Josh 33. Which could not have been unless it were placed between the two Mountains whereon they stood upon both sides from the top to the bottom With a loud voice That every one that stood on the side or top of the Mountains might hear what they said the Priests being placed so in several parts of the Valley that their voice might reach them all For which end they were advanced perhaps upon a Pulpit as Ezra afterwards was VIII Nehem. 4. and a signal likewise given when they should say Amen Ver. 15. Cursed be he that maketh any graven or molten Verse 15 image The People upon the Mountains being to bless as well as curse the Mischna in the Title Sota Cap. VII Sect. V. rightly explains this that first the Priests turning their Faces towards Mount Gerizim proclaimed with a loud voice Blessed be the man that maketh not any graven c. Unto which all the People that stood there answered Amen And then turning their Faces towards Mount Ebal they said these words Cursed be the man that maketh c. to which they that stood there made the same answer See also the Hierusalem Targum which paraphrases these words in the same manner An abomination unto the LORD Which is odious and far to be removed from the Presence of the LORD as the same Targum interprets it The work of the hands of the Crafts-man A meer device of Men and therefore not to have Divine Worship given to it of any sort And putteth it in a secret place Though he was not a publick declared Worshipper of Images yet if he did it privately in some Closet of his own House or in any other secret place to conceal his wickedness though he escaped the punishment of the Law which sentenced open Idolaters to death yet he could not escape the vengeance of God And all the people The forenamed Mischna and Targum say That the People on both Mountains answered Amen both to the Blessings and to the Cursings which doth not agree with what goes before v. 12 13. Shall answer and say Amen Express their consent to it For the word Amen as the Talmudists say in Schebuoth hath sometimes the force of an Oath sometimes only declares consent and approbation and sometimes is used for the confirmation of any thing An Example of the first they think there is in V Numb 22. and they alledge this place for an Example of the second and for the third XXVIII Jerem. 6. Verse 16 Ver. 16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father and mother It is observed by Interpreters that as the Precept of honouring Parents stands next to the Commandment concerning the Honour that is due to God XX Exod. 12. so the Curse pronounced against those who dishonoured them is here placed next to the Curse against Worshippers of Images And as Idolaters were to be put to death so were those that cursed their Parents XXI Exod. 17. XX Levit. 9. And I may add from the foregoing words that though they did it ever so secretly they lay under this Curse And all the people shall say Amen But before this Curse was pronounced they had said Amen to the Blessing opposite to it blessed is he that setteth not lightly by his Father and Mother as was observed on the foregoing Verse And the same is to be noted concerning the following Curses which were preceded with a Blessing till they were all ended Ver. 17. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's Verse 17 Land-mark c. Against which there is an express Precept in the foregoing part of this Book XIX 14. And Pellicanus well observes that by this particular Instance of God's displeasure against Injustice they were deterred from all Incroachments upon their Neighbours Possessions Ver. 18. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander Verse 18 out of the way By giving him wrong directions or misleading him See XIX Levit. 14. Some apply this to giving pernitious Advice to simple People which is certainly worse than misguiding of the blind because it leads Men into sin as well as into danger Ver. 19. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of Verse 19 the stranger fatherless and widow These three I observed before XXIV 19. are commonly put together as a paraphrase upon the word poor whose Cause God himself undertakes to plead X. 18. and see XII Exod. 21 22. And therefore all good Law-givers have taken special care of them particularly of Orphans concerning whom Plato ordains that the Conservators of the Laws should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of their natural Parents and look after them so well that they should not fare the worse for wanting their Fathers See Lib. VIII de Legibus fol. 926 c. Edit Serrani Verse 20 Ver. 20. Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife See XXII 30. and XVIII Levit. 8. Verse 21 Ver. 21. Cursed be he who lieth with any manner of beast c. XXII Exod. 19. and XVIII Levit. 23. This some of the Jewish Doctors out of an unaccountable pride apply to the Vulgar sort of their own Nation whom they call the People of the Earth as if they were no better than Beasts with whom they were not to marry Verse 22 Ver. 22. Cursed be he that lyeth with his sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother c. This hath been explained also XVIII Levit. 9. Verse 23 Ver. 23. Cursed be he that lyeth with his mother-in-law c. See XVIII Levit. 17. and XX. 14. Verse 24 Ver. 24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly c. Though it be but with his Tongue whereby he wounds the same of an absent Person But the word smite is often used for killing XXI Exod. 12. XXIV Levit. 17. Of which if a Man was guilty though he committed the Murder so secretly that he could not be put to death by the Sentence of the Judges yet he lay under this heavy Sentence of God Verse 25 Ver. 25. Cursed be he that taketh a reward to slay an innocent person c. This seems to have respect to the Judges who for Money not only gave wrong Judgment in other Causes but condemned those that were not guilty to death See XXIII Exod. 7 8. and in this Book X. 17. XVI 19. Ver. 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them The word we here translate confirm is more plainly translated perform in 1 Sam. XV. 11. And so it certainly signifies here the performing Verse 26 of what God commands being a kind of Establishment of the Law as Disobedience is a Subversion of it and as far as lyes in the Offenders power an abolishing it and taking it away Therefore the Apostle exactly translates the sense of these words III Galat. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things c. where the Apostle adds the word all as the LXX and the Samaritan did even in St.
13. And cut down their Groves There is the same mention of Asherim which we translate Groves in the place last named only another word for cut down See there But Mr. Selden both there and here understands by Asherim wooden Images of Astarte a great Goddess worshipped in that Country For which among other Reasons he gives this that Gideon is said to have thrown down the Altar of Baal and cut down the Grove that was by it So we translate it VI Judg. 25 28. where in the Hebrew the last word is Alau which signifies upon it and not by it And so the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore the Asherah which is said to be upon the Altar must not signifie a Grove but an Image and none more likely than that of Astarte See De Diis Syris Syntagm 2 Cap. 2. and 2 Kings XXIII 6 7. And burn their graven Images with Fire As he was commanded to destroy their molten Images XXXIII Numb 52. that so no sort of Image nor any Monument of their Worship might be left in the Country but all so entirely abolished that they might have no Incentive to Idolatry This was the work of the Supreme Governour as Grotius prudently observes For tho' out of private places it belonged to the Lord of the place or if he were negligent to the King to remove Idols yet none but the Supreme Power might remove them out of publick places or such Persons who were delegated thereby to that Office See L. de Imper. Sum. Potest circa Sacra Cap. VIII Sect. 3. Ver. 6. For thou art an holy People unto the LORD Verse 6 thy God This is an Argument frequently used particularly in the Book of Leviticus why they should cleave to God alone because he had separated them to himself by many peculiar Laws which no other People had but they XI Levit. 44 45. XIX 2. XX. 7 26. The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all People that are upon the face of the Earth As he had distinguished them from all other People by peculiar Laws so by special Favours and singular Priviledges which no other Nation whatsoever enjoyed See XIX Exod. 5 6. Some interpret the Words special People to signify that they belong'd to none but him and he had no other People but they whom he had espoused to himself From whence it is that as the Israelites are called God's People so that Country is called his Land LXXXV Psal 1. for there he dwelt by his special Presence And the King of that Country is called God's King XVIII Psal 50. and he is said to sit on God's Throne and to be Nelech le Jehovah King for the LORD 2 Chron. IX 8. and the Kingdom is called the Kingdom of the LORD XIII 8. and therefore with this Argument Asa addresses himself to God in the next Chapter XIV 11. for Help in time of Distress because he was their God and would not he hoped let their Enemies prevail against himself And accordingly these Enemies are said to be destroyed before the LORD and before his Host v. 13. Jehoshaphat also exhorts the Judges in that Book to great Caution 2 Chron. XIX 6. because they judged not for Man but for the LORD And the Prophet exhorts in the following Chapter XX. 15. not to be afraid of a mighty Host which came against him because the Battle is not yours but Gods the Cause in which they fought being his more than their own Verse 7 Ver. 7. The LORD did not set his Love upon you nor choose you To be his special People as he calls them in the foregoing Verse Because ye were more in Number than any People for ye were the fewest of all People When God declared his Love first to Abraham and his Posterity he had no Child XII Gen. 1 2 3. XV. 1 2. And when he had his Family continued so small after there were XII Heirs of the Promise that in the space of Two Hundred Years they were but LXX Persons XLVI Gen. 27. Nor do we read of any great increase of them till after the Death of Joseph which was near Fourscore Years more I Exod. 7 8 c. So St. Steven observes VII Acts 17. When the time of the Promise drew nigh which God had sworn to Abraham the People grew and multiplied in Aegypt Ver. 8. But because the LORD loved you Because it was his good Pleasure to single them out from all other People to receive special Tokens of his Favour to them Verse 8 And because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand c. Not for any desert of theirs but to make good his Promise confirmed with an Oath did he work their wonderful Deliverance out of Egypt XV Gen. 13 14. XXII 16 c. Ver. 9. Know therefore that the LORD thy God he Verse 9 is God He exhorts them therefore to preserve this Sense in their Mind that their God is the only God The faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments c. Who will not only faithfully keep his Word and make good his Promises but do abundantly more than he hath promised to those that cleave unto him alone and serve no other God For it appears by the Second Commandment that is peculiarly meant by loving him To a thousand Generations See XX Exod. 6. Ver. 10. And repay them that hate him Punish all Verse 10 Idolaters who are peculiarly called haters of God as I have often observed See XX Exod. 5. To their Face They themselves should live to see and feel the Punishment of their Idolatry So the Chaldee Paraphrases it Becajehon in their Life He will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his Face Though he do not punish him immediately yet he will not defer it long but be avenged of him before he die Therefore when he threatens to punish them to the Third and Fourth Generation the meaning is not that he will only punish their Posterity but them with their Posterity whom they shall see destroyed before their Face For the Fourth Generation as Maimonides observes is as much as the oldest Men commonly live to see Verse 11 Ver. 11. Thou shalt therefore keep the Commandments and the Statutes and the Judgments which I command thee this day to do them All the Laws of God see VI. 1. especially this great Commandment to have no other God but him Verse 12 Ver. 12. Wherefore it shall come to pass if ye hearken to these Judgments and keep and do them that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and Mercy which he sware unto thy Fathers As faithfully fulfil his Promises to them as he did to their Fathers Verse 13 Ver. 13. And he will love thee Continue his Love to them And bless thee and multiply thee
from Kadesh-Barnea In all which time he gives us no account what passed either in the foregoing Book or in this but only sets down the places of their abode as I observed in the XXXIIIth of NVMBERS Ver. 3. Ye have compassed this Mountain long enough Verse 3 i. e. The mountainous Country of Edom mentioned v. 1. Turn ye northward From Ezion-gaber which was in the South towards the North that is directly towards the Land of Canaan Ver. 4. And command thou the People saying Ye Verse 4 are to pass through the Coast of your Brethren the Children of Esau which dwell in Seir. For they went from Ezion-gaber to Kadesh XX Numb 1. and from thence to Mount Hor v. 22. which was in the edge of the Land of Edom XXXIII Numb 37. and from thence they travelled to compass the Land of Edom XXI 4. i. e. the Eastern quarter of it So that though they did not pass through the Coast of Edom as we translate it yet they passed by it and very near unto it as the Particle beth frequently signifies XXXVII Gen. 13. V Josh 13. 1 Sam. XXIX 1. Though they may be truly said to pass through their Coast if thereby we understand their Border or the Confines of their Country And they shall be afraid of you Lest wanting a Settlement the Israelites should seize upon their Country Accordingly we find they raised all the force they could make to oppose them XX Numb 20. Take ye good heed to your selves therefore Let not that encourage you to assault them Verse 5 Ver. 5. Meddle not with them Make not the least attempt upon them For I will not give you of their Land no not so much as a foot breadth i. e. Not the smallest Portion Because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession So Joshua saith expresly XXIV Josh 4. wherein he made good the Blessing of Isaac XXVII Gen. 39. Verse 6 Ver. 6. Ye shall buy meat of them for money that ye may eat c. If you have a mind to any Provision that their Country affords you shall not take it but purchase it as they did their very Water v. 29. which was a scarce thing in those dry Countries And so the Israelites offered to do when they treated with them about a passage through their Country XX Numb 19. Verse 7 Ver. 7. For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand Or though the LORD hath blessed thee c. That is though there is no need of it God having abundantly provided you with all things necessary But if we follow our translation the sense is plain You have wherewith to buy of them what you need or desire therefore do not take it away by force He knoweth thy walking through this great Wilderness Hath directed and prospered thee as the word knoweth signifies in many places I Psal 6. XXXI 7. in thy Travels through a dangerous Wilderness These forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee thou hast lacked nothing He had mercifully provided for them so constantly that he let them want nothing necessary for their support This was the Sum of the Argument why they should not molest the Edomites nor take any thing by stealth from them because they were in no need and God hath given that Country to the Children of Esau as he intended to give Canaan to the Israelites Their being in the Wilderness forty Years is mentioned also VIII 2. XXIX 5. besides other places of Scripture For from the fifteenth day of the first Month in which their Fathers came out of Egypt XXXIII Numb 5. to the tenth day of the same Month in which they went over Jordan into Canaan IV Josh 19. there were but five days wanting of compleat forty Years I cannot but here note also that this is one of those places wherein Onkelos mentions the MEMRA i. e. WORD of Jehovah which can signifie nothing but a Divine Person For thus he tranlates these words The WORD of the LORD thy God hath been thy helper thou hast not wanted any thing Ver. 8. And when we passed by from our Brethren the Verse 8 Children of Esau which dwelt in Seir through the way of the plain i. e. Through the Wilderness of Zin From Elath and from Ezion-gaber Two places upon the Red-Sea the last of which Ezion-gaber signifies as much as the Spine or Back-bone of a Man So called because there were great ragged Rocks in that Port as Bochart observes like those at Dyracchium in Macedonia which had its Name also from thence Lib. I. Canaan Cap. XLIV We turned After they were denied passage through their Country and had gone through those Stations mentioned XXXIII Numb 41 42 c. And passed by the Wilderness of Moab See XXI Numb 11. Going by the East side of their Country XI Judg. 18. Verse 9 Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto me Distress not the Moabites neither contend with them in battle He would not have them force their way through his Country because the King of Moab refused them a passage as the King of Edom had done XI Judg. 17. For their Country now was but small since Sihon King of the Amorites had taken from them all the best of it which lay between Arnon and Jabbok of which the Israelites had possessed themselves by the conquest of Sihon So that they had only that Portion remaining which lay upon the Dead-Sea which David in after times subdued For I will not give thee of their Land for a possession No more than of Edom v. 5. Because I have given Ar. It is likely the Capital City gave Name to the whole Country about it At least Ar which was the chief City of Moab XXI Numb 15 28. is put here for all the Land of Moab as Mount Seir for all the Land of Edom v. 1. Vnto the Children of Lot for a possession Though the Moabites were now a wicked People yet for their pious Ancestors sake from whom they were descended God would not have them dispossessed Verse 10 Ver. 10. And the Emims dwelt there in time past c. A terrible People as the very Name imports both for their number and for their strength being of a large size like Anakims See XIV Gen. 5. Verse 11 Ver. 11. Which also were accounted Giants as the Anakims c. Which seems to have been their name or else Rephaim but to distinguish them from others of that name in Canaan the Moabites called them Emims Ver. 12. The Horims also dwelt in Seir before-time They were the ancient Inhabitants of Mount Seir as the Emims were of the Country of Moab XIV Gen. 6. XXXVI 20. Verse 12 But the Children of Esau succeeded them Planted themselves in that Mountain When they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their Land When the Children of Esau expelled the Horites or the Children of Lot the Emmims is no where recorded nor who were their Leaders in
it c. According to their own desire but on condition they should help their Brethren to conquer the Land of Canaan See XXXII Numb 20 21 22. Verse 19 Ver. 19. But your Wives and your little Ones and your Cattle for I know you have much Cattle shall abide in your Cities which I have given you See XXXII Numb 16 24 26. Verse 20 Ver. 20. Vntil the LORD have given rest unto your Brethren as well as unto you c. Brought them to a Settlement in the Land of Canaan and given them a peaceable possession of it After which we read that Joshua dismissed these Tribes and sent them to their Wives and Children XXII Josh 4. Verse 21 Ver. 21. And I commanded Joshua at that time About that time when by God's order he appointed Joshua to be his Successor and took him to be his Associate in the Government XXVII Numb 18 c. Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two Kings So shall the LORD do unto all the Kingdoms whither thou passest This seems to be the Preface to the Charge which by God's Command he gave to Joshua at that time XXVII Numb 19 23. Ver. 22. Ye shall not fear them for the LORD your Verse 22 God fighteth for you This is part of the Charge it self which he had heard him give all the People eight and thirty years ago I. 21 29 30. Ver. 23. And I besought the LORD at that time Verse 23 saying Being told by God at the same time XXVII Numb 12 13. that he should shortly dye and only see the Land of Canaan but not enter into it Moses made his humble Supplication to God that he would not execute the Sentence which he had denounced against him For the word besought signifies Supplication to one that is offended Ver. 24. O LORD God thou hast begun to shew Verse 24 thy Servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand In subduing the two Kings of the Amorites For what God is there in Heaven or in Earth that can do according to thy works and according to thy might He speaks according to the Language of those times when Men worshipped many Gods of several sorts None of which he acknowledges were able to bring to pass such things as the LORD had done Ver. 25. I pray thee let me go over and see the good Verse 25 Land that is beyond Jordan To see is here to enjoy it as the rest of the Israelites were to do For God bad him go up into a Mountain and behold it but threatned he should not enter into it Which Threatning he might well think was reversible as others had been against the People of Israel upon his Prayer for them though they had more highly offended the Divine Majesty than he had done For though he doubted at the first especially when he saw no Water come out of the Rock at the first stroke yet he presently recovered himself and smote it the second time believing God would relieve them That goodly Mountain Most think that he desired to go so far into it as to see the place where God intended to settle his Divine Presence which proved to be Mount Moriah But nothing was known of this a long time after unless we suppose it was revealed unto him that where Abraham offered Isaac there the LORD would dwell It seems to me that he means that goodly Country full of noble Mountains for thus the word Mountain is often used particularly XIII Numb 29. where the Spies say the Amorites dwell in the Mountain i. e. in that mountainous part of Canaan And Lebanon He desired to go through the whole Country as far as Lebanon which was the most Northerly part of it famous for goodly Cedars as the Mountain before spoken of was in the South of Canaan Verse 26 Ver. 26. But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes See I. 37. And would not hear me Refused to grant my Petition And the LORD said unto me Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter This suggests that Moses renewed his Petition after the first denial and more earnestly begg'd this Favour of God which he could not obtain but was enjoyned silence This argues great displeasure and is mentioned by him as an Admonition to the Israelites Chapter IV. to be fearful to offend the Divine Majesty Ver. 27. Get thee up to the top of Pisgah See what I have noted upon XXVII Numb 12. Verse 27 And lift up thine eyes Westward and Northward c. Take a full view of the Country in all the Quarters of it which might be seen from the top of this Mountain which was called Nebo See XXXIV 1 2 3. Ver. 28. But charge Joshua and incourage and Verse 28 strengthen him c. Bid him not doubt that I will bring my People thither under his Conduct though I deny thee entrance into it Ver. 29. So we abode in the Valley over against Verse 29 Beth-peor It is likely that there was a Temple built to Baal-Peor which fronted this Valley for so Beth signifies an House or Temple of Peor Which gave the Name to a City wherein it stood which was part of the Inheritance of the Reubenites XIII Josh 20. In this Valley Moses was buried XXXIV 6. where he made this most excellent Exhortation to all the People CHAP. IV. Verse 1. NOW therefore hearken O Israel Having Verse 1 commemorated several Benefits which God had bestowed upon them since their coming out of Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai with several severe Punishments which he had inflicted on them for their Disobedience to it Moses proceeds now to exhort them earnestly to the observance of it Vnto the Statutes These seem to be such Laws as concerned the Worship of God And the Judgments And then these were such as concerned their Dealings one with another Which two words comprehend all that is signified by Testimonies and Precepts also in other places Which I teach you for to do them Which he was about to set before them and press upon their Practice That ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the LORD God of your Fathers giveth you Not perish as their Fore-fathers had done in their Rebellion but be happy and enjoy what God had promised and was ready now to bestow upon them Verse 2 Ver. 2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish from it This is thought by some to signifie that they should not make the least alteration in the Laws he had given them about the Rites of Divine Worship and Abstinence from several Meats and such like things which were distinctive Marks whereby they were separated from other Nations to be a peculiar People to him Thus Chiskuni interprets these words Thou shalt not add fear upon the fear of the blessed God That is any other Worship to the Divine Worship prescribed by these
your God which he made with you and make you a graven Image c. For this Verse 23 was the principal thing in the Covenant that they should worship him alone Which is the reason it is so often repeated and was immediately after the delivery of the Law from Mount Sinai mentioned alone as if it was the only thing he had said unto them XX Exod. 22 23. Ye have seen that I have talked with you from Heaven Ye shall not make with me Gods of Silver neither shall ye make unto you Gods of Gold Ver. 24. For the LORD thy God is a consuming Verse 24 Fire So he appeared upon the Mount when he delivered his Laws from thence in flaming Fire XXIV Exod. 17. The learned Huetius thinks that from these Words of Moses the ancient Persians took up the Worship of Fire at first only as a Resemblance of God or a Symbol of him as Maximus Tyrius saith Dissert XVIII but afterwards as God himself Demonstr Evangel p. 94. Even a jealous God Who cannot endure any Rival in your Affection See XX Exod. 5. These were two awakening Arguments to keep them from Idolatry that God cannot endure it and will be very terrible in his punishment of it Ver. 25. When thou shalt beget Children and Childrens Verse 25 Children and shalt have remained long in the Land When they were very much multiplied and had been long settled in the possession of the Land of Canaan And shall corrupt your selves By the Worship of other Gods And make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing Which he had strictly prohibited and solemnly caution'd them to beware of v. 23. And shalt do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God to provoke him to Anger By imitating the idolatrous Customs of other Nations Verse 26 Ver. 26. I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this Day A solemn kind of Asseveration that as surely as the Heaven and the Earth shall endure they should utterly perish That ye shall soon utterly perish from off this Land whereunto ye go c. As soon as the Measure of your Iniquity is filled up ye shall speedily be destroyed without Remedy Which the Hebrews refer to the Captivity by Salmaneser and Nebuchadnezzar after they had been almost Eight hundred Years in this Country and so might be said to have remained long in the Land Verse 27 Ver. 27. And the LORD shall scatter you among the Nations See XXVI Levit. 33. And ye shall be left few in number among the Heathen c. XXVI Levit. 22. Verse 28 Ver. 28. And there ye shall serve Gods the work of Mens Hands Wood and Stone c. The Idols of the Heathen To the Worship of which he threatens to abandon them as a punishment for their Apostasie from God And the Heathen sometime compelled them to worship their Gods as we read in the Third of Daniel Which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell This is a Description of the most stupid Idolatry to which they should be delivered if they fell from God See XXI Numb 29. Ver. 29. But if from thence than shalt seek the LORD thy God When they were scattered among the Heathen v. 27. Thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy Heart Verse 29 and all thy Soul If they then repented sincerely and became unfeigned Worshippers of the LORD their God alone he promises them forgiveness Ver. 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these Verse 30 things are come upon thee In great distress by the execution of the foregoing Threatnings Even in the latter Days In future Times or in their most declining State The Jews themselves apply this to the present State wherein they now are and have been many Years as appears by the ancient Nitzacon set forth lately by Wagenseil p. 254. where he saith the whole Nation must repent before God send Deliverance unto them If thou turn to the LORD thy God and shalt be obedient to his Voice The great end of punishment was to convert them and make them more observant of God's Commands Ver. 31. For the LORD thy God is a merciful God Verse 31 See XXXIV Exod. 6 7. XIV Numb 17 18. He will not forsake thee neither destroy thee c. He promises not to cast them off nor destroy them utterly tho' they were utterly thrown out of their Land v. 26. but restore them to his Favour according to the Covenant made with their Fathers and confirmed by an Oath XVII Gen. 19. XXII 16 17. See XXVI Levit. 44 45. Ver. 32. For ask now of the Days that are past which Verse 32 were before thee since the day that God created Man upon the Earth c. Turn over the Annals of the whole World from one end of it to the other ever since it was made and search whether thou canst find any thing like to that which God hath done for you Which R. Isaac thus glosses in his Munimen Fidei lately set forth by Wagenseil p. 103. From the Creation of the World till their going out of Egypt there were passed Two thousand four hundred and forty eight Years and yet in all that long Tract of Time there never were seen or heard in any part of the World such prodigious Miracles as were wrought to bring them out of Egypt and afterward in leading them through the Red Sea raining Manna on them and the appearance of the Divine Majesty at Mount Sinai c. Verse 33 Ver. 33. Did ever People hear the Voice of God speaking out of the midst of Fire as thou hast heard and live Here was a double or rather tripple Prodigy never heard of before that God should speak to them audibly and distinctly so long as to inform them in their Duty towards himself and one another and this out of the midst of devouring Flames and without the least hurt to any one of them XX Exod. 18. XX. 18. XXIV 17. Verse 34 Ver. 34. Or hath God assayed to go and take him a Nation from the midst of another Nation Another Wonder never before heard of that God by two Men alone Moses and Aaron should demand the Delivery of a Nation under the Power of another Nation far greater and stronger than themselves and effect it also by no other Means but such as here follow By Temptations This word may be thought to signifie the grievous Trials of the Israelites whose Miseries were increased after the first Attempt for their Deliverance which seemed to them a strange way of proceeding V Exod. 19 22 23. But by Temptations may in this place be in general meant Miracles as the Hebrews understand it and the Chaldee word Tenessin signifies This and the two following words being of the very same import with the three words in the New Testament which we often meet withal and seem to be taken from hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With Miracles Wonders and Signs II Act. 22. 2 Corinth XII II Hebr.
rewarded their Obedience to them as if he had received the Benefit thereof Verse 14 Ver. 14. Behold the Heaven Where the Sun Moon and Stars shine And the Heaven of Heavens And all the glorious Regions beyond them Is the LORD 's thy God Are all his Possession as they are his Work The Earth also with all that therein is As well as this Earth and all the Creatures that are in it Ver. 15. Only the LORD had a delight in thy Fathers to love them and he chose their Seed after them Verse 15 even you above all People c. He would have them sensible therefore that the Possessor of Heaven and of Earth could have no need of them or of their Services who were a very inconsiderable Part of his Creatures But it was his own meer good Will and Pleasure which moved him to show such Love to Abraham as he had done and to his Posterity for his sake above all other Nations on Earth Ver. 16. Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your Verse 16 heart Do not satisfie your selves therefore with the bare Circumcision of your Flesh and the Observance of such External Rites and Ceremonies but cut off and cast away all your naughty Affections which make you insensible both of God's Mercies and Corrections and disobedient to his Commands And be no more stiff-necked As he had often before complained they were particularly XXXII Exod. 9. and see IX 6. of this Book It is a Metaphor as I observed from Oxen who when they are to draw in a Yoke and go forward pull back their Neck and their Shoulder to withdraw themselves from the Yoke To both which the Scripture alludes IX Nehem. 29. And sometime severally we find mention of them as in the place before-named in Exodus he speaks of their stiff-neck and in VII Zachar. 11. he saith They pull'd away the shoulder St. Stephen puts both these together in his Character of the wicked Jews that killed our blessed Saviour VII Acts 51. that they were stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart Therefore the contrary disposition God promises towards the Conclusion of this Book as the greatest Blessing he could bestow on them XXX 6. Ver. 17. For the LORD thy God is God of gods and Verse 17 Lord of lords Superiour to all other Beings whether Kings on Earth or Angels in Heaven A great God a mighty and a terrible Who can do what he pleases every where and therefore is to be greatly dreaded Which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward The most righteous Judge of Men who will not connive at your Sins because you are Circumcised nor be bribed by any Sacrifices to overlook your Wickedness XXIII Exod. 8. XIX Lev. 15. I Deut. 17. Nor on the contrary reject those that uprightly obey him though they be not Jews So St. Peter learnt to understand these words X Acts 34. Verse 18 Ver. 18. He doth execute the Judgment of the Fatherless and Widow Takes their part as we speak and defends them against those that would oppress them And loveth the Stranger in giving him Food and Raiment Provideth for those who are driven unjustly out of their own Country or travelling on their honest Occasions fall into want For he seems here to speak of those who were neither Proselytes of Justice nor of the Gate as the Jews speak but were meer Gentiles Verse 19 Ver. 19. Love ye therefore the Stranger Be kind and hospitable to such distressed Persons which is a Vertue that flows from the Love of God v. 12. to which it is in vain to pretend if we love not all Mankind This Love consists in imitating God's Care of such Persons whereof he speaks in the foregoing Verse viz. doing them Justice equally with others and affording them Food and Raiment For ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt This Vertue was peculiarly required of the Jews who had been in that Condition which he commanded them to pity See XXIII Exod. 9. XIX Levit. 33 34. And if they had sincerely practised this Duty towards Aliens the Grace of God shown to the Gentiles in our blessed Saviour would not have seemed so strange to them as it did Ver. 20. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God him Verse 20 shalt thou serve This was explained before v. 12. To him shalt thou cleave Serve that is and Worship none but him And swear by his Name See VI. 13. Ver. 21. He is thy praise Whom thou oughtest Verse 21 therefore to praise Or rather in whose Love and Favour thou oughtest to glory and to think it the highest honour to be his Servant and to have him for thy God as it here follows He is thy God Who hath bestowed upon thee all the good things which thou enjoyest That hath done for thee all these great and terrible things which thine eyes have seen In bringing them out of Egypt destroying Pharaoh in the Red-sea leading them through the Wilderness giving them the Country of Sihon and Og c. Whom therefore they were bound to Love and Serve and to confide in his Mercy and not in their own Power or Righteousness VIII 17 18. IX 4 5 6. Ver. 22. Thy Fathers went down into Egypt with Verse 22 threescore and ten persons See XLVI Gen. 27. I Exod. 5. Their Family he would have them remember was very small Chapter XI about Two hundred Years ago And now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the Stars of Heaven for multitude Vastly increased them according to his Promise unto Abraham XV Gen. 5. XII Exod. 37. XXVI Numb 51 62. Which alone as Conradus Pellicanus here notes was sufficient to fill their Hearts with his Love and their Mouths with his Praise CHAP. XI Verse 1 Verse 1. THerefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God Who of so small hath made thee so great a Nation And keep his charge A Phrase used frequently concerning the Levites III Numb 7 8 c. But here comprehends all the Particulars following His Statutes and his Judgments and Commandments which he had charged them to observe See VI. 1. Verse 2 Ver. 2. And know you this day Consider seriously what I have said to you till you be sensible of it VIII 5. IX 6. For I speak not with your Children which have not known and which have not seen The words I speak are not in the Hebrew and they may as well be supplied thus For not with your Children have these things been done c. Which agrees well with v. 7. The Chastisement of the LORD your God The Plagues he sent upon the Egyptians His greatness Which appeared by the many great things he did only upon the stretching out of Moses his Rod. His mighty hand and stretched out arm These are more words to express the same thing Ver. 3. And his miracles and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt Or His miraculous Acts c. Verse 3 He uses so many words to make them sensible how much they were
Egypt and the LORD thy God redeemed thee And did not bring them empty out of their Slavery but loaded with Silver and Gold and Raiment XII Exod. 35. By which Bounty of God to themselves they might take the best measure of their Duty to their poor Brethren when they were dismissed from Servitude Therefore I command thee this thing to day In remembrance of that great Benefit he enjoyned this Benevolence to poor Slaves Ver. 16. And it shall be if he say I will not go away Verse 16 from thee Refused to enjoy his Liberty when his six years Service was expired Because he loveth thee and thine house The Phrase in Exodus XXI 5. being Saying shall say I love my Master c. Abarbinel from thence gathers that it was necessary he should often profess how loth he was to leave his Master and his Family and make repeated Declarations of his Affection to them Because he is well with thee Lives happily Out of these words Maimonides infers that there was to be reciprocal Love between the Servant and his Master for if the Servant loved his Master yet if his Master did not love him his Ear was not bored for he could not take Content in his staying with him But these words suppose his Master's kindness to him by his good usage of him Ver. 17. Then shalt thou take an Awl and thrust it through his ear unto the door c. But first he was to bring him before the Judges that he might there in Verse 17 open Court profess the same that he had done to his Master and thereby make it appear there was no fraud or deceit in the business and that his Master did not keep him against his will contrary to this Law See XXI Exod. 6. where all this is explained And also unto thy Maid-servant thou shalt do likewise This relates only to the not sending Maid-servants away empty not to the boring their Ears if they had no mind to be freed for that was not used if we may believe the Hebrew Doctors to Maid-servants It was sufficient if they had a mind to stay with their Masters that they addicted themselves in solemn words to their Service for ever But there were many differences between a Man-servant and a Maid-servant at least in some Cases See upon XXI Exod. 7. which are explained with great nicety by the Hebrew Doctors with which I need not trouble the Reader because there is no such Slavery among us in these days Verse 18 Ver. 18. It shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away free from thee It is plain by this that he returns to what he was speaking of v. 12 13 c. concerning their not letting their Servants go away empty when they had their Freedom For this was the chief thing that could seem hard to them For he hath been worth a double hired Servant to thee Who served at most only for three years and had Wages paid him all the time XVI Isaiah 14. In serving thee six years Twice as long as an hired Servant and for nothing So that considering what Wages he gave the other and how small a price perhaps they paid for him they would find themselves gainers by such Slaves and therefore should not think much to give them a Gratuity when they send them away And the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest He incourages them to hope they should be greater gainers otherways by this Charity which would procure God's Blessing upon their future Labours This Argument he had pressed twice or thrice before in this Chapter v. 4 6 10. Ver. 19. All the firstling-males that come of thy herd Verse 19 and of thy flock shalt thou sanctifie unto the LORD thy God All the first-born Males were the LORD's by a Law made at their coming out of Egypt and he gave them to his Priests for their Portion XIII Exod. 2 15. XVIII Numb 15. Thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy Bullock nor shear the firstling of thy Sheep Besides the Firstling-Males which alone were separated to the LORD there were also Firstling-Females which though they were not sanctified to him as the Males were yet were not to be employed by the Owners as the rest of their Cattle but offered as Peace-offerings to God Of which they themselves had a good share though some part of them was given to the Priests Ver. 20. Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God Verse 20 It is evident from hence that he speaks of such Female-firstlings as I mentioned in the foregoing Verse for of the Males they might not eat but they belonged entirely to the Priests Year by year At their Solemn Festivals when they were first to offer them unto God and then the Feast upon these Peace-offerings followed In the place which the LORD shall chuse thou and thy houshold With the Levites and Strangers c. whom they were to invite to these Sacred Entertainments For this is but a Repetition of the Law twice or thrice mentioned before XII 6 7 c. 17 18 26. XIV 23. and upon this occasion here again inculcated because it was of exceeding great moment to preserve them in the Worship and Service of God alone Verse 20 Ver. 20. And if there be any blemish therein as if it be lame or blind or have any ill blemish This is another Reason why he mentions these Feasts again that he might admonish them what to do with these First-lings if there were any blemish in them which made them unfit for Sacrifice These blemishes he had spoken of in XXII Levit. 21 22 24. But here adds the Lame to those there named Which the Prophet Malachi also mentions and so do the Heathens as unacceptable unto God I Mal. 8. Thou shalt not sacrifice it to the LORD thy God No not to make such a charitable Feast at the Sanctuary Verse 22 Ver. 22. Thou shalt eat it within thy gates It was free for them to eat it at home though it is very probable God expected they should invite the Levites and the Strangers the Fatherless and Widows to partake of it as they did of the third Tithe XIV 29. because if it had been without blemish it must have been so imployed at the Sanctuary The unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike Whereas if it had been sacrificed at their Feasts only the clean could have eaten of it As the Roe-buck and the Hart. See XII 15 22. Verse 23 Ver. 23. Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water He takes all occasions to mention this because it was designed to preserve them free from Idolatry See XII 16 23 24. CHAP. XVI Chapter XVI Verse 1. OBserve the Month of Abib Which God Verse 1 by a special order made the beginning of their Year See XII Exod. 2. XIII 4. XXXIV 18. And keep the Passover unto the LORD thy
XVII 6. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established The Accusation shall stand or fall to the ground Ver. 16. If a false witness rise up against any man to Verse 16 testifie against him that which is wrong In any Matter whether against God or against Man For tho' one Witness could not condemn another yet if it were proved he was a false Witness it was sufficient to condemn himself Ver. 17. Then both the men between whom the Controversie Verse 17 is That is the Accuser and the Person accused Shall stand before the LORD They were to come in Cases obscure to the Supream Court where the Sanctuary was settled Who sat it is likely at the Door of the Tabernacle in Moses his time See XVII 8 12. and so might properly be said to try them before the LORD Before the Priests and the Judges which shall be in those days This they all understand of the highest Court which consisted partly of Priests and partly of other great Persons whom he calls Judges under which Name the whole Court is comprehended in the next Verse See XVII 8. And Selden Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. VIII N. 2 3. Ver. 18. And the Judges The Court before-named Verse 18 who are all whether Priests or others comprehended under the Name of Judges Shall make diligent inquisition For it was not easie to prove a Man to be a false Witness and therefore the Matter was brought before this Supream Court And behold if the witness be a false witness and hath testified falsly against his brother If upon strict Examination he was found to have given a false Evidence against his Brother in a matter which touched his Estate or his Body or his Life Verse 19 Ver. 19. Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother That is saith Maimonides if he designed to have taken away his Brother's Life he was to lose his own if to have had him scourged he was to be lashed himself if to lose a Sum of Money he was to be fined the very same Sum. More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XLI But though in most Cases a false Witness was to suffer the very same kind of Punishment which he intended to have brought upon another if his Testimony had not been disproved yet in some it was not exactly observed As if one falsly accused a Priest's Daughter of playing the Whore he was not to be burnt as she should have been but to be strangled as an Adulterer So J. Coch observes upon the Title Maccoth ad Cap. I. where the whole business of false Testimonies is handled But some foolish decisions were made by the Rabbins in opposition to the Sadducees as he observes in his Annot. 20. in Sect. 6. Among the Athenians there was an Action lay not only against a false Witness but against the Person who produced him Upon whom they set a Fine and they were made infamous And if they were found thrice guilty of this Crime not only they but their Posterity were made infamous throughout all Generations as Sam. Petitus observes out of Andocides and others Lib. IV. in Leges Atticas Tit. VII p. 359. It is something strange they were not more severe against such Offenders many of their Laws being plainly borrowed from Moses And among the ancient Romans by the Law of the Twelve Tables false Witnesses were thrown down from the Tarpeian Rock as A. Gellius tells us Lib. XX. Cap. I. which was altered indeed in latter times for such Punishments as the Judges thought they merited But he there tells Phavorinus That if the old Punishment had continued to their days they should not have had so many false Testimonies given as they then saw So shalt thou put the evil away from among you This may be understood either of the false Witness or of his Crime the guilt of which was taken away by the just punishment of it Ver. 20. And those that remain The remainder Verse 20 of Israel who see him suffer in his kind Shall hear and fear The end of punishment is to deter others from such wickedness See XIII 11. XVII 13. And shall henceforth commit no more any such avil among you Learn to beware by other Mens sufferings Ver. 21. And thine eye shall not spare He speaks to Verse 21 the Judges who were not out of Compassion to moderate the Punishment but make it equal to the Damage he intended to another Examples he gives of this in the words following Life shall go for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot Concerning this lex talionis see XXI Exod. 23 24 25. XXIV Levit. 19 20. And see Grotius on V Matth. 38 40. where he well observes that the Party injured might forbear to require this Punishment but the Judge if it were required could not deny to inflict it Chapter XX. CHAP. XX. Verse 1 Verse 1. WHen thou goest out to battle against thine Enemies Who either invaded them as in XI Judges or with whom they had a just quarrel because of Injuries done them without Satisfaction Such as that mentioned 2 Sam. X. 4 c. And seest Horses Which the Israelites wanted as I observed upon XVII 16. their Armies consisting of Footmen who were taken from the Plough or from the Sheepfolds And Chariots Which carried a certain number of Men in them and when they were falcati as they called them were very formidable For they made terrible Slaughters among the Enemy cutting down Men as we do Grass with a Sithe or Sickle The Canaanites had great numbers of them XI Josh 4. and IV Judges 3. Be not afraid of them The Israelites were trained up to confide in God and not in Horses which their Country as I said did not afford and consequently they had no Chariots nor in multitude of Souldiers And we find remarkable Instances of this particularly in Jehosaphat 2 Chron. XX. 6 c. 17. who followed the Example of David whose words are most memorable XX Psalm 7. Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will remember the Name of the LORD our God See also XXI Prov. 21. For the LORD thy God is with thee which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt That was such an instance of his power as made it unreasonable to doubt of good Success when he was present with them as he always was while they continued faithful Worshippers of him The Translation of Onkelos is here very remarkable which is The LORD thy God his WORD is thy help which plainly denotes another Divine Person the same with JEHOVAH Ver. 2. It shall be when ye come nigh unto the battle Verse 2 Are about to give or receive the Assault That the Priest shall approach and speak unto the people The Jews say there was a Priest appointed for this very purpose whom they call MASCHUACH MILCHAMAH anointed of War he being set
all the rest of the Priests and Levites in conjunction with him for they were all separated unto the LORD having signalized themselves as we speak by their early Zeal for the LORD when their Brethren apostatized to Idolatry Of which Moses takes notice in the next Verse Who said unto his Father c. I have not seen him c. regarded that is no Relation when they executed the Commands of God against the Worshippers of the Golden Calf See our Learned Dr. Spencer de Leg. Hebr. Lib. III. Cap. VII Dissert VII where he treats also of these words as they may be applied to our LORD Christ the true holy one of God who is indeed a Priest for ever holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners c. VII Hebr. 26. Whom thou didst prove at Massah Or whom thou hast thorowly proved For the words in the Hebrew are Whom in proving thou didst prove the ancient Interpreters not taking Massah for the name of a place as we do but for trying or proving And so indeed the words in the Hebrew seem to import the Particle beth before Massah being different from that before Meribah which is al though we translate them both alike by the word at And thus the Hierusalem Targum paraphrases Whom thou didst prove or try and he stood in the trial that is approved himself perfect or upright as Onkelos expresses it This procured that Tribe a Blessing from the LORD XXXII Exod. 26 29. and brought them into special grace and favour with him as the word we translate holy one signifies For it is not kadoth but chasid And with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah Though God did severely chide and reprove Moses and Aaron who were the Heads of this Tribe when they were tried at the Waters of Strife XX Numb 12 13. yet they did not forfeit their Office by the Offence they then committed and therefore Moses prays it might still continue in Aaron's Posterity Ver. 9. Who said unto his Father and to his Mother Verse 9 I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his Brethren nor know his own Children This relates unto the impartial Execution of Judgment by the Levites upon the Worshippers of the Golden Calf without respect of Persons XXXII Exod. 26 c. And as some will have it to Phinehas his Zeal mentioned in Numb XXV But that it hath any respect to a more ancient Judgment given in the Case of Judah and Thamar as the Hierusalem Targum fancies there is no ground to believe See Selden Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. VIII N. 2. For they have observed thy Word and kept thy Covenant XXXII Exod. 28 29. Abarbinel and others make this to be the reason of what follows Verse 10 Ver. 10. They shall teach Jacob thy Judgments and Israel thy Law Because they were so upright as to take no notice of their dearest Relations in Judgment therefore they were intrusted with this Office of Teaching the People the Statutes of God That is deciding all Controversies which arose about any thing in the Law So the Jews expound it and it is agreeable to what we read in the Seventeenth Chapter of this Book v. 9 10. and many other places as Mr. Selden shows in the place forenamed p. 372 c. and our Mr. Thorndike in his Religious Assemblies Chap. II. where he observes the TEACHING here mentioned consisted in declaring the meaning and obligation of the Law in matters doubtful as is apparent from X Levit. 8 9 10 11. For though others might be Members of their Courts of Judgment yet they consisted chiefly of Priests and Levites As for teaching the People in their Religious Assemblies that was not so much the Office of the Priests and Levites as of the Prophets For though the Prophets and the Disciples of the Prophets were commonly Priests and Levites who being most free from the Care of Estates and Inheritances and by their Office in his Ceremonial Service came nearest to God of all other Men were most likely to be endued with an extraordinary degree of Knowledge and of the Fear of God yet it is certain that the charge of teaching the People in their Assemblies belonged as well to those Prophets who were not Priests and Levites as to those that were See him p. 25. And this was one reason as Maimonides observes why the Tribe of Levi might have no Inheritance in the Land that being free from the trouble of ploughing and sowing c. they might wholly attend to the Study of the Law and be able to teach Israel God's Judgments More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXXIX They shall put incense before thee and whole Burnt-offerings upon thine Altar This was the peculiar Office and Honour of the Priests alone to offer Incense on the Golden Altar and Burnt-offerings upon the Brazen The Hierusalem Targum thus paraphrases it They shall put Incense of precious Spice before thee to pacifie thine Anger and offer a most acceptable Sacrifice upon thine Altar Ver. 11. Bless LORD his Substance The word Verse 11 we here translate Substance is translated Wealth VIII 17 18. which consisted most in Cattle they having no Land to till which he prays God to increase that they might have sufficient Sustenance for themselves and their Family It is a strange fancy of some of the Jews that whosoever offered Incense grew rich and therefore no Priest was suffered to offer Incense more than once that so Riches might be derived to them all Thus they trifle while their hearts are set on getting Money and not on growing good See Sheringham on Joma p. 35 36. and Mauritius de Sortitione Hebraeorum Cap. XXIV Sect. IV. And accept the work of his hands All their Ministry at the Altar where the Priests officiated or about the Tabernacle of which the Levites had the care Smite through the loins of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again For they who were Enemies to the Priests and Levites were Enemies to Religion and to all Civil Government which was chiefly administred by them as was before observed See XVII 8 9 10 11 12. Ver. 12. And of Benjamin he said He mentions Verse 12 him next to Levi because the Temple in which the Priests officiated was partly situated in his Lot The beloved of the LORD Or being beloved of the LORD as the LXX interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall dwell in safety by him i. e. By the LORD Which signifies the stability of his Portion which had Jerusalem the Holy City in it as we read XVIII Josh 28. For though Mount Sion was in the Tribe of Judah and so the Sanctuary was there LXXVIII Psal 68. yet the City wherein it stood was not Nay the Ancients think the Altar of Burnt-offering was in the Tribe of Benjamin as Kimchi observes upon that place before-mentioned in Joshua See upon XLIX Gen. 27. And there are reasons to make one think that Sion