m COLLECTION OF PURITAN AND ENGLISH THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY Is 72- \ \ 1 s COMMENTARY UPON DEUTERONOMY. A COMMENTARY U PON THE Fifth Book of MOSES, CALLED^ r ■ ^ ^ f their Minds, and ufed many Arguments from feveral To- picks (as we call them) to move them to be obedi- ent to all the other Commandments : he proceeds in the twelfth Chapter, and fo forward to the twenty eighth, to remember them of a great many other Laws befidesthe Ten Commandments, which he had deli- vered to them. Some of which he explains 5 others he inforces with further Reafons 5 and in feveral pla- ces adds new Laws, for the greater Security of the whole, (particularly, he orders the writing of God's Law upon Stones, when they came into the Land of Canaan, Chapter XXVII. ) And then pronounces thofe Promifes, which God had made to the Obedi- ent, and his Threatnings to the Difobedient ; more largely, and with greater force, then he had done in the XXVIth of LevHicw. After which he again remembers them of feveral wonderful Works of God lor them, ( Chapter XXIX. ) and renews the Cove- nant between God and them \ ufing feveral Argu- ments to perfwade them to a dutiful obfervance of God's Law : Which he commands (Chapter XXXI.) to ^ DEUTERONOMY. 3 to be read to all the People, in the conclufion of Chapter every Seventh Year 5 that none might pretend igno- I. ranee of it. And then concludes all with a moftad- l/V\J mirable Song, which he orders every one to learn ; and with a Blefiing upon the Twelve Tribes. All this was done in the two laft Months, of the laft Year of Mofes his life. But not all at once$ as plainly appears by feveral parts of the Book : in which he writes what he delivered to them, at feveral times. Which is the reafon of the Repetition of the very fame thing,over and over again : that he might make it fink into their Minds , by being often inculcated. Some have been fo foolifli, as to make this an Ob- je&ion againft this Book being compofed by Mofes. But it (hows their great ignorance 5 all wife Men ha- ving ever judged it neceflary to fay to aim ir^ ijf ctl-Pfi, the very fame things, concerning the fame things $ that they might be thoroughly underftood, and fixed in the memory of their Auditors, and fet- led in their Hearts and Affettions. Particularly Epi- ttetus (as David Chytr&us long ago obferved) deli- vered this as a profitable Rule in all Studies ^ EiJivcy %£Yiy on 8 px$lov Siy/uct WUQpyvlSitl dvS£'JnTto,& fjw *$t(f %gvTo ivzJz 7vv @lov This mutt be known, as a certain Truth, that it is not eafie for a Man to attain the [olid knowledge of any thing, unlefs he both read and hear the fame things every day } and alfo fet himfelf to the praflice of them. This Courfe Mofes took with the Children of Ifrael : fpending every day , it is likely, of the latter end of his life, in calling to their mind, again and again, what he had taught them 5 and the reafon they had tc do accordingly. B 2 Verft A CO MM EN TART Verfe i/~T*Hefe be the words.'] This Book contains X the words Verfe I . Yfjhieh Mofes ftake unto aU Ifrael.'] All the People could not hear what he faid, but he ordered the El- ders and Heads of the feveral Tribes^ to communi- cate to the whole Congregation what he delivered to them , in the Audience of many of the People who were aflembled with them. Thus thefe words are commonly underftood. But confidering the great weight of what is here faid, I rather think that Mofes himfelf, at feveral times, fpake what here fol- lows, in the Ears of the People. See V. i. On this fide Jordan. ] The Vulgar Latin having tranflated the Hebrew words [J?eeber] on the other fids Jordan, it hath furni(hed fome ill difpofed Minds with an Argument, that Mofes was not the Author of this Book : For he that wrote plainly fhows that he was in Canaan, when he wrote it. But a very little confideration would have prevented this frivolous Obje&ion $ there being nothing more certain, than that the Hebrew words fignifie indifferently, either one fide or the other 5 and may be literally tranllated, hi the pajfage over Jordan ,or as they were about to pafs over it 5 as Huetius obferves and proves by plain Ex- amples, that the Hebrews have no other word to ex- prefs their rnind^ when they would fay either on this fide or beyond. See Demonjlr. Evang. PropofilV. Cap. XIV. To which another learned Writer fince him (Hermannus Witfius, Lib. I. Mifcel. Sacr. Cap. XIV. ) hath added feveral other places which evidently fhow ( - that beeber is a word , that indifferently belongs to either fide of any place, (See 1 Sam. XIV. 40.) and muft be determined, by the Matter in hand, to which it upon DEUTERONOMY. 5 it is to be applied. And here undoubtedly it is to Chapter be rendered on this fide Jordan. See III. 8. J. In the Wildemefs in the Plain.'] In the Plain of' S°\T\J Moab, where they had remained a long while ^ as appears from the foregoing Book, XXII Kun/b. 1, XXVI. 3,63. XXXK12. XXXIII.48,49. XXXV.i. XXXVI. 13. Over again it the Red Sea."] There is no word in the Hebrew Text for Sea 5 and therefore the Marginal Tranllation is to be preferred, which is, over against Sufh : which was a place in the Country of Moab, (See XXI Ntt»/b. 14.) over againft which they now- lay encamped 3 but were fo far diftant from the Red Sea, that there can be norefpeft to it here. Between Paran.~] He doth not mean the Wildernt of P*nr>/,frequently mentioned in the foregoing Book (for that was as remote from hence , as the Red Sea) but fome place in the Country ofMoab 3 as Zi;pb was, and the reft of the places which here follow. AndTophel, and Laban, and Hazerothy and Diza* bah7\ There was a place called Hazerotb, where they had encamped a longtime ago,XI Kumb.^. XXXIII, 17. but it was in another Wilderneis far from this place, as appears by the account Mofes gives of thcii Removals trom 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 laft of which, Dizabah, is tranflated by the LXX. and the Vulgar, as if it fignified a place where there werr? Mines of Gold- Onkelos and the Hierufalem Targun:^ who take Si.. to fignifiethe Red Sea, and Par an tor the Wildernt-!- through 6 A COMMENT ART Chapter through which they had come many years ago, &c+ I. are forced to add feveral words to make out the fenfe l/V\J of this Verfe, in this manner 5 The/e be the words which Moks J])al{e unto all 'Ifrael on this fide Jordan,c£r. reproving them becaufe they finned in the Defert, and provoked God in the Plain over againli the Red Sea ; and murmured in Paran, about Manna } and at Haze- roth for Flefb, &c. And fo they proceed to mention other Sins committed in other places 3 but not in thefe here named : which they force from their natural fenfe, to comply with this Conceit. Verfe 2. Ver. 2. There are eleven days journey from Horebfizc."] Or eleven days ( we were a coming) from Horeb, by the way of Mount Seirjinto Kadeft-Bamea.Which can- not be underftood of the whole time they fpent be- tween thefe two places,but only of the time they fpent in travelling : For they ftayed a Month at Kibroth- Hattaavah, and a Week more at Hazeroth, XI Numb. 21. XII. 15, 16. before they came to Kadejk-Barnea. This he reprefents to them, to make them fenfible, they had been kept in the Wildernefs fo many years, as had paflfed fince they came out of Egypt 5 not be- caufe it was a long way to Canaan, but for the reafon mentioned in the XIVth of Numbers. For from Ho- reb (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 5 where Kade/fj-Bamca lay. So Maimonides 5 the way was plain and known between Horeb (whither God brought them on purpofe to ferve him) and KadeJI) : which was the beginning of an habitable Country 5 j according to what he faith XX Numb. 16. See More Nevochlm P. III. Cap. L. See XIII Numb. 26. By the way of Mount SeirJ] The Country of the Edomites. ChaptAl. v. 12. Unto upon DEUTERONOMY. 7 Unto Kadcf/j-Bamea.~] How they were ordered Chapter to comehithe-r, and what they did here, he relates, I. v. 6, 19. and (b proceeds to give an account of fe- L^Y\J veral remarkable things, which befell them, unto the time when he wrote thefe things 5 which he lets do in the next Verfe. Ver. 3. And H came to pafs in the fortieth year. ]Ycrfc 4. After they came out of Egypt. In the eleventh month, on the fir fl day of the month.'] In the firft Month of this fortieth Year, they came into the Wildernefs of Zm, unto another Kadcjb, XX Numb. 1. From whence they removed to Mount Hor 5 where Aaron died on the firfl: Day of the fifth Month of this Year. See there v. 28. Where it ap- pears v. 29. they mourned for him thirty days : that is, till the beginning of the fixth 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 thefe Plains of Moab. In which Journeys, and in the reft of the Traniactions, mentioned in the latter end of the Book of Numbers , they fpent the other five Months of this Year 5 as I have obferved in their proper places. And now began the eleventh Month, when Mofcs, being to leave the World before the end of this Year, fpake all that follows in this Book. And this Speech (which he begins v. 6. and continues to the fortieth Verfe of the fourth Chapter) the great- Primate of Ireland thinks, he made to the People on the twentieth of February, and on the Sabbath-day : as the Reader may find in his Annals. That Mofes (pake unto the Children of Ifrael. accord- ing unto all that the LORD had given him in Com- mandment unto them.'] Made a Rehearfal of all t! S A COMMENTARY Chapter at feveral times, he had received from the LORD, I. and delivered unto them. L/VNJ Ver. 4. After he had flam Sihon the King of the A- Verfe 4. r,wrhes} which dwelt at Hefl)bon.~] About five Months ago : for it was after Aaron's death, which was the firft Day of the fifth Month, XXXIII Nnmb. 38. and • they mourned for him all that Month. See XXI Numb. 31, Sec. And Og the King of Bafian, which dwelt at Ajla- rotk~] This was a City in the Country of Bafian, (XIII Jojh.^i.) and a City itwas-of very great Anti- quity, as appears from XIV Gen. 5. See there. From whence fome think the famous Goddefs Aftarte had 4ier Name , being here worfhipped. But whether that Goddefs took her Name from this City, or the City from the Goddefs, is not certain 5 as Mr. Selden obferves 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 worfhipped , is as certain 5 as it is uncertain from whence Aftarte, or Aftoreth (as the Scripture Name is) was fo called. In Edrei.~] His Royal Palace was at Aflaroth, ( as Sihon s was at Hefibon) but he was flain in Edrei , XXI AW. 3 3. Verfe 5. Ver. 5. On this fide Jordan, in the Land ofMoab7\ In the Plains of Mcab %, before they pafled over Jor- dan. See v. 1 . Began Mofes to declare this Law , faying. "] To call to remembrance that which any one had forgotten 5 and to explain that which any one did not under- ftand. So Maimomdes expounds thefe words in Se- der Zeraim. c In the end of the fortieth Year, in c the beginning of the Month Shebat, Mofes called the c People upon DEUTERONOMY. Jj w People together, faying 3 The time of my Death Cha; c draws near., if any one therefore hath forgot any I. c thing that I have delivered, let him come and re- ^-^V-^^ c ceive it 5 or if any thing feem dubious, let him come c that I may explain it. And Fo they fay in Siphri, c If any one have forgotten airy Confiitution, let him come c and hear it the fecond ti?ne 5 if he need to have any c thing unfolded, let him come and hear the Explication c of it. For which he quotes this Verfe -7 and fays that Mofes fpent all his time in this , from the begin- ning of the Month Shebat, to the feventh day of J- dar. And what he now faid was likely to be the more regarded, becaufe thefe were, in a manner, his dying words ^ for he lived but till the feventh day of the next Month : and feems to have compofed this Book as a Compendium of his whole Law, for the familiar ufe of the Children of Ifrael : from whence it is called Deuteronomy, i. e. a fecond Law. SzeHuetius in his Demonjir. Evang. Propof IV. Cap.i. Ver. 6. The LORD our God fyakc unto its in Horeb,Verk 6. faying.] XNumb. 13. Ye have dwelt long enough in this Mount.~] From the third Month of the firft Year (XIX Exod. 1.) to the twentieth day of the fecond Year after they came out of Egypt, ( X Numb. n. ) they ftayed at Mount Sinai, which is the fame with Horcb : they being on- ly two tops of the fame Mountain ^ one of them fome- thing higher than the other, as they are defcribed by thofe who have taken a view of them. For Mofes was twice with God, for the fpace 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 5 and then was erefted and confe- derated 5 and the People all numbred and difpofed C under io A COMMENTARY Chapter under their feveral Standards , to march in fuch or- I. der as God appointed, II Numb. 3, 10, 17, Sec. X.14, W'v^y i5,6cc. Verfe 7. Ver. 7. Turn you.'] From this Mountain. And take your Journey. "] Refume your Journey, which you have To long intermitted. And go to the Mount of the Am or He s.~] A Mount on the South part of Canaan, inhabited by the Amorites, together with fome Canaanites and Amalekites, XIV Numb. 25, 43, 45. But the principal Pofleffors of it were Amorites, as isexprefled more than once in this Chapter, v. 19, 20,44. This is the Mountain to which Mofes bid the Spies go up, XIII Numb.iy. and fo they did v. 22. And unto all the places nigh thereunto."] And fo pafs into all the neighbouring Country , which lies near it.. In the Plam, in the Hills, and in the Vale. J This is a Defcription of the Country nigh unto this Moun- tain : fome of which was Champion (as we fpeak) and other parts of it confifted of Hills and Dales. And in the Southland by the Sea- fide , to the Land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, and unto the great River the river Euphrates."] And fo go into all the reft of the Land of Canaan : the feveral quarters of which he here fets forth. The Southern part lying toward this Mountain ^ the Weftern upon the Sea, (where the People properly called Canaanites dwe It ) die Northern toward Lebanon 5 and the Eaftern to- wards the River Euphrates. Which by other Authors, as well as Mofes, is called the great River. So Calli- machus in his Hymn to Apollo, v. 103. The upon DEUTERONOMY. u ' • great Flood of the AJfyriah River : which the ScLo- Chap Uatf obferves is meant ok Euphrates. And 1 itcan I. cum Ti gride magnus Euphrates L. III. v. 253. Ver. 8. Be/W^ I have fet the Land.'] In the He- Verfe 8. brew, Given the Land: i.e. beftowed it upon you, and am ready to bring you into the poffeffion of it. Before you."] That every one of you may have his fhare of it. Or,that you may go whether you pleafe, and fettle your felves in it, XIII Gen. 9. XXXIV. 10. Go in and pojfefs the Land. ~] Therefore make no longer (lay herein the Wildernefs 5 but go and take poffeffion of my Gift. Which the LORD fv arc untoyuor Fathers ^Abraham , Ifaac,andJacob,&c.'] XV Gen. 18. XVII. 7, 8. XXVI. 3. XXVIII. 13. Ver. 9. And I fpake unto you at that time , faying {] Verfe ce About the time of their coming to Horeb, or Mount Sinai. For the Story of Jethro, unto which this re- lates, preceded that immediately, XVIII Exod. Ma- ny great Men place it after the giving of the Law : Of which fee Selden L. II. de Syne dr. Cap. 2.N. IV. / am not able to bear you alone."] We do not read, before now, that Mofes fpake thus to the People. But Jethro fpake in this manner to him, XVIII Exod. 18. and gave him advice to take fome others to his affi- france, v. 21. which advice he followed, v. 24. And then fpake to the People what Jethro had (aid to him 5 and enlarged upon it in the words we read here, in the following Verfes : where he gives them the reafon why he could not perform the Oitice of a Judge ale: ■r. 10. The LORD your Gcd hath multiplied you, \ C 2 I* A COMMEN VARY Chapter tH^i behold, ye are this day, as the Stars of Heaven for- I. multitude^ Increafed unto a greater number then IS~V~\J can eafily be told. Verfe II. ^er. TI* ^je LORD God of your Fathers make you a thoufand times fo many as you are, " As if he had (aid, I am not troubled at your vail increafe 5 but blefs God for it: and befeech him to make you a thoufand times more numerous, then at prefent you are. And blefs you, as he hath prom h 'fed you.'] In the Pro- mife often repeated to their Fathers, XII Gen. 2. XV. 5. XVII. 5, 6. XVIII. 18. XXII. 17. XXVI.4. XXVIII. 14. Verfe 12. Ver. 12. How can I my felf alone bear your cum- brance, and your burden, and your flrife ?~\ But how is it poffible for one Man alone to undergo the labour of hearing all the Complaints of fuch a Multitude^ and of remedying all their Grievances, and determi- ning all their Controversies ? So the laft word fig- nifies, Suits at Law (as we fpeak ) as the two for- mer figmfie other Differences 5 which arofe between one Man and another, about fuch things as are menti- oned in the XXI, XXII , and XXIII Chapters of EXODUS. The firft word which we tranflate cumbrance, fignifies tediofam litigantium ferram ( as Hottinger interprets it in his Smegna Orientate, Lib. I. Cap. 6,) the tedious Pleadings of thofe that manage Caufes before a Judge 5 by Bills and Anfwers (fup- pofe) and Rejoynders, &c Vferfe 13.' Ver.i 3,- Tak$ye.~] In the Hebrew it \s,Give ye,\.ea prefent unto me fuch Perfons as you think fit, accord- ing to the following Chara&ers. Wife men and under ft anding, and known among your Trihsr Men of known Wifdorn, Prudence, and In- tegrity 5 upon D E LITER O M V. dlful in Divine and XV 111 i v _/. ; r . Some take M . % I i fiichasknew much, and under ft audi; . I L/*V prudence to make ufe of their knowledge, being" rience : and they were to be noted for both theie 5 otherwife the People would not have reve- renced them. Ver. 14. And ye anfaercd we and f aid ^ The thin gVerfc i-;.. which thou haft fyol{en is good for us to do7\ This Con- fent of the People is not recorded before : but fuffi- ciently implied in their SubmitTion to this Regulati- on, mentioned XVIII Exod. 26. Ver. 15. So I took, the chief of your Tribes , wife wen Verfe 15.4 and k>!o\v>i7\ From among thole Men that they pre- fented to him, he took, I fuppofe, fnch Perfons a- mong the chief of their Tribes, as were endowed with the Qualities here named , and were known by all fo to be. For obicure Perfons, either for Birth, or Experience in Affairs, would have been contem- ned : and therefore he chofe the nobleft of thole that were prefented to him, (called here the chief of their Tribes) if they were no left worthy than others. For fome fuch no doubt there were among their great Men, as might be thought fit for this high Employ- ment. And they were the fitter, becaufe being Men of Quality (as we fpeak ) they were lefs liable to be corrupted by Bribery. From which Mofes took care all Judges fhould be fo free, that he exprefly r. they fhould be Men, bating Covetoufnefs^ XVIII Exod. 2r. And Solon did not forget to make this a part of the Oath, which every Judge in which is mentioned at large by Demofthenes in his Oration againft Timocrates) &$\ Jfig^c Sifyjuuxj - ht out™; iy&7 xt d?>/.; IjUo/, &c. Irpitt tectivt > 14 A COMMENTARY Chapter itpim iftf account of my Sentence } neither^! my felf nor I. any body elfe for me 5 nor others with my knowledge^ by L/*V\J any artifice or device whatfoever. And made them Heads over you. ~] Set them to go- vern and rule the People, ( as it is exprefTed v. 13. ) by deciding all Caufes which were brought before them 5 as far as they were able to underftand them. Captains over thou finds, and Captains over hundreds, and Captains over fifties , and Captains over tens. ~] It is a queftion, whether they were Commanders over fo many Families, or Perfons 5 as I obferved upon XVIII Exod. 25. Her mam? us Conringius thinks they were Rulers ( as the word fignifies ) over fo many Fathers of Families, underftanding by a Family,that which we now call an Houfhold, De Repibl.Hebrte- orum, Seel. XVIII. A?d Officers. among your Tribes."] The fame great Man, in the XXVIth Se&ion of the fame Book, takes Schotrim to have been Judges, as well as the reft. His great reafon is, becaufe the Seventy Elders were or- dered to bechofen out of them, among others, XI Numb. 16. Now it is altogether improbable, he thinks, that fuch a Prophetical Colkdge as that was , fhould be chofen out of fuch mean Officers, as the Hebrew Poftors make thefe Schotrim to have been. But fee what I have noted upon V Exod. 14. and XI Numb. 16. And let me here add , that if they were judges (and not Attendants upon them) they were very mean ones, being put below the Bulers of ten. But howfoever this be , it is certain fome of thefe Judges had greater Authority then others , be- ing intruded with a larger Jurifdiftion : and it's likely, greater Abilities were required in thofe ovex :t.houfandi9 upon DEUTERONOMV r 5 thoufands, than in thofe over /(7/j. As \\\ \ : Chapter Sanhedrim afterwards, the Jews make more things ne- I. ceflary to qualifie Men for a Place in it, then were re- l/V%J quifite for thofe in lower Courts. Where no A could (it (much lefs inthehigheft) unlefs thefe f things were remarkable in him, (as Mrimomdes faith Halacah Sanhedrim, Cap. IV. Scot. J.) Wifdom, . mility, the Fear of God, Contempt of Riches, Love of Truth, a good Fame 5 and he was beloved alfo of 0- then. Ver. 16. And I charged your Judges at that iime, Verfe 16, faying."] As the quality of their Perfons, and their Endowments made them considerable, fo they were dignified with the honourable Name of Schofetim : and were alfo called Elders, which had been, a long time, a Title of Honour among the Jews, and in o- ther Nations. Hear the Caufes between your Brethren."] This was a neceffary quality in a good Judge , to give Audience to every one that brought a Caufe before him 5 and not to delay any Man. But the Jews infer from thefe words, that it was not lawful to hear any Man, when his Adverfary was abfent 5 but both Parties were to be there prefent. And they were alfo to be heard fpeak for themfelves, if they pleafed : Which was part of the forenamed Oath which Solon ordered ill the Athenian Judges to take, 'Ax^akrouatf tSts yjy- hyogu ly T8 UroAoyx/JLivx, ojuoi»; iuplv , I will hear th Accufer and the Defender, both alike. And judge righteoufly.~] The next thing required cf a Judge, was to be upright and impartial : not consi- dering what the Man was, but his Caufe* This is im- plied in the following words. i6 A COMMENTARY Chapter Between every Man and hk Brother. ~\ i. e. Between I. one Jfraelite and another. L/~Y~\J And the Stranger that is with you. ~\ i. e. Between an Israelite and a Profelyte : whether he were received into the Covenant by Circumcifion, or not. For of this latter fort there were , no doubt , a great num- ber, amongft that mixt multitude , who came with them out of Egypt, XII Exod. 38. And while they were in the Wildernefs,there was not a diftinft Court for Ifraetites, and Profelytes : but their Caufes were tried in one and the fame , as Mr. Selden obferves, Lib. II. de Synedrk Cap. III. N. I. ■Verfe 17. Ver. 17. And ye flail not rejpeff Perfons in 'judg- ment.'] Not be fwayed by particular Affe&ion, or Intereft : but judge fincerely, without refpeft to Re- lation, or any Benefit or Injury received. Te flail hear the f mall as well as the great .~] Beequal- ly difpofed patiently to attend to the Caufe of a poor Man, as of a great : and to do him as fpeedy and impartial Juftice. See XIX Lev. 15. And here the Hebrew Doctors tell us, of fome fingular Pra&ices in their Courts, to preferve the difpenfation of ex- ad Juftice. For if one of the contending Parties came into them richly clothed , and the other poor- ly, they would not hear them till both were clothed alike. Nor would they fuffer one of them to fit, and the other ftand : but both of them either fat , or ftood. And if they fat, one of them was not per- mitted to fit higher than the other : but they fat by- each others fide, &c. See Selden Lib. II. de Synedr. Cap.Xlll.N.io. Te flail not be afiaid of the face of Men7\ Courage and undaunted Refolution is another neceflary qua- lification in a Judge : who mufl: not be over-awed by what upon DEUTERONO M Y. i7 what any Min can do unto him 5 but remember (as ( it here follows) tl is in God's place. I. For the judgment kGods.~\ God gave them their v^v-^ Commiffion by Mofcs 5 fo that they were his Mttri- fters, and afted by his Authority : and therefore might be confident he would defend them in the dif- charge of their Office. This fhows that though Mo- fcs alone atted by immediate Authority from God , yet theie alfo being conftituted by him, were to be lookt upon as pronouncing Sentence in his Name $ who, after a peculiar manner, was the Ring, and Su- preme Governour of the People of Ifrael. And the Caufe which k too hard for you ^ bring it un- to mc^ and I will hear it ^\ Another quality, is Hu- mility 5 in not adventuring to judge of Things above their reach. Some think there were certain Caufes re- ferved to the cognizance of Mofes, (as! obferved up- on XVIII Exod. 12.) but the contrary appears by thefe words, that all manner of Caufes were brought before thefe Judges : and they, not the People, brought fuch Caufes before Mofes, as they found too hard for them to determine. So that they, not the Perfon whofe Caufe it was, judged of the difficulty of the Caufe. See Selden Lib. I. de Synedrfc, Cap. XVI. Ver. 18. And I commanded you at that time, rf#Verfe 1 8. the things that ye fljould do7\ As he rightly informed their Judges 5 fo he inftru&ed the People alfo in their Duty, before they went from Horeb : by deli- vering to them the judgments which God commanded him to fet before them, XXI Exod. 1. contained in that and in the two following Chapters^whereby both they and their Judges were to govern themfelves. Ver. 19. And when we departed from Horeb. j See Verfe 19. X Numb. 2. D We t8 A COMMENTARY Chapter We went through all that great and terrible Wilder- I. nefs7\ It may well be called greats becaufe it extend- wrV>> ed a great way. For after three days Journey (XNumb. 12.) they fettled at Kibroth-hattaavah 5 which was in this Wildernefs of Varan. From whence they went to Hazeroth, which is ftill faid to be in this Wildernefs , XI Numb. 35. And when they went from thence, they were in the fame Wildernefs, XII.16. where iG^was5XIII.26. and fee XXXIII. 19. And this Wildernefs was very terrible^ot dread- ful * becaufe there were no Inhabitants in it, but wild Beafts. Which you faw by the way of the Mountain of the A- morites.'] All the way you went towards that Moun- tain. See v. 7. As the LORD our God commanded us. 3 Accord- ing to the dire&ion which God gave them, by the motion of the Cloud that went before them. And we came to Kadejh-Bamea.'] Where they reli- ed at the foot of that Mountain, in the Wildernefs of Paran, XIII. Numb. 2, 26. Verfe 20* Ver. 20. And I faid unto you^ ye are come to the Mountain of the Amorites^ which the LORD our God doth give unto us."] For this was part of the Coun- try, which God bellowed upon them, for their Pof- feffion } as appears from XXXIV Numb. 4. Where Kadef/j-Barnea is mentioned as a frontier Place in their South- border. And indeed the Amorites^ wherefo- ver they found them , were to be expelled : as they had already difpoffefied them of the whole King- dom of Sihon, who was King of the Amorites, XXI ^Numbi 21, 25 j 26. Ver* upon DEUTERONOMY. i9 Ver. 21. Behold, the LORD thy God hath fit the Chapter Land before thee. ] All the Country beyond this I. Mountain, v. 8. L/"\^\J Go up.] For there was a great afcent to it, XlllVerfe 21, Numb.ij. And pojfefs It.'] Enter upon the Poffeflion of it. As the LORD God of thy Fathers hath /aid unto thee.'] According to the Promife made by God long ago, to Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, (See v.8.) which he is now ready to perform. Fear not, neither be difcouraged. ] Do not dread, either their number, or their ftrength : but truft in the LORD ( whofe Name he repeats four times, in thefe three Verfes ) that he will make good his word. Ver. 22. And ye came near unto me every one ofyou.~] Verfe 2 2 , The Heads of every Tribe, in the name of the whole Congregation 5 whofe defire this was. And /aid, we will fend Men before usT] Some feled Perfons. And they fiallfearch out the Land.'] Give us an ac- count how it lies, and what kindof Country it is. And bring us word again by what way we ft all go up7\- Inform us which way to direft our march into it. And into what Cities wcffjall come.~\ What Cities we fhall fir ft attack, to make our way the clearer into the Country. Mofcs alfo charges the Men that went to fearch the Land, with many other Enquiries, ( XIH Numb. 18, 19, 20.) that the People might receive die fulleft fatisfa&ion. Ver.23. And the faying pleafed me we!l.~] He thought Verie 23. this a reafonable motion , proceeding ogly from a prudent Caution : whereas, in truth, they were ti- morous and diftruftful of God's promife, D a And ao A COMMENTARY Chapter And I tookjwelveMenof you, one of a Tribe.] That I. every body might be fatished, when they heard the t/VNJ report of their Brethren, XIII Numb. 2, 3, 4.&C. and God directed him fo to do, as we read there. Verfe 24. Ver. 24. And they turned.'] From Kadefi-Bawea. And went up into the Mountain."] XTII Numb. 1 7,2 1 . And came unto the Valley of Efchol. ] It appears by the relation XIII Numb. 21,22, 23. that this was the laft place, unto which they came when they had end- ed their fearch. Andfearched it out.'] After they had gone through all the quarters of the Country. Verfe 25. Ver. 25. And they tooJ^ofthe fruit of the Lane, in their handstand brought it down unto us 7] Both Crapes, Pomegranates, andFiggs, XIII Numb. 23. And brought us word again, and f aid , It is a good hand which the LORD our God doth give us."] So they all faid unanimoufly , and brought along with them a demonftration of it, XIII Numb. 27. only they added, that they were notable to deal with the Inhabitants of it. Verfe 26. Ver. 2 6. Notwithjlanding ye would not go up, but rebel- • led againli the Commandment of the LORD your God. ] Who bad you go up, and not be afraid , v. 8, 21. Which was the greater fin 5 becaufe he had not only brought them to the Borders of the Land , but con- vinced them that he had not deluded them with fair Promifes of a better Country, than really it was. For they all faw the goodly Fruit which it produced 5 and ought therefore to have believed he would fulfil his word, and give them the pofleffion of it. Verfe 27. Ver. 2j. And ye murmured in your Tents.] After great Lamentations for a whole Night together, XIV Numb. 1. And upon DEUTERONOMY. 21 And jaid.becat/fe the LORD hail • us forth out of the Land of Egypt. ~) Unto which there- I. fore they deiired and confpired to return, XIV" ^VNJ N*r,/b. 4. To deliver us into the hand of the to deli) us7\ Nothing can be more pernitious (as Grd here obtcrvc^ than a perfwafion that God doth nor love us 5 but hath a defign upon us, to deftroy us. Ver. 28. Whither ftaU we go up ? ] Atafet , I fup- Verfi pofe, ftill preiTed them to go up and take poffeflion of the Land: to which they give him this fnappifli Anfwer. Our Brethren have difc our aged our hearts."} The Men that you your (elf lent to fearch the Land, have difpirited us by the Report they have brought us. Which would not have had that effect upon them, if they had minded one part of ir,as much as the other-} and calmly confidered what Caleb and Jofiua faid : who made no doubt of Succefs. Sayings The People is greater and taller than voe. ~\ More numerous 5 and of far greater ftature and ftrength, XIII Nuwb. 28.35. The Cities are great, and walled tip to Heaven."] The Spies only told them that ther Cities were walled, and very great, XIII Numb. 28. but their fear and confu- fion of Thoughts, augmented the danger of attempt- ing the Conqueft of them. Yet Mofes himfelf thinks good afterwards to ufe the fame hyper bole, IX. 1. which is common in the beft Authors. For thus Homer in Odyjf.E.v. 239. f peaks of a Firr-tree as high as Hea- ven 3 i. c. exceeding tall : Many 22 A COMMENTARY Chapter Many other Inftances may be feen in Bochartm his . I. Phaleg. Lib. L Cap. XIII. WV\J And moreover, rve have feen the Sons of the Anakjnts there7\ See XIII Numb. 28. 33. Conft. LEmperenr will rather have it tranllated the Sorts of the Giants, as the LXX. and Onkelos take it. Yet he acknowledges that Anak^ktms to have been the fir ft Parent and Pro- pagator of the Race of Giants after the Flood : and therefore it may be properly translated, as we do. See Annot. in Itiner > Benjamini Tudelenfis, p. 136. Verfe 29. Ver. 29. Then I faid unto you. 3 Mofes here at large relates, what he faid unto their Fathers, upon this oecafion 5 which he doth not mention in the Book of N UM BERS, (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 confi- der fo much how ftrong they are 5 as how powerful the LORD your God is,who hath promifed you this good Land. Verfe 30. Ver, 30. The LORD your God, which goeth before you.] In a glorious Pillar of Cloud and Fire. He fiall 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 (hould you think he is lefs able to bring you into Canaan, than he was to redeem you from Egypt \ where you were opprefled by very powerful Enemies ? Verfe 2 1 . ^er- 3 1 • And in the Wildernefs. ] Ever fince they came from thence through the Wildernefs of the Red- Sea, XIII Exod. 18. and the Wildernefs of Sin, XVI Exod. i. and the Wildernefs of Sinai \ XIX Exod. 1, s * 2. and upon DEUTERONOMY. 23 2. and then through that terrible Wiklernefs of Paran. Chapter See above v. 19. I. Where thou haH fen how the LORD thy God bare L^V%> thee, as a Man doth bear his Son."] The long Experi- ence they had had of his tender care over them , (which was as indulgent as that of a kind Fatfier to- wards his only Son, when he is a Child , whom he carries in his Arms) fliould have made them confident of his gracious Providence for the future. In all the rvay that ye went, until ye came to this place"] He made provifion for them in the tnoft defolate pla- ces : bringing them Water out of a Rock 5 fending Bread down to them from Heaven , defending them from wild Beads , and from their fiercer Enemies, fiff. Ver. 32. Tet in this thing ye did not believe theVctk LORD your God.] He could not prevail with them to truft God ^ and go up, as he commanded, in his Power and Might to poffefs the Land. Nor could all that Caleb and Joffma faid, at all move them, XIV Numb. 7, 8, 9. Ver. 33. Who went in the way before you."] Never Verfe 33. failed conftantly to direft and guide you in your Journeys, XIII Exod. 22, To fear ch you out a place to pitch your Tents in7] But always markt out your Encampments, where they fliould be, X Numb. 1 7. In fire by night, to ffjciv you by what way youfhottldge. and in a cloud by day.] That they might be able to travel by Night, as well as by Day : which was mofc convenient in Summer time, when the Sun was very fcorching in a Wildernefs , where there was no (bel- ter, XIII £* ( XIV Numb. 4. ) which was not far from the Red-Sea. Verfe 41. ^en 41* Then you anfwered and faid unto me , We have finned again fi the LORD. They repented, when it was too late to do them any good. See XIV Numb. 40. We will go up and fight \ according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. ] Now they refolve to encounter thofe Enemies, of whom they were be- fore fo afraid, as to fpeak of ftoning thofe, who ex- horted them not to fear them , XIV Numb. 9, 10. And upon DEUTERONOMY. And rphcn you girded on every Man his Weapons of Chapter War \ ye were ready to go up into the Hill.~] They f. only made a ftout Refolution, but actually | 1 L/^v"\J themfelves for the Onfet: as if there were no diffi- culty in that, which a little before they dreaded to fliink of. So de Dieu translates the laft words , Tc thought it an ea/ie matter to afcend the Hill -^ or ye de- fpifed going up the Mountain : in our Language, ?nade nothing of it. Ver. 42. And the LORD faid unto me, fay nntoVzxfc 42. them, Go not up7\ XIV Numb. 41 , 42. Neither fightT] Much lefs think of fighting. For I am not among you7\ By my powerful Pre- fence to fubdue your Enemies 5 or to defend you from them, (lb the Phrafe is often ufed) for the Ark of the Covenant, the Token of God's Prefence , did not go with them, XIV Numb, 44. Leff ye be J mitt en before your Enemies 7] Which would be a far greater Difgrace, than marching away from them. Ver. 43. So I Jpakeunto you7\ XIV Numb.\i, 43. Verfe 43c And ye would not hearJ\ No more than before 5 when he bad them go up. And rebelled again U the Commandment of the LORD."] For now it was againft his will , as before it was his will, that they fhould go up. And went prefumpiuoufly up into the Hill.~] Would venture againft theexprefs command of God 5 which was the higheft preemption. Ver. 44. And the Amorites which dwelt in that Moun- Verfe tain came out against you. As foon as they faw the Jfraelites afcend to aflault them, they came down up- *m them, XIV Numb. 45. E 2 And A COMMENTARY And chafed you as Bees do. ] Which purfue thofe that difturb their Hives in great fwarms, and with great fury, CXVIII Pfalm 1 2." For though Bees have very fmail Bodies, yet they have great Spirits, and a vaft Force, as Bochart obierves in many inftances, to make out the aptnefsof this Comparifon , in his Hie- rozorcon P. II. Lib. IV. Cap. X. And deflrojed you in Seh7\ It feems they fled to- ward that part of Idumaa where Mount Seir was 5 which they afterwards compared many days (II. 1.) when they removed from iCadefh-Bamea. And there fome of them fell by the Sword of the Amorites^ who were the fierceft of all the People of Canaan : and might, on that account, be well compared to Bees $ who ceafe not their purfuit , till they have fixt their ftings. Even unto Horwah.~] See XIV Numb. 45. Verfe 45. Ver. 45. And ye returned. 3 After the Amorites retreated. And wept before the LORD.'] Befeeching him to go along with you, and affift you to conquer the Land. But the LORD mould not hearken to your voice , nor give ear unto you. ] To confent that they ftiould now go and poflcfs the promifed Land, or ftay near to it : but remained fixt in his refolution , that they fliould go back again, and wander in the Wildernefs as long as they lived. Verfe 46. Ver. 46. So ye dwelt in Kadefo many days."] God had commanded Mofes to lead them into the Wilder- nefs, by the way of the Red-Sea, the very next Morn- ing after their mutiny, upon the return of the Spies, XIV Numb. 25. But they prevented this, by their early rifing next Morning to AfTault the Amorites m the upon DEUTERONOMY. 79 the Mountain, v. ±c. After which, they being dif- Chapter comfited, he permitted them to ftay fome time here, !• to bemoan themfelves. But how long, is not cer- ' *^V\J tain : for fometime the Cloud ftayed but two days, ibmetime a month, fometime a year, before it ft i r - red from the Tabernacle 5 which was the fign of their removal, X Numb. 2:. And in fome Stations, it's likely, they ftayed feveral Years : for from the time of their removal from Kadef/j-Barnea, till they came to Mount Hor, which was thirty feven Years, we find but Nineteen Stations. See XXXIII Numb, from v. 18. to v. 37. According to the days that ye abode there. ] Some expound it, as long as they did in all the reft of their Stations ; i. e. nineteen Years, as the Jews com* pute in Seder Olam. But, as the learned Dr. Light- foot thinks, it fignifies, as long as they did at Mount Sinai : and fo they ftayed near a whole Year,as they had done at Sinai. But the moft (imple Explication feems to be , that they tarried here fo long after this, as they had done before it } at leaft forty days -y which was the time the Spies fpent in fearching out the Land. Though there is no neceflity to confine it to that number ; but (imply to interpret it , that as they ftayed there many days before thk mutiny , fo they did as many after it. CHAR 3o A COMMENTARY Chapter II. L/-VNJ CHAP. II. Verfe i. V^rfei. A ND we turned, Sec] From the Bor- .x\ders of the Land otCdnaan&Q go South- ward, till they came to the very fhorr of the Red- Sea. Which, as David Chytrtus computes it, was thirty German miles, from KadeJ/j-Bamea. As the LORDJpake unto me. ~ According to the command formerly mentioned, XIVAWZ>. 25. And we compajfed Mount Seh. ~] The mountainous Country of Edom 5 whereof Mount Seh was but a part. For when they came to Ezion-gaber^which was upon the Red-Sea, they were ftill in the Country of tdomy 1 Kings IX. 26. 2 Chron. VIII. 17. For it ft retched a long way 5 from the Confines of Canaan, unto EUto and Ezion-geber, on the Red-Sea. Many days."] Some think that they were marching to and fro along the Borders of this Country, all the time they fpent from this removal, till they returnd to go towards Canaan again. So that by many days tjiey underftand the whole XXXVIII years, which paffed between their departure from Kadefo-Bamea , till they came over the Brook Zercd^ v. 14. For when they were at Ezhn-gaber ( which was farthefl: from Canaan) they were, as Ifaid, upon the Borders >of Edom: and fo they were when they came back again, feven and thirty Years after at Mount Hor, XX Numb. 23. XXI.4. But this rauft not be under- ftood,as if all the Stations mentioned XXXIII Numb. after they left Kadefo-Barnea, till they came hither again, were near to the Country of Edom : Some of them might be remote, though they all lay in that Wii- upon DEUTERONOMY. 31 W'iUernefs, which reached from one end of Idkm£4 Chapter1 to the other. If. Ver. 2. And the LORD (pake unto nte,faylng7\ This L/^/^sJ was in the end of the XXXIX* Year after rherrVerfea. coming out of Egyft\ when they had fpentXXXVH Years, going to and fro fince their departure from Kadcj/j-Bamea. In all which time he gives us no ac- count what parted, either in the foregoing Book, or in this : but only fets down the places of their abode, as I obferved in the XXXIIIth of NV MBER S. Ver. 3. Te have com faffed this Mountain long enough."] Verfe 2. 7. e. The mountainous Country of Edom, mentioned v. 1. Turn ye northward. ~] From Ezfon-gaber, which was in the South, towards the North : that is, di- reftly towards the Land of Canaan. Ver. 4. And command thou the People , faying, TeVerk are topafs through the Coaii of your Brethren the Chil- dren ofEfau, which dwell in Seir. ] For they went from Ezion-gaber to Kadefi , XX Numb. 1 . and from thence to Mount Hor, v.72. (which was in the edge of the Land of Edow, XXXIII Numb.37.) and from thence they travelled to compafs the Land of EAom, XXI. 4. i.e. the Eaftern quarter of it. So that though they did not pafs through the Coaft of Edont, as we tranflateit$ yet they pafled by it, and very near unto it } as the Particle beth frequently (ignifies, XXXVII Gen. 13. Vjojb.13. ivWXXIX.i. Though they may be truly faid to pafs through their CoaSi 5 if there- by we underftand their Border, or the Confines of their Country. And they fia/l be afraid of you. ] Left, wanting a Settlement , the Ifraelites (hould feize upon their Country. Accordingly we find, they railed all tbtr force }* A COMMENTARY Chapter force they could make to oppofe them, XX Numb. II. 20. tyVNJ Take ye good heed to your /elves therefore.'] Let not that encourage you to aflauk them. Verfe 5. Ver.5. Meddle not with them] Make not the leafc attempt upon them. For I will not give yon of their Land, no not fo much as a foot breadth!] t. e. Not the fmalleft Portion. Becaufe I have given mount Seir unto Efau for a pof- fflio*.'] So JoJIma faith exprelly , XXIV Jojh. 4. wherein he made good the Bleiimg of Ifaac, XXVII Gen. 39. Verfe 6. Ver. 6. Tefoall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat,fkc.~\ If you have a mind to any Provifion that their Country affords, you fhall not take it, but purchafcit ^ as they did their very Water, ( v. 29. ) which was a fcarce thing in thofe dry Countries, And fo the Ifraelites offered to do, when they treated with them about a paflage through thtir Country, XX Numb. 19. Verfe 7. Ver. 7, For the LORD thy God hath blefed thee In all the works of thy hand. ] Or, though the LORD hath bleffed thee, Sec. That is, though there is no need of it, God having abundantly provided you with all things neceflary. But if we follow our translation, the fenfe is plain 5 Tou have wherewith to buy of them what you nee. \d, or defire^ therefore do not take it away by force. He knoweth thy walking through this great Wilder- nefs.~] Hath dire&ed and profpered thee (as the word \noweth fignifies in many places, I PfaL 6. XXXI. 7.) in thy Travels through a dangerous Wildernefs. Thefe forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee-0 thou haft tacked nothing.] He had mercifully pro- upon DEUTERONOMY. 33 provided for them fo conftantly,thathe let them want Chapter nothing neceflary for their fupport. This was the II. Sum of the Argument why they fliould not moleft ^^v^-1 the EdowitcsjioT take any thing by ftealth from them:, becaufe they were in no need 5 and God hath given that Country to the Children of Efau , as he intended to give Canaan to the Ifraelites. Their being in the Wildernefs/?r^ Years, is men- tioned alfo VIII. 2. XXIX. 5. beiides other places of Scripture. For from the fifteenth day of the firft Month, in which their Fathers came out of Egypt, (XXXIll Nnmb. 5.) to the tenth day of the lame Month in which they went over Jordan into Canaan, ( IVjofh. 19.) there were but Jive days wanting of compleat forty Years. I cannot but here note alfo, that this is one of thofe places wherein Onkelos men- tions the MEMRA , I e. WORD of Jehovah , which can fignifie nothing but a Divine Perfon : For thus he tranlates thefe words, The WORD of the LO RD thy God hath been thy helper : thou haft not wanted any thing. Ver.8. And when we paffedby from our Brethren the Verfe & Children of Efau^ which dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain.'] i.e. Through the Wildernefs of Zin. From Elath and from Ezicn-gaber. ] Two places upon the Red-Sea : the laft of which [_ Ezion-gaber "] fignifies as much as the Spine, or Backbone of a Man. So called, becaufe there were great ragged Rocks in that Port, (asBochart obferves) like thofe at Dtrac- chium in Macedonia : which had its Name alfo from thence, Lib. I.Canaan. Cap. XLIV. We turned.] After they were denied paffage through their Country, and had gone through thofe Stations mentioned XXXIII Numb. 41, 42, &c. F And 34 A COMMENTARY Chapter And faffed by the Wildernefs of Moab.'] See XXI II. 'Numb. ii. Going by the Eaft fide of their Country, L^nTvJ XI Judg. 1 8. Verfe 9. Ver. 9. And the LORD J aid unto me , Dijirefs not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle. ~\ He would not have them force their way through his. Country 5 becaufe the King of Moab refufed them a pafTage, as the King of Edom had done, XI Judg.ij. For their Country now was but fmall, fince Sihon King of the Amorites had taken from them all thebeft of it,which lay between Arnon and Jabbofc: of which the Israelites had poffeffed themfelves by the conqueft of Sihon. So that they had only that Portion re- maining, which lay upon the Dead-Sea: which Da- vid, in after times, fubdued. For I will not give thee of their hand for a poffeffion."] No more than of: Edom, v. 5. Becaufe J have given Ar. ] It is likely the Capital City gave Name to the whole Country about it. At leaft Ar ( which was the chief City of Moab, XXI Numb. 15,28.) is put here for all the Land of Moab 5 as Mount Seir for all the Land of Edom, v. 1. Unto the Children of Lot for a poJfeJJion.~\ Though the Moabites were now a wicked People 5 yet for their pious Anceftors fake, from whom they were de- fended, God would not have them difpoflefled. Verfe 1 o. Ver. 1 o.And the Emims dwelt there in time pafi,&£.'\ A terrible People , as the very Name imports, both for their number and for their ftrength 5 being of a large fize like Anakims. See XIV Gen. 5. Verfe 1 1. Ver. 11. Which alfo were accounted Giants, as the A- nakjms, &c] Which feems to have been their name 5 or elfe Rephaim : but to diftinguifh them from others of that name in Canaan, the Moabites called them E- mims. Ver, w^DEUTERONOMY. q$ Ver. 12. The Horims alfo dwelt in Seir befbre^thHe.'] Chapter They were the ancient Inhabitants of Mount Si II. the Emims were of the Country of Moab, XIV Gcn.6* L/VVl XXXVI, 20. Verfe 12. But the Children of Efan fuccccdcd them. ] Planted themfelves in that Mountain. / \ hen they had dejlroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their Land.'} When the Children of Efau expelled the Horites, or the Children of Lot the & mints, is no where recorded 5 nor who were their Leaders in thefe Expeditions. But they feem to be here remembred,as an Encouragement to the Ifraelites to hope 5 that they might drive out the Inhabitants of Canaan, ( who were not ftronger than thefe ) as they had already driven the Amorltcs out of the Country of Sihon^ as it here follows. As Ifrael did unto the Land of hk pojfejfion , which the LORD gave unto them. 3 Some have argued from hence, that this Book was not written by Mofes^ but by fome body elfe, after they had got pofleffion of the Land of Canaan. But it is manifefl^this may relate to what they had done already in difpofleffing Sihon King of the Amor ites, and Og King of BafJjan , of their Country : which, it is exprefly faid , Mofes had given for a pofleffion to the Tribe of Reuben and Gad, and the half Tribe of Man affch $ and that by God's direction, XXXII Numb. 33. XXXIV. 14,15. and in this Book, XXIX. 8. This hath been obferved by many 5 particularly by Huetius in his Demonflratio Evangelica, Propof. IV. Cap. XIV. AT. XV. Ver. 1 3. Now rife up, faid T, and get you over the Verfe 13. Brool^Zered, &c. ^ Which elfewhere we tranllate, the Valley ofZered. See XXI Numb. 1 2. Ver. 1 4. And thefiace in which we came from KadcJJj- Verfe 14. F 2 Barnea, 36 A COMMENTARY Chapter Barnea, until we came over the BroohJZered, was thirty II. eight years r\ For it is evident by the ftory in Num- WV**-' bcrs that they came to Kadefi-Bamea about the fourth Month of the fecond Year after they came out of Egypt. See upon XII Numb. 16. And if we fuppofe that they removed from hence in the feventh or eighth Month of that Year 5 it is certain that they could not come to this Brook , till the feventh or eighth Month of the fortieth Year. For Aaron died at Mount Hor on the firft day of the fifth Month of this Year ^ and we muft allow two or three Months time, for all that followed between that and this, viz. the con- queft of King Arad, and of Sihon, and Og, &c. Until all the Generation of the Men of \Var.~\ So they were called, who were above twenty years old, I Numb. 3. Were wafted out from among the People. "] Utterly confumed, fo that not one of them was left, XXVI Numb. 64, 65. As theLORDfware unto them.~\SzeX\VNumb.2S,2C). Yerfe 15. Ver. 15. For indeed the hand of the LORD was a- gainlt them to deftroy them from among the Ho ft. Some of them, it is likely, died a Natural death 5 but ma- ny of them might in the courfe of Nature have lived longer, if God had not feveral ways cut them off be- fore their time. Until they were confumedT] By one Plague or other, which God fent among them : So that a great deal of their time, in the thirty eight Years before mentioned, were fpent, it is likely, in burying, and mourning for their dead. Ver. 16, Ver 16, 17. So it came to pafs , when all the Men of l j. War were confumed and dead from among the People, that the LORD fyake unto mo, faying^] This was fpoken upon DEUTERONOMY. 37 fpoken, it is probable , juft as they patted over the Chapter Brook Zcrcd 5 or in their next Station at Dibon-C n. XXXIII AW. 45. 1 /'WJ Ver.l8. Thou art to pafs through Ar, the Coatt ^Vcrfc I 8 Moab, this day.'] Or rather, to pafs bjr the Border of Moab : for they were not permitted to come into their Country, v. 9. See upon v. 4. Ver. 19. And when thou comell nigh over againfi the Ver 'fe 19. Children of AmmonT] As they did after the conqueft of Sihon King of th? Amorites: whofe Country bor- dered upon the Ammonites, XXI Numb. 13, 24. Diflrcfs them not, neither meddle with them.'] The fame command with that about the Edomites and Mo- abites, ^.5,9. For I will not give thee of the Land of the Children of Amnion any pojfejjion.'] As he had faid before of the Land of Moab, v. 9. Becaufe I have given it unto the Children of Lot for a poJfe]fion.~] To the Defcendants of his youngeft Son^ as he had done the Country of Moab to the Children of the eldeft. Ver. 20. And that alfo was accounted a Land of Gi- Verfe 20. ants, &c. 3 Was called the Country of Giants, or Rephaim: for People fo called inhabited it. And the Ammonites called them Zamzummims. Changed their Names, it is probable, from Zuzims, (See XIV Gen. 5. ) as they were called before, into Zamzummims. But why they were called, either by the one Name or the cther,it is but conjeftured. Some conceive they were called Zuzims , from their fwift- nefs, or nimble running} which in Warriours, was a quality always highly valued: and Zamzummims from their abominable Wickednefs ; or their craft and cunning in doing Mifchief Ver. 38 A COMMENT ART Chapter Ver. 1 1 . A people great , and many , *W /^ as the II. Anakims.'] The fame defcription which he gave of l/V\J the Emims, v. 10. Verfe 21, £„* j/je LORD defiroyed them before them.'] i.e. Be- fore the Ammonites ^ who expelled them out of their Country, and it's like cut off the mod of them. And they fucceeded them, and dwelt in their Land. ] This is fo often repeated, to poflefs the Minds of the IJraelites, with a fenfe of God's Providence, which rules every where ^ difplacing one People , and fet- ling another in their ftead 5 and fixing their Bounds alfo, which they (hall not pafs without his leave. Verfe 22. Ver. 22. As he did to the Children of Efau, which dwelt in Seir, when he deftroyed the Horitesfiom before them&c.'] He repeats this (which he had faid before ^.12.) becaufe it was a freftier Inftance of God's difpofal of Countries unto what People he pleafes : and nearly touched the Jfraelites, becaufe they were their Brethren. Verfe 23. Ver. 23. And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah."] Unto which he adds an inftance, which feems to be elder than any of the former, con- cerning a People called Avims 5 who inhabited fome part of the Land of Canaan0wh\thtr they were going. For though we do not read of Hazerim in any other place ,• yet Azzah, i. e. Gaza, was in the Country of the Philijiims } who expelled thefe Avims. And Da- vid Chytraus thinks that Hazerim was a Town, after- ward in the Tribe of Judah, called Haza-gaddah , XV Jofh. 27. The Caphtorim which came out ofCaphtor.'] That is, fome People of Cappadocia 3 who were near of Kin to die Philijiims* See X Gen. 14. ^DEUTERONOMY. ^9 Dcflroyed themt and dwelt in their jl cad. ~\ Concern- Chapter ing which, ice in the place above-named. Unto which II. I (hall only add, That the Avims being expelled out L/^Y~\J of Canaan by the Caphtorims, went, it is very proba- ble, over Euphrates and fettled there 5 till the King of Ajfyria brought fome of them back again, to plant the Country of Samaria, 2 Kings XVII. 31. where we crandate this word Avites. See BochartXn his Phaleg. Lib. IV. Cap. XXXVI. Ver. 24. Rife ye up, take your Journey, and pafs over Verfe 24= the River Arnon. See XXI Numb. 15,14. Behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon King of HeJJibon, and his Land, 8cc] You your felves fhall do to him> what your Brethren , the Children of E- fau^ did to the Horites, and the Moabites to the £- mints, and the Children of Ammon to the Zamzum- mims, and the Caphtorims to the Avims. By which their Fiaith might ftill be more confirmed, that the People of Canaan, though never fo mighty , fhould not be able to ftand before them. Ver.2 5\ This day will I begin to- put the dread of thee, Verfe 25, and the fear of thee , upon the Nations that are under tfje whole HtavenT^ Efpecially upon the Canaanites 5 wno were ftruck, no doubt , with Terror by this Conqueft, as they had been by all that befell the E- gyptians, II JoJJj. 10, 11. Who fhall hear the report of thee 7\ This explains what he means by the hyperbolical expreffion before going, the Nations under the whole Heaven } that is, as many as fhall hear of thefe things. Andfial/ tremble, and be in anguijl) becaufe of thee7\ As Women in travel are. Ver. 26. And I fent Mejfengers outoftheWildcmefs Ver. 20. rf ' Kedemoth.'] There is a City of this Name men- tioned. 4o A COMMENTARY Chapter tioned by Jof/ma XIII. 18. from whence this Wilder- II. nefs had its denomination. Some take it to be the L^VVJ fame with that called Jeftimon, XXI Numb. 20. Unto Sthort King of Hefobon with words of peace. 3 A friendly Meffage, defiring there might be no quar- rel between him and the Ifraelites 5 who defired no- thing but the common Offices of Humanity. Verfe 27. Ver. 27. Let me pafs through thy Land.'] Which was the direft way to the Fords of Jordan. I will go along by the high way. ~] Not turning into the Fields or Vineyards, as it is exprefled XXI Numb. 22. In the Hebrew the word is doubled, bederech bederech, by the way, by the way : which feems to be a vehement affirmation, to afTure them they would not ftir out of the High- way. / will' neither turn unto the right hand, nor to the left."} Not ftepafide, out of the common Rode, (called the Kings High- way) which was free for all Peo- ple. Verfe 28. Ver. 28. Thou f/jalt fell me meat for money, that I may eat, 8cc] They offered to pay for whatsoever they wanted ^ which is included in Meat and Drink. Only I will pafs through on my feet."] Barely have a paflage through his Country. Verfe 29. Ver. 29. As the Children ofEfau which dwell inSeir, and the Moabites which dwell in Ar, did unto meT] He doth not mean that they granted Ifrael a pafTage through their Country 5 but that they did not deny to fell them Meat and Drink for their Money, as they pafled by their Coafts. Until I pafs over Jordan , unto the Land which the LORD our God giveth us. "] This was faid to mov« Sihon to confent to their defire^ by letting him under- ftand they intended nothing againft his Country : be- ing upon DEUTERONOMY. 41 ing fecure of a Settlement in the Land of Canaan 5 Chapter unto which they prayed him to let them pals qui- II. Ver. 50, But Sihon King of Hcfjbon would not let us Verfc 50. pafs by him.~] Refuted to agree to this reafonable de- mand. For the LORD thy God hardncd hisfbirit,and made his heart obflinate, Sccf] Gave him over to his own indexible Humour, which was fet upon violent Cour- fes 5 from which God did not divert him, (becaufe he intended to deftroy him) but rather ordered things fo, that his Mind fhould be inraged and dillurbed, and fo unable to confider things prudently, and dif- cern what belonged to his peace : which is the utmoffc that can be meant by hardning his Spirit, and making his heart obfl'wate. Which as it is a fin, cannot be afcribed unto God : but as it is a pnnifhment, mi^ht juftly be infli&ed by him upon Sihon for his former fins. Ver. 31. And the LORD faid unto me , behold, /Verfe 31. have begun to give Sihon and his L and. This was faid when Mofes law him coming out to battle againft them, (as it follows in the next Verfe) at which time he is faid to begin to give them his Country, becaufe he had absolutely refolved it : and , it's probable, fo confounded his Forces, that they were as good as al- ready conquered. Before thee.'] Into their Power : that they might go into it at their pleafure. Begin to pojfefs, that thou way eft inherit his Land."] In the fame fenfe he bids Mofes begin to pojfcfs, i. e. prepare to take pofTeilion of it. See III. 2. Ver. 32. Then Sihon came out againfi m, he and allVtxk 32, his people, to fight at Jahaz. See XXI Numb. 23. G Ver. A COMMENTARY Ver. 33. And the LORD our God delivered fj/w be- fore us, and ive fmote him, and his Sons , and all his People.] They won the Field, and killed him, his Verfe 33. Sons , and all that came out to -fight with them. And R. Solomon faith his Sons were like himfelf, very great Men. Verfe 34. Ver. 34. And we tooh^aU his Cities at that time."] After this Vi&ory, they took his whole Country, as is related XXI Numb. 24,25. and the Cities belonging to it, are mentioned XXXII. 34, 35, Sec. And utterly deflroyed the Men, and the Women, and the little Ones of every City, we left none to remain. ] They being part of thofe wicked People the Amo- rites 5 whom God had condemned to utter deftru&i- on. For the Amorites came out of Canaan, and took this Country from the Moabites and the Children of Ammon. Verfe 3 5 . Ver. 3 5 . Only the Cattle we tooh^ for a prey unto our felves, &c] They had the Divine Warrant for this, no doubt :, as they had for the Extirpation of the Peo- ple. Verfe 36. Ver. 36. From Aroer which is by the brinh^of the Ri- ver Arnon. "] This River divided Moab from the Kingdom of Sihon,(XXl Numb. 1 3^24.) upon which the City of Aroer flood : which was now in the pof- feffionof Sihon, though belonging formerly to the Moabites. And fiom this City that is by the River. ~] This fome take to be the City Ar, XXI Numb. 15. But I think thefe words fhould rather be tranflated, even the City in the River : meaning Aroer ftill , as a remarkable place, being incompafled with the River, XII Jojb. 2. For Ar, I think, was never in the poffefiion of the A- r/iorites 5 being the capital City of Moab, Even upon DEUTERONOMY. 4^ Even unto Gilead.~] For half of Gilead belonged Chapter to the Country oiSihon, XII J off). 2. and given to III. the Tribe of Gad, XV Jofi. 2. And the other half L^V\j belonged to the Kingdom of Og, (as we read in the fame place, XII Jofi. 5.) and was given to the half Tribe of Mantffhh, XIII Jofi. 31. Ver. 37. 0;//y ;/;/f0 f/>e Lrf^ of the Children of Am- Verfe 37. mon thou camefi not."] That is, into no part of their Country, which was then in their pofTeffion : but all that the Amorites had taken from them was given to the Gaditcs, XIII Jofi. 25. Nor unto any place in the River Jabbok.~] To no place beyond that River, which was the Bc>rder of the Children of Ammon , XXI Numb. 24. XII Jofi. 2. Nor into the Cities of the Mountains.'] Much lefs in- to the mountainous parts of the Country of the Amo- rites. Nor unto vphatfoever the LORD our God forbad usT] The words in the Hebrew are, And all vphatfoever the LORD our God commanded us , i.e. not to meddle withal. CHAP. III. Verfe 1/ l ^Hen we turned and went up by the way of yerfe I# X Bafian : and Og the King of Bafian came out againtt vs^&tc] See XXI Numb. 33. where there are the very fame words. Ver. 2. And the LORDfiid unto me, Fear him not\ Verfe 2. for I will deliver, fkc] The fame words in XXI Numb. G 2 34. 44 A COMMENTARY Chapter 34- Only there he faith, 1 have delivered him into III. thy hand $ that is, refolved to do it. Which may ia* L/"W> terpret what is faid in the foregoing Chapter of this Book, n.31. concerning Sihon. Verfe 3. Ver. 3. So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og alfo the King of Balban , &c] See XXI Numb. 35. Verfe 4. Vef. 4. And we too\ til his Cities at tfiat time, all the Gties,&tc.threefcore Cities.'] See upon XXXII Numb.^i. All the Region of Argob.'] A fmall Province lying between Jordan and the Mountains of Gilead 5 a little above the Sea of Tiberias : which Region was after- wards called Trachonitis , from the afperity of the Mountains* The Kingdom ofOg in Bapan!] Belonging to his Kingdom in Baflyan, v. 1 3. and 1 Kings I V.i 3. Verfe $♦ Ver. 5. Allthefe Cities were fenced with high Walls, Gates and Bars, &c."] So they are defcribed 1 Kings IV. 1 3. Verfe 6. Ver. 6. And we utterly defiroyed them, &c] For they were Amorites,znd therefore under the Curfe of God: being part of the feven Nations of Canaan, devoted to deftru&ion. See II. 34. Verfe 7. Ver. 7. But all the Cattle, and the Spoil of the Cities^ we tool^for a prey to our felves. ~] As they had done before, when they deftroyed Sihon and his People, II. 35. Verfe 8. Ver. 8. And we took^at that time out of the hand of the two Kings of the Amorites, the Land which was on this fide Jordan. "] Which was given to the two Tribes of Reuben- and Gad , and half the Tribe of Manaffeh, v. 12, 13, If Men were not blinded with prejudice, they could not but fee from hence, that the word beeber , in the firft Verfe of this Book, is rightly upon DEUTERONOMY. 45 rightly tranllatecl on this fide : for beyond Jordan (as Chapter they would have it (ignifie ) in the Land of Gum III. thefe two Kings had no poffdlions 5 nor did Mofes l/'VNJ make any Conqueft there. From the River of Am on unto Hcr/non.~] This Ri- ver was the Bounds of their Country on the South : and Herman which was one of the Mountains of Gi- leadA (where it joyns to Libanus) was their Bound on the North. Ver. 9. Which Her won the Sidonians call Sir ton. ~) Verfe 9. And foit is called in XXIX Pfal.6. and joyned with Lebanon : for it was as much a part of Libanus ■> as of Gilead$ thefe two Mountains there meeting toge- ther. Whence Jeremiah calls Gilead the Head of Lc- banon, XXII. 6. becaufe Libanus begins where Gilead ends. And the Amorites call it Shenir.~\ And fo it is cal- led XXVII Ezel{. 5. and had this Name, as Bochart conje&ures, from the multitude of wild Cats which were in this Mountain. For the Arabians called that Creature Sinaur or Sinar. See Hierozoicon. PX Lib.lll, Cap. XIV. Ver. 10. All the Cities of the Plain.'] All the flat \[txfe Ia Country which the LXX thought was called Mifir$ for they retain here that Hebrew word. And all Gilead. ~] t. e. All that part of it, which belonged to him : which was but half, as I obferved before, II. 36. And all Bafban.~] That part of his Countryrwhich was properly and peculiarly called Bafan : which be* ing the moft rich and fertile, (as the word fignifies ) gave denomination to his whole Kingdom. Unto Shalchah and Edrei, Cities of the Kingdom of Ogin BaJJjan.~] The former of thefe is mentioned XIII Jofi. 46 A COMMENT ART Chapter XI11 Jofi. n. ( juft as it is here ) as the Bounds of III. Bafhan towards Mount Hereon or Lebanon : So Chy- W~sT\J tr£Uf, A Town in Bafan in the Mountains of Libanus near to Machati. And Edrei was the place where they fought with Og and overthrew him,XXI Numb. 33- Verfe 1 1 . Ver. 1 1 . For only Og King of Bafhan remained of the remnant of the Giants. *] Or of the Rephaim, a very ancient People in this Country, ( XIV Gen. 5.) who were either defcended from the Amorites^or min- gled with them : and Og was the very laft of them 3 fo that he and his People being deftroyed, none of them remained. Behold, hfc Bedjlead was aBedJlead of Iron."] Which was no unufual thing in ancient days 5 though far la- ter than this. For Thucydides faith, that when the Thebans took Platea, they made Beds of the Brafs and Iron they found there : which they dedicated to Ju- no. And Beds of Silver and Gold are mentioned by divers Authors, as Huetius obferves in his Demontfr. Evangel. PropoflV. Cap. XIV. N. VII. Is it not in Rabbath of the Children of Amnion. " This is thought by feme to be a considerable Objecti- on againft Mofes being the Author of this Book. For how Ihould this Bedftead, fay they, come to the Chil- dren of Amnion in his days ? No doubt, they ima- gine, it would have remained in Bafian whilfk Og li- ved ; though, in length of time, it might be carried into the Country of the Ammonites : As if Og, fear- ing the word, might not fend his Bed, and his bed Furniture, unto the Ammonites: knowing they would be fafe among them, becaufe the Israelites were for- bid to make War upon them. Or Afo/?x,having con- quered the Country, and kept all the Spoil, ( v. 7. ) might upon D E II T E II O N () M Y. 47 might not fell this, among other Goods, to the Chi I- Chapter dren of Ammon 5 who preferved it in their capital Hi. City. No body can fee an ufireafonableriefsin cither L/"V\J of thefe Suppofitionsof the fame Huctius. Nor do I fee how the Conjecture of another learned Perfon, (Andraas Mafias upon the XIIth of JoJIma) can be confuted 5 which is , That when the Ammonites drove out that monfirous.fort of People, mentioned II. 21. Og might poilibly efcape, (andfois faid here, to be left of the remnant of the Giants ) who flying hither to the Amoritcs, was made their King, becaufe of his goodly Prefence , and great Valour. But the Ammonites kept his Bedftead, and (howed it as a Mo- nument of that illufkrious Vi&ory : which they got over the Rcphaim, or as they called them, the Zam- znmmims in that Country. Nine cubits was the length thereof and four cubits was the breadth thereof1] This is mentioned to fhow of what a vaft Stature Og was : For Bedfteads being, according to the common Cuftom , made a third part longer than the Perfcns that lye in them, he was fix Cubits high, as Maimontdes computes : that is, as high again as any other Man, More Nevo- chim. P. II. Cap. XLVII. Which is very fober Dif- courfe in comparifon with what other Jews fay of him. See SckjkKar^ in his Bechinah Happerufchim^ p. 120. After the cubit of a ManT] According to the Cu- bit of ordinary Men , faith the fame Maimonides (which is a little more than half a yard ) not of Og before mentioned. But what need was there , fay the former Objeftors, to mention this, Gnce the Israelites faw Og lye dead before them, on the Ground 5 and needed not to be told by Mofes how tall he was > And 48 -A -COMMENTARY Chapter And therefore they conclude this was written by feme III. body e!fe, in after times. As if Ivlofis did not write L/*V\J for the benefit of thofe that came after, as well as for the prefent Generation. Who, that they might be fatisfied what a vaft Man Og was, he left it upon re- cord how large his Bedftead was, and where it might be feen 5 whereby they might judge of his Stature. Befides, there were in the prefent Generation , great numbers of Children, old Men, Women and Ser- vants, who could not go to fee Og lye at length up- on the Field : but by this means were inftru&ed, from what a terrible Enemy God had delivered them. They that queftion the truth of this Relation, may read, if they be able, what the learned Huetius hath at large difcourfed concerning Men of a portentous bignefs in all Countries (in his §>ti£ftiones Alnetan£, Lib. II. Cap. XII. N. III. ) of which no Man can doubt,who is not refolved to disbelieve all the World. In his Demonftratio Ev angelica, alfo he obferves that Homer makes Tityon^ when he was dead, to have lain ftretcht out upon (not nine Cubits, but ) nine Acres of Ground : Which Hyperbole may excufe the Jewifh Rabbins when they fay, that Og was nine Cubits long, when he lay in his Cradle. See Propof. IV. Cap. VIII. N. IV. Verfe 12. Ver. 12. And this Land which we pojfejjed at that tiwe^ from Aroer^ which is by the River AirnonT] See II. 36. And upon DEUTERONOMY. 49 And half mount Gilca!, and the Cities thereof, pave Chapter I unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites.~] See XXXII III. Numb. 34, 35, Sec. but elpecially XIII Joflj. i 5 , See. *^^sr^* where he diftin&ly relates vvhatPortion of this Coun- try was given to the Reubenites 3 and v. 23, 24, &c. what was given to the Gaditcs. And it appears that none oiGHead belonged to the Reubenites 5 but the G adites had one half of it, as the Manajjites had the other. Ver. 13. And the rett of Gilead.~] Which was notVerfe 13- given to the Gadites. And all Bafoan, being the Kingdom of Og. ~] That is, all that was taken from Og, of which he was King. Gave I unto the half Tribe of Manaffeh 5 all the Re- gion of Argob, with all Bafian.~] It is repeated again, left any one fhould think that Argob, which was a di- ftinft Province in that Kingdom, was not given to them by this Grant. See v. \. Which rcas called the Land of Giants. ~] Where the Rcphaim s formerly inhabited 3 of whom Og was the laft. See XIV Gen. 5. compared with XV. 20. XIII J of). 12. Ver. 14. J air the Son of Manaffeh tooh^all the Conn- Verfe 14. try of ArgobT] This is one reafon why he gave this Country to them. See XXXII Numb. 41. Unto the Coajis ofGefiuri and Maachathi.'] We had no mention of thele places before 5 which were in the Northern part of this Country ^ as appears from XUJoJIj. 4, 5. XIII. n. But the People of thefe places they could not expel, XIII J oft. 13. And called them after hk oxen Name. 3 XXXII Numb. 4. H Vnlo 5° A COMMENTARY Chapter Vnto this day.~] From hence likewife Cavils are HI. raifed againft Mofes being the Author of this Book : L/V"\J when the moft that can be concluded from hence is, that upon the revifing of thefe Books by Ezra, he put in thefe few words to certifie the Reader, that ftill they retained this Name 5 as fome body , no doubt, added the Hiftory of Mofes his death, at the end of this Book. This the greateft Defenders of the Au- thority of thefe Books, as written by Mofes himfelf, make no fcruple to allow : particularly Huetius, and fince him Her w annus Wit%iw in Ms Mifcellanea Sacra9 Lib. I. Cap. XIV. Seft. 47. But there is no neceffity to yield fo much 5 for Mofes might fay this himfelf, though it was not long before he wrote this Book. For fo the holy Writers do fometimes mention places, which had their Name but newly given them, from a particular Faft, that Pofterity might know the Ori- ginal of it. See I AUs 19. Verfe 15. Ver. ^5- Anil gave G/lead<~] All that was not poffeffed by the Gadites. VntoMachir^ To the Pofterity of Machir, XXXII Numb. 40. Verfe 16. Ver. 16. And unto the Reubenites, and unto the Ga- dites^] Here is a more exaft Defcription of that part of the Country, which was given to the other two Tribes. I gave from Gilead7\ Half of which,as I obferved, was given to the Gadites, v.\2. Even unto the River Amon.~] Which was the Bounds of the Country toward Moab. See II. 36. Half the ValleyT] The fame word, in the Hebrew Language, fignifies both a Valley, and a Brooke or Ri- ver : and being tranflated in the foregoing words, the River, it (hould be fo here likewife,^//7 the River. That f«DEUTERONOMY. 5 , That is, to the middle of ihe River Anton \ I h Cbai the Bounds of their Country is mod: exactly fet A j[[. thus not only the LXX. and the Vulgar , but Onk I \ L/^v^VJ alio tranllates it, the middle of the Torrent : yea , v our felves alio in the XIFhof Jojlj. 2. where there are the fame words 5 which in the Hebrew ran thus/6'.v- to the River Art? on , the midH of the River : where the City of Aroar ftood, incompafled by the River, as I oblerved in the foregoing Chapter, v. 36. And the border.'] Something is under ftood, viz. went ( as the Phrafe is XV Jofi. 6, 7, Sec.) or reach* ed, or fome fuch word. Or the meaning mnft be, the Country bordering upon that River . Even unto the River Jabbol{, which k the border of the Children of AmmonT] This River was the other Boundary of the Country. Ver 17. The Plain alfo and Jordan.'] The flatVerfe 17. Country toward the River Jordan : which was the Weftern Bounds of this Country of Sihon 5 as the River Arnon was the Southern, and the River Jab- bok^ the Northern 5 the Country of the Children of Amnion being on the Eaft. And the Coatt thereof, from Cinnereth. ~] The word thereof is not in the Hebrew : therefore thefe words may be better rend red the Coatf from Cinncreth. Called the Sea of Cinnereth, XII J op. 3. XIII. 27. it lying upon a Country and a City called by that Name , XI Jofh. 2. XIX. 35. Which gave the Name to this Sea, called in the New Tafhment, the Sea of Galilee. and the Sea ofGencfircth, and at laft the Sea of Tibe- rias 5 in honour of the Etnperour Tiberius. See upon XXXIV Numb. 11. H : £ A COMMENTARY Even unto the Sea of the Plain, even the Salt-Sea. J The Dead-Sea, as it is called in other places : which, before the burning of Sodom and Uomorrah , had been a mod pleafant Plain. Under Afodoth Pi/gab."] The Name of a City in this Country, XIII Joflj. 20. Eafiward.~] Which lay Eaft of the Salt-Sea and Jordan : which was the Weftern Bounds, as I faid5 of this Country. Verfe 18. Ver. 18. And I commanded you at that time.'] That is, he gave this Charge to the two Tribes of Reuben and Gad, and to the half Tribe of Manajfeh before mentioned. The LORD your God hath given you thk Land to fojfefs it, &C.3 According to their own defire : but on condition they (hould help their Brethren to con- quer the Land of Canaan. See XXXII Numb. 20, 21, 2 2. Verfe 19. Ver. 19. But your Wives and your little Ones , and your Cattle (for 1 know you have much Cattle) fi all abide in your Cities which I have given you. "J See XXXII Numb. 16, 24,26. Verfe 20. Ver. 20. Until the LORD have given reft unto your Brethren, as well as unto you^ See. 3 Brought them to a Settlement in the Land of Canaan , and given them a peaceable poffeffion of it. After which, we read that Joflwa difmi (Ted thefe Tribes, and fent them to their Wives and Children, XXII J0JI1. 4* Verfe 21. Ver. 21. And I commanded JoJInta at that time. ] About that time 5 when by God's order he appoint- ed JoJIma to be his Succetfbr , and took him to be his Affociate in the Government , XXVII Numb. 18, &c- Thine eyes have feen all that the LORD your God hath done unto thefe two Kings : So fi all the LORD do unta upon DEUTERONOMY. 53 ttnto all the Kingdoms whither thou pajfetf. ~\ This Chapter teems to be the Preface to the Charge, which by God's III. Command he gave to Jofiua at that time, XXVII • /~\T\J Numb. 19, 23. Ver. 22. Ye/hall not fear them : for the LORD your Verfe 2 2. Godfightcthfor you.] This is part of the Charge it felf, which he had heard him give all the People, eight and thirty years ago, I. 21, 29, 30. Ver. 23. And I befought the LORD at that time, Verfe 23. faying.'] Being told by God at the fame time (XXVII Numb. 12, 13.) that he fhould (horily dye, and on- ly fee the Land of Canaan, but not enter into it ^ Mofes made his humble Supplication to God that he would not execute the Sentence, which he had de- nounced againft him. For the word befought figni- fies Supplication to one that is offended, Ver. 24. 0 LORD God, thou halt begun to fiew Verfe 24 thy Servant thy great vefs, and thy mighty hand.] In fubduing 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 f\ He fpeaks according to the Language of thofe times, when Men worshipped many Gods, of feveral forts : None of which, he acknowledges, were able to bring to pafs, fuch things as the LORD had done. Ver. 25. I pray thee let me go over, and fee the goody 'erfe 2", Land that is beyond 'fordj.n.'] To fee is here to en- joy it, as the reft of the Ifraelites were to do : For God bad him go up into a Mountain and behold it} but threatned he (hould not enter into it. Which Threatning he might well think was reverfible, as o- thers had been againft the People of Ifrad upon his Prayer for them ;> though they had more highly of- fended ^ A COMMEUTAKT Chapter fended the Divine Majefty than he had done. For IIL though he doubted at the firft, efpecially when he WVSJ faw no Water come out of the Rock at the firft ftroke ^ yet he prefently recovered himfelf,and fmote it the fecond time , believing God would relieve them. That goodly Mountain."] Moft think that he clefi- red to go fo far into it , as to fee the place where God intended to fettle his Divine Prefence: which proved to be Mount Moriah. But nothing was known of this, a long time after : unlefs we fup- pofe it was revealed unto him, that where Abraham offered Ifaacfhzxz the LORD would dwell. It feems to me that he means, that goodly Country, full of noble Mountains : for thus the word Mountain is often ufed , particularly XIII Numb. 29. where the Spies fay the Amorites dwell in the Mountain^ i. e. in that mountainous part of Canaan. And Lebanon7\ He defired to go through the whole Country, as far as Lebanon 5 which was the moft Northerly part of it, (famous for goodly Ce- dars) as the Mountain before fpoken of, was in the South of Canaan. ■Verfe 26. Ver. 26. But the LORD was wroth with me for your fakes."] See I. 37. And would not hear me. ~] Refufed to grant my Petition. And the LORD faid unto me , Let it fuffice thee, fpeak^no more unto me of thh matter.] This fuggefts that Mofes renewed his Petition, after the firft de- nial 5 and more earneftly begg d this Favour of God : which he could nor obtain 5 but was enjoyn- ed filence. This argues great difpleafure : and is mentioned by him , as . an Admonition to the Ifraelites, r upon DEUTERONOMY. 55 /fraclites, to be fearful to offend the Divine Ma- Chapter jefty. ' IV. Ver. 27. Ge/ thee up to the top of P/fgah.~] See L/^/XJ what I have noted upon XXVII N»«r*. 12. Verfe 27. /W ///J ///> thine eyes Wejiward, and Northward, &i.c.~] Take a full view of the Country in all the Quar- ters of it : which might be feen from the top of this Mountain, which was called Nebo. See XXXIV, Ver. 28. But charge JoJIma , rf#a incourage andVzrk 28 jlrengthen hint, ckc] Bid him not doubt, that I will bring my People thither under his Conduft ^ though I deny thee entrance into it. Ver. 29. So we abode in the Valley over against Verf Beth-peor. ] It is likely that there was a Temple built to Baal-Peor which fronted this Valley : for fo Beth (ignifies an Houfe or Temple of Peor. Which gave the Name to a City wherein it ftood 5 which was part of the Inheritance of the Reubenites, XIII Jojh.20. In this Valley Mofes was buried5XXXI V. 6. where he made this moft excellent Exhortation to all the People. CHAP. IV. Verfe I«1V7 0IF therefore hearken, 0 IfraelT] Ha- yerfe r l\l ving commemorated feveral Benefits which God had beftowed upon them, fince their coming out of Egypt, and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai 5 with feveral fevere Punifliments which he had infli&ed on them for their Dif- obedience $6 A COMMENTARY Chapter obedience to it -0 Mofis proceeds now to exhort them IV. earneftly to the obfervance of it. L/"V\J Unto the Statutes.'] Theie feem to be fuch Laws as concerned the Worfhip of God. And the judgments!] And then thefe were fuch as concerned their Dealings one with another. Which two words comprehend all that is fig- nified by Tejiimonies and Precepts alfo , in other places. Which I teach you , for to do them.'] Which he was about to fet before them 3 and prefs upon their Prattice. That ye may live, and go in, and pojfefs the Land% which the LORD God of your Fathers giveth you.] Not perifh as their Fore-fathers had done in their Rebellion : but be happy , and enjoy what God had promifed, and was ready now to beftow up- on them. Verfe 2. Ver. 2. TeJJjal/ not add unto the word which I com- mand you, neither fiall ye diminifli from it. ] This is thought by feme tp fignifie , that they fhould not make the leaft alteration in the Laws he had given them, about the Rites of Divine Worfhip , and Ab- ftinence from feveral Meats, and fuch like things : which were diftin&ive Marks, whereby they were fe- parated from other Nations to be a peculiar People to him. Thus Chiskuni interprets thefe words , Thou fialt not add fear, upon the fear of the blejfed God. That is, any other Worfhip to the Divine Worfhip pre- ferred by thefe Laws , nor diminifh that Worfhip. Which Interpretation feems to be warranted, by what follows, Thy eyes have feen what the LORD thy God did, becaufe of Baal-Peor. But in the words before- going (which introduce the fe) Judgments being men*- tioned, upon DEUTERONOMY. $7 tioned as well as Statutes f\\zxz mud be a larger fenfe of Chapter this Injunction, which relates to all the Laws ot- God : IV. and the meaning feems to be, Ye fhall not tranfgrefs any of thefe Precepts, either by doing any thing con- trary to them, which was to add; or omitting any thing which they required, which was to diminifb. Thus Grotius interprets it upon 2 Corinth. XL 24. Ad- dire ad legem ett facer e quod lex vet at, dumnucrc ell 0- ntitterequod lex jubet. But which way foever we take it, nothing is more ce/tain than that this Prohi- bition preferved thefe Books from any alteration, fince the time they were vyritten : For the whole Bo- dy of the People acknowledging their Divine Au- thority, none of them dared to change any thing, either by addition, or diminution. Of which there is a wonderful inftance in the People that came out of Ajjyria, ( in the room of the Jfiaelites, who were tranfported thither) to inhabit the Country of Sa- maria 5 who receiving this Law, their Pofterity have kept it all along to this day, as uncorrupted , as the Jews themfelveshave done 5 although they were their mortal Enemies, and have been expofed to all the Changes and Revolutions that can befall a Nation, during the long interval of Two thoufand and four hundred years. Thus the mo ft learned Dr. Alix ob- ferves, in his Reflections upon the four la ft Books of Mofes, p. 144. And I do not fee, why the per- fection of the Scripture, without the Oral Law of the Jews,(hould not be thought to be eftablifhed by thefe words, as jnother learned Perfon {[Job. IVagcnfe/l ) understands them in his Confut. Cartmnk Lip/navn/, p. 585. Yet, as the forenamed Cbiskpni notes^it doth not feem reafonable to conclude from hence, that they were prohibited to add any Con(titutions,as a Hedge I and 58 A COMMENTARY Chapter and Fence to the Law $ or as an Explication of it, IV. when the fenfe was doubtful. See Mr. Thomdike in WVv*' his Rights of the Church in a Christian State, p. 180, See. That ye may keep the Commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you. ~] This juftifies the Explication I gave of the foregoing words, as re- fpe&ing all God's Laws : and XIL32. makes it more plain. And indeed, God being their Law-giver, it was the higheft prefumptign to make any Alteration in any of his Laws. Verfe 5. Ver. 3. Tour eyes have feen what the LORD did be- caufe of Baal-peor,fkc.~] How he cut off Twenty four thoufand by a Plague, and by the Hand of Juftice, who had been guilty of Idolatry by the enticements of the Midianitifi Women, XXV.AW^.5,9. Which feems to be a reafon, why they friould take a fpecial Care about the Worfhipof God 5 that nothing were done contrary to the Laws he had ordained concern- ing it. For all the men that followed BaaUpeor , the LORD thy God hath dejiroyed them from among you. ] The judges put to death all thofe that they knew to be guilty $ and the Hand of God found out all the reft $ fo that there was not a Man of them left, who was not fwept away by the Peftilence. Verfe 4. Ver. 4. But ye that did cleave unto the LOR.D.~] Did not depart from his Worftiip 5 but bewailed the Apoftafie of fome of their Brethren, XXV Numb. 6. Are alive every one of you thk day7\ ^A lingular Providence watched over them, to preferve them in fuch good health, that not one in lb many Thou- fands was dead fince that time. Nor in the War with the Midianites , wherein they flew all the Males. upon DEUTERONOMY. $9 Males, did they lofe fo much as one Man, XXXI Chapter Numb. 7, 49. IV. Ver. 5. Behold J have taught you Statutes andjudg- L/V\J ments.] v. 1. Verfe 5. Even as the LORD my God commanded me!] Sin- cerely and uprightly 5 without adding any thing of my felf, or diminidiing any thing that he faid. That ye fjould do fo in the hand whither ye go to pof~ fefs it.~] To be the Pvule of your Life , when ye come into the Land of Canaan. Ver. 6. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your Verfe 5. wifdom and underftanding, in the fight of all the Na- tions?] It is your intereft to obferve them, as you will foon find by experience : which will teach you that it is not only the wifeft Courfe in it felf,butwill get you the reputation of being a wife People among all your Neighbours. Which full hear of all thefe Statutes."] There being mention before (v. 1, 5. ) of Judgments, as well as Statutes , and here only of the latter, Abarbinel thence infers, That even thofe Laws which depended whol- ly upon the Will and Pleafure of God, and for which they could give no reafon, (for fttch they underftood by Chukkjm) would procure them very great Honour, if they were carefully obferved. For the Nations feeing how wonderfully they profpered, would be apt to impute it to thefe extraordinary Preicriptions which they followed. Juft, faith he, as a Phyfician, who cures defperate Difeaies, by fome fmall trifling Remedies (as they feem to others) is highly applau- ded for the profoundnefs of his Knowledge and Wif- dom. But Ma/monides takes this word Statutes to comprehend all the Laws of God 5 and undertakes to (how that all the Six hundred and thirteen Precepts, 5 a have So A COMMENTARY Chapter have a wife End in them, for the Profit and Benefit IV. of thofe that obferve them 5 either to beget fome IS~V\J wholdbtiie Opinion in their Mind, or to pull out fome perverfe one 5 either to infcitute fome good Or- der, or to take away Iniquity, &c. See More Nevo- chim, P. III. Cap. XXXI. And fay , Surety this Nation is a wife and understand- ing People.'] Who continued in Safety, Liberty, and Profperity, abounding with all manner of Bleffings, while they continued all to go up to worfhip One God fincerely, at one Place, at certain Set-times 5 as if the whole Nation was but one Family. All the reft of their Laws, alfo, were admirably fitted to unite them unto God, and one to another 5 and confe- quently, to make them appear a wife People, in the Eyes of other Nations 5 whofe Writers have not only highly magnified Mofes, but their Law-Givers have tranfcribed feveral of his Laws into their own Confti- tutions. This appears by the old Article Laws, and thofe of the Twelve Tables, as many learned Men have obferved : Nay, the Oracle reported by Porphy- ry, in Eufebiu* his Prceparatio Evangelica, Lib. IX. Cap. X. thus extols this Nation : MSvol XctXfrcuoi avp'av Xa-^pv, w^' dp ES^ft^ The Chaldaeans and the Hebrews, (who came from Chaldaa) are the only wife People, who worfiip God, the Eternal King, in a pure manner* And the Oracle of Apollo Clarius, recorded by Macrobius, Lib. I. Satm+- nak Cap. 18. is no lefs remarkable : Acknow~~ upon DEUTERONOMY. 61 Acknowledge Jao, (fo they pronounced the Name Chapter J EHOV AH) to be the higheli God of all. For though I V. Macrobius fancied the Sun to be here called 'Jam*, (no i^V~\J Body can tell why) yet Di odor us Sicnhts acknow- ledges 'Ida* to be the God, from whom Mofis preten- ded to have his Laws, i. e. JEHOVAH. Ver. 7. For it hat Nat ion is there fo great, who hath Vztk J* God fo nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for £] Both Onl^elos, and the Paraphrafe of Jonathan, and likewife the Hieru- falem Targum, are very fignificant upon this place : ' What People is there who have a God that ap- ■ proaches to them, fo as the LORD our God doth 4 to us ? At whatfoever Hour we cry unto him, he c anfwers us. It is the manner of other People, to c carry their Gods upon their Shoulders, to (hew that 1 they are near to them 3 when, alas ! they are afar c off, and cannot hear them. But the LORD our 1 God fits on his Throne on high, and hears our c Prayers, whatfoever time we call upon him, &V. To which may be added, that they had a Symbol of God's Prefence continually among them, in the Holy Place, where he dwelt with them, and Mofes, when- foever he pleafed, confulted him in all difficult Af- fairs $ as their High-Prieft might do, with the TJrim and Thummim, in all times to come. Ver. 8. And what Nation is there fo great, that hath Vcrfc Statutes and Judgments fo righteous, as all this Law which Ifet before you this Day $ 3 The true Greatnefs of a Nation, (it appears by this and the foregoing Verfe) confifts in the fincere Worfhip of God, and in the upright Adminiftration of Juftice. Both which were fo provided for by the Divine Laws among the Jews, that no Nation could compare with them, or raa 6i A COMMENTARY Chapter was really fo great as they were : For though their IV. Country was but fmail, and they were often oppref- L/*V"\J fed by feveral cruel Enemies, who defired their Ex- tirpation 5 yet they recovered themfelves, and kept their Laws in their worft Condition (when common- ly they bed obferved them :) Infomuch, that as a ve- ry learned Perfon of our own Church, long ago, ob- ferved : After fo many Changes and Alterations as there were in their State, from better to worfe, and back again 5 after fo many Vi&ories got by them over others, and fo many Captivities of their Perfons, and Defolations of their Country, as others had wrought, they continued fill one and the fame Peopley governed by the fame Laws, under feveral great and potent Mo- narchies. The fucceffive Rife and Fall of Three, of which they were prefer ved to behold 5 and in their declining State, able to ftand out a great while againft the Fourth, the mightieft that ever was on Earth, and that when this Monarchy was in its full ftrength. This is a plain Demonftration of the Truth of thefe Words of Mofes, That no Nation was fo great as they. See Dr. Jackjons Firft Book upon the Creed, Chap. XXI. Maimonides obferves, That the word Zaddikint, which we tranflate righteous, fignifies as much as equal and proportionate : Such, faith he, were all thefe Laws of God } in which there was no excefs, by the pre- fcription of long Pilgrimages, or fevereFaftings 5 nor any defefr, which might open the Window to any Vice, or make them careiefs in the Pra&ice of Ver- tue. More Nevochim, P. II. Cap. XXXIX. Verfe 9. Ver. 9. Only take heed to thy felf and keep thy Soul diligently, left thou forget the things which thou hall feen, 8cc.j Their only danger was, left they fliould grow upon DEUTERONO M Y. 63 grow carelefs and unmindful of all the wonderful Chapter Things that Go J had done for them : Which he IV. therefore exhorts them to think of frequently, and to L/*VSJ keep in Memory and lay to Heart :, fo that they might preferve the Sence of them as long as they lived, and likewiie teach all Pofterity to be mindful of them. Ver. io. Effect ally the Day that thou flooded before Verfe io. the LORD thy God in Horeb.] But above all, that memorable Day, when the LORD delivered his Law to them from Mount Sinai -7 at which the oldeft of them were prefent, and had feen and heard what he faid, and how it was delivered. When the LORD faid unto me, Gather me the People together.'] Unto the foot of Mount Sinai -0 where they ftood at fuch a diftance from it as God prefcri- bed, XIX Exod. io, n, 12,13. And I will make them hear my Words'] XIX Exod. 9, Sec. XX Exod. 1 , Sec. That they may learn to fear me all the Days that they flail live upon the Earthy Src."] For thofe Words which they heard, were pronounced in fo terrible a man- ner, as to make them dread to ofFend his Majefty, and to inftruft their Children to ftand in awe of him. Ven 1 1 . And ye came near, and flood under the Verfe 1 1 „ Mountain."] XIX Exod. I 7. And the Mountain burnt with Fire. ] XIX. Exod. 16, 18. Into the midfi of Heaven.'] Into the middle of the Air, which is frequently called Heaven in Scripture ; as Cat Fouls of Heaven are the Fouls of the Air : But whether the Fire flamed up precifely, into the very midft of the lower Region o* the Air, or only a great height, is not material 3 either way, the Expreffion is proper enough. Ver. 12. 64 A COMMENTARY Chapter Ver. 12. And the LORD Jpake unto you out of the IV. midli of the Fire. ] XIX Exod 20. XX. 1, 21. L/""V"NJ Tc heard the Voice of the Words."] XX Exod. 19. Verfe 1 2 . Butfaxv no Similitude \] Tho' fometimes the Divine Majefty feems to have appeared in a vifible Shape, (VIL 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 feem to repre- fent him to their outward Senfes, or their Imagina- tion : For it had been dangerous then to manifeft himfelf, under any Refemblance, when he forbad them to make any Refemblance of him. They would have thought, he forbad them to make any other Refemblance, but that wherein he (hewed himfelf to them 5 in which they would have concluded, it was lawful to reprefent him. Only ye heard a Voice.'] From hence feme of the Jews would gather, that the People only heard the Sound of God's Words, when he fpake the Ten Com- mandments ^ but not the Diftinttion of the Sound, fo as to understand the Senfe of what he faid. Thus Maimonides, in his More Nevochim, P.2. Cap. XXXIII. Which is manifeftly falfe,as appears from Ver. 10. and 1 3. and XX Exod. 22. For therefore the Day where- in he fpake to them in Horeb was fo remarkable , as never to be forgotten $ becaufe he made them hear his Words, fo that they might learn to fear him, Sec. For tho' he did not appear in the likenefs of any thing to them, yet he vouchfafed to fpeak to them plainly in their own Language, that they might be inftrufted in their Duty 5 both which was to keep them from Idolatry. He did not let them fee any Shape, that they might not make any Image of him, to worfhip it or him by it, after the manner of the Heathens 5 but «^ DEUTERONOMY. 6$ but he let them hear his Voice, that they might tiot Chip! go and worfhip any other Gods, which the Heath IV. pretended fpake to them. ^x-v-w Ver. 13. Artel be declared unto yon hk Covenant, which Verfe 13. he commanded yon to perform. even ten Commandment s7\ Thefe were the principal Laws which they covenan- . ted with him to oblerve, tho' afterwards he added others, after the Tenor of which he made a Covenant with them, XXX IV Exod. 27. And he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone.'] XXIV Exod. 12. XXXIV. 28. Ver. 14. And tfye LORD commanded me, at thatVerk 14^ time, to teach yon Statutes and Judgments, that ye might do them in the Land whither ye go over to pojfefs it. This doth not fignifie, that they themfelves did not hear the Ten Words from Mount Sinai, but were taught them by Mofes, (as Maimonzdes fancies in the fore- named place ) for it plainly relates to the reft of the Laws, which God immediately after gave him, (Ex- od. XXI. XXII. XXIII.) It being their own defire, that God would fpeak to them no more by himfelf, but communicate the reft of his Will by Mofes, 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 thofe Jews, who take the Statutes and Judgments here mentioned, for their Oral Law, as Aben Ezra, R.Solomon, fl.Bechai, and others do, upon this place : Who fay, That when God gave Mofes the written Law, he expounded it to him : Which Expofition he delivered to Jvjhwa, and he to the LXX Elders, &c. (o that it came K down 66 A COMMENTARY Chapter down to them in a fucceffive Tradition. IV. Ver. 15. Take ye therefore good, feed to your [elves ', L/"V\J (for ye faw no manner of fimilitude on the Day that the Verfe 15. LORD fpake unto you in Horeb, out of the midtt of the Fire.~] He gives them a fpecial Caution about this, becaufe the Nations of the World were fo prone to make Images of their Gods 5 which he exprelly for- bids in the Second Commandment. Upon this Text the prefent Jews ground the Third Article of their Faith 5 which is, that God is incorporeal. Verfe 16. Ver. 16. Lett ye corrupt your felves.~] By wor (hip- ping any thing but God himfelf alone. Unto whom they being efpoufed, the giving Divine Worfhip un- to any thing elfe, was luch a Corruption as Adultery is in a married Woman. And mahfi you a graven Image, the fimilitude of any Figure.'] See the Second Commandment, XX Exod* 3, 4- The likenefs of Male or Female. ] The reprefentati- on of God in Humane Shape is firft forbidden, be- caufe it was mod common among the Heathens.There- fore I cannot think this relates to the Egyptian Wor- ihip, who honoured Oxen as facred to Ojiris, and Cows as facred to Ifis. Unto which Mr. Selden thinks the LXX, had refpefr, when they tranflated thefe words, cQfjJbiv>{Act dpeiviKS % dy\/\vx.&. De Dik Syrh, Syntag. I. Cap. IV. Verfe 17. Ver. 17. The likenefs of any Beatt that is on the Earth, Sec.] The word Or is to be here fupplied, and in all that follows, in this manner : Or the likenefs of any Bealt that is on the Earth ^ or the likenefs of any winged Fowl that fiieth in the Air : Where Col tzippor Canaph, which we tranflate, Any winged Fowl, fignir fies all Birds, and Infefts, that fly in the Ati* For in the upon DEUTERONOMY. 67 the (hape o£ fucb Creatures alfo, the Heathen repre- Chapter Tented their Gods, or fome of their Qualities : For IV. not only Oxen were facred to Apis, and Rams to jf//- L/"V\J pitcr Ammo*) but Hawks, and Eagles, and even Bee- tles to other Deities. Ver. 18. Or the likenefs of any thing that creepeth on Verfe i3, the Ground. ~] Nothing was more common among the Heathen, than the Worfhip of Serpents. Or the likenefs of any Fiji) that is in the I] at or s. ~] The famous Dagon, whom the Philijlin/s worfhipped, was a Fifh with an Humane Face, Hands, and Feet. Certain it is, the Syrians worfhipped a Fifh, as Cicero tells us in his third Book of the Nature of the Gods, Syri Pifcem vencrantur : Which Mr. Selden thinks, re- lates to the famous Goddefs-, Atazgatis 5 which is a word made out of the Hebrew Addir-dag, i. e. mag- nificent, or potent Fifh. See De Diis Syris, Syntag. II. Cap. II. The Egyptians were famous, in After-times, for wor fhipping all forts of Animals^ and if one could find they were fo in the Days of Mofcs, it might be ailigned as the moft probable Reafon of his caution- ing the Ifraelitcs againft thefe things fo particularly, they being lately come out of Egypt. Ver. 19. And lest thou lift up thine Eyes unto Heaven. ~] yerfe l q# From hence, I believe, that common Speech among the Arabians was derived, Ta^e heed how thou gazesl on the Splendor of the Stars : Which is in the fir ft Cen- tury of Arabic k Proverbs, fet forth by Erpenius, (Prcv. XXVIII.) who faith he knew not what to make of it : But I take it to be a Caveat againft Idolatry, to which the ancient Arabians were addicted. And when thou feesl the Sun, and the Moon, and the Stars, even all the Host of Heaven 4~\ The moft anci- ent Idolatry of all other, feems to have been theWor- K 2 fhip 68 A COMMENTARY Chapter (hip of the Sutl, and the reft of the heavenly Bodies, which began among the Chaldeans : For there is not any God, or Goddefs, among the ancient Gentiles, but hath a refpeft to the Sun, or the Moon, as G*r- bertus Cuperus hath very plainly demonftrated in his Harpocrates, P. 87, &c. 108, &c. And a very learn- ed Man of our own, hath lately faid a great deal on the fame Subjedh See Appendix to the Antiquity See Eufebius^ in his Pr£par. Evang. Lib. XIII. Cap. XVIII. where he (hews how much better the Hebrews fpeak in this mat- ter 5 and quotes fome Words of Plato, out of a Work of his, not now extant, for the Explication of thefe Words of Mofes. And to make this Idolatry feem more reafonable, fome of the Philofophers aflerted the Sun to be indued with Underftanding 5 and there- fore is called by Proclm, Tlu^J<; votpS /S^cnAsO^, The King ef Inte/Iettual Fire, to diftinguifh it from other Fires, which are without Underftanding : And from thence, in one of the Coyns of Car ac alia, there is over the Sun, fur- upon D E LI T E R O N O M Y, 69 furroundcd with Rays, the word PROriDFXTIA. Chapter In fhort, the World had been fo long fettled in this IV. Worfhip, that it was no eafie matter, when the Son i /^v^vJ of God catne,to root it out : For the Effem (the beft Seft among the Jews) feem to have had a Tang of this Superftition, asjofephvs repreients them, Lib.U. De Bcllo JudaJco, Cap. VII. Some indeed excufe them, as if they only admired the Sun, as the moft excellent Work of God, which they expreffed by fome kind of Adoration : But Jofephus exprefly tells us, That early in the Morning, they direded to him, Tlctl^c; twclc, AJyiq, as if they befeeched him to rife. And this ftuck ftill in the Minds of fome who profefled Chri- ftianity ,• particularly the Followers of Bafilides, and the Manichees, who called the Sun and the Moon by the Name of Gods 5 and, fometimes, called the Sun, Chrili, as Theocloret tells us, Lib. I. Cap. XXVI. And Epiphanius, and St. Auftin, fay the fame, in more pla- ces than one. No wonder therefore, that Julian the Apoftate (hould fay, that God produced, 'Eg Sir*/ "HAizv 0eci> [xiyizzv 7nbi>1z 0/ULOiOv i£t*d, Out of himfelf the Sun, the great eU God, in all things like unto hiwfelf : For which he quotes Plato, in his famous Oration, in praife of the Sun : Where he faith, The fame Sun hath filled the Heaven with innumerable other Gods, page 146. OA@o «£^ro<; Oi'jJv i^iv dx. ftAia irArfr,;, The whole Heaven k full of Gods from the Sun. Which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all Na-- tions under the whole Heaven. ] The Sence is very plain 5 that all Nations under Heaven have the Bene- fit of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, as well as the Jew5 5 who were therefore to worfhip him alone, who is the LORD of them all, and hath made them to be Minifters unto us. This R. Solomon faw, and yet he could 7o A COMMENTARY Chapter could not ftick to it, but fell into the vain Fancy of IV- the generality of the Jews, that God hath diftributed t^WJ the Nations of the World under the Government of feveral Stars, which Stars are under the Government of Angels $ but the Jews under the Government of God alone, and not fubjeft to any Planet. Which hath no Foundation at all 3 much lefs can we think, that God appointed the Nations of the World to wor- fhip the heavenly Hoft, left they fliould be Atheifts, as Clemens Alexandrinus, and Jujiin Martyr fancy from this place : Unlefs they mean, thac God for their Sins delivered them up to this Impiety 3 which feveral great Men fince have thought to be the true meaning of thefe words : For there are no fuch words now to be found in the LXX. as they alledge, rTjuuv $* *% Sra* tfobKk K.V£jL@^ 6 050$ and others of them, Wolves and Lyons : And he adds , The Ukenefs of any winged Fowl thatflicth in the Air 3 becaufe all the Egyptians worfhipped an Hawk, and the Bird called Ibis 3 and the Thebans an Eagle. In v. 18. he mentions, the fimilitude of any thing that creeps th fi A COMMENTARY Chapter creepeth on the Ground , becaufe about Thebes, Serpents IV. were facred to Jupiter : And the Ukenefs of any Fifl) that U^V^vJ is in the Waters \ becaufe all Egypt worfhipped certain Fifties, and feme of them the Crocodile, and the Hip- potamus. And as fovtheSun, Moon, and Stars, v. 19. 4) the worfhip of them was common to the Egyptians, with all other Nations. All this he juftifies out of good Authors 5 and it might pafs for Truth, had we any certainty that the Egyptians in the time of Mofes, were as fottifh as they were in the time of Herodotus. See Seculum IX. ScSt. de Idololatria, Verfe 21. Ver. 21. Further more~-0 or rather, But The LORD was angry with me for your fakes. ~] He remembers this again, (tho' he had mentioned it twice before, I. 37. III. 26.) that they might be the more deeply fenfible of the danger of offending God, fince fuch a Man as he was excluded from the good Land, for one fingle Fault. Or hereby he would magnifie the Goodnefs of God to them, who thos great Of- fenders, had a Priviledge granted to them, which was denied him. And fware that Iftould not go over Jordan, Sec."] He only told him fo at the firft, XX Numb. 12. but up- on Mofes's importunate Intreaty, that he would re- voke the Sentence, (of which we read in the fore- going Chapter of this Book) it feems he filenced him, by confirming his Threatning with an Oath. Verfe 2 2. ^er' 22' ^nt Lmufidiein this Land, lmulinot go over Jordan^} See XXVII. Numb. 12, 13, 14. His frequent Repetition of this, {hews how near it went to his Heart. But ye /hall go over, and poffefs that good Land. God's Promiie to them, he would have them think, was as irrevocable as his Threatning again A: him, Ver. 23. upon DEUTERONOMY. 73 Vrer. 23. Take heed unto your felvcs, kit ye forget the Chapter en ant of the LORD your God, which he made with IV. you, and make you a graven Image, &CC. ~\ For this ^^m\/m^J was the principal thing in the Covenant, that they Verfe 23. fhould vvorlhip him alone. Which is the reafon it is fo often repeated, and was immediately after the delivery of the Law from Mount Sinai, mentioned alone 5 as if it was the only thing he had faid unto them, XX Exod. 22, 23. Ye have feen that Ihavetalkj ed with you from Heaven : Ye pall not make with me Gods of Stiver 5 neither pall ye make unto you Gods of Gold. Ver. 24. For the LORD thy God is a confumingVtrk 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 thefe Words of Mofes, the ancient Per/fans took up the Worfhip of Fire 5 at firft, only as a Refem- blance of God, or a Symbol of him, (as Maximus Ty- rius faith, Diprt. XVIII. ) but afterwards, as God himfelf, Demonjlr. Evangel, p. 94. Even a jealous God.~] Who cannot endure any Ri- val in your Affeftion : See XX Exod. 5. Thefe were two awakening Arguments to keep them from Idola- try 5 that God cannot endure it, and will be very ter- rible in his punifhment of it. Ver. 25. \\ hen thoufljalt beget Children, and Children s Verfe 25, Children, and fialt have remained long in the Land. ~] When they were very much multiplied, and had been long fettled in the pofieffion of the Land of Canaan. And pall corrupt your felvcs."] By the Worlhip of other Gods. L Aid 74 A COMMENTARY Chapter And make a graven Imager the fHynefs of any thing!] IV. Which he had ftriftly prohibited, and iolemnly cau- WV~^ tion'd them to beware of, v. 23. AndJhaU do cvili>: the fight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to Anger ~] By imitating the idolatrous Cuftoms of other Nations. Verfe 26. ^er- 2&* I call Heaven and Earth to witnefs againft you thh Day.~] A folemn kmd of Affeveration 5 that as furely as the Heaven and the Earth (hall endure, they ftiould utterly perifli. That ye flail foon utterly perijl) from off this Land, whereunto ye go, 6cc. ] As foon as the Meafure of your Iniquity is filled up, ye fl:all fpeedily be deftroyed without Remedy. Which the Hebrews refer to the Captivity by Salmanefer, and Nebuchadnezzar 5 after they had been almoft Eight hundred Years in this Country 5 and fo might be faid, to have remained long in the Land. Verfe 27. Ver. 27. And the LORD flmB fcatter you among the Nations.'] See XXVI Levit, 33. Andyeffjall be left few in number among the Heathen^ &C.3 XXVII.fw7.22. Verfe 28. Ver. 28. And there ye frail ferve Gods, thework^of Mens Hands, Wood, and Stone, See. ~] The Idols of the Heathen : To the Worfhip of which he threatens to abandon them, as a punifhment for their Apoitafie from God. And the Heathen fometime compelled them to worfliip their Gods, as we read in the Third of Daniel. Which neither fee, nor hear, nor eat, nor fmell.'] This is a Defcription of the mod ftupid Idolatry, to which they Ihould be delivered, if they fell from God. See XXI Numb. 29. Ver. upon DEUTERONOMY. 75 Vcr. 20. But if from thence thou fault Cccf; the LORD Chaj thy God.} When they were fcattered among the Hca- IV. then, v. 27. Lv'VXJ . nd him, if thou feci *** rcith all thy Hearty Verfe 2 9 . and ieul.~\ If they then repented fincerely, and became unfeigned Worf nippers of the LORD their God alone, he promifes them forgivenefs. Vcr. 20. M fa* f/w/* arf in tribulation, and all Me/c Verfe 30. f&wgj *r« twwe ///w# thee ] In great diftrefs, by the execution of ihe foregoing Threatnings. Even in the latter Days.} In future Times, or in their moft declining State. The Jews themfelves ap- ply this to the prefent State, wherein they now are, and have been many Years 5 as appears by the anci- ent Nitztco*, fet forth lately by Wagenfcil, p. 254. where he faith the whole Nation muft repent, before God fend Deliverance unto them. If thou turn to the LORD thy God, and fajalt be obe- dient to his Voice. ~] The great end of puniftiment was to convert them, and make them more obfervant of God's Commands. Ver 31. For the LORD thy God is a merciful God.] Verfe 31. See XXXIV Exod. 6, 7. XIV. Numb. 17, 18. Lie will not forfake thee, neither defiroy thee, &C. ] He promifes not to cafe them off, nor defiroy them utterly, (tho1 they were utterly thrown out of their Land, v. 26.) but reftore them to his Favour, ac- cording 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 asl^now of the Days that are pali, which Verfe 52. were before thee, fince tie day that Cod cr&ted Man up- on the Earth, Sec. ~] Turn over :he Annals of the whole World, from one end of it to the otfter, ever L 2 fince 76 A COMMENTARY Chapter fince it was made, and fearch, whether thou can ft IV. find any thing like to that which God hath done for L/^V^NJ you- Which jR. Ifaac thus gloffes in his Mnnimen Fidei, (lately fet forth by Wagtnfeil, p. 103.) From the Creation of the World, till their going out of Egypt, there were pajffed Two thoufand four hundred and forty eight Years 5 and yet in all that long Trail of Time, there never were jeen , or heard, in any part of the World, fuck prodigioits Miracles as were wrought to bring them out of Egypt 5 and afterward, in leading them through the Red Si a 5 raining Manna on them 5 and the appearance of the Divine Majejly at Mount Sinai , &c, Yerfe 33. Ver. 33. Did ever People hear the Voice of God freaking out of the midff of tire, as thou hall heard, and live £~] Here was a double, or rather tripple Pro- digy, never heard oi before, that God fliould fpeak to them audibly and diftindly, fo long as to iniorm them in their Duty towards himfelf, and one another 5 and this out of the midfl: of devouring Flames,, and without the leaf* hurt to any one of them, XX Exod. 18. XX. 18. XXIV. 17. Yerfe 34. Ver. 34. Or hath God affayed to go and take him a Na- tion fiom the midfl of another Nation^] Another Won- der, never before heard of } that God, by two Merr alone, Mofes and Aaron, fhould demand the Delive- ry of a Nation, under the Power of another Nation far greater and ftronger than themfelves, and effeft it alfo, by no other Means but fuch as here follow 1 By Temptations."] This word may be thought to fig- nifie the grievous Trials of the Ifraelites, whofe Mi- feries were increafed after the firft Attempt for their Deliverance ^ which feemed to them a Orange way of proceeding, V Exod, 19, 22, 23. But by Tem- ptations^ upon DEUTERONOMY. 77 ptations, may in this place be, in general, meant Mi- Chapter racks, as the Hebrews underliand it, and theChaldee IV. word Tetrejjht iigmries. This, and the two follow- l/'VVJ ing words being of the very fame import with the three words in the New Teftament, which we often meet withal, ( and lean to be taken from hence ) Auvi'jLioi, -AcgLJi, jy tmjjufofy With Miracles, U ondcrs, and oi ins, \l sic?. 22. 2 Corinth. XII. II Hel?r. 4.. B) UgMsJ] Which are mentioned, IV Exod. 9. VII. 9,10. And by Wonders r\ This Signifies all the Ten Plagues of Egypt : For Pharaoh would not let the lfraeUtes go, till God had multiplied his 11 onders on the Land Jjf Egypt, as we read, VII Exod. 3. X. 1, 2. XI. 9, 10. And by War. "] This feems to relate to the Over- throw of Pharaoh, in the Red Sea 5 where the LORD is fold to fight for Ifrael, ( XIV Exod. 14. XV. 3. ) while they, which is the greatefc Wonder of all, were delivered without ftriking a ftroke. And by a mighty Hand, and a ftretched-out Airm. ~] Theie are Phrafes which we often meet withal, when Mofes fpeaks of their Deliverance out of Egypt. Ill Exod. 19. VI. 6. XV. 12. and many other places. And the Hebrews think, that his mighty Hand parti- cularly refers to the grievous Murrain, and the Pefti- lence , which are called the Hand of the LORD, X Exod. 3,15. And his ftretched-out Arm, to have a particular refpeft to the killing of the Firft-born 5 the Ans;el that was going to finite Jerufalem, appear- ing wich a drawn Sword, and his Hand fir etched out, IChron. XXI. 16. And, 7» A COMMENTARY Chapter And by great Terrors 7\ Wherewith the Minds of IV. thofe were ftuck who heard of thefe things, XV Ex- U/V%J od. 14, 15, 16. Or elfe he means the^Frights in which the Egyptians were, while they remained three Days in moft difmal Darknefs, (XExod. 23.) for the conclufion of this Verfe fignifies, that he fpeaks of all that the LORD their God did for them In Egypt, before their Eyes. Verfe 3 5 . Ver. 3 y . Vnto thee it was foewed.~] This was a par- ticular kindnefs to the IfraelHes, which God never before manifefted to any ether Nation. That thou wight eft know that the LORD he is God : there is none elfe befides him.~] That they might be- lieve him to be the only true. God, and worfhip none but him. Which two Articles, faith Maimonid,cs, (More Nevochim,P.U. Gp.XXXIII.J that God is, and that he is but One 5 are Fundamentals of Religion, which were known not only by Prophets, but by eve- ry Body elfe. Verfe 36. Ver. 36. Out of Heaven he made thee to hear his Voice ."] See XX Exod. 22. That he might inflrucl thee7\ Teach them his Will, which was chiefly declared in the Ten Command- ments. And upon Earth he JJjewed thee his great Fire. "] He means either that they faw it as they ftood upon the Earth 5 or, that it burnt upon the top of the Mount in their fight, XXIV Exod. 17. And thou heardeff his Words out of the mid ft of the Fire7\ Ver. 11, 12. and XX Exod. 18, 19. Verfe 37. Ver. 37. Andbecaufehe loved thy Fathers, therefore he chofe their Seed after them. See XV Gen. 5, 6, 7. And many other Places in that Book, III Exod. 15, 16, 17. And «/w» D E U T E R O N O Y 79 And brought them out in his fight with am i ."] Cha pter For as he led them the way out of Egypt- in illar IV. ofCloud, and of Fire, (XIII Exod. 21.) So when Cy^V%J they were in clanger by Pharaoh's purfuic of them. !ie came behind them, and they marched in his fight, XIV Exod. 19. Oat of Egypt. "] This is mentioned in Scripture as the higheft Benefit, never to be forgotten bv them. So G. Sckjckiird obferves, ( in his Mifchpat Hamelck, Cap. III. Theorem X.) That they are put in Mind of this, in theFrontifpiece of the Decalogue, XX Exod. 2. in the Inftitution of Sacrifices, XXII Levit. 33. in the Promifeof a Bleffing, XXVI. 13. and here, in the enumeration of God's wonderful Works ; and af- terwards, in the commendation of his Love,VII Dent. 8. in his Dehortation from Ingratitude, VIII. 14. in his Inftitution of the Paffover, 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 M/- dianitcs, VI. 9. in his Anfwer to their Petition for a King, I Saw, X. 18. and on a great manv other occafions : For this was, Vehit Fnndamentum & ini- tium Reipitblictifizc. as another learned German (peaks, (Gients on IX Dan. 15.) the Foundation as we may call it, and the Beginning of their Commonwealth founded by God 5 which comprehended in it abun- dance of Miracles, far exceeding all the Power of Nature. Ver. 38. To drive out Nations before thee greater Verfe 38. and mightier than thou art. "] So mighty that they frighted their Fathers from attempting^the Conqueft of them, XIII AW>. 28, 29,31. To 80 A COMh. IT ART Chapter To bring thee in to give thee oeir Land for an Inheri- IV. tance, as it is this day."] That is, as he had given L/"V\J them a late Experiment, by overthrowing the two Kings of the Amorites, and ; »ving them their Land for a poffeiiion. Verfe 39. Ver. 39. Know therefore this day, and confidertit in thy Heart, that the LORD, he k God in heaven above, and upon the earth, and then is none elfe7\ Be fenfible therefore, and fettle this Belief in thy Heart, that the LORD is the fole Governour of the whole World. Verft 4c. Ver. 40. Thou (halt therefore keep his Statutes and his Commandments, which I command thee this day, &c.~] Worfhip and obey him, as the only way to make them and their Pofterity 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 may si prolong thy days upon the earth, Sec/] Tho' Mofes fpeak of their long Life up- on Earth, yet the better fort of Jews did not fet up their reft here 5 but from this word prolong, extended their hope as far as the other Wofld : For thus Mai- monides faith, (in his Preface to Perel^ Chelek^) they were taught by Tradition to expound thefe Words, That it may be well with thee, in the World which is all good $ and mayeli prolong thy days^ in the World which is all long, L e. never ends. Verfe 4.1. Ver. 41. Then Mofes fevered three Cities ~] I obfer- ved in the Preface to this Book, that Mofes did not deliver all that is contained in this Book, in one con- tinued Speech ^ but at feveral times, as appears even by the beginning of the next Chapter, where it is faid, He called all Ifrael, and faid unto them, Sec. Which fuppofes, that after this Preface in thefe four Chapters, he upon DEUTERONOMY. 81 he difmilled them to confider what he had faid 5 and Chapter then feme time after aflembled the People again, to IV. put them in Mind of the Laws, which he fo earned- <^"V^ ly prefTed them to obferve. But between thefe two times, (after he had fpoken all that is contained in thefe four Chapters, and before he rehearfed the De- calogue) he put in execution the Command of God lately given, to fet apart three Cities of Refuge on this (Ide Jordan : Which he here relates, in the order, I fuppofe, wherein it was done. On this fide Jordan, towards the Sun-rifing7\ On the Eaft-fide of Jordan, according to what was or- dered, XXXV Numb. 14. Ver. 42. That the Slayer might flee t hit her , which Verfe 42.- fljould kJllhk Neighbour unawares, &c] See there,-*;. 1 1 , 12, &c. Ver. 43. Namely, Bezer in the Wildernefs, in the Verfe 43. plain Country of the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites,and Gofien in Bafian,ofthe Manajfites.'] Thus they are fet down alfo in the Book of Jojlouay XX. 8. XXI. 27, 36,38. Ver. 44. And this is the Law which Mofes fet before Verfe 44. the Children of TfracW] Now follows the Law, which (after the forementioned affignation of the Cities of Refuge) Mofes fet before all the People, and prefled them to the obfervance of it. Ver. 45. Thefe are thcTefli monies, and the Statutes, Verfe 45* and the Judgments."] As the next Chapter contains the Law i) that is, the Ten Commandments, which Mofes fet before them : So, in feveral following Chapters, (after new earneft Exhortations to Obedience) he re- prefents to them the reft of God's Will, comprehend- ed under thefe three words 5 Tefiimonies, Statutes, and Judgments : Some of which belong to the Divine M Service, 82 A COMMENTARY Chapter Service, others to their Civil Government-, and the IV. reft to Ceremonial Obfervations, for the better fecu- L/V\J rity and prefervation of both the former. Which Mofes fyake unto the Children of IJrael, after they came forth out of Egypt. ~\ Which he had formerly delivered to them, after they were come out of the Egyptian Bondage, in the XXI, XXII, XXIII Chapters of Exodus, and in the following Books. Verfe 46. Ver. 46. On this fide Jordan, &c] In this, and the two following Verfes, he again mentions the place and the time, when and where hefet before them the Law, and the Teftimonies, Statutes and Judg- ments, recorded in the following part of this Book : Which he repeats, that all Pofterity might obferve, thefe Difcourfes were made a little before he died. In the Valley over again i? Be\h-peor7\ III. Z)lt. In the Land of Sihon King of the Amorites, who dwelt at EejhbonT] II. 24, 3 1 , &r. Whom Mofes and the Children of Jfrael fmote, after they were come forth out of Egypt.'] In the fortieth Year after their departure thence : As appears from XXI Numb. 24., XXXIII. 38, Verfe 47. Ver. 47- And they poffejfed his Land, and the Land 'ofOg King of BaJJjan, &c. ] See XXI Numb. 33, &c. Verfe 48. Ver. 48. From Aroer, which is by the Ban\ of the River Arnon, even unto Mount Si on, which k Hermon7\ The Mount here called Sion, is not that which was fo famous in After-times, when David made it the Royal Seat 5 for that was on the other fide Jordan, and is written with different Letters in the Hebrew : But in all probability, is a Contraction of Sirion 5 which is the Name by which the Sidonians called Hermon : For the Bounds of this Country are fo de- fcribed, upon DEUTERONOMY. 83 fcribeJ,' III. 8, 9, 12. to extend from ihe River Ar- Chapter «*r, to Mount Herman, which is called Shfom. V. Ver. 49. Ami all the Plain en this fide Jordan Eaft- L/V\J ward, even unto the Sea of tie Pit**.'] See HI. 17. Verf"e 49- Under the Springs ofPifgabJ] The fame place there called Ajbdod-Pifgah. Which is exa&ly defcribed af- ter the fame manner, by Benjamin Tudelcnjis, in his Itinerary, fet forth by LEn/pereur , p. 51. Where he faith, that Jordan is called at Tiberias, the Sea of Genefareth 5 and coming from thence with a great force, falls, at the foot of this Hill, into the Sea of Sodom^ which is called the Salt Sea. CHAP. V. Verfe 1 . A ND Mofes called all Ifrael, and J aid unto Verfe 1 l\ them.'] That is, fummoned all the El- ders, and Heads of their Tribes, who were to com- municate what he faid to the reft. Thus it is com- monly expounded : But that which he faith, XXIX. 10, 1 1. feems to direft us to another Interpretation 5 that he himfelf went from Tribe to Tribe, and repeat- ed thefe Ten I Vordsy (as they are called) placing him- felf id feveral parts of their Camp, that every one might hear what he faid. And this was fometime after he had, in like manner, exhorted them to Obe- dience, in the foregoing Preface. See IV. 41. Hear, 0 Ifrael^ the Statutes and Judgptjents, which I (peak ** your Ears this day.~] Mind what I now fay unto you. M2 That A COMMENTART That ye may ham them, and keep and do them. *] That ye may not be ignorant of fuch important Truths, nor negligent in the Pra&ice of them $ which is the End of Knowledge. Verfe 2. Ver. 2. The LORD our God made a Covenant with m inHoreb.~] See XXIV Exod. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. Verfe 3. Ver. 3. The LOUD made not thk Covenant with our Fathers. ~] Viz. Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob : With whom he covenanted to give their Posterity the Land of Canaan 5 but did not make to them this difcovery of his Will, which was the matter of the Covenant at Horeb. But with m, even m, who are all here alive thk day7\ A great part of thofe who were then at Horeb, were now alive, viz. all under twenty Years old. And if they had been all dead, Mofes might have faid, He made it with us 5 becaufe they were ftill the fame Peo- ple, tho' the particular Perfons were dead, with whom the Covenant was made, not only for them- felves, but for their Pofterity. Verfe 4. Ver. 4. The LORD talked with you Face to Face in the Mount, &C.3 Openly, clearly, and diftinftly 5 or by himfelf, without the Mediation of Mofes 3 but in no vifible (hape, for that is exprefly denied in the foregoing Chapter, IV. 12,15. Verfe 5» Ver. 5. 1 flood between the LORD and you at that time^ tojhewyou the Word of the LORD. As a Media- tor, whom God employed to prepare them to meet him, (XIX. Exod. 10, 11, 8cc.) and to prefcribe them the Bounds, at what diftance they ftiould keep, (v.i 2.) and to bring them forth to meet with him, (v. 17.) and to charge them to keep within their Bounds, "fe 21. And on the other fide, to reprefent their Defires unto God, after he had fpoken to them, XX Exod. upon DEUTERONOMY. 85 Fxod. 19. So that he was truly a Mediator between Chapter God and them 5 and flood alio in a middle place, V. at the foot of the Mount, while they flood further ■ /~\T\J off. For ye were afraid by reafon of the Fire. ~] XX Ex- od. 18. And went not up into the Mount. ~] XIX Exocl. 17. XX. 21. Ver. 6. I am the LORD thy God, which brought Verfe 6. thee out of the Lund of Egypt, from the Houfe of Bon- dage.] This Preface to the Ten Commandments is explained, XX Exod. 2. Ver. 7. Thou foalt have none other Gods before we7\ Verfe 7. See XX Exod. 3. It is wifely obferved by Grotius, (Lib.2. de Jure Belli & Pack, Cap. XX. Sett. XLV.) That true Religion was ever built upon thefe Four Principles : Firli, That there is a Cod, and that he is but One. Secondly, That God is nothing of thofe things that we fee with our Eyes, but fomething more fublime than them all. Thirdly, That he takes Care* of Humane Affairs, and judges them mod juftly. Fourthly, That he is the Maker of all things whatfo- ever. Which Principles are explained in thefe firft four Precepts of the Decalogue ^ the Unity of the Godhead being delivered in the firft place. Ver. 8, 9, 10. Thou fialt not make thee any graven Verfe 8 Image, nor the likenefs of any thing, Stc/] The Second n IC# Principle, That God's Nature is invifible, is contain- ed in this Second Commandment : Being the Ground of this Prohibition, to make any Image of him. Which the beft of the Heathen forbad alfo for this very reafon, rQ.<; &*. l$inli£ &&v\ Ioixm, $*Q7te£ ajuTtv J5&$ ovvzlcq iKyux&&.v c/| rixcvo; : He is not feen by the Eyes, nor n 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 fo long, and fo generally as they were, to the worfbip of them, if it had not been by bold Fi&ions, that fome of them were AfomTi?, Fain down from Heaven ; and that all of them were, 0&a £ Stlat juutlvms dv