with a Solemn Assembly or as it is in the Hebrew with a restraint but still continue also on this day to eat unleavened Bread For this Feast was to last seven days and in all the foregoing Books they are expresly required to ear unleavened Bread seven days XII Exod. 15. XXIII Levit. 6. XXVIII Numb 17. A Solemn Assembly Which the Hebrews call Atzereth of the meaning of which see XXIII Lev. 36. Thou shalt do no work therein That is no Servile Work as it is explained XXVIII Numb 25. but they might dress their Meat which the LXX seems to mean by those words which they add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 save only such things as shall be done to preserve life Verse 9 Ver. 9. Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee From the morrow after the Sabbath when they brought the Sheaf of the Wave-offering as it is explained in XXIII Levit. 15. See there Begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the Corn. For they began to cut Barley at the Passover as is manifest from hence that Joshua passed over Jordan to enter into Canaan in the time of Harvest III Josh 15. and this was in the month of Nisan when they kept the Passover as appears from V Josh 10. Which Month could not be called Abib or the Month of New Fruits if some Corn was not then ripe viz. Barley This Josephus confirms Lib. III. Antiq. Cap. X. Which must be understood as Hermannus Conringius observes in his Treatise de Initio Anni Sabbatici c. of that sort of Barly which was sown in Autumn as it is this day in Frisia which required a stronger Soil than that sown in the Spring and produced a much richer Crop See Mr. Mede's Works p. 355. who observes how very different their Climate was from ours Ver. 10. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto Verse 10 the LORD thy God The reason of this Name is given in the foregoing Verse And see XXXIV Exod. 22. It was called also the Feast of Harvest See XXIII Exod. 16. With a Tribute of a Free-will-offering of thine hand which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God c. Besides those Offerings which are prescribed XXIII Levit. 17 18. XXVIII Numb 27 c. The quantity is not directed but left to every Man's Piety And whatsoever it was he brought it was wholly given to God and he that brought it had no share in it but God gave it to his Priests According as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee Though no quantity was prescribed yet God expected every Man should offer proportionably to his Estate and they who had a religious sense of God's goodness in blessing their Labours no doubt acknowledged it by a Liberal Tribute Ver. 11. And thou shalt rejoyce before the LORD thy Verse 11 God thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant and the Levite that is within thy gates c. This Feast was made of such Offerings as are mentioned XII 7 17 18 19. Ver. 12. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a Verse 12 bondman in Egypt They are often put in mind of this as an Argument to Charity particularly towards their Servants See XV. 15. And thou shalt observe and do these Statutes There was a particular reason for keeping this Feast because it was in remembrance of God's giving them his Law from Mount Sinai where he spake with them himself Ver. 13. Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days after that thou hast gathered in thy Corn and Verse 13 thy Wine This is the third great Feast at which all their Males were bound to appear every year as we read XXIII Exod. 16 17. XXXIV 22 23. Of which he puts them in mind again XXIII Levit. 34 35 36. and here v. 16. Verse 14 Ver. 14. And thou shalt rejoyce in thy Feast thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant c. There was the like Law at Athens where King Cecrops ordained as Macrobius tells us Lib. I. Saturnal Cap. X. the Master of every Family should after Harvest make a Feast for his Servants and eat together with them who had taken pains with him in tilling his Ground Delectari enim Deum honore Servorum contemplatu laboris for God delighted in the honour done to Servants in consideration of their Labour This it 's likely he learnt from Moses for he reigned at Athens much about the same time that Israel came out of Egypt and was the first as Eusebius saith who taught the Greeks to call God by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. X. Proepar Evangel which we may interpret the Living God Though therein he seems to be a little mistaken For Pausanias saith more than once both in his Arcadia and his Attica That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was the first that called Jupiter by the name of the Most High or Supream And the same we read in St. Cyril against Julian Lib. I. See Joh. Meursius de Regibus Atheniensium Lib. I. Cap. IX Verse 15 Ver. 15. Seven days shalt thou keep a Feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall chuse In order to which that it might be kept the more Solemnly it is once more enjoyned and all the Sacrifices that were to be offered in each of the seven days appointed in XXIX Numb from v.
12. to v. 35. where he orders also the eighth day to be solemnly observed for a special reason See there Because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy increase and in all the works of thy hands Thankfulness to God for Blessings bestowed was the way to procure more Therefore thou shalt surely rejoyce In God the giver of all good things whom the whole Nation by the Institution of this Feast were incited to bless and praise for the Fruits of his Bounty to them And Peace-offerings were sacrificed on purpose for this end XXVII 7. From the repetition of this Command Thou shalt rejoyce the Jews infer that though all Festivals were Times of Joy yet the Feast of Tabernacles was to be celebrated with greater Joy than all the rest And accordingly Maimonides tells us the whole Festival was spent in Musick and Dancing and Singing Night and Day Ver. 16. Three times in the year shall all thy Males Verse 16 appear before the LORD thy God in the place c. This is so frequently enjoyned See v. 13. because it was of the greatest Consequence that they should meet as often as they could conveniently at one and the same place to worship the Divine Majesty whereby the Notion of the Unity of God was preserved among them And they shall not appear before the LORD empty This is also frequently repeated where the Feasts themselves are enjoyned XXIII Exod. 15. XXXIV 20. And from these and the following words That every man should give as he was able c. came the pious Custom in the beginning of our Religion that the People when they came to the LORD's Table offer'd Bread and Wine and Corn and Oil and such like things for the Support of God's Ministers and the Relief of the Poor every one according to their Ability Which was done in acknowledgment of God as the Author of Life and of all good Things for which they in this manner shewed their Gratitude to him And the Priests in the presence of all the People lifted them up and gave God thanks and beseeched him to accept them And out of these in many places they made their Agapae or Feasts of Charity for the Poor Mention is made of these Oblations in the Canons ascribed to the Apostles Cap. 3 4. which though not made by them yet contain a great many Apostolical Customs Verse 17 Ver. 17. Every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee It was but reasonable that the more bountiful God had been to them the more liberally they should offer a grateful Acknowledgment to him For all the forenamed three Feasts had relation to the Fruits of the Earth which God had blessed them withal as well as commemorated former great Benefits bestowed on their Fore-fathers The Passover being at the beginning of Barley Harvest Pentecost at the beginning of Wheat-Harvest and the Feast of Tabernacles when they had gathered in all the Fruits of the Earth At which Seasons all Mankind were ever wont to be full of Joy and to offer Sacrifices So Aristotle tells us Lib. VIII ad Nicomachum Cap. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The ancient Sacrifices and Conventions seem to have been after the gathering in of the Fruits of the Earth as a First-fruits at which time chiefly they rested from their labours And so Strabo likewise Lib. X. Geograph p. 467. It is common both to Greeks and Barbarians to offer their Sacrifices with a Festival intermission of their Labours c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Nature taught them to do that is to thank God with Rejoycing and Cessation from Labours For which he gives this surprising Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For remission of Labour abstracts the Mind from Humane Affairs and turns it towards God This certainly was the ancient intention of all such Festival Times as the Heathen themselves could discern Ver. 18. Judges and Officers shalt thou make thee Verse 18 To see that these and all other Laws were duly observed Moses de Cotzi upon these words makes this difference between Schofetim and Schoterim that the former viz. Judges were the Senators in the several Courts who decided Causes and the other Officers were no more than Ministers attending the Court to keep the People in order with a Staff and a Whip and to execute the Decrees and Orders of the Judges whom they appointed not only in the Court but in the Streets looking after Weights and Measures in the Market and correcting Offenders Maimonides also makes them the same with our Apparitors or those who in the Roman Law are called Officiales as Constantine L'Empereur observes p. 362. upon Cornelius Bertram who mistook them for a sort of Judges and in the Digests Executores and in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exactors XII Luke 58. Josephus makes them to have been Publick Criers and so we find them imployed XX. 8. I Josh 11. But then some of them at least seem to have been an honourable sort like our Heralds XXIII Josh 2. and all of them were Men of Authority though but young Men as Maimonides describes them who had not attained the Years and Knowledge of Doctors of the Law and therefore unfit to be Judges But the Jews place them next under their wise Men or Doctors and above their Scribes and Clerks as Mr. Thorndike observes in his Review of the Rights of the Church p. 94. But that they were certainly only under Officers and not Judges there is another Argument which is That Solomon upon this account commends the Ants that they carefully do their business though they have no Schoter set over them VI Prov. 7. no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to force or affright them into it In all thy gates That is in every City as Mr. Selden observes out of the Jewish Writers Lib. VII de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. V. and more largely L. II. de Synedriis Cap. V. Sect. 1. where he shows they interpret it in all the Cities of Israel both within the Land and without where Israel had any Jurisdiction Which is so true that they had Consistories wheresoever they were dispersed for the determining all Differences arising out of the Law though not as to the power of Life and Death which was seldom granted them by their Soveraigns Thus we learn from Philo that there was such a Consistory at Alexandria and the little Chronicle called Seder Olam Zuta tells us of the like in Babylonia And after the destruction of the Temple it is manifest not only by the Jewish Writings but by Epiphanius and others that there continued a Consistory at Tiberias for many Ages c. See Mr. Thorndike's Rights of the Church p. 56 57. and his Review of it p. 56. But though this be granted yet these words in all thy gates may suggest also the part of the City where they kept
makes it very probable that though there were Judges appointed according to the direction of this Law yet the exercise of their Power was often interrupted by the great Changes which were in that Nation and that there was no such Sanhedrim as the Talmudists describe till the Time of the Maccabees For the very Name of Sanhedrim plainly shews its Original to have been when the Greek Tongue was common among the Jews and that was when the Kings of Syria and Egypt who were of the Macedonian Race had the chief power in Palestine See Conringius in the forenamed Book Sect. XXXVII And enquire They were to lay the Cause before this high Court and desire their Opinion in it And they shall show the sentence of judgment They were bound to determine the Controversie and whatsoever Sentence they gave it was to stand good till it was reversed by other Judges of the same Authority For the Jews who understand all this of the great Sanhedrim and scan every Syllable with great nicety will have the words just before that shall be in those days to signifie that every Sentence must hold in the time when it is given So that if this Court determined a Matter which in after times by other Judges of the same Court should be judged otherways that second Sentence was to stand being the Opinion of those days For this Sentence was in their judgment the meaning of the Law by which they were all to be governed and if there was no Tradition in the Case they judged themselves as well as they could Verse 10 Ver. 10. And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place That is the high Court which sits there or the Judge who is in those days Which the LORD shall chuse The Jews who understand this only of the Sanhedrim say it was not lawful for them to judge Causes at least not those which were Capital in any other place See Selden Lib. II. de Synedriis Cap. XV. N. VI VII X. Shall shew thee Shall pronounce And thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee Some phansie that he speaks to the inferiour Judges who brought the Cause thither to have the Opinion of this highest Court who were then to pronounce Sentence according to it But as the Persons concerned in the Controversie brought it before this Court when the Inferiour could not determine it so they gave the Sentence in which he requires the contending Parties to acquiesce and to do according to their determination Which did not concern questions of Faith as if Men were to believe whatsoever they should teach them but such Controversies as are mentioned v. 8. about Civil or Criminal Matters which they were finally to determine so that Men should not further controvert the Matter but rest in their Decisions For in all Governments there must be an end of Suits some where or other and God required all his People to submit to the Sentence of this Court. For so the words run in the Hebrew And thou shalt do according to the Sentence which they shall shew thee from the place which the LORD thy God shall chuse That is from the Supream Court of Judicature which resided where God himself did For if Men had been permitted to disagree to their Sentence the very end and use of this Court had been taken away as Maimonides speaks in his More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XLI Ver. 11. According to the Sentence of the Law which Verse 11 they shall teach thee In the Hebrew according to the Mouth or the Word of the Law which they shall teach thee That is according to the Interpretation which they gave of the Law And according to the judgment which they shall tell thee That is according the Order or Decree which they made thereupon Shalt thou do Pay suppose the Money which they judged to be due to another Man For he doth not speak of their doing whatsoever they bad them as if they could controll the Commands of God but of Obeying the Sentence of this Court about those Matters which were in question between one Man and another v. 8. who were not to be Judges in their own Case but rest in the Judgment of those whom God had made the Supream Interpreters of his Law Thou shalt not decline from the Sentence which they shall shew hee c. They were not to make the least alteration in their Sentence For though they might think it was wrong and the Senate perhaps did really err and be better informed afterwards which the Law supposes and in that case orders an Expiatory Sacrifice IV Levit. 13. yet it was not lawful for any Man to act contrary to their present Decree nor to teach the contrary whatsoever his private Opinion might be Verse 12 Ver. 12. And the man that will do presumptuonsly and will not hearken This they understand not barely of a private Man that would not stand to their Sentence but of an Elder or inferiour Judge who presumed to contradict it as Mr. Selden shows L. III. de Synedr Cap. III. Vnto the Priest It is commonly thought as I observed v. 8. that the Singular Number is here put for the Plural and that the meaning is If any Man would not hearken to the highest Court of Judgment which consisted commonly of a great many Priests he should die for his Contempt But they have a great deal of reason on their side who insist upon the Letter of this word Priest and of that which follows or the Judge understanding both of single Persons and take the High-Priest only to be here meant who seems to be described in the next words that stands to minister there before the LORD thy God For when God did not raise up a Judge to govern his People the High-Priest was the Supream Governour under God until the days of David and so they were after the Captivity Hence it is as Grotius observes Lib. de Imperio Summarum Potestatum circa Sacra Cap. IX Sect. 4. that COHEN is a name common to Priests and Princes For among a great many Nations anciently he shows the Priests had the highest power particularly among the Cappadocians Strabo who was of that Country saith the Sacerdotal Dignity was next to the Regal But howsoever this word be interpreted the Crime here mentioned was Contumacy in not submitting to the Sentence of the highest Authority whether it were vested in one Person or more whereby the Government was in danger to be broken and therefore God orders such a person to be put to death Or the Judge See before v. 9. Even that man shall die The Jews who interpret this as I said of a Judge in Inferiour Courts who presumed to contradict the Judgment of the Supream Court have tempered the Severity of this Law by several Explications and Exceptions Which have regard either to the manner of passing this Decree by the highest Court which an inferiour disobeyed and that
was when a Cause came before them upon an Appeal for it was not so Criminal to disobey every Sentence of the Supream Court but only such as these or to the place where it was made which was to be no where else but at God's dwelling place or to the things about which the Decree was made which some will have to be only weighty Matters and the act of Contumacy also was considered for he was not put to death they say unless in open Court he declared a contrary Sentence The death he suffered was strangling and he could suffer in no other place but where this High Court sat See Selden of all these in the place before-mentioned N. II III IV V VI. And it may be further observed that the Prophets themselves were subject to the Power and Jurisdiction of this High Court by whom they might be sentenced to Capital Punishment if they taught contrary to the Law of God But our Mr. Thorndike makes a doubt whether the Constitution which the Jewish Writers mention about a Rebellious Elder as they call him who taught any thing contrary to the determination of this Supream Court was ever in force or no For it was made because of the differences between the Schools of Hillel and Sammai who lived not long before our Saviour's time when it appears by the Gospel that Nation had lost the Power of Life and Death See Rights of the Church Chap. V. p. 256. And thou shalt put away the evil from Israel This may refer either to the evil Person or to the great scandal and dangerous Example he gave by resisting the highest Authority and thereby breaking the Bond of Unity and Peace Verse 13 Ver. 13. And all the People shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously This Punishment was intended to strike a terror into all the People that they should not adventure to oppose the Supream Authority And for this end the Offender was to be kept in custody as R. Aquiba understood this till the next great Feast either of the Passover or Pentecost or Tabernacles and then executed when the whole Nation i. e. all the Males were present This Mr. Selden observes in the forenamed place N. VII is the most received Opinion though R. Jehuda saith they did not make the Sentence sharper by a long delay but executed it presently And for the further publication of it they sent Letters to all the Tribes and Cities of Israel to give notice that such a Man was executed at such a time for this Crime See Selden there N. VIII Verse 14 Ver. 14. And when thou comest into the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee and shalt possess it and shalt dwell therein When they had conquered the Land of Canaan and were settled in it And shalt say I will set a King over me The Jews commonly from this and the next Verse fancy that God commanded them to make a King when they came to the Land of Canaan and had a quiet possession of it following herein the Gemara of the Sanhedrim Cap. II. Insomuch that they have presumed to make this an affirmative Precept That a King of the People should be chosen and quote this place for it To which some Learned Men among Christians have seemed to incline particularly Petrus Cunaeus Lib. de Republ. Hebr. Cap. XIV and Guil. Schikardus in his Jus Regium Cap. I. Theor. I. But Abarbinel himself contradicts this and so doth Josephus who observes that God intended they should keep their present Government but if they would have a King he should be one of their Brethren For thus he interprets this place Lib. I. Antiq. Cap. VIII that they should not affect any other Government but love the present having the Laws for their Master and living according to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it is sufficient that God is your Ruler And then he adds but if you desire to have a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be one of your own Nation as it here follows in the next Verse Like as all the Nations that are about me Such as the Edomites who had been governed by Kings before the days of Moses See XXXVI Gen. 31. Ver. 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee Install and receive him into the Throne Whom the LORD thy God shall choose They could not elect whom they pleased but the first King at least was to be appointed oy God himself who was their Supream Governour So the People understood it when they desired Samuel who was their chief Ruler under God to make them a King 1 Sam. VIII 5. but durst not to presume to set one up of themselves And to confirm them in this Opinion Samuel saith to Saul 1 Sam. X. 1. The LORD hath anointed thee to be Captain over his Inheritance and saith to all the People v. 24. See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen And accordingly when the lot was to be cast to show who was to be their King Samuel bids all the Tribes present themselves before the LORD v. 19. And when it fell upon Saul and they could not find him they enquired of the LORD and the LORD answered where he was v. 22. In like manner when Saul was rejected the LORD himself appointed David to be anointed their King and settled that Authority in his Family And to determine which of his Sons should have it God himself appointed his immediate Successor viz. Solomon For so David declares to all the Princes and the great Men whom he assembled before his death Of all my Sons the LORD hath chosen Solomon to sit upon the Throne of the Kingdom of the LORD God of Israel 1 Chron. XXVIII 5. And again XXIX 1. David said unto all the Congregation Solomon my son whom alone God hath chosen is yet young c. But though it was thus in the beginning of this Kingdom yet God intended at length to make it hereditary as appears from v. 20. of this Chapter One from amongst thy Brethren shalt thou set over thee i. e. Saith the Tradition mentioned by the Jews out of Tosiphta the most select and choice Person that could be found not one of mean Extraction or Employment This they fancy is meant by from among thy brethren Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother This the Jews extend to all Offices whatsoever as Maimonides reports their sense See Selden Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. XX. p. 647. And by thy brother some of them understand one that was an Israelite both by Father and Mother though others think it sufficient if a King was an Israelite by the Mother's side See there Cap. XXII Which in his Book de Succession ad Pontificat Lib. II. he shows was sufficient for any Dignity among the Israelites but only the Priesthood See also Lib. III. de Synedr Cap. IX N. VI. where he observes the Talmudists say the great Sanhedrim was
as a Judge or Governour And Jeremiah is acknowledged by Abarbinel himself to be inferiour to Isaiah For though in his Preface to his Commentary upon Jeremiah he mentions Fourteen things wherein he was like unto Moses and saith he prophesied just Forty years as Moses did yet in his Commentary upon the lesser Prophets he prefers Isaiah before them all and Censures the rudeness of Jeremiah's Language in many things preferring Ezekiel to him So little do these Doctors agree in their Interpretation of this Prophecy which can belong to none of their Prophets which succeeded Moses who were all much inferiour to him until He came who perfectly resembled him but was much superior to him See v. 18. And thus the ancient Jews understood this Prophecy For though Maimonides only saith the Messiah should be indued with Wisdom greater than Solomon's and should equal their Master Moses yet those before him proceeded a great deal further This being a common saying among them which Abarbinel himself remembers in his Commentary upon the small Prophets He shall be exalted above Abraham lifted up above Moses and higher than the Angels of the Ministry Nor is the Cabbalistical observation mentioned in Baal-Hatturim to be quite neglected which is that this Verse begins and ends with the Letter Nun which is the numeral Letter for Fifty importing that to the Prophet here promised should be opened the fifty Gates of Knowledge forty nine of which only were opened to Moses And that this Verse also consists of ten words to signifie that they were to obey this Prophet no less than the ten Commandments Which observation it must be confessed is weakly grounded but contains a most illustrious Truth and shows that they believed Moses here speaks of the Messiah Vnto him shall ye hearken As they had engaged themselves to do it will appear from the following words Verse 16 Ver. 16. According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the Assembly saying Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD c. So we read XX Exod. 19. where they made this request unto Moses saying Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die In which words the whole Multitude bound themselves solemnly to hear the words of the LORD being delivered not immediately from his own mouth but by Moses as is more fully expressed in this Book V Deut. 27 28 29. Where God highly commends this good Resolution in them as Moses here observes again in the next Verse Verse 17 Ver. 17. And the LORD said unto me they have well spoken that which they have spoken He approved their desire and resolved not to speak to them any more as he did from mount Sinai with a voice out of the Fire and Cloud but by Moses himself while he lived and afterward by one like to Moses as it here follows Ver. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren These words seem to have been spoken to Moses by God when they desired God would not speak to them any more immediately by himself but by a Mediator Then God was pleased to promise them a great deal more than they desired which was to raise up another Prophet like to Moses who should acquaint them more fully with his Mind and Will in as familiar a manner as Moses did without striking any such terror into them as they were in at the giving of the Law though the words of this Prophet came from the mouth of God himself In which two things the Israelites excelled all other Nations i. e. in that they had such an excellent Law delivered by Moses which was to be bettered by an everlasting Covenant made by this Prince of the Prophets In respect of both as the same Dr. Jackson expresses it the name of Southsayer or Sorcerer was not to be named in Israel as they were in the Nations that knew not God much less expected such a Mediator In whom the Spirit of Life should dwell as plentifully as Splendor doth in the Body of the Sun from whose fulness e're he visibly appeared in the World all other Prophets were illuminated So that Moses himself and all the Prophets that followed him were but as Messengers sent from God to solicit his People to preserve their Allegiance free from all commerce or compact with familiar Spirits until the Prince of Glory came in Person to visit them and dwell among them Like unto thee This is well explained by Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a second Law-giver as Moses was For in saying not simply he would raise them up a Prophet but like unto thee it must signifie saith he that this Prophet should be a Law-giver as well as Moses which none of the Prophets were till our Saviour came Neither Isaiah nor Jeremiah were the Makers of Laws but only called upon them to observe the Law of Moses Whereas when the LORD Jesus came he gave Laws to all the World and those far superiour to the Laws of Moses Who only said Thou shalt not commit Adultery but our LORD saith I say unto you ye shall not lust And instead of Thou shalt not kill he saith Be not angry with thy brother c. Whence it was that they who heard him were astonished at his Doctrine and said that he spake not as the Scribes who were expounders of the Law but as one that had authority that is power to ordain and enact Laws and not only to explain those that were already written Lib. I. Demonstr Evang. Cap. VII Lib. III. Cap. II. Lib. IX p. 443 c. See also what Joh. Wagenseil hath said upon these words in his Annot. in Lipman Carm. Memoriale p. 548. And will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Reveal the whole Mind and Will of God XII John 49 50. For he was herein like to Moses though far superiour to him that he was intimately acquainted with God's Counsels being in the bosom of the Father I John 18. And confirmed all that he said to be from God by Miracles and Wonders and Signs far more mighty than those of Moses and more in number than had been wrought by all the Prophets from the beginning of the World Particularly he fed Multitudes with a little Food which made the People cry out This is of a truth that Prophet which should come into the World VI John 14. but above all this gave them that Bread from Heaven of which the Manna which Moses gave them was but a shadow as he took occasion to show the People upon their admiration of that miraculous Feast he had made for them with five Barley Loaves and two small Fishes For he himself was that Bread of Life who nourished Mens Souls with the Word of Eternal Life which he had in himself as he showed by his Resurrection from the Dead which he himself predicted
it seems to have indemnified him if he killed him before he got thither Whereas he was not worthy of death inasmuch as he hated him not in time past Which in his rage the Avenger of Blood did not consider and therefore was guilty before God of shedding innocent Blood tho' the Law did not punish him for it Ver. 7. Wherefore I command thee saying Thou shalt Verse 7 separate three Cities for thee To prevent which Mischief God commanded not meerly one but three Cities and those in several places of the Country where Men might find Safety if they made haste to flee to them Ver. 8. And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy Coast Verse 8 as he hath sworn unto thy Fathers and give thee all the Land which he promised to give unto thy Fathers As far as unto the River Euphrates XV Gen. 18. XXIII Exod. 31. I Deut. 7. Ver. 9. If thou shalt keep all these Commandments to Verse 9 do them which I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God and to walk ever in his ways This seems to have been the Condition upon the performance of which depended the enlargement of their Border Which is more fully expressed XI 22 23 24. And so the Covenant made with Abraham in XV Gen. 18. is to be understood as including in it this Condition Thou shalt then add three Cities more for thee besides these three We do not read of any more added to these though their Border was enlarged in David's and Solomon's time and that as far as Euphrates But those Nations which they subdued were only made Tributaries to the Kings of Israel who did not people and possess those Countries and consequently there was no occasion for such Cities there unless the Israelites had been the Inhabitants of those Countries as they were of the Land of Canaan v. 1. Verse 10 Ver. 10. That innocent blood be not shed in thy Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee As there would if upon supposition of such an enlargement of their Borders there had been no Cities nearer to flee unto than these six which were sufficient only for the Land of Canaan and the Land they possessed on this side Jordan where they now were And so blood be upon thee The Guilt and Punishment of Blood in not taking care of the Safety of innocent Persons Verse 11 Ver. 11. But if any man hate his brother and lye in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally that he die and fleeth unto one of these Cities When there was a manifest design of killing another and known hatred he that committed the Murder was to receive no benefit by his fleeing to a City of Refuge And then a Man was judged to hate his Brother when for three days together he had never spoken to him though they had kept one another company as I observed before out of Mr. Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. II. p. 473. Verse 12 Ver. 12. Then the Elders of this City shall send and fetch him thence Demand him of the Elders of the City to which he fled that he might be sent to them and tried by them whether he was guilty of wilful Murder or ought to have the benefit of their protection being innocent of that Crime XXXV Numb 12 24. It is likely there were probable Reasons given why he was suspected to be guilty of Murder and therefore they desired the Matter might be examined otherwise if the Case was known to be like that in v. 5. they did not make this demand And deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die That is if they found him guilty of wilful Murder otherwise they were to deliver him out of the hand of the Avenger of Blood and restore him to the City of Refuge that he might not die XXXV Numb 25. Ver. 13. Thine eye shall not pity him Nor take any Verse 13 Satisfaction for the Life of a Murderer as the Law is XXXV Numb 31. But thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel By putting him to death That it may go well with thee By having no guilt upon them as they had when they let this Crime go unpunished Ver. 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbours land-mark Verse 14 which they of old time have set in thine inheritance c. The Jewish Doctors think that this hath respect to the Holy Land as they call it and to the terms or bounds which were set by Joshua in the division of the Country which no Man might take away For that made him both guilty of Theft and also of the breach of this Precept and consequently he incurred a double Punishment and was whipt twice as much as another Offender See Selden Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. Cap. III. in the latter end This was a Law among the Greeks as appears by Plato Lib. VIII de Legibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let no Man presume to remove the bounds of Land looking upon this as being truly to remove things immoveable i. e. To unsettle and overturn all things Numa-Pompilius therefore made this Crime capital Which makes Josephus his Explication of these words seem more reasonable than that of the Talmudists who extends this Precept to the Grounds of all their neighbour Nations who were at peace with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the occasion of Wars and Insurrections which arise from the Covetousness of Men who would thus enlarge their Territories Lib. IV. Archaeol Cap. 8. Which may be thought a reason why Moses joyns this to the foregoing Precept about punishing Murder and made this one of the Curses they were bound to pronounce and consent to it at their entrance into the Land of Canaan XXVII Deut. 17. Which they of old time have set in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit in the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it This may seem to determine this Precept peculiarly to the preserving the Bounds in the Land of Canaan and by those of old time they understand Joshua and the Elders who divided the Land and fixed every ones Lot But it was as necessary to be observed in all other Countries as that which was their proper Inheritance For as Josephus truly observes They that remove the Bounds of Lands are not very far from subverting all Laws Verse 15 Ver. 15. One witness shall not rise up They that gave their Testimony in any Cause always stood up Against a man for any iniquity or for any sin A single Witness was not to be admitted as sufficient to convict a Man of any Offence whatsoever whether in Civil or in Criminal Matters For an inquisition into the Fact one was enough but not for the Condemnation of him that was accused Yet in Pecuniary Matters one Witness was sufficient to bring a Man to purge himself by an Oath See
elsewhere by the illustrious Examples of Darius Xerxes and the Athenians in Sicily Verse 10 Ver. 10. If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth to him by night This seems to be only one Instance of Uncleanness from which they were to keep themselves carefully though it was no moral Impurity nor a voluntary Pollution By which it was easie for them to understand how watchful they were to be over themselves in all other Cases especially such as had an inward turpitude in them Then he shall go abroad out of the Camp There is no such thing required before in XV Levit. 16. where the same Pollution is mentioned The reason I suppose was that he speaks there of what hapned to them in their own Houses where they had private Chambers into which they might retire and keep themselves from defiling others But here of those that were abroad in the Army where it was hard to keep their fellow Soldiers from touching them without removing out of the Camp He shall not come within the Camp This some understand particularly Drusius of not coming within the Camp of God and of the Levites that is to the Tabernacle but it seems to be an Exclusion of him from the whole Camp of Israel as I have expounded it Verse 11 Ver. 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 See XV Levit. 16. The end of all this as Maimonides observes More Nevochim P. III. Cap. LXL was that every Man might have this fixed in his mind that their Camp ought to be as the Sanctuary of God into which every one knows no Man might enter in his Uncleanness and not like the Camps of the Gentiles in which all manner of Corruption Filthiness Rapines Thefts and other Wickednesses were freely committed Ver. 12. Thou shalt have a place also without the Camp Verse 12 whither thou shalt go forth abroad A place distant from all Company where they might ease themselves as it is explained in the next Verse For natural Honesty directed all Men on such occasions to seek privacy and it tended as all Cleanliness doth to the preservation of Health which was one reason of ordering them to find a place without the Camp that there might be no offensive smell among them And hereby as Maimonides observes they were distinguished from brute Beasts which commonly ease themselves any where and before any body But besides all this Moses himself gives us the principal reason of this Command peculiarly respecting the Israelites v. 14. Verse 13 Ver. 13. Thou shalt have a paddle An Instrument wherewith to digg up the Ground and cover it again Epiphanius Haeres LXXVII calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Iron Paddle Vpon thy weapon Their Sword I suppose And it shall be when thou wilt ease thy self abroad It was not in their choice when they would do this but when their needs required yet the Jews will have it that they were to accustom themselves to do this business in the Morning as soon as they were up Thus the Jews at this day as Leo Modena tells us in his History of them Part I. Chap. VI. afterwards washing their Hands that they may go clean to their Prayers Thou shalt dig therewith A hole in the ground And shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee That there might be no appearance nor scent of it remaining This is still practised by the Carribians among whom there is never any such thing as Ordure seen So the Authors of the History of the Carriby Islands tell us Book II. Chap. XIV Where they observe also out of Busbequius that the Turks use the same Cleanliness in their Camps making an hole with a piece of Iron wherein they bury their Excrements And in this matter the Essens were extreamly superstitious for as Josephus relates they would not ease themselves at all on the Sabbath day because they lookt upon it as a labour to dig in the earth and Excrements not fit to be seen on that day Ver. 14. For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp At this time the Ark which was the Token of the Divine Presence was settled in the midst of their Camp and whithersoever they moved Verse 14 was carried along with them two Standards going before and two following and the Ark between them in the midst as appears from the Tenth of Numbers It is likely also that it was carried in after times in the midst of them when they went to War as some think it was when they went against the Midianites XXXI Numb 6. and when they encompassed Jericho Now this Presence of God among them was the reason why no Uncleanness though in it self natural might be found in their Camp but out of reverence to the Divine Majesty which dwelt between the Cherubims over the Ark be removed afar off And by such Actions as these Maimonides well observes God intended to strengthen and confirm the Faith of the Soldiers that God dwelling among them would go along with them and fight for them against their Enemies as it here follows More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XLI And thus Abarbinel discourses upon these words The Camps of the Israelites ought to be holy having a special Providence of God among them For they do not make War by meer Humane Power and Courage but by the Power of God and of his Spirit on which they depend for deliverance from all evil and victory over their Enemies c. To deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee This is the constant sense of this Phrase Of God's being in the midst of them to defend protect and deliver them from all evil as I observed before See VII Deut. 21. III Josh 10. XLVI Psal 6. III Zachar. 15. Now this Cleanliness being commanded with respect to the Divine Presence which dwelt among them the Jews are strangely mistaken in using such Superstitions as they do in every place when they have no such Presence of the Divine Majesty in the midst of them See Schickard in Mischpat Hammelech Cap. V. Theorem XVIII p. 144 c. Therefore shall thy Camp be holy Free from all manner of Defilements though they be only of this sort That he see no unclean thing in thee In these words saith Maimonides in the place before-named he deters them from Fornication which is far worse than the fore-mentioned Uncleanness but too common among the Soldiers when they are absent from their own homes And therefore that he might keep them from such Impurities he commands them such Actions he means covering their Ordure as might call to their minds the glorious Majesty of God which dwelt among them But though the Hebrew word which we here translate unclean thing properly signifies nakedness and all those impure Mixtures mentioned in the Eighteenth of Leviticus and
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
after till the Feast of Dedication which was in our November after which they were not accepted Of the manner of going up with a Bullock before them whose Horns were gilt and Head crown'd with an Olive Garland with Musick and singing in the way the first Verse of the CXXII Psalm c. See Wagenseil in the place above-mentioned and Selden Lib. III. de Synedriis Cap. XIII N. III. with Dr. Light-foot in his Temple-Service And here I cannot but think fit to note that the Heathen in all probability from hence derived the Custom of carrying their First-fruits as a Tithe every year unto the Island Delos where Apollo was supposed to have his special Residence And this not only from the Islands thereabouts and the neighbouring Countries but from all parts of the World as the Jews we find every where sent from the Countries where they dwelt a Sum of Money every year instead of First-fruits and Tithes unto Jerusalem which Priviledge the Romans allowed them after they had conquered them as Josephus tells us Lib. VII de Bello Jud. Cap. XIII That Heathen Custom now mentioned is expressed by Callimachus in his Hymn upon Delos in those remarkable words v. 278 279 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense of which is this That First-fruits were sent for Tithes every year from all Countries not only from the East and West and South but from the North also And they were sent with such Joy as the Jews expressed on this occasion for all Cities he saith did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so we read in several Authors that there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they called them Solemn Embassies sent from several People by chosen Persons unto Delos to celebrate there the Feast of Apollo with Musick and Dancing c. Particularly the Athenians Peloponesians and Messenians c. of whom see Ezek. Spanhemius in his Observations on Callimachus p. 487. And which is most strange the Hyperboreans a very northerly People sent frugum primitias to this Island as Pliny and I know not how many other Authors testifie Only what he calls the First-fruits of their Corn and such like things they call the First-fruits of their holy things as the same excellent Person observes there p. 490 492 c. Which was done to testifie their honour to this god and for the maintenance of his Priests and other Ministers who attended upon him there For Delos of it self was but a barren Isle the Soil being dry and stony and called therefore by Callimachus v. 208. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are other footsteps of this among the Heathen the Mystica vannus Jacchi mentioned by Virgil in his Georgicks being nothing else according to Servius but vas vimineum a wicker Basket in which their First-fruits were carried See the same Spanheim p. 495. Verse 3 Ver. 3. And thou shalt go unto the Priest that shall be in those days Who was then in attendance at the Sanctuary and particularly appointed to wait for their coming When they entred the Gates of the City they sung the second Verse of Psalm CXXII Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem And then they went to the Mountain of the Temple and sung the whole Hundred and fiftieth Psalm And as soon as they entred the Court of Israel the Levites began to sing XXX Psal 1. I will extoll thee O LORD my God c. And say unto him The following Confession in this Verse was made by them with the Baskets on their shoulders to stir them up to Humility as Maimonides interprets it His words are these While they were compelled to carry their Baskets on their shoulders and in that manner to proclaim the Divine Benefits it signified that it was a considerable part of God's Worship and Service for a Man to be mindful of his Afflictions and Tribulations when God had given him ease and rest from them This the Law takes care of in several places as when it saith Thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant c. With this intention that he who lived in Riches and Pleasure might be secured from the Vices which spring from thence such as Pride Haughtiness Apostasy and the like According to what is said in this Book VIII 12. Lest thou eat and art full and XXXII 15. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked c. To prevent which God commanded the First-fruits to be thus offered every year to his Divine Majesty More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXXIX I profess this day unto the LORD thy God that I am come into the Country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us This is a thankful acknowledgment of God's faithfulness to his promise whereby they were put in mind to be faithful unto him of whom they held this good Land by his gracious and free Gift and held it by this Tenure of paying to him this yearly Rent Ver. 4. And the Priest shall take the basket out of thy Verse 4 hand and set it before the Altar of the LORD thy God After the foregoing words were said the Basket was taken down from their shoulders and every one holding his Basket by the handle or the rim of it the Priest put his hands under it and waved it about according to the Prescription in the Law while the Men recited the following words v. 5 6 c. This waving was a manifest token that it was offered to the LORD of the World as an acknowledgment that he was in a peculiar manner their LORD and Soveraign of whom they held this Land Ver. 5. And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD Verse 5 thy God Audibly pronounce in the presence of God A Syrian ready to perish was my father Their Father Jacob was not a Syrian by birth for he was born in the Land of Canaan But one and the same Person may be said to be of divers Countries as Bochartus hath observed with regard either to the Place of his Nativity or of his Education or of his Life and Conversation which occasioned three Countries to be ascribed to our blessed Saviour viz. Bethlehem Nazareth and Capernaum See his Phaleg Lib. II. Cap. V Thus Jacob who was born and bred in Canaan is notwithstanding called a Syrian because he lived Twenty years with his Uncle Laban who was a Syrian XXV Gen. 20. and consequently Jacob's Mother was so as were both his Wives and all his Children who were born there except Benjamin But he is more particularly here called a Syrian to put them in mind of his Poverty when he went first into that Country and there lived as a Servant under an hard Master which is expressed in these words ready to perish that is very poor and reduced to great straits being forced to flee from the fury of his Brother Esau and to travel on foot to Padan-Aram which was comprehended anciently under the name
pleased to dwell among them by a glorious Symbol of his Presence in the Sanctuary yet dwelt in far more transcendent Glory in the Heavens the highest of which could not contain him as holy Men acknowledged 1 Kings VIII 27. 2 Chron. II. 6. And bless thy People Israel and the Land which thou hast given us Having performed their Duty they had the greater confidence to beg the continuance of God's Mercies to them and to their Country which it had been presumption to expect if they had not acknowledged him to be the Donor of all the good things they enjoyed in the manner before appointed For this was the end of all Oblations both of this Tithe and of the First-fruits and any other to acknowledge God to be the LORD of whom all things come as David speaks and of whose own we give unto him See 1 Chron. XXIX v. 11 12 13 c. As thou swarest unto our fathers He teacheth them to conclude as they began v. 3. with a thankful acknowledgment of God's faithfulness to his Promise A Land that floweth with milk and honey See XI 9. The Hierusalem Targum paraphraseth it thus A Land producing fruits as pure as milk and as sweet and delicious as honey Ver. 16. This day This refers to the time when Verse 16 Moses spake all these words unto them The LORD thy God hath commanded thee By me To do these statutes and judgments These two words comprehend the Precepts in the foregoing Chapters some of which concern Matters of Religion and others of Civil Government Thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart and with all thy soul Set your selves sincerely and heartily to the performance of them Ver. 17. Thou hast avouched So the Hebrew Verse 17 word signifies as Job Ludolphus observes who renders it asseverare seriò affirmare being the same with the French word avoüer and may be here translated thou hast solemnly professed or rather protested The LORD this day The word this is not in the Hebrew as it is in the foregoing Verse but he saith simply Hajom not hajom hazeh the day or that day which signifies the time when Moses delivered these Laws from God To be thy God Then they owned him to be their King and Governour For so the Name of ELOHIM properly signifies Dignity Empire and Authority as Grotius observes upon XX Exod. and Fortunatus Scacchus before him expounds these very words Which saith he have respect to God as their Emperour who had the Supream Government of the Commonwealth of Israel with a Right and Authority of constituting Laws and giving Mandates for the establishing of that Government Sacror Elaeochrism P. II. Cap. LII p. 509. See XXIV Exod. 3 4 c. and XXXIV 27. And to walk in his ways By his ways that Author understands the Moral Precepts written on Tables of Stone To keep his statutes The Ritual Precepts And his Commandments Concerning the Duties of his Worship and Service And his judgments The Political Precepts belonging to their good Government And to hearken unto his voice In all things which he should declare from his Oracle when they consulted it Verse 18 Ver. 18. And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people c. At the same time for the word this is not in the Hebrew the LORD assured the Israelites that they should be his People in a special manner provided they made good their promise of keeping his Commandment For the Covenant was mutual See XXIV Exod. 3 7. XIX 5 6. It is observable that the Hierusalem Targum paraphrases these two Verses in this manner Ye have taken the Word of the LORD to reign over you to day that he may be your God c. And the Word of the LORD reigneth over you a People dedicated to his Name as his peculiar c. Where MEMRA the WORD cannot be understood other ways than of the second Person in the Deity Ver. 19. And to make thee high above all Nations that he hath made It is a pious note of Conr. Pellicanus That there is no greater Glory to the Faithful than that they are peculiarly grateful devoted dedicated Verse 19 obedient unto God as his Children In praise and in name and in honour These words express his singular Kindness to them in that though all Nations were his being made by him and he the LORD and Governour of them all yet he promised to have such a special Favour to them that all Nations round them should take notice of it and speak with admiration of their Happiness and the Honour he had done them All this is included in those words before-mentioned XIX Exod. 5 6. where the last words of this Verse are explained That thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God as he hath spoken All this Moses called to their mind that it might prepare and dispose them to renew the same Covenant with God before he left them Which he presses upon them in the Nine and twentieth Chapter of this Book after he had given them some other Admonitions and laid before them the Blessings and Curses that would come upon them according to their Fidelity or Falsness in that Holy Covenant Which is the Subject of the two following Chapters Chapter XXVII CHAP. XXVII Verse 1 Verse 1. AND Moses with the Elders of Israel commanded the people saying I observed in the Preface to this Book and upon Chapter IV. 41. and other places that Moses did not speak all that is contained in this Book at once but at several times and that he commonly took the Elders to his assistance as is here expresly affirmed though some things he spake himself alone to all the People as I observed upon V. 1. Keep all the Commandments which I command you This is a new Exhortation to Obedience which he could not press too often considering the great proneness of this People to break God's Laws This day At this time and formerly for it doth not precisely signifie one day and the word this is not in the original Verse 2 Ver. 2. And it shall come to pass on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan Here it is evident the word day doth not signifie precisely the very same day they passed over but not long after as soon as they were come to Mount Ebal v. 4. after the taking of Jericho and Ai as appears from VIII Joshua 30. For they were to pass over Jordan unto the Land which the LORD their God gave them as it here follows before they were obliged to do what is here required That thou shalt set thee up great stones It is not said how many but some fancy there were Twelve according to the number of Pillars which Moses imployed XXIV Exod. 4. when he made the Covenant between God and his People But unless we could certainly determine how much of the Law was to be written upon these Stones we cannot give a good guess
the Seed which was come up to maturity See XI 14. See the Learned Dr. Prideaux upon Maimonides his Treatise de donis Pauperum Cap. I. Not. 25. And to bless all the work of thine hand By these seasonable showres he blessed their ploughing and sowing and produced a plentiful Harvest which seems to be meant here by the work of their hand viz. their Husbandry which included all sorts of Plantations as well as Tillage IX Gen. 20. And thou shalt lend unto many Nations and thou shalt not borrow A token of great Riches See XV. 6. which all Nations lookt upon as a Blessing as indeed they are with piety And therefore Callimachus in his Hymn to Jove prays him to bestow both Vertue and Riches upon them v. 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which puts me in mind of a pertinent Observation of Maimonides in his Preface to Perck Chelek in which he treats of the Foundations of the Jewish Religion This is the meaning saith he of the Promises and Threatnings in the Law that if they were obedient to his Precepts he would further them with all good things that should furnish them therein and remove from them all that hinder them For no Man can serve God as he ought when he is sick or oppressed with Famine or vexed with Wars Therefore God Promises to remove all these things and to give them Health and Tranquillity that they might perfect their Obedience and be worthy of the Life of the World to come For this is not the end of the Law to make the Earth bring forth plentifully and to prolong Mens Life upon the Earth and give them healthful Bodies but that by all those things they may be helpt and incouraged to perform Obedience to it c. Ver. 13. And the LORD shall make thee the head and not the tail This is a proverbial Speech which is explained in the words following and thou shalt be above only and thou shalt not be beneath For the Head Verse 13 being the first and chief part of all Animals and the Tail the last and lowest those Persons are said to be the Head who command over others and those the Tail who are subject And therefore this is a Promise that they should rule over other Nations as their Lords as they did in the days of David and Solomon but other Nations should not Lord it over them If that thou hearken unto the Commandments of the LORD thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do them This was the Condition upon which all their Happiness depended as he had told them in the beginning of this Discourse v. 1. Ver. 14. And thou shalt not go astray from any of the Verse 14 words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to the left See Chapt. V. 32. To go after other gods to serve them This was the principal Commandment of the Law to serve no other gods but the LORD alone Which while they observed he was pleased to bless them and to bear with many other sins which they committed Upon which account this Commandment is so often repeated as we find it in this very Book VI. 14. VII 4 16. VIII 19. IX 16 28. XI 3 4 30 c. Ver. 15. But it shall come to pass if thou wilt not Verse 15 hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe to do all his Commandments and Statutes which I command thee this day Especially that great Commandment Not to go after other gods to serve them That all these Curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Pursue them so that they should not possibly escape them The same phrase is used of the Blessings v. 2. Verse 16 Ver. 16. Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field As miserable that is every where as he intended to have made them happy v. 3. Verse 17 Ver. 17. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store The blessing of the Barn was to have it full v. 5. and therefore the Curse upon it was to make it empty Verse 18 Ver. 18. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land c. He threatens to consume their Children their Corn and other Fruits with their Herds and Flocks Verse 19 Ver. 19. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out Have no Comfort in any Undertaking either at home or abroad in Peace or in War Verse 20 Ver. 20. The LORD shall send upon thee cursing vexation and rebuke It is very hard to know what these three words particularly import the two first of them being very variously translated The first of them Meera seems to signifie in general that God would blast them in all they designed and went about for although the LXX and Vulgar here render it famine and want yet elsewhere the LXX renders it as we do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cursing And the next word Mehuma they translate hunger but in other places the LXX render it by six or seven words which import the same with our English vexation viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trouble or disturbance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tumult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 horror or affrightment c. Which relate to great disorder disquiet and perplexity in their Mind And the last word Mighereth the Vulgar translate as we do rebuke but the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consumption which are the same in effect For when God rebukes a Man for his iniquity he makes his beauty to consume away like a moth XXXIX Psal 11. For God's Rebukes consist not in Words but in sore Afflictions 2 Kings XIX 3. XVIII Psal 15 c. particularly in Disappointments and Ill-success in their Undertakings and continual fear of worse for the future In all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do In all their Affairs v. 8. they should meet with trouble perplexity and defeats Vntil that thou be destroyed He threatens that this Curse Trouble and Rebuke from God should pursue them till they had compleated their Ruin And until thou perish quickly When God began to punish them after long patience with them he was quick in his Executions and many times brought upon them sudden destruction So he threatens in Zephaniah I. 18. That he would make a speedy riddance of all that dwell in the Land And though the whole Nation was not rooted out speedily but by degrees yet they enjoyed it but a short time in comparison of what God designed if they had been obedient and in that time they were seldom without some trouble or other till they were expelled out of their Country Because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me And followed after other gods which was the great Crime that brought them to desolation Ver. 21. The LORD shall make the Pestilence cleave unto thee The Pestilence is threatned in
thousand of which perished in this barbarous manner Parents durst not mourn for their Children nor Children sigh for their Parents when they saw them haled to the place of Torment so that their hearts no doubt were ready to break with Grief and Sorrow In short Sic eos metus exanimaverat ut vivi non multum à mortuorum similitudine distarent Fear had so dispirited them that the living in their Aspect did not much differ from the dead Which words of Osorius in his fourth Book de Rebus Emanuelis our Dr. Jackson who relates this sad Story out of him looks upon as a Paraphrase upon these words of Moses though Osorius did not think of them I will give thee a trembling heart and failing of the eyes and sorrow of mind There are those who by a trembling heart understand the Terrors of an Evil Conscience So D. Chytraeus p. 131. And by failing of the eyes may be understood the constant disappointment of their Hopes wherewith they were sometimes fed by false Messiahs in several Ages Which disappointment bred great sorrow of Mind when after earnest expectation of some Good the quite contrary came upon them Ver. 66. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee Verse 66 That is it should be doubtful whether they should live or die the next moment As it manifestly happened in the forenamed Massacre when they durst not fetch a sigh and yet could hardly avoid it at the sight of their Parents or Childrens Tortures for fear they should suffer the same before the Breath was out of their tortured Bodies And thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have no assurance of life So it was then none of them knowing who would be next seized in those three days Butchery And so it was in some of their Banishments which they were told should be the best remedy for the evils impending over them as the Author of Schebet Juda speaks who tells us Sect. XXIII that the reason which some Princes gave for their Expulsion out of their Territories was to prevent their being torn in pieces by the People who were most furiously set against them Ver. 67. And in the morning thou shalt say would Verse 67 God it were even That they might not see those miserable Spectacles which they hoped would end in the night when Men went to rest And at even thou shalt say would God it were morning Being afraid of unseen Dangers to which the Night might give an opportunity or that they might not see their way when they fled by Sea and Land from one Country to another as they were forced to do very often For Abarbinel in his Commentary upon XL Isaiah 11. reckons up four universal Banishments out of the Countries where they lived The first out of England the next out of France the third out of Asia Germany Tuscany Lumbardy and Savoy and the last out of Spain when he himself was one of those who were constrained to leave that Country and knew not whither to go He hath given us a lively description of that Calamity like to which he saith none had ever befaln them since they were banished their own Country in his Preface to his Commentary upon the Book of the Kings which he wrote the very next Year after their Expulsion 1493. and the Author of Schebet Juda hath transcribed in his own words A Decree was made and proclaimed publickly that all the Jews should either change their Religion or quit the Country in three Months time Abarbinel had then a place in the Court where he petitioned the King and besought his Ministers and Counsellors to revoke the Edict and be content with their Estates which they offered to him but all in vain For Three hundred thousand old and young Men and Women and he among the rest went away on foot upon one day not knowing whither to go Some went into Portugal others into Navar where they conflicted with many Calamities For some became a Prey or perished by Famine and Pestilence And therefore others committed themselves to the Sea hoping to find a quiet Seat in some other Countries But on the Sea they met with new Disasters for many were sold as Slaves when they came on any Coast many were drowned many burnt in the Ships which were set on fire in short all suffered the just Punishment of God the Avenger as he speaks For after all this a Plague came and swept away the rest of these miserable Wretches who were hated by all Mankind so that all that vast number perished by one Calamity or other except a very few He that would see more of the woful Miseries of this People may look into Schebet Juda Sect. LIII where he shows what befel those who went to seek new Habitations in the Kingdom of Fess where they lived a long time upon Grass and eat its very Roots and then died and their Bodies lay exposed none being so charitable as to bury them For the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see The one of these seems to refer to their dreadful apprehensions in the Night and the other to the lamentable Spectacles they beheld in the day And the simple meaning of the former part of the Verse may be that they should be weary of Life having no Comfort either Day or Night Ver. 68. And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt Verse 68 again The Hierusalem Targum translates it The WORD of the LORD shall bring thee back again He that is who conducted them out of Egypt in a glorious Cloud would punish them for their foul Offences against him by bringing them again into Bondage there This was first fulfilled after the Desolation made by Titus when there was as I observed before v. 62. above Ninety thousand carried Captive and many of them transported into Egypt as Josephus relates in the conclusion of the sixteenth Chapter of his Seventh Book concerning the War of the Jews And here Manasseh ben Israel hath a very pertinent observation that Vespasian transported them into many and various Regions but Egypt is only here named the more to reproach the Jews as if he had said Ye shall be carried into that Land as Captives out of which you came in a triumphant manner Lib. III. de Termino vitae Sect. 3. Which may incline one to think that he was of the same mind with our Dr. Jackson who observing how cruelly they were used here in England and many other Countries concludes that this Island and every place of Europe wherein their Condition of Life hath been more hard and burdensome than their Forefathers was in Egypt may be said to be that Egypt into which God threatens here to bring them in Ships And indeed we do not read of their being carried into Egypt after Vespasian's time though it is set down here as a Punishment to come upon them after a long train of other Miseries
before-mentioned Plainly importing That Men could not pretend ignorance of their Duty nor had any reason to desire that some Body would go to Heaven again for those things which Moses had already brought from thence And thus the Apostle most justly accommodates these words to the new Revelation from Heaven by the Son of God which was not abstruse and difficult but as plain and perspicuous as this now made by Moses Ver. 13. Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldst Verse 13 say Who shall go over the Sea for us c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use the words of Philo in his Book concerning Rewards and Punishments so as to need long and tedious Voyages laborious and wearisom Travels to fetch it from foreign Countries Such as the Greek Philosophers took who travelled into Egypt and the Eastern part of the World to learn Wisdom which God now taught his People in the Wilderness without any pains to attain it Ver. 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee Being Verse 14 brought to their very Doors by Moses the Servant of God who now delivered to them the Mind of God as the Son of God himself did afterwards when he came and dwelt among them In thy mouth and in thy heart Made so familiar to them that they might always have it in their common Discourse to teach it their Children and had now been so often repeated that it might well be laid up in their Memory never to be forgotten by them VI. 6 7 8 9. XI 18 19 20. It was also in the mouth of their Priests who were to teach them Knowledge II Malachi 7. and press it upon their hearts Here the forenamed R. Isaac in both the places forenamed observes That Repentance depends on the confession of the mouth and grief of the heart but the largest Confession and the sorest Grief will not avail them till they repent of their Crucifying the LORD Jesus and shall confess him with their mouth and believe in their heart that God hath raised him from the dead c. as St. Paul speaks X Rom. 9 10. That thou mayest do it That they might have nothing to do but to put it in practice and in order thereunto continually read it and keep it in mind In which the Jews were so diligent that as Josephus tells the Gentiles Lib. II. contra Apionem they could as easily recite all the Laws of God as tell their Names But here was their Error that they were not careful to do what they knew to be the Will of God and so when he sent his Son among them who plainly declared to them more fully the meaning of their holy Books they could not understand and receive that which they read every day And indeed this is the common Error as Dr. Jackson well observes of all corrupt Minds to seek that afar off as if they were Strangers to it which is really in their Mouth and in their Heart so that they would but be doers and not only hearers of the Word as St. James speaks alluding perhaps to these words of Moses As St. Paul applies this whole passage to the Gospel which is that Word of Faith so preached and published by the Apostles that it may be in all our Mouths and Hearts without going to seek for any other infallible Teacher Ver. 15. See I have set before thee this day life and Verse 15 good death and evil Life and Good Death and Evil may be but two words for the same thing viz. all manner of Happiness and all manner of Misery both which he had at large set before them in the Twenty eighth Chapter Or by Life may be meant long Life in the Land God had promised them and Good all the Prosperity they could wish for there as on the other side Death may signifie their being cut off from the Land of the Living before their time and Evil all the Calamities he had threatned while they lived And so the next Verse seems to interpret it Maimonides from these words observes that the wills of Men are under no force nor coaction but are free Agents and therefore have Precepts imposed upon them with a Punishment threatned to the Disobedient and a Reward promised to those who keep God's Commandments Of which he treats at large in his Preface to his Commentary upon Pirke Avoth Cap. VIII Ver. 16. In that I command thee this day to love the Verse 16 LORD thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Statutes and Judgments This includes their intire Obedience to all God's Laws which are comprehended under these three Names See VI. 1 5. VII 11. X. 12 13. That thou mayest live and multiply and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the Land whither thou goest to possess it This is the Explication of the Life and Good which he set before them if they observed God's Laws with sincere affection to them v. 15. Ver. 17. But if thine heart turn away so that thou Verse 17 wilt not hear Want of Love to God and of a due Esteem of his wonderful Love to them made their Heart turn away to other things and not regard what he had revealed to them from Heaven And worship other gods and serve them This was the principal Breach of the Covenant of God Verse 18 Ver. 18. I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the Land whither ye go c. This is the Explication of the Death and Evil he set before them v. 15. Verse 19 Ver. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to record this day aginst you that I have set before you life and death God Angels and Men were Witnesses that he had done his duty See IV. 26. VIII 19. and therefore is owned by God himself to be faithful in all his house XII Numb 7. Blessing and cursing They are the same with Life and Death but he uses several words to make them sensible that both proceeded from God the one being the Effect of his Love and Favour and the other of his Anger and high Displeasure Therefore chuse life that thou and thy seed may live That is chuse to be Obedient without which they could not be happy Or he wishes them to set their hearts on the happiness God had promised them that it might incline them to do as follows Verse 20 Ver. 20. That thou mayest love the LORD thy God and obey his voice Love is the noblest and the strongest Spring of Obedience And that thou mayest cleave unto him Obedience to God is the surest Preservative from Apostasy For he is thy life and the length of thy days Chapter XXXI The Author and Giver of Life which he preserves and prolongs unto those who are obedient That thou mayest dwell in the Land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give them Which Promise confirmed
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
which is called going a whoring from him as hath been often noted notwithstanding all the Means he had prescribed to prevent it And therefore he adds one more which was the learning them the following Song notwithstanding which he foresaw that after the death of Joshua and the Elders who survived him they would forsake him and worship other gods See CVI Psal 36 38. After the gods of the strangers of the land This is an unusual Phrase signifying no more than what he calls in other places strange gods Though some think it imports peculiarly the gods of the Canaanites who were the former Inhabitants but being expelled became Strangers of the Land And thus Onkelos seems to have understood it who translates it After the Idols of the People of the Land Which was an high aggravation of their sin that they should worship such gods as had not been able to protect their Servants Whither they go to be among them This seems to countenance the foregoing Exposition And God charges them in future Ages with this as a very great guilt that they worshipped the gods of the Amorites in whose Land they dwelt VI Judges 10. And will forsake me For he lookt upon himself as forsaken that is not worshipped if they worshipped any other god with him XX Exod. 3. And break my Covenant which I have made with them This being the principal thing in the Covenant as I have often observed that they should worship him alone XX Exod. 22 23. XXIII 32 33. V Deut. 3 4 c. VI. 3 4 c. Verse 17 Ver. 17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day So we read it was upon their very first Apostasy to Idolatry II Judges 14. and continued so in all Ages as we read frequently in that and the following Books See there v. 20. and III. 8 c. And I will forsake them Go no longer before them against their Enemies but deliver them up into their hands v. 8. And will hide my face from them Withdraw my favour and protection So that they were devoured as it follows by their Enemies and wild Beasts and many evils and troubles beset them or as the Hebrew phrase signifies came upon them on a sudden The Prophet Ezekiel expresses this in these words My face will I turn from them VII 22. The effect of which was the Divine Presence departed out of the Sanctury and he left it as he there speaks to be polluted and defiled by Robbers And so it here follows So that they will say on that day are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us For whithersoever they went out the hand of the LORD was against them for evil as we read II Judges 15. Which was so remarkable a change that it could not but at last make them reflect upon the Cause of it as we find it did and moved them to cry unto the LORD for help III. 9 15. IV. 3 c. Ver. 18. And I will surely hide my face from them c. He repeats it again because they were a People dull of hearing Or the former words may relate to their first Captivity and these to the last as they Verse 18 call it wherein they now are For they themselves take notice that these words have been fulfilled by the many Calamities which have befaln them since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans This appears from Schebet Jehuda where Solomon Virgoe quotes this very Verse to prove that their present Sufferings proceed not from Nature but from an angry God more powerful than Nature as he speaks Sect. XIII Ver. 19. Now therefore write ye This shows these Verse 19 words were directed both to Moses and to Joshua who was to take care after Moses his death to see this Command observed This song for you Which follows in the XXXIIth Chapter And teach it the Children of Israel Make them get it by heart as we now speak Put it in their mouths That they might sing it and thereby preserve it in their memory For it hath been always thought the most profitable way of instructing People and communicating things to Posterity by putting them into Verse and especially Children and young People are best taught in this way And the greater moment any thing is of the more carefully it ought to be preserved which Plato himself thought could be done by no better means than this And therefore having spoken of the Songs which he would have composed for the use of the People he would have it enacted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That all Men and Children whether bond or free male or female should be bound through the whole City to sing such Songs and never cease so to do c. See Eusebius Lib. XII Praepar Evang. Cap. XXXII And Plato himself Lib. II. de Legibus where he gives a great many Cautions about this Matter and concludes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 657. this must be the work of a God or some God-like Man As if he had been acquainted with what Moses the Man of God or rather God himself here ordained that every one should have this Song in their mouths as a means to preserve them in the Worship of God alone However this justifies the admirable discipline of the Hebrews in those ancient times who were taught by such Hymns as the wisest Men among the Heathen in future times thought the best way of Instruction For which reason as Aristotle reports in his Problems Sect. XIX Probl. 28. People anciently sung their Laws as the Agathyrsi he saith continued to do in his days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not be forgotten Particularly the Laws of Charondas as Athenaeus informs us out of Hermippus were wont to be sung at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over a Glass of Wine And were therefore written in some sort of Verse or tunable Measure as our incomparable Dr. Bentley hath made it probable in his late Dissertation on the Epistles of Phalaris p. 373. Tully also to add no more tells us that Cato in his Book de Originibus reports That it was the Custom among the old Romans to have the Vertues and Praises of famous Men sung to a Pipe at their Feasts Which he thinks they learnt from the ancient Pythagoroeans in Italy who were wont carminibus praecepta quaedam occultiùs tradere to deliver in Verses certain Precepts which were the greatest Secrets in their Philosophy and composed the Minds of the Scholars to Tranquillity by Songs and Instruments of Musick See upon XXI Numb 30. concerning this way of Instruction That this song may be a witness for me against the Children of Israel Testifying that they were sufficiently warned and could not complain that they were not taught their duty and told their danger and reproving also their ingratitude and putting them in mind how ill they requited their God v. 21. Ver. 20. For when I have brought them unto the
Land Verse 20 which I sware unto their Fathers that floweth with milk and honey VI. 10 c. XV. 8 9. And they shall have eaten and filled themselves and waxen fat VIII 10 11 12 c. XXVII 15. Then they will turn unto other gods and serve them c. Against which he had most solemnly foremarned them in the places before-mentioned and XI 16. XII 29 30. Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass when many evils Verse 21 and troubles are befaln them that this Song shall testifie against them as a witness That they are most justly punished for their foul ingratitude and unbelief with which this Song upbraided them having told them plainly XXXII 18 19. what would be the effect of their forsaking him and at the delivery of it God having solemnly said here v. 17. that when they went a whoring from him he would forsake them and hide his face from them For it shall not be forgotten out of the mouth of their seed The Calamities which fell upon them according to what is predicted in this Song brought it to their remembrance when they had forgotten it or did not regard it For these words do not seem to be a Precept requiring them to remember this Song but a Prediction foretelling that their Miseries should not suffer them quite to forget it For I know their imagination which they go about even now before I have brought them into the Land which I sware He saw the secret Inclinations and Designs which were in their hearts and perceived that at that very present they hankered as we speak after Idols Verse 22 Ver. 22. Moses therefore wrote this Song the same day And so did Joshua as he was commanded v. 19. who spake the words of this Song unto the People as well as Moses XXXII 44. And taught it the Children of Israel Commanded them to learn it v. 19. In order to which the Jews say every Man was bound to write for himself a Copy of it and more than that they make it one of the affirmative Precepts as Maimonides tells us which obliged every Israelite to write out the whole Book of the Law with his own hand For so they interpret those words v. 19. Write ye this Song for you as if they were spoken to all the People and their meaning had been Write ye this Law for you wherein is this Song for they were not to write the Law by small parts and sections as his words are but all of it intirely And if a Man's Parents had left him a Copy yet he was bound to write one himself or if he could not write to procure one to be written for him by some other Person c. See Schickard's Mischpat Hameleck Cap. II. Theor. V. Verse 23 Ver. 23. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge That is the LORD who had hitherto spoken to him by Moses now spake to him himself and gave him this charge to gain him the greater Authority For which end he had ordered Joshua to present himself before him together with Moses verse 14. Be strong and of a good courage Which he repeats to him after the death of Moses I Josh 6 7. For thou shalt bring the Children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them I have appointed thee to be the Captain of my People to lead them into the Land of Canaan And I will be with thee To give him success in all his Enterprises Which words being spoken in the audience of all the People as may be supposed from v. 14. made them readily submit to the Authority of Joshua and confide in his Conduct Ver. 24. And it came to pass when Moses had made Verse 24 an end of writing the words of this Law in a Book until they were finished The whole Book of his Laws which he put together before his death as I said on v. 9. Ver. 25. That Moses commanded the Levites c. Verse 25 The Priests who were of the Tribe of Levi. See v. 9. Ver. 26. Take this Book of the Law and put it in the Verse 26 side of the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God Not in the inside of it for he doth not say put it into the Ark but in the side of the Ark that is on the outside in a little Box as Jonathan and others expound it For it is the very same Phrase with that 1 Sam. VI. 8. where the Philistims are said to have put the Jewels of Gold which they returned for a Sin-offering in a Coffer by the side of the Ark. Where none could put it but the High Priest because no Body else might go into the Holy Place where the Ark was And therefore those Priests who received the Book of the Law from Moses delivered it to Eleazer to be there placed See Buxtorf Histor Arcae Cap. V. and Huetius more lately in his Demonstratio Evangelica Propos IV. Cap. de Can. Libr. Sacrorum Sect. VIII where he observes that R. Meir in both the Talmuds Abarbinel himself and many others have been of opinion from this very place that the Book of the Law was put into the Ark it self being no less precious than the Tables of Stone which were there But the Scripture tells us There was nothing in the Ark save the two Tables of Stone 1 Kings VIII 9. 2 Chron. V. 10. and their reason is good for nothing the two Tables far excelling this Book because written by the Finger of God And therefore other great Doctors among the Jews rightly place it without the Ark as the very words of Moses import That it may be there for a witness against thee It was deposited in that place as a publick Record that if any one should falsifie or deprave any thing in the Law as Abarbinel interprets it he might be convicted out of this Book which was sacredly preserved to be produced as a Witness against him Or as the Author of Tzeror Hammor expresses it that if they should be so wicked as to lose the Books of the Law this Copy kept under the care of the Priests might remain to testifie what was the Will of God As we see it did in the days of Josiah when it was casually found in the House of God as they were about the reparations of it Though I cannot say they found it in the side of the Ark but rather upon the Roof of the House or in the Rafters where the Priests had hid it as some of the Jews think when Manasseh endeavoured to destroy this Authentick Copy of the Law as he had done all other that he could find and when they came to uncover the House there it appeared Ver. 27. For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff-neck I have been sufficiently acquainted with your perverse disposition Behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye Verse 27 have been rebellious against the LORD and how much more after my death For it was not
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
observes they hurt themselves not God when leaving him the true God they turned to Idols For the word corrupt is commonly used in Scripture where it speaks of the sin of Idolatry The Hierusalem Paraphrast aims at the same sense They are a perverse and crooked Generation The whole Body of them are untoward and untractable walking contrary to God in all their ways For there being a gemination as they speak of a syllable in the latter of these words Pethalthol it increases the sense and makes it the same with the Superlative Degree among us importing the highest obliquity imaginable And these words were never more exactly fulfilled than in the days of our blessed Saviour who calls them a wicked and adulterous a faithless and perverse Generation XVI Matth. 4. XVII 17. And in the days of the Apostles who call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an absurd kind of People 2 Thess III. 2. Who pleased not God and were contrary to all men 1 Thess II. 15. Verse 6 Ver. 6. Do ye thus requite the LORD O foolish people and unwise He upbraids them with their senseless folly and foul ingratitude which in the following words he demonstrates by representing the Obligations he had laid upon them Is not he thy father Having adopted them in a peculiar manner to be his Children above all other People Who hath taught thee When he rescued them from the slavery of Egypt Hath not he made thee Advanced them for so the word Asa is translated 1 Sam. XII 6. to be a great and mighty People See C Psal 3. And established thee By settling them in excellent order under the Government of most wise and righteous Laws See Chapter the fourth of this Book v. 7 8. Verse 7 Ver. 7. Remember the days of old Look back as far as you are able Consider the years of many generations Consult the most ancient Records which would inform them how God chose their Father Abraham long ago and promised to bless his Posterity as he did Isaac and Jacob in a most eminent manner and sent Joseph by a wonderful Providence into Egypt to preserve them from starving c. Ask thy Father and he will show thee thy Elders and they will tell thee All this is to express the same thing that they should advise with those that knew more than themselves and particularly with old Men as the word may be understood which we translate Elders who by the benefit of their great Age had heard and seen more than others and could tell them how God had dealt with them ever since he brought them by a wonderful Power out of the Land of Egypt Ver. 8. When the most High divided to the Nations Verse 8 their Inheritance He directs them still to look further back and they would find that long before Abraham's time God had them in his thoughts even when he divided the Earth among the Sons of Noah and their Posterity after the Flood X Gen. 5 25 32. When he separated the sons of Adam Or the sons of Men who were one People till he scattered them into several Parts of the Earth and separated them into divers Nations by confounding their Language XI Gen. 8 9. He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the Children of Israel He had then the Children of Israel in his mind before they were a Nation and made such a distribution to other People particularly to the Seven Nations of Canaan within such bounds and limits as that there might be sufficient room for so numerous a People as the Israelites when they came to take possession of that Country How the Seventy came to translate these words thus He appointed the bounds of the Nations according to the number of the Angels it is hard to say Bochartus hath made the best Conjecture about it which was hinted by de Muis before him Lib. I. Phaleg Cap. XV. that they had a bad Copy before them which left out the three first Letters of Israel and so they read baneel the Children of God meaning the Israelites Instead of which some Transcribers put the Angels of God because they are sometimes called his Sons Which led the ancient Greek Fathers who followed this Translation into great difficulties and it grew a common Opinion that every Nation was under the Government of an Angel which seems to be the meaning also of the Son of Sirach XVII Ecclus. 17. And many others fancying that God divided the Nations according to the number of the Children of Israel when they came into Egypt which was just Seventy they thence gather there were just so many distinct Nations and so many several Languages Which is a Conceit of some of the Jews as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. IX But Bochart in the place above-named hath given the plain and simple meaning of this place in these words God so distributed the Earth among the several People that were therein that he reserved or in his counsel designed such a part of the Earth for the Israelites who were then unborn as he knew would afford a commodious habitation to a most numerous Nation Verse 9 Ver. 9. For the LORD's portion is his people And not satisfied with this kindness he chose them alone out of all other Nations to be under his special Care and to enjoy singular Priviledges which none other had and therefore they are called his peculiar Treasure XIX Exod. 5. This Origen maintains to be true against all the Cavils of Celsus Lib. V. p. 250. Edit Cantabr where he shows how beneficial their Laws were and that they were taught so early to know God to believe the Immortality of the Soul and Rewards and Punishments in the Life to come as demonstrated they were distinguished from all other People whatsoever See p. 260. Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance This is the same thing repeated in other words alluding to the manner of measuring and dividing Lands by Cords as the word in the Hebrew is which we translate lot See XVI Psal 6 and Chapt. IV. of this Book v. 20. Ver. 10. He found him in a desert Land There Verse 10 he first took the Israelites to be his peculiar People for so the word we translate found frequently signifies As in Psal CXVI 3. The pains of Hell gat hold upon me where in the Hebrew the words are found me And in the New Testament IV Rom. 1. What shall we say then that Abraham our Father hath found that is attained In the waste-howling wilderness Desolate and void of all Sustenance where nothing was to be heard but the howlings and yellings of wild Beasts VIII Deut. 15. He led him about Conducted the Israelites from place to place XXXIII Numb 1 2 c. He instructed him Gave them his Laws XX Exod. 1 2 c. XXXIV 1 10 c. He kept him as the apple of his eye Protected and defended them from all dangers with extraordinary care for there is
shall the Plagues of Babylon the great come in one day In one hour her great riches shall come to nought XVIII Revel 8 10 17. Verse 36 Ver. 36. For the LORD shall judge his people Plead their cause as the Scripture elsewhere speaks L Jerem. 34. and deliver them from the Oppression of their Enemies as this Phrase is often used in the Book of Psalms VII 8. X. 18. And repent himself for his servants Have mercy upon them as the Vulgar truly expresses the sense and turn his Hand which punishes them upon their Enemies See L Jerem. 20. LI. 24. When he sees that their power is gone That they are not able to help themselves That 's the due time or season before-mentioned for God to interpose when the Enemies of his People think themselves irresistible there being none able to oppose them And there is none shut up or left Some refer this to Persons and others to Things and either way it signifies their Condition to be so forlorn that they could do nothing either by Men or by Money for their deliverance J. Forsterus translates these words Custoditum aut neglectum i. e. precious or vile By which wonderful deliverance and restoration when they were so totally destitute of all help all the World was given to understand that there is no God like unto the LORD Ver. 37. And he shall say Or It shall be said Where are their gods their rock in whom they trusted Verse 37 It is dubious whether these words be directed to the Jews or to the Gentiles who had oppressed them It seems most agreeable to take them as a Reproach to the Enemies of the Jews who had long bragg'd of the Power of their gods and ascribed all their Success to them v. 27. who now could not deliver them in their distress Ver. 38. Which did eat the fat of their Sacrifices and Verse 38 drank the wine of their Drink-offerings For the same Rites were used among the Gentiles as among the Jews who offered all the Fat upon the Altar and there poured out the Wine which accompanied the Meat-offering c. See XV Numb The LXX refer this to the Worshippers themselves and translate it thus agreeably enough to the Hebrew The fat of whose Sacrifices ye eat and drank the wine of their Drink-offerings And Onkelos to the same purpose Let them rise up and help you and be your protection From the Calamity which was unavoidably coming upon them XLVI Isa 1 2 7. LI Jerem. 17 18. Ver. 39. See now Open your Eyes now at last Verse 39 and be convinced by your sad Experience of your Error That I even I am he That it is I and none but I who have made these Changes in the World first making you Instruments in punishing my People and now inflicting the like Punishments upon you LI Jerem 24 25 49. The words in the Hebrew being I I am he the Author of the Old Nitzacon was sensible that we Christians might hence observe that there are two who are here called God the Father and the Son And therefore takes care to inform his Reader that there are not two first principles of things Which as no Christian is so foolish as to affirm so their own Authors have acknowledged more Persons than one here called God Thus Jonathan in his Paraphrase plainly supposes another Person in the Divinity whom he calls the WORD when he thus explains this Verse When the WORD of the LORD shall reveal himself to redeem his People he shall say to all People I am he that have been and am and shall be See I Revel 8. and by my WORD kill and make alive I smote the People of Israel and I will heal them in the end of the days Which makes these words a plain Prophecy of the Messiah and him to be God And so the Hierusalem Targum See that I now am he in my WORD and there is no God besides me I am he who kill the living in this World and raise the dead in the World to come c. And there is no god with me As I have no Superiour so neither have I any Equal I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal If I please to destroy any People for their sins none can hinder me and if any repent and implore my Mercy I restore them to perfect safety R. Isaac in his Chissuk Emuna P. I. Cap. VI. Sect. XX. alledges these words as a Prophecy of the Resurrection of the dead in the days of the Messiah And in another place Cap. X. he alledges them as an effectual Confutation of those ancient Hereticks who imagined two Supream Powers one of them the Author of all Good and the other the Author of all Evil which I observed upon XVI Levit. to have been a very ancient Opinion For there could not be they fancied the same Care which had an influence upon both To remove which false conceit God declares I kill as well as make alive c. And for the same reason he saith in XLV Isa 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the LORD do all these things Neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand Nor can any reverse the Judgment that I pass upon Men. Ver. 40. For I lift up my hand to Heaven Swear Verse 40 solemnly to do what follows viz. be revenged on his Enemies as well as deliver his People Thus Abraham anciently sware XIV Gen. 22. And when God promised to bring the Israelites into Canaan he is said to lift up his hand VI Exod. 8. IX Nehem. 15. From whence some think the word promittere is derived signifying to engage by stretching out the hand and that from thence sprang the Custom of stretching out and lifting up their Hand when they sware Which the Gentiles practised as those known words of Virgil inform us Aeneid XII Suspiciens Coelum tenditque ad sydera dextram When God therefore is said to lift up his Hand to Heaven the meaning is he swears by himself as it here follows And say I live for ever As sure as I live Ver. 41. If I whet my glittering Sword Make all Verse 41 things ready for the execution of my Judgments And my hand take hold of judgment I begin to punish I will render vengeance to mine Enemies None shall stop my proceedings to be fully avenged of them And will reward them that hate me For as Jeremiah speaks LI. 56. The LORD God of Recompences will surely requite For it is the vengeance of the LORD as he speaks in the foregoing Chapter concerning Babylon L. 15. take vengeance upon her as she hath done do unto her Verse 42 Ver. 42. I will make mine Arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh Make an exceeding great slaughter XXXIV Isaiah 5 6. With the blood of the slain and of the Captives This signifies none should be spared for they should be killed who
in the place forenamed and in others is to be taken in a large sense comprehending Mount Moriah also on which the Temple was built 2 Chron. III. 1. which was in the Tribe of Benjamin and consequently the Temple was situated in this Tribe And the LORD shall cover him all the day long The Glory of the Majestical Presence of the LORD shall be a Shield over him to defend him continually as the Hierusalem Targum expounds it And he shall dwell upon his shoulders For the Divine Majesty saith Onkelos shall dwell in his Country It being in the Temple and the Temple in the Tribe of Benjamin where it stood upon Mount Moriah as the Head of a Man doth upon his Shoulders as Dr. Lightfoot glosses in his Temple Service p. 145. Edit 1. Or the word we translate here shoulders may signifie as it is translated in other places sides XXXIV Numb 11. or borders And nothing is more certain than that the Divine Habitation was in the Borders of Benjamin whose Lot touched Judah's at Jerusalem and was so united to it that when the rest fell off from Judah the Tribe of Benjamin always adhered to it This being the sense which the ancient Interpreters give of this Verse and very agreeable to the words I shall not trouble the Reader with any other But only mention a Conceit of Conradus Pellicanus who by the beloved of the LORD here understands David who dwelt in safety by Benjamin though the King of that Tribe persecuted him for God covered and protected him continually from violence c. It is strange that a Man otherwise judicious and well acquainted with the Jewish Learning should propound this as the best interpretation he could think of when there is nothing of a Blessing upon Benjamin in it Ver. 13. And of Joseph he said This Tribe follows Verse 13 next his Lot falling near to Benjamin who lay between Judah and Joseph Blessed of the LORD be his Land He foretels that this Tribe should be situated in a most plentiful Country and enriched by the Divine Blessing upon it For the precious things of Heaven Sending fruitful showers from Heaven For the dew Together with the Evening and Morning Dews which are no less refreshing to the Earth than Rain And for the deep that coucheth beneath He means Springs of Water which burst out of the Bowels of the Earth for the use of Man and Beast Ver. 14. For the precious fruits of the Sun Whose kindly heat brings them forth and makes them grow to maturity Verse 14 And the precious things put forth by the Moon For all Fruits are plumped by the Moons cool and fatning Moisture in the Night which is digested by the Sun in the Day Or this passage may relate to the several sorts of Fruit which are produced every Month. So Onkelos interprets it It produceth also sweet fruits at the beginning of every Month. For the word jerachim in the Hebrew being in the Plural Number signifies Moons i. e. Months And so the Hierusalem Targum translates it in every New Moon which comprehends the whole Month. Verse 15 Ver. 15. And for the chief things of the ancient Mountains and for the precious things of the lasting hills Such as Mount Ephraim and Samaria and Bashan which were exceeding fruitful in Grapes and Olives and such like excellent Fruit. And called ancient and lasting because they were made together with the Earth in the beginning and not Mounts cast up by the Art of Men. See XLIX Gen. 20. Verse 16 Ver. 16. For the precious things of the Earth This seems to relate to their Arable Land which he foretels should bring forth great store of all sorts of Corn. The word Meged which we translate precious is repeated five times in these three last Verses signifying that which in its kind is most excellent and eximious as that great Man Ezekiel Spanhemius observes upon Callimachus his Hymn to Diana V. 245. where mentioning several Instruments of Musick among the Greeks whose names came from the Hebrew he thinks one called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athenaeus saith but he could not tell whether a wind or stringed Instrument came from this Hebrew word Meged for it was not of a Greek Original And in IV Cant. 13. this word is translated pleasant as all Musick is but that especially which was made by this Instrument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Plato who took it for a stringed Instrument calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anacreon saying he had one of twenty Strings as Spanhemius notes upon the Hymn in Delum p. 472. And fulness thereof By the fulness of the Earth may be meant either the Plenty and Abundance of its Fruits or the Ripeness thereof as Bochartus observes in his Canaan And for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush That is of God whose Majesty as Onkelos paraphrases dwells in the Heavens and was revealed to Moses in the Bush III Exod. 2 4. That is the SCHECHIMAH there appeared in a most glorious manner and the LORD told Moses he was there present Whose good will which is the Fountain of all Blessings for to it they owed their Deliverance out of Egypt which God then promised to Moses out of the Bush he wishes may be the peculiar Portion of Joseph Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph The word blessing is not in the Hebrew but this being connected with the foregoing words may be thought a Prayer that the good will of God the Fountain as I said of all Blessings may rest upon Joseph Or as Onkelos translates it Let all those things before-named come upon the head of Joseph And so the Hierusalem Targum expounds it Let all these Blessings come and be made perfect upon the head of Joseph Vpon the top of him that was separated from his Brethren That is saith the same Targum Vpon him that was made Ruler over all the Land of Egypt and splendid in the honour given him by his Brethren See this explained upon XLIX Gen. 26. Ver. 17. His glory is like the firstling of his Bullock Verse 17 The Ancients thought there was so much Majesty in the Countenance of a Bull especially of a young Bullock in its prime lifting up its Head that they made it an Emblem of Kingly Power as Bochartus hath shown out of several good Authors in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. Cap. XXIX And accordingly here it signifies that the Tribe of Ephraim should have Royal Authority established in it For he doth not compare the Person of Joseph to a young Bullock though he was a goodly Man eminent for his Beauty and comely Proportions XXXIX Gen. 6. but the Tribes which sprang from him as appears from the last words of this Verse Whose glory he here comparing to that of a young Bullock and its glory consisting in its strength the power of the Tribes of Joseph is hereby denoted which was so great
die nor being surprised with death for he knew the time and the place and the manner of it And as he did not die of any Disease as was said before or of old Age or by external force but only by the will and pleasure of God who took his Soul out of his Body so he did not part with it against his will nor with any fear but with a placid Mind and composed Spirit committed himself to God In whose embraces as we may speak he expired and this it is likely the ancient Jews meant when they said His Soul departed with a kiss As to the time of his death the Scripture doth not mention the Year the Month and the Day but the Jews commonly place it in the last Month of the fortieth year after their coming out of Egypt called ADAR and the seventh day of that Month. Thus they say in Seder Olam Rabba Cap. X. and in their Kalendar which they now follow and so Patricides in Hottinger's Smegma Orientale p. 457. But our great Primate of Ireland in his Annals observes that it agrees better with the following History to place his death in the first Day of that Month and Torniellus makes the same Computation that it must be either in the latter end of the Eleventh Month or in the beginning of the Twelfth Verse 6 Ver. 6. And he buried him This refers to the words foregoing viz. the LORD who commanded his Angels to bury him So Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Haeres IX p. 28. and see p. 600. Though in the Scripture active words are very often used passively and the meaning may be only that he was buried Yet there is this to be said for the other sense that thereupon it is thought that the Contest arose between Michael the Archangel and the Devil as St. Chrysostom Theodoret Procopius Gazaeus and others take it who would not have had him buried but opposed it that he might administer an occasion to the Jews to commit Idolatry Though we never find that the Jews were given to the Worship of Reliques as our most Learned Vsser observes in his Annals See there In a Valley in the Land of Moab over against Beth-Peor This Valley was in the Land of Sihon King of the Amorites IV. 46. who had taken it from the Moabites as I noted before and was now possessed by the Israelites And Beth-Peor was a part of the Possession of Reuben XIII Josh 20. which was a place where the Temple of Peor anciently stood from whence it had its name For this Idol is not only called Baal-Peor but simply Peor XXII Josh 17. and as Beth-Baal is the Temple of Baal so Beth-Peor is the Temple of Peor as J. Ger. Vossius abserves de Orig. Progr Idol Lib. II. Cap. VII Now by all these Circumstances of his burial it appears how frivolous that Opinion of the Jews is mentioned in Jalkut out of Siphri that Moses did not really die but was translated into Heaven where he stands and Ministers before God Which conceit Josephus himself follows Lib. IV. Aniq. Cap. VIII where he saith that the having dismissed the Elders who went with him to Mount Abarim and then conversing a while with Eleazar and Joshua while he embraced them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cloud on a sudden coming upon him he was snacht out of their sight into a certain Valley Which is not only beside but contrary to the Scripture which saith he died and was buried in the Valley And yet some of the ancient Fathers particularly St. Ambrose and St. Hilary have followed this Opinion that when Moses is said to die it doth not signifie the separation of his Soul from his Body but his Translation to a better Life See Sixtus Senensis in his Bibliotheca Lib. V. Annot. LXI where he observes this is not only against Scripture but against the sense of almost all Ecclesiastical Writers But no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day These words unto this day show that this passage was not written by Moses as Josephus and Philo imagine who say he wrote this by the Spirit of Prophecy See v. 1. The reason why his Body was concealed most think to have been lest in future times it should become an Object of their Worship So R. Levi ben Gersom Future Generations perhaps might have made a god of him because of the fame of his Miracles For do we not see how some of the Israelites erred in the brazen Serpent which Moses made And the Heresie of the Melchisedekians shows this was no vain fear as Hermannus Witzius observes Lib. I. Miscell Cap. XVII if Epiphanius may be believed who saith that in Arabia Petraea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They thought him to be God because of his Wonders he wrought and worshipped his Image What would they have done if they had had his very Body Which he did not desire to be carried into Canaan and buried among his Ancestors as Joseph ordered concerning his Bones For he understood it is likely the mind of God to be that as he should not go over Jordan while he was alive so his Body should not be carried over when he was dead Which R. Chama thinks might have proved dangerous because in the time of their Distress especially at the Captivity of the Land the Children of Israel might have been prone to run to his Sepulchre and beg him with tears to pray for them whose Prayers had been so prevalent for them in his life time For such a piece of Superstition it seems crept in among them in latter Ages of which see Wagenseil upon the Gemara of Sota Cap. I. Sect. LII Annot II. But though no Man knew where Moses was buried when this was written yet some Maronite Shepherds we are told have pretended lately MDCLV to find out his Tomb with this Inscription in Hebrew Moses the Servant of the LORD A great stir was made about it as the same Witzius observes out of Hornius his Historia Ecclesiastica But a learned Jew he saith so confuted the Story showing it was another Moses whose Tomb they found that the Report presently vanished And the Learned Wagenseil makes some probable guesses that it was the Tomb of Moses Maimonides See Annot. VI. in Gemara Sotae Cap. I. Sect. LI. But Bartoloccius in his late Bibliotheca Rabbinica Tom. III. p. 928 c. hath made it rather probable that Hornius was imposed upon by some body in this narration there being no such Author known among the Jews as R. Jakum or Jacomus ben Gad who he saith confuted this Tale. Ver. 7. And was an hundred and twenty years old Verse 7 when he died A third part of which time wanting one Month he had been imployed in the Government of Israel as Josephus observes in the Conclusion of his Fourth Book of Antiquities His eye was not dim nor his natural force abated That is he had all the vigour of Youth remaining there being not