The
NewCentury Bible

Divinity Library

Deuteroftomy

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE LIBRARY OF THE
DIVINITY SCHOOL

THE NEW-CENTURY BIBLE
•GENESIS, by the Rev. Prof. W. H. Bennett, Litt.D., D.D.
EXODUS, by the Rev. Prof. W. H. Bennett, Litt.D., D.D.
LEVITICUS and NUMBERS, by the Rev. Prof. A. R. S. Kennedy, M.A.,D.D.
•DEUTERONOMY and JOSHUA, by the Rev. Prof. H. Wheeler Robinson,
M.A.
•JUDGES and RUTH, by the Rev. G. W. Thatcher, M.A., B.D.
*I and II SAMUEL, by the Rev. Prof. A. R. S. Kennedy, M.A., D.D.
•I and II KINGS, by the Rev. Prof. Skinner, D.D.
*I and II CHRONICLES, by the Rev. W. Harvey-Jellie, M.A., B.D.
EZRA, NEHEMIAH, AND ESTHER, by the Rev. Prof. T. Witton Davies,
B.A., Ph.D.
•JOB, by Prof. A. S. Peake, M.A., B.D.
•PSALMS (Vol. I) I to LXXII, by the Rev. Prof. Davison, M.A., D.D.
•PSALMS (Vol. II) LXXIII to END, by the Rev. Prof. T. Witton Davies,
B.A., Ph.D.
PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, and SONG OF SOLOMON, by the
Rev. Prof. G. Currie Martin, M.A., B.D.
•ISAIAH, by the Rev. Principal Whitehouse, M.A., D.D.
ISAIAH XL-LXIII, by the Rev. Principal Whitehouse, M.A., D.D.
JEREMIAH and LAMENTATIONS, by Prof. A. S. Peake, M.A., B.D.
•EZEKIEL, by the Rev. Prof. W. F. Lofthouse, M.A.
DANIEL, by the Rev. Prof. R. H. CHARLES, D.D.
•MINOR PROPHETS: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, by the
Rev. R. F. Horton, M.A., D.D.
•MINOR PROPHETS: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah,
Malachi, by the Rev. Canon Driver, Litt.D., D.D.
?r. MATTHEW, by the Rev. Prof. W. F. Slater, M.A.
*2. MARK, by the late Principal SALMOND, D.D.
•3. LUKE, by Principal W. F. Adeney, M.A., D.D.
•4. JOHN, by the Rev. J. A. M°Clymont, D.D.
•5. ACTS, by the Rev. Prof. J. Vernon Bartlet, M.A., D.D.
•6. ROMANS, by the Rev. Prof. A. E. Garvie, M.A., D.D.
•7. I and II CORINTHIANS, by Prof. J. Massie. M.A., D.D.
•8. EPHESIANS, COLOSSIANS, PHILEMON, PHILIPPIANS, by the
Rev. Prof. G. Currie MARTIN, M.A., B.D.
*g. I and II THESSALONIANS, GALATIANS, by Principal W. F. Adeney,
M.A., D.D.
•10. THE PASTORAL EPISTLES, by the Rev. R. F. Horton, M.A., D.D.
•ii. HEBREWS, by Prof. A. S. PEAKE, M.A., B.D.
•12. THE GENERAL EPISTLES, by the Rev. Prof. W. H. Bennett, Litt.D.,
D.D.
•13. REVELATION, by the Rev. C Anderson Scott, M.A.
[Those marked* arc already pub.lished.~\

General Editor :
Principal Walter F. Adeney, M.A., D.D.
and
3O00UA

INTRODUCTIONS
REVISED VERSION WITH NOTES
MAP AND INDEX
EDITED BY
H. WHEELER ROBINSON, M.A.
TUTOR IN RAWDON COLLEGE
LATE SENIOR KENNICOTT SCHOLAR IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

NEW YORK: HENRY FROWDE
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, AMERICAN BRANCH
EDINBURGH : T. C. & E. C. JACK

OXFORD: HORACE HART
PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

CONTENTS

DEUTERONOMY
Introduction : —
I. Character, Structure, and Date
II. The Deuteronomic Legislation
III. The Deuteronomic Religion
IV. Canonical Place and Influence
Notes on Literature .
Symbols and Abbreviations
The Legislative Codes of the O. T.
Revised Version with Notes

page 3
18
33
4352 53
5457

JOSHUA
Lntroduction : —
I. Contents  25a
II. Sources and Composition  255
III. The History of the Conquest . . . - 259
IV. Religious Ideas  a65
Notes on Literature  268
Revised Version with Notes  271
Map. Palestine : showing Seats of the Twelve Tribes
in the eleventh century b. c  Front.
Index ...  387

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

INTRODUCTION

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
INTRODUCTION ..
I. Character, Structure, and Date.
The Book of Deuteronomy can claim a unique place
in the literature of the Old Testament, both on intrinsic
and. extrinsic grounds. Intrinsically, it is distinct from
the narrative and historical, the legislative and ritual,
the prophetic and devotional writings. Apart from the
closing chapters, which are clearly of the nature of an
appendix, the elements of direct narration are so slight
as to be negligible ; the review of history which the book
contains is subordinated to a practical purpose. Though
many laws are here recorded, they are for the most part
so selected and presented as to be illustrations of a
principle rather than elements in a code ; whilst com
parison with Leviticus will quickly convince the reader
that the interest is moral rather than ritual. Affinity
with certain of the prophets is unmistakable, nor is the
tone of the book without many parallels in the devotional
warmth of the Psalter ; yet the unity of Deuteronomy is
the product of principles rather than of personalities,
principles emerging in a national, not merely an indivi
dual, experience. In short, we may most aptly compare
the sustained and illustrated exhortation of this book
with a sermon, if only the parallel convey no prejudice
of dullness. It is a sermon so reported as to preserve
the spiritual warmth of a Bernard preaching the Crusade,
the flaming zeal of a Savonarola kindling the Florentine
fire of vanities ; whilst with this more passionate feeling
B 2

4 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
against idolatry there is a noble humanitarianism, a con
sideration for the stranger and the helpless, an appeal
to deep human sympathies, not unworthy of a Francis of
Assisi. These intrinsic qualities of the book are well
matched by the comparative clearness of the light focussed
on its first emergence into history. For once, at least, we
are privileged to stand, if not. by the very cradle of a
Scriptural book, yet amid the circumstances of its pre
sentation at court. We know quite clearly the date at
which it has first to be reckoned with as a power in the
history and religion of Israel. As a historical monument,
it constitutes a welcome landmark amongst the obscurer
paths of O.T. criticism.
The Book of Deuteronomy, as it now lies before us,
consists of several addresses, professedly delivered by
Moses to the Israeliteis in the land of Moab on the eve
of their entrance into Palestine (i. 1-5, iv. 44^49. ix> l>
xxxi. I f.). To these are added four chapters (xxxi-xxxiv)
narrating the appointment of Joshua in place of Moses
(xxxi. 3 f., 14 f.), the writing down by Moses of the law just
given (verses 9 f., 24 f.), and the ascent by M oses, at the com
mand of God, of Mount Nebo (Pisgah), where he dies
(xxxii. 48 f., xxxiv). In this narrative are incorporated
two poems, the 'Song' (chap, xxxii) and the ' Blessing '
(chap, xxxiii) ascribed to Moses and to this particular
occasion. The following is a brief outline of the argu
ment of the book itself, as distinct from its appendix.
Moses recalls the command to leave Horeb and the arrange
ments made for tribal government (i. 6-18). He describes the
events which followed arrival at Kadesh-Barnea — the fear of
the people to attack the Amorites, God's anger and sentence,
the subsequent attempt of the people and their defeat (i. 19-46).
The desert wanderings were resumed, until, after forty years,
Divine permission being given, Israel returned and passed
peacefully through the territory of Edom (ii. 1-8). Neither
Moab (ii. 9-15) nor Ammon (ii. 16-25) was attacked, but
Sihon of Heshbon was utterly defeated, and the Amorite

INTRODUCTION 5
territory : taken (ii. 26-37). A similar fate awaited Og of
Bashan (iii. 1-11). The Israelites receiving the captured
territory (iii. 12-17) were required to continue to fight on
behalf of their brethren (iii. i8-aa). Moses says that his
own desire to enter Palestine has been refused through
Divine displeasure (iii. 23-29). At this point, the present
position of affairs having been reached, the review closes, and
there follows an appeal for obedience to the Divine command
ments (iv. 1-40). This is urged especially on the ground of
their impressive deliverance at Horeb, when God's voice
was heard, but His form was not seen — a fact meant to teach
how unwarrantable it is to use images in the worship of God
(iv. 1-25). If this lesson be not learnt, Israel will be scattered
among the nations ; yet, even there, penitence will secure return,
for God has dealt in such particularity with Israel because He
loves His chosen people (iv. 25-40). The first address of Moses
ends at this point. There follows a brief note on the selection
of three cities of refuge beyond Jordan (iv. 41-43), and an
introduction to the second address of such a kind as to imply
that no other has preceded it, the place and date being stated
afresh. Moses begins by reference to the covenant of God
with Israel in Horeb, and cites the Ten Commandments, in
a somewhat varied form, as its basis (v. i-ai). The people
then shrank from hearing the voice of God, and Moses was
made the. intermediary of further revelation (v. 22-33). He.
sums this up by declaring the God of Israel, to be Yahweh
alone, who is to be loved by His people ; they are not to wor
ship the gods of surrounding peoples, when they have taken
possession of the plenty of Palestine, but to teach their children
that all good, since the deliverance from Egypt, comes from
Yahweh (vi. 1-25). The nations of Palestine, and the accom
paniments of their heathen worship, are to be utterly destroyed ;
Israel is a peculiar people, claimed, for Himself by the loving
purpose of Yahweh (vii. 1-11). Obedience will ensure the
Divine blessing : there is no need to fear these nations, for
Yahweh, who worked for Israel in Egypt, will gradually dis
possess them (vii. 12-26). Let Israel think of the discipline
of the wilderness, lest Yahweh be forgotten in the prosperity
of the good land He has given, for disobedience will mean
destruction (chap. viii). It is not because of Israel's righteous-

6 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
ness,' but because of the wickedness of these nations, that
Yahweh is dispossessing them (ix. 1-7). At this point the
argument is broken by a detailed description of the disobedience
of Israel at Horeb, and the circumstances of the giving of the
law (ix. 8 — x. 5, 10, n). A detached note is added, in regard
to Israel's journeying and the separation of Levi (x. 6-9). The
argument of the address is resumed by an earnest appeal for
response to the requirements of Yahweh (x. ia-22). The
hearers of Moses have themselves seen the work of Yahweh in
the fate of Pharaoh, Dathan, and Abiram ; let them, therefore,
obey Him amid the prosperity of Palestine (xi. 1-12), That
prosperity depends on the rain Yahweh gives from heaveri;
which He will withhold from those who worship other gods ;
but Israel's territory shall be won and held on the condition of
loyalty to Him (xi. 13-25). So are a blessing and a curse set
before Israel for choice, as shall be proclaimed on Gerizim
and Ebal (xi. 26-33). With the twelfth chapter, the speaker
passes to the direct enunciation of the statutes and judgements
to be observed in Palestine, and to the primary requirement
that there shall be one, and only one, sanctuary in the place
which Yahweh shall choose, where all sacrifice shall be offered ;
when flesh is eaten elsewhere, the feast shall be nod-sacrificial
in character, the local sanctuaries' and their accompaniments
being destroyed (chap. xii). The sternest measures are to be
taken against every incitement to the worship of other gods,
whether from prophet (xiii. 1-5), relative (xiii. 6-1 1), or city
(xiii. 12-18). The holiness of Israel is to be maintained by
abstinence from cuttings for the dead (xiv. 1, 2) and from
' unclean ' foods (xiv. 3-21). The tithe of the produce of
field and herd is to be eaten at the one sanctuary ; if the
distance is too great, it may be sold locally, and the money
used for purchases at the sanctuary ; but the tithe of the third
year is to be reserved for the Levite and the poor (xiv. 22-29).
Every seventh year is to be marked, in regard to Hebrews,
by the remission of debt (xv. i-n)i or of bondage, unless there
is willingness to continue service (xv. 12-18). The firstborn
of herd and flock, if perfect, is to be eaten at the sanctuary
(xv. 19-23). The ' Israelite shall bring his offerings to the
sanctuary three times in every year— viz. at the feasts of
Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (xvi. 1-17). No post

INTRODUCTION 7
or pillar like those of the heathen cults shall stand by the altar
of Yahweh (xvi. 21, aa), and the sentence on the idolater shall
be death (xvii. 2-7). At this point, anticipated by a short
section on the appointment of judges, which seems misplaced
(xvi. 18-20), we pass from the 'statutes' or religious, to the
'judgements' or moral ordinances. Difficult cases are to be
referred to the priests of the sanctuary (xvii. 8-13). The
future king shall himself be an Israelite, and he is warned
against the accumulation of horses, wives, or wealth ; let
him study this law and obey it faithfully (xvii. 14-20). The
dues of the priests are named (xviii. 1-5), and also the right of
country Levites to minister on equal terms in the sanctuary
(xviii. 6-8). Resort may not be had to magic and divination ;
for special guidance the people shall depend on the line of
prophets whom Yahweh will raise up in succession to Moses
(xviii. 9-32). Cities of refuge, with right of sanctuary for
unintentional manslaughter, will afford the protection hitherto
given by local altars (xix. 1-13). Removal of a landmark and
false witness are forbidden, the latter under severe penalty
(xix. 14-21). Various provisions are made for the conduct
of warfare (chap, xx), for the cleansing of a district from the
stain of bloodshed (xxi. 1-9), for the treatment of women
captives (xxi. 10-14), and for domestic problems (xxi. 15-21).
There follow a number of detailed ordinances, dealing with
such matters as lost property, sexual relations, admittance of
non-Israelites into the community, loans, divorce, regard for
the poor, Levirate marriage, and justice in trade (chaps, xxii-
xxv). A ritual of thanksgiving to accompany the presenta
tion of a basket of first-fruits at the sanctuary (xxvi. 1-11), and
a form of declaration that the provisions of the third year of
tithe Iiave been observed (xxvi. 12-15), lead to a final exhorta
tion to maintain the relations now established between Yahweh
and His people (xxvi. 16-19). The address of Moses is broken
at this point by a chapter (xxvii) which narrates the command
to set up inscribed stones in Palestine, and to carry out a ritual
of blessings and cursing on Gerizim and Ebal. The address of
Moses continues, without introduction, in the following chapter,
which develops the blessings of obedience, and the curses of
dispbedience, the latter at much greater length. The two
remaining chapters form a third and distinct address of

8 THE BOOK OF_ DEUTERONOMY
Moses, which briefly refers to Egypt, the wilderness, and the
victories won, and enforces the importance of the covenant
now made between Yahweh and His people ; it will hold for
the future, however men may think to neglect it with impunity.
Other nations shall see, in the desolation of the land, the curse
written in this book (chap. xxix). Yet, when blessing and
curse have found their fulfilment, and Israel is scattered among
the nations, penitent return to obedience shall secure the
restoration of Yahweh's favour, and He will gather the outcasts
from the uttermost parts (xxx. i-io). A practical and certain
issue is thus set before Israel, the issue between life and death,
good and evil (xxx. 15-20).
Even so rapid a review as this of the salient points of
the book will suggest that it can hardly have issued, in
its present form, from the flowing pen of a single writer.
To say nothing of the appendix, as a collection of various
materials relatingto the last days of Moses, the addresses do
not afford any natural explanation of their threefold form.
The statements introducing them seem to imply inde
pendence of origin ; the inter-relation of the subject-matter,
as seen in obvious repetitions, and in less obvious differ
ences of standpoint, confirms this impression. But since
we are fortunate enough to be able to approach the book
from the vantage-ground of external history, these points
are best deferred till we have glanced at the narrative of
the discovery of the Book of the Law in the Temple
(cf. 2 Kings xxii).
In the year 621 b. c, being the eighteenth year of the reign
of Josiah, who was then twenty-six years of age, Shaphan,
the king's scribe or chancellor, had occasion to visit the
Temple, in order to be present at the transfer of money,
collected for repairs, to the overseers of the work. During
this visit of "Shaphan, Hilkiah the chief-priest said to him,
'I have found the Book of the Law in the house of Yahweh.'
He gave it to Shaphan, who read it, apparently on the spot.
On Shaphan's return to the king to hand in his official report,
he said, after the business was done, ' Hilkiah the priest hath
delivered me a book.' Shaphan read this to the king, who,

INTRODUCTION 9
haying heard ' the words of the Book of the Law,' rent his
clothes. The king thereupon appointed what we should call
a Royal Commission of five members to inquire of Yahweh,
not concerning the authenticity of the book, which Josiah
shows no sign of doubting, but as to what must be done in
view of previous neglect of its commands. The commission
consults Huldah the prophetess, whose ' Thus saith Yahweh,'
in its present form, confirms the threats of the book, but promises
Josiah that he shall himself be spared the sight of their fulfil
ment. It is probable, however, that the original prophecy of
Huldah has been revised in the light of the Exile and its
attendant calamities, and the original answer may have bidden
Josiah proceed to carry out the requirements of the book with
out delay. This he does by gathering priests, prophets, and
people in a great assembly, to which is read ' the Book of the
Covenant which was found in the house of Yahweh.' King
and people bind themselves to obey Yahweh and ' to establish
the words of this covenant written in this book.'
The reformation of religion under Josiah is based ex
plicitly on the discovered book, and we may infer the
character of the book from the details of the reformation
(2 Kings xxiii. 1-24). The result of this inference, as
will be seen from the parallels to be cited, is to show
that the fundamental document of the reformation of 621
B. C. is embedded in our present Book of Deuteronomy.
The reformation naturally begins with the centre of
Israel's religious life, the Temple at Jerusalem. Methods
of worshipping Yahweh borrowed from foreign cults are
ended by the destruction of their means or accompani
ments. This applies in particular to the Asherim or wooden
posts by the altar (verse 6 : cf. Deut. vii. 5, xii. 3, xvi. 21),
and the cells of the sacred prostitutes (verse 7 : cf. Deut.
xxiii. 17). But not only foreign methods of worshipping
Yahweh, but foreign objects of worship, have invaded the
Temple and its precincts. The roof-altars of Ahaz, used in
connexion with star-worship (Jer.xix. 13), and the altars of
Manasseh for all the host of heaven (2 Kings xxi, 5),

io THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
together with the horses and chariots of sun-worship set
up at the entrance to the Temple, have also to be
destroyed (verses ii, 12: cf. Deut. xii. 1-4 and iv. 19).
Defilement awaits the sanctuaries of rival deities which
have hitherto existed in the neighbourhood of the Temple:
such are the place of human sacrifice by fire to Molech
in the Valley of Hinnom (verse 10 : cf. Deut. xii. 31), and
the high places erected by Solomon on the south-east of
the city to the Sidonian Ashtoreth, the Moabite Kemosh,
and the Ammonite Milcom (verse 13 : cf. (1 Kings xi. 7,
8) Deut. vi. 14). The Mazzeboth or stone pillars, and the
Asherim or wooden posts, which stood on these high
places, were of course destroyed (verse 14 : cf. Deut. vii. 5,
xii. 3). The high places throughout all Judah, including
all local cults, whether in the name of Yahweh or of other
gods (verses 5, 8: cf. Deut. xii. 1-28), were similarly treated,
and the reformation seems to have extended beyond the
limits of Josiah's kingdom to Bethel, if not, as a later writer
claims, to Samaria (verses 15 and 16-20). By this drastic
procedure, one sanctuary alone remained, the Temple at
Jerusalem. Here the reformation was consummated by
the celebration of the Feast of Passover, according to the
new requirement of the Law-book, not, as hitherto, as a
feast locally celebrated throughout the country (verses 21-
23 : cf. Deut. xvi. 1-8, especially verse 5). Finally, various
methods of magic and divination are suppressed (verse 24 :
cf. Deut. xviii. 9-14). Any one who will take the trouble to
consult the parallel passages will probably be convinced that
he has still before him, within the limits of Deuteronomy, the
written document that prompted the reformation of Josiah.
This is especially clear in the fact that the principle of
one central sanctuary, which stood out in our outline of
the book, is fundamental in the actual reformation,
though it reverses the practice of earlier Hebrew religion,
which permitted many altars throughout the land (Exod:
xx. 24). In one point only is there want of obvious agree
ment between the precepts of our book and the practice

INTRODUCTION n
of the reformation, viz. in the fact that whilst Deuteronomy
gives the country Levites the right to sacrifice at Jeru
salem (xviii. 7) this is withheld from them according to
the narrative of 2 Kings (xxiii. 9). But the reformers are
simply exceeding Deuteronomy in the rigorous applica
tion of its polemic against the high places \
Granting, then, the identity of some part of our present
Book of Deuteronomy with the Book of the Law found in
the Temple, the further question is naturally suggested,
which part ? Some data towards the answer are given us
by the comparison already made, which shows that the
Deuteronomic parallels to the narrative are practically all
drawn from that central portion of Deuteronomy which
constitutes the second address of Moses (chaps, v-xxvi),
and more especially from its distinctly legislative portion
(chaps, xii-xxvi). Further indications as to the extent of the
Book of the Law are as follows. (1) It was so brief
that Shaphan was able to read it through for himself,
apparently before leaving the Temple, and then to read
it again to the king on his return. (2) Its authenticity
was accepted by Josiah without any question ; the book
must therefore have contained clear information as to its
authoritative origin, and cannot have been a bare collec
tion of anonymous laws. If, for brevity's sake, we might
prefer to take the legislative portion of the second address
of Moses (chaps, xii-xxvi) as the Book of the Law, yet we
require some such introduction as the earlier portion of that
address (chaps, v-xi) supplies, in order to explain the un
hesitating acceptance of it by Josiah. (3) The impression
made on him was so strong that he rent his clothes ; we
therefore seem to require some pointed conclusion to the
Book of the Law, emphasizing the consequences of
neglecting it. Such ,a conclusion would, actually be
supplied by the blessings and curses of chap, xxviii,
which there is no reason to separate from the rest of the
1 Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, i. 656.

12 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
second address. The conclusion, therefore, which we
provisionally reach is that the second address of Moses
(chaps, v-xxvi, xxviii) contains the original Book of the
Law, the only valid objection being that it seems too long;
but its present length is probably due to subsequent
amplification. Earlier criticism (e.g. that of Wellhausen,
Die Composition des Hexateuchs, p. 191J regarded the legis
lative portion of the address as original, its introductory
chapters of exhortation, being added subsequent to the
reformation ; but, to say nothing of the necessity for some
introduction to the original book (mentioned above), there
does not seem any adequate ground, either in lamguagejor
subject-matter, for drawing this line of division (for the
linguistic proof, cf. Driver, Deuterotwmy, pp. lxvi, lxxviiif.).
More recent criticism has attempted the separation of
different strata running through the whole address ;
Steuernagel, for example, has made use of the considerable
variation in the use of singular and plural suffixes, and of
obvious displacements and doublets, to effect such,, an
analysis {Denteronomium und Josua, pp. ii, iii). It can
hardly be said that any such analysis has found general
acceptance, and discussion of the details lies outside
the scope of our present survey ; but certain sections,
notably the long digression concerning Horeb (ix. 8 — x.
11) and the Levitical section relating to clean and
unclean animals (xiv. 3-20), are probably later additions.
These elements, together with the remaining non-
legislative chapters of our Deuteronomy, are due to
successive editions of the original work '. That there
have been such is clearly shown by the parallel and
independent superscriptions to the first and second ad
dresses^. 1 -J; iv. 44-49), and this indication is confirmed
1 | Apart from the elements of the present Deuteronomy, be
longing to JE, P, and the connected redaction, the book, as it lies
before us, is a precipitate of the spiritual movements called into
being hy the Law-book and the Reformation of Josiah. It arose
through the efforts to make Josiah's book adequate for all require
ments.' (Stade, Bib. Thfologie des Alten Testaments, p. 264.)

INTRODUCTION 13
by the independence of the addresses themselves. It is
possible that the Horeb digression, already referred to
(ix. 8 f.), belongs to the historical review of the first three
chapters, which it may have preceded. These chapters
depend largely on the JE narrative ; they are assigned to
the interval between the Deuteronomic reform and the
Exile, say about 600 B.C., by the two most recent com
mentators (Steuernagel and Bertholet). Against the
supposition that they are by the author of the second
address, 'the diversity of historical representation is
decisive' (Moore, EB. 1087; he instances the different
relations represented as existing with the Moabites
(cf. ii. 29 and xxiii. 4), and the fact that the first address
supposes the men of the desert to have all perished save
two (i. 35, ii. 14L), whilst the second bases its appeal on
their continuance — 'Your eyes have seen all the great
work of Yahweh which He did' (xi. 7 : cf. v. 2) ). A portion
of this first address (iv. 1-40) is not, however, historical
review, but exhortation, and part of it, at least, seems to
presuppose the Exile (v. 25-31 : cf. Moore, /. c.) as does
the third address (xxix, xxx). The last four chapters of
Deuteronomy, forming the Appendix on the closing events
of the life of Moses, whilst incorporating some of the
oldest elements in the book (e. g. the ' Blessing,' xxxiii),
were probably added last of all. We may, therefore,
roughly distinguish four stages in the composition of our
present Deuteronomy, viz : —
(1) The Book of the Law (v—ix. 7 ; x. 12 f.—xi, xii-xxvi,
xxviii) before 621 B. c. (D.)
(2) Historical Introduction (i-iii ; ix. 8— x. 11), c.
600B.C (Ds.)
(3) Exilic Introduction and Conclusion (iv. 1-40,
xxixf.) (Ds.)
(4) Appendix and Redactional additions and altera
tions ] . R (J, E, P). 
1 The above symbols, so far as they relate to the various

14 THE BOOK OF. DEUTERONOMY
Of greater importance than the precise dating of these
later additions, is the question of the period at which the
original Book of the Law was written. We have seen
ample reason for holding that the second address of Moses
was substantially in existence. in'621 B. c. ; we have now
to ask whether its composition is to be assigned to an
earlier period, and if so, within what limits. It is to be
noticed, in the first place, that the address, whilst written
throughout on the assumption that Moses is the speaker,
is definitely ascribed to Moses, as writer also in the nar
rative conclusion to the book (xxxi. gf., 24 f). It is not
possible here to repeat the well-known arguments for the
rejection of this tradition, which are stated at length in
Driver's Deuteronomy (pp. xxxiv-xliv) 1. The most con
vincing proof that the book belongs to an age much later
than the Mosaic lies in the cumulative force of the
reconstruction of the history of Israel's religion, afforded
by many independent data. Marti, in his recent useful out
line of the results attained (Die Religion des Alten Testa
ments unter den Religionen des vorderen Orients, 1906 ;
Eng. Trans, by Bienemann, 1907), divides the religious
development into four periods : — (1) The Notnadic period,
prior to settlement in Palestine, whose characteristic is the
belief in demons and spirits, found amongst ancient and
modern Semites in this stage of culture, and surviving
amongst the Hebrews to a much later age. (2) The
Agricultural period, following the settlement in Palestine
of a group of people united by the worship of Yahweh, who
had delivered their central stock from the slavery of Egypt.
strata of Deuteronomic writers (D, D2, Ds), are self-explanatory.
The symbols R, J, E, and P are those used throughout the
Pentateuch, and in Joshua, and are explained on p. 53, and in
The Century Bible, Genesis, p. 52. Further details of analysis are
indicated in the notes, and by these letters attached to the text.
1 They are not weakened in any material point by the
criticisms of G. Robinson in The Expositor (vols, viii and ix,
1898, 1899: 'The Genesis of Deuteronomy') or of Orr in
The Problem of the Old Testament (1905).

INTRODUCTION I5
Yahweh becomes the god of the land whose local deities
He has dispossessed, though His worship borrows many
elements, particularly in regard to sacrifice, from the
religion of Palestine. But He is distinct from these gods
by His growing relation with the social and moral life of
His people. (3) This relation is developed in the' next
period by the prophets, particularly those of the eighth
century before Christ, who develop the principie of a
practical monotheism, and emphasize the moral require
ments of Yahweh as against the sacrificial. The indi
vidualism of Jeremiah and the universalism of Deutero-
Isaiah are consequences of this fundamental emphasis on
the ethical nature of God and man. (4) Finally, we have
the religion of the Law, whose characteristic is dependence
on a written revelation of the Divine requirements. If
such an outline of the history of religion in Israel be
accepted — and it is hardly too much to say that all we
know of Semitic religion in general and Hebrew in
particular supports its general truth— then there can be
little doubt as to what limits we should draw for the date
of composition of the central part of Deuteronomy, Its
fundamental theological doctrine, rightly enshrined by
Judaism in its daily ritual, is the '.Hear. O , Israel:
Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone ' 1 ; its fundamental
religious precept is stated in the continuing words, ' and
thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might ' (vi. 4, 5). Its
further insistence on a single sanctuary is a logical deduc
tion from the practical monotheism for an age not yet able
to separate the visible from the invisible. The single God,
the single love for Him, and the single sanctuary for His
worship can be explained only as ideas produced by the
moving events and personalities of the eighth century. We
1 See note on vi. 4 for the justification of this rendering, and
for the sense in which it proclaims monotheism in practice, by
its emphasis on the unique relation of Yahweh and Israel.

16 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
shall have reason to see that Deuteronomy stands as the
incorporation of the' teaching of the great prophets, and
as the transition to the later religion of the written law.
The dominant precept of its legislation, that of the central
sanctuary, finds part of its explanation also in the deliver
ance of Jerusalem and its sanctuary from Sennacherib in
701, whilst more ancient sanctuaries were defiled by the
invader (Moore, /. c. 1084). Hezekiah himself (720-693)' is
said- to have conducted a reformation on lines similar to that
of Josiah (2 Kings xviii. 4, 22), but his work was undone
by his son Manasseh (692-639; xxi. 3f.). Within the
seventh century, therefore, i. e. either" in the long reign
of Manasseh or in the earlier part of that of Josiah (637-
608), the central part of our Deuteronomy must have been
written. The later date is perhaps more probable.
Against either date it has been frequently urged that the
seventh-century writer who composed the address he has
ascribed to Moses could not well be ' inspired ' if his
method was intended to deceive. But can he be accused
of such an intention? We have not only to remember the
well-known freedom by which ancient writers place their
own interpretation of the events of a period in the mouth
of the actors in them'— a freedom perfectly legitimate
before the emergence of the finer historical sense of our
own days— but also the fact that this writer is under the
influence of those great prophets who did not hesitate to
speak in the name of Yahweh. If a man may claim to
speak in the spirit of God, when conscience sends him
forward like Amos, or deep personal sorrow purges his
vision like Hosea's, or faith lifts his eyes above armies
like Isaiah's, why may he not speak with equal sincerity in
the spirit of some great fellow man whose mantle of
prophecy is his inheritance2? The naive ascription of
authorship, honest then, would be dishonest now; but,
1 Cf. the speeches of ThUcydides, and the dialogues of Plato
For the psychological possibility of this, see 2 Kings ii. 9.

INTRODUCTION 17
given the ancient standpoint, all that can be demanded of the
author is that he should, if writing in the name of Moses,
speak as Moses would have spoken were he still alive1.
Indeed, we may go further and say that this is the only
way to interpret the great men of the past truthfully ; and
when Israel ceased to do this, she exchanged her prophetic
inspiration for the religion of the scribe. Truth, as Mazzini
finely puts it, lies at the intersection of tradition and con
science. The conscience of a seventh-century writer inter
secting the tradition of a great law-giver has given us the
Book of the Law found in the Temple. The writer has lent
his own experience to Moses, so that he, being dead, yet
speaketh. He has ascribed to him a foresight of many
centuries, just as Jewish exegesis does in its comments on
the Pisgah vision. Rashi tells us that when Moses looked
out over the Promised Land he saw, not only its several
parts, but the enacted history of each. The whole
panorama of Israel's moving history till the last day was
unrolled before his undimmed eye. In the same spirit,
and with use of the same dramatic occasion, the writer of
the address has made Moses legislate for a distant
century, so fulfilling the words of the book itself—' Yahweh
thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst
of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto him ye shall
hearken' (xviii. 15). To that prophetic message Josiah
did hearken, rending his raiment, whilst to the contem
porary message of Jeremiah his son Jehoiakim refused' to
hearken, rending not his raiment but the prophet's roll
(Jer. xxxvi. 23). There is no more reason to doubt the
sincerity of the Deuteronomist than of Jeremiah. Each
was convinced of the genuineness of his message, whether
spoken as coming direct from God or mediated through a
historic tradition.
¦ For confirmation of this in (later) Jewish theories of reve
lation, see-Taylor's Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, Excursus I.

18 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY

II. The Deuteronomic Legislation.
Maine, in his classical work on * Ancient Law,' with
his eye turned to the Indo-European family of nations,
names three stages of development prior to the emergence
of a written code. The earliest is that of 'separate,
isolated judgements,' spoken by a king or judge, and
assumed to be the result of direct inspiration. A second
stage is reached when trie awards in a succession of
similar cases become ' the germ or rudiment of a custom '
(p. 5). The third stage is reached when the king's
power passes to an aristocracy who claim ' to monopolize
the knowledge of the laws, to have the exclusive posses
sion of the principles by which quarrels are decided'
(p. 12). Such an aristocracy may be religious in the East,
civil or political in the West ; but in any case, the tradition
of Customary Law is in their keeping. Finally, we reach
the stage in which, through the invention of writing,
' Inscribed tablets were seen to be a better depository of
law, and a better security for its accurate preservation,
than the memory of a number of persons however
strengthened by habitual exercise ' (p. 15). Maine gene
ralized without reference to the development of Semitic law,
but in this field also his analysis holds good. Behind such
a written code as that of Deuteronomy we see a religious
oligarchy, the priests of Israel, on whom has devolved
the tradition of customary law. Behind that oligarchy,
again, we catch a glimpse of Moses, as an individual law
giver, sitting to judge the people who throng him from
morn till even : 'The people come unto me to inquire of
God ; when they have a matter, they come unto me ; and
I judge between a man and his neighbour, and I make
them know the statutes of God, and His laws' (Exod.
xviii. 15, 16). We may fill up this outline with Doughty's
details of justice in the desert, as it is administered among
the Bedouins to-day. The tribesmen gather in the morn-

INTRODUCTION 19
ing at the tent of their sheikh, where common affairs are
discussed, such as movements of enemies, and facilities
of pasture and water.
This is the council of the elders and the public tribunal :
hither the tribesmen bring their causes at all times, and it is
pleaded by the maintainers of both sides with busy clamour j
and everyone may say his word that will. The sheykh mean
while takes counsel with the sheukh, elder men and more con
siderable persons ; and judgement is given commonly without
partiality, and always without bribes. This sentence is final.
The loser is mulcted in heads of small cattle or camels, which
he must pay anon, or go into exile, before the great sheykh
send executors to distrain any beasts of his, to the estimation
of the debt. The poor Beduins are very unwilling payers, and
often think themselves unable at present : thus, in every tribe,
some households may be seen of other tribes' exiles. . . . Seldom
the judge and elders err, in these small societies of kindred,
where the life of every tribesman lies open from his infancy,
and his state is to all men well known. Even their suits are
expedite, as all the other works of the Arabs. Seldom is a
matter not heard and resolved in one sitting. Where the
accusation is grave, and some are found absent that should
be witnesses, their cause is held over to another hearing. ... In
the desert there is no human forfeit, there is nothing even in
homicide, if the next to the blood withhold not their assent,
which may not be composed, the guilty paying the amends
(rated in heads of cattle). (Arabia Deserta, i. 249.)
Such is the picture of primitive Semitic legislation
preserved by the changeless desert ; and it is doubtless
substantially as true of the Israelites of the time of
Moses as of the Bedouins of to-day. We need to keep
it constantly before us in the study of Hebrew law,
because the origin explains many things in the result.
The earlier laws, at least, spring from the life of the
people, and bear the evident impress of Hebrew psycho
logy and primitive culture. Peculiarities in their pre
sentation may seem inexplicable to us, till we remember
C 2

20 THE BOOK OF' DEUTERONOMY
that they may be adjudicationson actual cases, preserved
as types and precedents.
We are, fortunately, able to study the results of a long
development of Semitic legislation in the Code of Laws
promulgated by the Babylonian king Hammurabi l. This
king, who reigned in the twenty-third century before
Christ, appears in the Bible under the name Amraphel
(Gen. xiv. 9). The large block of stone on which his laws
are inscribed was carried from Sippara in Babylonia to
Susa in ElamJ where it was discovered in 1902. Oh one
side of it is a picture of Hammurabi receiving his laws
from the seated sun-god Shamash. There are forty-four
columns legible, and five which have been erased^ and tlie
laws number 282. The practical object of the publication
is declared in the epilogue to be. that 'the oppressed,
who has a controversy, shall stand before my image as
king of righteousness, read the inscription, perceive the
precious words: the- inscription shall ' show him his
business, he shall find his right' (Winckler's trans., p. 39).
This epilogue contains an invocation of blessing on
the obedient, and a number of curses on the disobedient ; in
this greater amplitude of malediction resembling that of the
Deuteronomic Law-book (xxviii). In the prologue Ham
murabi dwells on his Divine appointment ; but the body of
laws itself is a code pure and simple, without any of that
admixture of appeal and warning which characterizes the
Book of Deuteronomy and gives it its moral and religious
value. The laws of Hammurabi confirm Maine's dictum
that ' the more archaic the code, the fuller and the minuter
is its penal legislation ' (pp. cit., p. 368). They are of the
greatest importance for the interpretation of Hebrew law,
with which they are closely related, if not as direct
source, yet certainly as developed from a common origin
and amongst a related people. Their principal topics are
1 For fuller information, see the article in Hastings's Diction
ary of the Bible, vol. v, by Johns, whose translation is here
followed.

INTRODUCTION 21
the rights and duties of kings' servants, the cultivation of
land, the transactions of commerce, family relationships,
inheritance and adoption, the control of slaves, the hiring
of servants, and a long list of penalties in regard to con
duct towards parents, personal injuries,' surgical and
veterinary blundering, the branding of slaves, imper
fectly-constructed houses and boats. Amongst these
penalties we find mutilations of the tongue, eye, ear,
breasts, limbs, and teeth. (In Deuteronomy, apart from
the jus talionis or law of like for like, there is only one
case (xxv. 12) in which mutilation, that of the hand, is
commanded.) It must not be thought that these are
merely arbitrary cruelties ; they rest on a different
psychology from ours, one which regards the different
members of the body as possessing a quasi-consciousness,
and as subject to ethical judgement ' ; so that, as far as
possible, it is the guilty member that is made to suffer.
For example, ' If the doctor has treated a gentleman for
a severe wound with a lancet of bronze, and has caused
the gentleman to die, or has removed a cataract of the
eye for a gentleman with the bronze lancet and has
caused the loss of the gentleman's eye, one shall cut off
his hands' (§ 218). Or again, 'If a son of a palace
warder, or of a vowed woman, to the father that brought
him up, and the mother that brought him up, has said,
" Thou art not my father, thou art not my mother," one
shall cut out his tongue' (§ 192). Another principle that
sharply divides primitive thought from our own is that of
corporate responsibility, the principle that' regards the
family, not the individual, as the legislative unit. Two
striking examples of this are found in the Code of
Hammurabi, If a man has caused a woman's death in
a certain way, his own daughter is killed (§ 210). If

1 This principle, differently applied, explains the piercing
of the slave's ear (Deut. xv. 17), the ear being the organ of
obedience.

22 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
a builder has built a house so badly that it falls and
causes the death of the owner's son, the builder's son is to
be killed (§ 230), The principle ris familiar to us from its
recognition in Israel, as in the destruction of the family of
Achan (Joshua vii. 24, 25), and it underlies the Second
Commandment, which represents God as visiting the sins
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation (Deut. v. 9 ; Exod. xx. 5). But the Deutero
nomic Code expressly lifts its voice against this principle :
' The fathers shall not be put to death for the children,
neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers :
every man shall be put to death for his own sin ' (xxiv.
16). Jeremiah, the contemporary of the Deuteronomic
reformers, and perhaps one of them, echoes the same
protest, when he says : ' In those days, they shall say no
more, The fathers have eaten, sour grapes, and the
children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die
for his own iniquity : every man that eateth the sour
grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge ' (Jer. xxxi. 29, 30).
Another of many interesting parallels between the two
codes is in regard to the provision known as the 'Year of
Release.' Deuteronomy provides that ' If thy brother,
an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee,
and serve thee six years ; then in the seventh year thou
shalt let him go free from thee' (xv. 12). The limit for
such practical slavery for debt is more closely. drawn by
Hammurabi : ' If a debt has seized a man, and he has
given his wife, his son, or his daughter for the money,
or has handed them over to work off the debt, for three years
they shall work in the house of their buyer or exploiter,
in the fourth year he shall set them at liberty' (§ 117).
But, in general, the Deuteronomic law expresses that
amelioration of treatment and condition which we should
expect from its much later date than the Laws of
Hammurabi. This is also true of the relation of the
Deuteronomic laws to the earlier Hebrew legislation,
contained in the Book of the Covenant (Exod. xx. 22—

INTRODUCTION 23
xxiii. 19), the Decalogue (Exod. xx. 1-17), arid what is
known as the earlier Decalogue (viz. the laws contained in
Exod. xxxiv. 10-26). For a tabulated comparison of the
Deuteronomic Code with the earlier, and the later legis
lation, reference may be made to Driver's Deuteronomy
(Introd., pp. iii-xiv) ; his conclusions are :— ' The different
relation in which Deuteronomy thus stands to the three
codes of JE, H> and P may he described generally as
follows : it is an expansion of the laws in JE (Exod. xx.
22 — xxiii. 33, xxxiv. 10-26, xiii. 3-16) ; it is, in several
features, parallel to the Law of Holiness; it contains
allusio7is to laws — not indeed always the same as, but-
similar to the ceremonial institutions and observances
codified in the rest of P ' (op. cit., p. xiv). It will be seen
that this conclusion, based solely on internal evidence,
confirms the conclusion as to the date of the Deuteronomic
Code already reached on other grounds. The only point
in which it is perhaps open to criticism is the description
of Deut. xii-xxvi as an enlarged edition of the Book of
the Covenant, which must at least be taken in a broad
sense (cf. Moore, E.B., c. 1083 : ' the evidence of
literary dependence is much less abundant and convincing
than it must be if Deuteronomy were merely a revised
and enlarged Book of the Covenant ').
The Deuteronomic Code, containing upwards of eighty
laws, falls into three principal sections :—( 1) The central
sanctuary, with its related ordinances (xii. I— xvi. 17,
with xvi. 21— xvii. 7) ; (2) Authorities— viz. Judges, King,
Priests, Prophets (xvii. 8— xviii. 22, with xvi. 18-20) ;
(3) Miscellaneous Laws, many of which, however, might
be entitled Laws of Humanity (Steuernagel, op. cit., p. 74)
(chaps, xix-xxv). But it will be most convenient to
group the contents of the code, for the purpose of more
closely examining its contents, under five heads :— viz.
(1) Primitive Culture and Anthropology ; (2) The Law of
Persons; (3) The Law of Property; (4) Justice and
Humanity; (5) The Law of Worship ; of which the last

24 THE £OOK OF DEUTERONOMY
has been described in the previous section (The Reforma
tion of Josiah).
I. Primitive Culture and Anthropology. There are
four groups of ideas which receive illustration in Deutero
nomy, of which we may first take those which attach to —
I. Blood. Scarcely any subject is more fruitful in its
revelation of primitive habits of thought than this. A red
river of blood runs through the whole landscape of early
thought and custom. The blood is the life— to us, physio
logically, its vehicle, to the primitive man, psychically,
either its vehicle or the life itself. We no longer think of
blood when it is shed as life ; but the key to primitive
thought about blood is the fact that the life, with all its
perils and powers, is still in that red pool which has gushed
from the dying man, or spurted from the neck of the slain
animal. It is for this reason that blood is tabooed, on theone
hand, as a source of peril, or used in magic, on the other,
as a means of power. This attitude explains many of the
customs and ideas attaching to covenants, sacrifice, and
the primitive justice of blood-revenge. Three of these
customs are found in Deuteronomy. One is the well-
known blood taboo, forbidding blood to be eaten with
meat of slain animals : ' Ye shall not eat the blood ; thou
shalt pour it out upon the earth as water ' (xii. 16 : cf. xv.
2.3) ; ' The blood is the life ; and thou shalt not eat the
life with the flesh ' (xii. 23). Probably, also; the law for
bidding any animal dying of itself to be eaten rests partly
on the idea that the coagulated blood cannot be drained
from its veins (xiv. 21). Further, we have in this book
examples of the psychical stain of blood, the idea that
where blood has fallen a certain peril attaches. A battle
ment is to be made round the roof of the Israelite house
' that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man
fall from thence ' (xxii. 8). There is also a striking ritual
in the case of the finding of a murdered body, the
murderer being unknown. The responsibility rests on
the nearest community, whose elders must purge away the

INTRODUCTION 25
stain of blood by breaking the neck of an unused heifer
in a valley with running water, and by washing their
hands over it, with the confession of innocence (xxi.
1-9). As a third example of the significance of blood,
there is the practice of blood-revenge mentioned in
connexion with the cities of refuge (xix. I -1 3).
2. The mystery of life and death, underlying blood,
receives illustration in other ways also. Birth is a mys
tery, and the first-born of man or animal is regarded in a
peculiar light. In Deuteronomy this finds evidence in
regard to animals only : ' All the firstling males that are
born of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto
Yahweh thy God ' (xv. 19). Perhaps, also, the mystery of
generation may underlie the severity of the obscure law
relating to an assault by a woman (xxv. 11, 12 : cf. Cook,
The Laws of Moses and the Code of Hammurabi, p. 251).
Death, like birth, is a mystery, and the presence of death
is always a peril. Hence, the body of a malefactor who
has been hanged is not to remain all night unburied :
' that thou defile not thy land which Yahweh thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance' (xxi. 22, 23). The pro
hibition of mutilations in connexion with death opens up
the large subject of mourning customs : ' Ye are the
children of Yahweh your God ; ye shall not cut your
selves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the
dead' (xiv. 1). Deuteronomy here opposes offerings of
blood and hair at the grave, of universal prevalence ; in
some way they are thought to bind the living to the dead,
and to secure the friendship of ghosts.
3. One of the principal differences between primitive
and modern psychology lies in the belief that external
influences enter into the life through channels other
than those of the senses. We think of Man-soul as a
fortified city, with certain definite gates; the primitive
man conceived himself as an unwalled settlement, open
to invasion on every hand. This is the psychological
atmosphere which explains magic at the bottom of the

26 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
scale and prophetic inspiration at the top. One of the
aims of the Deuteronomic reform is to lift men's thought
from the lowest to the highest of these levels, within the
same atmosphere. , Consequently, a number of magical or
unspiritual methods are condemned (xviii. 10, 1 1 ). Israel's
future communion with the spiritual world is to be through
a spiritual channel— that of the prophet. The practices
condemned or modified in the interests of the religion
of Yahweh illustrate the conditions of thought from which
has arisen the higher and purer belief. Thus, it is forbidden
to seethe a kid in its, mother's: milk (xiv. 21), probably with
reference to the preparation of certain charms, which seem
to have been used in the fertilization of land ; milk has
a mystery akin to that of blood (Robertson Smith, Rel.
Sem., p. 221 n.). The law which is sometimes called
euphemistically ' cleanliness in the camp ' is' really a
development of the belief that everything connected
with the human, body is a peril to it, if falling into the
hands of ill-disposed persons (xxiii. 9-14). The plague
of leprosy— always a mysterious disease to the Israelite-
is explained and treated by what we should call psychical
rather than physiological methods (xxiv. 8, 9). The com
mand to wear tassels of twisted cords on the corners of
the garment (xxii. 12), like that to wear frontlets— the later
phylacteries— (vi. 8, xi. 18), is to be connected with the
widespread use of amulets amongst ancient and modern
peoples. The exhortation to keep a vow once made (xxiii.
21-3) is explicable enough to us on purely moral grounds,
but the origin of the regard for vows lies in the ancient
regard for the spoken word, as something charged with
powers of its own of curse or blessing.
4. A fourth group, consisting of references to fetishistic
and totemistic beliefs, remains to be noticed. The principle
of fetishism is that, which regards the material object as the
temporary or permanent dwelling-place of a hidden and
mysterious power ; this underlies the use of the wooden
post or Asherah, and the stone pillar or Mazzebah, against

INTRODUCTION 27
which Deuteronomy wages relentless warfare (xii. 3, xvi.
21, 22). One of the most significant features of the
Deuteronomic reform lies in this protest against customs
hitherto natural to Israel with its neighbours ; the later
force and attraction of Israel's faith for the nations lay
in this very rejection of material emblems as inade
quate for a spiritual God. The principle of totemism;
brought out in recent researches into the ways of Austra
lian aborigines, is that of the group relationship of men to
animals or plants. This may be a development from the
plain fact of human dependence on these for food ; it
comes to mean that a definite human group is connected
with a definite family of plants or animals, which it mul
tiplies by its rites, and on whose well-being its own depends.
Possibly we should connect the list of clean and unclean
animals in Deuteronomy (xiv. 3-20) chiefly with such
early totemistic beliefs, whether flourishing among the
surrounding people, or among the Israelites themselves ;
Israel is to be saved from unspiritual cults by avoidance
of the animals with which they are bound up. Perhaps
a similar range of belief will best explain the difficult laws
against sowing the vineyard with two kinds of seeds,
ploughing with an ox and an ass, or wearing mingled
stuff (xxii. 9-1 1) ; or these may spring from ideas as to
the mystery of sex.
II. From these interesting indications of the survival
of earlier beliefs, we may pass to the direct legislation of
Deuteronomy in regard to persons. As already indicated
in the account of the Code of Hammurabi, the Book of
Deuteronomy occupies a transitional place between the
earlier corporate responsibility and the later individualism,
to which it has largely contributed. The injustice of
treating the whole family as the criminal unit is fully
recognized (xxiv. 16). What Maine sums up as the proi
gress from Status to Contract (op. cit., p. 170)— i.e. from
life as determined by position in a family to life as con
ditioned by personal agreement— is here visible in many

28 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
ways; . We Jiave a number of laws relating to marriage
and sexual relations, designed not only to promote moral
ity, but (to do what is the same thing under another name)
to give woman her. natural rights and protection. This is
shown in a most-impressive, because quite indirect, way
in the form which the Tenth Commandment assumes in
its quotation in Deuteronomy. The wife appears, in the
Exodus version (xx. 17) as one of the chattels of the
house, and is named after, the house, together with the
slaves, the oxen, and the asses. But in the Deuteronomic
version the wife is named before the house, and is placed
in a separate sentence, a different verb, with a higher
shade of meaning, being used (Deut. v. 21). The same
principle operates in regard to the rights even of women
taken captive in war. Before one of these can become
the wife of her captor, she is to be allowed the full
interval for mourning her dead, her head being shaved
and her nails pared, probably in accordance with mourning
customs ; nor can she be subsequently sold for money, or
dealt with as a mere slave (xxi. 10-14). Baseless scandal
against a newly-married woman is severely punished
(xxii. 13-21), and a rough principle of discrimination is
introduced in alleged cases of sexual immorality (xxii.
22-7) ; a girl who has been wronged is to be married,
and the heir to an estate does not inherit his father's wives
(xxii. 30), as by the older custom (2 Sam. xvi. 22). Divorce
is regulated (xxiv. 1-4), and immorality under the cloak of
religion is rebuked (xxiii. 17, 18 : cf. xxii. 5 ?). Levirate
marriage (xxv. 5-10) secures succession for the childless ;
he who renounces his duty in this respect has to submit
to a humiliating symbolical ceremony, in which his sandal
is loosed, in the presence of the elders, by the woman
he will not marry (xxv. 9). As the rights of women are
protected, so are those of children. An interesting law
deals with the right of primogeniture, which is made
inalienable. According to Hebrew law, the first-born
would receive twice the portion of the others— which

INTRODUCTION 29
explains Elisha's prayer for a double portion of the spirit
of Elijah ; if, now, a man's eldest son is born of a wife he
dislikes, he may not set this child aside for the sake of
one born of his favourite (xxi. 15-17). On the other
hand, the rights of the parents in regard to their sons are
safeguarded, and a persistently disobedient son can be
brought to the elders of the city, and is even liable to
death by stoning (xxi. 18-21). It is eminently character
istic of Deuteronomy that it should lay stress on the
religious training of children : ' These words which I
command thee this day shall be upon thine heart ; and
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and
shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up' (vi. 6, 7 : cf. verse 20 f.). The
circle of rights and duties extends beyond the family to
its slaves, and to those without, even to aliens dwelling in
the midst of Israel. A law which throws considerable
light on the influences making ancient domestic slavery
so very different a thing from modern commercial slavery
not only deals with the emancipation of the slave in the
seventh year of service, but contemplates the possibility
of his preferring to remain for ever in the family of his
master ; and if he prefers to go he is not to be sent empty
away (xv. 12-18). On the otherhand, he who robs a
brother Israelite of his freedom, and sells him into slavery,
is liable to a capital sentence (xxiv. 7 : cf. Cook, op. cit.,
p. 241). The duty which an Israelite owes to the stranger
who dwells in his community is constantly emphasized,
but as a principle of morality rather than as matter of
explicit enactments (vide infra: Justice and Humanity).
III. From the Law of Persons we pass to the Law of
Property, though we must not forget Maine's reminder
' that the separation of the Law of Persons from that of
Things has no meaning in the infancy of the law, that
the rules belonging to the two departments are inextricably
mingled together' (op. cit., p. 259). Thus, one of the

30 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
marriage laws already noticed deals with the daughter
as the father's property, estimated at the value of fifty
shekels of silver (xxii. 29) ; whilst the person of a debtor
is liable for his debt (xv. 12). The laws of property are
usually as significant of social conditions as the laws of
persons are of moral principles ; but the two realms are
closely intermingled, and it is chiefly for the convenience
of our own habits of thought that we are entitled to
make the distinction between persons and property.
The social conditions implied in the Deuteronomic
Code are those of an agricultural people, as con
trasted with the more commercial character of many
of the laws of the Babylonian ; but, as Cook says (op. cit.,
p. 272), ' That laws relating to trade and commerce should
fail to find a place in the Hebrew legislation is not
surprising when it is considered how widely conditions
in Israel differed from those in Babylonia.' We find
the regulations we should naturally expect amongst an
agricultural people against the removal of a neighbour's
landmark, 'which they of old time have set' (xix. 14) ;
the stone or other mark of the boundary was probably
once consecrated to a deity, under whose protection it
stood. A neighbour's vineyards and cornfields may
satisfy one's personal and present hunger, but clear limits
are indicated as to what may be taken (xxiii. 24, 25).
Strayed oxen or sheep are to be restored, or kept against
restoration, and this applies to all lost property ;- whilst
a man is to be helped with his fallen ox or ass (xxii. 1-4).
A somewhat curious law declares that eggs or young birds
found in a nest by accident may be taken, but not the
mother bird ; it has been suggested that this rests on the
idea of the mother bird as common and public property,
which may not be appropriated (xxii. 6, 7). The wages of
the labourer must not be detained, but paid daily, whether
he be Hebrew or foreign, for the alien has his rights
(xxiv. 14, 15). In regard to borrowing and lending, the
chief thing that strikes us about the laws is their iinprac-:

INTRODUCTION 31
ticability ; indeed, we find Jeremiah complaining (xxxiv.
8 f.) that, as a matter of fact, they are not observed. Limits
are placed on the articles that may be pawned, necessities
like the millstone being excluded (xxiv. 6 : cf. 10-13) ; no
interest for the loan is to be taken from a Hebrew, though
it may be taken from a foreigner (xxiii. 19, 20) ; the
curious provision of the year of release, already noticed
in another connexion, would secure the remission of the
debt in the seventh year, though some have held that
what is meant is the temporary suspension of the right to
repayment (xv. 1-11 ; Cook, op. cit., p. 233 n.). We
have to remember in all this that the code ' contemplates
only those cases in which indebtedness of one Israelite
to another is the result of individual poverty ; it knows
nothing of any kind of credit system such as necessarily
springs up with the development of commerce ' (Benzinger,
Law and Justice, E.B., c. 2727).
IV. It will naturally be asked what provision is made
for the carrying out of these laws, and for the effective
promotion of such legislative reforms. The answer is
twofold : the organization of justice is to be made more
efficient through enlargement of the jurisdiction of the
priests at the expense of the elders ; and the revival of
religion is to supply the motive for the higher moral
standards. In regard to the first of these points (cf.
Benzinger, op. cit., c. 2717-2719), the judicial system
behind the earlier Book of the Covenant is constituted by
the elders of the locality, themselves the heads of families,
who have, if the phrase may be allowed, ' pooled ' their
patriarchal power. These elders still appear in the Book
of Deuteronomy. But, as Benzinger points out (op. cit.,
c.2719), 'The elders retain within their competency only
a limited class of offences,' more especially in regard to
the family, the original sphere of their jurisdiction (xxi.
18 f., xxii. 13 f., xxv. 7 f., xix. 1 1 f., xxi. I f.). The appoint
ment of judges is regarded as the work of Moses (i. 9-18) ;
each locality is to have its professional staff (xvi. 18). The

32 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
higher court is now the priestly college at Jerusalem (xvii.
8-13). Here the priests examine into the case, and show
the sentence of judgement. The jurisdiction of the king
appears to be limited to the enforcement of this priestly
jurisdiction (xvii. 18-20). In regard to the details of the
new administration, we notice not only exhortations to fair
dealing (xxv. 13-16), and just judgement, and to the refusal
of bribes (xvi. 19), but, what was probably more effective,
two or three witnesses are reqviired (xvii. 6, xix. 15),
and a severe sentence is prescribed against perjury,
the only case, where the old jus talionis is applied (xix.
15-21). We notice also two important steps forward, or
rather the recognition of two principles which, make for
progress in justice. One is the recognition of motive as
a determining factor in manslaughter (xix. 4) ; the other
is the precaution against excess in the punishment, which
is to be administered, in the case of the bastinado, in the
presence of the judge (xxv. 1-3: 'Forty stripes he. may
give him, he shall not exceed '). But the greatest progress
is in the attempt to lift conduct from the letter of justice to
the spirit of mercy, and to present the ideal of humanity
towards all sorts and conditions of men. The attempt to
secure humanity in warfare (chap, xx) was probably as im
practicable as are present attempts at securing interna
tional arbitration. But one cannot miss the higher spirit
that animates the appeals to kindness and humanity in
the personal relationships of life (xxiv. 17, 18, 19-22:
cf. x. 19, ' Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were
strangers in the land of Egypt'). This spirit is incul
cated, not only towards dependents and strangers,'but even
towards animals (' Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when, he
treadeth out the, corn,' xxv. 4) \ Its presence may seem
incongruous in a law code, whilst we consider only the
limits of practical enforcement ; but it may remind us that

1 Cf. the philanthropic reason assigned for the keeping of
the Sabbath (v. 14 : contrast Exod. xx. 11).

INTRODUCTION 33
the code of law of any community always lags behind the
highest morai ideals, and depends on them both for its
continual improvement and for the very life-breath of its
efficiency. For mercy is not only above the sceptredsway
of the throned monarch ; from the heart where: it is en
throned it sends forth the pulsing life, without which the
sceptre will drop from the nerveless grasp, and the most
elaborate code of laws be as dead as that of Hammurabi.
III. The Deuteronomic Religion.
The Book of Deuteronomy is described by Dillmann
(p. 602) and by Driver (p. xxvi) as 'a prophetical law
book,' by Bertholet (p. xiii) as a ' crystallization of pro
phetical thoughts,' by Steuernagel (p. xx) as the tangible
and practicable expression of more than a century's
efforts after reform. The book itself bears explicit
testimony to its reverence for the prophet's mission;
Moses is represented as promising a succession of
prophets like himself to be the authoritative channels of
the Divine revelation (xviii. 15 f.). But a more impres
sive memorial of the reverence in which the great
prophets of the eighth century were held by the reforming
party consists in the fact that Deuteronomy would be
inconceivable without them, and that almost every page
of its appeals bears the impress of the teaching of Amos,
Hosea, Isaiah, Micah.
The principles inculcated by these prophets, which
are expressed and practically applied in the Book of
Deuteronomy, are as follows :—
I. Yahweh alone is to be worshipped (vi. 4, 13, 14), not
simply because His revealed character deserves the abso
lute devotion He claims from the Israelite, but because
no other god can challenge the supreme and universal
rule of Yahweh, the ' God of gods' (x. %7fo indeed, there
is no god beside Him (iv. 35, 39). Cf. Amos, Wi, ix. 2, 4, 7 ; .'
Hos. v. 14, viii. 14, xi. II, xii. 9, xiii. 4, xiv. 3; Isaiah
i. 24, ii. iof., x. 5f, &c; Micah i. 3f., iv. 6f., 12, v. 15.
D

34 THE BOOK ; OF DEUTERONOMY
II. No image or material representation of Him maybe
used in His worship (vii. 25, xii. 2-5, xvi. 21, 22: cf: iv.
12-19, v. 8). Cf. Hos. iv. 17, viii. 4, x/5, xiii. 2 ; Isaiah ii.
20, xxx. 22, xxxi. 7 ; Micah i.'7,v. 13, 14 ; (?) Amos viii. 14.
III. His character is wholly moral (vii. 9, 10; x. 17,
18). Cf. Amos v. 14, 15, 24; Hos. ii. 19, 20, iv. if., v.
4 ; Isaiah i. 4, 15 f., v. 7, &c. ; Micah ii. 7, &c.
IV; Past history and present Providence reveal that the
principles of Divine government are moral (v. 33, vi. 3, vii.
12 {., xi. 13-17, 26-8, xxvi. 5 f., xxviii, xxx). Cf. Amos i, ii,
iii. 1, 2, iv. 6-1 1, vii-ix ; Hos. ii. 5f., iv. 9, vi. 5,. &c. ;
Isaiah i. 5, xxviii. 23-9, &c. ; Micah iii. 12.
V. The relation of Israel to Yahweh has in it a moral
demand, to be fulfilled through -whole-hearted love for
Him (vi. 5, vii. 6-8, viii; 5, .xiv. 2, xxx. 11-1.4). Cf. Amos
iii. 1, 2 ; Hos. ii. 19, iv. I f., xi. 1-3 ; Isaiah i. 21, &c. ;
Micah vi. 8.
VI. His great requirement is that man should render
to man what .is right (v. 14, x. 19, xii. .19, xiv. 29, xv. 7,
15, xvi. 19, xxii. 1-4, xxiv. 14, 15, 17-22, xxv. .1-3-16).
Sacrifice and the ritual of religion occupy a place in the
worship of Yahweh subordinate to this chief requirement
of social righteousness. Cf. Amos iii. 10, iv. 1, 4, v.
10, 21 f., viii,. 4-6,; Hos. vi. 6, viii. 13, ix. 4, x. 12; Isaiah
i, &c, Micah' ii. 1, iiij vi.rio.
1. We begin with what is undoubtedly the central
doctrine of Deuteronomy, the unique claims of Yahweh.
It is important to understand clearly what we mean by
speaking of Hebrew Monotheism. In the Decalogue we
read, •' Thou shall have none othergods beside me' (v. 7).
This command does not deny the existence of other
gods; it simply declares that Israel has nothing to do
with them. ;An iearly He"brew song calls the Moabites
' the people of Kemosh,' who ' hath given his sons as
fugitives, and his daughters into captivity' (Num. xxL
29). Similarly, the Moabites would call Israel the people
of Yahweh. On the well-known Moabite Stone we find

INTRODUCTION 35
an excellent illustration of the relation of a Semitic people
to its deity. King Mesha of Moab ascribes the victories
of Omri of Israel over Moab to the anger of Kemosh with
his land. At last Kemosh saw fit to restore the lost
territory,' and to direct a successful campaign against
Israel, part of the spoil being the vessels of the defeated
Yahweh of Israel. For ancient thought, the drums and
tramplings of peoples mark the strife of rival deities, each
powerful in his own domain, and only occasionally beyond
it. It is from such a conception of Yahweh that Hebrew
Monotheism and Christian Theism have developed, not
by any abstract denial of the existence of extra-territorial'
deities, but by putting more and more meaning into the
character of Yahweh and His relation to His people until
there was no room left for other gods, and they faded
away into mere spectres and shades. This is parti- .
cularly the work of the four prophets of the eighth century
(see the references above). They can be called practical
monotheists, not because they deny that other gods exist,
but because they so exalt Yahweh that He becomes the
only spiritual power of whom account need be taken.
Deuteronomy follows them in the utterance of its doctrinal
principle : ' Hear, O Israel : Yahweh our God is one
Yahweh ' ; or, as seems a preferable translation : ' Yahweh
is our God, Yahweh alone * (vi. 4). This sentence does
not assert that there is no other god ; indeed, within the
same chapter, there is a nominal recognition of the exist
ence of other gods : ' Ye shall not go- after other gods, of
the gods of the peoples which are round about you '
(vi. .14). - But it presents Yahweh as the one and only one
object of Israel's love and worship, one in the sense that
the horizon of Israelite religion includes no other, which,,
is practicalTFriot philosophical monotheism. Indeed, a
century aftelywV"find"tiie'rribhotheistic inference drawn
in similar terms : ' And Yahweh shall become king over
all the earth ; in that day shall Yahweh be one, and His
name one ' (Zech. xiv. 9). Within the later strata of the
D 2

36 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
Bookof .Deuteronomy itself we pass from implicit to ex
plicit monotheism, as thepftoduet of quasi-philosophical
reflection. In the fourth chapter! ^exilic) we find the gods
are regarded as mere idols, ' the work of men's? hands,
wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor
smell ' (verse 28) ; ' Yahweh, He is God ; there is none else
beside him ' (verse 3,5) ; ' Yahweh* He is God in heaven
above and upon the earth beneath : there is none else '
(verse 39). Nothing more explicit than this statement
can be wanted, and it is reached ,by the double process of
> degrading other deities into lifeless idols, and of exalting
Yahweh from one tribal deity j among many to the One
and only God, by virtue of His attributes and jpower.
2. The practical deduction from this prophetic principle,
which gives a special character to the legislation of
Deuteronomy; is the law of .the. central sanctuary. We
must not regard it as a merely theoretical inference, that
because there is only one God there must be only one
sanctuary. More probably, this application is due to the
practical necessities of reform. The prophets had attacked
fhe : worship associated with the various high places
scattered through the country in no measured terms, either
because they offered a delusive substitute for the practice
of morality (Amos iv. 4) or because of the immoral .prac
tices connected with their cults (Hosea, supra} ; they had
denounced idolatry, because of its inadequacy to represent
deity (Isa, ii. 8, 20) or because of its practical associa
tions (Micah i. 7). But the: long reign :. of Manasseh,
during which so much heathen and. idolatrous worship
had prevailed, showed that the truth was not yet able to
hold its, own against the vested interests, the old-
established prejudices, the ignorance and want of intelli
gence, of those connected with the local cults. Something
definite must be done to bring home the prophetic ideals
to the hearts of the people. The insistence of Isaiah on
the inviolability of Jerusalem (xxxvii. 35, xxviii. 16), and
the confirmation pf this doctrine iy the deliverance from

INTRODUCTION 37
Sennacherib (Is^.. xxxvii. 22, 33),, must have largely helped
to establish the prestige of the temple in. ti>e capital If
the worship of the land were centralized here, a high and
worthy type might be, maintained, whjis,t ajl other lower
forms might be declared illegitimate. Nov was this ^deal
so impracticable as it might ^ fjrgt §\ght seem tf) us. ' The
whole land of Israel is smaU : Jerusalem, is, distant from
the sea only thirty-three miles, from Jordan about
eighteen, from Hebron nineteen, and from Samaria thirty-
four or thirty-five' (Q. A. §mith, E.B., c. 2417). When
we remember the smail extent of this territory, which, we
so easily forget in vie^v of the magnitude flf the, spiritual
interests of Israel, much beconies explicable in, ,the ideals
of the reformers, and the sweeping character .of, the
reformation. It was np Utppian dr,earn to conceive a
land, so small, trained to worship Yahweh at its capital
city in an imageless and moraj worship. The rejected
elements of the local cults of Yahweh (to say nothing of
the worship of rival deities) are the image or material
representation of Yahweh, which is unwprthy p{ His
nature (iv. 12-19), and immoral elements such as sacred
prostitution, or the sacrifice of children, which are directly
opposed to His requirements (xxiji, 17, 18 ; xii. 31, xviii.
10). The stone pillar and the wooden post were ajsp
condemned (xvi. z\, 22) because both <¥>uld detract frpm
the spirituality pf God and engender superstition^ whilst
the latter seems tP l»aYe l?een connected specially with
immorality. These were, wholly or chiefly, elements
absorbed into Hebrew religion frojn the cults, of Canaan ;
so that the reforrnation was a genuine return to the strong
simplicity of the earlier worship of Yahweh with, of
course, the added ideas drawn from centuries pf history,
and continued progress in moral and social development \
The chief element retained from the high places destroyed
, 1  f'T't |'i — " f *J ¦'-  rrr*~? — i ; ' .
1 Berthojei, 06, <#,, xxvii, emphasises the* loss to- tb# people
in the «cty«Wtioh pf their life, $fi double, jmroefliaf e loss
was real enough, but At was-tfie PPge of pspg^efs.

38 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
was' that of sacrifice, to which the prophets, as a whole,
were by no means kindly disposed; but the attitude of
the Book of Deuteronomy to sacrifice, and the place given
to it in the prescribed worship, are very different from that
of the later Levitical system ]-
The practical character and aim of the Deuteronomic
centralization of worship are further seen in the related laws
meant to meet the difficulties occasioned by the change.
Provision is made for the dispossessed priests of the local
sanctuaries (xviii. 6-8) ; the protection of the fugitive
from the avenger of blood, once provided at the local
shrines, is now to be found at the cities of refuge instituted
for the purpose (xix. 2f.). The annual festivals and
pilgrimages, the expression of the agricultural life of
Canaan, are now to be celebrated at the one sanctuary
(xvi. 16). The produce of the tithe, which may be too
bulky to carry to Jerusalem, it is permitted to change
into money to be expended there (xiv. 22-7). The slaughter
of animals for food loses its ancient sacrificial character
on ordinary occasions, the only requirement being that
the blood is to be poured but on the ground (xii. 16, 24).
3. But the law of the central sanctuary, with its various
safeguards, would have had little significance in the
history of religion if it had riot been the expression of
a conception of God capable of unlimited growth and
application. We have seen that the positive impulse to
monotheism was an exalted conception of the character
of Israel's God ; it is this we have now to notice more
closely. Two passages, in particular, illustrate this con
ception : ' The faithful God, which keepeth covenant and
mercy with them that love Him and keep His command
ments to a thousand generations ; and repayeth them that
1 Prior to D, the burnt-offering and the peace-offeririg are
found (Exod. xx. 34, cf. xxiv. 5). D adds the heave-offering
(Deut. xii. 6, 17). P adds not only the oblation or meal-offering
(Lev. ii. 1 f.), but the sin-offering (v. r-6); central in the Day
of Atonement (Lev. xvi. 3), arid the guilt-offering (Lev. v. 14-161.

INTRODUCTION 39
hate Him to their face, to destroy them: He will not be
slack to him that hateth Him, He will repay him to his
face ' (vii. 9, 10) ; ' Yahweh your God, He is God of gods
and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the
terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
He doth execute the judgement of the fatherless and
widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him .food and
raiment. ... He is thy praise, and He is thy God, that
hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which
thine eyes have seen' (x. 17-21).
The conception of God involved in such descriptions is
moral in the fullest sense of the word, moral as including
both justice and mercy ; and this conception underlies
the whole statement of the requirements of Yahweh,
and the interpretation of His dealings with men. Thes
sources of this conception lie open to us in the per
sonalities and dominant conceptions of the- prophets ; it
is one of the fascinating rewards of Old Testament study
that we see the idea of God emerging in its different
elements, feature by feature, as the various elements of
a portrait emerge on the developing plate in the photo
grapher's dark room. Only as we study each contribution/
in its natural historic light do we grasp the meaning of
the great word that ' God, having of old time spoken unto
the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in
divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken
unto us in his Son ' (Heb. i. 1, 2). The ethical monotheism
of the eighth- century prophets, which supplies the passion
and power of Deuteronomy, may be analysed into four
more or less closely related elements, contributed by the
four prophets already named. Amos presents Yahweh to us
as a moral ruler, requiring moral obedience (chaps, i, ii j
vii-ix) ; Hosea as a loving husband, in spite of Israel's
infidelity (chaps, i-iii) ; Isaiah as the Holy One of Israel
(v. 16, 24 ; vi. 3), the establisher of Zion (xxxvii. 35 ;
xxviii. 16) ; Micah as the judge of social injustice
(ii, 1, 2; iii. 10-12). The fact that we have gained,.

40 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
through Christ, a still higher conception of His character,
must not blind us to the importance of the contribution
made by these prophetic pioneers, in their interpretation
of His> ways from the standpoint of idealized human
morality. They were anthropomorphic -thinkers, as all
men who dare to think God must be; but, in such
ventures iof faith, everything depends on the quality of the
anthropomorphism. Elijah, in his denunciation of the
wrong done to Naboth, as well as in his protest against the
worship of Baal, is prophetic of his successors ; but they
are able to rise above the cruder conceptions of Elijah
into a more .purely moral and spiritual sphere. It is
this going forth of man to meet God, this stepping off the
edge of the woarld intp the darkness of the unknown,
that forms the human side of revelation. Like Moses in
the ancient tradition, these men climbed the mount of
God, and brought. back His word. It was fitting that
prophecy, a Canaahite phenomenon in its lower; forms*
should be ableinits higher, when permeated by the moral
convictions of man, to dispossess the gods of Canaan.
Of these four prophets, it is from Hosea, the richest in
his conception!! of Yahweh, that Deuteronomy derives its
highest ideas. ' ' In a special degree the author of
Deuteronomy is the spiritual heir of Hosea' (Driver,
Deut. p. xxvii). But we may notice first that general
conception of the Moral Government of the world which
is common to all the prophets, and is specially emphasized
in Amos.
4. The Book of Deuteronomy lays uncompromising
stress on the retributive righteousness of God ; for it, the
past reveals the intervention of Yahweh in the affoirs of
Hispeqplfe, His control of events in accordance with their
obedience to Him (cf. the retrospect of the first three
chapters). The broad basis of appeal to I srael is that pf the
close ofthe original introduction tp the code ; 'Beheld) I set
before you this day a blessing and a curse ; the blessing,
if ye shall hearken .... and the curse, if ye shail not

INTRODUCTION 41
hearken ' (xi. 26-8) ; or of that fine passage in the (later)
conclusion : ' This commandment which I command thee
this day, it is not too hard for thee, neither- ig it far
off .. . the^word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and
in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set
before thee this day life and good, and death and evil . .. .
life and death, the blessing and the curse' (xkk. 11-19).
It was not until a later date, as in the Book pf Job, thatthis
naive view of history, as consisting of direct reward and
punishment, ceased to be adequate ; and the inadequacy
was pressed home to the heart of the individual when
the old national unity ceased to occupy the foreground of
religion. The Book of Deuteronomy shows no sense of
difficulty in maintaining present directness of retribution
and the entire adjustment of prosperity to righteousness ;
accordingly it has no message concerning the doctrine of
a future life, by which that difficulty is partially met for
Christian thought.
5. But it would not be just to the book to present the
promise of reward and the threat of punishment as its only
motive to obedience. Yahweh is to be loved in Himself
for what He is ; the relation in which He stands to Israel
is not simply that of a judge or ruler, but >of a friend and
a father. This is the chief ground for holding that
Deuteronomy is specially influenced by the teaching of
Hosea : ' Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thine
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might'
(vi. 5). We can see here the influence of the betrothal
conception of Hosea, resulting in a new inwardness of
motive. The relation between Yahweh and His people is
lifted to a level of thought which may be called evangelical.
Isaiah's conception of a holy people (vi. 5 : cf. iv. -3. &e.)
is given a noble extension when this holiness is made
the response to the revealed character of Yahweh (Deut.
vii. 6-8 ; xiv. 2, 21 ; xxvi. 19, xxviii. 9); and this extension
comes through the combination of Hosea and Isaiah.
Even when Hosea changes his figure for what is still

42 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
more suggestive of the true relation between God and
man, that of father and son, he is followed by Deuteronomy.
Hosea, in one of the tenderest passages in his book,
writes : ' When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and
called my son out of Egypt ... I taught Ephraim to
go; I took them on my arms' — as a father takes the
tired child whom he has been teaching to take its early
steps (xi.' 1-3). The same figure, applied somewhat
differently, meets us in Deuteronomy : ' And thou shalt
consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his
son, so Yahweh thy God chasteneth thee." (viii. 5) ; it is
followed exactly in i. 31.
6. The humanity of this relation between Yahweh and
His people is reflected in the relation between man and
man,presented as ideal. The humanitarianism of Deutero?-
nomy is very marked, as we have already seen. It has
well. been said' that 'Nowhere else in the O. T. do we
breathe such an atmosphere of generous devotion to God,
and of large-hearted benevolence towards man ; nowhere
else are duties and motives set forth with greater depth
and tenderness of feeling, or with more winning and per
suasive eloquence ; and nowhere else is it shown with the
same fullness of detail how high and noble principles
may be applied so as to elevate and refine the entire life
of the community ' (Driver, Deut., p. xxv); If the object
of Deuteronomy is 'to transform the Judah of King
Josiah's day into a peculiar peopie, holy and just, loving
God and following God's law' (Montefiore, Hibbert
Lectures, p. 183), we must recognize the primary place
in this conception of holiness which is taken by . the
simple laws of morality and fair dealing and sympathy
with the needs and difficulties of others. We have al
ready noticed such of these laws as could be tabulated
in a code ; it only remains to indicate here the stress
laid on such conduct towards others as the truest service
to Yahweh. Deuteronomy does not go to the length of
some of the prophets in-' denouncing the formalities of

INTRODUCTION 43
ritual, yet we cannot but feel that the worship of Yahweh
finds, for the writers, its aptest and highest expression in
obedience to Yahweh's laws, amongst which those of
justice and mercy to all men are not counted the least by
a just and merciful God.

IV. The Canonical Place and Influence gf
Deuteronomy.
The Book of Deuteronomy is not only part of the
canon of Scripture, it has been the nucleus in the for
mation of that canon. On many other books of the
Bible the literary characteristics and the theological
attitude of Deuteronomy have been strongly impressed ;
whilst it has been said with truth that ' Its influence on
the domestic and personal religion of Israel in all ages
has never been exceeded by that of any other book in the
canon ' (G. A. Smith, Modern Criticism and the Preaching
of the Old Testament, p. 163).
I. Deuteronomy was the first book to be accepted by
I srael as authoritative Scripture. N othing of the literature
of Israel was regarded as an authoritative standard of
life and faith prior to the publication of Deuteronomy.
The nearest approach to an earlier canon is found in
the earlier collections of laws, such as the Book of the
Covenant (Exod. xx. 22— xxiii. 19) ; but, probably, such
collections were drawn up within the priestly circle to be
private manuals, not public Bibles. As a law of God,
a sentence was binding ; so far there would be nothing
new in the emergence of the Deuteronomic Code as com
pared with the oral law. But now, for the first time, the
law is made accessible to the.nation, after public accept
ance, and the foundations of a book-religion are laid. J By
the time of the Maccabees (1 Mace. i. 56, 57) devptiln to
a written revelation has become the distinctive mark of
Judaism, and we understand the force of the later Arabic
phrase, applied to both Jews and Christians, ' the people

44 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
of the book.' This development is the direct outcome of
the acceptance of Deuteronomy, and continues still further :
'The movement begun by Deuteronomy does not close
within the. period of the O. T.— its goal is the Talmud;
its course covers more than a thousand years. Deutero
nomy does much to crystallize principles into rules, and
thereby partly strangles the free prophetic life, tp which it
so largely owed its existence' (E.B., 2744: cf. Driver,
pp. lxiv, Ixv; Marti, op. cit., p. 65). Yet a written
revelation, with all its perils, was required to meet the
practical needs of religion. Because of it, Israel's exile
could not destroy her faith ; it could only deepen her
reverence and love for the existent literature, and for the
oral traditions yet to be Expanded and written, which were
the distilled life of her past. Through all the vicissitudes
of her subsequent history, those sacred books, of which
Deuteronomy is the foundation, become the tower of her
strength, the centre of her hopes. The historic truth of
many centuries is behind that Talmudic parable1 which
tells of the Jewish maiden parted from her lover, yet keep
ing troth with him through his long delay, because able to
go into her chamber and read and reread his letters.
Israel, wrote the Rabbis, is that maiden, entering her
synagogues to study the writings of God. Nor is the
faith« of Israel alone bound in a debt of gratitude to the
book-religion of Deuteronomy. The faith of the early
Christian Church, from its lowliest adherent to its great
apostle, was nourished on the principles preserved through
a book-religion ; and we may forgive some of the fossiliz
ing influences of Jewish legalism because it has kept in its
bed of limestone the very forms of ancient faith for our
present study and edification. S<J long as the ideal of
Jeremiah awaits fulfilment, and the law of God remains
unwritten on the heart, some external authority in religion,
Bible or Church, will be necessary to correct the vagaries
of the individual, and to develop the' possibilities of the
immature. Deuteronomy1, at the head of the triple canon

INTRODUCTION 45
of the O. T., may be said to contain in itself 'the law,
the prophets, and the writings.' Itself a law-book pri
marily, it is the outcome of prophetic teaching ; whilst
the two poems of its appendix link it with the chief repre
sentative of the third canon, i. e. the Psalter.
II. In regard to the literary and theological influence
of Deuteronomy, the first point to notice is the relation
of the book to the contemporary prophet Jeremiah.
The fact that a close relation exists is unmistakable.
A selection from the many parallels between the two
books is given by Driver, p. xciii ; he remarks : ' remini
scences from Deuteronomy, consisting often of whole
clauses, are interwoven with phrases peculiar to Jeremiah
himself; and even where the words are not actually the
same, the thought, and the oratorical form— the copious
diction, and sustained periods — are frequently similar'
(p. xcii : cf. Deut. iv. 29, and Jer. xxix. 13 ; iv* 34 and xxxii.
21 ; v. 3.3 and vii. 23 ; xviii. 20 and xxix. 23; xxviii. 1J2
and v. 17, out of a very large number of cases). Two
explanations have been given of this closeness of relation.
The older one is that Jeremiah himself was interested in
the Deuteronomic reform, and wrote largely under its
influence (e. g. Montefiore, op. cit., p. 194). One passage
in particular expressly supports this view (Jer. xi. 1-14)1*1
which the prophet is sent to speak to the men of Judah
and Jerusalem ' the words of this covenant,' whichy in view
of the terms used, can be no other than the Deutetonomfc?.
But even those who have taken this view have been
compelled to admit that Jeremiah was disappointed with
the course of the Deuteronomic reform (e.g. Cheyne,
Jeremiah, p. 107). No other explanation could well be
given of the famous passage which speaks of the need for
a new covenant, more spiritually received : ' I will put my
law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write
it . . . and they shall teach no more every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know
Yahweh: for they shall all know me' (Jer. xxxi. 33, 34).

46 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
'Clearly, then,' wrote Cheyne in 1888, 'Jeremiah must
before this have begun to be disappointed with Deutero
nomy. He may have read it privately— this perhaps we
may argue from his continued allusions to it ; but in public
he confined himself to reproducing- its more spiritual,
more prophetic portions' (op. cit., p. 107). It is to be
noted that Jeremiah directly opposes the doctrine of the
inviolable sanctity of Jerusalem and its temple (chap.
xxvi), and is distinctly recognized in this as a successor
to Micah (verse 18), whilst his protest at the gate of
Yahweh's house is worthy of the eighth-century prophets :
' Trust ye not in lyingwords, saying, The temple of Yahweh,
the temple of Yahwehj the temple of Yahweh,- are these '
(vii. 4). There is, indeed, one passage in which Jeremiah
seems to be attacking the abuses to which a written
revelation would lend itself, if he is not criticizing
Deuteronomy itself : ' How do ye say, We are wise, and
the law of Yahweh is with us ? But,' behold, the false pen
of the scribes hath wrought falsely ' (viii. 8). The newer
criticism of the Book of Jeremiah, of which Duhm's
commentary may be taken as representative, regards the
Deuteronomic parallels as later additions, when the lyri
cal poems of Jeremiah were worked up into a Continuous
prophecy. (This would include even the passage in the
eleventh chapter to which reference has been made ; the
writer of it argued that since Jeremiah was a contemporary
of the Deuteronomic reform, he must, as a prophet of
Yahweh, have heen concerned in it— which is the way in
which much history has been written, even to our own
day.) But, even if this extreme view in regard to
Jeremiah be ultimately adopted, the strong influence of
Deuteronomy is the more clearly indicated, in that it
prevailed against the principles of Jeremiah ; whilst the
practical failure of the Deuteronomic reform to which
the Book of Jeremiah 'witnesses (vi. 16-21; xxxiv. 8f.)
only throws into contrast the literary dominance of
Deuteronomy over the subsequent' history and literature

INTRODUCTION 47
of Israel, of which the present Book of Jeremiah would
itself be an example.
A further example of that dominance is supplied by the
Book of Kings in its present form: 'Henceforward
history becomes an exponent of legal theory' (Gray,
E.B., c. 2735); 'there seems, indeed> to have quickly
formed itself a regular school of writers upon the Deutero
nomic pattern, who looked at history and religion from
the Deuteronomic point of view' (Montefiore, op. cit.,
p. 193). Reference should be made to the Century
Bible edition of Kings (Skinner) for the copious evidence
that the compiler worked from the standpoint of Deutero
nomy (see, especially, the Introduction, pp. 14-18). He
selects his material from a religious standpoint ; he traces
the prosperity or adversity of the nation to its obedi
ence or disobedience to Deuteronomic law ; he judges
the character of the line of kings by their loyalty or
disloyalty to the Yahweh of Deuteronomy. Hezekiah,
for example, because of his earlier reform on Deuterono
mic lines, receives the commendation : ' He trusted in
Yahweh, the God of Israel ; so that after him was none
like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them
that were before him ' (2 Kings xviii. 5). Manasseh,
who built again the high places which his father had
destroyed (2 Kings xxi. 3L), though he escapes without
personal disaster, has stored up retributive adversity for
his people : ' I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a
dish, wiping it and turning it upside down' (verse 13), is
Yahweh's word over Manasseh's reign. We have become
so accustomed to these verdicts on the monarchs of
Israel, that it is difficult to pass behind them. Yet these
kings are praised or pilloried by an unhistoric method ;
they stand or fall by their compliance with or rejection of
a book they never saw. For the Law-book which is
mentioned in Kings is, throughout, Deuteronomy {cf.
Driver, xci. n.) : the manner of reference shows this, for
example, in David's charge to Solomon (1 Kings- ii. 3),

48 THE BOOK)' OF i DEUTERONOMY
'Keep the charge of Yahweh thy God, to walk in His
ways, to keep His statutes, and His qommandment-srand
His judgements and His testimonies, according to that
which is written in. the Law of Moses, that thou, mayest
prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou
turnest thyself ; the referenceis doubtless to-thc-special
paragraph in Deuteronomy urging, the study of the book
on the monarchs of Israel
,.' This Dewteronottfic redaction extends, though in a less
marked degree in the case of Samuel, over the whole of
the ' Former Prophets,' as they are called — vijs. Joshua,
judges, Samuel, and Kings (Budde, E.B., 660), and the
influence of Deuteronomic phraseology may be traced in
eertain books of the third canon — viz. Nehemiah, Daniel,
aiid Chrohicles (Driver, p. xcii).
. Ih aH this- influence it is the doctrine of Yahweh's
retributive -righteousness which is central, and the Book
of Job shows us how absolutely and completely this had
become the orthodox tenet of Israel. In the Book of
Deuteronomy that doctrine was applied to the nation as
a whole ; individuals were involved in the fate, pf the
nation, as in the destruction, of a whole city contami
nated by alien worship (Deui» xiii, 12-16). But though,
as we hav?e seen, the rights of- the individual in- criminal
law are -recognized, the individual aspects of the law
of retribution are not yet fully realized. The powerful
protest of Job was necessary against the belief that
suffering and innocence were incompatible; it is not
that disobedience is not punished, but, that the suffering
which, is punishment in one case may be discipline Th
another, or more particularly, may be neither of these,
but man's opportunity to witness to his disinterested
principles, and to his loyal obedience to God. The
powerful assertion of this; in Job testifies indirectly to
the power of the Book of Deuteronomy, whose doctrine
eventually made the protest necessary.
III. An i adequate, description of the influence of

INTRODUCTION 40
Deuteronomy on the personal religion of Israel would
become a history of the people under this: special aspect.
But some points in particular may be notedin which the
influence of the book, alone, or in conjunction with' the
Torah; has been noteworthy. The briefest reference must
be made to the Torah school and the Torah instruction of
the synagogue, and to the zeal for the perfect fulfilment of
the Torah which finds its expression in Pharisaism. More
significant for our present purpose is that recognition of
family life> and insistence on religious5 instruction within
the family, which Deuteronomy displays-, and to which
Israel as a whole has so loyally responded (vi. 7, cf. 20).
The reception of proselytes was a feature of the greatest
importance in the centuries about the Christian era ; how
large a part these proselytes played in the extension of
Christianity every reader of the Acts of the Apostles
knows. Yet this welcPming spirit towards those without
springs largely from the attitude towards strangers so
strongly urged in the Book' of Deuteronomy ;: and the
monotheism and imageless worship 1of the ! Jews, which
centre in that book, constituted the chief attraction for
many of the proselytes to Judaism. '¦ '' -
In characteristic details of Jewish religion the influ
ence of Deuteronomy is Very clearly shown. " The- pious-
Jew of Christ's day showed his piety visibly in three
ways— by the Zizith, the tassels" of blue or white wool
worn on the four corners of the upper garment ; by
the Mezuza, the little' box fixed to the right doorpoW'of
houses or rooms, which contained a small 'roll inscribed
with certain portions of Scripture ; 'by the Tephillih or
Phylacterie's worn by the iriale Israelite on arm or head at
morning prayer1. Each of these observances tests1 oh a
Deuteronomic' command (xxii. 12; vi 9, and xi. 20 ; *i.
8, and'xi. 18). A marked feature of Jewish piety, as every
J< Schflrer, Geschichte des Jildischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu
Christi, vol. ii. § a8. iW <-(Erig. Trans., div. ii.' vol. ii. p. rii-f.)

59 THE BOOK. OF DEUTERONOMY
one will have noticed who has watched a pious Jew at
meal-time, is the elaborate thanksgiving ; this is based
upon the command, 'And thou shalt eat and be full, and
thou shalt bless Yahweh thy God for the good land
which He hath given thee ' (viii. 10). The daily prayer of
Judaism, its confession of faith, to be recited morning- and
evening by every adult male Israelite, is made up of the
two cardinal passages taken from Deuteronomy (vi. 4-9
and xi. 13-21), with the addition of a third from Numbers
(xv. 37-41 yfSchiirer, vol. ii. § 27 ; Taylor, op. cit., Exc. iv).
It was this prayer that Rabbi 'Aquiba was reciting when the
executioners were combing his, flesh with combs of iron:
' All my days I have been troubled about this verse, Thou
shalt love the Lord . . . with all thy soul, even -if He
should take away thy spirit. When, said I, will it bein my
pqwer to fulfil this? Now that I have the opportunity,
shall I not fulfil it? ' So he dwelt on the word one (God)
till he expired (Taylor, op. cit^ p. 54). There: is the Jewish
religion at its highest, and its lowest ; its literalism and
triviality on the one hand, its splendid passion of self-
devotion on the other. In: the Book „of Deuteronomy
both are represented.
The influence of Deuteronomy on the New Testament,
so far as it admits of being traced, is as great as we might;
have expected. There are about thirty quotations, made
from some nineteen passages, but the less direct references
are at least eighty ; (Swete, Introduction to the Old
Testament in Greek, p., 383; Westcqtt and Hort, New
Testament, App.).£ Characteristic use of Deuteronomy is
made by that Hehrew of the Hebrews, Paul ; he cites,
fpr §xampje, the command not to muzzle the ox when
treading out, the corn, as proof that Christian ministers
may be paid fpr their work (1 Cor. ix. 9 : cf. Deut. xxv
4)4 he extends a warning about Yahweh's employment
of other nations to the admission of the Gentiles into the
kingdom (Rom. x. 19.: cf. Deut. xxxii. 21) ; he does, not
hesitate to apply the eloquent passage about the nearness

INTRODUCTION Si
of the Deuteronomic commands to practical life to the
equal practicability of the new word of the Gospel : ' The
word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart : that is,
the word of faith which we preach ' (Rom. x. 6-8 : cf.
Deut. xxx. 12-14). But much more striking and interest
ing is the use of Deuteronomy made by Jesus. As He
drew the idea of His ministry from the passage He read
in the synagogue at Nazareth (Isa. lxi : cf. Luke iv. 16 f.),
and afterwards used in His reply to Jphn's inquiry
(Matt. xi. 41.) ; as He based His disregard of social con
ventions in mixing with publicans on that prophetic word,
' I will have mercy, and not sacrifice ' (Matt. ix. 13 : cf.
Hos. vi 6) ; and as He uttered both the depths and the
heights of His experience on the Cross in two words
taken from the Psalter (' My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me ? ' ' Father, into thy hands I commend my
spirit ' : Matt, xxvii. 46 : cf. Ps. xxii. 1 ; Luke xxiii. 46 :
cf. Ps. xxxi. 5); so we find Him drawing spiritual nourish
ment on two important occasions from the Book of
Deuteronomy. The first is His temptation in the desert;
we cannot but be impressed by the fact that His assertion
of a higher principle than self-satisfaction, His rebuke of
the folly that would presume on the Divine patience, His
refusal to serve God and mammon, are all expressed in
Deuteronomic words (Matt. iv. 3 f.; Luke iv. 3 f. : cf. Deut.
viii. 3, vi. 16, and vi. 13). How much He must have
loved this book, when His spiritual struggle finds this
natural expression in its language ! And not less signifi
cant a testimony to the influence of Deuteronomy is
supplied by the fact that He summarizes the whole of the
law and the prophets in a verse taken from Deuteronomy,
and in another from the less likely book of Leviticus
(Matt. xxii. 37 ; Mark xii, 29 f. ; Luke x. 27: cp. Deut.
vi. 5). We must add to these two primary references
those others in which He bases the relations of members
pf the new community on Deuteronomic principles of
justice (' that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every
E 2

$2 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
word may be established '—Matt, xviii, 16: cf. Deut.
xix. 15), and that He extends a Deuteronomic ideal (xviii,
13) from the narrower realm of the avoidance of supersti
tion, till it covers the whole horizon of social morality
('Ye therefore shaU be perfect, as your Heavenly. Father
is perfect ' : Matt. v. 48).

NOTES ON LITERATURE
The commentaries used in the preparation of the notes to
this edition are those by—
Dilimann (Numeri, Deuteronomium, und Josua a, Kurz. Exeg.
Handb., 1886).
Driver (Deuteronomy, International Critical Comrn., 1895),
S'teuernagel (Deuteronomium, Hand-Komm. s. A. T., 1898).
Bertholet (Deuteronomium, Kurz. Hand-Comm., 1899),
The English reader who desires fuller notes than the neces
sarily bare and dogmatic statements here made should consult
Drivel J as an introduction to the book, and to some of its
principal topics, A. Harper's ' The Book of Deuteronomy ' in
The Expositor's Bible may be mentioned. The article on
' Deuteronomy,' by Ryle, in Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible
(cited as D. B.) (i. pp. 596-603)} is largely based- on Driver ;
that byrMoore, in the Encyclopaedia* Biblica (cited as E.B.)
(i. c. , 1079-94), is an admirable and' terse statement of the
contents and problems of the book, and with ijts critical
analysis the present writer is in general agreement. The
subject-matter of Deuteronomy is, of course, discussed in all
histories of Israel or introductions to. the O. T. ; amongst
these may be named in particular Stade's, Geschichte dies Volkes
Israel*, \.: pp. 641-71 (1889) ; Wellhausen's Israelitische und
Jiidische Geschichte*, 1897 1 Smend's Alttestamenfliche Religions-
geschichte1, 1899; Stade's Biblische Theologie des Alten Testa
ments (pp.- 360-9), 1905; The critical problems in connexion
with the Origind!' contents of the Reformation Law-book are
difficult and complicated j and are stiU under vigorous dis
cussion. Ampngst recent literature on this subject may be
named :— j •; ,

NOTES ON LITERATURE ¦ 53
Cullen, The Book of the Covenant in Moab, 1903 (reviewed
by the writer in The Critical Review, 1904 ; regards Deut. v-xi
as the discovered book, to which the laws were added later,
since 'a new law-code is usually not the instrument, but the
outcome of a successful revolution ').
Fries, Die Gesetzesschrift des Konigs'Josia. 1903 (the Law-book
of Josiah seen in Exod^ xxxiv. n-a6, not in Deuteroiflwriy).
BOttioher, Das Verhdltnis ¦ desDeuterVnomiutnssiua.KSn. xxii,
xxiii, und zur Prophetie Jeremia, 1906. (Accepts" chaps, xii-
xxvi, xxviii as the Josianic Law-book, and gives a Useful survey
of the present state of Deuteronomic, criticism.)
Klostermann, Der Penlateuch, 1907 {Das deutefonomischt
Gesetzbuch, pp. 154-428). : 1 • ... .-.-.
SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
J. The narrative by (Judaean ?) writers from b.c. 850,
using the name Yahweh (Jehovah, R. V., Lord).
E. The narrative by Ephraimite writers from b. c. 750,
using the name Elohim (God).
JE. The ' prophetic ' narrative of the Hexateuch, resulting
from the combination of J and E.
P. , The ' priestly ' narrative and legislation (exilic and post-
exilic). ,.
D. The original Book of Deuteronomy, discovered in b. c.
621.
Da. Pre-exilic additions to D.
D3. Exilic additions to D.
B. Additions by various redactors ; sometimes further classi
fied by a raised letter, e. g. BD, the Deuteronomic
redactor. In Deut. xxxii, xxxiii, B ? denotes the use
of earlier (unknown) sources by the redactor.
Cook. S. A. Cook, The Laws of Moses and the Code : of
Hammurabi.
D.B. Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible.
E.B. Encyclopaedia Biblica.
G. V.I. Stade, Geschichte des Volkes Israel.
H.G.H.L. G. A. Smith, Historical Geography of the Holy Land.

54 THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
L.O.T. . Driver, Introduction to the Literature of the Old
Testament. ,>
O.T.J.C. W. Robertson Smith, The Old Testament in the
, Jewish Church*.
Oxf. Hex. The Hexateuch, edited by J. Estlin Carpenter and
G. Harford-Battersby.
Rel. Sent. W. Robertson Smith, The Religion of the Semites.
S.B.O.T. The Sacred Books of the Old Testament : Levitieiis
(S. R. Driver and H. A. White) ; Joshua (W. H. Bennett).
Z.A.T. W. Zeitschrift fiir die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft.
(Where Bertholet, Dillmann, Driver, and Steuernagel are
cited without further speciiicatiou, the reference is to their
commentaries on Deuteronomy named above. )

THE LEGISLATIVE CODES OF THEO.T.
The laws of the O. T. fall into four distinct codes, differing
in character and date, though now editorially combined with
out regard to their origin. .-
i. The earliest of these, found in connexion with the pro
phetic narratives of the Hexateuch (JE), is known as the Book
of the Covenant (Exod. xx. 3 — xxiii. 19), with which is to be
grouped the Decalogue (Exod. xx. a-17) and the earlier
Decalogue underlying Exod. xxxiv. 10-26. This code is prior
to the eighth century b. c, and reflects a simple society, with
agriculture as its chief, interest.
ii. For the Deuteronomic Code of the seventh century B. c.
see above, pp. 23 f.
iii. A special code of exilic origin, closely related to Ezekiel,
and found in Lev. xvii-xxvi, is known as the Law of Holiness (H);
iv. The Priestly Code (P), post-exilic, and promulgated in
444 b. c.(Neh. viii-X), runs through the Pentateuch, especially
Exodus, Leviticus", and Numbers, and is concerned almost
entirely with the regulation of worship.
An example of the differences and development in these
codes will be found on p. 38 (footnote on ' Sacrifices').

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
REVISED VERSION WITH ANNOTATIONS

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY
[D2] These be the words which Moses spake unto all 1
Israel beyond Jordan in the wilderness, in the aArabah
over against t>Suph, 'between Paran, and Tophel, and
Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. It is eleven days' 2
journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto
Kadesh-barnea. [P] And it came to pass in the fortieth 3
year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the .month;
that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according
unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment
unto them ; [D2]' after he had smitten Sihon the Tdhg of 4
the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king
of Bashan, which dwelt, in Ashtaroth, at Edrei :'. beyond 5
* That is, the deep valley running North and South of the Dead Sea.
"* Some ancient versions have, the Red Sea.
i. lf-5.' Introductory Note,, Geographical and Chronological, to the
First Address of Moses. 'All Israel,' in the characteristic phrase
of Deuteronomy, is supposed. to be gathered 'beyond Jordan'
(ii e. ieast of it, from the standpoint of a writer of West Palestine),
in the place to which previous adventures have brought the nation
(cf. Num. xxxiii. 49, xxxvi. 13). The apparent definition of this
place, however, in the first verse, is obscure and uncertain. The
names given- are unidentified for this locality, whilst Suph, Paran,
and Hazeroth have already occurred in the account of the wander
ings of Israel. Probably, therefore, the second half of this verse,
with verse 2, is the misplaced fragment of a list of desert halting-
places. 2. Horeb (D, E) = Sinai (J, P) ; different names for the same
mountain. , ' ,
the way of mount Seir, i. e. of the. Edomite district, east of
the Arabah. The phrase thus, designates the most eastern of the
three main roads between Sinai and the south of Palestine.
Kadesh-barnea = 'Ain-Kadis., fifty miles south of Beersheba.
3. The chronological note (charapteristic of P) links the book
with the scheme of the previous narrative of the Pentateuch.
It is continued- in xxxii.. 48. ...
4. Sihon, Sec -. see Num. xxi. ai — xxii. r ; also notes on u. 26 f.

58 DEUTERONOMY 1. 6-8. D!
Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare
6 this la\v, saying, The I^qrj^ our( -God ; spake, unto ,. us in
Horeb, saying,' Ye have "dwelt long enough in this
7 mountain si .turn you( a.njd ta^e -y.our journey, atjd.go to
the hill country of the Amorites,, and. unto a)\ the places
nigh thereunto,, in the Arabah, in (the.hill country, and, in
the lowland, andiin the South, and by the sea shore, the
land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as faif.as the great
8 rive?, the river. Euphrates. , Behold, I hav,©; set the land
before you : go in and possess thf,,}an<i which the, Lord
5. began . . '. to declare: rather, 'undertook to expound'
this Deuteronomic law which follows (after lengthy introductions).
The word for ' law ' properly means ' direction ' .-or ' instruction,'
which more general sense may be intended here.
-Ill " ¦¦' ::¦ ., l-1. ;:': .1- :' r! . ¦ i si '
i. 6 — Iv. 40. The First Addrpss of Moses., It consists of a histo
rical review of Israel's adventuYes since leaving Sinai (i; 6 — iii. 39)
,nd a hortatory peroration (iv. :ir4o), part, or all, of which appears
to be a later addition.. The statements', made are based, some
times even verbally, on JE in Exodus and Numbers.
i. 6-18. Yahweh's command to journey from Horeh to the
Promised Land (verses 6-8). Moses, feeling his responsibility,
asked for assistance in the government of the people, to which
they agreed (verses 9-14). Leading men were accordingly
appointed, and charged by Moses to observe strict impartiality in
judgement (verses 15-18).
6. See Exod. xxxiii. I.
7. In this description of the Promised Land, the hill-country
of the Amorites appears to describe Palestine generally by its
principal topographical feature, the Central Range (cf. verses 20
and 44) ; the Arabah (verse 1 , R. V. -marg. ) here refers to its
northern part, now El-Ghdr, the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea ;
the hill country is the' special term forlhe mountains of Judah
and Ephraim ; the lowland (Shephelah), the lower hills and
moorland lying between the Central Range and the Maritime
Plain ; the South (Negeb) is the dry district south of the moun
tains of Judah ; the sea shore, or plain along the coast of the
Mediterranean, is further defined by the land of the Canaanites,
i. e. Phoenicia, cf. Josh. xiii. 4 ; the Lebanon stands broadly for
the northern territory, whilst the Euphrates is given as the
(ideal) limit of a territory much larger than Israel ever occupied
(cf. xi. 94). '

DEUTERONOMY 1. 9-i6. D2 59
sware unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, andT to
Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. And 9
I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able
to bear you myself alone : the Lord your God hath 10
multiplied you, and, behold, ye are (this day as the stars
of heaven for multitude. The Lord, the God of your 1 1
fathers, make you a thousand times so many more as ye
are, and bless you, as he hath promised you ! How can 12
I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden,
and your strife ? Take you wise men, and understanding, 1 3
and known, according to your tribes, and I will make
them heads over you. And ye answered me, and said, 14
The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, J5
and made them heads over you, captains of thousands,
and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and
captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the 16
causes between your brethren, and judge righteously
between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is
8. For the promise to Abraham, cf. Gen. xii. 7, xxii. 16. &c.
(for the comparison of his seed to thestars in number (verse to), Gen.
xv. 5, xxii. 17) ; Isaac, Gen. xxvi. 3 ; Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 13.
9. I spake unto you at that time : according to Exod. xvii i. 18,
the suggestion was due to Jethro ; according, also, to the present
place of that narrative, the incident occurred before the visit to
Horeb. 15. Exod. xviii. 13 f. (cf. Num. xi. 16 f.). The modern parallel
is the moral authority of the Bedouin sheikh, which rests ultimately
on the pressure of the family on its members. The higher Kadi
will correspond to Moses here. 'This judicial activity of the
heads of tribes and clans we must, of course, regard, not as an in
novation, but as an ancient usage ' (E.B. 3718 : * Law and Justice ').
16. the stranger that is with him: Heb. 'his ger,' the
settled foreigner, here given equal' rights with the native Israelite
(x. 19, xiv. ai, xxiv. 17, xxvii. 19). 'The care taken by Israelite
law to protect strangers finds no parallel in Babyloriia' (S. A. Cook,
The Laws of Moses, p. 376).

60 DEUTERONOMY 1. 17X2*. D8
17 with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgement;
ye shall hear the small and the great alike ; ye shall not be
afraid of the face of man ; for the judgement is God's i
and the, cause .that is too hard for you ye shall bring
iS unto me, and I will hear it.; And I commanded ; you at
that time, all the' things, which ye should do.
1 9 And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all
¦ that great and terrible wilderness which' 'ye saw,;iby the
way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our
God commanded us ^ and we came to Kadesb-barnea.
20 And I said unto you» Ye are come unto^the hill country
of the Amorites, which the Lord our God giveth unto
2 1 us. Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before
thee: go up, take possession, as/the Lord, the God of
thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee ; fear not, neither be
22 dismayed..; And ye came near unto me every one of
you, and said, Let us send men before us, that they may
17. the judgement is God's : primarily by the sacred oracle or
lot (note on Joshua vii. 14) ; secondarily, as interpreted by suitable
men speaking in His name.
i. 19-46.. Israel, arriving at Kadesh-barnea, was bidden to enter
the land from the south (verses 19-31). The report of the spies,
sent at the desire of the people (verses 23-5), discouraged them
(verses 26-8), notwithstanding the exhortation of Moses (verses
29-31)? Their cowardice angered Yahweh, who decreed that
Caleb and Joshua, and the children only of the present generation
should eventually enter (verses 33-40). The people, however,
persisted in making the attempt, in spite of the Divine warning
(verses 41-3'), with the result that they were defeated by the
Amorites (verses 44-6).
19. that great and terrible wilderness:, (viii. 15) the barren
limestone plateau (Et-Tih : see the geological maps , in E.B„;
1208-9) between the peninsula of Sinai-Horeb and the south of.
Palestine.. From its most southern projection into the peninsula
to Beersheba the distance is 170 miles; to Kadesh-barnea (cf.
verse 2) somewhat less.
22. According to Num. xiii. 1 f. (P), these spies are sent at the
command of Yahweh.

DEUTERONOMY 1. 23-18. D 61
search the land for us, and bring us word again of the
way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which
we shall come. And the thing pleased me well: and 23
I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe : and 24
they turned and went up into the mountain, and came
unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. And they 25
took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought
it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said;
It is a good land which the Lord our God giveth unto
us. Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the 26
commandment of the Lord your God : and ye murmured 27
in your tents, and said, Because the Lord hated us, he
hath i brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to
deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy
us. Whither are we going up? our brethren have made 28
our heart to melt, saying, The people is greater and

24. the valley of Eshcol : an explorer's name '(' grape-cluster ')
assigned for the occasion (Num. xiii. 23, 34) ; :-rjot otherwise known
or identified, but in, the neighbourhood of Hebron (Num. xiii. 2a).
The grape, in particular, deserves to be called the fruit of the
landiverse 25)'; the vine becomes almost the national emblem of
Israel (1 Kings iv. 25, &c. ; Isa. V. 2 ; Jer. ii. 21 ; Ezek. xv ; Matt.
xxi. 33 f. ; John xv. 1).
25. Cf. Num* xiii. 23, where the spies bring back grapes,.
pomegranates, and figs.
27. in your tents, as being unwilling to 'unite for common
action. For the true meaning of the phrase 'To your tents,
O Israel ! ' see note on Joshua xxii. 4.
28. our heart to melt. What is to us a figure was to the
primitive Hebrew the literal description of a fact; perhaps suggested
by the coagulation of blood in and about the heart of a slain animal.
Though the circulation of the blood was, of course, unknown,- the
quickened heart-beat of fear might be connected with the 'melting '
of the central blood-organ. The phrase occurs in xx. 8 ; Joshua
ii. n, v. 1, vii. 5,-xiv. 8 ; Ezek. xxi. 7 ; Nalu ii. 10 ;: Isa. xiii. 7,
xix. 1.: In Ps. xxii. 14, the heart is compared to -wax, melting
(and running down) amongst the viscera. Elsewhere it is said
to become soft (Job xxiii., 16, &c).

62 DEUTERONOMY 1. 29-37. D2
taller than we ; the cities are great and fenced up to
heaven ; and moreover we have seen the sons of the
29 Anakim there. Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither
30 be afraid of them. The Lord your God who goeth before
you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did
31 for you in Egypt before your eyes ; and in the wilderness,
where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare
thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye
32 went, until ye came unto this place. Yet a in this thing
33 ye did not believe the Lord your God, who went before
you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your
tents in,.. in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye
34 should go, and in the cloud by day. And the Lord
heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware,
35 saying, .> Surely there shall not one of thesemeh of this
evil generation see the good land,, which I sware to give
36 unto your fathers, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, he
shall see it ; and to him will I give the land that he hath
trodden upon, and to his children : because he hath
37 wholly followed the Lord. Also the Lord was angry
with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in
» Or, ./for all this thing
Anakim,: perhaps ' the (long-)necked people,' or giants ;
Num. xiii. 22, 28, 33 ; Deut. ii. 10, 11, 21, ix. a ; Joshua xi. ai, as,:
xiv. ia, 15, xv. 13; 14, xxi. 11 ; Judges i. 30. This race, of
colossal stature to Hebrew eyes, was specially connected with
Hebron and its vicinity.
31. bare thee: for similar expressions of the warm and helpful
attachment of Yahweh to His people, cf. xxxii. 1 1 ; Exod. xix. 4 ;
esp. Hos. xi. 3 ; Isa. xlvi. 3.
32. 'Yet notwithstanding this word (of mine) ye were not
trusting Yahweh your God.'
33., See Exod. xiii. ail
36. Caleb: Num. xiv. 24 (JE) ; xiv. 30 (P ; with Joshua).
The ' land ' meant is that of Hebron and its district (cf. Joshua
xiv. 12-14).
37. angry with me: the present composite narrative in Num.

DEUTERONOMY 1. 58-42. D2 63
thither : Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before 38
thee, he shall go in thither : encourage thou him ; for he
shall cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover your little 39
ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children,
which this day have no knowledge of good or; evil,- they
shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they
shall possess it. But as for you, turn you, and take your 40
journey into the wilderness by the way. to the Red Sea.
Then ye answered and. said unto me,, We, have sinned 41
against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to
all that the Lord our God commanded us. And ye
girded on every man his weapons of war, and awere
forward to go up into the mountain. And the Lord 42
said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight';
for I am not among you ; lest ye be smitten before your
* Or, deemed it a light thing
xx. 1-13 leaves us ' without any clear idea of the character of the
sin,' though it appears to be ' an act of open rebellion, -rather than
of simple unbelief (Gray, Numbers, pp. 258, 262). Moreover,
the event is there (cf. Deut* xxxii. 51) assigned to the closing
period of Israel's wanderings. Here, as in iii. 26, iv. 21, the
reason given for Yahweh's anger with Moses is quite different
from that of P ; the anger -is on account of the disobedience of the
people('for your sakes'). The event is thus assigned to the
opening period of Israel's wanderings. The two forms of the
tradition refer to the same spot, but at an interval of thirty-seven
years. 38. Joshua : see on verse 36 and Josh. i. 1.
which standeth before thee : i. e. as an attendant or
' minister ' (1 Kings x. 8).
39. a prey: Num. xiv. 3, 31. The guilty generation must give
place to the innocent, hence the conventional 'forty' years of
wandering (cf. ii. 14).
40. Red Sea : Heb. Yam Suph (sea of reeds ?), here denoting
the Gulf of 'Akabah (Num. xiv. 25: cf. 1 Kings ix. a6).
41. The emphasis of the Hebrew is apt to be. lost by the
English reader. The second ' we ' is emphatic ; we, not our
children, will enter.
were forward : R. V, marg. preferable.

64 DEUTERONOMY 1. 43— 2. 3* D
43 enemies. So I spake unto you, and ye hearkened not ;
but ye rebelled against the commandment of the Lord,
and were presumptuous, and went up into the mountain.
44 And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came
out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat
45 you down in Seir, even unto Hormah. And yereturned
and wept before the Lord; but the Lord hearkened
46 not to your voice, nor gave ear unto you. So ye abode
in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye
abode there.
2 Then we turned, and took our journey into the
wilderness by the way to the Red Sea; as the Lord
spake unto me : and we compassed mount Seir many
2,3 days., And the Lord spake unto me,, saying, Ye have
compassed this mountain, long enough: turn younorth-
44. Num. xiv. 45. For the figure of the bees (number and
ferocity) see Ps. cxviii. la ; Isa. vii. 18 ; perhaps the obscure
reference to the hornets in vii. 20 springs from a> misunderstood
figure of the same kind. i ..
in Seir, even unto Hormah : more probably, with the ancient
versions, ' from. Seir.' In Judges'i. 17, Hormah (' the banned ' city)
is identified with Zephath; and Es-Sabaita, twenty-five miles
north-east of Kadesh-barnea, has, been suggested as the site.
45. Tears follow foolhardiness, as foolhardiness does timidity f.
the psychology of Israel, as Bertholet remarks, is that of a child.
46. many days (the, following words express idiomatically an in
definite period ; cf. xxix. 16 ; a Kings viii. i ; Zech. x. 8, and
the similar Arabic idiomi), ..; C£. ii. 1, of which verse the ' maSiy
days' are subsequently .defined (verse 14) as thirty -eight years ;
here they cannot mean more than a few months. See on ii. 14.
ii. 1-81. Israer, leaving Kadesh-barnea,' wanderer! for many
years in the south of Palestine'.' Finally, YahweK' bade them turn
northward again and pass peaceably by Edom, which they
accordingly did.
1. we compassed mount Seir: i.e. Edom (i. a) : c£ Num.
xxi. 4. In their aimless wanderings on the borders of Edom
almost thirty-eight years are supposed to be spent (verses 7
and 14). . v '
3. northward : ' The Israelites must be imagined by this time

DEUTERONOMY 2. 4-8. D2 65
ward. And command thou the people, saying, Ye are 4
to pass through the border of your brethren the children
of Esau, which dwell in Seir ; and they shall be afraid of
you : take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore :
contend not with them ; for I will not give you of their 5
land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread
on : because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for
a possession. Ye shall purchase food of them for money, 6
that ye may eat ; and ye shall also buy water of them for
money, that ye may drink. For the Lord thy God hath 7
blessed thee in all the work of thy hand : he hath known
thy walking through this great wilderness : these forty
years the Lord thy God hath been with thee ; thou hast
lacked nothing. So we passed by from our brethren the 8
children of Esau, which dwell in Seir, from the way of
the Arabah from Elath and from Ezion-geber.
to have made their way along the south-west and south border of
Edom, as far as the south-east end of the 'Arabah, so that a turn
northwards would at once lead them along the east border of
Edom in the direction of Moab ' (Driver, p. 34).
4. your brethren : as in the traditional story of the relationship
of Jacob to Esau, ' the father of the Edomites ' (Gen. xxxvi. 43).
Israel appears to have been later in settlement than its Edomite
kin (cf. verse 12, and Gray, op. cit., p. 268) . Friendly relations with
Edom are enjoined in xxiii. 7, but were broken after the destruction
of Jerusalem in 586.
pass through : i. e. some part of Edom's eastern territory ;
the narrative is thus formally distinct from that of Num. xx. 14-21,
where, at an earlier point of time, permission to pass through
Edom from Kadesh, on the west, is refused.
6. buy water : a valuable possession in such districts : see note
on Josh. xv. 19.
7 gives the reason for Israel's proud independence pf Edom.
8. passed by from: we should probably read (cf. LXX)
' passed through ' (cf. verse 29) ; the present text may be due to
the influence of Num. xx. 21 (Bertholet). Otherwise we must
explain as 'from the neighbourhood of,' which the Hebrew allows.
the way of the Arabah, &c. Ezion-geber must have been near
to Elath, the modern 'Akabah, at the north end of the gulf of

66 DEUTERONOMY 2. 9-1 1. ©*
And we turned and passed by the way of the wilder-
9 ness of Moab.- And the Lord said unto me, Vex not
Moab, neither contend with them in battle : for I will
not- give: thee of his land- for a possession; because, I
.- have given Ar unto. the children of Lot for a possession.
10 (The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a people great,.. and
11 many, and tall, as the Anakim : these also are accounted
a Rephaim, as the Anakim ; but the Moabites call them
, * See Gen. xiv. 5.
that name. From here Israel passes N.NE. towards Moab, leaving
the rpad through the 'Arabah on their left.
ii. 8b-i5. Israel was forbidden to attack Moab (verses 8b, 9). An
archaeological note on the ancient inhabitants (verses 10-12).
Reason for the length of Israel's wanderings (verses 13-15).
8b. the wilderness of Moab: the uncultivated pasture-land
east of the territory of Moab, the latter being at its full extent a
district about sixty miles long by thirty broad, east of the Dead
Sea, whose length is about fifty miles.
9. Vex not : rather, ' do not treat as a foe ' ; so verse 19.
Ar (cf. verse 18), named in two fragments of ancient poetry
(Num. xxi. 15, 28), is' the same place as 'the City of Moab'
(Num. xxii. 36), at the east end of one of the Arnon valleys, but
the exact site of this capital of Moab is unknown.
the children of Lot : (Ps. Ixxxiii. 8) as is stated of the
Moabites in Gen. xix. 37. The relationship with Israel, though
less direct than in the case of Edom (verse 4), is sufficient to
prevent attack.
10. The three verses (10-12) bracketed by R.V. are clearly an
editorial note in regard to the earlier inhabitants of the territories
of Moab (verses 10, 11) and Esau (verse 12). . The conception of
aborigines as giants is familiar to anthropology (cf. Tylor, Primi
tive Culture, i. 387).
Emim : Gen. xiv. 5, where they are defeated by Chedorla-
omer at Kiriathaim, north of the Arnon. The name = ' terrors.'
They are compared with the more familiar Anakim (i. a8), and,
like them, are included in the general class known as
11. Rephaim: these are frequently named (e. g. Joshua xii. 4,
xm. ia xvii. 15), Og of Bashan being their last survivor (iii. 11).
Etymology most naturally, perhaps, connects them with ' shades '
or ghosts ; Stade, who takes this view (G.V.I., i. 4a0) refers to
Tylor^ it. 114, m support of it : ' In Madagascar, the worship of the
spirits of the dead is remarkably associated with the Vazimbas.
the aborigines of the island.'

DEUTERONOMY 2. 12-19. D2 67
Emim. The Horites also dwelt in Seir aforetime, but 12
the children of Esau succeeded them ; and they destroyed
them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as
Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the
Lord gave unto them.) Now rise up, and get you over 13
the brook Zered. And we went over the brook Zered.
And the days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, 14
until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty
and eight years; until all the generation of the men
of war were consumed from the midst of the camp,
as the Lord sware unto them. Moreover the hand of Ifi
the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the
midst of the camp, until they were consumed.
So it came to pass, when all the men of war were 16
consumed and dead from among the people, that the 17
Lord spake unto me, saying, Thou art this day to pass 18
over Ar, the border of Moab: and when thou comest 19
nigh over against the children of Ammon, vex them not,
nor contend with them : for I will not give thee of the
land of the children of Ammon for a possession : because
12. Horites : supposed to mean ' cave-dwellers,' for whom
Edom makes abundant provision : cf. Gen. xiv. 6, xxxvi. 20 f.
as Israel did, in what, to the annotator, was the dim past, but
in the address of Moses is still future.
13. the brook Zered: probably the Wady Kerak, running
into the north bay of the Dead Sea formed by the peninsula
El Lissan.
14. The tradition expressed in this verse is to be distinguished
from that of the earlier narratives. ' According to JE the thirty-
eight years in the wilderness were spent at Kadesh ; according to
Deuteronomy, they were spent away from Kadesh (ii. 14), in
wandering about Edom ' (ii. 1) (Driver, p. 33).
ii. 16-25. Ammon not to be attacked (verses 16-19). An
archaeological note on the ancient inhabitants (verses 20-3).
Israel is to attack and dispossess the Amorites (verses 24, 25).
19. Amnion, also descended from Lot (Gen. xix. 38) : cf.
F 2

68 DEUTERONOMY 2. 20-25. D!
I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
20 (That also is accounted a land of Rephaim : Rephaim
dwelt therein aforetime; but the Ammonites call them
21 Zamzummim ; a people great, and many, and tall, as the
Anakim; but the Lord destroyed them before them;
22 and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead: as
he did for the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir,
when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and
they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto
23 this day : and the Awim which dwelt in villages as far
as Gaza, the Caphtorim, which came forth out of
Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)
24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the valley
of Arnon : behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon
the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land : begin to
25 possess it, and contend with him in battle. This day
will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee
upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven, who
shall hear the report of thee, and shall tremble, and be
in anguish because of thee.
Judges xi. 13, 22. The true territory of Ammon lay in the district
drained by the upper Jabbok, with Rabbath Ammon as its centre
(cf. verse 37 ; Num. xxi. 24, with Gray's note).
20. Zamzummim: perhaps the same as the Zuzim of Gen.
xiv. 5 ; the name ('whisperers,' Schwally, W. R. Smith) appears
to be connected with the same class of ideas as that noticed under
Rephaim (verse n).
23. Awim: Joshua xiii. 3, where they are named with the
Philistines. Here it is said that the Philistines (who came from
Caphtor, Amos ix. 7, probably Crete) dispossessed the original
inhabitants called Awim ; a parallel to the previous cases of dis
possession. 24. the valley of Arnon : running from west to east through
the centre of the original territory of Moab. The Moabites had,
however, been driven south of the Arnon by Sihon (Num. xxi
26). Consequently, by crossing this Wady, Israel passed into
Amorite territory, and was no longer hindered from attack by the
ties of blood existent in the case of Edom, Moab, and Ammon.

DEUTERONOMY 2. 26-33. D2 6y
And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of 26
Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of
peace, saying, Let me pass through thy land : I will go 27
a along by the high way, I will neither turn unto the right
hand nor to the left. Thou shalt sell me food for money, 28
that I may eat ; and give me water for money, that I
may drink : only let me pass through on my feet ; as the 29
children of Esau which dwell in Seir, and the Moabites
which dwell in Ar, did unto me ; until I shall pass over
Jordan into the land which the Lord our God giveth us.
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by 30
him : for the Lord thy God hardened his spirit, and
made his heart b obstinate, that he might deliver him into
thy hand, as at this day. And the Lord said unto me, 31
Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land
before thee : begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit
his land. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all 32
his people, unto battle at Jahaz. And the Lord our 33
a Heb. by the way, by the way. b Heb. strong.
, ii. 36-37. Israel sought to pass through Amorite territory, but
was refused by Sihon (verses 26-31), who was. however, defeated
and his land completely occupied (verses 32-37). Cf. Num.
xxi. 21 f.
26. Kedemoth in the subsequent territory of Reuben (Joshua
xiii. 18), but site unknown.
Heshbon, sixteen miles east of the Dead Sea mouth of the
Jordan. 29. Esau : cf. verse 8 ; Moabites : see on xxiii. 4.
30. spirit (ruach), originally of (abnormal) energy and faculty
imparted from without; subsequently of (normal) psychical activity,
especially on its higher and more intellectual side.
heart : not only the physiological but also the psychical cen
tre, to which all activities of thought and feeling can be ascribed.
as at this day (i. e. has taken place') .
32. Jahaz : one of the cities afterwards taken by Mesha from
Israel, and in the neighbourhood of Dibon (Moabite Stone,
11. i9-3i\ The site is unknown, but it must have been in the
south-east corner of Sihon's territory cf. H.G.H.L. 559).

7o DEUTERONOMY 2. 34"3. 2- D2
God delivered him up before us; and we smote him,
34 and his « sons, and all his people. And we took all his
cities at that time, and *> utterly destroyed every "inhabited
city, with the women and the little ones ; we left none
33 remaining : only the cattle we took for a prey unto
ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we! had
36 taken. From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley
of Arnon, and from the city that is in the valley, even
unto Gilead, there was not a city too high for us : the
37 Lord our God delivered up all before us: only to the
land of the children of Ammon thou earnest not near ;
all the side of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill
country, and wheresoever the Lord our God forbad us.
3 Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan :
and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and
2 all his people, unto battle at Edrei. And the Lord said
unto me, Fear him not: for I have delivered him, and
all his people, and his land, into thy hand ; and thou
• Or, son b Heb. devoted. c Heb. city of men.
34. utterly destroyed : see note on xx. 17, and read ' devoted '
in every case.
36. Aroer : one mile north of the Arnon ; the unnamed city
(Joshua xiii. 9, ,16) may be Ar, mentioned in ii. 9 ; Gilead may
here include the half of it south of the Jabbok,' or refer to the
northern half; in any case, Sihon's north' boundary is the Jabbok
itself (Num. xxi. 24 ; Joshua xii. 2).
37. See on verse 19.
iii. 1-7. Og of Bashan defeated, and his territory taken.
1-3. Cf. Num. xxi. 33-5, an' insertion from the present passage.
1. Bashan: the wide district in the north-east, with the Yarmuki
Edrei, and Salecah (verse 10) marking its south boundary, and
having the mountains of Hauran and Hermon on its east and
north, and Geshur and Ma'acah (Joshua xii. 5, xiii, 1,1) (now
the Jaulan) on its west. The name (with the Hebrew article)
probably denotes the ' fertile' region.
at (Hebrew ' to ') Edrei (i. 4) on the south boundary, and
a principal city (verse iol ; about thirty-three miles east of the
south end of the Sea of Galilee.

DEUTERONOMY 3. 3-11. D2 71
shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the
Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. So the Lord our 3
God delivered into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan,
and all his people: and we smote him until none was
left to him remaining. And we took all his cities at that ->
time ; there was not a city which we took not from them ;
threescore cities, all the region of Argob,- the kingdom o..
Og in Bashan. All these were cities fenced with high ;•
walls, gates, and bars ; beside the a unwalled towns a great
many. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto °
Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited
city, with the women and the little ones., , But all the 7
cattle, and. the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey
unto ourselves. And we took the land at that time out 8
of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites that were
beyond Jordan, from the valley of Arnon unto mount
Hermon ; (which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and 9
the Amorites call it Senir;) all the 'cities' of the'11" plain, 10
and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salecafcand Edrei,
cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. (For only Og >
king of Bashan remained of the remnant, of the Rephaim..;
" Or, country towns b Or, table land
4. Argob, a section of Bashan. not now known (see verse 14) :
H.G.H.L. 551.
iii. 8-17. The territory acquired east of Jordan was; now al
lotted to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. Archaeological notes
(verses 9, n).-
9. Alater note giving two synonymsof Hermon. Sirion(Ps.xxix.
6), Senir (Ezek. xxvii. 5 ; Song of Sol. iv. 8 ; 1 Chron. v. 23), and
Sion (iv. 48) may originally be names of different parts of Hermon.
10. the plain : the table-land (R. V. marg.) north 'of the Arnon
(cf. iv. 43 ; Joshua xiii. 9) ; Gilead here covers the territory south
and north of the Jabbok (see note on Joshua xxii. 9) ; Bashan
(defined by two cities on its south border) completes the survey
of territory east of the Jordan.
• Salecah (Salchad), thirteen miles east of Bosrah, south of
the Jebel Hauran.

72 DEUTERONOMY 3. 12-14. D2R
behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron ; is it not
in Rabbah of the children of Ammon ? nine cubits was
the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it,
u after the cubit of a man.) And this land we took in
possession at that time : from Aroer, which is by the
valley of Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead, and
the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the
13Gadit.es: and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the
kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh ;
a all the region of Argob, b even all Bashan. (The same
14 is called the land of Rephaim. [R] Jair the son of
Manasseh took all the region of Argob, unto the border
of the Geshurites and the Maacathites ; and called them,
even Bashan, c after his own name, Havvoth-jair, unto
1 Or, all the region of Argob. (All that Bashan is called, (fr.
'' Or, with ° See Num. xxxii. 41.
11. a bedstead of iron : a sarcophagus of black basalt (of which
large numbers are found in this district) is probably meant. The
cubit of a man, or ordinary cubit (a phrase like Isaiah's ' pen of a
man,' viii. 1), was probably one or other of the Egyptian cubits of
20-67 and 17-72 inches ; so that the supposed tomb of Og in Rabbath-
Ammon (see on ii. 19) would be from thirteen to fifteen feet long,
and from six to seven feet broad. For the Sephaim, see on ii. 11.
12. The country between the Arnon and the Jabbok was divided
between Reuben and Gad, the half-tribe of Manasseh receiving
the country north of the Jabbok (verse 13). Read with R.V. marg.,
at end of verse 13.
14. An insertion based on Num. xxxii. 41 : cf. 1 Kings iv. 13.
Here, however, these ' tent- villages ' of Jair are wrongly placed
in Bashan, as in the dependent passage, Joshua xiii. 30 ; the
order of the Hebrew shows ' even Bashan ' to be interpolated in
the statement from Num. xxxii. 41. Cf. H.G.H.L. 551.
Jair : 1 Chron. ii. 22, where twenty-three cities are assigned
to him in Gilead. Another tradition places him in the age of the
Judges (Judges x. 4), with thirty cities.
the Geshurites and the Maacathites : Geshur, east of the
Sea of Galilee, and Ma'acah, east of Lake Huleh ; both in the
Jaulan district, and still independent in David's time (2 Sam. iii.
3, x. 6).

DEUTERONOMY 3. 15-21. RD! 73
this day.) And I gave Gilead unto Machir. And unto 15, i«
the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead
even unto the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley,
aand the border thereof; even unto the river Jabbok,
which is the border of the children of Ammon; the 17
Arabah also, and Jordan and the border tlureof, from
Chinnereth even unto the sea of the Arabah, the Salt
Sea, under the b slopes of Pisgah eastward.
[D2] And I commanded you at that time, saying, The 18
Lord your God hath given you this land to possess it :
ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the
children of Israel, all the men of valour. But your 19
wives, and your little ones, and your cattle, (I know that
ye have much cattle,) shall abide in your cities which I
have given you ; until the Lord give rest unto your 20
brethren, as unto you, and they also possess the land
which the Lord your God giveth them beyond Jordan :
then shall ye return every man unto his possession,
which I have given you. And I commanded Joshua 21
at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that the
Lord your God hath done unto these two kings : so
* Or, for a border b Or, springs
15-17. A doublet to verses 12, 13, taken from Num. xxxii. 40,
Joshua xii. 2, 3.
16. and the border: read with R.V. marg. (so verse 17).
17. Chinnereth : see on Joshua xi. 2 : the slopes of Pisgah,
or 'cliffs' (see on Joshua x.. 40) : cf. iii. 27,, xxxiv. 1.
iii. 18-22. Moses had pledged the warriors of the settled tribes
to aid in the conquest of the territory west of Jordan (verses 18-20),
and bidden Joshua take courage for the future from what he had
seen (verses 21, 22).
18. I commanded you : Num. xxxii. 28 f.
19. much cattle : (Num. xxxii. 1) ' As a matter of fact, the
pre-eminently pastoral (cf. Judges v. 16, 17*) character of the
tribes which remained east of Jordan must have been the result
and not the cause of their settlement in this district' (Gray,
Numbers, p. 427), which is proverbial for its pasture.

74 DEUTERONOMY . 3. 22-29 D2
shall the Lord do unto all the kingdoms whither thou
22 goest over. Ye shall not fear them : for the Lord your
God, he it is that fighteth for you.
23, 24 And I besought the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord
God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness,
and thy strong hand : for what god is there in heaven or
in earth, that can do according to thy works, and
25 according to thy mighty acts ? Let me go over, I pray
thee, and see the goOd land that is beyond Jordan, that
26 goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the Lord was
wroth with me for your sakes, and hearkened not unto
me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee;
27 speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up
into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward,
and northward, and southward,' and eastward, and behold
with thine eyes : for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and. strengthen
him : for he shall go over before this people, and he
shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.
29 So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor. : ,
iii. 23-29. The prayer of Moses to be allowed to ' cross the
Jordan (verses 23-5) is refused by Yahweh (verse 26), and he
is bidden, instead, to look over the land from Pisgah (verse 27),
and to commit the future to Joshua (verse 28). Close of review
(verse 29).
24. what god is there : Exod. xv. 11 (see'onvi. 4). Let Yahweh
finish what he has begun (Phil. i. 6).
25. that goodly mountain : the hill-country west of Jordan.1
26. was wroth (see on i. 37): a strong word = ' overflowed
with rage.'
27. See on xxxiv. 1.
28. charge : ' command ' him (to do what you may not). The
double ' he ' is emphatic.
29. the valley over against Beth-peor — where speaker and
hearers are supposed to be standing. The word for * valley ' de
notes a glen or ' ravine,' one of those in the mountains of Abarim.
Beth-peor (iv. 46, xxxiv. 6 ; Joshua xiii. 20) is unknown ; a
mountain Peor is named, Num. xxiii. 28 : cf. Baal-Peor in iv. 3.

DEUTERONOMY 4. t. D3 75
[D3] And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes 4
and unto the judgements, which I teach you, for to do
them ; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land
iv. 1-40. Hortatory Conclusion to the First Address. Exhortation
to strict obedience as the condition of prosperity (verses 1-4).
The Divine commands, if obeyed, will place Israel in a unique and
enviable position (verses 5-8). Let what has been seen be remem
bered and taught, viz. the marvellous events at Horeb, when the
invisible God was heard, and the terms of His covenant revealed
(verses 9-14). The invisibility of Yahweh at Horeb ought to
warn against all idolatry (verses 15-18) and star-worship (verse
19). Yahweh claims Israel for Himself (verse ao). He was
angry with Moses on account of Israel ; , let Israel beware lest,
through idolatry, His jealous wrath be incurred (verses 21-4).
Idolatry will be followed by exile, with its attendant evils
(verses 25-8). Yet, in exile, to seek Yahweh earnestly will be
to find Him ; and he will remember His covenant in compassion
(verses 39-31).
The uniqueness of the events at Horeb and of the deliverance
from Egypt (verses 32-6). From such events let Israel know
the uniqueness of Yahweh Himself (37-9). Obedience to Him
will bring prosperity (verse 40).
The interpretation of chap, iv is, for the most part,- sufficiently clear,
but its critical analysis offers difficult problems, and there is much
difference of opinion amongst scholars in regard to them. The
fact that exhortation should follow a historical review is natural
enough : but it may fairly be asked whether the former, does not
end abruptly (iii. 29) without adequate transition to the exhortation
of iv. 1 f. Further, if chaps, i-iii and iv. 1-40 originally formed a
unity, we should expect the peroration to make some use of the
facts already reviewed ; yei^ whilst chaps, i-iii deal with in
cidents subsequent to Horeb, iv. 9-24 and 32-40 are dominated
by the thought of Horeb itself and its significance, practically no
use being made of what has preceded. In regard to Horeb, a
marked difference of statement emerges. In iv. 10 f., 32-5, em
phasis is laid on the fact that those now addressed actually saw
with their own eyes the wonders of the Divine revelation ; in
i. 35, 39 f., cf. ii. 14, 15, that generation is represented as passing
away before the entrance into the Promised Land. One section
of this chapter (verses 25-31 ) appears to presuppose the experiences
of exile. In view of these, and other considerations, it seems
probable that the greater part, if not the whole of this chapter, is
an exilic expansion of Deuteronomic truths.
1. statutes and . . . judgements : as often in this book : so far
as any distinction of terms is to be emphasized in such a standing

76 DEUTERONOMY 4. 2-9. D3
which the Lord, the God of your fathers, giveth you.
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,
neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the
commandments of the Lord your God which I command
3 you. Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because
of Baal-peor : for all the men that followed Baal-peor,
the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from the midst
4 of thee. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your
5 God are alive every one of you this day. Behold, I have
taught you statutes and judgements, even as the Lord
my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the
6 midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it. Keep
therefore and do them ; for this is your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the peoples, which shall
hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is
7 a wise and understanding people. For what great nation
is there, that hath a a god so nigh unto them, as the Lord
8 our God is whensoever we call upon him ? And what
great nation is there, that hath statutes and judgements
so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this
9 day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul
diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes
* Or, God
phrase, the 'statute' is an 'engraved' decree, whilst the 'judge
ment ' is the decision of a judge on some actual case, regarded as
a precedent. 2. Cf. Rev. xxii. 18, 19. Bertholet points out that the idea of
a canon of scripture is already given in these words. Hammurabi
concludes his code with an elaborate curse on the man who alters
his sentences (see Introd., p. so).
3. because of Baal-peor : more probably, in the place called
after the god, ' Baal of Peor,' lord of the district Peor (see on iii.
29). Cf. Num. xxv. 1-5 ; Hos. ix. to.
7. a god: or' gods.' For the attitude to other gods, cf. iii. 24.
Israel's religion is unique by its ready access to Yahweh (verse 7),
and by its ethical character (verse 8).

DEUTERONOMY 4. io-i4. D3 77
saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of
thy life; but make them known unto thy children
and thy children's children ; the day that thou stoodest i0
before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said
unto me, Assemble me the people, and I will make them
hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the
days that they live upon the earth, and that they may
teach their children. And ye came near and stood n
under the mountain ; and the mountain burned with fire
unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick
darkness. And the Lord spake unto you out of the 12
midst of the fire : ye heard the voice of words, but ye
saw no form ; only ye heard a voice. And he declared 13
unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to per
form, even the ten a commandments ; and he wrote them
upon two tables of stone. And the Lord commanded 14
a Heb. words.
9. heart : see on ii. 30 ; here the seat of memory. Soul is
simply a stronger synonym for ' self with no psychological
reference : so in verse 15 R. V. (yourselves}. Note the emphasis,
prominent in Deuteronomy, on the duty of the religious teaching
of children. They belong to the unity of the nation (' thou, thy ').
10. Horeb : Exod. xix, esp. verse 9 f.
11. Exod. xix. 17 f.
12. An argument against idolatry, on the ground that He who
was heard at Horeb was not seen.
13. covenant : (cf. Josh. xxiv. 35) properly an agreement of
any kind, like that between Abraham and Abimelech (Gen. xxi. 32)
or between Syria and Israel (1 Kings xx. 34). The agreement
between David and Jonathan, first apparently of ' brotherhood '
(r Sam. xviii. 3), and then that David should be the future king,
and Jonathan the chief minister (xxiii. 17, 18), was made 'before
Yahweh ' (xxiii. 18: cf. xx. 8), i.e. under the solemn sanctions of
religion. The idea of an agreement between man and man was
extended to that of one between man and God in the covenant of
Sinai (Exod. xix. 5) confirmed by the slaughter of victims
(Exod. xxiv. 8 : cf. Gen. xv. 9 f.). This idea is prominent in
Deuteronomy and dependent writers. The terms of the agree
ment made at Sinai (Exod. xxiv. 7, 8, xxxiv. 10, 27), as binding on
Israel, are stated in the ten Commandments, or 'words,' so that

78 DEUTERONOMY - 4. 15-19- ' *>3
me at that time to teach you statutes and judgements,
that ye might do them in., the land whither ye go over to
15 possess it. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves ;
for ye saw no manner of form on the day that the Lord
spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire :
16 lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you. a graven image
in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness
18 of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven, the likeness
of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of
19 any fish that is in the water under the earth : and lest
thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest
the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of
heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve
them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all the
the Decalogue itself can be called ' the covenant ' of Yahweh. Cf.
Driver, pp. 67, 68, on whose very full note the above is based.
16. corrupt yourselves : rather 'do corruptly' (verse 25 : cf.
Isa. i. 4 R. V., 'deal corruptly').
graven image : (Exod. xx. 4 ; Deut. v. 8) properly a figure
cut or hewn out of wood (Isa. xl. 20) or stone (Isa. xxi. 9) ; but
the name (pe"sel) is extended to images in general when of cast
metal (Isa. xl. 19). Figure = image or statue.
17. Cf. Ezek. viii. 10. ' All the great deities of the northern
Semites had their sacred animals, and were themselves worshipped
in animal form, or in association with animal symbols, down to a
late date ' (Rel. Sem. 288). The explanation of such phenomena
seems to lie in totemism, especially in the idea of kinship between
animals and men, and of communion with the god through the
sacred animal.
18. under the earth : see the diagram of the early Semitic
conception of the universe in the Century Bible, ' Genesis ' p 66
The water is that of ' the great deep' (Gen. vii. n), the supposed
source of springs and rivers (cf. Ezek. xxxi. 4).
19. drawn away: xxx. 17 ; for the idea cf. Job xxxi. 26.
the host of heaven : xvii. 3 ; 2 Kings xvii. 16 : doubtless
with special reference to the star-worship of Assyria and Baby-
hath divided: (see xxix. 26 R. V. marg.) for worship.

DEUTERONOMY 4. 20-26. Ds 79
peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord hath 20
taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace,
out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as
at this day,, ; Furthermore the Lord was angry with me 21
for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over
Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land,
which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance :
but I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan : 22
but ye shall go over, and possess that good land. Take 23
heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the
Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you
a graven image in the form of any thing which the Lord
thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is 24
a devouring fire, a jealous God.
When thou shalt beget children, and children's chil- 25
dren, and ye shall have been long in the land, and shall
corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image in the form
of any thing, and shall do that which is evil in the sight
of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger : I call 26
heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye
shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye
20. you : emphatic in the Hebrew.
iron furnace : i. e. one whose fire is fierce enough to melt
iron ; so, of Egypt also, Jer. xi. 4 ; 1 Kings viii. 51 : cf. Isa.
xlviii. 10.
a people of inheritance : i. e. for Yahweh Himself : cf. vii. 6,
ix. 29, xiv. a, xxvi. 18.
21. angry with me: i. 37, iii. a6, though ' sware ' introduces a
new feature.
24. a devouring fire (ix. 3) ; a jealous God (v. 9, vi. 15) ;
i. e. terrible in His wrath, exclusive in His claims.
25. have been long: Hebrew 'have fallen asleep,' i.e. become
lethargic. Omit the words to anger. Corrupt yourselves should
be ' do corruptly.'
26. heaven and earth : as abiding and outlasting the changes
of human life (xxx. 19, xxxi. 28, xxxii. 1 : see note on Josh. xxiv.
37, the stone of witness).

80 DEUTERONOMY 4. 27-34. Ds
go over Jordan to possess it ; ye shall not prolong your
27 days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the
Lord shall scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be
left few in number among the nations, whither the Lord
28 shall lead you away. And there ye shall serve gods, the
work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see,
29 nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence ye
shall seek the Lord thy God.^thou shalt find him, if thou
search after him with all thy 'heart and with all thy soul.
30 When. thou art in tribulation, and all these things are
come upon thee, ain the latter days thou shalt return to the
31 Lord thy God, and hearken unto his voice : for the Lord
thy God is a merciful God ; he will not fail thee, neither
destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which
32 he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are
past, which were before thee, since the day that God
created man upon the earth, and from the one end of
heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any
such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like
33 it ? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking
out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and
34 live ? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation
" Or, if in the latter days thou return
28. Cf. Jer. xvi. 13. To leave one's own land is to leave the
god linked to its fortunes (1 Sam. xxvi. 19 ; 2 Kings xvii. 25), and
the idea lingers when practical monotheism has been reached
(verses 35, 39), and the idol has become the butt of Hebrew
sarcasm, as in exilic prophecy (Isa. xliv. iaf.).
29 f. The passage presupposes the condition of the exiles, to
whose spiritual need the writer would minister.
30. in the latter days: Hebrew 'in the end of the days,'
i. e. the climax or goal of some particular period, often with a
Messianic reference (Hos. iii. 5 ; Isa. ii. 2 •*= Mic. iv. 1).
31. merciful: rather 'compassionate'; the conception stands
in contrast to verse 24.
fail : rather ' let fall ' (Joshua i. 5).
33. God, or ' a god ' (so verse 34).

DEUTERONOMY 4. 35-40. D5 81
from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs,
and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and
by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to
all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before
your eyes ? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest 35
know that the Lord he is God ; there is none else beside
him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that 36
he might instruct thee : and upon earth he made thee to
see his great fire ; and thou heardest his words out of the
midst of the fire. And because he loved thy fathers, 37
therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee
out with his presence, with his great power, out of Egypt ;
to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier 38
than thou, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an
inheritance, as at this day. Know therefore this day, and 39
lay it to thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven
above and upon the earth beneath : there is none else.
And thou shalt keep his statutes, and his commandments, 40
which I command thee this day, that it may go well
with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou
mayest prolong thy days upon the land, which the Lord
thy God giveth thee, for ever.
a Or, trials Or, evidences
34. temptations : R.V. marg. ' trials' is to be read, viz. those
of Pharaoh, by the plagues of Egypt, to which the ' signs ' and
' wonders ' also refer.
35. there is none else beside him : cf. verse 39. The explicit
monotheism implies a later standpoint than that of chaps, v f.
See on vi. 4.
36. Exod. xix. 16, 18 : instruct is not an adequate rendering.
The Hebrew word ' denotes, not the instruction of the intellect,
but the discipline or education of the moral character ' (Driver).
37. with his presence (Exod. xxxiii. 14 r cf. Isa. lxiii. 9)—
i. e. personally : cf. 2 Sam. xvii. n (R. V. marg.). For ' therefore
he ' read ' and,' closely connecting verses 37 and 38 with verse
39 (know, therefore, &c). ___
loved: characteristic of Deuteronomy i^vii. 8, 13, a, 15, xxiii. 5).
G

82 DEUTERONOMY .4...41-4S1 PDR°
41 [P] Then Moses separated three cities beyond, Jordan
42 toward the sunrising ;, that the manslayer might flee thjther,
Which slayeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not
in. time past ; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he
43 might live : namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the a plain
country, for the Reuben ites ; and Ramoth in Gilead, for
the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, for. the Manassites.
44 [D] And this is the law which Moses, set before the
45 children of Israel : [RD] these are the testimonies, and
the statutes, and the judgements, which Moses spake .
a, Or, table land
iv. 41-43. Moses Assigns Three Cities of -Refuge East of Jordan :
This note is without any relation to what precedes or follows,
and was probably inserted here for want of a more convenient
place. In xix. 1 f. we read the commandment to appoint cities of
refuge west of Jordan, but. there is no reference to any previous
appointment, . nor, indeed, to the east district at all (unless the
additional three of verse 8 f. be so understood). According to
Num. xxxv. 14 (P), three cities of refuge are to be assigned east,
and three west of Jordan, The present passage is most simply
understood as the statement that Moses fulfilled on the east of
Jordan the command there given to him, and is therefore added
by a writer acquainted with P. The question . is,, however, com
plicated by the mention of these eastern cities in Joshua xx. 8 (P),
where they are assigned by Joshua, as if the present section were
non-existent. Moreover, verse 42 is obviously drawn from xix.
3-5, so that the late writer who made this insertion was familiar
both with D and P.
43. Bezer (rebuilt by Mesha, Moabite Stone, 1. 27) : perhaps
Kusr el-Besheir, two miles south-west of Dibon.
Ramoth in Gilead : (i Kings xxii. 3, &c.) site disputed, but
probably in the north ' near the Yarmuk, for it was on debatable
ground between Aram and Israel'. (H.G.H.L., 587).
Golan, also unknown, whose name has descended in that of
the district Gaulanitjs, east of the Sea of Galilee.
iv. 44-49. Title and short Introduction to the Deuteronomic Code.
This section forms a parallel to, not a continuation of, i-iv. 40,
which it ignores. It Is possible that with verse 44 we 'begin the
original Deuteronomy. But this title has been expanded (0s! by
the addition of the title in verse 45, (b) by a series of details as to
time and place, summarized from chaps, i-iii.

DEUTERONOMY 4. 46— 5. 3. RDD 83
unto the children of Israel, when they came forth out of
Egypt ; beyond Jordan, in the valley over against Beth- 46
peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who
dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel
smote, when they came forth out of Egypt : and they took 47
his land in possession, and the land of Og king of Bashan,
the two kings of the Amorites, which were beyond Jordan
toward the sunrising ; from Aroer, which is on the edge 48
of the valley of Arnon, even unto mount Sion (the same
is Hermon), and all the Arabah beyond Jordan eastward, 49
even unto the sea of the Arabah, under the a slopes of
Pisgah. [D] And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto 5
them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the judgements
which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn
them, and observe to do them. The Lord our God 2
made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made 3
not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us,
0 Or, springs
46 f. Cf. iii. 29, i. 4, ii. 32 f., iii. 8, ii. 36, iii. 9, 17. 'Sion,'
as a name for Hermon, is the only new element.
v-xxvi. The original ' Book of the Law ' is thought, almost
universally, to be contained within the limits of chaps, v-xxvi, xxviii
(see Introd.,' § 1) ; but no single theory, from among the many that
have been formed as to the precise elements, has secured general
acceptance. Our present Book of Deuteronomy represents chaps.
v-xxvi as the continuous (second) address of Moses to Israel.
jv. 1-21. Moses begins his delivery of the Deuteronomic law by
reference to the covenant made in Horeb, at which his hearers
were present (verses 1-3). He then,acte<i as .mediator, between
Yahweh and Israel (verses 4-5) for the delivery . of the 'Ten
Commandments' (verses, 6-21).
2. Horeb: see on i. 2, and note relation to iv. 1-40, (above,
p. 75) ; covenant, iv. 13 note. v
¦ 3. All the hearers were present at Horeb ; this representation
agrees with that of the (dependent) section iv. 1-40 (cf. verses 10,
G 2

84 DEUTERONOMY 5. 4-7- D
4 who are all of us here alive this day. The Lord spake
with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of
5 the fire, (I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to
shew you the word of the Lord : for ye were afraid be
cause of the fire, and went not up into the mount ;) saying,
6 » I am the LoRD thy God, which brought thee out of
the land of Egypt, out of the house of b bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods c before me.
a See Ex. xx. 2. b Heb. bondmen. " Or, beside me.
32-5), but directly contradicts that of the (independent?) section
T-iii : cf. i. 35, 3gf., ii. 14, 15-
4. face to face seems to exclude the mediation of Moses,
asserted by verse 5 (added from Exod. xix. 20, xx. 19 ?).
6 f. The Decalogue, to whose earlier and more familiar form
R. V. marg. refers. Still earlier than Exod. xx. 2-17 (E) is the
very different table of ' the ten words ' (the Hebrew name for the
Decalogue) apparently embedded in Exod. xxxiv. 10-36 (J);
Wellhausen's reconstruction is quoted by Driver, L.O.T. p. 37.
We are here concerned only with the characteristics of D's form
of the Decalogue in contrast with that in E. These are — (a) more
definite or emphatic statement ; (b) recognition of the higher status
of the wife ; (c) substitution of a philanthropic motive for keeping
the Sabbath. A good summary of the teaching of the Decalogue
will be found in Paterson's article in D.B. (i. 582). There has been
much difference of opinion as to its age and authorship, and some
scholars still maintain a Mosaic original, whilst admitting addition
of later laws (e. g. ii and iv,) or amplification of the original
words. Its almost exclusive concern with morality, however
(contrast the ritual ' ten words ' of Exod. xxxiv. 10-26), seems to
connect it with the prophetic teaching of the eighth century
(cf. Addis, E.B. 1050), of which it may be regarded as a compen
dium. In the arrangement of the Ten Commandments familiar to
English readers, they fall into two sets of five, beginning at
verse 7, the first set dealing with the spiritual worship of Yahweh
and with respect for parents, the second with the prohibition
of immoral acts towards men. In the Jewish division, how
ever, verse 6 is taken as the first word, and verses 7, 8 are
taken together as the second (see E.B. 1050 ; Taylor, Sayings of
the Jewish Fathers, p. 120).
7. before me : probably ' in addition to me ' (cf. R. V. marg.) ;
the phrase leaves open the question as to the real existence of
other gods ; but see on vi. 4.

DEUTERONOMY 5. 8-15. D 85
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, the 8
likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth :
thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve 9
them : for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon
the third and upon the fourth generation of them that
hate me; and shewing mercy unto a thousands, of them 10
that love me and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God b in 1 1
vain : for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh
his, name in vain.
Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord 12
thy God commanded thee. Six days shalt thou labour, 13
and do all thy work: but the seventh day is a sabbath 14
unto the Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work,
thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any
of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates ;
that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well
as thou. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a 15
a See Ex. xx. 6. b Or, for vanity or falsehood
8. a graven image : E continues ' or any form ' for D's ' even
any form,' as do the versions here. In Exod. xxxiv. 17 it is the
'molten god,' a special and more artificial product, that is forbidden.
10. R. V. marg. suggests by reference the marginal alternative
' a thousand generations,' which is preferable (cf. vii. 9).
11. in vain: put for misuse in the widest sense, including
false swearing or purposes of superstition (magical rites and
incantations). 12. Observe: more direct than E's 'remember.' D adds
' as Yahweh thy God commanded thee.'
14. D adds 'thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of ; also the last
clause ' that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well
as thou,' with which is connected the striking difference in the
next verse.
15. and thou shalt remember, &c. This is the most impor-

86 DEUTERONOMY 5. 16-21. D
servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God
brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by a
stretched out arm : therefore the Lord thy God
commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy
God commanded thee : that thy days may be long, and
that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the
LoKd thy God giveth thee.
17 Thou shalt do no murder.
18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
1 9 Neither shalt thou steal:
20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
21 a Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's wife ; neither
shalt thou desire thy neighbour's house, his field, or his
manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or
any thing that is thy neighbour's.
1 [Ver. 18 in Heb.]
tant difference between D and E. For the remote and wholly
theoretical reason of E, claiming the day as Yahweh's, D substitutes
characteristically the humanitarian motive (cf. xv. 13 f., xvi. 11,
xxiv. 14 f.) of giving needed rest to dependents. This is rein
forced by appeal to the memory of Israel's own needs in Egypt
(cf. xv. 15, xvi. 12, xxiv. 18, 22).
16. D adds ' as Yahweh thy God commanded thee,' also ' and
that it may go well with thee,' the latter being characteristic: of this
book's doctrine of providence (v. 29, vi. 18, xii. 25, 28, xxii. 7).
Cf. Eph. vi. 2, 3.
17. In the Hebrew papyrus found at Fayum and now at Cam
bridge, the prohibition of adultery precedes that of murder (text in
Z.A.T.W., 1903, p. 348).
20. false witness : D has a different word for ' false' ( =.vain,
verse 11).
21. D adds 'his field,' and recognizes the higher status of the
wife by placing her first instead of second (after ' house '), and by
using a distinct verb (covet . . . desire ; with more physical sug
gestion ?) in regard to the other possessions. Augustine, followed
by Roman Catholics and Lutherans, carries this distinction further
by making two commandments of verse ai. (He combines i and ii )

DEUTERONOMY 5. 22-28. D' 87
These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly 22
in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud,
and of the thick darkness, with a great voice : and he
added no more. And he wrote them upon two tables of
stone, and gave them unto me. And it came to pass, 23
when ye heard the' voice out of the midst of the darkness,
while the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came near
unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your
elders ; and ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath 24
shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard
his voice out of the midst of the fire : we have seen this
day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth. Now 25
therefore why : should we die? for this great fire will
consume us : if we hear the voice of the Lord our God
any more, then we shall die: -For who is there of all 26
flesh, that hath heard the voice bf the living God
speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, arid
lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the Lord our 27
God shall say : and speak thou -unto us all that the Lord
our God shall speak unto thee ; and we will hear it, and
do it. :And the Lord heard the voice of your words, 28
when ye spake unto me ; and the Lord said unto me, I
have heard the voice of the words of this people, which
they have spoken unto thee : they have well said all that
Steuernagel compares xxi. iof., xxii. 13 f., xxiv. if., as similar
attempts of Deuteronomy to raise the position of women.
v. 22-33. Moses recalls the manner in which the Decalogue
was delivered (verse 22), and the request of the people that. they
might no more hear the voice of Yahweh, but might receive His
messages through Moses (verses 23-7). This request was ap
proved by Yahweh, who appointed Moses as mediator (verses
28-31). Let Israel, therefore, obey and prosper (verses 3a, 33).
22. A parallel narrative is given in ix. 9-1 1 : cf. Exod. xxxi. 18.
27. thou: emphatic in the Hebrew, in both places.
28. For the request, see Exod. xx. 19 ; its approval by Yahweh
is not otherwise recorded.

88 DEUTEJK.UJNOJV1V 5. 29—6. 3- D
29 they have spoken. a Oh that there were such an heart in
them, that they would fear me, and keep all my com
mandments always, that it might be well with them, and
30 with their children for ever ! Go say to them, Return ye
31 to your tents. But as for thee, stand thou here by me,
and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and
the statutes, and the judgements, which thou shalt teach
them, that they may do them in the land which I give
32 them to possess it. Ye shall observe to do therefore as the
Lord your God hath commanded you : ye shall not turn
33 aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the
way which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that
ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye
may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
6 Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the
judgements, which the Lord your God commanded to
teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye
2 go over to possess it : that thou mightest fear the Lord thy
God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which
I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all
the days of thy life ; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it ; that it
a Or, Oh that they had such an heart as this alway, to fear me,
and keep all my commandments, that, &c.
29. R. V. marg. preferable. The steady purpose of the heart
is contrasted with transient fear, prompting the ready pledge to
obey. 30. For the formula of dismissal, cf. note on Joshua xxii. 4.
31. all the commandment: (xi. 32, xix. 9) including the
Deuteronomic Code as a whole.
vi. 1-3. Exhortation to obey the law now to be communicated,
since obedience will bring prosperity.
1 connects directly with v. 31.
2. fear : in this context, practically ' reverence,' and not to be
contrasted with the ' love ' of verse 5, with which it is in harmony

DEUTERONOMY 6. 4. D 89
may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily,
as the Lord, the God of thy fathers, hath promised
unto thee, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Hear, O Israel : athe Lord our God is one Lord : and 4, 5
" Or, the Lokd our God, the Loud is one Or, the Lord is our
God, the Lord is one Or, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone
3. in a land : The ' in ' is supplied by R. V. to the incomplete
Hebrew. Read with LXX, ' to give to thee a land.'
milk and honey : as often in JE (Exod. iii. 8, &c). They
are enumerated amongst the products of the land in xxxii. 13, 14,
and their selection, in this standing phrase, is frequently explained
from the tastes of Bedouins. Greek parallels, however, perhaps
suggest a reference to the cult of Dionysus, as though Canaan
were said to produce 'food for the gods ' (Z.A. T. PV., 190a, p. 331 f.).
vi. 4-9. Yahweh has the sole claim to Israel's love and
memory. This paragraph, with which is joined xi. 13-21 and
Num. xv. 37-41, forms the famous Jewish 'Shema'' appointed
for recitation by every Jew morning and evening (Taylor, Sayings
of the Jewish Fathers, p. 116 f. ; Schflrer, op. cit., vol. ii, § 27,
Appendix), whose name is taken from the first Hebrew word (Eng.
'hear'). The whole decalogue is held to be latent in the Shema'
(Taylor, /. c, who quotes the proof texts) ; Christ Himself declared
the opening words of the Shema' to be the first commandment,
comprehensive of all duty towards God (Mark xii. 29 ; Matt. xxii.
37 : cf. Luke x. 27, a8).
4. the LORD our God is one LORD : the Hebrew words are,
' Yahweh our God Yahweh one,' and their exact translation and
interpretation is much disputed, as the three marginal variations
of the R. V. suggest. The rendering of the R.V. text, though that.
of Dillmann (p. 269) and Driver (p. 89) is open to the serious criti
cism that Yahweh is a proper name, and can hardly admit of the
epithet 'one' before it, since there is no other god bearing this
name (cf Taylor, op. cit., p. 116). The first margin is questioned
on the ground that ' Yahweh our God is one ' would have been
the more natural way of expressing this, without resumption of
the subject by the second Yahweh. The second margin is said to
be 'less forcible rhetorically' (Driver) than the text. The third
margin, the rendering of Ibn Ezra, is followed by the two most
recent commentators, Steuernagel and Bertholet, and is most in
harmony with the context, since verse 5 claims the whole-hearted
love of Israel for Yahweh (alone), and nothing suggests a contrast
with the local Baals, who are not ' one ' but many. The objection
to this view is that we might have expected another Hebrew
word (I'baddo : cf. 2 Kings xix. 15 ; Ps. Ixxxvi. 10), to express

Oo DEUTERONOMY -6.; 6-8. ' D
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,
6 and with all thy soul, and With all thy might.' And these
words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon
7 thine heart: and thou shalt teach 'them diligently Unto
thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when
8 thou liest down, and when, thou risest up., .-.-And thou
shajf: bind them for a sign upon- thine hand, and they
' alone' '; but the present word (e/iad) is found in this sense in
i Chron. xxix. i, where it is rendered ' alone ' by R. Vi ' The
sentence makes no statement concerning the existence or non
existence' of other gods, but simply emphasizes the fact that there
is only one God for Israel, and that Israel must honour no other
god beside Him' (Steuerhagel, p. 25). If we call Jin's mono
theism, the term must be interpreted historically, not philosophi
cally. The existence of other gods is, at least nominally, re
cognized in verse 14 ; the Hebrew was content here to assert the
exclusive claim and the incomparable and unique right of Yahweh
to his devotion. A more explicit statement of monotheism is
found in' the (later) passage iv. 35, 39 (' there is none else) :
cf. xxxii. 39. ¦'>' < • ''"¦,' '
5. 'The love of God .... is set forth in Deuteronomy with
peculiar Emphasis as the fundamental motive of human action''
(Driver, p. 91). Both thought and feeling, the whole personality r
owe allegiance to Yahweh ; there'must' be no compromise with
other cults.
6. these words : i. e. verse 4 f. as the epitome of the teaching
>of the book.
upon thine heart: the psychical centre of memory arid of
love : cf. Jer. xxxi. 33 ; for a parallel to the whole passage, see
xi. 18-21. These words are to become a theme of living interest,
at home and abroad, at the beginning and end of the day (verse 7).
7. teach . . . diligently : or ' impress^' a strong word, here only.
8. This verse became the scriptural basis for the ' phylacteries '
of the N.T. (tephillin). It is matter of dispute whether the
original meaning of the words is literal or figurative. In
Exod. xiii. 16 the same words are clearly- applied figuratively,
which -is some reason for taking them figuratively here (as do
Steuernagel and Beftholet). On the other hand,' the next verse
seems intended literally, in view of the fact that this book else
where (xxvii. 3, 8) commands the law to be written actually on
stones (Dillrnann). The literal view (Dillmann, Driver) seems
here more probable ; its best explanation is that of Benzinger

DEUTERONOMY 6. 9-12. D 91
shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou 9
shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house, and
upon thy gates. •'' ;'
And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall bring 10
thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to
Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee; great
and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, and houses n
full of all good things,' which thou filledst not, and cisterns '
hewn out, which thou hewedst not, vineyards and olive
trees, which thou plantedst not, arid thou shalt eat and be
full; then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which 12
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the
(E.B. 1566, ' Frontlets '), viz. that in this way the amulets worn
by Israelites from ancient times were consecrated to the use of
Yahweh. The actual usage of Judaism cannot, however, be
traced back earlier than the first century b. c. The tephillin. are
leather pouches fixed to a band, and containing slips of parch
ment on which the Shema' and Exod. xiii. 1 -10, 11-16, are
written. One is worn on the left arm turned towards the heart,
the other between the eyebrows, at morning and. evening prayer
(Benzinger, I. c).
9. The custom finds parallels from ancient and modern Egypt,
and from other countries (examples in Trumbull, The Threshold
Covenant, p. 68 f.\ The mezuza (originally 'doorpost') is the
small metal case, containing its inscribed parchment, similar to
that of the tephillin, fixed to the right-hand doorpost of Jewish,
houses, and touched at entrance and exit. Soused, it tends to
become an amulet for warding off evil from the house ; not, as
the present passage intends, a stimulus to constant memory of
Yahweh. .The Babylonians, in the same way, appear to have
hung up tablets, with reference to the plague-god, when a plague
broke out (Jastrow, Babylonian-Assyrian Religion, p. 269 n.).
vi. 10-15. The peril of the Promised Land will be that of for
getting Yahweh's deeds and worshipping the gods of the country ;
thus, will Yahweh be angered.
11. cisterns: not wells,' -but reservoirs for the storage of
water ; separately named because an important feature of the
Eastern house during the dry season. Mesha (Moabite Stone, 1. 24)
writes, 'There was no cistern in the midst of the city . . . and I
said to all the people, " Make you every man a cistern in his own
house." '

92 DEUTERONOMY 6. 13-20. D
13 house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God ;
and him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by his name.
14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the
15 peoples which are round about you; for the Lord thy
God in the midst of thee is a jealous God ; lest the anger
of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and he
destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted
17 him in Massah. Ye shall diligently keep the command
ments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and
18 his statutes, which he, hath commanded thee. And thou
shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the
Lord : that it may be well with thee, and that thou
mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord
19 sware unto thy fathers, to thrust out all thine enemies
from before thee, as the Lord hath spoken.
20 When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying,
12. the house of bondage: see note on Joshua xxiv. 17 :
cf. verse 21.
13. swear by his name : i. e. no other deity but Yahweh is to
be recognized in the invocations of oaths (cf. Ps. Ixiii. 11). The
solemn appeal confined to the one true God is not a contradiction
of, but a step towards, the more ethical and spiritual conception
which substitutes a 'Yea' and a 'Nay' for all oaths (Matt. v.
34-7)- 14. see on verse 4 (end).
15. a jealous God: cf. iv. 24. The context suggests how
crudely this anthropomorphism is to be interpreted. The ' other
gods ' are primarily the local Baals of Canaan, in the writer's view.
vi. 16-19. Yahweh's presence not to be put to trial, but His
law obeyed, that Israel may dwell prosperously in Canaan.
16. tempt: rather 'test' or 'prove': cf. Exod. xvii. 7.
' Massah' is connected with the Hebrew word translated 'test'
(nissah) : cf. ix. 22.
vi. 20-25. The law of Yahweh is to be justified to future
generations by the story of His deliverance of Israel from Egypt ;
the Law, like the deliverance, is a manifestation of Divine grace.

DEUTERONOMY 6. 21— 7. i. D 93
What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the
judgements, which the Lord our God hath commanded
you? then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were 21
Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt ; and the Lord brought
us out of Egypt with a mighty hand : and the Lord 22
shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt,
upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes :
and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring 23
us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to 24
fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he
might preserve us alive, as at this day. And it shall be 25
righteousness unto us, if we observe to do all this com
mandment before the Lord our God, as he hath com
manded us.
When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land 7
whither thou goest to possess it, and shall a cast out many
nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and
a Heb. pluck off.

20. Cf. Exod. xiii. 14, where a similar explanation of the separa
tion of the firstborn is asked and given.
23. us (first) : emphatic in the Hebrew, in contrast with Egypt
and Pharaoh.
24. for our good always : the point of the answer ; the
revelation of the law makes possible that obedience to Yahweh's
will which is our (sufficient) ' righteousness,' and keeps us within
the sphere of His continuing purpose to save.
vii. 1-11. Victorious Israel is to exterminate the conquered
peoples of Canaan, to make no public or private alliances with any
of them, and to destroy the material accompaniments of their
religion, lest it become a snare (verses 1-5). Israel belongs to
Yahweh, solely through the initiative of His love ; because of this,
and of His fidelity to past promises, has Yahweh delivered Israel
from Egypt (verses 6-8). Let Israel obey a God who so fully
repays both love and hate towards Himself (verses 9-11).
1. This list of nations, frequently repeated in whole or part,
gives no precise geographical information ; it is ' designed for the
purpose of presenting an impressive picture of the number and

94 DEUTERONOMY 7. 2-5. D
the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and
the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and
a mightier than thou ; and when the Lord thy God shall
deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them ;
then thou shalt a utterly. destroy them ; thou shalt make
no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them :
3 neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy
daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his
4 daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For he will turn
away thy son from following me, that they may serve
other gods : so will the anger of the Lord be kindled
5 against you, and he will destroy thee quickly. But thus
shall ye. deal with them ; ye shall break down their altars,
and dash in nieces their b pillars, and. hew down their
a Heb. devote. b Or, obelisks
variety of the nations dispossessed by the Israelites ' (Driver, p. 97).
The Amorites and the Canaanites are the two of most importance,
' each sufficiently numerous and prominent to supply a designation
of the entire country ; the former, it may perhaps be inferred,
resident chiefly in the high central ground of Palestine, the latter
chiefly in the lower districts on the west and east ' {op. cit., p. 12).
For the Hittites, see on Joshua i. 4. The other names are of
more local significance : the Hivites are connected with Gibeon
(Joshua ix. 7, xi. 19), and with Shechem (Gen. xxxiv. a) ;- the
Jobusites with Jerusalem (Joshua xviii. 28) ; the Ferizzites with
the Rephaim (Joshua xvii. 15) and the Canaanite (Gen. xiii. 7) ;
the Girgashites are. of unknown locality.
2. utterly destroy: see note on xx. 17 for the herem or
ban. A covenant with the natives of Canaan is forbidden in JE,
Exod. xxiii. 32, xxxiv. 12 : see on iv. 13.
3. Cf. Joshua xxiii. 12 for the peril of the marriage alliance with
non-Israelites. The policy of Ezra (Ezra ix and x), at a critical
time, shows how real this peril was (cf. Neh. xiii. 23 f.). 'The
permanence of Judaism depended on the religious separateness of
the Jews ' (Ryle, Cam. Bible, ' Ezra,' p. 143).
4. me : i. e. Yahweh, though. Moses is the nominal speaker ;
so elsewhere (xi... 14, &c).
5. As in Exod. xxxiv. 13: see on xvi. ai, 32, and cf. xii. 3.
The graven images (see on iv. 16) are here of wood, since they
can be burnt.

DEUTERONOMY ,7. 6-1 1. D 95
a Asherim,' and burn their graven images with fire. For 6
thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God : the
Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people
unto himself, b above all peoples that are upon the face of
the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor 7
choose you, because ye were more in number than any
people ; for ye were the fewest of all peoples : but because S
the Lord loveth you, and hecause he would keep the
oath which he sware unto your fathers, hath the Lord
brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you
out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh
king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, 9
he is God ; the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and
inercy with them that love him and keep. his. command
ments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them 10
that hate him to their face, to destroy them : he will not
be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to
his face. . Thou shalt therefore keep the commandment, u
a See Ex. xxxiv. 13. b Or, out of
6. See Exod. xix. 5-6, from which this verse is derived. Israel
is here called holy, not from any moral quality, but as separated,
and appropriated to Yahweh, who has chosen, this nation as His
peculiar people, xiv. 2 (Heb. 'a people pf possession ')— i. e.
His personal and private ' property. Cf. iv. 20 (' a people of
inheritance '). R. V. marg. ' out of is preferable (cf. R. V. text
of Exod. xix. 5).
8. redeemed: or ' ransomed.' The term may be used literally
of the payment of an actual ransom (Exod. xiii. 13), or figuratively
of the result, without regard to the means, as here : cf. Hos. xiii.
14. Cf. iv. 20, where the act of deliverance is connected with the
choice of Israel, and Hos. xi. 1. -
9. he is God, &c. : Heb. 'He is the (true) God :(iv.i35V the
faithful God, keeping the covenant and the loving-kindness.'
Cf. v. 9, 10. - '
10. to their face, i. e. personally : contrast v. 9, where ' the
ancestor with four generations forms a solidarity ' (Cook, Laws,
p. 261). will not be slack : Heb. ' will not .delay ' (the requital).

96 DEUTERONOMY 7. 12-18. D
and the statutes, and the judgements, which I command
thee this day, to do them.
12 And it shall come to pass, because ye hearken to these
judgements, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy
God shall keep with thee the covenant and the mercy
13 which he sware unto thy fathers : and he will love thee,
and bless thee, and multiply thee : he will also bless the
fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn
and thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy kine and
the young of thy flock, in the land which he sware unto
14 thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above
all peoples : there shall not be male or female barren
15 among you, or among your cattle. And the Lord will
take away from thee all sickness ; and he will put none
of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon
thee, but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
16 And thou shalt consume all the peoples which the Lord
thy God shall deliver unto thee ; thine eye shall not pity
them : neither shalt thou serve their gods ; for that will
1 7 be a snare unto thee. If thou shalt say in thine heart,
These nations are more than I ; how can I dispossess
18 them? thou shalt not be afraid of them : thou shalt well
remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh,
viii. 12-26. The blessings of the obedient will prove Yahweh's
fidelity to the covenant (verses 12-16). Let not Israel fear the
nations of Canaan, for Yahweh will give victory as in Egypt
(verses 17-24). To Him must their graven images be ' devoted '
(verses 35, a6).
12 f. The thought of verse 9 is emphasized and illustrated.
13. The produce of Canaan is Yahweh's gift (not that of the
local Baals) : cf. xi. 14.
14. Cf. Exod. xxiii. 26 f., with which this whole passage is
connected. 15. the evil diseases of Egypt (xxviii. 60 ; cf. Exod. xv. 26; :
which include elephantiasis, dysentery, and ophthalmia.
16. a snare unto thee : cf. verse 35 ; Exod. xxiii. 33, xxxiv. 12.

DEUTERONOMY 7. 19-25. D 97
and unto all Egypt; the great a temptations which thine 19
eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty
hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy
God brought thee out : so shall the Lord thy God do
unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid. Moreover 20
the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them,
until they that are left, and b hide themselves, perish from
before thee/ Thou shalt not be. affrighted at them : for 21
the Lord thy God is in the midst of thee, a great God
and a terrible. And the Lord thy God will cast out 22
those nations before thee by little and little : thou
mayest not consume them eat once, lest the beasts of the
field increase upon thee. But the Lord thy God shall 23
deliver them up before thee, and shall discomfit them
with a great discomfiture, until they be destroyed. And 24
he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou
shalt make their name to perish from under heaven :
there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until
thou have destroyed them. The graven images of their 35
gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not covet the
silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee,
lest thou be snared therein : for it is an abomination to
" Or, trials See ch. iv. 34, and xxix. 3.
b Or, hide themselves from thee, perish c Or, quickly
19. temptations : see on iv. 34.
20. the hornet: Exod. xxiii. 28; Joshua xxiv. is. Actual
hornets searching out hidden survivors are apparently meant, as
is understood in Wisdom xii. 8 f. Commentators refer to the four
known species of hornets in Palestine, and the possibly fatal
character of an attack ; but the reference is obscure. See on i. 44.
22. See Exod. xxiii. 29, where the same reason is given.
24. their kings : Joshua xii. 24.
25. graven images (iv. 16) : here they are made of wood,
overlaid with precious metals, the latter alone, when stripped off,
forming a possible object of desire.
an abomination (of Yahweh) : a phrase characteristic of
this book (xii. 31, xvii. 1, &c). H

98 DEUTERONOMY 7. 26— 8. 3- D
26 the Lord thy God : and thou shalt not bring an abomina
tion into thine house, and become a devoted thing like
unto it: thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt
utterly abhor it ; for it is a devoted thing.
8 All the commandment which I command thee this day
shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply,
and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware
2 unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way
which the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years
in the wilderness, that he might humble thee, to prove
thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou
3 wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he
humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee
with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy
fathers know ; that he might make thee know that man
doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that
proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
26. The whole story of Achan (Joshua vii) is the best com
mentary on this verse ; a devoted thing: herem (on xx. 17).
viii. 1-20. The discipline of the desert wanderings was meant
to teach Israel dependence on Yahweh (verses 1-5). Amid the
plenty pf Palestine (verses 6-10) let not Him be forgotten on
whom Israel then depended so absolutely (verses n-17). The
plenty is from Yahweh ; if He be forgotten the nation will perish
(verses 18-20).
2. Amos ii. 10.
to prove thee : cf. vi. 16, where the same word is translated
'tempt' by R. V. (cf. 2 Chron. xxxii. 31). The words are co
ordinate with ' to humble thee ' ; i. e. the humiliation taught
dependence ; (verse 3), the proof of hardship tested character
(verse 2°).
3. manna : Exod. xvi. 13 f. ; supplied to Israel, according to P,
from the second month of the first year (Exod. xvi. 1) until
Gilgal was reached (Joshua v. 12). It is usually identified with
the exudations of tamarisk twigs, when punctured by an insect.
Others think of a species of stone lichen, which can be eaten
(£-8.2939). ,1 .. , . ,,
thing that proceedeth out of (one word; in Heb. = ' utter-

DEUTERONOMY 8. 4-9. D 99
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy 4
foot swell, these forty years. And thou shalt consider in 5
thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the
Lord thy God chasteneth thee. And thou shalt keep 6
the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his
ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth 7
thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of
fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills ;
a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and 8
pomegranates ; a land of oil olives and honey ; a land 9
wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou
shalt not lack any thing in it ; a land whose stones are
ance ') ; not here in the spiritualized sense of Matt. iv. 4, where
the antithesis is between material food and spiritual support, but
in the sense of that which is created by the special command of
God : i. e. the antithesis is that between food supplied naturally
and supernaturally. Hence the emphasis on the unknown nature
of this manna.
4. Cf. xxix. 5 ; not in the earlier narratives, which are here
amplified by the writer. The Jewish commentator Rashi points
out that the clothes must have grown with the children who wore
them, ' like the shell of a snail ' (ed. Berliner, p. 316).
5. chasteneth : or ' disciplines ' (see on iv. 36) ; as in the
humbling experiences of the desert The O. T. doctrine of the
Divine Fatherhood is well brought out by Montefiore, Hibbert
Lecturesyiil. (' God and Israel.') The God of.Judaism is ' no hard
and merciless taskmaster, but a loving and compassionate Father. . . ;
the double limitation must not be forgotten. God's pitying Father
hood extends only to those " who fear Him." Outside that barrier
are the heathen nations and the wicked within Israel ' (p. 463).
6. The verse, resuming verse 1, is transitional, emphasizing the
lesson of the desert (verses 1-5), and warning against the peril
of Canaan (verse 7 f.). , .
1. 'An attractive and faithful description of the Palestinian
landscape ' (Driver). The depths are those of the subterranean
waters (iv. 18) which feed the fountains.
8. Cf. Num. xiii. 33; Joel i. ia; Hag. ii. 19, &c. The cultivated
oil olive is distinguished from the (wild) olive, giving little oil.
9. whose stones are iron : probably the black basalt (iii. 11) is
meant, which consists of one-fifth part of iron, and is still called
iron-stone by the Arabs.
H 2

too DEUTERONOMY 8. 10-18, D
10 iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. And
thou shalt eat and be full, and thou shalt bless the Lord
thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
11 Beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God, in not
keeping his commandments, and his judgements, and his
1 2 statutes, which I command thee this day : lest when thou
hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and
13 dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks
multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all
14 that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted
up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought
thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
1 5 bondage ; who led thee through the great and terrible
wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions, and
thirsty ground where was no water; who brought thee
16 forth water out of the rock of flint ; who fed thee in the
wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not;
that he might humble thee, and that he might prove
1 1 thee, to do thee good at thy latter end : and thou say in
thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath
18 gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the
Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get
wealth; that he may establish his covenant which he
brass : i. e. copper, which was formerly obtained from
Lebanon and Edom. For a vivid description of ancient mining
operations, see Job xxviii. 1-11.
15. fiery serpents: Num. xxi. 6 : cf. Isa. xxx. 6. There are
various kinds of serpents in the districts traversed by Israel ;
these are perhaps designated ' fiery ' or ' burning ' because of the
inflammation of their bite (cf. Gray, Numbers, p. 277). The
reference to scorpions is added by D ; they are common in
the same districts, and the Pass of Akrabbim (Joshua xv. 3)
receives its name from them.
water out of the rock of flint : Exod. xvii. 6.
17. in thine heart : Bertholet well compares Luke xii. 19 (' I
will say to my soul'). Deuteronomy insists on the inwardness of
religious issues (vi. 5).

DEUTERONOMY 8. i9-9. >4- D 101
sware unto thy fathers, as at this day. And it shall be, 19
if thou shalt forget the Lord thy i God, and walk after
other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify
against you this day that ye shall surely perish. As the 20
nations which the Lord maketh to perish before you, so
shall ye perish ; because ye would not hearken unto the
voice of the Lord your God.
Hear, O Israel : thou art to pass over Jordan this day, 9
to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than
thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people 2
great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou
knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can
stand before the sons of Anak? Know therefore this day, 3
that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before
thee as a devouring fire ; he shall destroy them, and he
shall bring them down before thee: so shalt thou drive
them out, and. make them to perish quickly, as the Lord
hath spoken unto thee. Speak not thou in thine heart, 4
after that the Lord thy God hath thrust them out from
before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath
brought me in to possess this land : whereas for the wicked
ness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from
19. other gods : i. e. the local Baals of the nations of Canaan
(verse 20).
ix. 1-7. The victory over mightier nations will be due to Yahweh
(verses i~3\ Let not Israel claim it as the reward of righteous
ness, since it is due, on the one hand, to the wickedness of those
dispossessed, on the other, to Yahweh's fidelity to ancient promises;
(verses 4, 5). Israel has been disobedient from Egypt to the present
place (verses 6, 7).
1, 2. Cf. i. 28, where see note on Anakim.
thou : emphatic in the Hebrew in both cases. The know
ledge came from the report of the spies (Num. xiii. 28).
3. he : emphatic in each instance ; the victory is Yahweh's, not
Israel's. hath spoken ; in Exod. xxiii. 27, 31.

102 DEUTERONOMY 9. 5-8- D &
5 before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the
uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go in to possess
their land : but for the wickedness of these nations the
Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee,
and that he may establish the word which the Lord
sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
6 Jacob. Know therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth
thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteous-
7 ness ; for thou art a stiffnecked people. Remember,
forget thou not, how thou provokedst the Lord thy God
to wrath in the wilderness : from the day that thou
wentest forth out of the land of Egypt, until ye came
unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the
8 Lord. [D2] Also in Horeb ye provoked the Lord to
6. a stiffnecked people : Heb. ' a people hard of neck ' ;
Exod. xxxii. 9, xxxiii. 3, 5, xxxiv. 9. ' The figure underlying
the expression is of course the unyielding neck of an obstinate,
intractable animal (cf. Isa. xlviii. 4 'and a sinew of iron is thy
neck')' (Driver).
ix. 8 — x. 11. Israel's disobedience illustrated from the events at
Horeb (verse8). Moses received the tables of stone after being forty
days on Horeb (verses 9-1 1). Yahweh, made angry by the molten
calf , declared to Moses his intention to destroy Israel (verses 12-14).
Moses, confronted on his descent with Israel's sin, broke the tables
of stone (verses 15-17) and made intercession through forty days
for Israel and Aaron (verses 18-20"). The calf he destroyed
(verse 21). After reference to similar disobedience at other
places, especially Kadesh-barnea (verses 22-4), Moses resumes
the story of his intercession at Horeb, and recalls his prayer,
urging Yahweh to remember the tie between Israel and Himself
(verses 25-9). In reply, Yahweh recalled him to the mount,
and gave him another copy of the Decalogue, which he placed,
on his return, in the ark he had made (x. 1-5). His stay on the
mount the second time was as long as the first (verse 10), and
Yahweh renewed his promise to Israel (verse 11).
This narrative is obviously interrupted by x. 6f., which gives
part of an itinerary of Israel, and possibly also by x. 8, 9, a note on
the separation of the Levites. To a less marked degree, it is
interrupted by ix. 23-4, and shows other signs of confusion (e. g.

DEUTERONOMY 9. 9-12 D* 103
wrath, and the Lord was- angry with you to have
destroyed you. When I was gone up into the mount to 9
receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant
which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the
mount forty, days and forty nights; I did neither eat
bread nor drink water. And the Lord delivered unto 10
me the two tables of stone written with the finger of God ;
and on them was written according to all the words,
which the Lord spake with you in the mount out of the
midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. And it 1 1
came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights,:
that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone,: even the
tables of the covenant. And the Lord said unto me, 1 2
Arise, get thee down quickly from hence ; for thy people
which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted
themselves ; they are quickly turned aside out of the way
verses ii and 13). Even apart from such indications of a want of
unity, it is difficult to conceive that the original writer of the
Introduction to the Deuteronomic Code would have dealt here
with a single illustration at such disproportionate length. The ,
narrative of Horeb appears to be more closely related to the
historical review (chaps, i-iii) than to any other part of Deutero
nomy, and, like it, is based on JE (see the table in Driver, p. 112).
There are also linguistic points of contact. It is significant that
that review is without reference to the events of Horeb. This
has led to the not improbable conjecture that ix. 9 f. originally
stood before i. 6 as part of the historical introduction (D2), which
would then begin, like the hortatory introduction (v f.), with the
delivery of the Ten Commandments.
8. Summary of the whole narrative, linking it to verse 7 : cf.
Exod. xxiv. 12 f., xxxi. 18 f., xxxiv, on which this narrative is
based, to a large extent verbally.
9. Exod. xxiv. 18, xxxiv. 38 (the latter referring, however, to
a subsequent occasion').
10. Exod xxxi. 18 : cf. Deut. v. 4.
11. A doublet' to verse ioa, according to which the tables of
stone have already been given.
12. Exod. xxxii. 7 : have corrupted themselves, rather ' have
done corruptly.'

104 DEUTERONOMY 9. 13-20. D2
which I commanded them; they have made them a
13 molten image. Furthermore the Lord spake unto me,
saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-
14 necked people : let me alone, that I may destroy them,
and blot out their name from under heaven : and I will
make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the
mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the
16 covenant were in my two hands. And I looked, and,';
behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God ; ye
had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly
out of the way which the Lord had commanded you.
17 And I took hold of the two tables, and cast them out of
18 my two hands, and brake them before your eyes. And
I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days
and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink
water ; because of all your sin which ye sinned, in doing
that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke
19 him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot
displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you
to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me that
20 time also. And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to
13. Exod. xxxii. 9. Furthermore is supplied by R.V. ; Heb.
' and.' 14 f. Exod. xxxii. 10, 15, 19 are largely reproduced.
18. as at the first : i. e. the intercession lasted for the same
time as the sojourn on the mount, ix. 9, and is identical with that
of x. 10. According to Exod. xxxii. 30 f. , Moses returned on the
morrow after his discovery of the sin to make intercession ; ac
cording to Exod. xxxiv. 9, he again made intercession, within the
second period of forty days spent on the mount (xxxiv. 28). The
latter may be in view here ; but it ought to follow, not precede
verse 21.
to provoke him to anger : delete ' to anger,' as in iv. 25.
19. that time also : what other occasion is meant is not clear •
possibly the present narrative has been condensed, and originally
contained a reference to the earlier intercession of Exod. xxxii. 31.

DEUTERONOMY 9. 21-27. D2 105
have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the
same time. And I took your sin, the calf which ye had 21
made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, grinding it
very small, until it was as fine as dust : and I cast the
dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the
mount. And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth- 22
hattaavah, ye provoked the Lord to wrath. And when 23
the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up
and possess the land which I have given you ; then ye
rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your
God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened. to his
voice. Ye have been rebellious against the Lord from 24
the day that I knew you. So I fell down before the 25
Lord the forty days and forty nights that I fell down ;
because the Lord had said he would destroy you. And 26
I prayed unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, destroy
not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast
redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought
forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember thy 27
servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ; look not unto the
stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor
20. The prayer for Aaron is not mentioned in Exodus.
21. Exod. xxxii. 20 ; your sin : for this concrete usage, cf.
Amos viii. 14, Mic. i. 5.
as fine as dust: rather 'crushed fine to dust,' which was
scattered in the Wady ; according to Exodus, that the Israelites
might drink of it.
22, 23. Four other examples of Israel's disobedience are cited ;
Saberah (Num. xi. 1-3), Massah (Exod. xvii. 2-7), Kibroth-
hattaavah (Num. xi. 4-34), and Kadesh-barnea (i. 19 f.).
25 resumes the account of the intercession of verse 18, and
replies to Yahweh's words in verse 14 ('destroy them'). It
should be noted that whilst this is the second intercession (Exod.
xxxiv. 9), according to the present narrative, its contents are
largely those of the first (Exod. xxxii. n-13).
28. Cf. Exod. xxxii. 12 ; Num. xiv. 16, both of which have
contributed to this verse.

106 DEUTERONOMY 9. aS— 10. 7. D2 E
28 to their' sin : lest the land whence :thou broughtest us
out say, Because the Lord was not able to bring them
into the land which he promised unto them, and because
he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in
29 the wilderness. Yet they are thy people and thine
inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy great
power and by thy stretched out arm.
10 At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two
tables of stone like unto the firsts and come up unto me
2 into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I
will write on the tables the words that were on the first
tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in
3 the ark. So I made an ark of acacia wood, and hewed
two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into
4 the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he
wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten
a commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the
mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the
5 assembly : and the Lord gave them unto me. And I
turned and came down from the mount, and put the
tables in the ark which I had made ; and there they be,
6 as the Lord commanded me. [E] (And the children of
Israel journeyed from b Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah :
there Aaron died, and there he was buried ; and Eleazar
his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.
7 From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah ; and from
" Heb. words.
" Or, the wells of the children of Jaakan
x. 1-3. These verses are condensed from Exod. xxxiv. 1, a, 4,
and expanded by the references to the ark, not there named.
According to Exod. xxxvii. 1 f. (xxv. 10 f.) this ark was made by
Bezalel, after, not before, the reception of the second tables (P).
The inconsistency may go back to some narrative of JE, not
now extant.
6, T. These verses are clearly an interruption to the Horeb

DEUTERONOMY 10. S-io. ERDD! 107
Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of brooks of water. [RD] 8
At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to
bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before
the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name,
unto this day. Wherefore Levi hath no portion nor 9
inheritance with his brethren ; the Lord is his inheritance,
according as the Lord thy God spake unto him.) [D2]
And I stayed in the mount, as at the first time, forty days 10
narrative. They are connected with Num. xxxiii. 31-3 (P),
where the four names of this itinerary fragment occur, with
some variation, and in a different order. They cannot be derived
from that passage, not only because of the differences, but
especially because they place the death of Aaron at a point and
place different from those of P (Num. xx. 22 f., on Mount Horeb).
They are usually regarded as a fragment of E's itinerary (cf.,
e. g., Num. xxi. 12-15), both from their form and from the interest
in Eleazar (Joshua xxiv. 33, E). The places named are unknown.
' The passage is important, as showing that in the tradition of J E,
not less than in P, Aaron was the founder of a hereditary priest
hood ' (Driver, p. 121).
8, 9. The consecration of Levi to priestly duties, with priests'
dues. It is included in the brackets of the R. V. as a continuation
of the interruption made by verses 6, 7. It seems, however, to be
an independent note connected with the mention of the ark in
verse 5.
8. At that time : either of the stay at Horeb (verse 5) or at
Jotbathah (verse 7), according to the view taken of the connexion.
the tribe of Levi : to whom are here given the three priestly
duties— (a) to bear the ark, in Num. iv. 1 f. (P) the duty of Levites
(Kohathites) in the narrower sense, as distinct from the priests,
but in Deuteronomic writers the duty of the Levitical priests
(Deut. xxxi. 9 ; Joshua viii. 33 : cf. Joshua iii. 3, vi. 6, 12) ; (b) to
minister to Yahweh (in offering sacrifice), a duty reserved by P
for the (Aaronic) priests alone as distinct from the Levites (Num.
iii. 10) ; (c) to bless in His name, according to P (Num. vi. 23) the
privilege of (Aaronic) priests only. See on xviii. 1.
9. Yahweh is his inheritance : i. e. Levi is supported from the
sacred offerings to Yahweh, xviii. 1, 2.
IO, 11. These verses resume and conclude the Horeb narrative,
though their present place can hardly be original.
I stayed: the Heb. would allow the translation 'I had
stayed,' which is required if we relate the verse toix. 18, 19. The

108 DEUTERONOMY 10. n-19. D2 D
and forty nights : and the Lord hearkened unto me that
1 1 time also ; > the Lord would not destroy thee. And the
Lord said unto me, Arise, take. thy journey before the
people ; and they shall go in land possess the landj which
I sware unto their fathers to give unto them.
12 [D] And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God
require of thee, but to fear, the Lord thy God, to walk in
all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy
13 God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the
commandments of the Lord, and his statutes; which
H I command thee this day for thy good ? Behold, unto the
Lord thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of
15 heavens, the earth, with all that therein is. Only the
Lord had a delight in thy fathers 'to love them, and he
chose their seed after them,. even you a above all peoples,
16 as at this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your
17 heart, and be no more stiffnecked. For the Lord your
God, he is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great
God, the mighty, and the terrible, which regardeth not
18 persons, nor taketh reward. He doth execute the
judgement of the fatherless and widow, and loyeth the
19 stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye
a Or, out of
intercession to which Yahweh hearkened will then be that of ix.
25-9, whose success is now explicitly stated.
x. 12-23. Exhortation to respond to the great God who has
done such great things for Israel.
12. require : ' What is Yahweh thy God asking from thee ? '
Cf. Mic. vi. 8, which this' verse recalls.
16. Circumcise : xxx. 6 ; Jer;. iv. 4 ; the figure is also used of
the ear (Jer. vi. 16) arid of the lips (Exod. vi. 12) ; it is hardly drawn
from the physical operation (the unreceptive heart being ' closed
in,' Driver), but denotes a spiritual and true membership of Israel
in contrast with one based on the outward sign.
17. reward: 'a bribe.'
18, 19. Three classes liable to oppression are put Under His

DEUTERONOMY 10. 20— 11. 4. D 109
therefore the stranger : for ye were strangers in the land
of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God ; him shalt 20
thou serve ; and to him shalt thou cleave, and by his
name shalt thou swear. He is thy praise, and he is thy 2 1
God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible
things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went 22
down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons ; and
now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of
heaven for multitude.
Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep 11
his charge, and his statutes, and his judgements, and his
commandments, alway. And know ye this day : for I speak 2
not with your children which have not known, and which
have not seen the a chastisement of the Lord your God,
his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out
arm, and his signs, and his works, which he did in the 3
midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto
all his land ; and what he did unto the army of Egypt, 4
unto their horses, and to their chariots ; how he made the
a Or, instruction
protection ; Israel's duty to the stranger is enforced like the duty
to servants (v. 15), by an appeal to experience.
the stranger : see on i. 16 ; for the motive, cf. Exod. xxii.
21, xxiii. 9.
21. thy praise: (Jer. xvii. 14) i. e. to be praised by thee for
His deeds. for thee : Heb. ' with thee ' ; with reference to Egypt (xi. 3).
22. Gen. xlvi. 27 ; Exod. i. 5 ; Deut. i. 10 ; a special instance
of the Divine providence.
xi. 1-9. Let the personal experience of Yahweh's great deeds
prompt Israel to obedience.
2. I speak: necessarily supplied by R.V., because the Hebrew
has no verb to govern the long sentence following (verses 2-6).
chastisement : ' discipline ' comes nearer the meaning of the
Heb. word than either R.V. or R. V. marg. (iv. 36, viii. 5). Cf.
the similar, though less detailed, review in iv. 34 f. (vi. 32, vn.
"18). The generation addressed is that which was delivered
from Egypt.

no DEUTERONOMY 11. 5-1 1. D
water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued
after you, and how the Lord hath destroyed them
5 unto this day ; and what he did unto you in the wilderness,
6 until ye came unto this place ; and what he did unto
Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of
Reuben ; how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed
them up, and their households, and their tents, and
every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all
7 Israel : but your eyes have seen all the great work of the
8 Lord which he did. Therefore shall ye keep all the
commandment which I command thee this day, that ye
may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither
9 ye go over to possess it ; and that ye may prolong your
days upon the land, which, the Lord sware unto your
fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land flowing
10 with milk and honey. For the land, whither thou goest
in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence
ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst
1 1 it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs : but the land, whither
5. See Num. xvi. The omission of Korah is due to the fact
that the writer is using JE, which did not mention him. The
(later) account of P, which does, has been interwoven with JE
to form the narrative of Num. xvi.
xi. 10-17. Canaan contrasted with Egypt to show its greater
dependence on Yahweh for fertility. (The paragraph division of
R. V. between verses 12 and 13 obscures the sense.)
10. not as the land of Egypt : viz. in respect of irrigation,
owing to the broken surface of the country (verse n), which does
not favour artificial irrigation on a large scale.
wateredst it with thy foot: i.e. possibly with a wheel
worked by the foot. The present water-wheels of Egypt are
turned usually by an ox. W. Max Miiller points out, however
(E.B., ' Egypt,' 1226 n.1), that the use of the water-wheel cannot
be proved for ancient Egypt ; ' most probably " watering with the
foot " means carrying water.'
as a garden of herbs : (1 Kings xxi. a) i. e. a small plot of
ground for which artificial irrigation could be employed in Palestine.

DEUTERONOMY 11. 12-17. D m
ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and
drinketh water of the rain of heaven : a land which the 12
Lord thy God a careth for ; the eyes of the Lord thy God
are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even
unto the end of the year.
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently 13
unto my commandments which I command you this
day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with
all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give the 14
rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the
latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy
wine, and thine oil. And I will give grass in thy fields for 15
thy cattle, and thou shalt eat and be full. Take heed to 16
yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and ye turn aside,
and serve other gods, and worship them; and the anger 17
of the Lord be kindled against you, and he shut up the
a Heb. seeketh after.
11. drinketh water of the rain of heaven: i. e. is dependent
on the rains of verse 14 for its moisture, in contrast with Egypt,
where rain is infrequent and agriculture depends on the inundation
of the Nile, and on connected systems of irrigation. The superiority
of Canaan, as well as its greater dependence on Yahweh, is
naturally implied.
12. careth for. 'The climate of Egypt is not one which of
itself suggests a personal Providence, but the climate of Palestine
does so ' (H.G.H.L., p. 74). The present passage is a suggestive
example of the way in which ' second causes ' can tyrannize over
human imagination. The water of the Nile is a natural gift ; the
rain of Palestine a supernatural.
14. the rain of your land : i. e. not irregular showers, but the
rainy period of the winter, begun by the heavy rainfall of October
(the ' former rain '), which prepares for the agricultural year, and
closed by that of March and April (the ' latter rain '), before the
summer drought begins> This division of seasons is ' the ruling
feature of the climate of Syria' (H.G.H.L., p. 63^.), and on its
regular occurrence depend the fertility and prosperity: of the land
(verse 17).
17. The picture is not overdrawn. 'The early rains or the
latter rains fail, drought comes occasionally for two years in

iia DEUTERONOMY 11. 18-24. D
heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not
her fruit ; and ye perish quickly from off the good land
18 which the Lord giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up
these my words in your heart and in your soul ; and ye
shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall
19 be for frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach
them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest
in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and
20 when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou
shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and
21 upon thy gates : that your days may be multiplied, and
the days of your children, upon the land which the Lord
sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the
22 heavens above the earth. For if ye shall diligently keep
all this commandment which I command you, to do it ;
to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and
23 to cleave unto him ; then will the Lord drive out all
these nations from before you, and ye shall possess nations
24 greater and mightier than yourselves. Every place where
on the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours : from
the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river
Euphrates, even unto the a hinder sea shall be your border.
a That is, western.
succession, and that means famine and pestilence ' (op. cit., p. 73).
For a fine description of cause and effect in agricultural prosperity,
see Hosea ii. 21, 22.
xi. 18-25. The words of Yahweh, cherished, taught, and
obeyed, will bring victorious possession of the Promised Land.
18-20. See on vi. 6-9, from which these verses are repeated
with very slight change.
21. as the days of the heavens above the earth: i. e. so long
as the (visible) universe endures : cf. the appeal to its permanence
in iv. 26.
i-. 24. Cf. Joshua i. 3. The wilderness meant is that south of
Palestine, answering here, as a boundary, to Lebanon in the north,
whilst Israel's ideal territory is to extend from the Euphrates in
the east to the Mediterranean in the west.

DEUTERONOMY 11. 25-30. D RD 113
There shall no man be able to stand before you : the 25
Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread
of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he
hath spoken unto you.
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a 26
curse; the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the com- 27
mandments of the Lord your God, which I . command
you this day : and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto 28
the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn
aside out of the way which I command you this day, to
go after other gods, which ye have not known.
[RD] And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy 29
God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to
possess it, that thou shalt set the blessing upon mount
Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. Are they not 3°
beyond Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the
25. as he hath spoken : Exod. xxiii. 27.
xi. 26-32. The alternatives of obedience and disobedience are
those of a blessing and a curse (verses a6-8). These shall be
solemnly recognized at the centre of Israel's future land (verses
29-32). (The blessing and the curse are expanded in chap, xxviii.)
28. which ye have not known : the Baals of Canaan have no
share in the intimate relation hitherto existing between Yahweh
and Israel.
29. set the blessing upon : give it ceremonial sanction there,
as is described in xxvii. n f., with which passage verses 29, 30 are
to be connected (hence assigned to RD).
Gerizim . . . Ebal : probably chosen because the ancient
sanctuary of Shechem (Joshua xxiv. 3a) lay in the valley between
them. The simplest explanation of the assignment of , the blessing
and curse respectively is that Ebal lay to the north, i. e. on the
Hebrew 'left,' and Gerizim to the south, the Hebrew 'right.'
That the latter was, as amongst other peoples, regarded as aus
picious, in contrast with the ill-omened left, is shown by the
Hebrew name ' Benjamin,' or ' son of the right hand ' (Gen. xxxv.
18, R. V. marg.). .
30. the way of the going down of the sun : 1. e. the chief

n4 DEUTERONOMY 11, 31— 12. r. RD D
sun, in the land of the Canaanites which dwell in the
Arabah, over against Gilgal,. beside the aoaks of .Moreh ?
31 [D] For ye are to pass over Jordan to go in to possess
the land which the Lord your God giveth you, and ye
32 shall possess it, and dwell therein. And ye shall observe
to do all the statutes and the judgements which I set
before you this day. , .1
12 These are the statutes and the judgements*,: which ye
shall observe toi do in the land whieh.the Lord, the
God of thy fathetfs; hath given thee to possess it, all the
" Or,, terebinths
western. road, running from south to north, and passing east of
Shechem, which is; therefore ' behind ' it (cf. verse 24).
which dwell in the Arabah: the reference' is obscure, since
the 'Arabah (i. 1, R. V. marg.) is, remote from Shechem. .-.
over against Gilgal: hardly the Gilgal near Jericho j
possibly the < circle r (of ' stories) in connexion with Shechem.
the oaks of Moreh: or 'the terebinth, (sing, in LXX) of the
teacher' (giver of oracles) (see Joshua xxiv. 26 for the sacred
stone and sacred tree at Shechem). la-orrf s. 1 ¦
xii-xxv. At this point we pass to the Co.de of Laws, which falls
into three main sections :
I. The Law of the Central Sanctuary, with its related ordinances,
xu. 1 — xvi. 17 (with xvi. 21— xvii. 7).
II. Laws relating to persons in authority (judges., king, priests,
prophpts), xvii. 8 — xviii. aa (with xvi. 18-30).
III. Miscellaneous Laws, xix-xxv (not admitting, in their present
order, of further .classjficaticm *)..
xii. 1-38. The Fundamental Law of the Single Sanctuary. For
the central place and primary importance of this section, see
Introd. p. 10 (The Reformation of Josiah), p. 36 f.
Title (verse 1). Destruction of the Canaanite places of worship
(verses 3; 3). Yahwehris to he> worshipped at one place only
(verses 4-7). The present individual liberty is to be abandoned
(verses 8-10) that all offerings in Canaan may be. made at the one
place (verses 11, ia): Repetition, in varied form, of the law of
a single sanctuary (verses 13, 14). Animals for food may be

' .Dr^ver (p- :35) takes xix and xxi. 1-9 to form a section,

'Criminal Law

.DEUTERONOMY 12. 2, 3. D 115
days that ye live upon die earth. Ye shall surely destroy 2
all the places,, wherein the nations; which ye shall possess
served their gods, upon the high mountains, and' upon
the .hills, and under every green- tree : and: ye. shall 3
break down, their altars, and dash, in pieces their a pillar^
and burn their ; Asherim with fire ; and ye shall hew
: a Or, o&elisks
killed "and their flesh eaten anywhere, though not the blood
(MerseS ig, 16). But the substance of tithe, vow, or offering is lo
be eaten at the one place only (verses 17-19). Repetition, in
a varied form, of the permission to kill for food locally, though
the blood must be poured away (verses 30-5) ; whilst all sacred
rites must be performed at the one central sanctuary (verses
26-8). ,
There can be little doubt that this section contains more than
one version of the same law. , , . , . .
2. all the places : i. e. the sacred places, or sanctuaries, like
' the place of Shechem ' (Gen. xii. 6) or ofBethel (xiii. 3),, called
' the place of the altar ' (verse 4) or the ' place 'where Abraham
proposed to sacrifice Isaac (xxii. 3). The corresponding Arabic
word for • place ' is use^ct similarly of a sanctuary.. The much more
usual word employed to designate these local sanctuaries is that
rendered ' high place' (bdmah), such sanctuaries being originally
upon the high mountains and upon the hills. For the relation
of such a high place to a particular town or district, see, e.g.,
1 Sam. ix. 10-25.
served their gods: most of these local sanctuaries were
those of the Canaanites, adopted by Israel after the conquest of
Canaan. How far Israel actually worshipped the local Baals., at
these sanctuaries is uncertain ;, what is clear is that the worship
of Yahweh was practised at them down to the time of the
Deuteronomic Reformation, and after its: initial failure (Exod. xx.
34-6, 'in every pjace' ; 1 Kings xix. 10, 'thine altars' ; Amos
and Hosea, passim, where it is the contamination of the, worship
of Yahweh £y (surviving); Canaanite associations that is attacked,
not 'the localization, of the warship away from the Temple).
under every green tree: or 'spreading' tree; for the
sacred trees often growing at these ' places,' see Joshua xxiv. 26 ;
1 Sam. xxii. 6 ;, Hos. iv.. 13, &c, _
' 3. pillars .(mdzeeboth) : the artificial sacred stones. See on
xvi. 22.Asherim : the wooden posts, representing the sacred tree.
See on xvi. ax. I 2

116 DEUTERONOMY 12. 4-«- D
down the graven images of their gods ; and ye shall
4 destroy their name out of that place. Ye shall not do
5 so unto the Lord your God. But unto the place which
the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to
put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye
6 seek, and thither thou shalt come : and thither ye shall
bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your
tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and your
vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of
These, with the altar (see on verse 2), and in some cases the idol
( Hos. viii. 6), the usual accompaniments of the ' high place,' are to
be so completely destroyed that the very memory (' their name ')
of the local Baals is to cease (contrast verse 5, 'his name').
Bertholet illustrates by the later Jewish modification of proper
names containing the element ' Baal ' ; e. g. Ish-baal became Ish-
bosheth. 5. the place which Yahweh your God shall choose: i.e.
Jerusalem, as often in this book (cf. 1 Kings viii. 44, 48, by
a Deuteronomic writer). The earliest mention of Jerusalem is in
the Tell el-Amarna Tablets, c. 1400 B.C., where it appears as the
fortified capital of a small district. After the Israelite invasion it
remained for a long time in the hands of the Canaanites, till
captured by David (2 Sam. v. 6, 7). He brought up the ark of
Yahweh to a tent, and on the threshing-floor of Araunah the
Jebusite, which he bought (a Sam. xxiv. 18 f.), Solomon's Temple
was built. There is no evidence of the existence there of an
earlier sanctuary.
6. burnt offerings : viz. as systematized in Lev. i, those of
cattle, sheep and goats, birds, whose blood was dashed or drained
out against the side of the altar, whilst the whole of the flesh
was burnt upon it. Cf. Exod. x. 35, &c.
sacrifices: specially of the thank- or peace-offering (Exod. xx.
34), as the most frequent form of sacrifice. The flesh of cattle
sheep, or goats was eaten by the worshippers at a sacrificial meal
of communion with the deity — except the fat offered on the altar
and the priest's portion.
tithes : see on xiv. 22.
heave offering of your hand : personal contributions ; not
something elevated in presentation, but 'lifted off" a larger quantity
like first-fruits and other voluntary offerings.
vows . . . freewill offerings : belonging to special occasions.
firstlings : cf. xv. 19-22.

nDEUTERONOMY 12. 7-12. D 117
your herd and of your flock : and there ye shall eat 7
before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all
that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households,
wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. Ye shall 8
not do after all the things that we do here this day,
every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes : for ye 9
are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance,
which the Lord thy God giveth thee. But when ye go to
over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your
God causeth you to inherit, and he giveth you rest from
all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety ;
then it shall come to pass that the place which the Lord ii
your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there,
thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your
burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the
heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows
which ye vow unto the Lord : and ye shall rejoice before 12
the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your
daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants.
and the Levite that is within your gates, forasmuch as he
1. The sacrificial meal (verse 6, 'sacrifices') of the family
group : cf. verse 18, xiv. 23, xv. 20. For the important place of
this act of communion in Semitic religion, see especially Rel. Sem.,
Lect. vii. The emphasis of Deuteronomy on joy in worship
agrees with the omission of any reference above to the sin-offering
or guilt-offering of Lev. iv and v (Introd., p. 38 note).
8. Cf. Amos v. 25. It need hardly be pointed out that the
writer knows nothing of the elaborate wilderness-ritual of P.
IO. rest from all your enemies : not gained, as a matter of
history, till the age of David and Solomon, which may be in view
here (a Sam. vii. 1 ; 1 Kings viii. 56).
11. The verse implies that the law of the single sanctuary was
not meant to come into operation till the time was ripe for build
ing the Temple (cf. 1 Kings iii. a).
your choice vows : i. e. choice substance offered to fulfil
a vow. 12. the Levite (cf. x. 9) : i. e. the original priest of the local

n8 DEUTERONOMY 12. i3-'7- D
13 hath no portion nor inheritance with you. Take heed
to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every
14 place that thou seest : but in the place which; the7 LORD
ishall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shaft offer thy
burnt Offerings^ and there thousfoalt do all that I command
i5=theek Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and feat flesh
within all thy gates, after all the desire of thy ! soul,
.. .according to the blessing Of the Lord thy God which he
hath: given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat
16 thereof, as of the gazelle, and as of the hart: Only ye
shall not eat the blood 5 thou shalt pour it out upon the
17 earth as water. Thou mayest Dot eat within thy gates
sanctuary, now deprived of his livelihood (xvjji. 6-8), and fre
quently commended in this book to the care of Israel (verse 18,
xiv. B7, 29, xvi. ny 14, xxvi. 11).
within: your gates : i. e. throughout your cities (a character
istic phrase of Deuteronomy).
IS. thou mayest kill: the' Hebrew verb means- either to
sacrifice or to kill, the fact .being that all slaughter of 'domestic
animals was originally sacrificial,, their flesh being eaten on com
paratively rare occasions at a sacrificial meal (see on verse 6).
This sacrificial act oonldJbe performed at a sanctuary >only<"sb 'long
as one was close at hand ; the centralization of all sacrificial. acts
at Jerusalem involved the recognition of slaughter for food as
non-sacrificial (cf. Rel. Sem., p. 238). A fuller explanation is
given by verse 20 f. '
after all the desire of thy soul : the soul (nephesh), originally
the breath, as the principle of life, tends to be specialized in later
Hebrew psychology as the principle of emotion and sensation,
especially hunger (as here): The higher cognitive and conative
elements of conscious life were ascribed to the heart.
the unclean and the clean : i.e. in a ceremonial sense
(1 Sam. xx. 26), since the act was no longer to be regarded as
sacrificial, but such flesh was to be treated like game (as of the
gazelle, and as of the hart-: cf. xiv. 5), i. e. under a non-sacrificial
classification. 16. blood : see Int*od., p. 24 ; the blood of the slain animal is
still regarded as too mysterious arid 'sacred' to he: consumed ;
hence, for want of an altar at Which to dispose of it with safety,
it is poured on the ground (cf. Rel. Sem., p. 234 f.).
17. The permission for the! local consumptiowWlfeshuoesnot

DEUTERONOMY 12. 18-23. D 119
the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thine oil, or
the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy •
vows which thou vowest; nor thy freewill offerings, nor
the heave offering of thine hand : but thou Shalt eat 18
them before- the Lord thy God in the place which the
Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy
daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and
the Levite that is within thy gates'1: andthou shalt rejoice
before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thine
hand unto. Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not 19
the Levite as long as thou livest upon thy land.
When the Lord thy God shall enlarge thy border, as 20
he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat
flesh, because thy soul desireth to eat flesh ; thoU mayest
eat flesh, after all the desire of thy soul. If the place 21
which the Lord thy God shall choose to put his name
there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy
herd and of thy flock, which the Lord hath given thee,
as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat within thy
gates, after all the desire of thy soul. Even as the 22
gazelle .and as the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat thereof:
the unclean and the clean shall eat thereof alike. Only 23
be sure that thou eat not the blood : for the bloodis. the
apply to tithes (xiv. 22 f.), firstlings (xv. 19 f.), or other sacred
offerings. 20. enlarge thy border s cf. xix. 8 ; with reference to the
acquisition, not of Canaan (verse 1), but of the ideal territory of
i. 7, xi. 24 (Dillmann). For the actual extent of the Josianic
kingdom, see Introd.,p. 37.
I will eat flesh : implying that this is no everyday occurrence
(see on verse 15). Cf. Doughty, Arabia Deserta, i. p. 452.
23. sure: Heb. 'strong'; reference to 1 Sam. xiv. 33 will
show how hunger might overcome a primitive superstition ; but
the use of blood in magical rites may also be in view.
the blood is the life : cf. Gen. ix. 4 ,- Lev. xvii. n, 14: See
Introd., p. 34.

120 DEUTERONOMY 12. 24-3°- D
life; and •(: thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh.
24 Thou shalt not eat it ; thou shalt pour: it out upon the
25 earth as water. Thou shalt, not eat it ; that, it may go
well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when
thou shalt do that which: isxight.in the eyes of the Lord.
26 Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows,
thou shalt take, and go untQjhe place which the Lord
27 shall choose: and thou shalt, offer thy burnt offerings,
the flesh and the; blood, upon the altar of the Lord thy
God : and the blood of thy sacrifices shall ;be poured out
upon the, altar of the Lord thy God, and thou shalt eat
28 the flesh. Observe and hear all these words which I
command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with
thy children after theq for ever, when thou doest that
which is good and right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.
29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations
from before thee, whither thou goest in to possess them,
and thou possessest them, and dwellest in their land;
30 take heed to thyself, that thou be not ensnared a to follow
¦ Heb. after them.

Zf. See on verse 6.
xii. 39 — xiii. 18. Laws against Solicitation to the Cults of Canaan.
General warning against the assimilation of the worship of Yahweh
to that of the gods of Canaan (verses ,29^31). If a prophet urges
the claims of these gods, his teaching is to be rejected, though it
is substantiated by foretold signs ; and the man himself is to be
put to death (xii. 32 — xiii. 5). Even a relative or friend, secretly
soliciting to their worship, is to be denounced and stoned to death
(verses 6- 11). The city that listens to such solicitations shall be
devoted to Yahweh, its inhabitants being slaughtered, and its spoil
burnt without exception (verses 12-18).
30. ensnared : partly, no doubt, by the ancient belief that the
god of a district must be worshipped there, and in the local manner
(1 Sam. xxvi. 19 ; 2 Kings xvii. 25-8) ; partly, also, by the fascination
exercised over men in all ages by novel means of contact with the
supernatural world.

DEUTERONOMY 12. 31— 13. 3. D 121
;them, after that they be destroyed from before thee;
and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How
do, these nations serve their gods? aeven so will I do
likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the. Lord thy 31
God : for every abomination to the Lord, which he
hateth, have they done unto their gods ; for even their
sons and their daughters do they burn in the fire to
their gods.
bWhat thing soever I command you, that shall ye 32
observe to do : thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish
from it.
If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a 13
dreamer of dreams, and he give thee, a sign or a wonder,
and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he 2
spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which
thou hast not known, and let us serve them ; thou shalt 3
not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that
dreamer of dreams : for the Lord your God proveth you,
B Or, that I also may do likewise b [Ch. xiii. 1 in Heb.]
Religious reformers have always recognized the perils of
syncretism of the forms of worship ; by the transference or
acceptance of an alien form the alien idea finds easy entrance.
31. abomination : cf. vii. 25 ; practically a technical term for
acts of idolatry, though also used in the ethical sphere (xxv. 16 ;
Lev. xviii. 32).
burn in the fire (2 Kings xvi. 3, xvii. 31, &c.) : see note on
xviii. 10 for this form of child-sacrifice.
32. This verse (cf. R. V. marg.) relates to the three following
cases (chap, xiii) of solicitation to heathen worship.
xiii. 1. a dreamer of dreams. The prophet is conceived as
receiving his message by vision or dream (Num. xii. 6). In
Jer. xxiii. 28, however, the prophecy nourished on dreams is
distinguished from the ethical and spiritual message of Jeremiah
himself. a sign or a wonder : such as Isaiah offers Ahaz (Isa. vii. 11)
to substantiate his message.
3, proveth you (viii. 2, 16), &c. : ' is putting you to the test to

122 DEUTERONOMY 13. 4-6- D
to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all
4 your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after
the Lord your God, and fear1 him, and keep his com
mandments, and obey his voiee,; and ye shall serve him,
5 and cleave unto him. And'that prophet, or that drearher
of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath
spoken a rebellion against 'the Lord your God,' which
brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed
thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out
of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to
walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst
of thee.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or
thy daughter, or the Wife of thy bosom, or thy friend,
which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying,
* Heb. turning aside.

know .whether you do (emph.) love ' (Driver) ; i. e. whether your
relationship to Yahweh is of such a character that it can defy even
' supernatural ' evidence against His revealed will. The passage
is important for the biblical doctrine of miracle (cf. Mrizley,
Lectures on the O. T.,p. 33) ; with it should be compared Paul's
warning to the Galatians hot to receive another gospel though an
angel preached it (Gal. i. 8) ; and, on tile other hand, Christ's
refusal to give external signs of His truth (Mark viii. 11 f.), Which
He based primarily on moral experience (John vii. 17) and
practical discernment (Matt. xvi. 3). •
5. put away : consume or exterminate (as by burning) ; the
phrase 'consume the evil from the midst' is characteristic of
Deuteronomy, in which it occurs seven times, all except once of
the death sentence.
6 f. The second example of solicitation, which is of a private
character ('secretly,' verse 6; 'conceal,' verse 8). Even the
closest personal ties inust hot protect the would-be idolater from
unsparing denunciation arid death (cf. xxxiii. 9).
the son of thy mother (Ps. 1. 20) : not, of course, a superfluous
addition to ' brother' in the hoiiseTiold of several wives (xxi. 15).
thy friend, which is as thine own soul : the same phrase
occurs in one of the two classical examples of O. T. friendship

DEUTERONOMY 13. 7-12. t> 123
Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not
known* thou, nor thy fathers ; of the.godsof the peoples 7
which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off
from th«e, from the one end of the earth even unto the
other end of 4 - earth ; thou shalt not consent unto him, 8
nor hearken^ unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him,
neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him :
but thou .shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be 9
first Upon him to put him to death, and afterwards
the hand of all the people. And thcta shalt stone him 10
with stones, that he die ; because he hath sought to
draw tiree away from the Lord thy God, which brought
thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall n
do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst
of thee.
If thou shalt. hear tell "concerning one of thy cities, 12
which the Lord thy God giveth thee to dwell there,
- Or, in
(1 Sam. xviii. i) ; whilst, in the other, it is the worshipper of
Yahweh -who wins over the worshipper of Kemosh (Ruth i. 16).
1. far off : the Assyrians (a; Kings xvi. 10, xxi. g1!, .' the host
of heaven ' ¦ cf. Deut. iv. 19) are probably meant ; for religious
influences nearer at hand, see~i Kings xi. 5, 7.
9. thine hand shall he first (xvii. 7) : i.e. in the public in
fliction of the death penalty of verse 10. The convicting witness
must bear the initial responsibility of the act, cost him what sorrow
it may.10. Stoning was the only recognized form of capital punishment
in Hebrew law (Benzinger, in E.B. 2722). Its adoption may be
due partly in order to avoid literal blood-shedding (to an^ marked
degree), and partly to keep down the dead man's spirit by the
pale of stones east on his- body. --;,'- * -<-».- ¦• ...
12f. The third case of solicitation supposes it to have been
successful, so that a city is tainted with heathen- worship. ,.
hear tell concerning: read as in R.V. marg. ; the words
' in one of ttiy cities,' &c.,, are placed, before .' saying ' for greater
emphasis, though actually part of what is said.

124 DEUTERONOMY 13. 13-18- *>
13 saying, Certain » base fellows are gone out from the midst
of thee, and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city,
saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not
14 known; then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and
ask diligently ; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing
certain, that such abomination is wrought in the midst
15 of thee; thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that
city with the edge of the sword, b destroying it utterly,
and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the
16 edge of the sword. And thou shalt gather all the spoil
of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn
with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof c every whit,
unto the Lord thy God : and it shall be an d heap for
17 ever; it shall not be built again. And there shall cleave
nought of the devoted thing to thine hand : that the
Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew
thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and
18 multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers ; when
thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God,
to keep all his commandments which I command thee
a Heb. sons of worthlessness. b Heb. devoting it.
c Or, as a whole burnt offering a Or, mound Heb. tel.

13. base fellows : the Hebrew word for ' worthlessness '
(R. V. marg.) is 'belial,' which in 2 Cor. vi. 15 has developed into
a proper name for the devil. These men have gone out from
the midst of Israel, i. e. are themselves Israelites.
16. spoil: included in the herem, which is of the severest
type, like that on Jericho (Joshua vi. 24). See on xx. 17.
street : ' broad place,' like our ' market-place ' or ' village-
green.' every whit. The Hebrew word, kalil, means ' entire ' or
'whole,' and is also used specially of a ' holocaust ' or sacrifice
consumed wholly upon the altar (xxxiii. 10) ; here in the latter
sense (R. V. marg.).
an heap for even like Ai (Joshua viii. a8) or Rabbah (Jer.
xlix. a;.

DEUTERONOMY 14. i, 2. D 125
this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the
Lord thy God.
Ye are the children of the Lord your God : ye shall 14
not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your
eyes for the dead. For thou art an holy people unto 2
the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to
be a peculiar people unto himself, a above all peoples that
are upon the face of the earth.
* Or, out of
xiv. i-ai. The holiness of Israel is to be maintained by ab
stention from cuttings for the dead (verses 1, 3), from eating the
flesh of certain animals (verses 3-8), fishes (verses 9, 10), and
birds (verses n-so), and from other practices (verse 21) un
worthy of the people of Yahweh.
The central part of this section (verses 4-20) stands in close
relation to Lev. xi. 2-23, with which it agrees verbally to a large
extent. The general character of the list disconnects it from D
and relates it to P, and this is confirmed by the phrase ' after its
kind,' which is characteristic of P. It is disputed, however,
whether Deuteronomy here depends on Leviticus, or vice versa.
1. cut yourselves : cf. Lev. xix. 28 (xxi. 5, of the priests).
It is clear from Jer. xvi. 6 (cf. xii. 5, xlvii. 5) that mourners cut
themselves for the dead as part of the ordinary funeral ceremonies
of the time, so that the present law, even if belonging to the
original Law-book, was not observed. Such mutilations occur
amongst many primitive peoples (examples in Rel. Sem., p. 33a f.),
and their object appears to be to maintain blood-communion, or
a blood-covenant, with the dead. Similar cuttings were made by
the heathen priests opposed by Elijah (1 Kings xvm. a8), to
establish the blood-bond with their deity. .
make any baldness between your eyes : the hair-offering at
the grave is another widespread custom, with similar intent ; the
hair, like the blood, is a special seat of vitality. The custom is
frequently mentioned in the O. T. as a natural feature of mourning
(Amos viii. 10; Isa. xv. a, xxii. 12; Mic. i. 16; Jer. xvi. 6;
Ezek. vii. 18), the shaved patch ' between the eyes (1. e. on the
forehead) corresponding to the mourner's hatband in this country ;
whilst the cuttings on the hands (Jer. xlviii. 37) were doubtless as
conventional a sign of mourning as black gloves. The former
practice is forbidden to the priests in Lev. xxi. 5 ; other develop
ments of the hair-offering are illustrated by the Nazirite s vow
(Num. vi. 18), and the vow of Paul (Acts xvm. 18), and the priestly

126 DEUTERONOMY 14. 3-8. DP?
3, 4 Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. [P ?] These
are the beasts which ye shall eat : the ox, the sheep, and
. 5 the goat, the;hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and
the wild goat; and the pygargy and the antelope, and the
6 chamois. And every beast rtha<t , parteth the hoof, and
hath the hoof cloven, in two, and acheweth the cud,
7 among, ,tb§, beasts, .that ye shall , eat. , Nevertheless these
ye shall'not eat of them that: chew the cud, .or. of .them
that have the hoof cloven : the camel, and the hare, and
the k coney, -beeause they chew the cud but part not the
8 hoof, they are unclean unto you : and the, swine, because
he parteth the hoof but cheweth not the cud, he is un-
¦ Heb. bringethup. * See, Lev. xi. 5,

tonsure of ancient and modern times. Similar practices among
the early Arabs are described by.Wellhausen. (Reste,'p, 181).
3. abominable thing 5 the: same word as in' vii. 35 Q abomina
tion'). ' No smglei . principle* leinbraciiig 'satisfactorily all' the
cases, seems yet to. have been found ; and not improbably more
principles- thanone co-operated' (Driver, p. 164). Probably certain
animals had come to be preserved as a religious duty (totemism),
or were connected with heathen rites (Ezek. viii. 10) ; others
may have been considered as repulsive in themselves.
if. The translation of the more unfamiliar names is often
uncertain, and usually follows the suggestions of the: ancient
versions. The list often clean beasts is not given in Lev. xi. 2 f.
5. pygarg: i.e. 'white.nkmpj' the name of a species of
antelope, mentioned by Herodotus (iv. 192) as found in Libya.
chamois: the word (occurring here only) probably -denotes
some kind of mountain sheep* rather than the chamois, which
belongs: to Central Europe. > . .
6 f. Two characteristics, of the ' cltean ' class are noted — (a) the
division of the hoof, (8): the : bringing up the; icuric;. one only of
these may belong to aniniails in the unclean class (verses 7, 8)y viz.
(ft) to the camel,: hare, rock-badger (R. V. mang.), and: (a), to the
swine. Coney is the 03d-.EngIish word, for (rabbit)': (cf. Ps. civ.
18;. Prov. xxx. 26). ' Neither the rodo-rabbiit rior the hare really
chews the cud, but the movements which, they often make with
their mouths give, them the appearance of ruminating ' (S.B.O.T.
Lev., p. 74).. : '

DEUTERONOMY 14. 9-17. p ? Ia?
clean unto you : of their flesh ye shall not eat, and their
carcases ye shall not touch.
These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters : what- 9
soever hath fins and scales shall ye eat : and whatsoever 10
hath not fins: and scales ye, shall not eat; it, is, unclean
unto you.
Of all clean birds, ye, may eat. But these are, they of n, 12
which ye shall not eat : the » eagle, and the gier eagle, and
the. ©spray ; and the glede, and the falcon, and the* kjte I3
after its kind ; and every raven after its kind; and.the M) ,5
ostrich, and the night hawk, and the seamew, and the
hawk after its kind;,, -the, little owl, and the great owl, 16
and the horned owl ; and the pelican, and the vulture, i7
0 See Lev. xi. 13, &c.

9, 10. This general classification of fishes is stated at greater
length in Lev. xi. 9-ia.
12. eagle: R.V. marg. suggests 'great vulture.' There' are
four species of vultures and eight of eagles in Palestine. The
Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew word here (hesher) covers all
these genetically, but the biblical usage of the word (Mic. i. 16,
'enlarge thy baldness as the nesher') shows that the griffon or
great vulture is meant, which is without feathers on the head and
neck (see Post in. D~B. s. v. ' Eagle ').,
. gier eagle : the bearded vulture, largest of all.
ospray : l&p short-toed eagle : ' It is the mqst abujidant of the
eagle tribe in Palestine ' (Post, /. c.).
13. the glede, and the falcon,, and the kite: read 'the kite
and. the falcon,' and omit 'glede,' which is simply a guess at
a word which does not: elsewhere occur, and is almost certainly
due to a scribal error (cf. Lev., xi. 14, supported here by the
ancient versions). 'Glede' is itself an old name for the kite,
retained from A. V.
after its kind (P) :, i. e. as; a generic name, including various
species. 16. horned owl : others, after LXX, as ' waterhen.' Reasons
for rejection of the A. V. 'swan' are given by Post (D.B. s. v.
' Swan ').
X7. vulture: ' carrifln-. vulture,' known as 'Pharaoh's hen.'

128 DEUTERONOMY 14. 18-2 1. P?D
18 and the cormorant ; and the Stork, and the heron after its
19 kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. And all winged
creeping things are unclean unto you : they shall not be
20 eaten. Of all clean fowls ye may eat.
21 [D] Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself:
thou mayest give it unto the stranger that is within thy
gates, that he may eat it ; or thou mayest sell it unto a
foreigner : for thou art an holy people unto the Lord
thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's
milk.

cormorant : some kind of plunging bird is meant ; the
cormorant is an expert diver, and 'is common along the coast,
coming up the Kishon and visiting the Sea of Galilee. It is like
wise abundant along the Jordan ' (D.B- s. v.).
18. heron : a conjecture, on the ground that the heron belongs
to the same group as the stork.
19. creeping: 'swarming'; winged swarming things are
insects that fly.
20. fowls: the Hebrew word is wider than the English, and
denotes winged creatures in general. Some kinds of locusts are
here included : cf. Lev. xi. 21, aa.
21. thing that dieth of itself : one word in Hebrew, rendered
' carcase ' in verse 8 ; the ground of objection to it is that the blood
has not been drained out, as the context of Lev. xvii. 15 implies.
The verse suggests to the English reader a cynical disregard for
the health of the ' stranger ' ; but this does not belong to the
Hebrew law, which merely points out that the 'stranger' is free
from the ceremonial obligations of the Israelite, without reference
to the selfish disposal of diseased meat.
stranger : see on i. 16. Thesis here distinguished from the
nokhri (xv. 3), or ' foreigner,' who is not a settled resident like the
ger, but e. g. a foreign trader. The verse should be compared with
Exod. xxii. 31 (JE), where it is said that flesh torn of beasts is to be
given to the dogs ; and Lev. xvii. 15, where both kinds of flesh are
forbidden to both Israelites and settled ' strangers ' (cf. Exod. xii.
49> P)i the latter class being practically ' proselytes.'
seethe (boil). The same law is found in Exod. xxiii. 19,
xxxiv. a6; in both cases it is named in connexion with the
offering of the firstfruits, which suggests a reference to some
harvest rite (note verse 22 f.). Robertson Smith, who states that
' flesh seethed in milk is still a common Arabian dish,' thinks

DEUTERONOMY 14. «a-24. D 129
Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, 22
that which cometh forth of the field year by year. And n
thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place
which he shall choose to cause his name to dwell there,
the tithe of thy Corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and
the firstlings of thy herd and of thy flock ; that thou
mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always. And if 24
the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to
carry it, because the place is too far from thee, which the
Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when
that milk is here (as elsewhere) regarded as equivalent to blood
{Rel. Sem., p. 221 n.). Here some heathen rite for promoting
fertility of the field by the breach of a primitive taboo seems to be
meant. xiv. 22-29. The Law of Tithes. The tithe of all the produce of
the ground, together with the firstlings, is to be eaten at the central
sanctuary (verses 23-3). Its value may be realized in money and
expended there according to choice, if the distance is too great for
the transference of the tithe in kind (verses 24-6). The Levite
is not to be forgotten in this family feast (verse 27). Every third
year's tithe, however, is to be devoted to dependent classes of the
particular district (verses 28, 29).
22. tithe. The payment of a tenth was frequent amongst many
peoples (references in Moore's art. 'Tithes,' E.B., for Greeks,
Romans, Carthaginians, Egyptians, Syrians, Sabaeans,,Lydians,
Babylonians, and Chinese). The tithe was devoted by the early
Hebrews to secular, i. e. royal(i Sam. viii. 15, 17 : cf. Amos vii. i)or
religious (Amos iv. 4 : cf. Gen. xxviii. 32) .purposes. The earliest
Semitic sacred tithe of which we know, that of the Carthaginians
sent to Tyre, was both political and religious (Rel. Sem., p. ^46).
The priest would naturally receive something from all tithe offered
at a temple to the deity; he would share, e. g., in the family feast
prescribed by the present law. This is, however, to he clearly
distinguished from the later law of Num. xviii. 21 (P), which
claimed the whole tithe for the Levites. For a full discussion of
their relation, see Driver, pp. 168-73. Cattle are not tithed by
this law (contrast Lev. xxvii. 32).
23. See on xii. 5, 7 ; consumption is now transferred from the
local (AnTCs iV. 4) to the central Sanctuary.
firstlings: included here ihcidetttally ; for the law relating
to them, see xv. 19-B3. K

i3o DEUTERONOMY 14. 25— 15., i, D
as the Lord thy God shall bless thee : then shalt thou turn
it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand,
and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God
26 shall choose : and thou shalt bestow the money for what
soever thy soul desireth, for oxen, or for sheep, or for
wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul
asketh of thee: and thou shalt eat there before the
Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine
a 7 household : and the Levite that is within thy gates, thou
shalt not forsake him ; for he hath no portion nor inherit
ance with thee.
38 At the end of every three years thou shalt bring forth
all the tithe of thine increase in the same year, and shalt
29 lay it up within thy gates : and the Levite, because he
hath no portion nor inheritance with thee, and the
stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are
within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be
satisfied ; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all
the work of thine hand which thou doest.
15 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a

25. turn it into money : a concession necessitated by the new
law of the one sanctuary.
bind up the money : i. e. in a purse : cf. Gen. xlii. 35
('bundle,' the Heb. word for purse, being related to the verb
'bind'). 28. At the end of every three years: i.e. the tithe of the
third year is devoted wholly to charity (cf. xxvi. 12).
bring forth ... lay up : i. e. this tithe is collected from indi
vidual Israelites and deposited in a common store for its specific
use— the sustenance of the more or less dependent classes named
here, and often elsewhere in this book (xvi. 11, 14, xxiv. 17, 19-21,
xv. 1-18. The Year of Release. Every seventh year shall be
w £aSV° Y«hweh' ! the cre<"t°r shall let drop his claim to
what has been lent to a fellow Israelite (verses 1-3). If Israel is
obedient, this law will not be required, for Israel will lend, not

DEUTERONOMY 15. 2. D 131
release. And this is the manner of the release : every a
creditor shall release that which he hath lent unto his
neighbour ; he shall not exact it of his neighbour and
his brother ; because the Lord's release hath been pro-
borrow (verses 4-6). Further, the Israelite is not to let the
thought of this year's proximity hinder him from helping his needy
brother (verses 7-11)1
Slavery, in the case of an Israelite, is to be limited by the same
term ; in the seventh year the Hebrew slave is to be set free
with liberal provision for his heeds (verses 12-15). *f> however,
he choose to remain, his ear shall be pierced as a sign of the
permanent bond now constituted (verses 16-18).
Cf. the law of Exod. xxiii. 10, 11 (JE), according to which land
is to lie fallow in the seventh year (the spontaneous produce of
that year to be for the poor), and the similar law of Lev. xxv.
1-7 (H), known as that of ' the Sabbatical year.' The suspension
of agriculture in the seventh year, it has been thought, would make
necessary, in many cases, some such provision as this for the
suspension, of debt-claims in that year. (The former law appears
to be one form of a widespread resumption of the rights of the
community in land). It is possible, ' however, that this law is
intended to take the place of that in Exod. xxiii. 10, 11, rather
than to supplement it.
1. At the end of every seven years: i. e. in the seventh
year as rounding off this period. This will be seen from Jer.
xxxiv. 14, where ' at the end of seven years ' clearly implies that
six years only have elapsed.
a release : lit. ' a letting drop,' as is seen from the use of
the corresponding verb in 2 Kings ix. 33 (death of Jezebel;
R. V. ' throw her down ') and, figuratively, as here, in Exod. xxiii.
11 (R.V. marg.).
2. the LORD'S release : ' a release (in honour) of Yahweh ' :
cf Lev. xxv. 4, ' in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of complete
rest for the land, a sabbath to Yahweh.' The fact that this is
proclaimed shows that it is intended to be celebrated throughout
the land at one and the same time. It is, however, very difficult
to decide what is released or ' let drop.' Is it the debt itself,
which is then wholly cancelled by this year of release ? Or is it
simply a temporary release from the obligation to repay during
the seventh year? The most recent commentators are divided on
this point. Dillmann, followed with considerable hesitation by
Driver takes the latter view, on the ground that the former would
be impracticable and that the law connects with Exod. xxui. 10,
11, where it is the use of the land for the seventh year that is
K 2

132 DEUTERONOMY 15. 3-8. D
3 claimed. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it: but
whatsoever of thine is with thy brother thine hand
4 shall n release. Howbeit there shall be no poor with thee ;
(for the Lord will surely bless thee in the land which
the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to
5 possess it ;) if only thou diligently hearken unto the voice
of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all this command-
6 ment which I command thee this day. For the Lord
thy God will bless thee, as he promised thee : and thou
shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not
borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but
they shall not rule over thee.
7 If there be with thee a poor man, one of thy brethren,
within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor
8 shut thine hand from thy poor brother : but thou shalt
surely open thine hand unto him, and shalt surely lend
* Or, release : save when there Ac.

suspended. Steuernagel and Bertholet hold the former view, on
the ground that the law plainly relates to charitable loans, not
business investments, and that the requirement that the loan
should become a, gift in such a case is not so unnatural as it might
seem. This view seems more probable ; its otter impracticability
for business relations was easily evaded by the later Jews through
a legal fiction.
3. a foreigner : i. e. the nokkri, hot the settled ger (see on xiv.
21), who stands in much closer relation to Israel.
4. R. V. marg. says that the law of release is -not operative
when there is no poverty. R. V. text states categorically that
there shall be no poverty, before introducing the limitation of
verse 5. The latter is more natural, though as an expression of
an ideal it is literally Inconsistent with verse n, the statement
of actual conditions.
with thee : ' in thee ' ; i. e. in thy midst.
7 f. The new paragraph deals with the practical difficulty at
once raised by the law-^that * loan on the eve of the year of
release is tantamount to a gift.

DEUTERONOMY 15. 9-12- D 133
him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.
Beware that there, be not a base thought in thine heart, 9
saying, The seventh year, the year of release; is at hand;
and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou
give him nought ;. and he cry unto the Lord againstthee,
and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, 10
and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest
unto him : because that for this thing the Lord thy
God shall bless thee in all thy worJk,. and in all that thou
puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease n
out of the land : therefore I command thee, saying, Thou
shalt surely open thine hand unto thy brother, to thy
needy, and to thy poor, in thy land.
If thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, 1 2
9. thine eye he evil : xxviii. 54, 56. The evil eye is primarily
the envious or grudging eye (Matt. xx. 15). PHfnitive thought
credits the peripheral organs with actual psychical and ethical
qualities, though- our knowledge of the nervous system leads us to
interpret such expressions as figurative.
cry unto Yahweh: Exod. xxii. 23 ; the spoken word has
a power of its own.
sin. unto, thee : (xxiv. 15) Heb. ' in thee ' ;.so R.V. in xxiii. as:
It is difficult to conceive that the strong language of this verse-
can relate simply to a question' of deferred payment ; indeed
Benzingpr goes so far as to say that verse 9 ' makes it impossible
to interpret the law as meaning merely that repayment of the debt
is postponed for a year ' (E.B. 3727). Cf. ' givest ' in verse 10.
12 f. Eor the, parallel law in JE, see Exod. xxii 2-6 ; Lev. xxv.
39-46 (H and: P): gjves a later law, according to which the
Israelite; is not to, be a slave- at all, but a hired servant, and1
released in the year of lubile. Foreigners only are to be slaves
for Ufa
On Semitic, slavery in. general, see S:. A. Cook, The Laws of
Moses, chag. vii. . Eoji the, parallel' law in the Code of Hammurabi,
see Introd. , p. 22. That the present law was by no means uniformly
observed. is shown by Jer.. xxxiv. 8 f.
an Hebrew- woman': explicitly excluded from the' sphere of
this law- by, Exodj xkL- 7; th&older law allowed: even the wife of
the slave to, go, out. with tjim °n'y< if she: entered servitude- with
him, as his wife already. Deuteronomy, iwptamini'tteHcbrewess

134 DEUTERONOMY 15. 13-18. D
be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years ; then in the
seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
13 And when thou lettest him go free from thee, thou shalt
>4 not let him go empty : thou shalt furnish him liberally
out of thy flock, and Out of thy threshing-floor, and out of
thy winepress : as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee
15 thou shalt give unto him. And thou shalt remember
that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the
Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command
16 thee this thing to-day. And it shall be, if he say unto
thee, I will not go out from thee ; because he loVeth thee
17 and thine house, because he is well with thee ; then thou
shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the
door, and he Shall be thy a servant for ever. And also
18 unto thy b maidservant thou shalt do likewise. It shall
not seem hard unto thee, when thou lettest him go free
a Or, bondfnan b Or, bondwoman

on an equality of rights with the Hebrew, is consistent with its
recognition of the improved status of woman in v. 21 (see note).
Cf. verse i7b.
and serve : rather, ' he shall serve.'
14. furnish him liberally: Heb. 'make a rich necklace for;
him ' ; the same verb in Ps. lxxiii. 6.
17. thrust it through his ear: for primitive thought such
a ceremony is more than symbolical. The ear is the organ of
obedience, and as such possesses psychical and ethical qualities:
In the Code of Hammurabi (Law 28a) the slave who refuses to
obey his master has his ear cut off. The ear seems to have been
a favourite place for branding slaves (Cook, The Laws of Moses,
P- 159)- Some of the ear-boring rites of primitive peoples are
probably an acknowledgement of the worshippers' service to the
deity, to whom they stand as slaves. ' - . . . ,
unto the door of his master's house, on whose threshold
a blood-bond is thus made (Clay Trumbull, The Threshold Covenant,
p. aio). In Exod. xxi. 6, however, this is preceded by the bringing'
of the slave to the sanctuary ('unto God'), whereas the' present
law makes the nte simply a domestic one.

DEUTERONOMY 15. 19-31. D 135
from thee ; for to the double of the hire of an hireling
hath he served thee six years : and the Lord thy God
shall bless thee in all that thou doest.
All the firstling males that are born of thy herd and of 19
thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God':
thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thine ox, nor
shear the firstling of thy flock. Thou shalt eat it before 20
the Lord thy God year by year in the place which the
Lord shall choose, thou and thy household. And if it 21
have any blemish, as if it be lame or blind, any ill
blemish whatsoever, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the

18. to the double of the hire of ah hireling : a day-labourer
would have cost twice as much. For a modern parallel to the
practice here enjoined, see Doughty, Arabia Deserta, i. 554 (cited
by Cook, op. cit., p. 167) : — 'The condition of a slave is always
tolerable and is often happy in Arabia ... It is not many years,
" if their house-lord fears Ullah " before he will give them their
liberty ; and then he sends them not away empty.'
xv. 19-33. The Law of Firstlings. The firstborn males of oxen
and sheep are to be eaten yearly at the one sanctuary, in a family
feast (verses 19-20). If, however, any one of these be not perfect,
it is to be eaten at home as ordinary food (verses 31-33).
Parallel laws are found in JE (Exod. xiii. 11-16, xxii. 39, 30,
xxxiv. 19-30), and in P (Num. xviii. 15-18). The chief differences
(which exemplify the practical interests of Deuteronomy) are
that the earlier law (Exod. xxii. 30) orders the offering of the
firstborn on the eighth day after birth, which the law of the central
sanctuary makes impracticable, and that the later law (Num. xviii.
18) gives the whole of the flesh as a priests' due, instead of direct
ing its consumption at a family feast.
19. firstling males : these were originally placed under the
taboo which belongs to all that is connected with birth and its
mysteries (Introd., p. 35). If a firstling ass was not redeemed by
its owner, its neck was to be broken (Exod. xxxiv. ao : cf. Rel.
Sem. , p. 463). The maintenance of this taboo is still seen here,
in the exclusion of the firstling from ordinary work or use.
20. year by year : i. e. at such a yearly festival as the passover
(chap, xvi), a custom which would explain the present place of
this jaw.
21. blemish: cf. xvii. 1.

136 DEUTERONOMY 15. 22— 16.. 1. D
22 Lord thyr God. Thou shalt eat it within thy gates :
the, unclean, and the clean shall eat it alike, as the
23 gazelle, and as the hart. Only thou shalt not eat the
blood thereof; thou shalt pour, it out upon the ground
as water.
16 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover
22. the unclean and the clean: see on xii, 15; it is to be
treated as ordinary food, the taboo freing in this case disregarded.
xvi. 1-17. The Three Annual Festivals : — (a) Passover (arid
Unleavened Bread), (veuses 1-8) ; ' (b) Weeks (•= Pentecost)
(verses 9-13) ; (c) Tabernacles (verses 13-15)- Summary (verses
16, 17).
Parallel laws are found in JE (Exod. xxiii. 14-17, xxxiv. 18,
33-4, xii. 31-7, xiii. 3-10), and in HP (Lev. xxiii) and P (Num.
xxviii and xxix).
In the summary of 'these festivals (verse 16) they are called the
feast of Mazzoth (unleavened bread), the feast of weeks, and the
feast of bodths. The second and third of these are plainly
agricultural ; the first also is of the same character, since (a) it
is connected with the time of putting the sickle to the standing
corn (verse 9) ; (b) produce is offered at it as at the other feasts
(verse 17), especially ' the sheaf of the firstfruits ' (Lev. xxiii. io) ;
(c) the name suggests bread made in haste (Gen. xviii. 6, xix. 3,
Exod. xii. 34) from the newly-reaped barley (cf. Joshua v. 11).
But agricultural feasts, such as. these, can have had no place in the
nomadic life of Israel. They must belong to the time subsequent
to its settlement in Canaan, and were most probably derived from
the Canaanites themselves, amongst whom the vintage festival, at
any rate, was celebrated (Judges ix. 37, xxi. 19 f.). The first of
these festivals is hereconnected with sacrifices of another kind (verse
2), and with another name, the Passover (verse 1 f.). This con
nexion appears to have existed from an earlier time (Exod. xxxiv.
25, xii. ai f.), the characteristic features of the Passover rites
being (a) the sacrifice of the firstlings of cattle and the redemption
of the firstborn of man (Exod; xxxiv. 19 ; note verse i8T for
connexion with Mazzoth) ; (A) the sprinkling of the posts of the
door with blood: (Exod. xii. 23); (c) the evening celebration
(verses 4-7: cf Exod. xii. 33). Of these, (a) will connect with
the law of firstlings (xv. 19 f.) ; (4) is some form of ' threshold
covenant,' m which the blood wards off peril, as from pestilence
(see on vi. 9) ; and (c) suggests' that the festival is related to the
phases of the moon. Scholars differ in opinion as to which of
these gives the central meaning of the Passover; W.'R. Smith,

DEUTERONOMY 16. 2, 3; D 137
unto the Lord thy God : for in the month of Abib the
LcjRP.tby God brought thee forth out of Egypt, by night.
And. thou shalt sacrifice, the passover unto 1 the Lord thy 2
God, of the flock and the herd, in the. place which the
Lord shall choose, to pause his name to, dwell there.
Thou shalt eat no, leay«p«d= bseadiwith it;, seven days 3
shalt thou eat, unleave^d bread therewith, even the
 :  '  1 , 1. . | 1 1 i  r; 
for example, emphasizes (o) : ' In the Passover we find the
sacrifice of firstlings, assuming, the form, of an annual feast, in the
spring season ' (Rel. Sem., p. 465) ; Benzinger emphasize^ (b)
(E.B. 3595) ; and others have emphasized the relation of spring
festivals to the calendar;, (For the importance of the moon in
regard to Semitic agriculture, see Jastrow, Babylonian-Assyrian
Religion, p. 461.) The 'Passover' may welt have been Israel's
own contribution to the combined festival of Passover— Mazzoth ;
in its original form it may have, been connected with the
Exodus, according to the tradition of Exod. v. 1, xii. 31, &c.
At any rate, each of the three- festivals subsequently gained
a historical meaning;, the first is, here made a memorial of the
Exodus (verses 1, 3, 6, as perhaps already in Exod. xii. 37, JE) ;
the Feast of Booths commemorated the desert wanderings (Lev.
xxiii. 43, H) ; whilst, outside, the limits of the O- T., the Feast of
Weeks was connected with the delivery of the law at Sinai (E.B.
3651). The characteristics of Deuteronomy, in dealing with these
festivals, are— (a) their centralization at Jerusalem, with its conse
quences, (b) emphasis on their historical character in general; (see
on Deut. xxvi. 5 f.). , . .
1. Abib. The word relates to fresh ears of barleyjin Lxod. ix.
31 (' in the ear ') ; hejice it is used, of the period of the year in
which these are formecUi.e, our April), the first month of the
priestly year,, whose, posfe-sxilic name was Nisan.
the passover: Heb. pesa-h.,. whose meaning: is. usually ex
plained from Exod. xii. 13. Others connect with a similar word.
meaning to. leap, or Hmp-, (1 Kings; xviii. 26), and explain it as
meaning a ritual dance ; others, again (Zmimern, DieReilinschnften
und das Alte Testapmfi, p. 6*0 note »), coraieot with the Assyrian
pas&hu (be appeased) as a rite, of expiation.
2. of the flock and, the. herd : i. e. either a sheep or an ox, the
range of choice for the Passover sacrifice being, wider than in
the, later law of P (Exod. xii. 3-6), by which the sacrifice must be
S 'ravened breads (for the relation of Mazzoth to the

138 DEUTERONOMY 16. 4-8. D
bread of affliction ; for thou earnest forth out of the
land of Egypt in haste : that thou mayest remember the
day when thou earnest forth out of the land of Egypt all
4 the days of thy life: And there shall be no leaven seen
with thee in all thy borders seven days ; neither shall
any of the flesh, which thou sacrificest the first day at even,
5 remain all night until the morning; ThOu mayest not
sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the
6 Lord thy God giveth thee : but at the place which the
Lord thy God shall choose to cause his name to dwell
in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the
going down of the sun, at the season that thou earnest
7 forth out of Egypt. And thou shalt a roast and eat it in
the place which the Lord thy God shall choose : and
thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread : and on the
seventh day shall be b a solemn assembly to the Lord thy
God ; thou shalt do no work therein.
* Or, seethe b See Lev. xxiii. 36.

Passover, see above) ; here called the bread of affliction on
the ground of Exod. xii. 34, 39, and a frequent form of food
prepared in haste or ' trepidation ' (Driver) (see above, and
cf. 1 Sam. xxviii. 34).
4. The two prohibitions of this verse are connected by Robertson
Smith (Rel. Sem., p. aai note) with one another and with the idea
' that the efficacy of the sacrifice lay in the living flesh and blood of
the victim. Everything of the nature of putrefaction was therefore
to be avoided.'
6. season : rendered ' set time ' in Exod. ix. 5 ; the time of
day is meant (Exod. xii. 39 f.).
1. roast. The normal meaning: of the Heb. word is ' boil '
(R. V. marg. seethe), as rendered in xiv. si, and as it should be
rendered here. The later law of P (Exod. xii. 9) forbids the
flesh of the passover sacrifice to be boiled.
unto thy tents : i. e. home, where the following Mazzoth
festival is to be kept. For the phrase, see on Joshua xxii. 4. ' '
8. a solemn assembly: R.V. marg. Offers the alternative

DEUTERONOMY 16. 9-12. D 139
Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee : from the 9
time thou beginnest to put the sickle' to the standing
corn shalt thou -begin to number seven weeks:' And 10
thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy
God a with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand,
which thou shalt give,' according as the Lord thy God
blesseth thee : and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord ii
thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy
manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is
within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless,
and the widow, that are in the midst of thee, in the
place which the Lord thy God shall choose to cause his
name to dwell there. And thou shalt remember that 12
thou wast a bondman in Egypt : and thou shalt observe
and do these statutes. 1 Or, after the measure of the ice.
'closing festival,' this seventh sabbatical day being the close of
the whole week ; but the word is used in a general sense also
(Jer. ix. 3). Read simply 'an assembly.'
9. The ' feast of weeks ' (verses 10, 16 ; Exod. xxxiv. az) is so
called because it marks the completion of the seven weeks of corn
harvest ; its better-known name, Pentecost, meaning ' the fiftieth '
(day), was used by Hellenistic Jews (cf. Lev. xxiii: 16). It is
called ' the feast of harvest ' in Exod. xxiii. 16, arid ' the day of
firstfruits ' in Num. xxviii. 26 (here, however, no mention is
made of the firstfruits).
sickle : for the only other reaping instrument named in the
O. T., see Jer. I..16 ; Joel iii. 13 (a different Word). Both sickle
flints, to make a cutting edge, and iron sickles have been found at
Tell el Hesi (E.B. 81). . .
IO. feast : Heb. hag, the same word as the Arabic hdj, the
well-known annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Driver prefers to render
by ' pilgrimage ' ; in any case, this element in the meaning of the
word must not be overlooked. Possibly ' pilgrim-feast ' may be
used with advantage. ¦ :
with a tribute : read with R. V. marg: ; the' Hebrew word
probably means ' sufficiency,' and the meaning is ' the full amount
that thou canst afford.'
11. See on xii. 5, 7, 12.

r4o DEUTERONOMY 16. 1.3-18. D
13 Thou shalt: keep the feast of a tabernacles seven days,
after that thou, hast gathered in from thy threshing-
14 floor and, from thy winepress : and thou shalt rejoice in
thy, feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy
manservant and thy maidservant and the Levite, and
the stranger, and the fetherless,. and the widow, that are
15 within thy gates. Seyen days shalt thou keep a ieast
unto the Lord, thy God in, the place, which the- Lord
shall choose : because the LoRDthy God shall bless thee
in all thine increase, and ini all the work of thine hands,
1 fi and thou shalt be altogether joyful. Three times: in a
year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God
in the place which he shall choose.; in the feast of
unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the
feast of tabernacles : and they shall not appear before
1 7 the Lord empty : every man h shall give as he is able,
according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he
hath given, thea
18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy
a Heb. boothsi b Heb. according to the gift of his hand.
13. The feast of booths (R. V. marg.) is called in Exod. xxiii.
16, xxxiv. 33 (JE) the. feast of ingathering ; and, as the chief of
the three, is also called sjmply. 'the, feast ' (c Kings viii. 3, 65, &c).
The custom of living in ' booths ' at the vintage season has> been.
enshrined in the law of Lev. xxiii.,, 401-3. The feast is the
autumn thanksgiving for the, produce of the. year, which the
vintage completes, (September).
15. Cf. Lev. xxiii. 39; this feast, only, retains the worshippers
more than a day at Jerusalem.
16 f. The concluding: summary is parallel with Exod. xxiii. 17.
appear, before:: the. original punctuation of the Hebrew verb
here as elsewhere, (xxxi. 1% Sep.),. perhaps expressed: 'see the
face of (cf. s Sam. iii. 13, &c), the phrase used of obtaining
audience of a king, or ruler. ,
xvi. 18— xviii. aa (except xvi. at— xvii. 7) : Judgps, King, Priests,
Prophets. The appointment of local judges whose judicial acts

DEUTERONOMY 16. 19, 20. D 141
gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, according to
thy tribes : and they shall judge the people with righteous
judgement. Thou «halt not wrest judgement ; t'hou 19
Shalt not respect persons: neither shalt thou take a
gift ; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and
pervert the a words of the righteous. b That which is »°
altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live,
* Or, cause » Heb. Justice, justice.
shall be impartial (xvi. 18-20). Reference of difficult cases to a
court of appeal at Jerusalem, whose decisions shall be final, con
tempt of court being punishable with death (xvii. 8-13).
The future king of Israel shall be Yahweh's choice and an
Israelite (xvii. 14, 15). He shall not multiply horses, wives, or
wealth (verses 16, 17). A royal copy of this law shall -be made,
which he shall study and obey, that he may be saved from pride
and disobedience, and may prolong his reign and 'that of his
dynasty (verses 18-30). The Levitical priests, iaving no other
inheritance, shall be supported 'from the offerings made to Yahweh
and from dues paid hy the people (xviii. 1-5). Local Levites who
come up to Jerusalem shall there have equal rights of ministry
and support With their brethren (verses 6-8).
The magic and divination of Canaan shall not be practised by
Israel (verses 0-14). Instead, there shall be a succession of
prophets to take the place ofMoses, authoritatively commissioned
by Yahweh, the test of the true prophet being the conformity of
his message to actual events (verses 15-22).
xvi. 18 f. Judges.
18. Judges and officers : the appointment of these local (In
all thy gates) judges and their assistants was Tendered nc ;-es-
rsary by the destruction -of the .local sanctuaries, whose priests had
given judgements in die name of Yahweh (Exod. xxi. 6, xxii. 8 ;
1 Sam. ii. 25; Isa. xxviii. 7). Josephus makes the appointment
to be.»f seven judges for each city, each with two Levites to assist
him (Antiq. iv. 8. 14)— a description probably drawn from the
customs of his own day. For examples of the powers of these
judges, cf. xix. 17, xxi. 2, xxv. a. The relation of these judges to
the ' eldere ' (see on xix. 11) is not clear.
19. Cf. the Code of Hammurabi, § 5, for the severe sentence on
the judge who revokes his own properly declared verdict (pre
sumably on corrupt grounds). Attempted bribery is there^uriished
by the penalty from which escape is sought,. § 4.
words : so the Hebrew, but in sense of R. V. marg.

i42 DEUTERONOMY 16. 21— 17. i. D
and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee.
21 Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of
tree beside the altar of the , Lord thy God, which thou
22 shalt make thee. Neither shalt thou set thee up a
"pillar; which the Lord thy God hateth.
17 Thou shalt not .sacrifice unto the Lord thy God an
ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, or any evilfavoured-
ness : for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy
God. " Or, obelisk
xvi. ai — xvii. 7. Laws against Idolatrous or Improper Worship.
No Asherah and no Mazzebah shall be erected by Yahweh's aitar
(xvi. 21, as) ; no blemished animal shall be sacrificed to Him
(xvii. 1) ; the Israelite convicted through two witnesses of wor
shipping other gods shall be stoned to death (xvii. 3-7).
This short section is clearly out of place, since it breaks the
connexion between xvi. so and xvii. 8. Its most natural place
would be between chaps, xii and xiii.
21. Asherah : (vii. 5, xii. 3) this transliteration of the Hebrew
word is not to be regarded as the name of a person (the existence
of any goddess of this name is uncertain) nor confused with
Ashtoreth, the Phoenician goddess. It was a wooden post
(Judges vi. a6), which stood by Canaanite altars (Judges vi. 35:
cf. Exod. xxxiv. 13), and by the altars of Yahweh, prior to the
Deuteronomic reform (a Kings xiii. 6, xxiii. 6, 15). The most
natural explanation regards it as a development from tree-worship
(cf. Rel. Sem., p. 188 ; and for a popular account of tree- worship,
Philpot, The Sacred Tree).
22. pillar, or, 'Mazzebah,' is the upright stone, frequently
named with the Asherah as standing by the altar or high place
(vii. 5, xii. 3). There were sacred stones at Shechem (Joshua
xxiv. 26), Bethel (Gen. xxviii. 18 f.), Gilgal (Joshua iv. ao) ; cf.
Hosea 111. 4 (Rel. Sem., 303). For the place of the sacred stone
in Semitic religion, see Moore's art. ' Massebah ' in E.B. ; it
appears to have been ' the rude precursor of the temple and the
altar as well as of the idol' (E.B. 398a-). An illustration of a
Phoenician Mazzebah will be found in D.B. H. v. ' Pillar.'
- *vii. 1 blemish: xv. ai ; Lev. xxii. 17-35 (H) : cf. Lev. i. 3 (P),
are. ine abomination (vii. 35) of such .an offering is em
phasized in Mal, i. 8.

DEUTERONOMY 17. 2-8. D 143
If there be found in the midst of thee, within any of 2
thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or
woman, that doeth that which is evil in the sight of the
Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, and hath 3
gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or
the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven,
which I have not commanded ; and it be told thee, and 4
thou hast heard of it, then shalt thou inquire diligently,
and, behold, if it be true, and the thing certain, that such
abomination is wrought in Israel ; then shalt thou bring 5
forth that man or that woman, which have done this evil
thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman ; and
thou shalt stone them with stones, that they die. At fi
the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he
that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one
witness he shall not be put to death. The hand of the J
witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death,
and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt
put away the evil from the midst of thee.
If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgement, 8
between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and
2f. Cf. Exod. xxii. 20 (JE) and Deut. xiii, which deals with
seduction to this idolatry.
. covenant: cf. Joshua vii. 11, 15, &c: see on iv. 13. Here
the term is equivalent to 'ordinance' or 'injunction.'
3. See on iv. 19.
4. Cf. xiii. 14.
5. The idolater is to be stoned to death without the gate (cf.
Num. xv. 36). Stephen died under this law (Acts vii. 57 £).
6. A special application of the general provision of xix. 15 : cf.
Num. xxxv. 30.
1. See on xiii. 9 ; and note that in both cases the death penalty
is carried out by the entire community (cf. E.B. 2718).
8 f. The subject of xvi. 18-20 is continued ; difficult cases shall
be referred from the local courts to Jerusalem.
between blood and blood : i. e. whether the act of killing
has ieen intentional jor accidental (Exod. xxi. 12-14). Similar

144 DEUTERONOMY 17. 9-12. D
between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy
within thy gates : then shalt thou arise, and get thee up
unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose ;
9 and thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and
unto the judge that shall be in those days : and thou
shalt inquire ; and they shall shew thee the sentence of
10 judgement : and thou shalt do according to the tenor of
the sentence, which they shall shew thee from that place
which the Lord shall choose ; and thou shalt observe to
1 1 do according to all that they shall teach thee : according
to the tenor of the law which they shall teach thee, and
according to the judgement which they shall tell thee,
thou shalt do: thou shalt not turn aside from the
12 sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right
hand, nor to the left. And the man that doeth pre
sumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that
difficulties might arise in regard to the plea (a general word), in
cluding, if not designating, disputes about property (e.g. Exod. xxii.
if.) and in regard to 'the 'stroke, which refers to personal injuries
(such as those of Exod. xxi. 18 f.).
within thy gates : i. e. locally (xii. ia), hardly with refer
ence to the <jgate ' as the place Of judgement.
9. th*Tpriestsl;hexevftes : see on xviii. 1.
the judges possibly 'flie king is meant, as in AmoS Ii. 3 ;
Micah v. 1. That the king was supreme judge in Israel is clear
from s Sam. viii. 15, xiv. 4 f., 'xv. a, 1 TCirigs vii. 7, &c. A supreme
court is said to have "been instituted by Jehoshaphat, according
to 3 Chron. xix. 8, of spiritual and lay judges, with the chief
priest as president in sacred, and a representative of the kine in
secular cases.
thou shalt inquire: read with LXX "they shall inquire'
(cf. xix. 18), i.e. the judges who will '-declare" 'fR.V. shew)
the sentence. '
10. tenor : Hebrew 'mouth ' : cf. xix. 15,-xsd. 5<(< word ') The
'lfealia"0rdinS 4° thC mouttl of' *«** 'expresses 'exactly,' dr
teach : 'direct,' the verb .corresponding to the noun ' torah '
(verse 11), ' direction,' and so ' law,'
12. The relation of the « priest ' and the 'judge* is not clear,

DEUTERONOMY 17. 13-16. D 145
standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or
unto the judge, even that man shall die : and thou shalt
put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall 13
hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
When thou art come unto the land which the Lord 14
thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell
therein ; and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as
all the nations that are round about me; thou shalt in 15
any wise set him king over thee*, whom the Lord thy
God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt
thou set king over thee : thou mayest not put a foreigner
over thee, which is not thy brother. Only he shall not 16
multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return
to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses :
forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall
unless we suppose that a division of jurisdiction is implied (see on
verse 9). For put away, see on xiii. 5. The decision is that of
Yahweh ; hence the severe penalty for contempt of court.
xvii. 14-20. The future king.
14. I will set a king; over me : cf. 1 Sam. viii. 5, which
belongs to the later of the two narratives of the institution of the
kingship, representing Samuel as hostile to such institution.
Deuteronomy shares something of this hostility, drawn from the
actual experience of the monarchy (verse 16), and expressed in
previous prophetic teaching (e. g. Hos. viii. 4).
15. The king must be Yahweh's choice (1 Sam. x. 24 ; a Sam.
vi. ai), and a native Israelite.
16, 17. The prohibition of multiplied horses, wives, and wealth
is clearly aimed at such conduct as Solomon's (1 Kings x. 14— xi.
8), and implies the memory of his reign.
horses : i. e. for war. The Hebrew suspicion of foreign
methods of fighting is reflected in Joshua xi. 9, where the captured
horses are houghed. Cf. Hos. xiv. 3 ; Isa. ii. 7 ; Micah v. 10.
to return to Egypt: hardly of an Israelite slave-trade
(Steuernagel), but of the general relations of commerce, as in
1 Kings x a8 Egypt was famous for its horses.
hath said : cf. xxviii. 68 ; the source of this quotation is not
included in the extant O. T. documents ; but cf. Exod. xm. 17,
xiv. 13.

i46 DEUTERONOMY 17. 17— 18. i. D
17 henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he
multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away :
neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his
kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a
book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites :
19 and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein
all the days of his life : that he may learn to fear the
Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law a-nd these
20 statutes, to do them : that his heart be not lifted up above
his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the command
ment, to the right hand, or to the left : to the end that
he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his
children, in the midst of Israel.
18 The priests the Levites, *even all the tribe of Levi,
shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel ": they
tt Or, and
17. that his heart turn not away : as did Solomon's (1 Kings
xi. 4 f.), through the foreign religion of the women of his harem.
silver and gold : as a source of pride (verse ao : cf. Isa. xxxix).
18 f. The king is to write out for himself the Deuteronomic
law from the sanctuary edition (xxxi. 9, 26), and rule by its precepts.
a copy of this law: Hebrew, 'a repetition of this law,'
Wrongly understood by the LXX (so in Joshua viii. 32) as meaning
' this repetition of the law,' whence is derived the name of the
book ' Deuteronomy,' the ' second law.'
xviii. 1-8. The Priests: (a) support (verses 1-5), (b) equality
(verses 6-8).
1. The priests the levites : i. e., as the verse explicitly states
(' all the tribe of Levi '), every Levite is a potential or actual priest.
(There is no ground for R. V. marg.). The later law of P con
fined the priesthood to ' Aaron's sons, the priests ' (Lev. i. 5, &c.) :
see on x. 8.
no portion nor inheritance with Israel. The early history
of the tribe of Levi is obscurely reflected in Gen. xxxiv. 25, 30,
xlix. 5 f. , where it appears as a secular tribe ; in Deut. xxxiii. ffc-11
it appears as a priestly community. We have no clear evidence as
to the transition ; but the passages cited from Genesis imply the
disappearance of Levi and Simeon as distinct tribes. The most

DEUTERONOMY 18. 2-6. D 147
shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire; and his
inheritance. And they shall have no inheritance among 2
their brethren : the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath
spoken unto them. And this shall be the priests' due 3
from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether
it be ox or sheep, that they shall give unto the priest the
shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. The 4
firstfruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and
the first of the fleece> of thy sheep, shalt thou give. him.
For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy 5
tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him
and his- sons for ever.
And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all 6
psohahje. explanation of the. priestly character, subsequently as
signed to Levi, is that the descendants of the Levite Moses
became a nucleus tor priests in general, of whatever tribal origin,
who replaced the old scattered or exterminated secular tribe.
(For fuller details, see D. B, s. v. ' Levi.')
the offerings of Yahweh made, by fire : 1 Sam. ii. 28 ; Josh.
xiii. 14 (interpolated) and, often in P; 'it is thus used of the
burnt-offering (Lev. i. 9), the meal-offering (Lev. ii. 3), the thank-
offering (Lev. iii. 3), the guilt-offering (Lev. vii. 5), in all of which
specified parts were the perquisite of the priests: (Lev. ii. 3, vii.
6-io>; Num. xviii. 9 f.).' (Driver.)
his inheritance : i. e. such other dues as are named in verse 4.
Cf. verse a, ' Yahweh (thef-efore the offerings made to Him) is
their inheritance.'
3. The dues from the fire-offerings (of D) are stated ; contrast
those of Lev. vii. 34 ; Num. xviii. rS, where the breast and thigh
are assigned (P). For the priest's share in earlier times see
1 Sam. ii. 13-16 : cf. Judges xvii. 10. .
4. Cf. Num. xviii. 12. For the earlier offering of firstfruits,
see Exod. xxiii. 19, xxxiv. a6 (JE) : see on xxvi. a f., and cf.
Rel: Sem., p. 341. .
xviii. 6-81. The (dispossessed) country priests (Levites) shall be at
liberty to come to Jerusalem and receive an equal place in ministry
and support with the priests already there. Contrast s Kings
xxiii. Oj(Introdi, p. n).
sojourneth : his occupation being gone, he can no longer be re
garded as a settled resident, Deuteronomy knows of no Levitical
cities. L 2

148 DEUTERONOMY 18. 7-10. D
Israel, where he sojourneth, and come with all the desire of
his soul unto the place which the Lord shall choose;
7 then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God,
as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there
8 before the Lord. They shall have like portions to eat,
beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.
9 When thou art come into the land which the Lord
thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
10 abominations of those nations. There shall not be found
with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to
pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that
6. and come : ' he shall come ' is preferable, with ' and ' for
' then ' in verse 7.
8. beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony :
• besides his sellings according to the fathers,' i. e. the sale either of
his local possessions (R. V.) or of private dues on leaving for Jeru
salem. So Driver, who adds — > Either explanation is questionable. :
all that can be said is that the words describe some private
source of income possessed by the Levite, distinct from what he
receives as a priest officiating at the central sanctuary.'
xviii. 9-32. Prophets : the contrast of prophecy with (heathen)
magic and divination.
10. pass through the fire : cf. xii. 31 ; the reference is to the
rites of Molech-worship (Lev. xviii. 21, xx. 2-5), frequently con
demned by the prophets (Jer. vii. 31) : cf. 2 Kings xvi. 3, xvii. 17
xxi. 6, xxiii. 10, for its prevalence amongst Israelites. Victims
were actually killed, according to these and other passages, though
little is known of the details of the ceremony. We may explain
the words as referring to some fire-ordeal, supposed to elicit a
divine response (so Driver, p. 22a).
The following, list of eight varieties of the magician or diviner
forms a locus classicus for the study of the subject. The terms
(fully discussed in Driver's Commentary) are :— (1) One that
useth divination: as by the headless arrows (Ezek. xxi ai)
used in drawing lots at a sanctuary by the Arabs; this is the
smaverEtheeHeh;rm- ? «'?" «»*.»«¦«*¦¦» augury: a sooth-
sayer, the Hebrew term (Judges ix. 37, cf. R. V. mare.) nerhaos
denoting one who muttered his incantations. (3) an fncCte?
or observer of omens<Gen. xliv. 5 ; Numt xxiv. i)7 (7) a soroerer '•
using material means in his magic (Micah v. 13 : cf Exod x"i"

-DEUTERONOMY 18. n-17. D 149
practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a n
charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard,
or a necromancer. For whosoever doeth these things is 12
an abomination unto the Lord : and because of
these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them
out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the 13
Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt 14
possess, hearken unto them that practise augury, and
unto diviners : but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath
not suffered thee so to do. The Lord thy God will raise i£
up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy
brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
according to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy 16
God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let
me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God,
neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die
not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well said '7
18). (5) a charmer : as of serpents (Ps. lviii. 5), the term perhaps
expressing one who composes a spell. (6) and (7) A consulter
with a familiar spirit, or a wizard : rather, ' with a ghost or
familiar spirit ' (Lev. xx. 27), the former exemplified by the ' witch
of Endor ' (1 Sam. xxviii. 7), the latter perhaps by Acts xvi. 16.
(8) a necromancer, or inquirer of the dead : cf. Isa. viii. 19.
Thus (1), (a), (3) relate to divination, (4), (5) to magic, (6), (7), (8)
to mediumistic spiritualism.
A somewhat similar list of names can be collected from Baby
lonian literature (Jastrow, Bab.-Assyrian Religion, p. 657). The
first two laws of the Code of Hammurabi are concerned with the
weaver of spells.
14 f. The contrast of Israel's means of knowing hidden and
future things is now enforced.
15. a prophet: i.e. a succession of prophets, as the whole
passage implies, who will continue to take the spiritual place of
Moses (like unto me). The Messianic application of this promise
to Christ (Acts iii. aa, vii. 37) is foreign to, Deuteronomy.
from the midst of thee, of thy brethren : Israelites, not
foreign magicians.
as, 17. See v. aj, ao.

ISO DEUTERONOMY 18. 18— 19. i. D
1 8 that which they have spoken. , I will raise them up a
prophet from among their brethren, like, unto thee;
and I will put my words in his mouth, and, he shall
19 Speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever, will pot hearken unto
my words which he shall speak in my name, I will
20 require it of him. But the prophet, which shall speak a
word presumptuously in my name, which I have not
Commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the
21 name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And
if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word
22 which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet
speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow
not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord
hath not spoken : the prophet hath spoken it presump
tuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
19 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations,
18. What was said (v. 31) of Moses is here (verses 18-20)
generalized and applied to the line of future prophets. The
prophet, like the apostle (2 Cor. v. ao), is essentially the am
bassador of God.
19. I will require : the ' I ' is emphatic in the Hebrew.
Yahweh vindicates the prophet's word.
SO. presumptuously : in xvii. 12 of sins of omission, as here
of commission, Cf. Jer. vi. 13, 14, &c.
22. The test of the prophet of Yahweh is the observed truth of
his predictions. If he is supported by events, he is supported by
Yahweh ; otherwise he need not be dreaded. This test is explicitly
rejected for the prophets of other gods (xiii. 1-5) ; nor is the higher
Hebrew prophecy nearly so much predictive as interpretative.
xix-xxv. The remainder of the Code of Laws admits of no
natural division on the basis of its present order. The laws are
of a miscellaneous character, and many of them might be grouped,
by rearrangement, under the four heads of (a) criminal law, (b)
Warfare, (c) family and marriage relationships, {d) equity in
general. Unlike the two previous sections (xii — xvii. 7, xvii. 8 
xviii. 22), most of these laws have no evident relation to the Deu
teronomic principle of a single sanctuary, and it is among them
chiefly that we may expect the process of expansion of the

DEUTERONOMY 19. ,2,3. D 151
whose land the Lord thy. God giveth thee, and thou
succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their
houses ; thou shalt separate three cities for: thee in the 2
midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God, giveth thee
to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and 3
divide the borders of thy land, which- the Lord thy God
causeth thee to inherit, into three pairtsv that every
original 'Book of the Law' to have Operated, ds'by the incorpora
tion of groups of laws. This expectation is confirmed by such
phenomena as the occurrence of parallel laws (xx. 7 and xxiv.
5), the separation of laws relating to the same subject (xx'iv. 6
and xxiv. 10-13), and the recurrence of topics already dealt
with (xvi. 19 and xxiv. 17), as well as by the strong probability
that Josiah's Law-book was considerably shorter even than chaps.
xii-xixvi, xxviii (see Introd., p. 11).
xix. 1-13. The Cities of Refuge; Three cities shall be set apart
in the future territory, to give sanctuary to the manslayer (verses
1-3). They are to be for him only who has killed another
without intent, and is exposed to blood-revenge (vetses 4'-7). If
the territory be increased, three more cities may be set apart
(verses 8-10). He who has killed another intentionally shall be
given over to the avenger of blobd (verses 11-13).
For the earlier provision of sanctuary (at the altar) see Exod.
xxi. 12-14 (cf- x K'ngs i. 50, ii. 28), where the manslayer by
intent is similarly excluded. The destruction of local sanctuaries
contemplated by Deuteronomy made some other provision neces
sary, since the continued sanctuary of the altar at Jerusalem
would not be easily accessible to all. For the parallel, provision
of P, see Num. xxxv. 9-34, the chief differences there being that
the man-slayer is tried before the 'congregation ' (the post-exilic
religious community), and that he may return home free from
peril, at the death of the high-priest. The actual appointment of
these cities is narrated in Joshua xx (P) : cf. also Deut. iv. 41-3,
and see on verse 9 below.
1. succeedest: 'shalt dispossess' (same word as 'possess' in
verse 2). .
3. prepare thee the way : usually explained of keeping the
road in order ; but, as Steuernagel points out, this would help
the pursuer as much as the pursued. LXX translates ' explore
the way,' and as the Hebrew verb can mean ' pay attention to '
(Judges xii. 6, R. V. ' frame '), we may suppose ' way ' refers to the
distance to be travelled, which, in each case, is not to be too great.
borders: 'territory.'

152 DEUTERONOMY 19. 4-9- D
4 manslayer may flee thither. And this is the case of
the manslayer, which shall flee thither and live : whoso
killeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in
5 time past ; as when a man goeth into the forest with his
neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke
with the axe to cut down the tree, and the ahead
slippeth from b the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour*
that he die ; he shall flee unto one of these cities and
6 live : lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer,
while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the
way is long, and smite him mortally ; whereas he was
not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in
7 time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou
8 shalt separate three cities for thee. And if the Lord thy
God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy
fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to
9 give unto thy fathers ; if thou shalt keep all this
commandment to do it, which I command thee this
day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his
ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee,
¦ Heb. iron. b Or, the tree
manslayer : ' killer,' a quite general term. The 'wild justice '
of blood-revenge draws no such distinction of motive as is here
(verse 4f.) stated. It is to be noticed that Hammurabi (§§ 206,
337) allows the plea of inadvertence in criminal cases.
5. the helve : R. V. marg., the tree ; the ambiguity lies in the
Hebrew word for tree, which means ' wood ' also.
6. the avenger of blood: (a Sam. xiv. n) i.e. the nearest
kinsman of the dead man, whose duty to avenge is not removed
by this law, but only restrained by principles of equity. See
Introd., p. 34.
the way is long : i. e. to the altar-sanctuary at Jerusalem,
if these cities be not also provided (verse 7).
8. enlarge thy border : xii. so (note).
8. three cities more: according to iv. 41-3, three cities of
refuge east of Jordan have already been appointed by Moses.
This verse seems most naturally to refer to three sanctuary-cities

DEUTERONOMY 19. 10-14. D 153
beside these three : that a innocent blood be not shed in 10
the midst of. thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth
thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
But if any man hate his .neighbour, and lie in, wait for n
him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally
that he die ; and he flee into one of these cities :• then the 12
elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and
deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that
he may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, jbut thou 13
shalt put away bthe innocent blood from Israel, that
it may go well with thee.
Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, 14
ft Or, the blood of an innocent man * Or, the blood of the innocent
(known as existent to the writer) east of Jordan ; but the problem
of the literary relation of Num. xxxv. 14 ; Deut. iv. 41-3, xix.
8 f. and Joshua xx is a complicated one. Cf. Oxf. Hex., II. p. 353.
10. innocent blood: which would cry (Gen. iv. 10) for
vengeance in its turn, and be ' upon ' (3 Sam. xvi. 8) the land
and the people. The primitive mind attributes a quasi-automatic
power to blood that has been ' poured out.' Innocent blood (xxi.
8, xxvii. 35"! is ' put away ' only by the death of its shedder
(verse 13). See Introd., p. 34.
11 f. A necessary safeguard is provided against the abuse of
the above right of sanctuary. The decision as to its legitimacy
rests with the elders of the city (xxi. 2-4, 6, 19, xxii. 15-18, xxv.
7-9 : cf. note on xvi. 18), to which the killer belonged, who would
have to decide on the forthcoming evidence as to motive (accord
ing to Joshua xx. 4, the elders of the city of refuge had to decide
on the man's original admission). The execution of the death
sentence still remains with the kinsman of the slain— the only
case in which the death-penalty is not executed by the community
(E.B. 2718).
xix. 14. Landmarks not to be removed.
remove : Hebrew ' set back ' (xxvii. 17 ; Prov. xxii. 28, xxiii.
10; Job xxiv. 2; Hos. v. 10). Many nations have put their
private boundary marks under religious sanctions. For the Roman
god Terminus, see Merivale, Romans under the Empire, iv. p. 77.
Babylonian private boundary-stones bear dedications to gods
(Cook, Laws of Moses, p. 183) : on the sacred character of such
stones, see Clay Trumbull, The Threshold Covenant, p. 166 f.

r54 DEUTERONOMY 19. 15-20. D
which they off old time have set, in thine inheritance
which thou shalt inherit, in the land that the Lord thy
God giveth thee to possess it.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any
iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth': at the
mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses,
16 shall a matter be established. If an unrighteous witness
rise up against any man to testify against him of a wrong
1 1 doing ; then both the men, between whom the controversy
is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the
18 judges which shall be in those days ; and the judges shall
make diligent inquisition : 'and, behold, if the witness be
a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his
19 brother; then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought
to do unto his brother', so shalt thou put away the evil
20 from the midst of thee. Arid those which remain shall
hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any
"Or, rebellion See ch. xiii. 5.
Hosea is the only previous writer to refer to their removal. ' The
numerous references to the offence in the later writings stand out
in striking contrast to the silence of the Book of the Covenant '
(Cook, op. cit:, p. 195).
landmark: 'boundary,' perhaps a line of stones.
xix. 15-21. Law of Witness. At least two witnesses shall be
required for conviction (verse 15). False witness shall be
punished by rigorous infliction on the perjurer of the penalty
he sought to bring on another (verses 16-21).
15. Cf. xvii. 6; Num. xxxv. 30 (both with special reference to
a death-penalty). 16. an unrighteous witness: Heb. 'a witness of violence'
(Exod. xxiii. 1).
17. The case is referred to the court at Jerusalem (xvii. 9) as
' before Yahweh ' (cf. xii. 7) implies.
19. as he had thought: rather 'purposed.' Somewhat
similar laws are found in the Code of Hammurabi : § 4. 'If as
Witness to corn or money he has lied, he shall himself bear the
sentence of that case ' (cf. § 3).

DEUTERONOMY 19. 21— 20. *. D 155
such evii in the .midst of thee. And thine eye shall not 2 1
pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,
hand for hand, foot for foot.
When thou goest forth to battte against thine enemies, 20
and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than
thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them : iot the Lord thy
God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt. And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, 2
that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
21. The ius talionis is quoted as the principle of the treatment of
the false witness. Cf. Exod. xxi. 24 (JE) ; Lev. xxiv. 18, 20 (H).
For its thorough-going application in the Code of Hammurabi, see
Cook (op. cit., p. 249).
xx. 1-20. Laws of Warfare. Since Yahweh is with Israel there
shall be no fear in facing a more numerous foe (verse 1). Before
a battle, the priest shall exhort Israel to this effect (verses 2-4),
and the officers shall proclaim that whoever has built a house,
planted a vineyard, or betrothed a wife, without opportunity for
their enjoyment, shall return home (verses 5-7) ; also, that those
who are afraid shall return (verse 8). Leaders shall then be
appointed (verse 9).
The city to be attacked shall be allowed, if it surrenders at the
outset, to become subject to Israel (verses 10, 11) ; otherwise its
males shall be killed and all else be Israel's spoil (verses 12-15).
This does not apply to the Canaanite cities, whose inhabitants and
contents must be ' devoted ' to Yahweh (verses 16-18).
In besieging a city, its fruit-trees shall not be destroyed (verses
19, 20).
The original place of this chapter may have been after xxi. 9,
as it interrupts the subject of chap, xix, and xxi. 1-9, and its own
subject is continued in xxi. 10. No parallels to these laws are
found in the other O. T. codes ; their aim (characteristic of Deutero
nomy) is to introduce certain principles of humanity into warfare.
(The student should note Schwally's monograph on the subject of
this chapter, Semitische Kriegsalteriumer, I).
1. horses and chariots : always a source of alarm to Israel
(Joshua xvii. 16 ; Judges i. 19).
2. the priest : his presence being explained by the ancient
conception of warfare as a sacred act and the camp as a sacred
place (xxiii. 9f.). 'The camp, the cradle of the nation, was also
the oldest sanctuary. There was Israel and there was Yahweh '
(Wellhausen, Israel, undjiid. Geschichte, p. 36). See on verse 17,

156 DEUTERONOMY 20. 3-7. D
3 and shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh
this day unto battle against your enemies : let not your
heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted
4 at them ; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with
you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying,
What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath
not dedicated it ? let him go and return to his house, lest
6 he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. And
what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and
hath not aused the fruit thereof ? let him go and return
unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man
j use the fruit thereof. And what man is there that hath
betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her ? let him go and
a See ch. xxviii. 30; and Lev. xix. 33-35.
xxiii. 9f., and note the presence of the ark (1 Sam. iv. 3f., xiv.
18 ; 3 Sam. xi. 11) on the battlefield.
4. Bertholet well points out that in the faith of these verses
King Josiah marched against Pharaoh-necoh at Megiddo (a Kings
xxiii. 39).
5. the officers: i. 15, cf. xvi. 18; here possibly those subor
dinates who kept the lists of warriors.
dedicated it : the spirits of the soil are still propitiated by
a blood-offering on the occasion of a new building (Doughty,
Arabia Deserta, i. p. 136 ; Rel. Sem., p. 133 f. : and for Syria, Curtiss,
Primitive Semitic Religion, p. 335). On the ground of such customs
amongst many peoples, Schwally (op. cit., p. 91 f.) explains this law
as an exclusion from the (sacred) army of those who are likely to
' die in the battle ' because of neglected . rites and unappeased
demons. He cites an interesting parallel from the Iliad(l\. 698 f.) :
Protesilaus, having left his home half-finished, is slain by a Trojan
as he leaps ashore from the ship.
6. used the fruit thereof: Heb. 'make profane' by common
use that which was previously sacred. According to Lev. xix.
33-5, new fruit-trees must be left for three years (to the spirits
of the soil ?), given to Yahweh in the fourth; and actually eaten
by the owner in the fifth year only. For a warrior to forsake or
interrupt the ceremonies of propitiation in connexion with the
vineyard is to imperil his life (Schwally, op. cit., p. 89).
t. betrothed 1 Heb. 'paid the bride^price for' (a Sam. iii. 14).

DEUTERONOMY 20. 8-14. D' 157
return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and
another man take, her. And the officers shall speak 8
further unto tlie people, and they shall say, What man is
there that is fearful and fainthearted ? let him go and
return unto hishouse, lest his brethren's heart melt as his
heart. And it shall be, when the officers have made an 9
end of speaking unto the people, that they, shall appoint
captains of hosts at the head of the people.
When thou drawest nigh unto a city to fight against it, 10
then proclaim peace unto it. And it shall be, if it make 1 1
thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall
be, that all the people that is found therein shall become
a tributary unto thee, and shall serve thee. And if it will 12
make no peace with thee, but will' make war against thee,
then thou shalt besiege it : and when the Lord thy G°d l3
delivereth it into thine hand, thou shalt smite every male
thereof with the edge of the sword : but the women, and 14
the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city,
even all the spoil thereof! shalt thou take for a prey unto
thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies,
1 Or, subject to taskwork
The most natural explanation of this law is, that it seeks to ensure
posterity before the perils of battle. According to xxiv. 5 the
newly-married warrior is released from service for a year.
8. fearful : cf. Judges vii. 3. Schwally (op. cit., p. 97) refers to
the physical tests of courage applied amongst some primitive
peoples, failure to meet which will exclude from war.
9. captains of hosts : the leaders of divisions can only be
appointed when the army is purged of the unfit ; ' they ' will
refer not to the (subordinate) officers, but is used loosely of
those to whom this appointment belonged. Driver compares
1 Mace. iii. 55, 56.
11. tributary : Hebrew as in R. V. marg. : see note on Joshua
xvi. 10. ... . . .
13 f. The herem or ban (verse 17) to be applied to cities outside
Canaan in a partial form (males only) ; but in its severest form to
the Canaanite cities (verse '17).

158 DEUTERONOMY 20. 15-1?. D
15 which the Lord thy God hath given thee. Thus shalt
thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from
16 thee, which are not of the cities* of these nations. But of
the cities of these peoples, which the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive
'7 nothing that breatheth: but thou shalt a utterly destroy
them ; the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and
* Heb. devote.
16. nothing that breatheth : cf. Joshua xi. 14, where the phrase
refers to human beings as contrasted with animals, as is its usual
meaning (though ' breath ' may be used of animals, as well as
man, Gen. vii. as).
17. utterly destroy: (vii. 3) 'ban ' or 'devote,' i.e. put under
the herem. The same word, with the same meaning, occurs in
the inscription of Mesha (Moabite Stone), where Mesha says that,
having captured Nebo from Israel, he slew the whole of its 7,000
inhabitants and dragged the vessels of Yahweh before his god
Kemosh, because he had ' devoted ' it to Ashtar-Kemosh (lines
16, 17). The root meaning pf herem, variously applied in the
different Semitic languages, denotes that which is inviolable or
sacred, e.g. to the deity (xiii. 17,' R.V. marg.; see previous
verse for the herem). The herem is, however, neither a sacrifice
nor a present to the deity in the ordinary sense, but a taboo, the
primitive method of alienating anything from ordinary use. The
act of destruction naturally ensures the complete observance of
the taboo. The motive that might lead to it in the special case of
the herem taboo is illustrated by Num. xxi. a, where the herem
is a bargain made to obtain the help of Yahweh. Examples of
the herem will be found in i Sam. xv. 3 (Amalek to be slain, ' both
man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
ass') and Joshua vi. i7f. (Jericho; where men and things are
4 devoted,' apart from the exceptions there noted, verses 34, 25,
whilst the theft and punishment of Achan, chap, vii, vividly
illustrate the nature of the herem), and the idea doubtless
underlies other passages where the actual term does not occur
(1 Sam. xxii. n f. ; a Kings xv. 16 ; a Chron. xxv. ia f.). The
Israelite idolater is to be 'devoted' (Exod. xxii. ao), as well as
the idolater of Canaan. The Deuteronomic references (e g verse
18) give the herem a utilitarian interpretation ; it will save Israel
from the penis of a heathen environment. Parallels amongst other
peoples to the general conception, with fuller information, will be
'Ban'Tni^E T d,scussion (°A cit-> PP- =9-44), or the article

DEUTERONOMY 20. is — 21. i. D 159
the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite ; as the Lord
thy God hath commanded thee : that they teach you not to 18
do after all their abominations, which they have done unto
their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.
When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making 19
war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees
thereof by wielding an axe against them ; for thou mayest
eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down ; for is
the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of
thee ? Only the trees which thou knowest that they be 20
not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down
and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that
maketh war with thee, until it fall.
If one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy 21

the Hittite, &c. : see on vii. 1, where the Girgashite is added
to complete the full list of seven.
commanded thee : vii. a ; Exod. xxiii. 31-33.
19. For the destruction of trees, as one of the operations, of
warfare, see 3 Kings iii. 19, 35. Mohammedj,, for example, brought
pressure to bear on the Banu Madir by the destruction of their
(special) date-trees. The Kur'an (LIX) is made to justify this
breach of Kur'anic law (cf. Margoliouth, Mohammed, p. 317).
Tiglath-Pileser III exults in the same act (E.B., 4513). For
private property in trees, see the Code of Hammurabi, § 59.
is the tree of the field man ? a slight change in the Hebrew
pointing gives this sense, which is that of the versions. The
reason for the prohibition is Deuteronomic; but more primitive
ideas of the spirits dwelling in trees (Rel. Sem., p. 133) first
secured the preservation of their abodes. The date-tree was
worshipped by the tribe Khozaa (Burckhardt, Arabia, i. p. 399 ;
quoted by Lubbock, Origin of Civilisation, p. 395)-
20. trees for meat : i. e. fruit-trees (Heb., trees of food).
build bulwarks : or siege-works, of the wood of the other
trees cut down : cf. Jer. vi. 6. Assyrian siege-operations are
represented: pictorially in E.B. s. v. ' Siege.'
xxi. r-9. Expiation of murder by some person unknown. If
a murdered: man be found, the murderer being unknown, the
authorities of the nearest city shall be responsible for the removal
of the peril of shed blood (verses 1, 3). This removal they shall

,160 DEUTERONOMY 21. 2-4. D
God igiveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be
2 not known who hath smitten him : then thy elders and
thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto
3 the cities which are round about him that is slain : and it
shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain
man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer of
the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which
4 hath not drawn in the yoke ; and the elders of that city
shall bring down the heifer unto a valley with running
water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break
effect, under the eyes of the priests, by breaking a heifer's neck
and making a representative declaration of innocence (verses 3-9).
There is no parallel to this law in the other O. T. cqdes, but
its two underlying ideas, the peril of shed blood (Introd., p. 24) and
corporate responsibility, find abundant illustration elsewhere. The
latter is also illustrated in the Code of Hammurabi (§§ 33, 24).
For the present responsibility of Arab sheikhs for their tribesmen,
see Doughty, Arabia Deserta i, p. 176 ; according to the ancient
Arab law, the people of a place in which a slain man was found
had to swear that they were not the murderers (W. R. Smith,
Kinship, p. 263). The last-named writer thinks (MS. note
quoted by Driver) that the aim of the present law was to preclude
blood-feud ; we may also think, as the above parallels suggest, of
the preservation of order in a district. But in any case, there is
the underlying idea of shed blood as itself a peril.
1. in the field : i. e. the open country, away from inhabited spots.
2. thy elders : (cf. xix. 1 1 f.) ; the sheikhs are the natural local
authorities, to whom the judges (xvi. 18) are added. The
arrival of the priests in verse 5 after the ceremony is begun is
peculiar, and the reference to them suggests its own addition by
a writer who regarded the act as sacrificial and therefore requiring
their presence (so Bertholet and Steuernagel).
3. an heifer of the herd : which, as the sequel shows, is to
take the place of the unknown murderer, and therefore must not
have been profaned by common use (cf. xv. 19).
drawn in the yoke : the same restriction in the case of the
red heifer (Num. xix. 2) also for ceremonial use.
4. a valley with running water: Heb. 'a perennial wady,'
1. e. one that has water through the dry season. The wady, like
the heifer, must be one not profaned by common use ; it has
already a quasi-sacred character as an ever-flowing stream, whose
Waters Will carry away the heifer's blood J as the wady Kishonwas

DEUTERONOMY 21. g-9. D 161
the heifer's neck there in the valley : and the priests 5
the sons of Levi shall come near ; for them the Lord
thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless
in the name of the Lord ; and according to their word
shall every controversy and every stroke be : and all the 6
elders of that city, who are nearest unto the slain man,
shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was
broken in the valley : and they shall answer and say, Our 7
hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes
seen it. Forgive, O Lord, thy people Israel, whom thou 8
hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain
in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall
be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the innocent n
perhaps chosen (Wellhausen, op. cit. , p. 89, note 2, cited by
Bertholet) to be the place of slaughter of the prophets of Baal
(1 Kings xviii. 40). There may also be some connexion with the
idea that a corpse defiles water. Thus when a corpse had been
carried across the stream at Nebk, the inhabitants found it necessary
to cut the throats of a number of sheep over the stream, so that
their blood might run into the water, and the disastrous floods of
the river-spirit be checked (Curtiss, op. cit., p. 200). The broken
neck of the heifer may have been supposed originally to operate
on the unknown murderer by symbolic magic.
5. the priests : see on verse a ; and for the appended reasons
of their appearance, cf. x. 8, xviii. 5 ; xvii. 8f.
6. wash their hands : as did Pilate (Matt, xxvii. 34 : cf. Pss.
xxvi. 6, lxxiii. 13), such acts being for ancient thought more than
what we mean by symbolic ; they actually did something to make
innocent the person performing them.
8. Forgive: xxxii. 43 (R.V. 'make expiation'). The root
meaning of the Hebrew word (kapper) is 'cover' : cf. Gen. xxxii.
20, ' I will appease him (with the present) ' ; Heb. ' I will cover
his face ', so that he may not see the wrong previously done to
him. In later usage it is used either of the priest (Lev. iv. 20,
' make atonement '), or of God, who ' covers,' or regards as covered,
the wrongdoer (as here) or the wrong (Jer. xvm. 23, ', forgive not
their iniquity '). .,
redeemed : by the deliverance from Egypt (vn. 8).
9. thou : emphatic in the Hebrew, as defining Israel's duty in
contrast with the previous appeal to Yahweh.
put away : ' exterminate ' as in xix. 13 ; note throughout the
M

162 DEUTERONOMY 21. 10-13. D
blood from the midst of thee, when thou shalt do that
which is right in the eyes of the Lord.
10 When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies,
and the Lord thy God delivereth them into thine hands,
11 and thou carriest them away captive, and seest among the
captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto
12 her, and wouldest take her to thee to wife ; then thou
shalt bring her home to thine house ; and she shall shave
13 her head, and pare her nails; and she shall put the
raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in
thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full
month : and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be

idea of the shed blood as forming a physical-psychical peril ;
no idea of moral guilt is involved.
xxi. 10-14. Marriage with women captured in war. A female
captive must not be made a concubine till the expiration of a
month (verses 10-13). She must not subsequently be sold as
a slave (verse 14).
10. For the phrases, cf. xx. 1, 13 ; the paragraph belongs to
the rules of warfare.
12. shave her head and pare her nails : the hair and the nails,
from their rapid growth, were regarded by primitive peoples as
special seats of vitality. They are cut off here because the defilement
either of death or of the woman's heathen environment is supposed
to cling to them in particular (Rel. Sem., p. 333 note 5) ; or viewed
as part of the mourning customs (Bertholet) in connexion with
the kinsmen of the woman, who are assumed to have been slain.
For the cutting of the hair in such cases see xiv. 1 ; for this, and
the paring of the nails, see Frazer, The Golden Bough, i. 388;
for the removal of the clothes, Nassau, Fetichism in West Africa,-
p. 222. For parallel customs in Arabian mourning, see Rel. Sem.,-
p. 428 ; Kinship, p. 178. The Arabian customs (for a widow) seem
to point specially to the impurity of previous cohabitation (cf.
Wellhausen, Reste', p. 171).
13. the raiment of her captivity: i. e. the clothes worn when
she was taken captive.
a full month : xxxiv. 8 ; Num. xx. 29. Deuteronomy here
emphasizes the full discharge of funeral obligations. For Mohammed
' captivity ipso facto dissolved marriage ; and the captive wife

DEUTERONOMY 21. 14-17. D 163
her husband, and she shall be thy wife. And it shall be, 14
if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go
whither she will ; but thou shalt not sell her at all for
money, thou shalt not deal with her a as a slave, because
thou hast humbled her.
If a man have two wives, the one beloved, and the 15
other hated, and they have borne him children, both
the beloved and the hated ; and if the firstborn son be
hers that was hated ; then it shall be, in the day that he 16
causeth his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he
may not make the son of the beloved the firstborn
b before the son of the hated, which is the firstborn : but 17
a Or, as a chattel b Ori during the life time of

might at once become the concubine of the conqueror ' (Margoliouth,
Mohammed, p. 461).
14. whither she will : Heb. ' according to her soul,' i. e. in
freedom as opposed to slavery : cf. Exod. xxi. 8.
deal with her as a slave : ' deal tyrannically with her ; '
the same word as in xxiv. 7.
xxi. 15-21. The rights and duties of sons. The double portion
of the firstborn son is inalienable, though his mother be not the
father's favourite wife (verses 15-17). A persistently disobedient
son shall be brought by his parents before the elders and stoned
to death (verses 18-31).
15. two wives : <=. g. Leah and Rachel (Gen. xxix. 30), Hannah
and Peninnah (1 Sam. i. 6), both cases illustrating the difficulties
connected with the polygamy practised in Israel ; the Semitic
languages, indeed, have a word in common for the rival wife.
The Code of Hammurabi (§§ 144-8) appears to allow a second wife
(or concubine) only when the first wife is childless, or has been
seized with sickness.
16. in the day, &c. : i. e. when he announces (cf. Gen. xxiv.
36) the division of his property to be made at his death ; there
were no written wills amongst the Hebrews prior to the Greek
and Roman period (Nowack, Archdologie, § 64).
before : Heb. ' upon the face of ; in Gen. xi. 38, Num. in.
4, as in R. V. marg., but R. V. text is here preferable, in sense of
' in preference to ' (v. 7 ; Exod. xx. 3).
M 2

164 DEUTERONOMY 21. 18-21. D
he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the hated,
by giving him a double portion of all that he hath : for
he is the beginning of his strength ; the right of the first
born is his.
18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which
will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his
mother, and though they chasten him, will not hearken
19 unto them : then shall his father and his mother lay hold
on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and
30 unto the gate of his place ; and they shall say unto the
elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious,
he will not obey our voice ; he is a riotous liver, and a
21 drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him
with stones, that he die : so shalt thou put away the evil
from the midst of thee ; and all Israel shall hear, and
fear.

17. a, double portion: i.e. as the Hebrew 'a share of two,'
twice as much as any of the other sons : cf. a Kings ii. 9 ; Zech.
xiii. 8 (the same Heb. phrase).
the right of the firstborn: for the early history of primo
geniture, see Maine's Ancient Law, chap, vii : it is not recognized
in the Code of Hammurabi, which supposes an equal division to
take place, apart from special gifts or allowances (§§ 165, 166).
18 f. Through the action of the community the family jurisdiction
is maintained (cf. Gen. xxxviii. 34 : E.B. 3717) ; laws in Exod. xxi.
15, 17 (Lev. xx. 9) assign death to the son who strikes or curses
his parents : cf. v. 16, xxvii. 16. The Code of Hammurabi enacts
that ' if a man has struck his father, one shall cut off his hands '
(§ 195).
19. unto the gate : xxii. 15, xxv. 7 ; Ruth iv. if.; on Syrian
gateways, as courts of justice, &c, see D.B. ii. pp. 1 10-13;
Thomson, The Land and the Book, p. 37.
20. a riotous liver : or ' glutton ' ; Heb. one who makes light
of, squanders, used especially of gluttony (Prov. xxiii. 31).
21. Cf. xiii. 10, xvii. 5, xxii. 24. The original absolute power
of parents over children (Exod. xxi. 7 ; Gen. xxxi. 14 f.) is here
shown in process of limitation ; the community control, while they
enforce, the authority of the parents.

DEUTERONOMY 21. 22—22. 3. D 165
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, 22
and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree ;
his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but 23
thou shalt surely bury him the same day ; for he that
is hanged is a accursed of God ; that thou defile not thy
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an in
heritance. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go 22
astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely
bring them again unto thy brother. And if thy brother 2
be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou
shalt bring it home to thine house, and it shall be with
thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore
it to him again. And so shalt thou do with his ass ; and 3
so shalt thou do with his garment ; and so shalt thou do
a Heb. the curse of God.
xxi. 33, 33. The suspended body to be buried the same day.
22. he be put to death : i. e. by some method other than by
hanging ; the latter was applied to the body already dead (Joshua
viii. 39, x. 36; 1 Sam. xxxi. 10; a Sam. iv. ia).
23. accursed of God: (Gal. iii. 13) probably, as Dillmann
suggests, because those whose bodies were so treated were
'devoted,' or were criminals of the darkest type ; we must connect
with this the primitive conception of the peril to the community of
a corpse thus publicly exposed (' that thou defile not thy land ').
xxii. i-ia. Various Laws : regard for neighbours (verses 1-4) ;
distinction of sex (verse 5) ; mother-bird to be spared (verses
6, 7); battlements (verses 8, 9); mixtures (verses 10, 11);
tassels (verse is).
If. See Exod. xxiii. 4, 5, where also, in briefer form, it is
commanded that the strayed ox or ass be restored and the fallen
beast of burden lifted. There, however, these belong to ' thine
enemy ' ; ' brother ' is a wider term, though it makes the law less
emphatic. Verses a, 3 (except the reference to ass) are here
added to the earlier form of the law.
hide thyself: Isa. lviii. 7 ; Ps. Iv. 1 : cf. Isa. liii. 3 (a different
word). Cf. Luke x. 31, 3a.
3. According to Lev. vi. 1-7, failure to restore a lost article is

166 DEUTERONOMY 22. 4-7- D
with every lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost,
and thou hast found : thou mayest not hide thyself.
4 Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen
down by the way, and hide thyself from them : thou shalt
surely help him to lift them up again.
5 A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a
man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment : for
whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the
Lord thy God.
6 If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in
any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and
the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou
7 shalt not take the dam with the young : thou shalt in any
wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto
thyself ; .that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest
prolong thy days.

treated as theft and punished with a fine of one-fifth the value.
In the Code of Hammurabi, identification by witnesses is required
in the case of a lost (stolen) article found in another's hands
(§§ 9-13)-
xxii. 5. Sexual Morality. The sexes must not interchange attire.
This law refers to practices, like those in connexion with the wor
ship of Cybele or Aphrodite, in which men acted as women and
women as men : see Robertson Smith, O.T.J.C.2, p. 365.
abomination : vii. 25 : cf. xviii. is for a similar religious
application of this term.
xxii. 6, 7. Birds' Nests. The mother-bird is not to be taken
with her eggs or young from a nest found by chance. The law may
here illustrate the ' kindness to animals ' of Deuteronomy (as in
xxv. 4 and xxii. 1-4), but probably goes back to some earlier con
ception such as the ' right of user ' suggested by Fenton (quoted
by Driver) ; the bird is common property, its produce alone
belongs to the person finding it.
that it may be well with thee, &c. : cf. v. 16 ; the same
promise is attached to sparing the mother-bird as to honouring
parents.

DEUTERONOMY 22. 8-10. D 167
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make 8
a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon
thine house, if any man fall from thence. Thou shalt not 9
sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed : lest the a whole
fruit be b forfeited, the seed which thou hast sown, and
the increase of the vineyard.
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. 10
a Heb. fulness. b Heb. consecrated.
xxii. 8. Parapets to House-roofs. The nearest parallel is that of
Exod. xxi. 33, 34, which makes a man who has left a pit uncovered
responsible for the loss of an ox or ass falling into it. A group of
laws in the Code of Hammurabi affirming the responsibility of
builders for accidents comes nearer to the present injunction
(§§ 229-33). a battlement for thy roof : see on Joshua ii. 6.
blood upon thine house: cf. xix. 10, xxi. 8. Primitive
thought extends the idea of 'guilt' not only to animals (Exod.
xxi. 28 f.), but also to inanimate objects (Frazer, The Golden Bough,
ii. p. 294).
xxii. 9-1 1. Mixtures (of seed, ploughing animals, and stuff) for
bidden. For the first and last see Lev. xix. 19 ; the second and
the reason for the first are here only. The origin of these laws
is obscure : see Introd., p. 27.
9. vineyard: Lev. xix. 19, 'field,' an extension of the present law.
Vines are planted far enough apart for the plough to pass between
(D.B. iv. 868), so that there would be room for the sowing of a
different crop.
two kinds of seed : ' the modern Palestinian custom which
compels a man to sow on his strips of land the same seed as the
rest, in order that all may harvest at the same time, suggests an
explanation ' (Cook, The Laws of Moses, p. 195). This utilitarian
explanation, however, belongs to a later age ; some practice in
connexion with heathen cults is more likely to be involved ; e. g.
Ihe symbolical representation of the union of deities (Steuernagel).
be forfeited : R. V. marg. ' consecrated,' i. e. to the sanctuary
(Joshua vi. 19). The man will lose both his grapes and his other
crop as a penalty for his irreligious act.
IO Cf Lev xix. 19, 'Thou shalt not make thy cattle breed in
two kinds ,' which may state more directly the general purpose of
the present law. 'Mules, however, were used in Davids time
and later (2 Sam. xviii. 9; 1 Kings i. 33, xvm. 5) if-&"'Jni
Lev., p. 89). An ox and an ass yoked together may still be found
in Palestine.'

i68 DEUTERONOMY 22. 11-15. D
i 1 Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen
together.
12 Thou shalt make thee a fringes upon the four borders
of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate
14 her, and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up
an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and
when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens
15 of virginity : then shall the father of the damsel, and her
a Or, twisted threads

11. Nothing is known of the practice aimed at, though the
context (verses 5, 13 f.) suggests some sexual reference ; perhaps
the union of male and female deities was tacitly recognized by
this (Egyptian?) cloth.
xxii. 12. Memorial tassels to be worn. Cf. Num. xv. 37-41, where
the reason for wearing these is given (cf. vi. 8, xi. 18).
fringes: (R.V. marg. to be read) 'twisted cords' called
'Zizith' or tassels in Num. xv. 38 (D.B. i. p. 627). Introd., p. 49.
vesture : the outer garment made of a square piece of cloth,
used also to sleep in (Exod. xxii. 26).
xxii. 13-30. Sexual Relations. If a man questions the previous
virginity of his newly married wife, her parents shall bring the
circumstantial proof to the elders, and the man shall be fined and
lose the right of divorce. If the proof is not forthcoming, the
woman shall be stoned to death (verses 13-21). Adultery shall
be punished by the death of both persons (verse 22). The same
penalty applies in the case of the seduction of a betrothed woman,
taking place in the city; in the country, the woman shall be
presumed innocent, and the man only shall die (verses 23-7).
In the case of an unbetrothed woman, the man seducing her shall
marry her without right of divorce, paying the bride-price to her
father (verses 28, 29). An inheriting son shall not marry his
father's wife (verse 30).
14. the tokens of virginity: see the (Latin) . Appendix of
Trumbull's The Threshold Covenant, pp. 243-52. Parallels
amongst other peoples are cited by We'stermarck, The History of
Human Marriage, pp. 133, 134. Physiologically, the evidence is
by no means conclusive ; it is still, however, regarded as essential
in Egypt and Palestine, as elsewhere also.

DEUTERONOMY 22. 16-22. D 169
mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's
virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate : and the 16
damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my
daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; and, 17
lo, he hath laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I
found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity ; and
yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And
they shall spread the garment before the elders of the
city. And the elders of that city shall take the man and 18
chastise him ; and they shall amerce him in an hundred 19
shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the
damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon
a virgin of Israel : and she shall be his wife ; he may not
put her away all his days. But if this thing be true, that 20
the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel : then 2 1
they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's
house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones
that she die : because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to
play the harlot in her father's house : so shalt thou put
away the evil from the midst of thee.
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an 22
17. the garment : i. e. camisia sponsae sanguine inquinata,
quae ut testimonium virginitatis custodiri consuevit.
18. chastise him: probably corporal punishment is intended
(cf. xxv. 3), as is understood by Josephus, Antiq. iv. 8. 33.
19. amerce: i.e. 'fine,' the fine being twice that for the
seduction of a virgin (verse 39), and paid to the father as defamed
by the false report. Its nominal (100 silver shekels at as. gd.)
equivalent is a little less than £14.
20. If the physical evidence be not forthcoming, the charge is
regarded as proved, and the woman accordingly punished.
21. The place of the punishment is that of the sin ; the father,
moreover, was responsible for his daughter.
stone her : see on xiii. 10, and cf. xxi. 21.
folly in Israel: rather 'senselessness' : cf. Joshua vii. 15
(Achan) ; usually, as here, of acts of immorality (Gen. xxxiv. 7).
22. For other laws relating to adultery, see v. 18 ; Lev. xviii.

170 DEUTERONOMY 22. 23-27. D
husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that
lay with the woman, and the woman : so shalt thou put
away the evil from Israel. <
23 If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto an
husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
24 then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that
city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die ;
the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city ; and
the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife :
so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.-
25 But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the
field, and the man force her, and lie with her ; then the
26 man only that lay with her shall die : but unto the damsel
thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin
worthy of death : for as when a man riseth against his
27 neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: for

ao, xx. 10. The punishment was assumed to be that of verse 34,
i. e. death by stoning (Ezek. xvi. 40 ; John viii. 5). The parallel
law in the Code of Hammurabi reads, ' If the wife of a man has
been caught in lying with another male, one shall bind them and
throw them into the waters. If the owner of the wife would save
his wife, or the king would save his servant (he may) ' (§ 129).
xxii. 33 f. The parallel law in the Code of Hammurabi is, ' If a
man has forced the wife of a man who has not known the male, and
is dwelling in the house of her father, and has lain in her bosom,
and one has caught him, that man shall be killed, the woman
herself shall go free ' (§ 130).
23. betrothed : see on xx. 7 ; the bride-price having been
paid, she is the property of her husband, and the case becomes
one of adultery (cf. ' his neighbour's wife ').
in the city : where, presumably, the woman might have been
rescued had she appealed for help (' because she cried not ').
25. in the field: here the woman's innocence is presumed, for
the reason given in verse 37.
force her : rather, ' take hold of her ' (3 Sam. xiii. 11).
26. as when a man riseth : i. e. the sudden attack in each case
found a defenceless victim.

DEUTERONOMY 22. 28—23. i. D 171
he found her in the field ; the betrothed damsel cried,
and there was none to save her.
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not 28
betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they
be found ; then the man that lay with her shall give unto 29
the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be
his wife, because he hath humbled her ; he may not put
her away all his days.
" A man shall not take his father's wife, and shall not 30
uncover his father's skirt.
He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy 23
member cut off, shall not enter into the assembly of the
Lord.
* [Ch. xxiii. 1 in Heb.]
28, 29. The case of the unbetrothed woman is on a different
footing ; no marital rights are involved (cf. Exod. xxii. 16, 17).
Consequently, the man pays the bride-price (see on verse 19) as
in an ordinary marriage, his penalty being the loss of the right of
divorce. The price of a slave was thirty shekels (Exod. xxi. 3a).
30. Cf. Lev. xviii. 8, xx. 11 ; a similar prohibition of marriage
with a step-mother occurs in the Kur'an (iv. 36), aimed at the
inheritance of women in the same way as other property
(Robertson Smith, Kinship, p. 86).
his father's sfeirt : xxvii. 20 : cf. Ezek. xvi. 8 ; Ruth iii. 9
A probable parallel to this law (Cook, op. cit, p. 101) occurs in the
Code of Hammurabi, § 158 : ' If a man, after his father, has been
caught in the bosom of his head wife who has borne children,
that man shall be cut off from his father's house.' The present
law is the first instance of legislation as to forbidden degrees
(cf. Lev. xviii and xx).
xxiii. 1-8. Classes excluded from the assembly of Yahweh :
eunuchs, bastards, Ammonites and Moabites, but not the third
generation of an Edomite or Egyptian.
1. The verse refers to two methods of making eunuchs (crushed
testicles, abscission of penis). Such mutilations were practised in
certain forms of Syrian worship ; the prohibition is probably, like
that in xiv. 1, directed against association with heathenism.
the assembly of Yahweh : Israel as a religious community
(Mic. ii. 5). The conception is developed by priestly writers,
though in P 'congregation' ('edah, Exod. xii. 3, &c.) replaces

172 DEUTERONOMY 23. 2-7. D
2 A bastard shall not enter" into the assembly of the
LoRd ; even to the tenth generation shall none of his
enter into the assembly of the Lord.
3 An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the
assembly of the Lord ; even to the tenth generation shall
none belonging to them enter into the assembly of the
4 Lord for ever : because they met you not with bread
and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of
Egypt ; and because they hired against thee Balaam the
son of Beor from Pethor of a Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
5 Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto
Balaam ; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a
blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all
thy days for ever.
7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy
* Heb. Aram-naharaim.
' assembly ' (^ahal). A place in this community is extended even
to the eunuch in Isa. Ivi. 4 f.
2. a bastard : possibly ' child of incest ' (cf. xxii. 30), unclean
by origin. to the tenth generation : i. e. never (verse 3 end).
3. Ammonite, Moabite: excluded by the previous verse,
according to Gen. xix. 30 f.
4 f. Their exclusion is grounded on history, possibly by a later
addition. they met you not, &c. : contrast ii. 39, where the Moabites
are said to have sold food and water to Israel.
they hired against thee, &c. (Heb. 'he' = king of Moab) ;
this relates to the Moabites only, Num. xxii. 5.
5. turned the curse into a blessing: Num. xxiii. n, 25,
xxiv. 10.
6. A characteristic limitation of Deuteronomic humanitarianism.
For the expressions see Jer. xxix. 7 ; Ezra ix. ia. This paragraph
is quoted and acted upon in Neh. xiii. 1-3. It reflects the historical
hostility between the two peoples and Israel (e. g. Amos i. 13 •
Zeph. ii. 8 ; Isa. xvi. 6).
7. an Edomite : ' thy brother,' as descended from Esau • cf
ii. 4-8.

DEUTERONOMY 23. 8-13. D 173
brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because
thou wast a stranger in his land. The children of the 8
third generation that are born unto them shall enter into
the assembly of the Lord.
When thou goest forth in camp against thine enemies, 9
then thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing. If there 10
be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of
that which chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad
out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp : but 1 1
it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall bathe
himself in water : and when the sun is down, he shall
come within the camp. Thou shalt have a place also 12
without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad :
and thou shalt have a a paddle among thy weapons ; and 13
* Or, shovel
an Egyptian: the motive for friendliness towards him is
elsewhere (v. 15, xv. 15, xvi. ia, xxiv. 18, aa) used to arouse
sympathy with the slave and dependant.
8. The verse refers to the descendants of those Edomites or
Egyptians who have settled in Palestine and affiliated themselves
to Israel.
xxiii. 9-14. The holiness of the camp (nocturnal pollutions,
excrement). This law belongs to the rules of warfare in chap, xx
and xxi. 10-14. A wider statement of that which defiles the camp
is given by P (Num. v. 1-4). A military expedition is sacred to
the war-god, on whose presence it depends for success (see on
xx. a).
10. See Lev. xv. 16 ; all that relates to sexual life is a peril,
and the taboo it imposes is rigorously respected by primitive
peoples. For the sexual taboo in general during war, see 1 Sam.
xxi. 4-6 ; a Sam. xi. 11. Schwally (op. cit., p. 60 f.) gives some of the
parallels from other peoples : cf. also Frazer, The Golden Bough,
i. 337 £ and the note, p. 338. See on xx. 5 f.
11. when evening cometh on: and a new day begins (at
sunset) in which the polluted man may, after ablutipn, return to
the camp.
13. a paddle : or ' digging-stick ' ; the word occurs elsewhere
as 'peg' (tent-peg, Judges v. a6) or 'loonv,stick' (Judges xvi. 14).

174 DEUTERONOMY 23. 14-17- D
it shall be, when thou sittest down abroad, thou shalt dig
therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which
14 eometh from thee : for the Lord thy God walketh in the
midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine
enemies before thee ; therefore shall thy camp be holy :
that he see no a unclean thing in thee, and turn away
from thee.
15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master a servant which
16 is escaped from his master unto thee : he shall dwell with
thee, in the midst of thee, in the place which he shall
choose within one of thy gates, where it liketh him best :
thou shalt not oppress him.
17 There shall be no b harlot of the daughters of Israel,
a Heb. nakedness of any thing.
b Heb. kedeshah. See Gen. xxxviii. ai.
The excrement is not covered for any sanitary reason or motive
of propriety ; for primitive peoples it is a means by which magic
can be worked, and therefore to be prevented from falling into an
enemy's hands. For this peril, and that of demonic influence at
the time of excretion, see Schwally (op. cit., p. 67).
14. The original grounds of the custom are replaced by one
more suitable to a worshipper of Yahweh ; Yahweh Himself (cf.
Gen. iii. 8) is in the camp (xx. 1), which must be kept 'holy.'
xxiii. 15, 16. Asylum in Israel for escaped slaves. This stands
in marked contrast with the severe enactments of the Code of
Hammurabi concerning runaway slaves (§§ 15-20), from Babylo
nian territory; the law of Deuteronomy apparently relates to
foreign slaves only.
16. within one of thy gates : i. e. a city of Israel, implying
that he is a foreign slave. Contrast the extradition rights allowed
by Gath, 1 Kings ii. 39, 40.
thou shalt not oppress him: so, of the ger or protected
stranger (Exod. xxii. ai), whose presence in Israel would some
times be explainable in this way (escape from slavery).
xxiii. 17, 18. Religious prostitution forbidden. For a classical
example of the custom referred to see Herodotus I. 199 (at the
temple of Aphrodite among the Babylonians). Cf. 1 Kings xiv.
24 and R. V. marg.
17. harlot . . . Sodomite : the Hebrew is simply a ' sacred '

DEUTERONOMY 23. 18-20. D 175
neither shall there be a «¦ sodomite of the sons of Israel.
Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the wages of iS
a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow :
for even both these are an abomination unto the Lord
thy God.
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother ; usury 19
of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is
lent upon usury : unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon 20
usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon
usury : that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that
thou puttest thine hand unto, in the land whither thou
goest in to possess it a Heb. kadesh.
person (male and female), with reference to immorality practised
in the service of a deity.
18. dog: the term used in a Cyprian inscription (temple of
Ashtoreth) apparently to denote male prostitutes of the above
class (cf. Rev. xxii. 15). Cf. Rel. Sem., p. 292.
for any vow : i. e. fulfilling a pledge given to the deity. In
the narrative of Herodotus, the silver coin earned is ' sacred ' to
Aphrodite, the woman ' having acquitted herself of her duty to the
goddess.' abomination : vii. 25, xii. 31, &c. The reference is probably
to the earnings, to say nothing of the earners.
xxiii. 19, 20. Interest on loans allowed from foreigners only.
Parallels in Exod. xxii. 25 (JE), Lev. xxv. 36, 37 (H) : cf. Ps.
xv. 5.
19. lend upon usury : Heb. ' exact interest,' moderate or
excessive. The English ' usury ' is misleading to the modern
reader, who forgets that this term originally meant, and means
here, simply ' interest.'
20. The Bedouins of to-day take no interest on loans (Doughty,
Arabia Deserta, i. 318 ; cited by Cook, Laws of Moses, p. 233).
This is in accordance with those simpler conditions of life in
which the loan is meant to relieve poverty, &c, not to be a
business investment ; for the more complex social conditions of
Babylonia, with its development of trade and commerce, see the
Code of Hammurabi, §§ 49, 50, 100, according to which interest
is ordinarily given In a year of disaster, however, the interest on
a debt is cancelled (§ 48).

r76 DEUTERONOMY 23. 21— 24. 1.
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God,
thou shalt not be slack to pay it : for the Lord thy God
will surely require it of thee ; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt observe and
do; according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy
God, a freewill offering, which thou hast promised with
thy mouth.
24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then
thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure;
but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 When thou comest into thy neighbour's standing corn,
then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but
thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's
standing corn.
24 When a man taketh a vnfe, and marrieth her, then it
xxiii. 21-3. Vows. The subject is developed by P in Num. xxx
(cf. verse 2) and in later Jewish casuistry. Well-known vows of
the O. T. are those of Jacob (Gen. xxviii. 20), Jephthah (Judges
xi. 30), Hannah (1 Sam. i. 11).
21. not be slack: ' delay not' : cf. Eccles. v. 4, 5.
23. a freewill offering : ' freely ' (as in Hos. xiv. 4). These
vows are to be paid at Jerusalem (xii. 6, &c).
xxiii. 24, 25. Hunger, not greed, may be satisfied in a neigh
bour's vineyard or cornfield.
24. vessel : the bag or wallet of the traveller (Gen. xliii. 11 ;
1 Sam. ix. 7) or shepherd (1 Sam. xvii. 49).
25. Cf. Matt. xii. if. ; Mark ii/23 £ ; Luke vi. 1 f.
xxiv. 1-4. Divorce. A divorced woman, whose second husband
has also divorced her, oris dead, may not be remarried to the first.
This, and the other references to divorce (xxii. 19, 29 ; Lev.
xxi. 7, 14, xxii. 13; Num. xxx. 9), in Hebrew law, take the
custom for granted, and do not directly establish it, but deal
with its relation to various contingencies. The laws of divorce in
the Code of Hammurabi (§§ 137-43) are ehiefly concerned with its
financial aspect, and guard the woman's right to the return of her
dowry or other compensation, when she has not been to blame.
In the O.T. no right of divorce is supposed to belong to the

DEUTERONOMY 24. 2-5. D 177
shall be, if she find no favour in his eyes, because he
hath found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall
write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand,
and send her out of his house. And when she is 2
departed out of his house, she may go and be another
man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and 3
write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand,
and send her out of his house ; or if the latter husband
die, which took her to be his wife ; her former husband, +
which sent her away, may not take her again to be his
wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination
before the Lord : and thou shalt not cause the land to
sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an
inheritance. When a man taketh a new wife, he shall not go out in 5
woman. Divorces were evidently very frequent in Babylonia
and Israel (Mal. ii. 13-16). For a review of Semitic marriage-
law, see Cook, The Laws of Moses, chaps, iv, v ; cf. 2 Sam. iii.
14 f. ; Hos. ii, &c.
1. The apodosis is verse 4 (then her former husband, &c), the
previous three verses are governed by ' if ' or ' when,' and should
be so translated (read ' and it shall be ' (verse 1 ), . . . ' and she may
go ' (verse 2), with necessary re-punctuation).
some unseemly thing : Hebrew as in xxiii. 14 (R.V.marg.) ;
interpreted by the school of Shammai of unchastity, and by the
school of Hillel of any ground of dislike. ' It is most natural to
understand it of immodest or indecent behaviour'1 (Driver, p. 371).
Cf. Matt. v. 3r, 33, xix. 7 ; Mark X. 4.
a bill of divorcement (' a writing of separation ') : Isa. 1. 1 ;
Jer. iii. 8 (the latter expressly referring to this law). The divorce
is formally and unmistakably made. Compare the Code of Ham
murabi (§ 141) ; the divorce is not valid without the legal form.
Here three formalities are required — (a) the deed, (b) its service,
(c) dismissal of wife.
4. defiled : i. e. through cohabitation with another man (cf.
Matt. v. 32), which, in the light of a remarriage, might be regarded
as adultery (Lev. xviii. 20 ; Num. v. 13, 14, 26).
cause the land to sin : i. e. by a ' defilement' which exposes
land and people to the wrath of Yahweh (Isa. xxiv. 5), and makes
it an ' abomination ' (vii. 25, &c.) to Him.
N

17?. DEUTERONOMY .24. 6^8. D
the host, neither shall he be charged with ., any. business :
he shall, be Tree at home one. year, and shall cheer his
6 wife which he hath taken..', No man shall take the mill,
or the upper millstone to .pledge : for he taketh a man's
life to pledge,, ,
? ; If a man be found stealing any of. his brethren of the
children of Israel, and he deal with, him f as a slave, or
sell him ; ¦ then that thief shall die : so shalt thou put
away, the evil from the midst of thee, , .,..,
8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe
diligently, and do according to all that the priests the
Levites, shall teach you : .as J commanded themj so ye
, . , , . , , a Or, as a chattel.
5. Exemption from military or other duties for one year after
marriage (,cf.r,xx. 7). ,-.,//
cheer : Heb. ' make to rejoice,' but we should perhaps read
with Yulgate (repointing the Hebrew), ' rejoice (take pleasure)
with' (so Bertholet). As stated by Deuteronomy, the law is
humanitarian ; but it may rest on older ideas connected with the
period of gestation (Schwally, op. cit., 79 f.).
6. The mill not to, be taken as deposit for a loan (cf. verses 10-
13, I7b)j since it is essential to the life of its owner.
mill: consisting of two circular stpnes, the upper being
rotated by hand upon the lower, to grind the corn for each day's
needs — to take away the upper stone was to deprive the house of
the. use of the mill itself, and therefore of its daily supply of
bread (Exod. xi. 5 ; , Isa. xlvii. 3 ; Jer. xxv. 10 ; Matt, xxiv.' 41 ;
Rev. xviii. 33); See on verse 10 f. for pledge.
1. Man-stealing : repeated from Exod. xxi. 16, except that the
law is here confined to Israelite victims of tyrannical dealing (on
xxi. 14). Cf. the Code of Hammurabi (§, 14), ' If a man has stolen
the son of a freeman, he shall be, put to death.' .
xxiv. 8, 9. The Levitical laws, in regard to leprosy are to be
rigorously followed. These laws are given in. Lev. xiii. 14 f, but
their substance may well be pre-Deuteronomic. v ,.
8. the plague of leprosy : the f, stroked of this unclean disease'
(on which see D.B., iii. 95 f.) was regarded as a divine judgement
(2 Kings v. 27, xv. 5) pf a specially severe character, because the
visible personality seemed partially destroyed (Num. xii. 12 : cf.
Job it 5). Hence, doubtless,, its-special treatment.
as I commanded them : i„ e. Yahweh,, like ' me ' in vii. 4.

DEUTERONOMY 24. 9-15. D 179
shall observe to do. Remember what the Lord thy Godg.
did unto Miriam, : by ' the way as ye came forth out of
Egypt. ,¦
When thou dost lend thy neighbour any manner of 10
loan, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
Thou shalt stand without,, and the man to whom thou u
dost lend shall bring forth the pledge without unto thee.
And if he be a poor man, thou shalt not 1 sleep with his 1 2
pledge: thou shalt.surely restore to him the pledge when 13
the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his garment,
and bless ¦ thee : and it shall be righteousness unto thee
before the Lord thy God.
Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor 14
and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy
strangers that are in thy land within thy gates : in his day i5

9. Miriam : smitten with leprosy for contempt of Mosesi(Num.
xii. 10), and- kept without .the camp, at Yahweh's bidding, for
seven days.
xxiv. 10-13. Selection and Retention of Pledges for Loans. The
article deposited with a creditor as security for his loan is to be
selected by the borrower ; and if it be essential to his life, it shall
be speedily returned.
10. Interest, not a pledge, was forbidden in xxiii. 19, 20.
12. The rule becomes practically equivalent tb that of verse 6 ;
the essentials of life must not be withheld from those needing
them. Similarly of the ox in the Code of Hammurabi (§ 241 : cf.
Job xxiv. 3).
13. Exod. xxii. 26, 37 (JE). The garment • (simldh) is 'the
largest and heaviest article of Oriental dress, being the dress of
travel, of the shepherd, worn for protection against cold and rain,
and used as a covering during sleep ' (D.B., i. 635, where illustrations
are given). For the pledging of clothes, cf. Amos ii. 8 ; Prov. xx.
16; Job xxii. 6).
xxiv. 14, 15. Treatment of Hired Servants : they are not to be
wronged by the retention of their wages (Lev. xix. 13).
15. in his day: i.e. the day of labour (Job xiv. 6), through
which are earned the wages, e. g. the ' penny ' of Matt. xx. 3 f.
The Code of Hammurabi gives a scale of wages per day- for
different grades of labour (§§ 373, 274).
N 2

i.8o DEUTERONOMY 24. 16-19. D
thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down
upon it ; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it :
lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin
unto thee.
16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children,
neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers :
every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 Thou shalt not wrest the judgement of the stranger,
nor of the fatherless ; nor take the widow's raiment to
18 pledge : but thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed
thee thence : therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19 When thou reapest thine harvest in thy field, and hast
forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch
it : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for
lest he cry, &c. : contrast verse 13, and cf. xv. 9.
xxiv. 16. Individual Responsibility. A fundamental characteristic
of ancient ideas of personality is the absence of legal individuality ;
ancient thought and law make the family the unit (Joshua vii. 24 ;
2 Kings ix. .26) rather, than the individual. For the social solidarity
of the family, see v. 9 (cf. Jer. xxxi. 29 ; Ezek. xviii. a) ; here
blood-revenge is specially in view (cf. 3 Kings xiv. 6). The
principle of individuality is emphasized by Ezckiel (chap, xviii);
its full recognition falls largely within the sphere of Christian
influences. xxiv. 17, 18. Stranger, Orphan, and Widow. These three
dependent classes are grouped together, as in Exod. xxii. ai, aa
and elsewhere ; care for them is characteristic of this book.
17. wrest the judgement : cf. x. 18 and xvi. 19 ; Exod. xxiii. 6.
the widow's raiment : cf. verses 13, 13. The widow's claims
are legally recognized in various laws of the Code of Hammurabi
(§§ 1711 172, 177) ; it is there also enacted that 'The buyer that
has bought a utensil of a widow's sons shall lose his money and
shall return the property to its owners.'1
18. Cf. xv. 15.
xxiv. 19-22. Gleamngs to be left for the needy, in field, olive-
garden, and vineyard.
19. See Lev. xix. 9, xxiii. 22 (H) ; and for the general practice
as to gleaners' privileges, Ruth ii. It is a widespread custom to

DEUTERONOMY 24. 20— 25. 3. D i8r
the widow : that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all
the work of thine hands.
When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go 20
over the boughs again : it shall be for the stranger, for
the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest 21
the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it after
thee : it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and
for the widow. And thou shalt remember that thou wast 22
a bondman in the land of Egypt : therefore I command
thee to do this thing.
If there be a controversy between men, and they come 25
unto judgement, and the judges judge them ; then they
shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked ;
and it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be 2
beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and
to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness,
by number. Forty stripes he may give him, he shall 3
treat the last sheaf of corn in a special way, on the ground that it
contains the corn-spirit (Frazer, The Golden Bough, ii. p. 171 f.) ;
the last sheaf may have been left originally for strangers (ib. 232f.)
as a convenient method of disposing of its perilous contents.
Here, however, a humanitarian motive has replaced a primitive
superstition. 20. beatest : olives were and are beaten down from the trees
in order to gather them (Isa. xvii. 6, xxiv. 13).
21. See Lev. xix. 10.
xxv. 1-3. Corporal punishment to be moderate (cf. Exod. xxi.
20, of slaves only).
1. The apodosis probably begins with ' the judge shall cause
him to lie down ' ; read therefore ' and they shall justify ' (pro
nounce innocent), . . . ' then it shall be ' (verse 2).
2. to lie down: probably for the bastinado (cf. Rob. Smith,
O.T.J.C', p. 368). Note here the three precautions against
excessive flogging ; (a) before his face : i. e. in the presence of
th~ judge himself; (b) by number ; (c) maximum of forty stripes,
the exact number being proportionate, i.e. according to hie
wickedness. 3. forty stripes i in later practice this became ' forty stripes

1 82 DEUTERONOMY 25. 4-6. D
not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him
above these with many stripes, then thy brother should
seem vile unto thee. . -r •.<:;:: , >'. 1
4 , • Thou shalt not muzzle: the ox when he treadeth.out
the corn. • .:' .:<o- ,. • *
5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and
have no son, the wife of theidead shall, not marry with
out unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall, go: in
unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the
6 duty of an husband's brother unto her. - And it shall, be,
save one * (2 Cor. xi. 24), lest the legal number should be ex
ceeded by a miscount. The Code of Hammurabi (§ 202) imposes
'sjxjy strokes of a cow-hide whip.' , . . , ;.
should seem vile: Hebrew 'should be dishonoured.'
unto thee : Heb. " before thine eyes,' i. e. openly.
xxv. '4. The ox to be'unmuzzled in threshing (a misplaCeci'law)'.
In spite of 1 Cor. ix. 9, 10 (cf. 1 Tim. V. 18), 'the- meaning is
literal ; God does ' take care for oxen ' (cf. xxii. 6, 7). The custom
still continues.
xxv. 5^10. Levirate Marriage. The widow of a childless
brother is to be married by the survivor, to raise an heir to his
name (verses 5, 6). Failure to perform this duty after public
challenge shall be' punished, with public dishonour (verses 7-10).
This custom (the English name of which comes from the Latin,
' levir,' husband's brother) occurs in various forms among many
peoples (references in Westermarck, Human Marriage, p. 510,
note). It existed in Israel prior to this law ; see the narrative of
J in Gen. xxxviii. The parallel in Ruth iv. 1 f. is that of a quasi-
Levirate marriage, neither Boaz nor Ruth coming under the
exact application of this law, but the aim and legal procedure
being similar. The law probably modifies an earlier and wider
custom of the inheritance of a dead brother's wife, : by the
provisions (a) that the brothers in question are those having
a common establishment, (b) that the second marriage is to take
place only when there was no son born of the first, (c) that the
firstborn of the marriage shall take the name and place of the
dead brother.
5. husband's brother : a technical term (yabam : cf. ' levir '
above) from which the verb 'perform the' duty, of a husband's
brother (one word in Heb.) is derived.
6. For the Israelite, as for other ancient peoples, the survival of the

DEUTERONOMY 25. 7-1 r. D 183
that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the
name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not
blotted out of Israel. And if the man like not to 'take 7
his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall; go up to
the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's
brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in
Israel, he will 'not perform the duty of an husband's
brother unto me. Then the elders of his. city shall call 8
him, and speak unto him : and if he stand, and say,
I like not to take her ; then shall his brother's wife 9
come unto him in the presence of the. elders, and loose
his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face; and she
shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto the man
that doth not build up his brother's house. And his 10
name .shall be called in Israel, The house of him that
hath his shoe loosed.
When men strive together one with another, and the n
' name ' is of supreme importance, and its blotting out the greatest
of calamities (ix. r4 : cf. verse 19, ' remembrance '.)
7. to the gate unto the elders : xxi. 19, xxii. 15. Such a
marriage, as a duty, is to be enforced by public opinion, though
not by any legal penalty. Cf. Ruth iv. 1-12.
9. loose his shoe : Ruth iv. 7, where the removal of the
sandal is explained as a symbolic representation of transfer
(cession of right). The dishonour lies not in the act itself, but
the circumstances of its performance by the woman. Driver
refers to Rob. Smith, Kinship, p. 269. ' A Bedouin form of
divorce is "she was my slipper, and I have cast her off." '
spit in his face : Num. xii. 14 ; Job xxx. 10 ; Isa. 1. 6.
build up : Ruth iv. 11 ; Gen. xvi. 2, xxx. 3 (R. V. marg.).
10. The dishonour shall attach to his family, who shall be
known as 'the house of bare-foot.'
xxv. 11. A typical case of feminine immodesty. So, at least,
we must interpret the law as here reproduced ;! but the severity
of the punishment suggests that the woman's act was originally
regarded as a breach of the taboo which everywhere attaches to
the mystery of generation. The Code of Hammurabi (§§ 202-5)
deals with ' striking the strength ' of a man (so Johns), where the

184 DEUTERONOMY 25. 12-17. D
wife, of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband
out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth
12 forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets : then
thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall have no
pity.
1 3 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great
14 and a small. Thou, shalt not have :in thine house
15 divers measures, a great and a small. A perfect and
just weight shalt thou have ; a perfect and just measure
shalt thou have : that thy days may be long upon the
16 land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that
do such things, even all that do unrighteously, are an
abomination unto the Lord thy God.
1 7 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as
genitalia might be meant ; e. g. ' If a gentleman's servant has struck
the strength of a free-man, one shall cut off his ear.' But, in his
later translation {D.B.,-v. 606) Johns renders 'strength' as ' cheek.'
strive together : wrestle or struggle (Exod. xxi. 22).
cut off her hand: as the member contaminated by the breach
of taboo, or as inherently evil. No other mutilation as penalty is
ordered in the law of Israel, apart from the ius talionis of xix. si
(Dillmann) ; both go back to primitive ideas and practices.
xxv. 13-16. Fair dealings (weights and measures). Cf. Lev. xix.
35. 36 (H) ; Ezek. xiv. 10 f.
13. divers weights : Heb. ' a stone and a stone,' the larger to
weigh purchases, the smaller, sales. Cf. Amos viii. 5 ; Micah vi.
11 'with wicked balances and with a bag of deceitful weights'
(contrast Prov. xvi. 11). Most of the ancient weights still existing
are of stone (E.B. 5399) : cf. a Sam. xiv. a6 where ' weight '
renders Heb. 'stone.'
14. divers measures: Heb. 'an ephah and an ephah,' the
ephah being approximately a bushel ; these larger measures are
naturally kept in the ' house ' as contrasted with the ' bag ' of
weights carried about.
15. perfect in the physical sense of ' whole,' i. e. 'full weight.'
16. Cf. xviii. ia, xxii. 5.
unrighteously : Heb. ' unrighteousness ' (Lev. xix. 15, 35)..
xxv. 17-19. Hostility to the AmaUkites enjoined.
,-v7 'a Am.aoek was encoui»tered by Israel at Rephidim, near Sinai
(Exod. xyu. 8-16), and was regarded with a peculiar bitterness then

DEUTERONOMY 25. 18— 26. 2. D 185
ye came forth out of Egypt; how he met thee by the 18
way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were feeble
behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he
feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord 19
thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies
round about, in the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou
shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven ; thou shalt not forget.
And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land 26
which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance,
and possessest it, and dwellest therein ; that thou shalt 2
take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou

and thenceforward (1 Sam. xiv. 48, xv. 3, 3, xxvii. 8, xxx. if.;
a Sam. viii. ia\ till the disappearance of this people from history.
19. rest: see on xii. 10.
blot out, &c. : based on Exod. xvii. 14.
xxvi. i-n. Liturgy for (annual) presentation of first-fruits;
acknowledgement of the Divine Providence. Every year the
Israelite shall offer a basketful of first-fruits at the altar in
Jerusalem, and acknowledge that Yahweh has kept His promise
(verses 1-4). In prescribed words he shall recall the history of
his people from the time of Jacob to the settlement in Canaan,
and shall confess that Yahweh is the giver of the first-fruits pre
sented (verses 5-ioa). The basket shall be deposited at the altar,
and there shall be a family feast (verses iob-n).
This liturgy stands suitably at the end of the legal code (chaps.
xii-xxv), and, with that which follows, relating to the tithes
(verses 13-15), illustrates the spirituality of the ritual ceremonies
of Israel's religion (see on verse 5). That the ceremony is to be
annually performed appears from its general character ; it relates
to all the first-fruits, i.e. those of each successive year. The
occasion is not stated, but must be one of the three feasts of
xvi. 16, perhaps the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).
1. As xvii. 14.
2. the first of all the fruit: the first-fruits have been mentioned
already in xviii. 4 as the due of the priests, and may be included in
the heave-offering of xii. 6, n, 17. Here, apparently, of a re
presentative part,

r86 DEUTERONOMY 28. 3-5- °
shalt bring in from thy land that the Lord thy God
giveth thee ; and thou shalt put it in a basket, and shalt
go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to
3 cause' his name to dwell there. And thou shalt come
unto the priest that: shall be in those days,. and say unto
him, I profess this i day unto the Lord thy God, that I
am come unto thedand which the Lord sware unto our
4 fathers for to give us. And the priest shall- take i the
basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the
S altar of the Lord thy God. And thou shalt answer and
say before the Lord thy God, A » Syrian b ready to perish
was my father, and ne went down into Egypt, and
sojourned there, few in number-; and he became there a
a Heb. Aramean. D Or, wandering Or, lost

bring in : i. e. from the field or garden to the barn (s Sam.
ix. io ; Hag. i. 6, ' ye have sown much and bring in little ?). :
a basket: cf. xxviii. 5, 17, where it is a typical and familiar
article, mentioned along-- with the kneading-trough.
the place, &c. : see on xii. 5.
3. that shall be in those days: (xvii. 9, xix. 17 -, i. e. of the
year in question (the chief of the priests being meant).
profess : 'declare,' i. e. that Yahweh's oath to the fathers
(see on i. 8) has been faithfully kept.
4. 'The basket-bearing priest is a conspicuous figure in the
Assyrian sculptures' (D.B., i. 356").
5. A. Syrian ready to perish : the reference is to Jacob ' the
Aramaean,' whose mother, Rebecca, was from Aram-Naharaim
(Gen. xxiv. to), and whose ancestral kindred (xxiv. 4) were of
the same country. He himself 'fled into the country of Aram'
(Hos. xii. ia), served Laban, and married his' daughters there
(Gen. xxix-xxxi). The marginal alternatives to ' ready to perish '
are due to the fact that the Hebrew word for ' perish ' is applied
to animals 'straying' or 'lost' (1 Sam. ix. 3, 20; Jer. 1. 6):
The emphasis on Jacob is intended tobring out the lowly origin
of Israel. Thanksgiving for present prosperity is made intelligent
and vivid by the contrast with past adversity. ' ' '.n
he went down into Egypt: Gen. xlvi. 1 f. ; the number of
the family group migrating to Egypt being seventy (Gen. xlvi. 36,
27 : cf. Gen. xxxiv. 30). >

DEUTERONOMY 26. 6-13. D 187
nation, great, mighty, and populous : and the Egyptians 6
evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard
bondage : and we cried unto the Lord, the God of our 7
fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our
affliction,' and our toil, and our oppression: and the 8
Lord brought us 'forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand,
and with an- ' outstretched arm, and with great terrible-
ness, and with signs, and with wonders : and he hath 9
brought us into' this place, and hath given us this land,
a land flowing with milk and honey; And now, behold, 10
I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which
thOu, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it
down before the Lord thy God, and worship before the
Lord thy God : and thou shalt rejoice in all the good n
which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto
thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that
is in the midst of thee.
When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe 1 2
of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of
tithing, then thou shalt give it unto the Levite, to the
stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they
may eat within thy gates, and be filled ; and thou shalt say 1 3

great, mighty, and populous : Exod. i. 9.
6-8. Exod. i. is, 14, ii. 33, iii. 7, 9; Num. xx. 15, 16; Deut.
iv. 34.
9. flowing with milk and honey : see on vi. 3.
10. hast given me : by the series of events recapitulated,
leading up to the possession of Canaan ; these fruits, and the
opportunity to enjoy them, come alike from Yahweh, not from the
Baalim of Canaan.
11. Cf. xii. 1, ia, 18, xvi. 11, 14.
xxvi. 12-15. Triennial Declaration of Tithe and Prayer for
Prosperity. 12. in the third year : the tithe of this year being exception
ally devoted to the relief of the poor and dependent (xiv. 38).

188 DEUTERONOMY 26. 14-17- D
before the Lord thy God, I have put away the hallowed
things out of mine house, and also have given them unto
the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and
to the widow, according to all thy commandment which
thou hast commanded me : I have not transgressed any
of thy commandments, neither have I forgotten, them :
14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither; have I
put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof, for
the dead : I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord
my God, I have done according to all that thou hast
J5 commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation,
from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the ground
which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our
fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
36 This day the Lord thy God commandeth thee to do
these statutes and judgements : thou shalt therefore keep
and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God,
13. before Yahweh thy God : probably not at home (Gen.
xxvii. 7), but at one of the feasts at Jerusalem, more especially the
Feast of Tabernacles, which completed the agricultural year.
the hallowed things : i. e. the tithe, as ' holy ' to Yahweh ;
the same word ('put away') is used of its removal as in xiii. 5,
xvii. 7, ia, xix. 13, 19, xxi. 31, xxii. 21-4, xxiv. 7 ; the tithe is
under a taboo.
14. Three sources of pollution are disclaimed — (a) consumption
of tithe by a mourner, ceremonially unclean by his association
with death (Hos. ix. 4) ; (b) separation of tithe by one ' unclean '
(cf. Lev. xxii. if.) ; (c) devotion of tithe to (or for) the dead. The
last probably refers to the well-known custom, amongst many
peoples, of offering food, &c, at a grave for the consumption of
the departed spirit.
xxvi. 16-19. Conclusion to Code. Let Israel obey these com
mands, for to-day Israel has accepted Yahweh as God, and Yahweh
has accepted Israel as His unique people. (The conclusion of a
covenant is presupposed.)
17, IS. avouched: lit. ' caused to say,' i. e. to acknowledge,
which may be the better rendering here.

DEUTERONOMY 26. 18— 27. 2. D RD i8g
and that thou shouldest walk in his ways, and keep his
statutes, and his commandments, and his judgements,
and hearken unto his voice : and the Lord hath 18
avouched thee this day to be a peculiar people unto him
self, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest
keep all his commandments; and to make thee high above 19
all nations which he hath made, a in praise, and in name,
and in honour ; and that thou mayest be an holy people
unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
[RD] And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded 27
the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I
command you this day. And it shall be on the day 2
when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up
a Or, for a praise, and for a name, and for an honour
19. Read with R. V. marg. ; Israel is to be all this for Yahweh,
a ' holy ' people, as being separate from all others, a ' peculiar
people ' (vii. 6).
xxvii. Command to erect stones, inscribed with the law, on
Mount Ebal ; also to build an altar there (verses 1-8). Appeal
for obedience (verses 9, 10). The tribes, in two divisions, shall
stand on Gerizim and Ebal for the blessing and the curse
respectively (verses 1 1-13). A series of twelve curses to be
pronounced by the Levites.
This chapter is generally admitted to belong to the secondary
elements of the book, as appears from — (a) its lack of literary
unity, (6) the interruption in the address of Moses, continued
without apparent break or explanation in chap, xxviii. The em
phasis on the place of the Levites and the character of the curses
suggest a late addition, though the curses themselves may be an
old liturgical office, used on solemn occasions (Driver, p. 300).
The points of contact are with the Book of the Covenant and with
the Law of Holiness, rather than with Deuteronomy.
1. and the elders : here only associated with Moses in giving
commandment. S. plaister : the stones were whitewashed to afford a writing
surface, as was the customary Egyptian practice.

190 DEUTERONOMY 27, 3-7. rD Je r°
3 great stones, and plaister them with plaister: and thou
shalt write upon them aU the. words of this, law, when,:
thou art passed over; that, thou mayest go .in unto the
land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, a land flowing
with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God. of thy
4 fathers, hath promised thee. And it .shall be when ye
are, passed over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones,
which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and. thou
5 shalt plaister them. .with: plaister. .,[JE] And there shalt
thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of
6 stones : "thou shaltlift up no iron tool upon them, Thou
shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of a unhewn
stones : and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto
1 the Lord thy God : and thou shalt sacrifice peace.
offerings, [RD] and shalt eat there ; and thou shalt rejoice
" Heb. whole. ' '"'
3. The/ best example, of the inscription: of laws'(by engraving)
on stone is afforded by the. parallel Code of Hammurabi, dis
covered in igoa on a block of black diorite, about eight feet high
(see Introd., p. ao). In this way laws were ' published ' in ancient
times, and made accessible to all, as is expressly stated on the
above stone.
aU the words of this law: how much of Deuteronomy
v-xxvi is included it is, of course, impossible to say. Of the
Code of Hammurabi 3,614 lines are extant.
4. mount Ebal : xi. 39. The Pentateuch of the Samaritans
reads ' Gerizim,' an alteration in favour of their sacred mountain.
5. Cf. Exod. xx. 35; the prohibition of worked stone springs
from the belief that the stone in its natural state is more sacred
than a stone artificially hewn (verse 6), and from the conservatism'.
of reh'gion which opposes any Innovation on primitive simplicity;'!
The earliest altar was a stone like that taken by Jacob at Bethel
(Gen. xxviii, 18). -. , , ,; ,|,,
6. burnt offerings : see on xii. 6 ; these religious ceremonies
ratify the covenant between Yahweh and Israel.
7. peaee offerings: Exod. xx. 34,; called in xii. 6, and. else
where in Deuteronomy, 'sacrifices.' . . ' . >-
:,, shalt eat there, &c. : cf. xii. 7. 12 ; the sacrificial meal; is
part of the ceremony. of the ' peace-offering.'

DEUTERONOMY ,27. 8-13. RD D RD r9i
before the Lord thy 'God. And thou shalt write- upon 8
the stones all the words of this law very plainly. b ¦ :,
[D] And MOses and the priests the Levites Spake unto all 9
Israeli, saying, Keep silence, and hearken, O Israel;
this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy
God. Thou shalt therefore Obey the voice of the Lord 10
thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes,
which I command thee this day.
[RD] And Moses charged the people the same day, n
saying, These shall stand upon mount' Gerizim to bless 12
the people, when ye are passed over Jordan; Simeon,
and Levi, and Judah,' and Issachar, and Joseph, and
Benjamin: and these shall stand upon mount Ebal for 13

8. the stones : distinct from those of the altar. This command,
and the record of its fulfilment in Joshua viii. 30, 31; imply the
existence of such an altar and stones at the time of the writers.
9, 10. These verses should be compared with xxvi. 16-19,
whose thought they continue, and to whose phraseology they
are closely related. Israel must obey the voice of Yahweh (xxvi.
17) and do His commands (xxvi. 17), because this day (xxvi. 16,
17, 18) Israel has accepted the positibn of Yahweh's people
(xxvi. 18). On the other hand, their thought is continued in
xxviii. 1, a. Dillmanu suggests that the priests the Levites
is a later addition in view of verses 1 1-26.
1 1-13. In xi. 39 the alternative blessing or curse of obedience
or disobedience to the law is emphasized by reference to a future
ceremony in Canaan which shall bring both: home to the Israelite
and confirm them for the new country. Here the' ceremony is
partially described; its actual accomplishment is narrated in
J'oshua viii. 30-5.
12. These shall stand : the tribes are-divided, for the cursing
and the1 blessing (north and south) geographically,' according to
Steuernagel ; the eastern, Reuben and" Gad, and the northern
Asher, Zebulon, Dan, Naphtali, are opposed to the western and
southern tribes, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Benjamin; Issachar, with
Levi. This explanation, however, does not isuitithe position of
Issachar, and most (e. g. Dillmann, Driver, Bertholet) explain the
division by the birth through concubines of Dan; Naphtali, Gad,
aiiu Asher (Gen. xxx. 1-13I, Reuben's forfeiture'of birthright (Gen.

192 DEUTERONOMY 27. 14-20. Ru 1
the curse ; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan,
• land Naphtali.. [?] And the, Levites shall answer, and
say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
15 Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten
image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the
hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret.
And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
)6 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother.
And all the people shall say, Amen.
17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark.
And all the people shall say, Amen.
18 Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of
the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
19 Cursed be he that wresteth the judgement of the
stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people
shall say, Amen.
20 Cursed be he that Heth with his father's wife ; because
xxxv. aa, xlix. 4), and Zebulon's place as the youngest son of
Leah (Gen. xxx. ao), which account for these tribes being appointed
to curse. 14 f. The number of the curses is doubtless suggested by
that of the twelve tribes. They relate to — (i) imageless religion,
(2) dishonour of parents, (3) removal of landmark, (4) want of
humanity to blind, (5) injustice to the helpless, (6-9) incest and
immorality, (10) murder, (11) bribery, (13) general disobedience
to the law.
the Levites : not, as in verse ia, the members of a secular
tribe, but in the official sense of x. 8 (clergy as opposed to laity).
15. Cursed: see on Joshua vi. a6.
a graven or molten image : iv. 16, ix. ia ; Exod. xx. 4
(Deut. v. 8) ; Lev. xix. 4, xxvi. 1.
Amen : (Neh. viii. 6) ' verily ' ; may be used at the beginning
of a sentence, with reference to previous words (1 Kings i. 36) ;
alone (as here, with the implied sentence ' let this curse be ') ; or
at the end of something said, as in the Lord's Prayer (E.B., 136, 137).
16. v. 16 (=-Exod. xx. ia) ; Exod. xxi. 17 ; Lev. xx. 9.
rn.86^6,*11 llgrllt by: ' dishonoured,' opposed to the 'honour'
ot the fifth commandment.
IV (xix, 14). is (Lev. xix. 14). IB (xxiv. 17 ; Exod, x*ji.

DEUTERONOMY 27. 21-^28; i. ?D 19.3
he bath uncovered his father's skirt. And all the people
shall say, Amen.
Cursed- be he that lieth with any manner of beast. 2 1
And all the people shall say, Amen.
Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of 22
his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the
people shall say, Amen.
Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And 23
all the people shall say, Amen.
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour in secret. 24
And all the people shall say, Amen.
Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent 25
person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this 26
law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
[D] And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken 28

si f. ; Lev. xix. 33 f.). 20 (xxii. 30; Lev. xviii. 8, xx. 11). 21
(Exod. xxii. 19 ; Lev. xviii. 33, xx. 15). 22 (Lev. xviii. 9, xx.
17 ; contrast Gen. xx. 12, 3 Sam. xiii. 12, 13). 23 (Lev. xviii. 17,
xx. 14). 24 (v. 20— Exod. xx. 16, Deut. xix. 11; Exod. xxi. 12;
Lev. xxiv. 17). 25 (xvi. 19 ; Exod. xxiii. 8 ; both in more general
sense). 26. Cf. a Kings xxiii. 3, 34, where Josiah ' confirms ' (lit. ' makes
to stand ') the Deuteronomic law.
The above ' curses ' may be the codification of early decisions
given at the sanctuary of Shechem— each a primitive Torah— as we
may infer from the names given to the sacred trees there, 'the
oak of the teacher' (Moreh, Gen. xii. 6), or 'of the augurs'
(Judges ix. 37, R.V. marg.). Meyer- Luther (Die Israe/iten,
p. 55a), in pointing this out, suggest that such early legislation at
Shechem accounts for the insertion of Deut. xii-xxvi between
the two parts of the Shechem narrative (Deut. xi. 26-30,
xxvii. 1-26).
xxviii. Cdnclusion. A detailed declaration of the blessings of
prosperity, which shall be conditional on obedience to the law
now given (verses 1-14). A parallel declaration of the curses of
adversity, which shall punish disobedience (verses 15-25, 38-46).
Further description of the terrors of this divine punishment

i94 ¦ DEUTERONOMY 28. 2-4; D
diligently' unto the voice of the Lord thy God; to
observe to do all his commandments which I command
thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on
2 high above all the nations of the earth : and all these
blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if
thou shalt hearken unto the' voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou
4 be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body,
 —  r —  ^ — . —  j ;:,.,
(verses 36-37),,, Invasion by a fierce enemy,; the horrors of
a protracted siege (verses 47-57). Disobedient Israel plagued
and scattered in exile ; life a burden ; return to the slavery1 of
Egypt (verses 58-68). j. , ¦ -:'.-: ' -1 - : ' '%
This chapter of solemn and forceful warning seems to belong,
at least in part, to the original law-book of Josiah. : The evidence
for this is (a) the impression made on him by the book when first
read (3 Kings xxii. 11, 13) which requires such severe warnings
as these ; .{Ii) the parallel conclusions to the ' Book of the
Covenant ''(Exod.: xxiii. 20-33) and to the Law of Holiness (Lev.
xxvi) ; (c) the natural continuation in xxviii. 1 of the thought and
language of xxvii. 10 (xxvi. 19). But it is difficult to maintain
the unity of chap, xxviii. - The curses are so very disproportionate
in length to the blessings that they seem to have been considerably
expanded. A natural conclusion is reached at verse 46 ; the first
of the two following sections (verses 47-57) implies experience-of
the exile and the siege of Jerusalem, the second (verses 58-68)
also implies the exile and the (previous) existence of the Deuters
onomic law in writing. Within the earlier half of the chapter, also,
there seems to be later addition, and Bertholet is probably right
in regarding verses 26-37 >n 'his light. The nucleus of the
chapter, forming the original conclusion to the Deuteronomic Code,
will then be verses 1-25 a, 38-46, a parallel and symmetrical list
of blessings and cUrses: . I . .
1. The connexion of thought, through xxvii. 9-10, with xxvi.
16-ig is to be noted. The infrequent word rendered 'on high'
Celyon) occurs also in xxvi. 19, and nowhere else in the prose of
Deuteronomy (once only in the poetry, xxxii. 8).
2. overtake: the blessings and curses (verse 15I are personified,
the same word being used here as of the avenger of blood (xix. 6).
xxviii. 3-6. Six formal blessings cover life in town and country,
offspring (or produce), the supply of food, the beginning and the
end of each undertaking.
4. Cf. vii. 13 ; the blessing of fertility in every form of life.

DEUTERONOMY 28. 5-1 1. D 195
and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle,
the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock.
Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 5
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed f.
shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall 7
cause thine enemies that rise up against thee, to be
smitten before thee : they shall come out against thee one
way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. The Lord 8
shall command the blessing upon thee in thy barns, and
in all that thou, puttest thine hand unto; and he shall
,hless thee in the land which the Lord , thy God giveth
thee. The. Lord shall establish thee for an holy people 9
unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee ; if thou shalt
keep the. commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk
in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that to
thou art called by the name of the Lord ; and they
shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee u

6. basket: see xxvi. 2, here representative of plentiful stores.
kneading-trough:: Exod. viii. 3, xii. 34 ; essential to. the
preparation of the, daily bread, like the mill of xxiv. 6; here
representative of plentiful meals.
6. comest in . . . goest out : Ps. cxxi. 8 ; a standing phrase,
used by Moses (xxxi. 2), Caleb (Joshua xiv., 1,1),, Solomon (1 Kings
iii. 7), to cover the activities of ordinary life.
7. cause: Heb. ' give ' (as smitten ones) ; their concentrate'd
attack shall be followed by the pursuit of: them as scattered
fugitives. 8. shall command : Heb. ' command ' (jussive, as is the verb
in verses ai, 36).
upon thee: Heb. ' with thee '. (see on verse aV- ¦-.-
9. an holy people : vii. 6, xiv. a, xxvi. 19. The primarily non-
ethical meaning of the term is apparent ; ' an holy people-' is one
separated: to Yahweh, ' apart from actual character in the first
instance ; when Israel obeys, Yahweh will confirm His choice of
this people as His special property (cf. Exod; xix. 5, 6).
IO. thou art called hy the name of Yahweh : rather, 'the
name of Yahweh is called over thee ' (as owner, cf. 2 Sam. xii,
38, R. V. marg.), Jer. xiv. 9, &c.
O 2

196 DEUTERONOMY 28. 12-19- D
plenteous for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the
fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the
land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The Lord shall open unto thee his good a treasure the
heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season; and to
bless all the work- of thine hand: and thou shalt lend
13 unto many nations, and thou, shalt not borrow. 'And
the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail ; and
thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath ;
if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the
Lord thy God, which I command thee this 'day, to
14 observe and -to do them; and shalt not turn aside from
any of the words which I command you this day,
to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to
serve them.
1 5 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken
unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all
his commandments and his statutes which I command
thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon
16 thee, and overtake thee. Cursed shalt thou be in the
17 city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall
18 be thy basket and thy kneadingtrough. Cursed shall be
the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, the
19 increase of thyikine, and. the young of thy flock. Cursed
shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt
0 Or, treasury,
12. treasure: R.V. marg. gives the better rendering, the
reference being to the store of water above the firmament (Gen.
i. 7, vii; 11 : cf. Deut. xi. n, 17). From this 'treasury' (Job
xxxviii. 22) comes the nation's (agricultural) wealth and its financial
independence. 13. Cf. Isa. ix. 14, xix. 15.
15-19. These curses take the same verbal form'as the blessings
(verses 1-6), except that verses i* and ab are not represented
and verse 17 precedes verse 18. 1

DEUTERONOMY 28. 20-25. D 197
thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall send 20
upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that
thou puttest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be
destroyed, and until thou perish quickly ; because of the
evil of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, 21
until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither
thou goest in to possess it. The Lord shall smite thee 22
with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation,
and with fiery heat, and with athe sword, and with
blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee
until thou perish. And thy heaven that is over thy 23
head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee
shall be iron. The Lord shall make the rain of thy 24
land powder and dust : from heaven shall it come down
upon thee, until thou be destroyed. The Lord shall 25
cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies : thou
shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven
¦ Or, according to some ancient versions, drought
20 f. The exact parallelism with the blessings is here abandoned,
but there is a general similarity as far as verse 25 a, resumed in
verses 38-46.
21. pestilence: a general term for ' plague,' as is indicated by
its use in the frequent Jeremianic phrase, ' I will consume them
by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence ' (xiv. 13, &c).
22. Seven plagues shall pursue Israel, like the sevenfold
enemy of verse 25 (cf. verse s) — the first four being assailants of
men, the last three of crops.
the sword : read, with R. V. marg., ' drought,' which requires
no change in the Hebrew consonants.
23. Cf. Lev. xxvi. 19 ; the drought described is the opposite of
what is promised in verse 12 ; the hardened earth yields no fruit,
since the closed heaven gives no rain.
24. The well-known sirocco in which ' The air becomes
loaded with fine dust, which it whirls in rainless clouds hither
and thither' (Thomson, The Land and the Book, pp. 295, 536).
25. seven ways : see on verse 7, here reversed.

198 DEUTERONOMY 28. 26-30. D D"
, ways before them : fD9] and thou shalt be a tossed to
26 and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth. And thy
carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto
the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none to fray
27 them away. The Lord shall .smite thee with the boil of
Egypt, and with the b emerods, and with the scurvy, and
28 with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. The
Lord shall smite thee with madness, and with blindness,
29 and with astonishment of heart : and thou shalt grope at
noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou
shalt not prosper in thy ways : and thou shalt be only
oppressed and spoiled alway, and there shall be none
3° to save thee. Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another
man shall lie with her : thou shalt build an house, and
thou shalt not dwell therein : thou shalt plant a vine-
"¦ Or, a terror unto b Or, tumours Or, plague boils
tossed to and fro: Heb. 'a trembling,' i.e. an object of
terror (R.V. marg.).
The second half of the verse appears to be a reproduction of
a Jeremianic refrain (Jer. xv. 4, xxiv. 9, xxix. 18, xxxiv. 17),
whilst verse 26 repeats Jer. vii. 33. The subsequent verses
(to 37) are most naturally understood as written after the actual
experiences of the captivity and exile.
26. Dishonour to the corpse meant far more to the ancient
world than to the modern ; it involved the fortunes of the person
ality in the dim realm beyond.
fray : i. e. ' frighten.'
27. the boil of Egypt (Exodi ix. 9, &c.) : some form of skin
disease, possibly elephantiasis. Skin diseases, such as those named
in this verse, were and are common in Syria and Egypt (vii. 15).
emerods : i. c. haemorrhoids (piles), a possible meaning
suggested by the usage of the Arabic cognate.
28. Cf. Zech. xii. 4 for these three expressions of mental
disorder and dismay.
29. grope : Hebrew, more vividly, ' be groping ' ; cf. Isa. Vs.
10 ; Job v. 14.
prosper in : ' make prosperous,' as in Joshua i. 8.
xxviii. 30-34. The Calamities of Foreign Invasion : cf. verse 29
' oppressed and spoiled ' (robbed).

DEUTERONOMY 28. 3i-39- r>3 D 199
yard, and shalt not » use the fruit thereof. Thine ox 31
shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat
thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from
before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee : thy
sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt
have none to save thee. Thy sons and thy daughters 32
shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall
look, and fail with longing for them all the day :
and there shall be nought in the power of thine hand.
The fruit Of thy ground, and all thy labours, shall a 33
nation which .thou knOwest not eat up ; and thou shalt
be only oppressed and crushed alway : so that thou shall 34
be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, 35
with a sore boil, whereof thou canst not be healed, from
the sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head. The 36
Lord shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set
over thee, unto a nation which thpu hast not known, thou
nor thy fathers ; and there shalt thou serve other gods,
wood and stone. And thou shalt become an astonishment, 37
a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples whither
the Lord shall lead thee away. [D] Thou shalt carry 38
much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in ;
for the locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant vine- 39
" See ch. xx. 6, and Lev. xix. 23-25.
30. Cf. xx. 5-7 ; Amos v. 11 ; Mic. vi. 15 ; Zeph. i. 13.
35. Practically a repetition of verse 37, here an interruption.
36. thy king (xvii. 14) ; after a reign of three months, Jehoiachin
was, in 597 B. c, carried captive to Babylon, with 10,000 others,
by Nebuchadrezzar (3 Kings xxiv. 8 f.).
other gods : cf. iv. 38 (note).
38 f. The general parallelism with the blessings of the original
nucleus of the chapter seems here to be resumed (cf. verses, 8,
11 f.). Note that the curse rests on corn, wine, and oil (vii. 13) —
the chief products of the soil.

200 DEUTERONOMY 28. 40-47. D D3 D D3
yards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink of the
wine, nor gather the grapes ; for the worm shall eat them.
4° Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy borders,
but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil ; for thine
41 olive shall cast its fruit. [D3] Thou shalt beget sons and
daughters, but they shall not be thine ; for they shall go
42 into captivity. [D] All thy trees and the fruit of thy
43 ground shall the locust possess. The stranger that is in
the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and
44 higher ; and thou shalt come down lower and lower. He
shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him : he
45 shall be thehead, and thou shalt be the tail. And all these
curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and
overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou
hearkenedst not unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to
keep his commandments and his statutes which he
46 commanded thee : and they shall be upon thee for a sign
47 and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever : [D3] because

41. A doublet to verse 33, here interrupting the description of
agricultural adversity.
42. the locust: 'probably the creaker, from the stridulous
sound produced by many of the Orthoptera, especially the males,
by rubbing the upper part of the leg against the wing ' (Driver,
' Excursus on Locusts ' in ' Joel and Amos,' Cam. Bible, p. 86)'.
Eight other names for ' locust ' occur in the O. T.
43, 44. Cf. verses i2b, 13% with which a contrast is obviously
intended. The stranger : the ger (i. 16), so frequently named in this
book as dependent on Israel's consideration ; he will profit (e. g.
through commerce) by the barrenness of the soil in which he has
no possession.
45, 46. Formal conclusion to the (original) curses, resuming
verse 15.
for a sign and for a wonder : i. e. recognized as the divinely
foretold penalties for disobedience.
VJ f. This exilic section, pointing the moral of the actual mis
fortunes of Israel, describes (a) the rapacity of the invader (verses

DEUTERONOMY 28. 48-S2. D3 201
thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and
with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all
things : therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which 48
the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in
thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things : and
he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have
destroyed thee. The Lord shall bring a nation against 4<>
thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the eagle
flieth ; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand ;
a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the 5C
person of the old, nor shew favour to the young : and he
shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy ground, 51
until thou be destroyed : which also shall not leave thee
corn, wine, or oil, the increase of thy kine, or the young of
thy flock, until he have caused thee to perish. And he 52
shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced
walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all
thy land : and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates
throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath
49-51) ; (*) the horrors of the subsequent sieges (especially of
Jerusalem) (verses 52-57).
47. Cf. vi. 10 f., viii. 11 f. for the moral perils of prosperity.
with joyfulness : characteristic of Deuteronomy (xii. 7, 12,
18) and of the pre-exilic religion of Israel, as opposed to the later
development in the pious of the sense of sin, and of anxious and
punctilious obedience.
48. a yoke of iron : Jer. xxviii. 14 (note the acted parable of
the prophet, verse 10, perhaps responsible for the present use of
the figure).
49. from far, &c. : Isa. v. 26 (Assyrians).
as the eagle flieth : or, 'as the vulture (xiv. 12) swoopeth ' :
Hos. viii. 1 (Assyrians) ; Jer. xlviii. 40, xlix. 22 (Chaldeans).
thou shalt not understand: Isa. xxviii. n, xxxiu. 19
(Assyrians) ; Jer. v. 15 (Chaldeans).
1 50. The Chaldeans are described as stern in appearance,
pitiless in action (cf. Jer. v. 15 f.).
52. The sieges of the cities (' in all thy gates ') throughout the
land are described.

202 DEUTERONOMY 28. 53-57. D3
53 given thee. And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own
body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters which
the Lord thy God hath given thee ; in the siege and in
the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall straiten theei
54 The man that: is tender among you, and very delicate, his
eye shall be evil toward his brother^ and toward the : wife
of his bosom, and toward the -remnant of his children
55 which he hath remaining : so that ihe will not give to any
of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eats
because he hath nothing left him; in the siege and in
the straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall straiten thee
56 in all thy gates. The tender and .delicate woman among
you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her
foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness*
her eye shall be evil toward the husband of- her bosom,
57 and toward her son, and toward her daughter ,; and
toward her a young one that cometh out from between
her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear ;
for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly : in
the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemy
" Or, after-birth
53f. (Lev. xxvi. 29'. Hunger, will brutalize men, and. lead to
inhuman conduct, so terrible fwill be its force. For these results
of famine, cf. 2 Rings vi. 28 f. (siege of Samaria) ; Lam., iy,,io
(siege of Jerusalem). With the whole verse cf. Jer. xix. 9,
a related passage, and note the recurrence of the refrain here, in
verses 55 and 57.
54. tender . . . delicate : Isa. xlvii. 1 (in a different application) ;
the overthrow of the habit which is second nature, as well as of
the claims of nature itself.
his eye shall be evil: see on xy. 9 ; he will grudge to give
even of this unnatural food to those dearest to him ; in verse 57
used of the grudging look fixed on the meal itself.
56. would not adventure : 'had not tried' to walk, but was
hitherto accustomed to the luxury of litter or carriage only (cf.
the similar picture, of degradation in Isa. xlvii. 1 f.).
57. R. V. marg. to be read.

DEUTERONOMY 28. 58-64. D3 203
shall straiten thee in thy gates. If thou wilt not 58
observe to do all the words of this law that are Written in
this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful
name, the lord thy god; then the Lord will make thy 59
plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even
great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sick
nesses, and of long continuance. And he will bring upon 60
thee again all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast
afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every 61
sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the
book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee,
until thou be destroyed. And ye shall be left few in 62
number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for
multitude ; because thou didst not hearken unto the voice
of the Lord thy God. And it shall come to pass, that 63
as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to
multiply you ; so the Lord will rejoice over you to cause
you to perish, and to destroy you ; and ye shall be ¦
plucked from off the land whither thou goest in to
possess it. And the Lord shall scatter thee among all 64
peoples, from the one end of the earth even unto the

xxviii. 58-68. A further warning against disobedience to the
written law, independent of what has preceded, but also pre
supposing experience of the Exile (verse 63 f.).
58. the words of this law that are written in this book :
cf. xvii. 18. According to the Book of Deuteronomy itself, the
law was not yet written down (see xxxi. 9); the expression
suggests some familiarity with a code already written (cf.
verse 61).
name: Mic. vi. 9 ; Isa. lix. 19; Mal. iv. 2 ; Ps. lxi. 5 ;'Lev.
xxiv. 11 ; a late usage, as is pointed out by Bertholet.
60. Cf. vii. 15.
62. Cf. iv. 27, xxvi. 5 ; i. 10.
63. The joy of Yahweh in the destruction of Israel Is an
unusual trait ; contrast Hos. xi. 8 f. and the whole conception of
that prophet.

204 DEUTERONOMY 28, 65— 29. 1. D3 RD
other end of the earth ; and there thou- shalt serve
other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy
65 fathers, even wood, and stone. • And among these nations
shalt thou find no ease, and there shall be no rest for the
sole of thy foot: but the Lord shall give thee there a
trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and pining of soul:
66 and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee ; and thou
shalt fear night and day, and shalt have none assurance of
67 thy life: in the morning thou shalt say, Would God it
were even ! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were
morning ! for the fear of thine heart which thou shalt fear,
and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
68 And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with
ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee, Thou shalt
see it no more again : and there ye shall sell yourselves
unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwomen, and
no man shall buy you.
29 [RD] a These are the words of the covenant which the
a [Ch. xxviii. 69 in Heb.]
64. other gods : verse 36, iv. 28 (note).
xxviii. 65-67. A description of Israel's life in exile : without
a home, full of vain regret : compassed with troubles, the
anticipation of which makes life itself burdensome.
66. The cause of these anxieties ; life hangs by a thread, as
did that of Damocles (cf. Job xxiv. 22, R. V. marg.), ..,
67. Israel's life is as wearisome as. that of Job (vii. 4).
68. Israel will be brought in slave-ships to Egypt, in spite, of
Yahweh's former resolve (xvii. I6*) ; yet, even as slaves, men will
not have them.
sell yourselves : i. e. liberty is sacrificed to maintain life.
xxix. 1. This verse is rather 'a formal subscription, marking the
end of the book' in its original form (Moore, E.B., 1088 ; Driver,
Kuenen, and others), than the superscription to chap, xxix
(Dillmann, Steuernagel, Bertholet, Oxf. Hex., and others).
xxixTxxx. Exilic Exhortations : fidelity to the covenant in. Moab.
Moses briefly reviews the journey of Israel from Egypt to Moab,

DEUTERONOMY 29t 2-4. RD Ds 205
Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of
Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he
made with them in Horeb.
'-[D3] «¦ And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto 2
them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your
eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his
servants, and unto all his land ; the great b temptations 3
which thine eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders :
but the Lord hath not given you an heart to know, and 4
a [Ch. xxix. 1 in Heb.] *- See ch. iv. 34.
as an illustration of the gracious help of Yahweh, which He now
Covenants to continue (xxix. 3-9). Israel now stands in the
presence of Yahweh to enter into this covenant, promised in the
past, enduring to all future time (verses 10-15). Let hone turn
from Yahweh thinking to escape the curse' of disobedience'; the
wrath of Yahweh shall be manifest to all in Israel's exile (verses
,i6T29). Yet, even then, return from disobedience will bring
return from exile, and the restoration of prosperity (xxx.'i-io).
Let Israel note the simplicity and practicability of the Divine
commandment (verses 11-14), and the issues of prosperity or
adversity absolutely dependent on obedience or disobedience to it
(verses 15-30).
These two chapters in their present position form a third
address of Moses, separated from the second (central) address by
the subscription of xxix. 1 and the new beginning made in verse 2.
Even formally, therefore, they are supplementary to the Deutero
nomic Law, nor can any sufficient reason be given why they
should not have been included in the second address, had they
belonged to the original book. The positive evidence of the
contents of the chapters assigns them to the period of exile ; thus
xxix. 22 f.- dwells on the spectacle of a punishment conceived to
have taken place, and xxx. 1-10 even discusses the hope of
return from exile, a topic which would be psychologically as
improbable here as in Isa. xl. f., before the shadow of exile fell
on Israel. ¦ The two chapters belong to the same class of literature
as iv.1 1-40 (D3), viz. exilic exhortations on the basis of the written
and published law-book.
2. Cf. v. 1 for the method of introducing the address.
Ye : emphatic in the Hebrew (cf. xi. 2-7) ; for the point of
this emphasis, see introduction to chap. iv.
¦¦3. temptations : ' trials 'or provings (note on iv. 34).
-4. Now, only, is the full meaning of Israel's history clear

206 DEUTERONOMY 29. 5-1 1. D8
5 eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. And I have
led you forty years in the wilderness : your clothes are
not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old
6 upon thy foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have
ye drunk wine or strong drink : that ye might know that
7 I am the Lord your God. And when. ye came unto this
place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of
Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote
8 them : and we took their land, and gave it for an inherit
ance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the
9 half tribe of the Manassites. Keep therefore the words
of this covenant, and do them, that ye may a prosper in
all that ye do.
10 Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your
God; your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your
u Officers, even all the men of Israel, your little ones, your
wives, and thy stranger that is in the midst of thy camps,
a Or, deal wisely

through Yahweh's revelation of His purpose and gift of the faculty
to understand it. .,
5. Cf. viii. 2 ; Amos ii. 10 : the ' I ' refers to Yahweh (verse 6) ;
with the second half of the verse, cf. viii. 4.
6. The lesson of dependence on Yahweh, already enforced
in viii. 3.
7. Cf. ii. 33 f., iii. 1 f., 12 f.
9. Let Israel, therefore,, obey Him on whom success depends in
the future, as it has in the past.
prosper : R. V. marg. is preferable (prosperity being the
result of the wise dealing).
IO. tribes: we expect a parallel to ' heads ' and 'elders,' such
as ' judges,' which is found in similar enumeration (Joshua viii. 33,
xxiii. 2, xxiv. i) and should probably be read for 'tribes' here
(cf. LXX ; the similarity of the two Hebrew words makes their
interchange easy).
11. thy stranger : the enumeration of those who are to become
bound by the covenant is meant to include all without excep
tion, even non-Israelite settlers (here, practically, proselytes) and

DEUTERONOMY 29. 12-17. D3 207
from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy
water : that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the 12
Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy
God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish 13
thee this day unto himself for a people, and that he may
be unto thee a Godj as he spake unto thee, and as he
sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob.' Neither with you only do I make this covenant 14
and this oath ; but with him that 'Standeth' here with us 15
this day before the Lord our God, and also with him
that is not here with us this day : (for ye know how we 16
dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through
the midst of the nations through which ye passed; and 17
ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood
temple-servants (wood -gatherers and water-drawers'*. Both these
classes, as here regarded^ belong to a later period of the social life
of Israel than that professedly dealt with in this address ; for the
former, cf. i. 16, v., 14,- &c. ; for the latter, Joshua ix. 21-7.
13. As in xxvi. 17, 18. For the promise to Israel; see Exod.
xix. 5 ; the covenant with the fathers is named only by P (Gen.
xvii . 7, with Abraham) ; but compare the promises cited in note
on i. 8.
14, 15. Israel; 'present and future, is conceived as a unity ;
note the solidarity of the race for ancient thought, a conception
remote from our more developed ideas of individuality.
16, 17; The connexion with what preceeds and follows is not
clear ; hence the brackets of R. V. , making the verses a parenthesis.
But (a) the present Israel is addressed- as distinguished from the
future Israel (ye .is emphaticin the Heb.) ;> (4) reference. is made
to Israel's actual : experience of :idolatry in Egypt and elsewhere ;
(c) the aim of the appeal is to secure present fidelity (verse 18).
Israel's, past contact with idolatry is not to seduce to a breach of
the present covenant. The reference to the future is not resumed
till verse 22 ('the generation to come ').
16. cams . . . passed: the same word in the Hebrew, the
construction being like that of i. 46.
17. abominations: 'detestable things,' not the same word as
that translated 'abomination' elsewhere in this book; frequently
of idols in Jeremiah (iv. 1) and Ezekiel (v. n).
idols : another contemptuous term is used, frequent in Ezekiel

208 DEUTERONOMY 29. 18-20. D3
and stone, silver and gold,, which were among them:)
18 lest there should be among you . man, or woman, or
family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from
the Lord our God, to go to serve the gods of those
nations ; lest there -should be among you a root that
19 beareth ?gall and wormwood ; and it come torpass, when
he heareth the words of this b curse,, that he bless himself
in his heart, .saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in
the stubbornness of mine heart, c to destroy: the moist with
20 the. dry : the Lord will not. pardon him, but then the
anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against
that man, and all the curse that is written in this book
shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name
a Heb. rosh, a poisonous herb. b Or, oath and so w. 20, si.
0 Or, to add drunkenness to thirst
(vi. 4 ; Lev. xxvi. 30), which appears to describe them as (inanimate)
' cylinders.' among them : ' with them,' i. e. belonging to them ; here,
perhaps, a further touch of contempt.
18. It is simplest to begin a new sentence with this verse,
supplying ' Beware' as is done by R. V. in Isa. xxxvi. 18 ; Job
xxxii. 13 (so Driver).
a root that beareth gall and wormwood : i. e. poison and
bitterness (xxxuv 33 ; Amos vi. 12 ; Hos. x. 4, &c.) in the con
sequences of idolatry.
13. curse: 'oath' as R.V. marg., i. e. the binding pledge
given by Yahweh (verse 12) which, may lead the individual to
think he may act with impunity;
to destroy the moist with the dry : ' to carry away watered
with dry ' (herbage, as by the wind), i; e. all without distinction,
a proverbial expression (cf. xxxii. 36) used here to express the
destruction of the whole community through the infidelity of in
dividual members. The result of the idolater's self-congratulation
is here stated as his purpose.
20. will not pardon : ' will not consent to pardon ' (stronger
than R. V.).
shaU smoke : Ps. lxxiv. i, lxxx. 4 (R. V. marg.) i cf. Deut.
xxxu. 32 ; Ps. xviii. 8 ; Isa. Ixv. 5.
lie upon him : as a wild beast crouching (Gen. xlix. a) ; so
of sin, Gen. iv. 7. '

DEUTERONOMY 29. 21-27. D3 209
from under heaven. And the Lord shall separate him 21
unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all
the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of
the law. And the generation to come, your children that 22
shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come
from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of
that land, and the sicknesses wherewith the Lord hath
made it sick ; and that the whole land thereof is brim- 23
stone, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor
heareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow
of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which
the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath : even 24
all the nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done
thus unto this land ? what meaneth the heat of this great
anger? Then men shall say, Because they forsook the 25
covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he
made with them when he brought them forth out of the
land of Egypt; and went and served other gods, and 26
worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom
he had not a given unto them : therefore the anger of the 27
a Heb. divided.
22 f. The effect of idolatry on the future of the nation, as dis
played both to Israelites and non-Israelites. (The exiles traced
their calamities to the sins of the fathers : cf. Ezek. xviii. 2 ; Isa.
xl. 2).
23. The land itself shares in the fortunes of the people ; con
trast Ezek. xlvii. 7 f., where the stream from the sanctuary fertilizes
the desert and sweetens the Dead Sea. Here the natural character
of the Dead Sea district is extended in thought to the whole land,
and regarded as its ' sickness.'
like the overthrow, &c. ; cf. Gen. xix. 24 f., and for the
vicinity of Admah and Zeboiim, Gen. xiv. 2 (cf. Hos. xi. 8).
24 f. Probably dependent on Jer. xxii. 8 f. ; as is verse 28 on
Jer. xxi. 5, xxiv. 6, xxxii. 37.
29. The hidden future is Yahweh's, the known past, with its
lesson of obedience to the law, is ours. Revelation is here re
garded as historical rather than canonical.

210 DEUTERONOMY 29. 2s— 30. 5- D3
Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all
28 the curse that is written in this book : and the Lord
rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and
in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as
29 at this day. The secret things belong unto the Lord
our God : but the things that are revealed belong unto
us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the
words of this law.
30 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are
come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have
set before thee,' and thou shalt call them to mind among
all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven
2 thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt
obey his voice according to all that I command thee this
day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with
3 all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will aturn thy
captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will
return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the
4 Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine out
casts be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence
will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will
5 he fetch thee : and the Lord thy God will bring thee into
the laricl which thy fathers possessed,, and thou shalt
a Or, return to

xxx. 1-10. This section gives a fuller statement of iv. 29-31 ; if
Yahweh is sought by exiled Israel, He will be found.
1. the blessing and the curse: i.e. those of chap, xxviii : cf.
xi. 26.
3. turn thy captivity: 'change thy fortunes,' verb arid noun
being cognate in the Hebrew (lit. ' turn a turning ') ; Job xlii. 10
shows that the older rendering is unsuitable, though it is retained
even there by R. V. The phrase occurs frequently (Amos ix,.l4;
Jer. xxix. 14, &c).
4. Nehcmiah's prayer (Neh. i. 9) makes this passage its ground
of appeal.

DEUTERONOMY 30. 6-ii. D3 211
possess it ; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee - '
above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circum- 6
cise thine heart, and the heart' of thy seed, to love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,
that thou mayest live. And the Lord thy God will put 7
all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that
hate thee, which persecuted thee. And thou shalt return 8
and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his command
ments which I command thee this day. And the Lord 9
thy God Will make thee plenteous in all the work of
thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of
thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, for good : for
the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he
rejoiced over thy fathers : if thou shalt obey the voice of 10
the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his
statutes which are written in this book of the law ; if thou
turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul.
For this commandment which I command thee this n
6. circumcise thine heart : x. 16 (note). One lesson of the
Exile was the need of divine help for the fulfilment of obedience :
cf. Ezekiel's promises of supernatural aid, not only to restore the
nation to existence (xxxvii. 1 f.) but to enable it to fulfil its spiritual
ideal (xi. 19, xxxvi. 26f.) ; note also the conception of the new
covenant in Jer. xxxi. 31 f.
that thou mayest live : ' for thy life's sake ' (different in
form from the phrase in verse 19), to be interpreted of the full
prosperity: of verse 9 f.
7. all these curses : xxix. 19 f. (cf. xxviii. 15 f. where a different
word is used).
8. thou : emphatic in the Hebrew,
xxx. n-14. These verses can hardly be connected with those
of the previous section, since they refer to present issues, not the
future possibility of return after penitence. With verses 15-20
they form a fitting conclusion to the exhortations of this book.
11. this Commandment (xi. 22,xix. 9) : the principle of devotion
to Yahweh which underlies and is expressed in the Deutero
nomic law. P 2

212 DEUTERONOMY 30. 12-18. D3
12 day, it is not too a hard for thee, neither is it far off. It
is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go
up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and make us to
13 hear it, that we may do it ? Neither is it beyond the sea,
that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us,
and bring it unto us, and make us to hear it, that we may
14 do it ? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth,
and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and
16 death and evil ; in that I command thee this day. to love
the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his
commandments and his statutes and his judgements, that
thou mayest live and multiply, and that the Lord thy
God may bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to
17 possess it. But if thine heart turn away, and thou wilt
not hear, but shah be drawn away, and worship other
18 gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day,
that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not prolong your
days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to
a Or, wonderful
hard : i. e. to understand (xvii. 8 ; Gen. xviii. 14 ; Jer. xxxii.
17,27). far off: and so lying outside the sphere of ordinary life, in
heaven or beyond the sea (verses 12, 13),
14. It can enter into ordinary thought (vi. 6, xi. 18) and con
versation (vi. 7, xi. 19).
xxx. 15-20. The final issues of prosperity and adversity
(a practical application of chap, xxviii).
15. Cf. Jer. xxi. 8, where, as here, the issues are not primarily
spiritual but literal life or death, as the ' good ' and ' evil ' denote
simply prosperity and adversity.
16. Most commentators supply a clause from the LXX at the
beginning of this verse, which the Hebrew requires, viz. (If thou
shalt hearken to the commandment of Yahweh thy God) which
I command &c. . . . then thou shalt live and multiply, and Yahweh
thy God shall bless thee.
18. denounce: 'declare' (xxvi. 3, R.V. 'profess').

DEUTERONOMY 30. 19—31. 2. D3 D2 213
go in to possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness 19
against you this day, that I have set before thee life and
death, the blessing and the curse : therefore choose life,
that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed : to love the 20
Lord thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto
him : for a he is thy life, and the length of thy days : that
thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware
unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to
give them.
[D2-] And Moses went and spake these words unto all 31
Israel. And he said unto them, I am an hundred and *
twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and
come in : and the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt
"Or, that
19. As iv. 26 (note).
20. he is thy life: not, of course, in the mystical sense of
Col. iii. 3, Gal. ii. 20, but because Yahweh gives long life to the
obedient. xxxi-xxxiv. In the present form of the Book of Deuteronomy
these chapters constitute an appendix, narrating events connected
with the close of the life of Moses, and incorporating two poems
ascribed to him. Literary analysis, however, shows that they
belong in part to the principal documents of the Hexateuch
(J, E, P), and continue its narrative from the earlier books to the
Book of Joshua.
xxxi. 1-8. Moses announces to Israel the approaching close of
his leadership, and speaks of a successful future under Joshua.
He urges Joshua to have courage and to trust in Yahweh. For the
connexion of this paragraph with chaps, i-iii, cf. i. 37 f., iii. 21 f..
28, as well as the phraseology in general.
1. went and spake these words : by Hebrew usage this will
refer to something spoken to Moses that has preceded ; the
present passage was probably the conclusion of chap, iii, not of
chaps, xxix, xxx (so Dillmann and Driver). Others prefer to read
with LXX 'finished speaking' fBertholet and Steuernagel).
2. Cf. xxxiv. 7 (P), where the vigour of Moses is represented
as still unfailing ; for go out and come in, see on xxviii. 6.
Yahweh hath said : as in iii. 27. which confirms the view of
the connexion stated above.

214 DEUTERONOMY. 31. 3-9- D2 D
3 not go over this Jordan. The Lord, thy God, he! will
go over before thee ; he wjll destroy these, nations from
before thee, and thou shalt possess them : and Joshuas-he
shall go oyer before thee, as the Lord hath, spoken.
4 And the Lord shall do unto them. as he did. to Sihon
and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and unto their
5 land ; whom he destroyed.- And the Lord shall, deliver
them up before you, and ye shall do unto them according
unto all the commandment which I have commanded
6 you. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be
affrighted at them : for the Lord thy, God, he it is that
doth go with thee ; -he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee:
7 And Moses called unto Joshua, and said' unto .him in the
sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage : for
thou shalt go with this people into the land which the
Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them.^ and
8 thou shalt cause them to inherit it. And the LorD; he,
it is that doth go before thee ; he will be with thee, he
will not fail thee, neither forsake thee : fear not, neither
be dismayed.
9 [P] And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto

3. Joshua, &c. : as in iii. 28.
4. to Sihon and to Og : ii. 32 f., iii. 1 f.
5. the commandment : viz. that of vii. 1 f.
6. fail thee : Heb. ' let thee fall ' as in iv. 31 : so in verse 8. .;
7. Be strong and of a good courage : cf. iii. 28, from whicTi
the verbs are repeated.
go with: probably We should read '. ' bring ' as in verse 23
(so Sam., Pesh., Vulg.). : ; '" "¦>'¦ '¦'•'¦'
cause them to inherit it : as in iii. 28.
xxxi. 9-13. The law, written and delivered by Moses to the
priests and elders, is to be read to all Israel once every seven
years. .
This paragraph finds its most natural explanation as' belonging
to the original Deuteronomy, for whose regular promulgation it
provides.

DEUTERONOMY 31. 10-14. D JE 215
the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the
covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel.
And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of 10
every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in
the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear n
before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall
choose, thou shalt read this, law before all Israel in their
hearing. Assemble the people, the men and the women 12
and the little ones, and thy stranger that is within thy
gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and
fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words
of this law; and that their children, which have not 13
known, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God,
as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan
to possess it.
[JE] And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days 14
9. priests . . . elders : the representatives of sacred and secular
authority (xviii. 1, i. 15).
10. the year of release : xv. 1.
the feast of tabernacles : xvi. 13-15.
11. to appear before : see on xvi. 16.
12. Cf. xxix. 11 ; and note in verse 13 the characteristic
emphasis on the religious education of children (iv. 9, vi. 7, 20-5,
xi. 19, xxxii. 46). According to the later Jewish usage, a selection
only of passages from Deuteronomy was read.
xxxi. 14, 15, 23 (ascribed to JE on linguistic grounds) narrate
that, at Yahweh's bidding, Moses and Joshua appear before Him
for the transference of leadership. Yahweh bids Joshua be brave,
and promises His help. For P's account of the appointment of
Joshua, see Num. xxvii. 23-3.
xxxi. 16-22 represent Yahweh as foretelling to Moses the
course of events after his death. Israel will break the covenant
with Yahweh (verse 16), so arousing His anger, and bringing
trouble on the nation (verses 17, 18). When the prosperity that
has beguiled has given . place to the adversity that will punish
(verses 20, 21), 'this song' will state Yahweh's claims (verses
19, 2ia). Moses accordingly writes down and teaches the song to
Israel as bidden (verse 22).

216 DEUTERONOMY 31. 15-18. JER?
approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present
yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may give him a
charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented
15 themselves in the tent of meeting. And the Lord
appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud : and the pillar
16 of cloud stood » over the door of the Tent. [R ?] And
the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with
thy fathers ; and this people will rise up, and go a
whoring after the strange gods of the land, whither they
go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break
17 my covenant which I have made with them. Then my
anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I
will forsake them, and I will hide my face from
them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and
troubles shall come upon them ; so that they will say in
that day, Are not these evils come upOn us because
, 8 our God is not among us ? And I will surely hide my
face in that day for all the evil which they shall
a Or, by
14. the tent of meeting : i. e. where Yahweh meets with
Moses (Exod. xxix. 42, P : cf, Exod. xxxiii. 7, E).
give him a charge: Heb. 'command him ' (iii. sS).
15. in a pillar of cloud : Num. xii. 5 ; Exod. xxxiii. 9 (both
JE). For continuation, see verse 23.
16. sleep with thy fathers : cf. Gen. xlvii. 30, where both the
usage and the origin (family-grave) of the phrase are illustrated.
go a whoring : Exod. xxxiv. 16 ; Ezek. vi. 9, &c. ; the
original force of the phrase was probably literal, not figurative, in
view of the frequency of prostitution in the service of heathen
deities (see on xxiii. 17, 18).
to be among them : Heb. ' in its midst ' (i. e. the ' strange
gods' are in the midst of the people, Joshua xxiv. 23); the
awkwardness of the sentence, it has been conjectured, is due' to
the interpolated 'of the land whither they go.'
17. our God is not among us : Heb. '' my God is not in my
midst' : contrast Isa. xii. 6; Zeph. iii. 17. Israel's problems of
providence were concerned not with the existence, but with the
activity of God.

DEUTERONOMY 31. 19-24. R? JE Ds 217
have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.
Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou 19
it the children of Israel : put it in their mouths, that this
song may be a witness for me against the children of
Israel. For when I shall have brought them into the 20
land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk
and honey ; and they shall have eaten and filled them
selves, and. waxen fat ; then will they turn unto other
gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my
covenant. And it shall come to pass, when many evils 21
and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall
testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be
forgotten out of the mouths of their seed : for I know
their imagination which they go about, even now, before
I have brought them into the land which I sware. So 22
Moses Wrote this song the same day, and taught it the
children of Israel. [JE] And he gave Joshua the son of 23
Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage :
for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land
which I sware unto them : and I will be with thee.
[D3] And it came to pass, when Moses had made an 24
end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they
19. write ye : viz. Moses and Joshua (xxxii. 44).
21. go about: Heb. ' make' ; already the germs of apostasy
are visible to Yahweh. Add ' to their (its) lathers ' to ' sware '
(with Sam., LXX).
23. This continues verse 15 ; its subject will then be, not
Moses, but Yahweh.
xxxi. 24-9. Moses hands the written law to the Levites, whom
he commands to place it by the ark (verses 24-6). He addresses
Israel, and warns against apostasy and its punishment (verses 27-9).
xxxi. 24-6 form a doublet to verses 9 ft The connexion with
verses '27-9 and of this with what follows is obscure. Moses,
who is addressing the Levites in verse 26, seems to pass without
explanation to address Israel,

218 DEUTERONOMY 31. 25— 32 1. Ds R?
25 were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites; which
26 bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take
this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of
the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there
2 7 for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and
thy stiff neck : behold, while I am yet alive with you this
day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.; and how
28 much more after my death ? Assemble unto me all the
elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak
these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to
29 witness against them. For I know that after my death
ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the
way which I have commanded you; and evil will' befall
you in the latter days ; because ye will do that which is
evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger
through the work of your hands.
3° [B, ?] And Moses spake in the ears of all the assembly
of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.
32 Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak ;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth :
25. the Levites : cf. x. 8, and verse 9.
27. ' I ' in the Hebrew is emphatic.
28. these words : in the present context, the reference must
be to the Song. Bertholet and Steuernagel, following Staerk,
think that 'the law' has displaced 'the song 'In this section. ,.
call heaven and earth to witness : cf. xxx. 19, which would
be the invocation in question if (as Dillmann and others have
thought) chaps, xxix, xxx formed the address to which this is
the preface ; see also iv. 26 (note).
29. corrupt yourselves : Heb. ' do corruptly,' cf. iv. 25.
in the latter days : Heb. ' in the end of the days ' (iv. 30
note). to anger : omit.
xxxi. 30. Introductorjrnote in continuation of verses 16-23, by
the redactor who incorporated the song in the narrative.
the assembly of Israel : (v. 22 ; Joshua viii. 35) which has
been gathered for the purpose (xxxi. 28).

DEUTERONOMY 32. i. R? 219
xxxii. 1-43. The Song of Moses. The ascription of this poem
to Moses depends solely on the redactor (xxxi. 19, 22, 30, xxxii. 44)
who incorporated it In the text, and is without any internal
support from the poem itself. On the contrary, the reference in
verses 7 f, to the Exodus and Settlement as events of a long
remote past proves, what the religious outlook and literary
form of the poem confirm, that it belongs to an age much later
than the Mosaic. There has naturally been much difference. of
opinion as to the precise period of its composition, because it
does not contain any very definite historical references. But
the general situation presupposed is cigar ; Israel has suffered
great disasters (verses 22-5), and defeat in battle (verse 30), and
is at the mercy of Its enemy (verse 36) ; its one hope is represented
as the speedy intervention of Yahweh to save it from the ' no-
people' (verse 21)., into whose hand Yahweh has seen fit to
deliverit. Who are the ' no-people "! Some, e.g. Dillmann (p. 393)
have answered, 'The Syrians, 'and assigned, the poem to the time
of Elijah and, Ehsha, when Israel was crushed by Benhadad and
Hazael (1 Kings xx. 1 ft, xxii. 34 f. ; 2 Kings v. 2, vi. 8, 24 ft, ix.
14ft, x. 33 ft, xiii. 7), i. e. to the ninth century B. c. 0'hers, e- 5-
Ewald, have identified the ' no-people ' with the Assyrians, and
have placed the poem in the eighth century, shortly before the
fall of Samaria (722 e. c). "There remains the relation of Israel
to the Chaldeans as a possible background to the poem. Kuenen
(Hex. §§ 13 n. 30) argues for a Judaean contemporary of Jeremiah
as its author, and places the Song about 630 b. c. or a generation
later. He relies on such parallels as Jer. v. 15, 16, vi. 22, 23;
Hab. i. 6 ft, to prove that the ' no-people ' are the Chaldeans.
Driver, in accepting this view, emphasizes the agreement in
thought and attitude with the prophets of the Chaldean age,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel (Jer. ii. 4-28; Ezek. xvi, xx). Steuemagel,
whilst admitting (p. 114) that the lack of specific reference to the
Exile, and the numerous points of contact with Jeremiah are in
favour of a date shortly before the Exile, decides for the latter part
of the Exile itself because of the expectation of a speedy over
throw of the (Chaldean) power, and. the agreement with Ezekiel
and Isaiah xl ft With this agree Bertholet (p, 95), Moore (E.B.,
1089), and the Oxford Hexateuch (i. 162). It seems probable that
the last-named view is correct, especially in the. light of.theagree-
ment of the general outlook of the poem with Isa. xl. ft, the great
prophecy of the exile.
The subject of the poem is the vindication, of the ways of
Yahweh as revealed in the history of Israel (verse 4)1: and the
criticism of Israel itself as a senseless and ungrateful people
(verses 5, 6) ; Yahweh's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness
are the factors of the problem of Israel's present adversity, to
which the writer seeks to bring the prophetic comfort of reviving

220 DEUTERONOMY 32. 2. R?
My doctrine shall drop as the rain,
My speech shall distil as the dew ',
hope (verses 1-3) in Yahweh's approaching intervention. The
poet reviews the ancient story of Israel's adoption by Yahweh in
the desert, and of His fatherly care for the infant nation, until He
brought it into the prosperous land of Canaan to be His own
people (verses 7-14). But Israel's consequent prosperity issued
in the abandonment of the worship of Yahweh for other religions,
with no deep root in Israel's past history (verses 15-18). It was
this ingratitude that caused Yahweh to turn from Israel and to
deliver them to a 'no-people' (verses 19-21); and the poet
recounts the plagues of hunger, pestilence, wild beasts, and war,
in which Yahweh's vexation finds expression (verses 22-5)^
Indeed, it is but the thought of the enemy's self-congratulation
that restrains Him from the annihilation of Israel (verses 26, 27).
The poet dwells on the stupidity of Israelites who cannot interpret
disaster as the result of Yahweh's withdrawal, not of His defeat
(verses 28-30). The heathen gods are impotent before Yahweh ;
the heathen foe corrupt (verses 31-3). : For them also pun
ishment in the near future is being prepared (verses 34, 35).
The utter helplessness of Israel in their hands hastens the inter
vention of Yahweh (verse 36). How helpless are the heathen
gods against Him ! (verses 37-9). He has sworn to take a bloody
vengeance on His foes (verses 40-2). Let other nations, then,
greet with ringing cries the recovered fortunes of Israel (verse 43).
The poem consequently falls into four principal parts, viz. (a) the
subject stated (verses 1-6), (b) the providence of Yahweh re
viewed (verses 7-14), (c) the ingratitude and punishment of Israel
(verses 15-27), (d) the declaration of Yahweh's purpose to inter
vene and save (verses 28-43).
xxxii. 1-3. Introduction : solemn appeal to the universe for
attention, in view of the greatness of Yahweh to be proclaimed.
1. ye heavens . . . the earth: not, as in xxxi. 28, an appeal to
witnesses, but a poet-prophet's expression of the importance of
his subject (Isa. i. 2).
2. doctrine: i.e. 'teaching'; the Hebrew word is character
istic of the Wisdom-literature, to which this didactic poem is
related. The truths learnt by the poet shall refresh the hearts
of Israelites, as the rain and dew falling on thirsty herbage (Isa.
Iv. 10 ft; Ps. Ixxii. 6); the poem1 is, therefore, to be not of
warning (as interpreted by the redactor, xxxi. 16 ft), but chiefly
of comfort, and to awaken the new life of hope and trust. The
verbs are best rendered as expressing a wish : ' Let my teaching
drop, let my speech distil.'

DEUTERONOMY 32. 3-6. R? 221
As the small rain upon the tender grass,
And as the showers upon the herb :
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord : 3
Ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
The Rock, his work is perfect ; 4
For all his ways are judgement :
A God of faithfulness and without, iniquity,
Just and right is he.
They have a dealt corruptly with him, they are not 5
his children, b it is their blemish ;
They are a perverse and crooked generation.
Do ye thus requite the Lord, 6
O foolish people and unwise ?
Is not he thy father that hath c bought thee ?
He hath made thee, and established thee.
Or, corrupted themselves, they dc. b Or, but a blot upon them
0 Or, possessed Or, gotten
3. the name : i. e. the character of Yahweh is to be traced in
His dealings with Israel and so vindicated ; let Israel respond
with an acknowledgement of His greatness (Ps. xxix. 1 ft).
xxxii. 4-6. The poet's central thought: the contrast between
Yahweh's righteous fidelity and Israel's senseless infidelity.
4. The Bock: (verses 15, 18, 30, 31, 37), as in the Psalms
(xviii. 2, &c.) and elsewhere, a name of Yahweh which empha
sizes His sure and unchanging support, as the foundation of
Israel's life.
5. Israel, not Yahweh, has been faithless. The Hebrew is
' He has done corruptly to him, not his sons, their blemish,'
which is evidently in disorder, nor do the versions enable us to
restore the original text.
6. ' Is it with Yahweh ye so deal ? ' children (verse 5) with
a father? bought thee: rather (cf. R.V. marg. (2) 'gotten '), 'begotten'
(Gen. iv. 1, R. V. marg.), in continuance of the figure of father
hood, with reference to the Divine acts which have called Israel
into being (cf. R. V. marg. of Gen. xiv. 22 ; Ps. cxxxix. 13 ; Prov.
viii. 23); He (emphatic) hath made thee, though thy senseless
ignorance has lost sight of this fundamental relationship.

222 DEUTERONOMY 32. 7-io. R?
7 Remember the days of old,
Consider the years of many generations :
Ask thy father, and he will shew thee ;
Thine elders, and they will tell thee.
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their
inheritance, • ¦'
When he separated the children of men, ' ' •
He set the bounds of the peoples
According to the number of the children Of Israel.
> For the Lord's portion is his people ;
Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
> He found him in a desert land,
And in the waste howling wilderness ;
He compassed him about, he cared for him,
xxxii. 7-14. The story of Israel's birth, and of Yahweh's paternal
care and provision for His child.
7. of many generations: Heb. of ' generation and generation,'
implying that the early history of Israel, the Exodus and entrance
into Canaan, lie in the long remote past, for the' writer of the
poem. The verse is, of course, conclusive against Mosaic author
ship. 8, 9. The fathers and elders, as depositaries of ancient tradition,
reply that Yahweh left a sufficient territory for ' the sons of Israel,'
amongst the nations to whom He divided the earth. ,: This must
be the meaning of the Hebrew text ; bat the last clause of verse
8 reads in LXX, 'angels of God' for 'sons of Israel,' i.e. its
Hebrew original read 'sons of God' (as in Gen. vi. 2,4; Job i.
6, ii. 1, xxxviii. 7). This preferable reading implies that other
nations were committed to the care of guardian-angels (Dan.'X.
13, 20 ft, xii. 1), whilst Yahweh Himself superintends the destinies
of Israel ; cf. Ecclus. xvii. 17. In verse g read with LXX, 'But'
(lit. ' And ') instead of ' For.'
10. He found him: cf. Hos. ix. 10; Ezek. xvi. 5ft (the con
text of the latter passage working, out in detail the figure of the
abandoned infant, adopted by Yahweh). For the poet's purpose
Israel's history begins in the desert, so that a more effective
contrast may be gained with the settled home of Canaan.
the waste howling wilderness : a desolate land where wild
beasts howl.
the apple of his eye : Heb. ' the little man of his eye,' i. e.

DEUTERONOMY 32. 11-13. R? 223
He kept him as the apple of his eye :
As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, 11
That fiuttereth over her young,
a He spread abroad his wings, he took them,
He bare them on his pinions :
The Lord alone did lead him, 1 2
And there was no strange god with him.
He made him ride on the high places of the earth, 13
And he did eat the increase of the field ;
And he made him to suck honey out of the rock,
And oil out of the flinty rock ;
1 Or, Spreadetk abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on
her pinions
the pupil, from its reflection of the observer (cf. Ps. xvii. 8 ; Prov.
vii. 2). Primitive thought frequently connects it with the : soul,
discerning ' a sign of bewitchment or approaching death in the
disappearance of the image, pupil, or baby, from the dim eyeballs
of the sick man ' (Tylor, Primitive Culture, i. 431). Here, then,
the meaning will be ' as his very life.'
11. Yahweh, in His care for Israel, is compared with the eagle
(properly, 'vulture,' as in xiv. 12), impelling its young to fly,
whilst saving them from peril. For the figure, eft Exod. xix. 4
(' how I bare you on eagles' wings') ; for the thought, Hos. xi. 1,
3, where Yahweh is represented as teaching the little child to
walk, and carrying him, when weary, on His arms.
12. no strange god with him: no 'foreign god' helped Yah
weh in His fatherly task (Hos. xiii. 4, R. V. marg., Isa.: xliii. 12) ;
why then, it is implied, should ' foreign gods ' share in Israel's
regard ?
xxxii. 13, 14. The Settlement in Canaan.
ride on the high places: as promised in Isa. Iviii. 14.
The figure is that of the victorious warrior, advancing resistlessly
(xxxiii. 29 ; Hab. iii. ig ; Ps. xviii. 33), and is elsewhere applied
to Yahweh Himself (Amos iv. 13 ; Mic. i. 3), who makes His
child sharer in His victory.
he did eat the increase (fruits) : read, with the versions,
' He made him eat,' which suits the parallelism better.
The honey is that of the wild bees in the clefts of the rocks
(Ps. Ixxxi. 16) ; the oil, that of the olive-tree, growing in rocky
soil (Job xxix. 6). Even the least likely parts of the land yield
their gracious tribute to Yahweh's favourites.

224 DEUTERONOMY 32. 14-16. R?
14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep,
With fat of lambs,
And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats,
With the fat of kidneys of wheat ;
And of the blood of the grape thou drankest wine.
15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked :
Thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art
become sleek :
Then he forsook God. which made him, . :
And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
1 6 They moved him to jealousy with strange gods,
With abominations provoked they him to anger.
14. butter: 'curd' or curdled milk, now, as then, a common
Oriental dish. Cf. Doughty, Arabia Deserta, i. 41.
And rams : join with previous line, as in LXX ; the two
lines will then read :
With fat of lambs and rams,
Cattle of Bashan and goats.
the fat of kidneys is the choicest fat (Lev. iii. 4 ; Isa. xxxiv.
6) ; the phrase is here applied figuratively to wheat, and means
simply 'the choicest wheat' (Ps. lxxxi. 16, cxlvii. 14).
the blood of the grape (Gen. xlix. 11), which Israel drinks
as (fermenting) wine.
xxxii. 15-18. The father forgotten by the well-cared-for child,
spoilt by prosperity.
15. Jeshurun: (xxxiii. 5, 36; Isa. xliv. 2), the ' upright r one,
a title of Israel (cf. 'the book of Jashar,' R.V. marg. to Joshua
a. 13), which here becomes purposely ironical.
thou art become sleek : probably ' thou wast sated,' or
gorged with food. In this verse and in verse 18, the verbs relate
to the past, not to the present. The child, it seems ,to be implied,
has become an over-fed animal, kicking against the pricks of the
goad (cf. 1 Sam. ii. 29) ; brutish sensuality appeared instead of the
man's grateful obedience.
lightly esteemed s Hebrew ' treated as a fool ' : cf.
Micah vii. 6 (R.V. 'dishonoured').
16. strange (gods) : (Jer. ii. 25, iii. 13), the abominations,
Isa. xhv. 19, with which they vexed Yahweh (omit 'to anger,'
here and in verse 21, which the Hebrew does not express) : cf.
Ps. lxxviii. 58.

DEUTERONOMY 32. 17-21. R? 22S
They sacrificed unto demons, which were no God, 17
To gods whom they knew not,
To new gods that came up of late,
Whom your fathers dreaded not.
Of the Rock that » begat thee thou art unmindful, 18
And hast forgotten God that gave thee birth.
And the Lord saw it, and abhorred them, 19
Because of the provocation of his sons and his
daughters.
And he said, I will hide my face from them, 20
I will see what their end shall be :
For they are a very froward generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is 21
not God ; " Or, bare
17. demons (Ps. cvi. 37) : the Hebrew word (Shedim) is
borrowed from the Assyrian Udu, denoting a protective demon
(subordinate deity), represented by the bull-colossus at the entrances
of temples (Die Keilinschriften und das A.T.,3 p. 455). Their
divinity is denied by the term 'no-god' ; whilst Israel's 'new gods'
in general are said to be without the link of past history that binds
Israel to Yahweh (Isa. Ixiii. 16).
dreaded not : ' were not acquainted with ' (from an Arabic
cognate). 18. Yahweh is here represented as both father and mother to
Israel (' begat ' of the father ; ' gave thee birth,' i. c. travailed with
thee, of the mother).
xxxii. 19-37. The effect of this conduct on Yahweh: He declares
the merited punishment.
19. abhorred (them): Hebrew 'contemned' or 'spurned' ;
cf. Jer. xiv. 21.
.provocation: the vexation inflicted on Himself by Israel.
20. Yahweh will stand aloof (xxxi. 17, 18), withdrawing the
help that has made Israel prosperous.
a very froward generation : i. e. from-ward ; Hebrew ' a
generation of perversions.'
faith : ' faithfulness.'
21. Notice the parallelism; 'they' and Tare emphatically

226 DEUTERONOMY 32. 22-24. R?
They have provoked me to anger with their vanities :
And I will move them to jealousy with those which
are not a people ;
I will provoke them to anger With a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger,
And burnetii unto the lowest a pit,
And devoureth the earth with her increase,
, And setteth on fire the foundations of the mountains.
23 I will heap mischiefs upon them ;
I will spend mine arrows upon them :
24 They shall be Wasted with hunger, and devoured
with b burning- heat
And bitter destruction ;
1 Heb. Sheol. b Heb. burning coals. See Hab. iii. 5.
contrasted in the Hebrew ; the ' no-people * answers to the ' no-
god,' the ' senseless nation ' to ' their vanities,' and the same verbs,
'make jealous ' and 'vex' (omit 'toanger') are used in both,
clauses. For the question as to the identity of this ' no-people,'
through whom Yahweh punishes Israel, see the introduction to
this chapter. They are not more a people than their gods are
God. See Introd., p. 35.
vanities: (lit. 'breaths') a Jeremianic term for heathen
deities (e.g. viii. 19). Paul applied the second half of the verSe
to Israel's jealousy and vexation at the entrance of heathen into
the kingdom (Rom. x. 19).
22 f. Yahweh's anger against faithless Israel.
the lowest pitr Sheol is named, in parallelism with 'the'
foundations of the mountains,' to denote the unlimited reach of
Yahweh's anger : see the diagram in the CMtury Bible, ' Genesis,'
p. 66. '
23. I will heap : Hebrew ' I will sweep (catch) up,' buf we
ought probably to repoint the Hebrew consonants and read either
' I will add ' or (with versions) ' I will gather ' ; mischiefs :
Hebrew ' evils.'
spend : i. e. use up, exhaust the whole quiver against Israel
(cf. Ezek. v. 16).
24. The three plagues of hunger, pestilence, wild beasts (and
reptiles) ; Jer. xiv. 12, &c. ; Ezek. xiv. 15, 21.
burning heat:, ' the Fire-bolt, a poetical designation of the

DEUTERONOMY 32. 25-29. R? 227
And the teeth of beasts will I send upon them,
With the poison of crawling things of the 'dust.
Without shall the sword bereave, 25
And in the chambers terror ;
It shall destroy both young man and virgin,
The suckling with the man of gray hairs.
I said, I would scatter them afar, 36
I would make the remembrance of them to cease
from among men :
Were it not that I feared the provocation of the 27
enemy,
Lest their adversaries should misdeem,
Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted,
And the Lord hath not done all this.
For they are a nation void of counsel, 28
And there is no understanding in them.
Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, 29
That they would consider their latter end !
fiery darts, sent by Jehovah, to which the poet (or popular imagina
tion) attributed fever, or other pestilential complaint ' (Driver).
25. The evils of war, as a fourth plague, without and within, on
young and on old.
xxxii. 36, 27. ' I should have said, I will cleave them in pieces,
I will make, &c.' Yahweh was hindered from saying this (and
accomplishing it) by the reason given in verse 27, that the
enemies of Israel would count it their own victory over Yahweh
and His people, not Yahweh's will.
xxxii. 28-33. The poet laments Israel's failure to understand
disaster as part of Yahweh's purpose ; how can He be compared
with heathen deities, as though they were victorious over Him ?
nor can these corrupt nations be thought to be themselves pleasing
to Yahweh.
28. void of counsel : Hebrew ' perishing of counsel ',(Jer. xlix.
7). This is the reason (' For ') why such severe discipline is
necessary. '29. ' If they had been wise,„they would understand this, they
would discern their latter end,' i. e. that end to which Yahweh
purposed to leave thein (verse 30).
Q 2

228 DEUTERONOMY 32, .30-34- £?
30 How should one chase a thousand,
And two put. ten thousand to flight,
Except their Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had delivered them up ?
31 For their rock is not as our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves being judges.
32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom,
And ;of the fields of Gomorrah :
Their grapes are grapes of a gall,
Their clusters are bitter : . s.
33 Their wine is the poison of dragons,
And the cruel venom of asps..
34 Is not this laid up in store with, me*. ..
Sealed up h among my treasures ?: -
a See ch. xxix. 18. * Or, in my treasuries
30. The shameful defeat of Israel in battle- is due, not to
Yahweh's inadequacy, but to His , deliberate abandonment of
Israel's cause : cf. Isa. xxx. 17 ; contrast Lev. xxvi. 8. ,
31. Even Israel's foes shall recognize the unique supremacy of
Yahweh.- (Thus the Egyptians are represented as coiifessing'the
invincible might of .Yahweh,, Exod., xiv, 35.). ., -. .
xxxii. 32, 33. The figure of the vine, so often used of Israel, is
here applied to Israel's fuses, to describe their corruption in root
and fruit ; less probably, of Israel's corruption. C
32. the vine of Sodom, &c. The names ' Sodom ' and
' Gomorrah.' are here used generally, as often (Isa. i. 10 ; Jer.
xxiii. 14), as types of .wickedness.
321'. Their grapes are poisonous grapes,
Bitter clusters are theirs.
33. the poison of dragons : i. e. of serpents (Psl xci. 13 ;
Exod. vii. 9 ft).
venom of asps : possibly of cobras. ' Poison ' and ' venom '
should be interchanged in this verse to correspond more exactly
with the Hebrew. 1 •
xxxii. 34, 35. Yahweh declares that this corruption shall itself
be punished.
34. Sealed up among my treasures : read with R. V. marg.
For the figure (sin kept for punishment), ' see Hos. xiii. 12;
Job xiv, 17.

DEUTERONOMY 32. 35-38. R? 229
Vengeance is mine, and recorhpence, : ! : 35
At the time when their foot shall slide :
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things that are to come upon them shall
make haste.
For the Lord shall judge his people, 36
And repent himself for his servants ;
When he seeth that their power is gone,
And there is none remaining, shut up or left at large.
And he shall say, Where are their gods, 37
The rock in which they a trusted ;
Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, 38
* Or, took refuge
35. Vengeance is mine : quoted Heb. x. 30 ; Rom. xii. 19.
The LXX and the Samaritan Pentateuch, however, read ' For the
day of vengeance and recompense,' which connects more closely
with the previous verse, and formsa better parallel with ' For the time
when their foot shall slide ' (so giving Yahweh His opportunity).
at hand: in which speedy approach of Yahweh's'day of
intervention lies the practical comfort of the poem (cf. Isa. xl. 1).
36. Israel's helplessness affords a motive parallel with that of
heathen corruption for Yahweh's intervention.
judge: i. e., as the parallel line shows, examine His people's
case, and decide that the time for intervention is ripe.
repent himself : or 'have compassion on,' This half- verse
is repeated in Ps. cxxxv. 14.
power : Hebrew ' hand ' (Lev. xxv. 35), perhaps here in the
sense ' support.'
shut up or left at large ; in Hebrew an alliterative phrase,
used to express ' all ' (1 Kings xiv. 10, &c.) ; we may compare
such a phrase in English as ' bag and baggage ' ; such phrases are
frequent in Semitic speech (xxix. 19). The precise origin of this
phrase is doubtful ; it may refer to those: under taboo and those
free from taboo, a very important principle of classification^ for
primitive thought (Rel. Sem.? 456)-
xxxii 37-39. Yahweh contrasts Himself with the gods who can
do nothing against His judgement. Where are the gods to which
Israel'has turned for refuge (R.V. marg.)? on which Israel has
lavished material gifts in vain.

230 DEUTERONOMY 32. 39-41. R?
And drank the wine of their drink offering ?
Let them rise up and help you,
Let them be your protection.
39 See now that I, even I, am he,
And there is no god with me :
I kill, and I make alive ;
I have wounded, and I heal :
And there is none that can deliver out of my hand.
40 For I lift up my hand to heaven,
And say, As I live for ever,
41 If I whet a my glittering sword,
And mine band take hold on judgement j
I will render vengeance to mine adversaries,
And will, recompense them that hate me.
*¦ Heb. the lightning of my sword.
38. let them he your protection : Hebrew ' let there be unto
you a shelter ' (secret placel. The versions read ' let them be.'
39. I am he:' i.e. Yahweh, the supreme God (Isa; xii. 4,
xliii. 10, 13, xlviii. 13), the first and the last, with whom there is no
god (Deut. iv. 35), and from whose hand there is no deliverer
(Hos. ii. 10, v. 14 ; Isa. xliii. 13).
: I kin ... I heal : both pronouns are emphatic in the Hebrew.
The reference is simply to the absolute power over life and death
possessed by Yahweh, and not to any doctrine of individual resur
rection (1 Sam. ii. 6 ; Hos. vi. 2, &c).
xxxii. 40-43. Yahweh swears to take vengeance on Israel's
foes. lift up my hand : (Exod. vi. 8 ; Num. xiv. 30 ; Ezek. xx. 5,
and often in Ezekiel) the action of one taking an oath (Qen.
xiv. 32). As 1 live: often in Ezekiel (v. 11), and elsewhere : Yahweh
swears by Himself (Heb. vi. 13).
41. If does not make the vengeance conditional, but whenthe
time for action arrives, the vengeance will be complete.
my glittering sword: (note R. V. marg.) cf. Nah. iii. 3,
Hab. iii. 11 for the flashing weapon of the warrior, here figura
tively assigned to Yahweh, who takes hold on judgement as a
weapon.

DEUTERONOMY 32. 42-45. R? D3 231
I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, 42
And my sword shall devour flesh ;
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
a From bthe head of the leaders of the enemy.
c Rejoice, O d ye nations, with his people : 43
For he will avenge the blood of his servants,
And will render vengeance to his adversaries, . '
And will make expiation for his land, for his people.
And Moses came and spake all the words of this song 44
in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
[D3] And Moses made an end of speaking all these 45
a Or, From the beginning of revenges upon the enemy
b Or, the hairy head of the enemy
c Or, Praise his people, ye nations d Or, ye nations, his people

42. Yahweh's battlefield described (cf. Isa. lxiii. 3-6). The
weapons once turned against Israel (verses 33, 25) are now so
fiercely employed against Israel's foes that the poet must -needs
personify their fury ; the very captives are slain to gratify them.
From the head, &c. The marginal alternatives show the
difficulty of translation ; the second of these is preferable to
the text, as giving a parallel detail to the 'blood,' these scalps
being the prey of Yahweh's sword.
43. Conclusion : let the (other) nations congratulate Israel upon
this vengeance taken on Israel's -foes.
Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people : rather (cf. R. V.
marg.), ' Greet His people joyfully ' (the verb denotes the utterance
of a ringing cry, here inspired by the thought of Yahweh's inter
vention). make expiation : (see on xxi. 8) for the blood of Israel that
has been shed (the fact that this bloodshed was, in verse 25, a
divine punishment of Israel is disregarded).
for his land, for his people t read, with versions, ' for the
land of his people.' m . .
44. Concluding' note by the redactor, answering to the intro
ductory note, xxxi. 30: r-c
Hoshea : i. e. Joshua, which the versions read here. Ct.
xxxi. 19 (note).
xxxii. 45-47 Moses commends the law as Israel's life. This has
nothing' to do with the Song, but is connected with xxxi. 24-9.

232 DEUTERONOMY 32. 46-51. Ds P
46 words to all' Israel: and he said unto theim Set your
heart unto all the words" which I testify unto you this
day ; which ye shall command your children, to observe
47 to do all the words of this law. For it is no vain thing
for you ; because it is your life, and through this thing ye
shall prolong your days upon the land, whither ye go over
Jordan to possess it.
48 [P] And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame
49 day, saying, Get thee up into, this mountain Of Abarim,
unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab,' that 'is
over against Jericho ; and behold the land of Canaan,
which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession :
50 and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be
gathered unto thy people ; as Aaron thy brother died in
51 mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people : because

46. unto you : ' against you ' 7 . < ' God's law is viewed as a
testimony against human sin ' (Driver)^ '
which ye shall command : rather, ' in order that ye may
charge ' (iv. 10). Once more there is characteristic reference to
the religious training of the young (vi. 7, &c).
47. vain : Heb. ' empty ' of practical bearing on life ; to obey
this law is to live in prosperity (cf. xxx. so).
xxxii. 48-53. Moses is ordered to ascend Mount Nebo, there
to die. He is to see from afar the Promised Land, but, because
of his infidelity at Kadesh, is not to enter it. (A duplicate, perhaps
editorial, of Num. xxvii. 13-14, P-)
48. that selfsame day: i. e. that of i. 3 (P). ,
49. Abarim : Heb. ' the Abarim,' meaning ' the regions beyond '
(the Jordan) ; the word denotes 'the edge; of the great Moabite
plateau overlooking, the Jordan valley, of which Mount Nebo was
the most prominent headland ' {E.B., 4).
mount Nebo : (Num. xxxiii. 47.) called ' the top of Pisgah '
in Deut. iii. 27 (D!), the two designations being editorially identified
in xxxiv. 1 (q. v.). . :,, ....
50. thy people : here, probably, in the original sense of the
word, ' thy father's kin,' as elsewhere (in this phrase) in P.
: died in mount Hor : Num. xx. 22-9 ; the place signified is
unknown.

DEUTERONOMY 32. 5i— 33. i. PR? 233
ye trespassed against me in the midst of the children of
Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilder
ness of Zin ; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of
the children of Israel. For thou shalt See the land 52
before thee ; but thou shalt not go thither into the land
which I give the children of Israel.
[R?] And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the 33
51. trespassed: 'acted unfaithfully' : see Num. xx. 1-13 ;
for the locality (Kadesh), see on i. 2 ; for the sin of Moses, on
•¦37- , " - ,
sanctified me not: the same verb (Kadash) is used in Num.
xx. 12, with play on the place-name, Kadesh.
52. before thee : ' from a distance ' : cf. 3 Kings iv. 25, where
R. V. renders the same word ' afar off.'
xxxiii. The Blessing of Moses. This poem is nof incorporated
iiito the narrative of Deuteronomy like the ' Song,' but depends
simply on its superscription (xxxiii. 1) for its connexion with the
book. Mosaic authorship is disproved, not only by the reference
to Moses himself in verse 4, but by the assumption that the
conquest of Canaan lies in the past (verses 27, 28) and by, other
features of the poem. It consists of an introduction (verses 2-5)
which describes Yahweh's coming from Sinai, the gift of law and
land, and the establishment of the kingdom ; of eleven longer or
shorter eulogistic or sympathetic sayings about the eleven tribes,
Simeon being omitted (verses 6-25) ; and of a conclusion (verses
26-9) emphasizing the providence pf a unique God and the, pros
perity of a consequently unique people. In regard to the central
portion, each tribe is characterized by some salient feature in its
situation, character, or history, and the historical conditions at the
time of its composition may consequently be inferred. Simeon
has disappeared as a tribe (see on xviii. 1) ;. Reuben (verse 6) is
diminishing ; the prayer is offered that Judah may return to his
people (verse 7); Levi is specially commended as a priestly
community (verses 8-n); In Benjamin's land is Yahweh's
sanctuary (verse 12) ; Joseph occupies the foremost place in the
poem, the fertility of his territory and its military" origin being
emphasized (verses 13-17) J Zebulun and Issachar are com
mercially prosperous (verses 18, 19) ; the trans-Jordamc territory
of Gad appears to have been increased recently (verses 30, si),
whilst the northern position of Dan, Naphtali, and Asher, and the
fertile territory of the two latter, are also noticed (verses 22-5).
From these references it seems clear that the date of the poem
must lie between the division of the kingdom, c. 930 b, c. (verse

234 , i DEUTERONOMY 33. 2. R?
man of God bjessed the children, of Israel before, his
a death. And he said,
The Lord came from Sinai,

7) and the fall of the Northern Kingdom, 734-722 (verse 16);
and within this period the prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (782-
743) best corresponds with the general atmosphere of contentment
and security (contrast 'xxxii. 1-43), in which the poem moves (so
Kuenen, Moore, Steuernagel, Bertholet, and others ; Dillmann
and Driver prefer a date under Jeroboam I, soon after the. division
info two kingdoms had taken place). The.central part of the poem
appears, from its chief interests, to have been written in the
Northern Kingdom, possibly (in view of verse 8 ft), by al-evite at
some northern sanctuary. The introduction (verses 2-5) and
conclusion (verses 26-9), whilst forming an effective setting for the
'blessings,' were originally, perhaps, an independent psalm, of
later (post-exilic ?) date (Stetfernagel, Bertholet, Moore, Oxf. Hex.).
This psalm describes Israel's deliverance (through a theophany)
from the enemy, and its subsequent happy security. It must fee
admitted, however, that the separation of psalm from ' blessings '
is not absolutely necessary, and tHe poem may well be read as
a unity, which ' breathes from end to end a national spirit exalted
by power and prosperity and unbroken hy disaster ' (Moore, E.B.,
1090). It should be compared throughout with the (earlier)
'Blessing of Jacob ' (Gen. xlix).
xxxiii. 1. Editorial note, linking the poem to the context.
1. the blessing: cf. Joshua xiv. 13 (note) for the significance
attaohed to such words ; here deepened by the fact that a dying
man speaks them (Gen.: xxvii. 7).
the man of God : a name given to Moses in the title to Ps. xc,
and in Joshua xiv. 6. Elsewhere a frequent designation of the
prophet (e. g. 1 Sam. ix. 6).
xxxiii. 3-5. Introduction. Yahweh revealed Himself from. the
south for the people He loved, to whom He gave law and land,
that He might rule them. (This seems to be the general meaning
of the section, but the text is frequently corrupt and the details pf
interpretafjpn uncertain.) ,.
,2. The opening verses form a theophany, such as is found in
Judges v. ,4 ft. (Ps. lxviii. 7ft); Hab. iii. 3ft: in each of these
Yahweh comes up from His abode in the south, to intervene for
Hisipepple, ,j,
Sinai: 'the mountain of God' (Exod. iii. 1), to which the
giving of the law was assigned because of its previous sacredness
(not vice v^rsa). Yahweh says He has brought Israel unto

DEUTERONOMY 33. 3. R? 235
And rose from Seir unto them ;
He shined forth from mount Paran,
And he came from the ten thousands of a holy ones :
At his right hand b was a fiery law unto them.
Yea, he loveth the ° peoples ; 3
All d his saints are in thy hand :
And they sat down at thy feet ;
* Heb. holiness. b Or, was fire, a law Or, as otherwise
read, were streams for them c Or, tribes d Or, their holy
ones

Himself (Exod. xix. 4), in bringing the people to Sinai (cf. Rel.
Sem.,2 p. 118) ; Sinai is His abode on earth.
rose : i. e. like the sun, as the Hebrew verb denotes : cf.
Hab. iii. 4.
Seir (ii. i) . . . Paran (i. i, place uncertain) ; perhaps named
as indicating the route by which Yahweh comes from Sinai to
Israel. the ten thousands of holy ones : i. e. from the midst of the
angels surrounding Him (1 Kings xxii. 19, &c). But for ' holiness'
(see R. V. marg., i. e. Kodesh) LXX has the place-name Kadesjj
(i. 2), which would give a better parallel with Paran ; and we
ought probably to read ' from ' (Dillmann) or ' to ' (Wellhausen)
' Meribath-Kadesh ' (xxxii. 51). The reading of the Hebrew
text is responsible for the later belief (cf. Targum and LXX) that
the law was ordained through angels (Acts vii. 53 ; Gal. iii. 19 ;
Heb. ii. 2).
a fiery law unto them : this can hardly be a correctrender-
ing, since ' a fire, a law ' (R. V. marg.1) yields no good sense,
and supposes a Persian word to be used for 'law.' R.V. marg.2
gives a (doubtful) rendering of a word made by combining those
rendered 'fire' and 'law.' The text is corrupt, and numerous
attempts at emendation have been made, of which Dillmann's
'a burning fire' has perhaps won most acceptance (' from his
right hand ').
, 3. the peoples: read, with LXX, 'his people,' since the
reference must be to Israel, and the interpretation of R. V. marg.
is without sufficient justification.
his saints : R- V. marg. applies the pronoun to Israel.
Steuernagel follows Lucian's LXX in reading, 'in His hands'
for 'jn thy hand.' ¦¦'.
And they sat down at thy feet : the rendering of the verb is
based ©n a supposed Arabic cognate. But the words appear to

236 DEUTERONOMY j33. 4-7. R?
Every one a shall receive of thy words.
1 Moses commanded us a law,
An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob ¦ -'¦'
; And b he was king in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people were gathered,
All the tribes of Israel together.
• Let Reuben live, and not die;
c Yet let his men be few.
And this is the blessing of Judah : and he said,
Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah,
"Or, received . b Or, there was a king
0 Or, And let not his men
be corrupt, and the translation of the second half of this verse
is very doubtful. Driver renders :
-.'¦-¦-..--- . . - - i
And they [followed] at thy foot,
Receiving of thy wprds. ., .
4. inheritance: i. e. probably Canaan ; 'for' is supplied by
R. V. to make a connexion.
5. he was king': i. e. Yahweh. R. V. marg. will most
naturally refer to Saul.
Jeshurun: verse 26, xxxii. 15 (note).
xxxiii. 6-25. The separate blessings on the eleven tribes (excluding
Simeon). 6. Reuben (the firstborn, Gen. xlix; 3) ; blamed in the Song
of Deborah (Judges v. I5b, 16) for absence from the conflict ;
cursed by Jacob (Gen. xlix. 3, 4), and of little historical importance
(settled east of Jordan, Joshua xiii. 15-23, but not mentioned in
Mesha's inscription, c. 850). Here the hope is expressed' that
the tribe may not become wholly extinct. ' ''• •' •
Yet let his men be few : this is the only approach to a curse
which the ' Blessing ' contains. The alternative of R. V. marg.
carries the negative of the first' clause over into the second, fcut
this is grammatically improbable (cf. Driver, p. 395) .
7. And this is of Judah : probably, like the notes introducing
all the blessings except thatof Reuben, an editorial insertion,
not belonging' to the original poem. • „ "
Judah : settled in the south of Palestine (Joshua xv) ; not
named in the Song of Deborah i becoming of historical importance
under David ; its military success and supremacy are praised in

DEUTERONOMY 33. 8. R? 237
And bring him in unto his people :
a With his hands he contended bfor himself;
And thou shalt be an help against his adversaries.
And of Levi he said, 8
Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with <Hhy godly
one,
Whom thou didst prove at Massah,
With whom thou didst strive at the waters of
Meribah ;
a Or, Let his hands he sufficient for him b Or, for them
c Or, him whom thou lovest
the Blessing of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 8 ft). Here the poet prays for
the reunion of judah with his people (Israel) and for Judah's
victory over enemies in some present need. The verse is im
portant for the dating of the Blessing, since it presupposes the
separation of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, which took
place through Jeroboam I (c. 930 ; 1 Kings xii. 20).
. for himself: Hebrew ' for him,' leaving the, reference un
certain (cf. R.V. marg.). Stade's conjecture, however (G. V.I.,
i. p. .160), ' With thy hands contend for him ' (making the line
a prayer to Yahweh, like the, rest of the verse), is. very probably
right, and has found frequent acceptance.
8. Levi : see note on xviii. 1 for the early history of this tribe,
here already a priestly community.
Thy Thummim and thy Urim : the sacred lot).administered
by the priest, probably giving a. !Yes' or 'No' in reply to
inquiry. The passage best illustrating this practice is the LXX
qf.i Sam. xiv. 41 :. 'And Saul said, Yahweh, God of Israel, why
hast thou not answered thy servant to-day ? is the wrong in me
or in Jonathan my son? Yahweh, God of Israel, give Urim; and if
thus thou say, give to thy people Israel, give Thummim.' Cf.
Exod. xxviii. 30 ; Lev. viii. 8 ; Ezra ii. 63.
with thy godly one: Hebrew 'for a man, thy kindly or pious
one ' ; either the tribe, conceived as a person, or Moses (Aaron) as
its representative.
' Massah (Exod. xvii. 1-7), Meribah (Num. xx. 2-1-3) : the
O. T. narrative throws no light on the manner in which- Levi was
tested and striven with (or. for) ; nor can the references to Moses
and Aaron be said, (representatively) to explain the present
passage, which supposes Levi, to have come out successfully from
the ordeal.

238 DEUTERONOMY 33. 9-11. R?
Who said of his father, and of his mother, I! have not
seen him ;
Neither did he acknowledge his brethren,
Nor knew he his own children :
For they have observed thy word,
And keep thy covenant.
They shall teach Jacob thy judgements,
And Israel thy law :
They shall put incense b before thee,
And whole burnt offering upon thine altar. -
Bless, Lord, his substance,
And accept the work of his hands :
Smite through the loins of . themi that rise up against
him, " Heb. in thy nostrils.

9. Levi's renunciation of the ties of blood, in faithful Observance
of the priestly office. The reference is probably to the general
impartiality and independence of worldly considerations expected
df the priest, of which the incident recorded in Exod. xxxii. 37-9
will afford a particular illustration : cf. Lev. xxi. 11 ; 1 Sam. i. 28
(contrast Eli's partiality, ii. 29). The verbs should be rendered
in the present tense in verses 9, 10.
thy1 covenant: Mal. ii. 4-9. '¦'
10. The function of the Levitical priest (the whole tribe : see
on xviii. 1) is twofold: to give the oracles and other decisions
(cf. xvii. 10 ft ; law = direction, teaching) of Yahweh, and to offer
sacrifice. incense : possibly in the earlier and more general meaning^
' smoke of sacrifice:' For the anthropomorphism of R. V. xaax%.,.
cf. 1 Sam. xxvi. 19 (R. V. marg.) ; Gen. viiii 21, &c.
whole burnt offering: see on xiii. 16.
11. his substance : i. e. his possessions ; but ' strength ' (which
the Hebrew word originally means) is here preferable ; the work
of his hands will be Levi's' sacrificial acts.
Smite through the loins of : Hebrew ' smite as to the loins •'
round which is the girdle (Prov. xxxi. 17), and which are the seat
of bodily strength (Nahum ii. 1; Ezek. xxix. >j ; Ps. lxvi. 11,
lxix.'23), trembling in the anguish' of travail (Isa. xxi. 3) or fear
(Nahum ii. 10). The particular reference to the (obscure) history

DEUTERONOMY 33. ri, 13. R? 239
And of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
Of Benjamin he said, " 12
The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him ;
He covereth him all the day long,
And he dwelleth between his shoulders.
And of Joseph he said, 13
Blessed of the Lord be his land ;
For the precious things of heaven, for the dew,

of Levi is unknown ; some opposition to the priestly prerogatives
(cf. Num. xvi, 1 Kings xii. 31) is in view. The martial figure has
led some to suppose that the verse belongs to Judah, and should
follow verse 7 ; but this transposition does not seeni necessary.
12. Benjamin: the tribe of Saul and Jonathan ;_celehrated, in
the Blessing of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 27), for its martial character, as
'a ravening wolf ; here appearing as a favourite son of Yahweh,
even as of Jacob (Gen. xliv. 20), and called ' the beloved of Yah
weh ' (note its central position in the land, Joshua xviii. 11 ft).
by him : omit with versions.
He covereth : fsurroundeth,' i. e. Yahweh protects Benjamin.
he dwelleth between his shoulders : Yahweh dwells (in
His sanctuary) amongst the mountains (for ' shoulders ' in this
sense, cf. Joshua xv. 8, xviii. 13) of Benjamin. The reference is
usually taken to be to the temple at Jerusalem (see on Joshua xv.
8: cf. Josh, xviii. 38). Others(e.g. Bertholet, thinking of the North
Israelite origin of the poem) explain of the sanctuary at Bethel
(Ainos vii. 13).
13. Joseph: i.e. Ephraim and Manasseh (verse 17.: eft Gen.
xlviii. 5), to which tribes the most prominent place in the Blessing
is here given (cf. Gen. xlix. 22-6, with which the present passage
shows literary relationship). The prominence is natural in view
of the historical importance of 'Joseph,' as the centre of the
Northern Kingdom, in which, moreover, this poem probably
originated' (cf. verse 7). The blessings assigned to Joseph are
those of fertile territory (verses 13-16) and of military prowess
(verse 17). (In Gen. xlix. 23 ft, Joseph has been hard pressed,
but has prevailed.)'
Por the precious things: elsewhere 'choice, fruits'
(Song of Songs, iv. 13, 16, vii. 13) ; here' of the natural gifts on
which all fertility depends — sunshine, rain, and dew. Read 'from'
instead of 'for' throughout ; these gifts are the source of blessing.
for the dew: more probably 'above,' as in the related passage,

24Q DEUTERONOMY 33. 14-17. R?
, And for the deep that coucheth beneath,
14 And for the precious things of the fruits of the sun,
And for the precious things of the growth of the
moons,
15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains,
And for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
1 5 And for the precious things of the earth and the
fulness thereof,
And the good will of him that dwelt in the bush :
Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph,
And upon the crown of the head of him » that was
separate from his brethren.
17 b The firstling of his bullock, majesty is his ;
And his horns are the horns of the c wild-ox : ;
" Or,' that is prince among ,, •> Or, His firstling bullock
¦ ¦ c See Num. xxiii. 22.
Gen. xl.ix. 25 (cf. Gen. xxvii. 39), which gives a fetter cphtrast
with ' beneath ' in the next line. .v. '. ,\-
the deep that coucheth beneath : i. e. 'the water under the
earth' (iv. 18, note), personified as a crouching monster, like
the Babylonian Tiamat (Jastrpw, Bab. Ass. Rel., p. 411), with
which name the Hebrew word for ' deep '..(tehom) is connected,
14. the growth of the moons : ' the produce of the months,'
i. e. of successive seasons.
15. for the chief things: 'from the top' (Heb. 'head'); the
' hill country of Ephraim ' (Joshua xvii. 15) is in view, whose very
summits are to yield their tribute.
16. the goodwill of him that dwelt in the hush : Exod, iii.
2-4 ; see above on verse 2 for the force of ' dwelt.' ' Good- will '
= favour (verse 23), the noun corresponding to 'accept' in verse 11.
that was separate from his brethren : the Heb. word
(naslr) denotes one separated religiously (consecrated), as in the
meaning ' Nazarite,; or as, a 'prince' (Lam, iv. 7, R.V. 'npbles');
hence the alternative of R.V. marg., which is preferable here.
The last two lines occur in Gen. xlix. 36.
17. his firstling bullock (R. Y marg.); i.e. Ephraim (Gen.
xlviii. 13-30). v
le*1*6 W^"°* Q°b xxxix- 9-ia) ' » 'ype now extinct (Driver,.

DEUTERONOMY 33. 1S-20. R? 241-
With them he shall a push the peoples all of them, even
the ends of the earth :
And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, .
And they are the thousands of Manasseh.
And of Zebulun he said," 18
Rejoice, Zebuliirt, in thy going out ;
And, Issachar, in thy tents.
They shall call the peoples unto the mountain ; 19
There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness :
For they shall suck the abundance of the seas,
And the hidden treasures of Hhe sand.
And of Gad he said, 20
a Or, gore
push (1 Kings xxii. 11): with reference to the military
strength of Ephraim (cf. Ps. xxii. 21, xcii. 10).
all of them, &c. : better as a parallel clause, i Together the
ends of the earth,' i. e. remote peoples.
And they (bis) : i. e. the horns ; but read, with, the versions,
' they ' (of the Josephites in general) in the first instance,
18. Zebulun and Issachar: the blessing, of comir.ercial pros
perity. thy going out : a phrase denoting general activity (xxviii. 6\
here probably of the maritime occupations of Zebulun (Gen. xlix.
13), which must have had an outlet to the sea, in spite of Joshua
xix. 10 ft, which defines an inland territory : cf. Judges v. x8.
in thy tents: i. e. at home (Joshua xxii. 4 note) : cf. Gen.
xlix. 14, 15, where Issachar is blamed for lack of energy. The
contrast here may be merely poetical.
19. caU the peoples : the reference is probably to religious
festivals in connexion with some mountain sanctuary (Tabor?
Carmeir, with which fairs were joined, asat Mecca (Stade, G.V.I. ,
i. 1711). To these other neighbouring people's (e. g. the Phoeni
cians) would come. The tenses here should be frequentatives
rather than futures : ' they call,' &c.
suck the abundance of the seas : see on verse 18 (Zebulun 's
fishing and sea-carrying trade).
the hidden treasures of the sand: possibly Issachar's
manufacture of glass, for which sand from the neighbourhood of
'Akko was much used : Josephus, The Jewish War, ii. 10. 2 : see
the art. ' Glass ' in D.B.
20. Gad: settled east of Jordan (Joshua xiii. 24-8); charac-

242 DEUTERONOMY 33. 21-23. R?
Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad :
He dwelleth as a lioness,
And teareth the arm, yea, the crown, of the head.
21 And he a provided the first part for himself,
For there was b the lawgiver's portion reserved ;
And he came "with the heads of the. people,
He executed the justice of the Lord,
And his judgements with Israel.
22 And of Dan he said,
Dan is a lion's whelp.
That leapeth. forth from Bashan.
23 And of Naphtali he said,
* Or, chose Heb. saw. b Or, a ruler's portion c Or, to
terized in Gen. xlix. 19 as victorious over assailants ; famous for
warriors (1 Chron. xii. 8 ft).
he that enlargeth Gad: i.e. Yahweh (eft Gen. ix. 27).
There may be a reference to the recovery of territory lost in the,,
Syrian wars {3 Kings xiv. 25 ft).
as a lioness : cf. Gen. xlix. 9 ; Ezek. xix. 2 f. ; Num. xxiii. 24.
21. the first part : the territory of Gad being amongst the first
to be occupied by Israel (Num. xxxii. 1 ft).
the lawgiver's portion: 'the commander's portion' (cf.
R.V. marg. ; Judges v. 14, R. V. ' governors ' ) ; possibly with "refer,-,
ence to the qualities of the territory as rich pasture-ground.
And he came. Cf. Joshua i. 13 ft, where the Gadites join in
the conquest of the rest of Canaan.
(with) : this emendation of R. V. is probably the best.
Justice . . . judgements (ordinances) : i. e. he did his duty
in the conquest of Canaan, according to the revealed purpose of
Yahweh. The precise reference may be either to the discharge* of
obligation to assist the other tribes (Num. xxxii. 31 ft) or to the
execution of Yahweh's judgement over the Canaanites (Gen. xv.
16 : cf. Exod. xxiii. 31-3).-
22. Dan: here compared to the whelp of a Bashan lion, as in
Gen. xlix. 17 to a serpent surprising horse and rider by the way.
The reference may be to the surprise attack made by the Danites
ori Laish, when migrating from their original territory (Joshua
xix. 47 : cf. judges xviii. 37 ft) ; the name Laish, meaning ' lion,'
may also have suggested the use of the particular figure.
23. Haphtali : (Joshua xix. 32-9) elsewhere compared with ' a
hind let loose (Gen. xlix. 21).

DEUTERONOMY 33. 24-27. R? 243
O Naphtali, satisfied with favour,
And full with the blessing of the Lord :
Possess thou the awest and the south.
And of Asher he said, a4
Blessed be Asher b with children ;
Let him be acceptable unto his brethren,
And let him dip his foot in oil.
Thy 0 bars shall be iron and brass ; 25
And as thy days, so shall thy d strength be. ,
There is none like unto God, O Jeshurun, 26
Who rideth upon the heaven for thy help,
And in his excellency on the skies.
The eternal God is thy dwelling place, 27
a Or, sea b Or, above sons ° Or, shoes d Or, rest
Or, security

satisfied with favour : i. e. that of Yahweh (verse 16, 'good
will '), with reference to the fertility of the district (Upper Galilee)
occupied by this tribe.
the west : rather (R. V. marg.) 'the sea ' (of Gennesareth\
on the west of which the territory of Naphtali extended south-
Wards. 24. Asher : here and in Gen. xlix. 20 the meaning of the name
('fortunate,' Gen. xxx. 13) is in view. The territory of Asher lay
nominally along the sea-coast, between Carmel and Phoenicia
(Joshua xix. 24-31). See map for portion actually occupied.
with children : R. V. marg. is preferable (eft Judges v. 24).
dip his foot in oil : Galilee was famous for its olive-trees.
25. bars : or bolts, with reference to defence against enemies,
possibly in view of Asher's position in the far north.
strength : so the versions, but the Hebrew word is unknown/
May Asher's strength to resist its enemies never decline.
26. Conclusion. Israel's God is unique, the abiding^ source of
its security and prosperity, and of its victory over enemies.
like unto God, O Jeshurun : so the Hebrew vowel-points ;
but we should doubtless read with the versions, ' like the God of
Jeshurun.' Cf. verse 5, xxxii. 15.
rideth, &c. Pss. xviii. 10 ft, lxviii. 33 ; Isa. xix. 1; note
that the theophany of verses 2-5 is here resumed.
excellency : ' exaltation ' or ' dignity.'
R 2

244 DEUTERONOMY 33. 28—34. i. R? P
And underneath are the everlasting arms :
And he thrust out the enemy from before thee,
And said, Destroy.
28 And Israel dwelleth in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of corn and wine ;
Yea, his heavens drop down dew.
29 Happy art thou, O Israel :
Who is like unto thee,' a people saved by the Lord,
The shield of thy help,
And that is the sword of thy excellency !
And thine enemies shall a submit themselves unto
thee;
And thou shalt tread upon their high places.
34 [P] And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto
"Or, yield feigned obedience
everlasting arms: which do not grow weary (cf. Hos. xi. 3,
&c). 28. The fountain of Jacob : the succession of generations,
streaming forth (cf. Isa. x)viii. 1 ; Ps. Ixviii. 36) in isolated security
(' alone ').
dew : cf. Gen. xxvii. 28 ; the dew is heavy and of great
importance in Palestine, because of the summer drought.
29. A unique people through a unique God.
saved: i. e. as the context shows, in battle, with no moral or
spiritual reference.
" submit themselves : read as R. V. marg.
tread, &c. ; see on xxxii. 13.
xxxiv. The Death of Moses. Moses, after viewing the Promised
Land from the top of Pisgah, dies there according to Yahweh's
decree. His unique personality and place in the history of
Israel. 1. the plains of Moab : these 'steppes' are named in Num.
xxxiii. 48 as the final station in the wanderings of Israel. ' It was
probably the well-watered glen on the north of the Neba-Siaghah
ridge, the present Wady "Ayun Musa, which Israel descended
and camped in ' (H.G.H.L., p. 564). The term ' steppes'—charac
teristic of P— here denotes ,the eastern part of the Jordan plain,
to the north of the Dead Sea, opposite Jericho.

DEUTERONOMY 34. 2-4. P JE 245
mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against
Jericho. [JE] And the Lord shewed him all the land
of Gilead, unto Dan ; and all Naphtali, and the land of 2
Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto
the a hinder sea ; and the South, and the Plain of the 3
valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.
And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which 4
0 That is, western.

unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah : cf. xxxii. 49 : the
former name of the mountain appears to be. that of P, the latter
that of D2 (iii. 27) here combined editorially. The headland in
question is usually identified with that which now bears the name
' Neba,' nearly opposite the north end of the Dead Sea, and
between Heshbon and Medeba (G. A. Smith, in H.G.H.L., p. 563,
from whom is taken the following description of the actual view
from the summit) : ' All Western Palestine is in sight ; only the
hither side of the Jordan Valley is still invisible, and north and
south the view is hampered by the near hills.' [From a second
summit] ' The whole of the Jordan Valley is now open to you,
from Engedi, beyond which the mists become impenetrable, to
where, on the north, the hills of Gilead seem to meet those of
Ephraim. The Jordan flows below:: Jericho is visible beyond.
Over Gilead, it is said, Hermon can be seen" in clear weather, but
the heat hid it from us.'
shewed him aJl the land : not ' the land of Gilead ' ; all that
follows ' land ' is in apposition to it (i. e. ' even Gilead,' &c).
Gilead is the land due north of Pisgah, as far as the R. Hieromax
(iii. 10) ; Dan (Joshua xix. 47) lies at the foot of Hermon (beyond
the range of actual vision).
2. Naphtali in the north of Canaan, beyond the Sea of Galilee
(xxxiii. 23).
the hinder sea: i. e. the Mediterranean (xi. 24 and note), not
actually visible from Neba.
3. the South: see on i. 7. ' - •¦
the Plain : Heb. ' the Round,' i. e. of the Jordan Valley
north of the Dead Sea. With this, the vaUey of Jericho- is in
apposition (delete ' of ') ; on the latter, see on Joshua ii. 1.
Zoar : site uncertain ; it may have been at either the north
or south end of the Dead Sea : cf. H.G.H.L., p. 505 ft, where the
latter is preferred.
4. which I sware : see on i. 8 : cf. Exod. xxxm. 1.
According to the Jewish commentator Rashi (ed. Berliner,

246 DEUTERONOMY 34. g-o,; JE P
I sware unto Abraham, unto' Isaac, and unto' Jacob,
saying, I will give it unto thy seed : I have caused thed
to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over
5 thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died there!
in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.
6 And ahe buried him in the valley in the land of Moab
over against Beth-peor : but no man knoweth of his
1 sepulchre unto this day. [P] And Moses was an hundred
and twenty years old when he died : his eye was not
8 dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of
Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty
days : so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses
9 were ended. And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the
spirit of wisdom ; for Moses had laid his hands upon
" Or, he was buried
p. 363) the vision granted to Moses .included the episodes of
Israel's future history ; so that Moses, saw Samson, and Gideon,
Deborah and David, and all the national heroes taking up his
unfinished task of leadership,, at their appointed j>lace and time.
5. the servant of Yahweh : Exod. xiv. 31 ; Num. pcii. 7ft (JE),
and often in Joshua (RP). ',
according to the word of Yahweh. The Hebrew for ' word '
here is 'mouth,' which explains Rashi's expressive comment, ' by
a kiss' (the Rabbinic legend being that Moses died by Yahwieh's

6.' he buried him : i. e. Yahweh buried Moses (R. V. marg. =
one buried him, a less probable rendering here).
in the valley, &c. : cf. iii. 29 (note). : .. t . ;
A legend with reference to this event (taken from the apocryphal
' Assumption of Moses ') is mentioned in Jude 9, -
7. an hundred and twenty years old : as in xxxi. 2. This
traditional number is an inference from a life of three generations
(Exod. vii. 7 : cf. Acts vii. 23, 30). .,'-, .
nor his natural force abated : Heb. 'his mo jsture : had, not
fled ' ; not the lymph (whose exudation is indeed less in age than
in youth), which was unknown to the ancients, but some more
primitive conception of 'life-juice,' whose absence might be
suggested by the wrinkled skin of old age.
8. thirty days : so for Aaron, Num. xx. 29 (P).
9. the spirit of wisdom : (Isa. xi. 3) ; Hebrew thought ascribed

DEUTERONOMY 34. 10-12. P RD 247
him : and the children of Israel hearkened unto him,
and did as the Lord commanded Moses. [RD] And 10
there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto
Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face; in all the 11
signs and the wonders, which the Lord sent him to do
in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants,
and to all his land ; and in all the mighty hand, and in 12
all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of
all Israel.
any remarkable characteristic of mind or body to indwelling
spirit (ruach). In this case it is mediated by the physical contact
of the hands of Moses (Num. xxvii. 18-23).
10. a prophet: cf. xviii. 15. In that promised line of prophets,
says the Deuteronomic redactor, the first has been unequalled ;
he held direct intercourse (Exod. xxxiii. 11 ; Num. xii. 6-8) with
Yahweh. 11, 12. in: i.e. in respect of the following points (he was
unequalled). The two verses were probably added by a later
writer, since they involve a different and more external point of
view from that of verse 10, and the grammatical connexion is
loose. For the language, see iv. 34, vi. 23, vii. 19, xi. 2, xxvi. 8,
xxix. 2.

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
INTRODUCTION

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
I. Contents and Relation to the Pentateuch.
i. The Book of Deuteronomy is a sermon ; the Book
of Joshua the preacher's illustrations collected into an
appendix. It describes the Conquest and Division of the
Promised Land from the standpoint of a Deuteronomic
preacher, six or seven centuries after the event. It reflects
actual history (§ iii) so far as this seemed to enforce
the doctrines of that seventh-century revival of religion,
whose chief monument is , the Book of Deuteronomy.
But it draws implicit inferences as to the course of events,
which are not distinguished from the use of earlier records
by any explicit indication.
!2. The name carried by this book, as by the Books of
' Samuel,' is taken from one of its prominent characters,
and does not imply the authorship of Joshua. There is
no intrinsic or extrinsic ground for connecting the book as
a written narrative with Joshua or any of his coni-
temporaries (on xxiv. 26 see the note). As the ' Book of
Joshua,' it narrates events in the history of Israel from
the death of Moses (i. 1 : cf. Deut. xxxiv. 9) to the death
of Joshua himself (xxiv. 29 : cf. Judges i. 1). These events
fall into two groups, coinciding with the two halves of the
book ; viz. (A) the Conquest of Canaan (chaps, i-xii), and
(B) the Division of the Land, with a related appendix
(chaps, xiii-xix, xx^xxiv).
(A) Joshua, as the authorized successor of Moses, receives
the promise of similar divine aid (i. 1-9), whereupon he pre
pares for the passage of the Jordan (i. 10, 11), and enlists the
help of the tribes already settled on its eastern side (i. 13-18).
Part of this preparation is to send spies into Jericho, the chief
city opposite ; these men find shelter in the house of Raliab,

25 2 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
who also enables them to escape when their presence is
suspected (chap. ii). On receipt of the information brought,
Israel crosses the Jordan dryshod, through the miraculous
withdrawal of its. waters, and a suitable memorial is erected at
Gilgal, the first camp west of the Jordan (chaps, iii, iv). Here,
also, the males of Israel are circumcised, and the Passover
celebrated (v. 1-12). Joshua sees in a vision the captain of
Yahweh's host (v. 13-15), and is instructed as to the capture
of Jericho (vi. 1-5). Accordingly, the ark is carried In solemn
procession, and with armed escort, round the walls of Jericho,
for seven days, daily, and on the seventh day, seven times.
Then, at the final blast of the priests' trumpets, arid at the
shout of the people, the walls of Jericho fall down, and the
city is taken (vi. 6-20), to be ' devoted,' except for Rahab and
her family, to' Yahweh (vi. 21-7). But this first miraculous
success is followed by the repulse, with loss, of an attack on
Ai; when Joshua, and the representatives of Israel, accuse
Yahweh of abandoning His people, they are told that this is
due to the secret reservation from Yahweh of part of the spoil
of Jericho, and are bidden to find the culprit (vii. 1-15). This
is done, by the test of the sacred lot, and Achan, the thief, and
his family are stoned (with their possessions) and burnt (vii.
16-26). The help of Yahweh is now renewed, and Ai, is taken by
the stratagem of apparent flight, arid an ambush ; its spoil, in
this case, falls to Israel (viii. 1-29). The scene then abruptly
changes to Shechem, in territory as yet unconquered, where
an altar is built, and a solemn ceremonial observed, according
to the command of Moses (viii. 30-5). We return from this
digression, with equal abruptness, to the cariip at Gilgal,
whither cornels a deputation from Gibeon, seeking alliance with
Israel, and obtaining it by the false representation that they
live in a far country ; but when the ruse employed is dis
covered, the would-be allies are degraded to subjects, (chap. ix).
The alliance itself provokes an attack on Gibeon from a
confederation of five kings of South Palestine, headed by
Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem ; Israel marches to the relief of the
besieged city, and puts the assailants to disastrous flight, by
the miraculous aid of Yahweh (x. 1-15). The five kings are
taken and killed (x. 16-27). There follows a list of six cities

INTRODUCTION 253
taken and destroyed (x. 28-39), and a summary statement of
the complete conquest of South Palestine (x. 40-3), A
similar coalition of four northern kings, headed by Jabin of
Hazor, is defeated by.the Waters of Merom, and their subjects
are similarly 'devoted ' to Yahweh (xi. 1-15). Thus, in two
great battles, the whole territory has been conquered (xi.
16-30), not excluding that of the Anakim (xi. si, 32), and the
way is clear for its division (xi. 23). A list is given of thirty-
one conquered kings (chap. xii).
(B) The second half of the book opens with a review of
neighbouring territory, as yet unconquered, and with the
command of Yahweh to Joshua to allot the land to the tribes
as yet unsettled (xiii. 1-7). . An account is given of the terri
tory east of Jordan (xiii. 8-14), already assigned to Reuben
(xiii. 15-23), to Gad (xiii. 24-8), and to half Manasseh (xiii.
39-31). As Moses had distributed this eastern territory, so
Eleazar and Joshua distribute the western to the nine and a
half remaining tribes, excluding Levi (xiii. 33 — xiv. 5). An
appeal made by Caleb for the territory of Hebron promised
him by Yahweh is granted by Joshua (xiv. 6-15). The
borders of the territory of Judah are defined (xv. 1-12).
Caleb conquers Hebron, and Othniel conquers Debir (xv.
13-19). There follows a catalogue of the cities belonging to
Judah (xv. 20-63), and the definition of the territory of Ephraim
and Manasseh (xvi. 1 — xvii. 13), some exceptions to complete
occupation being noted. Ephraim and Manasseh complain
that their territory is too small, and are encouraged to acquire
more (xvii. 14-18). Before we pass to the territory assigned
to the remaining seven tribes, we hear of .1 solemn assembly
at Shiloh, from which a commission of twenty-one are sent to
register the territory, divided subsequently by lot (xviii. 1-10).
The territory of Benjamin is defined (xviii. 11-20) and its
cities catalogued (xviii. 21-8). The Simeonites inherit
certain cities in the midst of the territory of Judah (xix. 1-9),
Zebulun (xix. 10-16), Issachar (xix. 17-23), Asher (xix. 24-
3i\ Naphtali (xix. 32-9% and Dan (xix. 40-6) are given
their portions, though the Danites subsequently migrate to the
extreme north (xix. 47, 48). Here the account of the
division of the land concludes, with a reference to Timnath-

z$4 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
Serah as Joshua's own share (xix. 49-Si)- There follows
What may be called an appendix, narrating the appointment of
six cities of refuge (chap, xx) and of the Levitical cities
(chap, xxi), the dismissalof those from eastern tribes who hadj
helped in the conquest of western 'territory (xxii. 1-8), a
dispute between eastern and western tribes over the, building,
of an altar (xxii-. 9-34), and two farewell addresses of Joshua,
distinct and parallel (chaps, xxiii, xxiv), the second culminat
ing in a covenant between Israeli and Yahweh made at
Shechem (xxiv. 25-8). The book closes with notes on the
deaths of Joshua and Eleazar, and on the burial of Joseph's;
bones at Shechem (xxiv: 29-33).
3. From the above review it is plain that the Book of
Joshua is closely connected with the Pentateuch, whose
proper sequel it forms. This applies in general to the
attainment of that . Promised Land which, Moses might
view from. Pisgah only; but it applies also to many pf
the details (e, g. viii. 30 f.), for which reference must be
made to the notes. Further, the, literary sources ] of the
book are the direct continuation of those of the Pentateuch',
and for this reason scholars speak of the ' Hexateuch,'-
since no line is drawn for literary criticism at the death of
Moses. As a whole, however, the Book of Joshua, was
never incorporated with the ' Books of Moses,' which
stood for the Jew on a unique level of inspiration) and
constitute the first of the three canonical sections into
which the Hebrew scriptures are divided. 'Joshua'
belongs to the second of these, and to its first half, known
as the 'former prophets,' the other members pf this sub-sec
tion being Judges, I arid 2 Samuel, I and 2 Kings. This
different classification is reflected in a different treatment
of its text ; the preek translation of the LXX (which varies
more from the Hebrew than in the case of any book of the
Pentateuch, except Exod., xxxv-xl), shows that, the text was
not finally fixed before 200 B. C. 2

1 i. e. the documents J, E, P.
2 Cf. Dillmann, N. D.J., p. 690.

INTRODUCTION •; 255
II. Sources and Composition.
1 . The evidence for regarding the Book of Joshua, as not
written by a single, hand, or in a single generation, is of
the same character as that which has led to the analysis
of the Pentateuch into several component documents1 ; it
arises partly from the subject-matter, and partly from the
language employed. The book contains duplicate and
independent accounts of the same event, as when Joshua
gives two parallel farewell addresses (chaps, xxiii, xxiv).
Within what lies before us as a single narrative there
are sometimes clear traces of the combination of two
differing accounts ; thus, in the story of the passage of the
Jordan, Joshua is said to have set up twelve memorial
stones, both in the bed of the river (iv. 9) and also at
Gilgal (iv. 20), whilst the people who have crossed the
river once in iii. 17 are said to cross it again in iv. 11.
Sometimes two statements directly exclude each other:
the king of Hebron who has been killed in x. 26 is again
killed in x. 37, whilst Hebron itself, tliere said to have
been taken, and to have had all its inhabitants killed, is
still in the hands of the enemy in xiv. 12, and has to be
taken by Caleb in xv. 14. It is less easy to illustrate the
linguistic evidence for the division of sources, especially
since its real force is cumulative, and the quotation of
isolated words or phrases, as characteristic of a particular
writer, is apt to misrepresent the weight of the argument.
But when we find (xxii. 30) the word 'congregation'
applied to Israel, which occurs in 124 previous instances,
and always amongst the priestly writers grouped under
the letter P, the probability is sufficiently great that it has
been written in the 125th case by a writer of the same
school. A broader test of the same kind may easily be
applied. Let any one read with attention to language
and expression Joshua i. 3-9 (cf. Deut. xxxi. 1-8), and
1 For these, and the general meaning , of the symbols J, E,
and P, see the Century Bible, ' Genesis,' pp. 32-40, or, more
briefly, p. 53 of the present volume.

256 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
then Joshua xxi. 1-42 (cf. Num. xxxv. 1-8), iand he can
hardly fail to 'realize something of the difference between
Deuteroriomistic and priestly writers respectively.1
2. The careful reader of the first half of the Book of
Joshua (chaps, i-xii) will notice that it opens and closes
with passages closely akin in language and subject-matter
to the Book of Deuteronomy (i. 3-9, 12-18; xi. 10— xii.
24). He will also find similar strongly-marked writing:
occurring at intervals throughout the intervening chapters,^
either in expansions of the context (ii. 10, n) or in the
addition of independent sections (viii, 30-5). The same
kind of writing is found in the second half of the book
also, though to a much less extent (e. g. xxi. 43-xxii. 8).i
These passages are denoted in the present edition by
the symbol RD, because their predominant character is,
that of a redactor (R), writing in the spirit and language of
the Book Of Deuteronomy (D). Some of these passages
may, of course, draw their facts from documents prior to
the Deuteronomic age, but, for the purposes of exact
historical research, they are to be regarded as statements
made at various times after the publication of Deutero
nomy, in 621 B. c.
3. The second half of the book is in strong contrast
with the first. Its central feature (chaps, xv-xix) consists
of formal definition of territory, and unrelieved catalogues
of cities. Further, there is an account of cities of refuge
(chap, xx), and of Levitical cities (chap, xxi), both of
which connect with previous ordinances of the Priestly
Code (Num. xxxv). We notice also that the division of
territory is not made by Joshua alone, but by Eleazar the
priest and Joshua' (xiv. I, xvii. 4, xix. 51, xxi. 1). This
prominence given to priestly interests, and this detailed
attention to statistical information,1 are well-known
marks of the priestly writers, designated by the symbol
1 Note also the formal superscriptions and subscriptions to
sections (xiii 32, xiv. 1 f., xviii. x, xix. 51) and to sub-sections
(xm. 33, Sic).

INTRODUCTION 257
P. Their interest was much less in simple and descrip
tive narrative, except when some institution, &c, had to be
described or explained ; the greater part of the narrative
of this document appears to have been an abstract or
connecting outline. Accordingly, it need not surprise us
that, whilst the document P forms the distinctive feature
of the second half of this book, dealing with the division
of the land, it has little to contribute towards the narra
tive of the conquest in the first half. But, where it does
appear there, it is characteristically to describe the
celebration of the first Passover in Canaan (v. 10-12),
and to emphasize the leading part of ' the princes of the
congregation ' (a priestly phrase) in the negotiations with
the Gibeonites (ix. 17-21). The systematic document
thus utilized in the compilation of the book is of post-
exilic origin, and contains strata of various dates.
4. The remainder of the Book of Joshua (excluding
the parts assigned to RD and P, as above) is of quite
different character from the editorial expansions and
summaries of the Deuteronomist, and the tabulated in
formation of the priestly writer. It gives us the account
of the Conquest of Canaan, and describes in vivid and
picturesque narrative the adventures of the spies in
Jericho, the miraculous dry-shod journey across the bed
of the Jordan, the vision seen by Joshua, the capture of
Jericho, the story of Achan's theft, and its disastrous
sequel, first for Israel, and then for himself, the renewed
attempt on and victory over Ai, the Gibeonite incident,
the battle of Gibeon, in which the southern coalition was
overthrown, and (much more briefly) the overthrow of the
northern kings. These incidents form the bulk of the
narrative in the first half of the book. They resemble
the JE narrative of the Pentateuch, and it is natural to
regard them as the continuation of that document. That
the document from which they are taken is itself com
posite is indicated by the narrative itself, as may be seen
from the accounts of Rahab (chap, ii), the passage of the

258 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
Jordan (chaps, iii, iv), the fall of Jericho (chap, vi), the
capture of Ai (chap, viii), the ruse of Gibeon (chap. ix).
But it is much more difficult to analyse this document
into its component parts than is the case with the
similar composite narrative of the Pentateuch. The
narrative has passed through the hands of three
editors, R»E, RD, and-Rp, who appear to have used
greater editorial freedom than in regard to the more
sacred Mosaic records. Some scholars, therefore,
whilst recognizing the duality of source, do not attempt
a further analysis of JE into J and E (so Driver,
G. A. Smith), whilst others (Holzinger, Bennett,
Oxf. Hex.) think such an analysis is practicable.
In the present edition, the above narrative has been
indicated simply as JE, though attention is called in the
notes to some of the evidence for composite authorship.
But in the second half of the book the position is
different. We have a series of remarkable fragments
(xiii. 13, xv. 14-19, 63, xvi. 10, xvii. 11-18, xix. 47) which
are closely related to, and sometimes verbally identical
with, passages in the first chapter of Judges. : These give
us a different conception of the occupation of territory
from that adopted by the book as a whole,, and appear to
form part of the narrative of J, the earliest of the sources
underlying the book. Besides these important fragments,
to be considered in the next section, we have the second
farewell address of Joshua (xxiv. 1-25) belonging to E,
as does the first to RD.
S- The main stages in the compilation of the Book of
Joshua were probably thefollowing. The narratives of J and
E, as combined by their Redactor (RJE), were used by RD,
though J may have been used apart from the combined
form. RD selected, expanded, and added to the narrative
of the Conquest, so producing a Deuteronomistic Book of
Joshua. The third redactional stage came when this was
combined with P by the Priestly Redactor, Rp. In this
last the procedure appears to have been the opposite to

INTRODUCTION 2S9
that adopted for the Pentateuch. 'The chronological
articulation from Gen. i to Deut. xxxiv. 7 is here entirely
lacking ... P is inserted into JED, whereas in the
Pentateuch JED is fitted into P.' 1

III. The History of the Conquest.
1. The literary elements of the Book of Joshua now
lie before us in broad outline, viz. the work of J, of the
united JE, of the editorial RD, and of P. What light
does this analysis throw on the chief problem raised by
the book— the history of the conquest of Canaan by
Israel ?
(a) The fragments of J (see Introd. ii. 4) are admittedly
our oldest document. They tell us that Geshur and
Maacath were not occupied by Israel (xiii. 13) ; that
Caleb, acting independently, took Hebron, and his ally,
Othniel, took Debir (xv. 14-19) ; that Jerusalem remained
in the hands of the Jebusites (xv. 63), Gezer was not
occupied (xvi. 10), nor the line of important cities from
Beth-shean across the plain of Jezreel westwards (xvii.
11-13). The Josephites complain of being crowded into
too narrow a territory by the Canaanites (xvii. 14-18) ;
Dan, similarly oppressed, seeks new territory in the
extreme north (xix. 47). Thus the earliest account we
possess of the Conquest suggests that it was but very
partially achieved, and that, so far as it was achieved, it
was the result of independent tribal warfare, rather than
of a national invasion, with conclusive campaigns under
a single leader. This impression is corroborated by the
additional portions of the same document which are
1 Oxford Hexateuch, ii. p. 315. The relation of the Priestly
and Deuteronomistic redactions is disputed : for another view,
see G. A. Smith in D.B., ii. p. 784. Steuernagel argues for a
different view of the whole process ; he thinks that a' priestly
redactor added the JE portions to an already existent combina
tion of D and P. S 2

26o THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
found in Judges i. i— ii. 5. Here we read of an independent
invasion by Judah and Simeon (verses 1-7), of Kenite
movements from Jericho (verse 16), of a Josephite
occupation of the Bethel district (verses 22-6)* and of
various tribal settlements among the Canaanite popula
tion (verse 27 f.). Thus the history of the Conquest
according to J is that ' the tribes invade the land singly,
or as they are united by common interest ; they fight for
their own hand with varying success, or settle peaceably
among the older population. The larger cities with few
exceptions, the fertile valleys, and the seaboard plain
remain in the hands of the Canaanites' (Moore* Judges,
pp. 7, 8). This agrees with the subsequent course of
events. ' All that we know of the history of Israel in
Canaan in the succeeding centuries confirms the re
presentation of Judges that the subjugation of the land by
the tribes was gradual and partial ; that not only were
the Canaanites not extirpated, but that many cities and
whole regions remained in their possession; that the
conquest of these was first achieved by the kings- David
and Solomon ' (/. c).
(b) The combined narrative of JE, drawn probably from
the later strata of these writers, agrees with J in repre
senting Jericho as the door of entrance into Canaan* but
differs in describing the entrance of Israel as that of a
united body under the leadership of Joshua. Joshua is
represented as stepping into the position previously held
by Moses. This narrative also describes the two great
battles in the south and north; which are said to have
thrown open the land to Israel. In the closing chapter,
taken chiefly from E, the conquest of Canaan is repre
sented as complete (cf. verses 12 (LXX) and 18).
(c) A further expansion of the facts stated in the
earliest source is found in the editorial work of Rd. Not
only does he emphasize, probably by his selection, and
certainly by his summaries, the completeness of the
conquest of Canaan (e.g. xi. 23: cf. the treatment of

INTRODUCTION 26i
earlier sources for the two great battles, chaps, x, xi), but
he is specially eager to show how completely the Deutero
nomic command to exterminate the peoples of Canaan
(Deut. xx. 16, 17) is obeyed by Joshua (viii. 2, 27, ix. 24,
x. 25, 28-43, xi. 10 f., xxi. 43 f.). It is the work, both
selective and productive, of this writer, which has given
its distinctive colouring to the Book of Joshua, and which
justifies the opening words of this Introduction. The
religious and moral evils of a Canaanite environment had
produced in the original author of Deuteronomy the con
viction that the population of Canaan ought to have
been destroyed at the outset. In the historical school
nurtured on the principles of Deuteronomy there grew
the conviction that this population must have been
destroyed by so faithful a servant of Yahweh as was
Joshua. (d) The narrative of P, as already stated, is concerned
almost wholly with the division of the conquered land,
though its presupposition is that the conquest has been
complete (xviii. 1). It reflects in its geography the post-
exilic conditions ; ' the information given is full and
detailed with regard to Judah and Benjamin, the main
settlement of the restored community. Galilee, the other
settlement of the Jews of the Restoration, is described
with less completeness and clearness, under Zebulun,
Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali. The account of Ephraim
and Western Manasseh, i. e. the Samaritan territory, is
extremely meagre and confused' (Bennett, S.B.O.T.,
p. 76). The division of the land by lot, though unhistoric
on the scale represented by P, finds a point of contact in
the oldest source (xvii. 14 ; Judges i. 1-3) ; the points of
attack of the different invading parties, and therefore
their ultimate territory, may well have been decided by
the sacred lot (see on vii. 14).
2. The Book of Joshua gives us no information as to
the time of the invasion of Canaan by Israel, though we
may infer (see on xiv. 10) that its narrative extends over

262 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
five or seven years from the death of Moses. It is
natural to ask whether there is any external evidence as
to the date of this invasion. This question admits of an
affirmative answer since the discovery of the Tell-el-
Amarna Letters in 1887, and of the ' Israel ' Inscription
at Thebes in 1896. The latter of these may be named
first, as it appears to give us a fixed date before which
the Israelites had entered Canaan *. The inscription
gives a list of Syrian vassals of the Egyptian king
Merneptah, the son of Ramses II, about the middle of
the thirteenth century before Christ. In this list appears
the name 'Israel,' in such a connexion that settlement
in Palestine seems already presupposed, though Israel
is by no means the ruling people of Palestine. This
gives us therefore the date 1250 as the latest possible for
the entrance of Israel into Canaan. The evidence of the
Tell-el-Amarna Letters is less easy to summarize, or even
to utilize with certainty. These 300 or more tablets
preserve correspondence of Amenophis III and IV
of Egypt with various kings of Western Asia, and
especially with officials and vassals in Palestine. The
latter gives us a picture of Palestine about 1400 B. C,
and the disorder revealed shows how easy it must
have been for invading tribes to secure an entrance.
The Egyptian sovereignty over Syria was threatened
both by such invasion and by civil war, which contributed
to it, since certain of the vassal kings seem to have hired
foreign mercenaries, e.g. Bedouin tribes, against their
rivals. In particular, there are letters from Abdchiba, of

' A convenient account of the Tell-el-Amarna Tablets is
given by Bennett and Haupt, in S.B.O.T., pp. 47-55, or in
Niebuhr's Die Amama-Zeit (Der alte Orient). The 'Israel'
Inscr. is discussed in detail by Meyer, Die Israeliten und Hire
Nachbarstdmme (1906), p. 223 f. ; the whole topic is reviewed
both by him and by Steuernagel, Die Einwanderung der
israelitischen Stamme in Kanaan, p. 113 f., to which books the
above note is chiefly indebted.

INTRODUCTION 263
Jerusalem, complaining that ' the Chabiri are occupying
the King's cities.' These Chabiri appear in various parts
of Palestine, and it has been proposed to see in them the
general group of Hebrews' (i.e. 'people from the other
side '), ' tribes playing the same part as did the Israelites
later '¦ ( Winckler, Die Keilinschriften? p. 198) . The pres
sure of these Chabiri on Syria is of much wider extent than
that described in the Biblical records of Israel's invasion,
and many scholars contend that there are not sufficient
points of contact to justify the identification. But there
is little in the earliest accounts of Israel's invasion
which would fail to fit into the general background of the
movements of the Chabiri. The Tell-el-Amarna period
of about 1400 B. C. appears to form the terminus a quo,
as the Israel Inscription of 1250 B.C. forms the terminus
ad quern, for Israel's settlement in Palestine.
3. The traditional ' twelve tribes ' (see on iv. 20), whose
geographical settlement occupies so large a place in this
book1, are the product of later theory, working on terri
torial data, rather than the reflection of early conditions
(see E.B., c. 5204 ; D.B., iv. p. 810). ' Israel, as it invaded
Palestine, was a loose confederation of kindred tribes. . . .
It is, however, quite uncertain how far the tribes which we
find in Canaan under the monarchy correspond to tribes
which existed before the Conquest ' (Bennett, /. c). There
is still much division of opinion amongst scholars as to
the original tribal elements and combinations. Well
hausen's reconstruction is, perhaps, best worth stating.
He argues from the division of the twelve sons of Jacob
1 The discussion of the geographical data of the Book of
Joshua belongs to a full Commentary, such as Dillmann's; and
to the geographical expert, and no attempt has been made in
the notes to deal with its difficult problems in any adequate
Way. It may be noted here that one of the most essential
help's to the study of ' Joshua ' is G. A. Smith's Historical
Geography of the Holy Land (cited as H. G. H. L.). With this
should be named Buhl's Geographic des alien Paldstina.

264 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
(Gen. xxxv. 23-26) amongst wives and concubines, and
from the birth of Benjamin in Palestine (Gen. xxxv.
18), that the invading tribes fell into two groups, viz. the
Sons of Leah (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar,
and Zebulun) and Joseph, the Son of Rachel; the latter
formed the nucleus, and was joined by the former
group in the district : south of Palestine (Geschichte,
p. 16). These tribes dispossessed the Amorites,' and
settled for some time east of Jordan, till the lack of union
amongst the Canaanites invited further aggression west
wards. In the first attempt, made by Judah, Simeon,
and Levi, the two latter were destroyed; Judah alone
gained a footing in the hill country west of the Dead Sea,
its losses being subsequently made good by union with
other clans from the south. The second attempt was
made chiefly by the Josephites, headed by Joshua, who
overthrew the Canaanites at Gibeon. The acquired
territory was occupied by Benjamin, Ephraim, and
Manasseh, with Shiloh as their sacred centre. A further
victory of Joshua opened up the north for occupation
(I.e., pp. 36; 37).
4. The place of Joshua, as a historical person, in such
a reconstruction as that just outlined, is that of an
Ephraimite leader (note his burial-place, xxiv. 30).
Later tradition credited him with the leadership of all
Israel, but as a matter of history his place in the northern
group corresponds with that of Caleb in the southern.
'The original kernel of the history of Joshua is a memory
of the battles of the House of Joseph for the hills of
Ephraim" (Holzinger, p. xv). Against this it has been
argued (Stade, G.V.I., i. pp. 64 f., 136 f.,) that the figure
of Joshua is wholly the creation of a later age : ' the
Joshua legend, unknown to J, and implying an entirely
unhistorical conception of the course of events in the
conquest of the larid, is clearly formed on the lines of the
Moses legend' (p. 64). It is true that the part played by
Joshua becomes a greater one in the later sources, but

INTRODUCTION 265
hardly that he is unknown to the earlier1. The moderate
position of Kuenen still seems that which the evidence
supports : ' The Joshua of the book that bears his name,
the leader of the united Israel, the conqueror and divider
Of all Canaan, is certainly not a historical character, but
neither is he a pure creation out of nothing 2 '. We can
still, therefore, with a good conscience, join Ben Sirach
(Ecclus. xlvi. 1 f.) in including Joshua in the list of
famous men to be praised, as ' valiant in war,' and ' made
great,' if not 'that he might give [all] Israel their
inheritance,' yet as one who 'fought in the sight of the
Lord, for he followed after the Mighty One.'
IV. Religious Ideas.
1. The actual events transacted on the stage of the Book
of Joshua are, as we have seen, like those belonging to
the origins of other nations, dim and obscure. But
just as the historical plays of Shakespeare, however
anachronistic, reveal our common humanity in the light of
Elizabethan nationalism, so the traditions of Israel's dim
past, though stamped with the thought and life of a later
generation, make a positive contribution to religion.
What is of little importance for the political may be of
great value for the religious history. The Book of Joshua
can illustrate for us some important phases in the de
velopment of the religion of Yahweh.
2. Throughout the book we meet with various survivals
from the cruder and more primitive stages of thought, out
of which the ethical theism of Judaism and Christianity
have emerged. There are references to blood-revenge
(cities of refuge, chap, xx), to circumcision and the passover
(chap, v), to the ban (' devotion ' to Yahweh by destruction,
1 Cf. G. A. Smith's criticism of Stade in D.B., ii. p. 786 b,
though the inference there drawn from Joshua xvii. 14-18,
that Joshua appears in J ' as the arbiter over all Israel,' seems
without justification.
2 The Hexateuch (E. T.), p. 237.

266 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
passim), and to the place of sacred stones and trees in
Semitic religion (xxiv. 26), of which topics some notice has
been taken in the Introduction to Deuteronomy. We
may further note some survivals .of primitive magic,
incorporated into the religion of Yahweh. The waters of
Jordan withdraw from the sacred feet of the priests (iii.
15, iv. 18), .and it is the presence of the sacred ark that
keeps back the river (iv. 10). No one familiar with
primitive procedure can miss the significance of the seven
fold manipulation of the ark in regard to Jericho (chap, vi),
though, of course, the magical ceremonies are here
blended with higher ideas of dependence on Yahweh. The
placing of the foot on the necks of captured kings (x. 24)
probably belongs to the very wide field of symbolic.magic,
which accomplishes or renews an event by its repre
sentative performance. The power of the spoken word
in oath (ii. 17 f.), treaty (ix. 18 f.), curse (vi. 26), or blessing
(xiv, 13, cf. xxiv. 10), is not to be confused with the ethical
aspect of these transactions. Most striking of all is the
narrative of Achan's theft, with its implication that what
is made taboo brings peril to the whole community in
contact with it. No more forcible example than this
could be given of the two leading characteristics of
ancient, as distinct from modern, psychology, viz. the
psychical influence of physical objects, and the non-
individualistic or corporate idea of personality (the whole
family exterminated, just as the whole of Israel suffered).
3. It need hardly be said that, even in the earliest sources
of the book, such conceptions are far transcended. The
best example of this is supplied by Joshua's vision of the
captain of Yahweh's host (v. 13-15). 'It is a noble
illustration of the truth that, in the great causes of God
upon the earth, the leaders, however supreme and solitary
they seem, are themselves led. There is a rock higher
than they ; their shoulders, however broad, have not to
bear alone the awful burden of responsibility. The sense
of supernatural conduct and protection, the consequent

INTRODUCTION 267
reverence and humility, which form the spirit of all Israel's
history, have nowhere in the O. T. received a more
beautiful expression than in this early fragment' (G. A.
Smith, D.B., ii. p. 788).
4. The religious spirit and attitude of the Deuteronomistic
redaction are clearly brought out in the first chapter (verses
5-7), viz. the assurance of the Divine presence and aid
where there is perfect obedience. The emphasis falls
throughout on the complete and absolute obedience of
Joshua to the commands of Moses, which are the com
mands of Yahweh (xi. 15), and on the conviction that
obedient Israel's cause is also Yahweh's : 'What shall I
say, after that Israel hath turned their backs before their
enemies ? . . . and what wilt thou do for thy great
name?' (vii. 8, 9). Even the dark shadow of exter
minating wars, which falls on this writer's contribution, is
thrown by a leader who stands in the blazing light of
Yahweh's ' holiness.'
5. The religious teaching in the priestly source (P), the
latest of all, is less direct, as is natural from the character
of its contents. But the significance of the division of the
land by the sacred lot must not be overlooked. ' Each
tribe is convinced that its possession is bestowed upon it
by Yahweh' (Steuemagel, p. 152). The zeal for the
sanctuary of Yahweh (xxii. 9-34)1 which the priestly writers
inherit and develop from the Deuteronomic reform, has its
noble side, as well as its historically demonstrated peril of
formalism and hypocrisy. The stones of the temple are
not without their own glory, because One came at last to
make men see more to admire in the self-sacrifice of the
woman who dropped her all into its treasury.

268 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA

notes on Literature
The commentaries used in the preparation of the notes to
this edition are those of : —
Dillmann (Numeri, Deuteronomium, und Josua 2), 1886.
Benijett (The Book -of Joshua, in Sacred Books of the Old
Testament, cited as S.B.O. Ti\,, 1899.
Steuernagel (Deuteronomium und Josua\ 1900.
Holzinger (Das Buch Josua), 1901.
The English reader who desires to gain a clear idea of the
literary composition of the book is recommended to use
Bennett's Joshua, where the different sources are indicated by
the use of different colours. Further details as to literary
criticism will be found in the Oxford Hexateuch (Carpenter
and Battersby), 1900. There is no large modern commentary
available in English ; but that promised by G. A. Smith in the
International Critical Commentary will doubtless become the
chief authority in English. Meanwhile, his general view of
the book may be seen in Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible
(vol. ii. pp. 779-88); with this may be compared the more
advanced critical discussion by Moore, in the Encyclopaedia
Biblica (vol. ii. c. 2600-2609). ' The subject-matter of Joshua
is, of course, discussed in all the larger histories of Israel, as
well as in numerous special monographs, dealing with the
origins of Israel, of which one of the most recent is Meyer's
Die Israeliten und ihre Nachbarstdmme (1906).

SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS
(see p. 53).
(Where Bennett, Dillmann, Holzinger and Steuernagel are
cited without further specification, the reference is to their
commentaries on Joshua named above.)

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
REVISED VERSION WITH ANNOTATIONS

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
[JE] Now it came to pass after the death of Moses the 1
servant of the Lord, that the Lord spake unto Joshua
the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my a
servant is dead ; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan,
thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give
to them, even to the children of Israel. [RD] Every place 3
that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, to you have I
given it, as I spake unto Moses. From the wilderness, 4
and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the river
Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the
I-XII. The Conquest of Canaan.
i. 1-9. Yahweh charges Joshua to take up the work of Moses
(with the same help from Himself), and to lead Israel into the
Promised Land.
1. after the death of Moses: Deut. xxxiv. 5 f . ; for the place
where this charge was given, see note on Deuf. i. 1.
Joshua : previously mentioned in Exod. xvii. 9-14, xxiv. 13,
xxxii. 17, xxxiii. 11 ; Num. xi. 28 ; Deut. xxxi. 14, 23 (all E) ; Deut.
i. 38, iii. 21, 28, xxxi. 3, 7 (D *) ; Num. xiii, 16, xiv. 6, 30, 38, xxvi. 65,
xxvii. 18, 22, xxxii. 12, 38, xxxiv. 17 ; Deut. xxxiv. 9 (P). The
name apparently means ' Yahweh is deliverance,' and in its Greek
form becomes Jesus (Acts vii. 45 ; Heb. iv. 8). On the Joshua of
history, see Introd. III.
3. as I spake unto Moses: Deut. xi. 34 f., from which the
words in verse 3 f. are quoted : see the note there. This chapter
contains numerous references to, or echoes from, Deuteronomy,
and is clearly by a Deuteronomistic writer, incorporating older
material in verses 1, 2, 10, 11.
4, all the land of the Hittites : not in the original passage,
nor here in LXX ; perhaps a gloss. The name ' Hittites ' is here
used loosely (cf. Gen. xxiii. 10 ; Ezek. xvi. 3), like that of the

2 72 JOSHUA 1. s-g. RD
great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your
5 border. There shall not any man be able to stand before
thee all the days of thy life : as I was with Moses, so I
will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a: good courage ^.« fpr thou shalit cause
this people to inherit the land which I sware unto their
1 fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courage
ous, to observe to do according to all the law, which
Moses my servant commanded thee : turn not from it to
the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest a have good
s success whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein : for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt
9 a have good success. Have not I commanded thee ? Be
strong and of a good courage; be not affrighted, neither
be thou dismayed : for the Lord thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest. a Or, deal wisely

'Canaanites.' The Hittite Empire proper lay between the
Euphrates and the Orontes in North and North-East Syria
(2 Kings vii. 6 ; E.B., 2096).
5. fail : 'drop ' (Deut. iv. 31, xxxi. 6, 8), or, possibly, as in Josh.
x. 6 (let drop the hand from).
6. Deut. i. 38, xxxi. 7 ; for the oath of Yahweh (frequently
named in Deuteronomy), Gen. xxii. 16 f.
7. Deut. v. 33, xxix. 9 ; only specifies rigorous obedience as
the condition of success, a main principle of the writer.
the law : omit with LXX, supported here by the Hebrew
itself. 8. The devotion to the law of Deuteronomy, in speech and
thought (cf. Ps. i. s, 3), enjoined on kings (Deut. xvii. 19) as essen
tial to success, is here required of Joshua; the verse 'lays
down the programme for the rigorously Deuteronomistic conduct
of Joshua' (Dillmann).

JOSHUA 1. io-i<5. - JE RD 273
[JE] Then Joshua commanded the officers of the 10
people, saying, Pass through the midst of the camp, and n
command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals ; for
within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, [RD] to
go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth
you to possess it.
And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the 1 2
half tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying, Remember 13
the word which Moses the servant of the Lord com
manded you, saying, The Lord your God giveth you rest,
and will give you this land. Your wives, your little ones, t4
and your cattle, shall abide in the land which Moses gave
you beyond Jordan ; but ye shall pass over before your,
brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and shall
help them ; until the Lord have given your brethren rest, is
as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the
land which the Lord your God giveth them : then ye
shall return unto the land of your possession, and possess
it, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond
Jordan toward the sunrising. And they answered Joshua, 16
saying, All that thou hast commanded us we will do, and
i. 10, 11. Joshua orders food to be prepared for the passage of
the Jordan.
IO. officers : see notes on Deut. xx. 5, 9.
11. victuals: as in ix. n, where R.V. has 'provision.'
The use of this Hebrew word and the reference to ' three days '
are characteristic of E.
i. 12-18. Joshua reminds the tribes already settled east of
Jordan that they are to assist in the conquest of the west ; which
they profess their readiness to do, promising obedience to him as
to Moses.
12 f. Deut. iii. 18-20 : cf. Num. xxxii.
14. heyond Jordan: i.e. from the standpoint of a later age :
cf. Deut. i. 1.
15. then ye shall return: as recorded in xxii. 1-8.
and possess it : omit with LXX, supported by the Hebrew.
X

274 JOSHUA 1. ii— 2. t. RD JE
17 whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. According as
we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we
hearken unto thee : only the Lord thy God be with thee,
18 as he was with Moses., Whosoever he be that shall
rebel against thy commandment, and shall not hearken!
unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall,
be put to death : only ;be strong and of a good courage.
2 [JE] And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim
two men as spies secretly, saying, Go view the land, and
Jericho. And they went, and came into the house of an
2 harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there. And it
ii. 1-24. Joshua sends two spies into Jericho, who lodge with
the harlot Rahab. She hides them when the authorities suspect
their presence. She tells the spies that she has heard of their
God, and believes in His power ; as a reward for saving them,
she asks that she and her relatives may be spared when the City
is taken. This the men swear, and give her a token to distinguish
her house. At her advice, they escape their pursuers by waiting
in the mountains for three days, after which they return safely,
and report their tidings to Joshua.
This narrative belongs to JE (apart from the expansion of RD in
verses 10, it), and shows signs of its composite origin (see
Introd., II. 4). Bennett's analysis is as follows : verses 1-9' (JE),
10-11 -(RD), 12-14 (J), 15-16 (E), 17 (JE), 18-31 (J, except
'which thou didst let us down by,' JE), 22-4 (E).
There appear to be doublets in verses 3, 12, 13, and 18, whilst
verse 15 interrupts the secret conversation in an improbable
way. 1. Shittim : iii. 1 ; Num. xxv. t, xxxiii. 49 (Abel Hashittim,
'meadow of the acacia trees'), the last halting^place of Israel ;
in the Jordan Valley opposite to Jericho ; usually identified with
Kefrein. Jericho : the ' Palm City ' (Deut. xxxiv. 3 ; Judges .i. 16,
iii. 13 ; 2 Chron. xxviii. 15), in the Jordan Valley, about a mi)e
from the mountains leading up to Judah, five miles west of the
river, and rather more north of the Dead Sea. For a review of
the history of Jericho, see G. A. Smith, H.G.H.L., pp. 266-8;
for a description of its ancient fertility, Josephus, The Jewish War,
iv. c. 8, § 3.
the house of an harlot : chosen as affording a pretext for
their presence.

JOSHUA 2. 3-6. JE 275
was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came
men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search
out the land. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, 3
saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which
are entered into thine house : for they be pome to search
out all the land. And the woman took the two men, and 4
hid them; and she said, Yea, the men came unto me,
but I wist not whence they were : and it came to pass 5
about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was
dark, that the men went out : whither the men went I
wot not : pursue after them quickly ; for ye shall overtake
them. But she had brought them up to the roof, and 6
hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in
Rahab: vi. 17-25 ; not elsewhere named in O.T. ; praised
for her works (in helping the spies), James ii. 25, for her faith
(verse gf.), Heb. xi. 31 : cf. Matt. i. 5, where she figures in the
genealogy of Jesus Christ. Rabbinical tradition makes her the
ancestress of eight prophets and priests, including Jeremiah, and
even asserts that Joshua married her, when she had become a
proselyte (Lightfoot, Home Hebraicae, on Matt. i. 5). Her deeds
are honoured by Patristic writers also, (see on verse 18).
3. the king of Jericho : the existence of many such local
' kings ' in Canaan at this period is confirmed by the Tell-el-Amarna
Letters (Introd., III. 2).
4. hid them : Hebrew ' hid him,' emended by R. V. With LXX ;
J or E may have spoken of one spy only.
5. The Hebrew is more graphic : ' the gate was for shutting, in
the dark, and the men went forth.'
6. the roof: i. e. the flat roof of the Eastern house, from which
the Philistines looked down on blind Samson (Judges xvi. 27);
where Saul slept, as Samuel's guest (1 Sam. ix. 35, R. V. marg.) ;
from which David, as he walked, saw Bathsheba (3 Sam. xi. 2) ;
where religious ceremonies were performed (Neh. viii. 16 ; Jer.
xix. 13 ; Zeph. i. 5) ; and whither men withdrew, like Peter, for
prayer (Acts x. 9). For safety, the law of Deuteronomy requires
it to be protected with a parapet (xxii. 8).
stalfcs of flax : i. e. stalks, two or three feet long, not yet
beaten out, but exposed to dry. Their fibres were used for the
manufacture of linen, whose antiquity is shown by its use in
mummy wrappings (see Post, in D.B. s. v. ' Flax ').
T 2

276 JOSHUA 2. 7-12. JE RD JE
7 order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them
the way to Jordan unto the fords : and as soon as they
which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the
8 gate. And before they; were laid down, she came up unto
9 them upon the roof; and she said unto the men, I know
that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your
terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the
io land melt away before you. [RD] For we have heard
how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before
you, when ye came out of Egypt ; and what ye did unto
the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan,
n unto Sihon and to Og( whom ye utterly destroyed. And
as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither
did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of
you : forthe LoRDyourGod.he is God in heaven above, and
12 on earth beneath. [JE] Now therefore, I pray you, swear
unto me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you,
that ye also will deal kindly with my father's house, and
7. the fords : (Judges iii. 28) of which there are several, link
ing Jericho with Gilead and Moab (H.G.H.L., p. 266).
9 f. Rahab is represented as acquainted not only with the name
'Yahweh ' (R. V. the Lord), but also with the successes already
won by Israel. In verses 16, n her words are amplified by
the Deuteronomic redactor, as the change in style clearly shows.
With verse 9, cf. Exod. xv. 14-16 (JE), and Deut. ii. 25, xi. 25.
melt away : i. e. in a psychical sense, of terror ; but the
Hebrew word means rather 'shake,' ' quiver,' like waves (soGes.-
Buhl, Siegfried-Stade, s. v. mug: cf. the Arabic maja, of the sea).
10. Exod. xiv. 15 f. ; Num. xxi. 21-35 : cf- Deut. ii. 24 f;, iii. 1 f.
utterly destroyed : ' devoted,', Deut. ii. 34, iii. 6, &c.
neither did there remain any more spirit : Hebrew, ' ruach
no longer stood,' i. e. maintained itself. The phrase is peculiar,
and differs somewhat from that in v. 1 (cf. 1 Kings x. 5), though
meaning the same.
he is God, &c. : quoted from Deut. iv. 39 (q.v.), with
omission of 'there is none else.'
12. a true token: i.e. a trustworthy sign: possibly the
'scarlet thread' of verse 18.

JOSHUA 2. 13-19. JE 277
give me a true token: and that ye will save alive my 13
father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters,
and all that they have, and will deliver our lives from
death. And the men said unto her, Our life ° for yours, 14
if ye utter not this our business ; and it shall be, when
the Lord giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and
truly with thee. Then she let them down by a cord 15
through the window : for her house was upon the town
wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto 16
them, Get' you to the mountain, lest the pursuers light
upon you ; and hide yourselves there three days, until the
pursuers be returned : and afterward may ye go your way.
And the men said unto her, We will be guiltless of this 1 7
thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. Behold, 18
when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of
scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down
by : and thou shalt gather unto thee into the house thy
father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy
father's household. And it shall be, that whosoever shall 19
go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood
" Heb. instead of you to die.
14. The promise is made conditional on her continued secrecy ;
for its fulfilment, see vi. 22-5.
15. A picture of such a house (on the present wall of
Damascus) is given by Bennett, p. 58. Cf. Acts ix. 25. The
' window ' would probably be a small opening, closed by lattice
work (2 Kings xiii. 17).
16. the mountain: better 'hill-country.' Its caves would
afford hiding-places, and the circuit to the west would throw the
pursuers off their track.
17. Wewillbe guiltless of : 'we are exempt from' (Gen. xxiv. 8,
41), i. e. if the three following conditions (use of the sign, gather
ing of relatives, concealment of spies' mission, verses 19, 20) be
not kept.
18. scarlet thread : in early, Christian writers, this became an
evident prophecy of the Atonement ; e. g. Clement of Rome, 1 Cor.
xii and the note in Jacobson, Pat. Apost., ad loc. See on verse 1.

278 JOSHUA 2. 20—3. 1. JE
shall be upon his head, and we : will be guiltless: and
whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall
20 be on our head, if any hand be upon him. But if thou
utter this our business, then we will be guiltless of thine
ar oath which thou hast made us to swear. And she said,
According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them
away, and they' departed : and she bound the scarlet
2 2 line in the window. And they went, and came unto the
mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers
were returned : and the pursuers, sought them throughout
23 all the way, but found them not. Then the two men
returned, and descended, from the mountain, and passed
over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun ; and they told
24 him all that had befallen them. And they said unto
Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands
all the land ; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land
do melt away before us.
3 And Joshua rose up early in the morning,, and
19. blood : conceived by early thought to be charged with
mysterious energy, and to be quasi-automatic in its working
(Deut. xxi. 8) ; it will be perilous to the spies only if shed within
the house of Rahab. See p. 34.
24. Omit truly ; for ' melt away,' see on verse 9.
chaps, iii, iv. The Passage of the Jordan. From Shittim, the
Israelites move to the Jordan, which they are to cross, headed by
the ark carried by priests. J oshua promises, and is promised, a dis
play of Divine power (iii. 1-8). He declares that the waters of
Jordan shall withdraw from the feet of the priests ; this comes to
pass, all Israel passing over on dry ground (iii. 9-1 7). At the bidding
of Yahweh, Joshua orders twelve chosen men to take twelve stones
from the Jordan bed, where the ark-bearers stood, and to erect
them on the western shore as a memorial of the event. This is
done, and in addition, Joshua sets up twelve stones in the Jordan
bed itself, the ark meantime standing there. Forty thousand
fighting men of the tribes already settled accompany the people
(iv. 1-14). Joshua now commands the ark to be carried up from
the Jordan bed (regardless of verse 11). When this is done, the

JOSHUA 3. 2-5. JEPJE 279
they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he
and all the children of Israel ; and they lodged there
before they passed over. And it came to pass after 2
three days, that the officers went through the midst of
the camp ; and they commanded the people, saying, 3
When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your
God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall
remove from your place, and go after it. [P] Yet there 4
shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand
cubits by measure : come not near unto it, that ye may
know the way by which ye must go ; for ye have not
passed this way heretofore. [JE] And Joshua said unto 5
the people, Sanctify yourselves : for to-morrow the Lord
waters return (iv. 15-19). The twelve stones from the Jordan
bed are set up at Gilgal to link the crossing in future memory
with that of the Red Sea (iv. 30-24).
The composite character of these two chapters is clearly shown
hy the duplication of subject-matter, viz. (a) passage of the people :
cf. iii. 17 b, iv. .ia (RD) with iv. 10 b (J E) ; (b) passage of the
ark : cf. jv. 11 b (JE) with iv. 15-17 (P) ; (c) erection of stones : cf.
iv. 3b, 8b, 20 (JE ; stones taken out of the river-bed, and set up at
Gilgal) with iv. 9 (RD ; stones set up in the river-bed) ; (d) ex
planation of the stones : cf. iv. 6, 7 (JE) with iv. 21-24 (RD).
1. lodged: Heb. 'passed the night.'
2. Cf. i. 10, 11 (E), to which this verse possibly belongs, as
verse 1 to J.
3. the ark of the covenant : Deut. x. 8 ; an earlier phrase is
' the ark of Yahweh ' (iii. 13}, a later, ' the ark of the testimony'
(iv. 16). Bennett (p. 59) calls attention to the absence of any
reference to the Tabernacle and its elaborate furniture (of which
there was no conception when the narrative of JE was written,
i. c. ninth to eighth century).
the priests the Levites: see on Deut. xviii. 1.
4. two thousand cubits = 1,000 yards; the verse is probably
the addition of a priestly redactor, to emphasize the holiness of
the ark : cf. Num. xxxv. 5 (P), where the Levitical city stands
within a square, each side of which measures 2,000 cubits.
The ' Sabbath day's journey' (Acts i. is), of the same extent,
was probably deduced as included in the 'place' of Exod. xvi.
29 (E.B., 4175, n°te 4)- , , „
5. Sanctify yourselves : 1. e. make yourselves ceremonially

28o JOSHUA 3. 6-I.I. JERDJERDJE
6 will do wonders among you. And Joshua spake unto
the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and
pass over before the people. And they took up the ark
7 of the covenant, and went before the people. [RD] And
the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to
magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may
know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
8 [JE] And thou shalt command the priests that bear the
ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the
brink of the waters of Jordan, ye shall stand still in
Jordan. .>..-¦
9 ,i And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come
hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God.
io And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living
God is among you, [RD] and that he will without fail
drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite,
and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and
1 1 the Amorite, and the Jebusite. ( JE] Behold, the ark of

clean : vii. 13 ; Exod. xix. 10, 14, 15 (E), where the (longer) purifi
cation includes the washing of garments and abstention from
sexual intercourse. Cf. Num. xi. 18, and for the ideas involved, E.B.
s. v. ' Clean and Unclean.' The general idea is that connexion with
' holy ' persons, things, or events is specially perilous unless due
measures of psychical insulation be taken.
7. Yahweh promises to confirm His commission to Joshua
,('• 5> *l)t hy which Joshua speaks as His prophet (verse 9 f.).
8. brink: see on verse 15.
10. the living God : Hos. i. 10 ; Ps. xlii. 2, lxxxiv. 3 : cf. Deut.
v. 36, &c, and the oath, 'As Yahweh liveth ' (Judges viii. 19,
and often), or ' As I live ' (Deut. xxxii. 40). The activity of
Yahweh among His people is presented as the ground of future
confidence. drive out: 'dispossess.' For this Deuteronomistic grouping
of the seven Deoples, see Deut. vii. 1.
11. the covenant: interpolated, here and in verse 14, like
covenant of Yahweh' in verse 17, as is shown by the grammar of
the Hebrew sentences.

JOSHUA 3. 12-16. JE 281
the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over
before you into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve 12
men out of the tribes of Israel, for every tribe a man.
And it shall come to pass, when the soles of the feet of T3
the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all
the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the
waters of Jordan shall be cut off, even the waters that
come down from above; and they shall stand in one
heap. And it came to pass, when the people removed 14
from their tents, to pass over Jordan, the priests that
bare the ark of the covenant being before the people ;
and when they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, 15
and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped
in the brink of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all its
banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which 16

the Lord of all the earth : i. e. Aden, not Yahweh. Note
the difference in type of R. V., which uses Lord to express
Yahweh. Cf. verse 13 ; Mic. iv. 13 ; Zech. iv. 14, vi. 5 ; Ps. xcvii.
5. Probably the phrase is here interpolated by RD (cf. Deut.
x. 14).
' 12. This must have been preceded in the original narrative Dy
the corresponding command of Yahweh, iv. ib-3; it is resumed
by iv. 4 f.
13. The miracle is to be mediated by the holiness of the priests'
feet, from which the waters will withdraw : in one heap, i. e. as
a wall, or dam.
14. removed : ' started off' ; the original meaning of the Heb.
verb is to ' pull up ' the tent-pegs, preparatory to a migration.
15. overfloweth: 1 Chron. xii. 15; Ecclus. xxiv. 26, 'full as
Jordan in the days of harvest.' The Jordan valley widens to
fourteen miles at Jericho. Within this valley lies a deeper bed,
varying to a mile in width, full of semi-tropical vegetation, and
marking the wider flow of the river in annual flood. ' The river
itself is from ninety to one hundred feet broad, a rapid, muddy water
with a zig-zag current. The depth varies from three feet at some
fords to as much as ten or twelve ' (H. G.H.L ., pp. 482-^6). The fact
that the river is at its harvest (April) flood is stated here to in
crease the marvel of the miracle. .',,,,
16. Above the place of crossing the water dams itself ; below,

282 JOSHUA 3. 17—4. 3. JE RD JE
came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap,
a great way aoff, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan:
and those that went down toward the sea of the b Arabah,
even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off: and the people
17 passed over right against Jericho. And the priests: that
bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on
dry ground in the midst of Jordan, [RD] and all Israel
passed over on dry ground, Until all the nation were
passed clean over Jordan. ' ¦ ¦¦ ¦
4 And it came to pass, wheh all the nation were clean
passed over Jordan, [JE] that the Lord ' spake unto
2 Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people,
out of every tribe a man, and command ye them, saying,
3 Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the
place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones,
a Another reading is, off from. b See Deut. i. 1.
it is conceived as running dry to the Dead (here called the Salt)
Sea. (The saltness, due to evaporation without outlet, is said
to be five times that of the ocean : H.G.H.L., p. 501.)
a great way off : specifying the distance of the dammed water
from the crossing ; whilst the Hebrew editorial reading (' off
from Adam,' cited R, V. marg.) notes the extent of the waters ;
the former is preferable.
Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan : not named else
where. ' An echo of this name may very plausibly be found in
Tell ed-Damieh, and Jisr ed-Damieh, names of a hill and bridge at
the confluence of the Jabbok (Zerkd) with the Jordan, some six
teen miles in a direct line above the ford opposite Jericho ' (E.B.,
58). Zarethan has not been identified (see note in Century Bible
on 1 Kings vii. 46),
. 17. clean over: i.e. completely, an old usage retained from
A.V. ; Heb. ' had finished to pass over.' The continued presence
of the ark in the river-bed , gives the, people confidence against
the wall of waters, and is probably conceived as actually holding
the waters in check (see on verse 1,3 and cf. iv. 7).
iv. 2, 3. Cf. iii. 12 (originally following these verses).
3. stood firm : the latter word is grammatically awkward, and
probably comes from iii. 17 ; the Heb. word for ' stood ' can refer
to either past or future, but in the present arrangement of the

JOSHUA 4. 4-9. JE RD 283
and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the
lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then 4
Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of
the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man : and 5
Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the
Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you
up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according
unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel :
that this may be a sign among you, that when your G
children ask in time to come, saying; What mean ye by
these stones ? then ye shall say unto them, Because the 1
waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the
covenant of the Lord ; when it passed over Jordan, the
waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be
for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, 8
and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as
the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number
of the tribes of the children of Israel ; and they carried
them over with them unto the place where they lodged,
and laid them down there. [RD] And Joshua set up 9
twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where
the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant
narrative, it must, of course, be understood of the past. The
stones here are to be taken from the river-bed itself, for erection
at Gilgal.
5. The command must belong to a point in the original narrative
at which the people have not yet crossed.
the number of the tribes : see Introd., III. 3.
6. in time to come: verse 21; Exod. xiii. 14 ; Deut. vi. 20.
9. Note that the twelve stones here are to be set up in the
river-bed itself, to mark the resting-place of the ark during the
crossing. Probably the writer of this verse could point to such
stones as actually existent in his day. Steuernagef suggests that
these really marked the ford, but were explained under the influ
ence of Deut. xxvii. 4".

284 JOSHUA 4. !o-i8. RP JE RD P RD P JE
10 stood : and they are there, unto this day. For the priests
which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until
every thing was finished that the Lord commanded
Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that
Moses commanded Joshua : [JE] and the people hasted
„ and passed over. And it came to pass, when all the people
were clean passed over, that the ark of the Lord passed
over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 [RD] And the children of Reuben, and the children of
Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh,. passed over armed
before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them:
13 [P] about forty thousand ready armed for war passed
over before the Lord unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 [RD] On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the
sight of all Israel ; and they feared him, as they feared
Moses, all the days of his life.
15 [P] And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony^
17 that 1 they come up out of Jordan. Joshua therefore
commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of
18 Jordan. [JE] And it came to pass, when the priests
11. and the priests, in the presence of the people: the
natural rendering of the Hebrew is ' and the priests before the
people ' ; but the people have left the priests standing in the river
bed, according to iii. 17 (cf. iv. 3, 8, 10). Some take 'before' as
= 'to the place before,' viz. 'the priests passed over to the head
of the people' (Bennett). LXX reads 'and the stones before
them ' (cf. verse 8).
12. Cf. i. 12-18 ; Num. xxxii. so f.
13. forty thousand : the whole number of males given in Num.
xxvi. 7, 18, 34 is about three times as great.
the plains of Jericho: a phrase parallel to 'the plains of
Moab ' (Deut. xxxiv. 1, 8), which is characteristic of P ; cf. v. 10.
14. Cf. iii. 7.
16. the ark of the testimony : characteristic of P (note on iii.
3). According to verse n (JE), the ark has already come up from
the river-bed.

JOSHUA 4. 19-24. JEPJERD 285
that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord were come
up out of the midst of Jordan, and the soles of the
priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry ground, that the
waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and went
over all its banks, as aforetime. [P] And the people 19
came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first
month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of
Jericho. [JE] And those twelve stones, which they 20
took out of Jordan, did Joshua set up in Gilgal.
[RD] And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, 2 1
When your children shall ask their fathers in time to
come, saying, What mean these stones? then ye shall let 22
your children know, saying, Israel came over this
Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up 23
the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were
passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea,
which he dried up from before us, until we were passed
over : that all the peoples of the earth may know the 24
IS. lifted up: 'drawn out' (the same verb as in viii. 16,
' drawn away ').
over all its banks : i. e. in the harvest-flood, named in iii. 15.
19. the first month : i. e. Abib, the post-exilic Nisan, our
April (iii. 15 : cf. Exod. xii. 3).
Gilgal : v. 9. The site is supposed to be indicated by the
mound Tell Jeljul, about a mile east of modern Jericho (E.B., 1730).
20. The stones are those of verse 8. The name ' Gilgal ' means
a ' circle,' as of stones (see on v. 9). Whether they were now
first set up there, or were really a ' cromlech ' of earlier date,
such as is still to be seen in Galilee, and east of Jordan, must
remain doubtful. The number ' twelve,' probably of astral origin,
figures largely in connexion with sacred objects : cf. Exod. xv. 37,
xxiv. 4, xxviii. 17 f., xxxix. 10 f. ; Lev. xxiv. 5 ; 1 Kings vii. 35,
xviii. 31 (Zimmern in Die Keilinschriften unddasA. T.,*p. 629).
21 f. : parallel to iv. 6f. (JE).
24. The emendation of the R. V. is necessary : the vowels of
the Hebrew Textus Receptus are meant to express 'that ye
might fear.' Notice the larger outlook of this passage (RP), as
compared with the simpler statement of the earlier JE (verse 7).

286 JOSHUA 5. ., 2. RD JE
hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; that "they may
fear the Lord your God for ever.
5 And it came to pass, when all the kings of the
Arjiorites, which were beyond Jordan westward^ and all
the kings of the Canaanites; -which were by the sea,
heard how that the Lord had dried up the waters of
Jordan from before the children of Israel, until ° we were
passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there
spirit in them any more, because of the children of
Israel.
2 [JE] At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make
thee knives of flint, and circumcise again the children of
"¦ So with a change of vowel-points. The pointing of the text
is irregular. b Another reading is, they.
v. 1-12. The Camp at Gilgal. Terror of the inhabitants at the
news of the miracle (verse i). Joshua, at the bidding of Yahweh,
circumcises the males bfirn since the Exodus (verses' 2-9). The
Passover is celebrated at Gilgal, and the manna now ceases (verses
10-12). 1 . Amorites . . . Canaanites : see on Deut. i. 7 ; broadly
speaking, the inhabitants of the highlands and lowlands respectively
are thus designated (not etymologically).
until we were passed over: read with the Massoretic
editors, some MSS. and the versions, as in R. V. marg. ' they.'
2. knives of flint : Exod. iv. 25 ; a case of the survival of stone
instruments into an iron age, due to religious conservatism, found
amongst the Egyptians in circumcision (Nowack, Arch. i. 167,
note 2), and in embalming (Herod, ii. 86) ; just as, in Peru, the
ceremonial hair-cutting of a child at two years was done with
a stone knife (Tylor, Primitive Culture, ii. p. 435).
circumcise: new light seems to be thrown on the origin of
this widespread custom by recent researches into the practices
of Australian aborigines, amongst whom it is found side by side
with the much more serious mutilation known as ' sub-incision '
(Spencer and Gillen, Native Tribes of Central Australia, p. 263 ;
Northern Tribes of Central Australia, p. 133). The explanation of
the one must be applicable to the other, and no sanitaryr or
utilitarian explanation will suffice for sub-incision. Circumcision
is to be regarded as a mutilation originally connected with
marriage, made to propitiate supernatural powers (e. g. demons)

JOSHUA 5. 3-6. JE RD 287
Israel the second time. And Joshua made him knives 3
of flint, and circumcised the children of Israel at a the
hill of the foreskins. [RD] And this is the cause why 4
Joshua did circumcise : all the people that came forth
out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war,
died in the wilderness by the way, after they came forth
out of Egypt. For all the people that came out were 5
circumcised : but all the people that were born in the
wilderness by the way as .they came forth out of Egypt,
they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel 6
walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation,
even the men of war which came forth out of Egypt, were
consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of
the Lord : unto whom the Lord sware that he would
not let them see the land which the Lord sware unto
a Or, Gibeatluha-araloth

by partial sacrifice of the organ. Consequently, it is practised at
initiation into manhood. This explanation finds support from
West Africa (Ellis, The Yoiuba- Speaking Peoples, p. 66). Cf.
Crawley, The Mystic Rose, p. 360. In the normal Hebrew rite,
two modifications have been introduced : (a) its transference
from puberty to infancy, (b) its assimilation into the worship of
Yahweh. See the articles on 'Circumcision ' in D.B. and E.B., and
the note in Driver's Genesis, pp. 169-91.
3. the hill of the foreskins : R. V. marg. transliterates the
Hebrew of the phrase, on the assumption that it might be a proper
name. The phrase probably refers, as Stade suggests, to some
local custom of circumcising young men at the sanctuary of Gilgal
(Judges ii. 1 ; much frequented in the eighth century : cf. Amos
iv. 4f., v. 5; Hos. iv. 15, ix. 15, xii. 11), where the foreskins
were buried.
4. after they came forth: 'in their exodus' (Deut. iv. 45).
Cf. Deut. ii. 14-16.
4-7. The redactor does not explain why circumcision did not
take place on the Way, if previously instituted. His aim may be
to harmonize the institution of circumcision by Joshua at Gilgal
with the view subsequently expressed by P (Gen. xvii); that it
was instituted by Abraham. The reference to Zipporah's son in

288 JOSHUA 5. 7-1 1. RD JE P
their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with
7 milk and honey. And their children, whom he raised up
in their stead, them did Joshua circumcise : for they were
uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them
S by the way. [JE] And it came to pass, when they had
done circumcising all the nation, that - they abode in
9 their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the
Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the
reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of
that place was called b Gilgal, unto this day.
ro [P] And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal ;
and they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the
n month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did
eat of the b old corn of the land on the morrow after the
°- That is, Rollingi b Or, product Or, corn
Exod. iv. 24-6 perhaps refers to the transition from the circum
cision of puberty to that of infancy, and ' does not at all necessarily
imply that J conceived circumcision to have been universal in
Egypt ' (Oxf. Hex., ii. p.,327). RD has probably added ' again,' and
' a secondtime ' in verse 2 ; but verse 9 seems to imply that Israel
was not circumcised in Egypt.
S. till they were whole : the inhabitants of Canaan are
perhaps represented as too terrified at the miraculous crossing, to
use this opportunity for attack (verse 1).
9. the reproach of Egypt: i. e. the scorn of the circumcised
Egyptians for the (then) unGircumcised Israelites. Note how
widely this representation differs from that of Gen. xvii (P).
Gilgal : the play on the name (R, V, marg.) is not, of course,
a genuine etymology, since the name properly denotes, here as
elsewhere, a ' circle ' of stones (iv. 19, 30). Such word-plays are,
however, common in the O. T. (e. g.: Gen. iv. 1, 35, v. 29, xxix.
32 f.); the verb galal does mean 'roll,' though 'Gilgal' does not
mean ' rolling' (R. V. marg.).
10. The celebration of the Passover (P : cf. iv. 19) has been
purposely prefaced, as Dillmann points out, by the observance of
circumcision (Exod. xii. 44, 48).
1 on the fourteenth day of the month at even : Exod. xii. 6 f.
passover : see on Deut. xvi. 1.
11. old corn : rather, R. V. marg.1, ' produce ' (so in next verse,
here only).

JOSHUA 5. 12, 13. P JE 289
passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn, in the
selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow, 12
after they had eaten of the aold corn of the land ; neither
had the children of Israel manna any more ; but they did
eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
[JE] And it came to pass, when Joshua was by 13
" Or, produce Or, corn
unleavened cakes : Exod. xii. 20 ; unleavened bread was to
be eaten for seven days, from the evening of the 14th to that of
the 21st. This originally formed a separate festival, but was com
bined with that of the Passover (see on Deut. xvi).
parched corn; Lev. ii. 14, xxiii. 14; Ruth ii. 14; 1 Sam.
xvii. 17. 'Ears of grain, barely ripe, roasted at the fire and eaten
instead of bread. This is still an article of food in the East'
(S.B. O. T. ' Leviticus,' ad loc. , p. 94). Lev. xxiii. 14 (of firstfruits)
is here disregarded.
12. manna : Exod. xvi. 35.
v. 13 — vi. 27. An armed man appears to Joshua, and declares
himself the leader of the angels of Yahweh (v. 13-15) ; Yahweh
instructs Joshua as to the capture of Jericho (vi. 1-5). After the
necessary preparations (verses 6, 7), the ark is carried once in
solemn procession round Jericho, seven priests blowing horns,
but the fighting men keeping silence (verses 8-11). This is
repeated up to six successive days (verses 12-14). On the
seventh day the circuit is made seven times, at the last of which
the warriors are directed to raise a battle-cry (verses 15, 16).
Joshua orders that Rahab and her family shall be spared, but
all other persons and things ' devoted ' to Yahweh (verses 17-19).
At the shout accompanying the seventh circuit on the seventh
day the walls of Jericho fall, the city is taken, and Joshua's
orders are obeyed (verses 20-5). Joshua attaches a curse to the
rebuilding of Jericho (verse 26). Joshua's renown (verse 27).
That this narrative itself is composite is clear from the doublet
of vi. 20 (two shouts, one at the bidding of Joshua, verses 10,
16, the other at the signal of the horn, verse 5) ; that of the
rescue of Rahab (verses 22, 23, cf. verse 35) ; and that of the
destruction of the city (verse si, cf. verse 34) ; whilst verses 8, 9,
and again verses I7b, 18 interrupt the present order. The analysis
of this confused story is too uncertain to be attempted above.
v. 13-15. The ' captain of Yahweh's host,' who speaks in v. 15,
was not originally identified with Yahweh, who speaks in vi. 2 f.,
nor is Joshua represented in vi. 6 f. as being still at the place of
the vision. U

290 JOSHUA 5. i4— 6. 3. JE
Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and,' be.
hold, there stood a man over against him with his sword
drawn in; his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and
said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries ?
14 And he said, Nay; but as 8 captain of the host of the
Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to
the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What
15 saith my lord unto his servant ? And, the captain of the
Lord's host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off
thy foot ; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.
6 And Joshua did so. (Now Jericho b was straitly shut up
because of the children of Israel : none went out, and
2 none came in.) And the Lord said unto Joshua, See,
I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king
3 thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall
"> Or, prince b Heb. shut the gates and was shut in.
The original substance of the message which followed verse 15
has therefore been replaced by, what now follows. This mani
festation should be compared with the somewhat similar experience
of Moses (Exod. iii. 2-5) at the outset of his mission. On the
underlying conceptions, see Introd., IV. 3.
13. over against : ' before.'
his sword drawn : so of the angel appearing to Balaam
(Num. xxii. 23, 31), and to David (1 Chron. xxi. 16).
14. the host of Yahweh : i. e. the angels (1 Kings xxii. 19 ;
Gen. xxxii. 1, 2: cf. 2 Kings vi. 17, of the invisible forces of
Yahweh, on the side of His people). In Dan. viii. n the 'cap
tain of the host ' may possibly mean God Himself. (For the idea
of the stars as Yahweh's warrior-host, see Zimmern in Die
Keilinschriften3, pp. 439, 456.)
15. Put off thy shoe: Exod. iii. 5; here, probably, with
reference to the sacredness of Gilgal itself (in original narrative).
Divine or supernatural appearances are specially connected with
sanctuaries; e.g. to Jacob at Bethel (Gen. xxviii. 12), whilst the
messenger of Yahweh comes from Gilgal (Judges ii. 1). Priests
are apparently described by P as entering the sanctuary barefoot
(Exod. xxix. 20; Lev. viii, 23), with which the parallel practices
of modern Samaritans and Mohammedans may be compared.
vi. 1 should precede v. 13.

JOSHUA 6. 4-8. JE 2gi
compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city
once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests 4
shall bear seven a trumpets of rams' horns before the ark :
and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven
times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with s
the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the
trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout ;
and the wall of the city shall fall down bflat, and the
people shall go up every man straight before him. And 6
Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto
them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven
priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark
of the Lord. And ° they said unto the people, Pass on, 7
and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on
before the ark of the Lord. And it was so, that when 8
Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests
a Or, juhile trumpets b Heb. in its place.
c Another reading is, he.

4. seven : the sacredness of the number is variously emphasized,
as giving these sevenfold acts a supernatural power ; the sevenfold
circuit isolates the city for Yahweh. This belief in the sacredness
of 'seven,' held also in Egypt and India, is specially prominent
in Babylonia, with its seven planets, seven evil spirits, and seven-
walled underworld. It is extensively illustrated both in the O.T.
(periods of time, the week, altars, wells, lamps, sprinkling of
blood, &c.) and in the late Jewish Apocalypses (E.B., 3436 ; Rel.
Sent., p. 181). The verb 'swear,' in Hebrew, appears to mean
' bind oneself by seven.'
trumpets of rams' horns : Hebrew simply ' rams' horns.'
' Horn ' should be read for ' trumpet ' throughout this chapter.
7. they must refer to the priests; the original reading,
followed by the Hebrew editors and the versions, is probably
that of R. V. marg. (with reference to Joshua, cf. verse 16 b).
8. The first part of the verse (to ' people ') is omitted by LXX,
which renders the verbs in verses 8, 9 by imperatives (e, g. ' let
the priests pass on ') ; so that these verses, instead of being narrative,
U 2

292 JOSHUA 6. 9-16. JE
bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the
Lord passed on, and blew with the trumpets : and the
9 ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And
the armed men went before the priests that blew the
trumpets, and the rearward went after the ark, the priests
10 blowing with the trumpets as they went. And Joshua
commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor
let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed
out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then
11 shall ye shout. So he caused the ark of the Lord to
compass the city, going about it once : and they came
into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests
13 took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests
bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark
of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the
trumpets : and the armed men went before them ; and
the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests
14 blowing with the trumpets as they went. And the second
day they compassed the city once, and returned into the
15 camp : so they did six days. And it came to pass on
the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of
the day, and compassed the city after the same manner
seven times : only on that day they compassed the city
16 seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time,
when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said
unto the people, Shout ; for the Lord hath given you the
become part of the instructions of Joshua. The narrative proper
will then begin at verse 11. This avoids the interruption of
Joshua's address.
9. rearward : as in Num. x. 25 (figuratively of Yahweh, Isa. Iii.
12) ; here simply of armed men after, like those before the ark.
The ' people ' in this procession will naturally be the ' men of
war ' alone (verse 3).

JOSHUA 6. 17-20. JE RD JE 293
city. And the city shall be "devoted, even it and all that 17
is therein, to the Lord : [RD] only Rahab the harlot shall
live, she and all that are with her in the house, because
she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any 18
wise keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when
ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so
should ye make the camp of Israel b accursed, and
trouble it. [JE] But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of 19
brass and iron, are holy unto the Lord : they shall come
into the treasury of the Lord. So the people shouted, 20
and the priests blew with the trumpets : and it came to
pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet,
that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall
fell down c flat, so that the people went up into the city,
every man straight before him, and they took the city.
a See Lev. xxvii. 28, Deut. xx. 17. b Heb. devoted.
" Heb. in its place.
17. devoted : see note on Deut. xx. 17.
18. when ye have devoted it: read with' LXX (cf. vii. 21),
' when ye desire it ' (Deut. vii. 25), which implies a very slight
change in the Hebrew consonants.
trouble : Heb. achar, from which the name Achor is derived
(vii. 24, 26) ; a stronger term than the English rendering suggests
(cf. Gen. xxxiv. 30).
19. brass : here, and elsewhere in O. T., bronze, i. e. copper
hardened by about 10 per cent, of tin. An analysis of some
ancient bronzes is given in S.B.O.T., ad he.
holy unto Yahweh: i.e. 'separated' for Him; see E.B.,
' Clean and Unclean.'
treasury : see verse 24 (note).
20. The narrative is meant to describe a purely miraculous
event ; but, as G. A. Smith points out in his review of the history
of Jericho, ' in war she has always been easily taken. That her
walls fell down at the sound of Joshua's trumpets is no exaggera
tion, but the soberest summary of all her history.' He indicates
two causes for this military weakness, viz. the character of the
surrounding country (hills behind easy to occupy ; partial control
of water supply), and the enervating climate of the Jordan' Valley
in its effects on the inhabitants (H.G.H.L., p. 268).

294 JOSHUA-- 6. si-26. JE
21 And they "utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both
man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep,
22 and ass, with the edge of the sword. And Joshua said
unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into
the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and
23 all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young
men the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her
father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all; that
she had, all her b kindred also they brought out ; and
24 they set them without the camp of Israel. And they
burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein : only
the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of
iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
25 But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and
all that she had, did Joshua save alive ; and she dwelt
in the midst of Israel, unto this day ; because she hid
the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time,
saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth
a Heb. devoted. b Heb. families.
22. as ye sware unto her : ii. 14-30. But cf. ii. 15 with vi. 20.
23. without the camp : for the camp is to be holy (Deut. xxiii.
14) ; and they are heathen, and therefore ' unclean ' (cf. Num. v. 3,
xxxi. 19).
24. treasury of the house of Yahweh : LXX omits ' house '" ;
if the phrase is to be understood of the temple, it is of course an
anachronism (cf. 1 Chron. xxix. 8 ; Joshua ix. 23 : cf. Exod.
xxiii. 19).
25. in the midst of Israel : xiii. 13; Deut. xvii. 20 ; unto this
day : i. e. as represented by her descendants.
26. charged them with an oath : rather, ' caused them to
swear.' Cursed: the root-meaning of the word ('bound') suggests
the primitive attitude towards such a formula (often metrical),
which has a magical power to vindicate itself (cf. E.B., ' Blessings
and Curses'). The beginning and the completion of a city on this
site shall cost the founder his children; The fulfilment of this
curse is said to have come on Hiel (1 Kings xvi. 34), as LXX

JOSHUA 6. 27—7. 1. JE P

295

up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his
firstborn shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with
the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of
it. So the Lord was with Joshua ; and his fame was in 27
all the land.
[P] But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the 7
devoted thing : for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of
Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of
the devoted thing : and the anger of the Lord was kin
dled against the children of Israel.
here adds (though the name is different) ; possibly the misfortunes
of Hiel led to the ascription of the curse to Joshua. Jericho, at
any rate, is still standing in Joshua xviii. 21 ; Judges iii. 13 (see
on Joshua ii. i) ; 2 Sam. x. 5. Kuenen thinks that sacrifice of
the two sons was originally in view (p. 240). Cf. Skinner's note
in the Century Bible, 1 Kings xvi. 34. For parallels to the curse
amongst other nations, see S.B. O. T., adloc, where Troy, Carthage.
and Kirrha are named.
vii. The Sin of Achan. An attack on Ai, made confidently, but
with insufficient forces, is defeated with some loss (verses 1-5).
Joshua appeals to Yahweh, for His name's sake (verses 6-9).
-Yahweh declares that the defeat is due to Israel's failure to
' devote ' Jericho wholly (verses 10-13), and bids Joshua take
measures to ascertain the culprit (verses 13-15). This having
been done, Achan is revealed as the sinner (verses 16-18), and, at
Joshua's adjuration, he makes confession of his theft, and of the
hiding-place of the ' devoted ' articles (verses 19-21). These, with
Achan, all his family, and all his possessions, are taken to a suit
able place, the living stoned to death, and all burnt ; a cairn of
stones is erected over them (verses 22-6).
No agreement in detail has been reached as to the distribution
of this chapter between J and E. Bennett and Holzinger regard
it as composite, but unanalysable ; Steuernagel assigns it mainly
to E, the Oxf. Hex. mainly to J.
1. committed a trespass : ' acted faithlessly ' : cf. xxii. 20 (P,
of whom the word is characteristic, Lev. v. 15, as is that for
' tribe,' here and in a clause belonging to Rp in verse 18 (matteh)).
Achan : the name is modified into an epithet in 1 Chron. ii.
7 : ' Achar the troubler (same consonants) of Israel, who acted
faithlessly in the herem.'
Israel : ' Achan's breach of a taboo involves the whole host
(Rel. Sem., p. 162).

296 JOSHUA 7. 2-6. JE
2 [JE] And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which
is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and
spake unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land.
3 And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they
returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the
people go up; but let about two or three thousand men
go up and smite Ai ; make not all the people to toil
4 thither ; for they are but few. So there went up thither
of the people about three thousand men : and they fled
5 before the men of Ai.' r And the men of Ai smote of
them about thirty and six men : and they chased them
from before the gate even unto aShebarim, and smote
them at the going down : and the hearts of the people
6 melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his
clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the
a Or, the quarries
2. Ai : (Heb. i7«» = Aija, Aiath) viii. nf. ; probably to be
identified with Haiyan. ' There is a ideep ravine to the north, an
open valley to the west, and a flat plain to south and east. This
site is sj miles south-east of Bethel, and on the road thence to
the Jordan Valley. It is evidently the site of an ancient town,
with rock-cut tombs' (Conder, in D.B., s.v.). Cf. Gen. xii. 8;
Isa. x. s8 ; Ezra ii. 28. It lay on the road from the Jordan
Valley to Bethel, a natural route for invaders to take who were
making for the centre of the country (H.G.H.L., p. 264).
Beth-aven (xviii. 12 ; 1 Sam. xiii. 5), not identified.
3. We are perhaps meant to see the first working of the stolen
herem in this unjustified expression of confidence. In the sequel,
at Yahweh's command (viii. 1), all the warriors are taken.
5. unto Shebarim : lit. ', breakings,' not known as a place-name.
The chief versions, with a different vocalization of the consonants,
render ' until they were broken.'
6. rent his clothes, Sic. : parallels, partial or complete, may
be found in the mourning of Jacob for Joseph (Gen. xxxvii. 34) ;
of the messenger from Gilboa (2 Sam. i. 2) ; of David, at the
report of the murder of his sons by Absalom (2 Sam. xiii. si) ;
and in the grief of Joseph's brethren (Gen. xliv. 13), and of Job's
friends (Job ii. 12). The rent clothes are probably the modifica
tion of an earlier mutilation of the flesh for the dead (Deut xiv

JOSHUA 7. 7-1 1. JE 297
ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of
Israel ; and they put dust Upon their heads. And Joshua 7
said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all
brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish ? would that
we had been content and dwelt beyond Jordan ! Oh 8
Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel hath turned
their backs before their enemies ! For the Canaanites 9
and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and
shall compass us round, and cut off our name from the
earth : and what wilt thou do for thy great name ? And 10
the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up ; wherefore art
thou thus fallen upon thy face ? Israel hath sinned ; 1 ;
yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I
commanded them : yea, they have even taken of the
devoted thing ; and have also stolen, and dissembled
1), here transferred from mourning to grief in general; whilst
mourners also were accustomed to strew dust, taken from the
grave, on their heads (see E.B., c. 3222).
the elders of Israel: Deut. v. 23, xix. 12, xxi. 3f., 19 f.,
xxii. 15 f., xxv. 7 f., xxix. 10, xxxi. 9, 28.
7. Cf. Exod. xiv. 1 1 f. ; Num. xiv. 2 f.
9. our name . . . thy name : illustrating two of the pregnant
usages of ' name' in the O. T. ; in the former case for the national
existence' (Isa; Iv. 13 : cf. Deut. vii. 24, ix. 14), in the latter, for the
revealed character of Yahweh (1 Sam. xii. 22 ; Jer. xliv. 26; Ezek.
xxxvi. 23). For this identification of the interests of Israel with
the honour of Yahweh, cf. Deut. ix. 28, and Introd., IV. 4. ' What
ever the primitive meaning of the Hebrew Um and the Assyrian
Sumu may have been, it was not merely " name " in our sense of
the word, but something much fuller, which would be applicable
to all forms of divine manifestation ' (Cheyne, in E.B., c. 3268).
10. Yahweh diverts the thoughts of Joshua from the crushing
experience of Divine desertion to its moral cause and to the need
for action.
11. The sin of Israel is stated in five successive points, viz. the
overstepping of the covenant (here the injunction of vi. 17, 18 : cf.
Hos. viii. 1 ; Deut. xvii. 3), by infringement of the hereni, through
theft, implicit lying, and appropriation of Yahweh's property.

298 JOSHUA 7. 12-14. JE
also, and they have even put it among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before
their enemies, they turn their backs before their enemies,
because they are become: a accursed : I will not be with
you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from
13 among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify
yourselves against to-morrow : for thus gaiththe' Lord,
the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst
of thee, O Israel : thou canst not stand before thine
enemies, until ye take away the devoted, thing from
14 among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be
brought near by your tribes : and it shall be, that the
tribe which the Lord taketh shall come near by families ;
* See ch. vi. 18.
12. accursed: ' herem,' a devoted thing; they are themselves
under the ban of destruction by the presence of the Iferem, workL
ing, so to speak, automatically in their midst. The underlying
conception is, therefore, not that of moral guilt, alone, or chiefly ;
there is here, as in primitive thought generally, a quasi-material
element interwoven with the moral.
13. sanctify : iii. 5 ; i. c. prepare for a sacred act by cere
monial cleanliness.
14. brought near: Exod. xxii. 8, i.e. to God at the sanctuary,
for trial by lot.
taketh: i. e. by lot, as in 1 Sam. xiv. 41 (R. V. marg.), where
Jonathan is detected as the breaker of taboo. In this latter case
the LXX indicates that the lot was cast by Urim and Thummim
(Exod. xxviii. 30) as, possibly, here also (see on Deut. xxxiii. 8).
The whole procedure should be compared with that employed in
choosing Saul as king (1 Sam. x. 20-4), the larger units being
dealt with through, their, representatives. Cf. note on xxii. 14.
' All Israel consists of a number of tribes (shebet, in P, matteh),
a tribe of several clans (mishpachah), a clan of several " houses "
(beth, or beth ab, pi. beth abotk), a " house " of a number of in
dividuals ' (Gray, Numbers,, pp. 4, 5). Ancient faith in the sacred
casting of lots (Prov. xvi. 33) may be illustrated by its use alike
for the detection of a Jonah (Jonah i. 7) and the election of a
Matthias {Acts i. 26). The pre-Islamic Arabs obtained guidance
in the choice of alternatives by the use of pointless arrows (cf.
Ezek. xxi. 31, aa) before an idol in his sanctuary ; one arrow,

JOSHUA 7. 15-21. JE 299
and the family which the Lord shall take shall come
near by households ; and the household which the Lord
shall take shall come near man by man. And it shall 15
be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be
burnt with fire, he and all that he hath : because he hath
transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he
hath wrought folly in Israeli
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought 16
Israel near by their tribes ; and the tribe of Judah was
taken : and he brought near the "family of Judah ; and 17
he took the family of the Zerahites : and he brought
near the family of the Zerahites b man by man ; and
Zabdi was taken : and he brought near his household iS
man by man ; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of
Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, 19
glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and 0 make con
fession unto him ; and tell me now what thou hast done ;
hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and 20
said, Of a truth I have sinned against the Lord, the God
of Israel, and thus and thus have I done : when I saw 21
among the spoil a goodly d Babylonish mantle, and two
a According to some ancient authorities, families.
b According to some ancient authorities, by households.
0 Or, give praise d Heb. mantle of Shinar.

when drawn, gave an affirmative, the other a negative response
(Wellhausen, Reste, p. 132).
15. folly in Israel: see on Deut. xxii. 21.
17 R.V. marg. should be read in both cases.
19! Achan will give glory and praise (R. V. marg. : cf Ezra
x n) to Yahweh, who has thus displayed His knowledge of
hidden things, by confessing his sin, and so justifying the Divine
oracle before the people (cf. on one view of that passage, Fs.
Ii 4) Cf. John ix. 24 (R-V.), where glory is to be given to God
bv withdrawal of the blasphemy of verse 17 ; 1 Sam. vi. 5.
21 a goodly Babylonish mantle : Shinar (R. V. marg.) =

300 JOSHUA 7. 23-24. JE
hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty
shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them;
and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my
22 tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers,
and they ran unto the tent ; and, behold, it was hid in
23 his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them
from the midst of the tent, and brought them untb
Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel ; and they
24 laid them down before the Lord. And Joshua, and- all
Israel with him, took Achan the ' son of Zerah, and the
silver, and the mantle; and the wedge of gold, and his
sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and
Babylon (Gen. x. 10) ; some specially costly cloak is intended,
the products of the Babylonian looms being famous.
two hundred shekels of silver : the shekel here is a weight,
coinage not being employed anywhere before the seventh century.
The Hebrews, after the Conquest, must have adopted the system of
weights current in Canaan, i. e. that of Babylonia, by which the
gold shekel would be about 253 grains troy, or a little more than
two sovereigns in weight, whilst the silver shekel would be about
334 grains troy, or rather more than the weight of an English
half-crown. The intrinsic value of the metal (its purchasing
power being, of course, much greater) would be about £2 is. od. for
the gold shekel, arid nearly 2s. gdl for the silver (for further details,
see Kennedy, D.B-, iii. p. 419: cf. E.B., 4444).
23. laid them down: 'poured them out,' viz. before the
sanctuary. 24. The extension of the guilt of the individual to the whole
family group of which he is a member is due to that idea of
corporate responsibility which underlies ancient ethics and law as
a whole (cf. xxii. 18). From our point of view, we may say with
Mozley (Lectures on the O. T, p. 87), 'The defective sense
of justice, then, in those early ages, arose from the defective
sense of individuality.' From the ancient standpoint, the justice
of the procedure follows from the idea of the blood-group (real or
fictitious) as a unity. It is possible, however, in the present case,
that one narrative contemplated the destruction of Achan alone
(cf. Deut. xxiv. 16), whilst this has been brought into conformity
with the law of Deut. xiii. 16 by the addition of Achan's goods
and family. For death by stoning, see Deut. xvii. 5 (note) : by
fire, Gen. xxxviii. 24. '

JOSHUA 7. 25—8. 2. JE RD 301
his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had : and they
brought them up unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua 25
said, Why hast thou troubled us ? the Lord shall trouble
thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones ;
and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with
stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones, 26
unto this day; and the Lord turned from the fierceness
of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was
called, The valley of a Achor, unto this day.
[RD] And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither 8
be thou dismayed : take all the people of war with thee,
and arise, go up to Ai : see, I have given into thy hand
the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land :
and thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto 2
a That is, Troubling.
the valley of Achor : xv. 7 : cf. Hos. ii. 15 ; Isa. Ixv. 10 ;
identified by some with the Wady el-Kelt, leading down from the
hill-country to the Jordan Valley. In the following verse there
is a play on its name in ' trouble ' (achar).
26. a great heap of stones : viii. 29 ; 2 Sam. xviii. 17. The
original purpose of this widespread practice may have been to
prevent the ghost of the dead (conceived as quasi-material) from
emerging and troubling his survivors.' Here it is a monument of
disgrace. viii. 1-29. The Capture of Ai. Yahweh directs a renewed
attack on Ai (verses i, 2). Joshua places to the west of Ai an
ambush of 30,000 picked men, who are to seize and burn the city,
when the inhabitants have been drawn out by the apparent flight
of the remaining Israelites (verses 3-9). The stratagem entirely
succeeds (verses 10-17). The men of Ai are surrounded and
destroyed, as are the women left in the city (verses 18-36). The
cattle and spoil, according to Yahweh's permission, are retained
by Israel ; the king of Ai is hanged, and a cairn erected on his
body at the gate of the burnt city (verses 37-9).
There are several indications that this narrative is drawn from
two independent sources, viz. the ambush set twice in the same
place (cf. verses 3-9 with verse 12), the double start (verses 3"
and 10), and the twice-burnt city (verses 19 and 28).
2. as thou didst unto Jericho: vi. 21 : cf. Deut. ii. 34 f., iii.
6f., xx. 16.

302 JOSHUA 8. 3-9. RD JE RD JE
Jericho and her king : only the spoil thereof, and the
cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves :
3 set thee an ambush for the city behind it. [JE] So
Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai :
and Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, the mighty
4 men of valour, and sent them forth by night. And he
commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in ambush
against the city, behind the city: go not very far from
5 the city, but be ye all ready : and I, and all the people
that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it
shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as
6 at the first, that we will flee before them ; and they will
come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the
city ; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first ;
7 so we will flee before them : and ye shall rise up from
the ambush, and take possession of the city : for the
8 Lord your God will deliver, it into your hand. And it
shall be, when ye have seized upon the city, that ye shall
set the city on fire; [RD] according to the word of
the Lord shall ye do : see, I have commanded you.
9 [JE] And Joshua sent them forth ; and they went to the
ambushment, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the
west side of Ai : but Joshua lodged that night among
the people.
behind it : i. e. westwards of Ai : cf. verses 4,9; Deut.
xi. 30.
3. Between the two halves of this verse we must suppose
Joshua to have marched from the camp at Gilgal (ix. 6) into the
neighbourhood of Ai (sixteen miles), where he detaches the am
buscade (so Dillmann : cf. verse 9).
5. as at the first : vii. 5 f. ; note the use made of the former
defeat in the stratagem.
9. among the people: by the addition of a single Hebrew
letter, read with Ewald and Dillmann, ' in the midst of the vale '
(verse 13). Joshua takes in person the position for the feigned
attack on Ai (as in the parallel, verse 13).

JOSHUA 8. 10-14. JE 303
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and mustered 10
the people, and went up, he and the elders of. Israel,
before the people to Ai. And all the people, even the "
men of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh,
and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of
Ai : now there was a valley between him and Ai. And he "
took about five thousand men, and set them in ambush
between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of a the city.
bSo they set the people, even all the host that was on 13
the north of the city, and their Hers in wait that were on
the west of the city ; and Joshua c went that night into
the midst of the vale. And it came to pass, when the 14
king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early,
and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle,
he and all his people, d at the time appointed, before the
Arabah ; but he wist not that there was an ambush
a Another reading is, Ai.
b Or, So the people set all &c.
c Some MSS. read, lodged that night in.
d Or, to the place appointed
10-12 must be regarded as a narrative parallel with that of
verses 3-9, and is usually assigned to E, as the former to J
(Dillmann, Bennett, Holzinger). We start again from Gilgal, the
march of the warriors to the north of Ai, and the detachment of
the (much smaller and more likely) ambush to the west, being
again narrated.
13 : omitted by LXX. It summarizes and combines J and E,
its theory apparently being that the first detachment preceded the
main body in the first night, lying in ambush at Ai. till joined by
the second detachment on the second night (Holzinger). The
R. V. text in both cases is preferable to the margin ; ' they ' =
Joshua and the elders (verse 10).
liers in wait : ' rear,' lit. < heel ' : cf. Gen. xlix. 19.
14 shows confusion, due probably to composite origin.
saw it : i. e. the position of the main body of Israel ; but the
pronoun is supplied by R. V.
at the time (place) appointed, before the Arabah yields
no meaning (LXX omits).

304 JOSHUA 8. 15-20; ¦ JE
15 against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel
made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by
16 the way of the wilderness; And all the people that were
in a the city were called together to pursue after them :
and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away
17 from the city: And there was not a man left in Ai or
Beth-el, that went not out after Israel : and they left the
18 city open, and pursued after Israel. And the Lord said
unto Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand
toward Ai ; for I will give it into thine hand. And
Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand
19 toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of
their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out
his hand, and entered into the city, and took it ; and
20 they hasted and set the city on fire. And when the men
of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the
smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had
a Another reading is, Ai.
15. the way of the wilderness : i. e. eastwards, into the
desolate and mountainous country between Ai and the Jordan
Valley. 17. Beth-el i near to and west of Ai (vii. 2).
javelin : or dart (kidon), distinct from the spear or lance
(hanitK). Joshua is represented as keeping the javelin outstretched
(verse 36), just as Moses (Exod. xvii. 11, E) kept his hands uplifted
during the defeat of Amalek. Forms of symbolic magic are here
assimilated to the religion of Yahweh.
19. as soon as he had stretched out his hand: probably.
added by the redactor of J and E, to interpret verse 18 as a signal."
But no arrangement for such a signal1 has been made with the?
ambush ; in any ' case, it would have been useless, since the dis
tance would make the javelin invisible (itself, as Holzinger points
out, less suitable than the longer !< spear' for signalling). We are
rather to think that whilst one source (E ?) represents the capture
of Ai as achieved through divine' 'magic;' the other makes the
rising smoke (verses so, si) from the (invisible) city the signal for
the pursued to turn on their pursuers (so at the capture of Gibeah,
Judges xx. 38).

JOSHUA 8. 21-29. JERDJE 305
no a power to flee this way or that way : and the people
that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had 21
taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended,
then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. And 22
the other came forth out of the city against them ; so
they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and
some on that side : and they smote them, so that they
let none of them remain or escape. And the king of Ai 23
they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. And it came 24
to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all
the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness
wherein they pursued them, and they were all fallen
by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed,
that all Israel returned unto Ai, and smote it with the
edge of the sword. And all that fell that day, both of 25
men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men
of Ai. For Joshua drew not back his hand, wherewith 26
he stretched out the javelin, until he had b utterly de
stroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. [RD] Only the cattle 27
and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto
themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which
he commanded Joshua. [ JE] So Joshua burnt Ai, and 28
made it an c heap for ever, even a desolation, unto this
day. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the 29
eventide : and at the going down of the sun Joshua com-
a Heb. hands. b Heb. devoted. ' Or, mound Heb. tel.

20. power : ' hand ' is frequently used in this figurative sense :
cf. Deut. xvi. 17, xxxii. 36, xxxiv. 12 ; Ps. Ixxvi. 5.
S8. an heap for ever : Deut. xiii. 16.
unto this day: but Ai was rebuilt in the neighbourhood
(Isa. x. 28 ; Ezra ii. 28).
29 hanged : i. e, after having been killed (x. 26 ; Deut xxi.
22, 23) ; the reference is to impalement or gibbeting after death
X

306 JOSHUA 8. 30-33. JE RD
manded, and they took his carcase down from the tree,
and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and
raised thereon a great heap of stones, unto this day.
30 [RD] Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord, the God
31 of Israel, in mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the
Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written
in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of a unhewn
stones, upon which no man had lift up any iron : and
they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and
32 sacrificed peace offerings. And he wrote there upon Dthe
stones a copy of the law of Moses, °which he wrote,
33 in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel,
and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on
this side the ark and on that side before the priests the
» Heb. whole. b See Deut. xxvii. 2-4.
0 Or, which he wrote in &c.
(E.B., p. 1959). The body is represented as being taken down at
sunset, in obedience to such laws as that of Deuteronomy {joe. cit.).
For the heap of stones, see on vii. 36.
viii. 30-35. An altar is built, sacrifices are offered, and the law
is inscribed on Mount Ebal (verses 30-3). The blessing and curse
of the Deuteronomic law are read to all Israel between Ebal and
Gerizim (verses 33-5).
These events, supposed to take place at Shechem, in the heart
of territory as yet unconquered, can hardly belong to their present
context (which, moreover, they interrupt). We may suppose the
section misplaced, and to be read after xi. 23, or (with Dillmann)
that the narrative of the conquest of Middle Canaan has been
omitted. RD probably uses earlier material; otherwise the Law of the
Single Sanctuary would not be thus set aside by him.
30. mount Ebal: Deut. xxvii. 4; H.G.H.L., p. 120:
31. as it is written: Deut. xxvii. 5 (where see the notes).
32. upon the stones: presumably those of Deut. xxvii. 1-4,
with prepared surface, though the present passage alone would
suggest that the stones of the altar are meant.
a copy of the law: Deut. xvii. 18. Read as in R. V. marg.
33. This public assembly for the reading of the (Deuteronomic)

JOSHUA 8. 34—9. ,. RD 307
Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
as well the stranger as the homeborn ; half of them in
front of mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of
mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had
a commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel
first of all. And afterward, he read all the words of the 34
law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is
written in the book of the law. There was not a word 35
of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not
before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and
the little ones, and the strangers that D were conversant
among them.
And it came to pass, when all the kings which 9
a Or, commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of
Israel. b Heb. walked.
law is not to be confused with the procedure commanded in Deut.
xxvii. 11-26, but connected rather with the general command of
Deut. xxxi. 11.
as well the stranger as the homeborn : (verse 35 ; Lev.
xxiv. 16, 22) the ger and the ezrdh (see Robertson Smith,
Rel. Sem., p. 75). See on Deut. i. 16.
Gerizim: Deut. xi. 29; H.G.H.L., p. 120.
had commanded : (text preferable to margin) nothing more
definite than Deut. xi. 29 is recorded; first of all: opposed to
afterward (verse 34).
34. the words of the law : i. e. those inscribed on the stones ;
the reference to the blessing and the curse appears to be added in
view of Deut. xxvii. 12 f.
35. were conversant among them : rather (cf. R. V. marg.),
' travelled in their midst.'
ix. The Stratagem of the Gibeonites. The kings of Canaan
prepare for common action against Israel (verses 1, 2). The
Gibeonites, by the device of worn apparel and stale provisions,
persuade Israel that they come from a far country ; an alliance is
therefore made with them (verses 3-15). When their actual
nearness is discovered, Israel journeys to their cities, the people
finding fault with their leaders because of the hasty oath of
alliance (verses 16-18). The leaders suggest that the Gibeonites
should be given a servile place in relation to the congregation of
X 2

308 JOSHUA 9. 2-4. RD JE
were beyond Jordan, in the hill country, and in the
lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of
Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite,
the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 that they gathered themselves together, to fight with
Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 [JE] But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what
4 Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they also did
work wilily, and went and amade as if they had been
a Another reading, followed by most ancient versions, is, took
them provisions. See ver. 12.
Israel (verses 19-21). Joshua summons the Gibeonites, and
accuses them of deceit, which they defend as necessary, in view
of the herem of Yahweh (verses 22-4). They place themselves
at the disposal of Joshua, who gives them a servile place in relation
to the (future) temple (verses 25-7).
Apart from the additions of RD, the composite character of
the narrative is evident from the parallels, verses I5b, 17-21 (P),
and verses 22, 23, 26 (JE), in which the ' princes ' and Joshua
respectively take the leadership. There are also signs within the
JE sections of a double narrative (cf. ' Hivites,' verse 7, for
' inhabitants of Gibeon,' verse 3 ; and note the action of the
Israelites apart from Joshua, verse 14).
ix. 1-2. Cf. the similar introductory note of RD in v. 1, describ
ing the first effect of the invasion, as this does the resultant
alliance against Israel.
1. Three districts are mentioned, viz. the lowland, or
' Shephelah,' properly the region of low hills, south of Ajalon,
between the plain of Philistia (here the shore of the great sea,
i. 4, i. e. the Mediterranean coast) on the one hand, and the
central range (the hill oountry) on the other (H.G.H.L., p. 203).
in front of Lebanon : should be connected with ' sea,' as
the absence of a comma in R, V. indicates.
the Hittite, &c. : xii. 8 ; for the list of six nations (seven in
iii. 10), see on Deut. vii. 1.
3. Gibeon : identified with el- Jib, five or six miles north-west
of Jerusalem ; here the chief of a league of four cities (verse 17),
itself greater than Ai (x. 2).
4. they also did work wilily : i. e. as well as Israel, in the
stratagem against Ai. Read with R. V. marg. ; the difference
simply involves the change of a Hebrew consonant to another like
it in form.

JOSHUA 9. 5-n. JERDJE 309
ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and
wine-skins, old and rent and bound up ; and old shoes 5
and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon
them ; and all the bread of their provision was dry and
was become mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto 6
the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men
of Israel, We are come from a far country: now
therefore make ye a covenant with us. And the men of 7
Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell
among us ; and how shall we make a covenant with you ?
And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And 8
Joshua said unto them, Who are ye ? and from whence
come ye ? And they said unto him, From a very far 9
country thy servants are come [RD] because of the name
of the Lord thy God : for we have heard the fame of
him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he 10
did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond
Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king
of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. [JE] And our 11
elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to
hound up : i. e. mended by tying or sewing. Such skins, as
is well known, are still used in the East.
S. was become mouldy : rather (so in verse 12), 'crumbled.'
6. Gilgal : iv. 19, the Israelite base of operations (cf. x. 15, 43).
7. Hivites : xi. 19 ; Gen. xxxiv. 2 ; 2 Sam. xxiv. 7. The
name denotes an unimportant people of Central Palestine, included
in the herem of Deut. vii. 2 ; its appearance here for ' Gibeonites,'
without explanation, points to the use of a different source, and
this is confirmed by the prominence of the ' men of Israel ' without
Joshua. 8. We are thy servants : here the Gibeonites are represented
as offering subjection, rather than as seeking a treaty by craft ;
Joshua questions them regardless of verse 6.
9b, IO. Cf. ii, 10 ; Deut. i. si, 30, ii. 35, &c, for the ascription
to RD. , ,
11. No king of Gibeon is mentioned ; the government, like that
of Succoth f Judges viii. 14), appears to have been in the hands of

310 JOSHUA 9. 12-17. JE P JE P
us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey,
and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your
12 servants : and now make ye a covenant with us. This
our bread we took hot ,for our provision out of our
houses on the day we came forth to go unto you ; but now,
1 3 behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy : , and these
wine- skins, which, we filled; were new; and; behold, they
be rent : and these our garments and our shoes are
H become old by reason of the very long journey. And
the men took of their provision, and asked, not counsel at
15 the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with
them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live :
[P] and the princes of the congregation sware linto
16 them. [JE] And it came to pass at the end of three
days after they had made a covenant with them, that
they heard that they were their neighbours, and that
17 they dwelt among theim [P] And the children of
Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third
day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah,

a council of elders. After the word ' servants ' the source broken
off at verse 7 is resumed.
14. The men (of Israel) take and taste their food to test their
words. Haupt (S.B.O. T., adloc.) contrasts the fresh fig produced
by Cato in the Senate to illustrate the proximity of Carthage
(Plin. xv. 20).
asked not counsel: Hebrew 'asked not the mouth of
Yahweh' (Isa. xxx. 2), some form of the sacred lot being in
tended. 15. The three sources seem each to have contributed something
to this verse, whose triplet affords a good example of the problems
of literary analysis. Joshua makes peace with the Gibeonites
(E ? cf. verse 8) ; a covenant is made with them, doubtless by the
men of Israel in the original narrative (J ? Cf. verse 7) ; the
princes of the congregation swear to them (P, whose narrative is
continued in verses 17-31).
17. on the third day : the direct distance, as measured on the
map, from Gilgal to Gibeon, is about nineteen miles ; the journey

JOSHUA 9. 18-23. P JE 311
and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearirti. And the children of 18
Israel smote them not, because the princes of the
congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord, the
God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured
against the princes. But all the princes said unto all 19
the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the
Lord, the God of Israel : now therefore we may not
touch them. This we will do to them, and let them 20
live ; lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which
we sware unto them. And the princes said unto thefn, 21
Let them live : so they became hewers of wood and
drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the
princes had spoken unto them. [JE] And Joshua called 22
for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore
have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you ;
when ye dwell among us? Now therefore ye are cursed, 23

by road would, of course, be greater. As for the three other
cities of the Gibeonite league, Chephirah and Kiriath-jearim lay a
little to the south-west of Gibeon : Beeroth may be el-Bire to the
north of Gibeon, near Bethel.
18. murmured : Exod. xvij 2 ; Num. xiv. *, xvii. 5.
20. The binding power of the spoken word was generally
acknowledged by the ancient world ; it is to be distinguished from
the moral aspect of such promises. Here, indeed, a modern would
regard the pledge as cancelled by the deception employed to
obtain it ; whilst, if it were recognized as binding, he would
hardly feel free to evade it as in verse at. The account of the
deception, however, does not belong to this source (P).
wrath : Num. i. 53, xvi. 46, xviii. 5 : cf. 2 Sam. vi. 7,
xxi. 1 f., &c.
21. Something seems to be wanting at the end of verse 20;
LXX finds this in verse si, omitting 'and the princes said unto
them,' and reading ' they shall live, and shall be wood-cutters and
water-camef-s for all the congregation.' The important uncial F
also reads * and all the congregation did ' before the concluding
words 'as the princes said unto them.' This service to the
people (to individual Israelites ? cf. Driver on Deut. xxix. 10) is to
be distinguished from the temple-service Intended in verses S3, 27.

3i2 JOSHUA 9. 24— 10. i. JERDJERDJE
and there "shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both
hewers of wood and drawers of, water for the house of
qmy God. [RD] And they answered Joshua, and said,
Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the
Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give
you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the
land from .before,, you; therefore we were sore afraid for
our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand : as it seemeth
26 good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. [JE] And
so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the
hand of the children of Israel, that they slewithem not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and
drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar
of the Lord, unto this day, [RD] in the place which he
should choose.
10 [JE] Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of
a Heb. shall not be cut off from you.

23. hewers of wood and drawers of water : Deut. xxix. 11 ;
for the form of the curse, 2 Sam. iii. 29. The phrase is meant to
express servile work in general ; Hebrew, ' gatherers of wood.'
the house of my God: vi. 24 (the future temple) : cf.
verse 27 b.
21. Deut. vii. 1 f., xx. 10-18.
27. for the congregation: added by Rp to harmonize with
verse si ; in the place which he should choose : Deut. xii. 5, &c. ;
here evidently added by RD. Saul, in patriotic zeal, tried to
exterminate the Gibeonites (3 Sam. xxi. 3). On the evidence of
Neh. iii. 7, vii. 35, it has been concluded that they were subse
quently incorporated in Israel. Others have traced the Gibeon
ites in the temple-slaves known as ' Nethinim' ; Ezra ii; 58, viii. so ;
Neh. vii. 60 ; 1 Chron. ix. 3.
x. The Southern Campaign. Five kings of South Canaan
invest Gibeon because of its defection to Israel (verses 1-5).
Joshua, in response to the appeal of Gibeon, makes a sudden
attack, after a night advance, and overthrows the besiegers, their
rout being completed by a hail-storm (verses 6-1 1). A fragment

JOSHUA 10. 2. JERDJE 313
Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had
"utterly destroyed it; [RD] as he had done to Jericho
and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king;
[JE] and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made
peace with Israel, and were among them ; that they 2
feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one
" Heb. devoted.

of poetry relating to this defeat is quoted, and ascribed to Joshua,
which is interpreted as narrating a miracle of help to Israel (verses
13-14). Joshua and the Israelites return to Gilgal (verse 15).
The hiding-place of the five kings at Makkedah is watched, till
the return of the Israelites from the pursuit (verses 16-31). Joshua
brings the five out from the cave, and uses them to confirm Israel's
confidence in Divine aid, before they are killed, hanged, and
buried in the cave (verses 22-7). There follows a formal statement
of the capture and destruction of Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish
(aided byGezerites), Eglon, Hebron, andDebir (verses 29-39). This
single campaign is alleged to have subjugated the whole of South
Canaan, and to have included the destruction of every breathing
thing (verses 40-3).
The subject-matter (apart from the editorial work of RD, and the
fragment of ancient poetry, verses I2b-i3a) falls into three divisions :
(a) the narrative of the battle of Gibeon (verses 1-15), (*) 'he
slaughter of the kings at Makkedah (verses 15-37), (0 the catalogue
of victories. Of these, the last is clearly by RB, whilst (a) and
(b) are variously assigned, within the general limits of JE.
1. Adoni-zedek: i.e. 'The Lord is Zedek' (Gray, Hebrew
Proper Names, p. 141), Zedek being the name of a Phoenician
deity. An inscription with the name Zedekjatan (Zedek has
given) was found on the site of a Phoenician temple in 1903, and
a Phoenician king bears the name Zedek-melek (Bloch. Phoen,
Gloss , p. 55). Note also the name Melchizedek (The king is
Zedek), and cf. Adonijah (The Lord is - Jah) Adoni-zedek
appears in Judges i. 5 f. as Adoni-bezek (so LXX here), but the
latter form is less likely (cf. Moore, Judges, p. 16),
Jerusalem: xv. 63 (note) ; called Uru-salim in the Jell el-
Amarna Letters of c. 1400 b. c, seven of which are from its ruler
Abdchiba (Introd., III. s). It there appears as 'the fortified
capital of a small territory under hereditary princes (E.B., 2415;.
Haupt explains the name as ' City oT Safety ' (S.B.O T, p. 70).
as he had done, &c. : cf. viii. 2 for this interpolation of Ku.

314 JOSHUA 10. 3-8. JE RD
of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai,
3 and all the men thereof were mighty. Wherefore Adoni-
zedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of
Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto
Japhia king of Lachish, and Unto Debir king of Eglon,
4 saying, Come up unto me, and help me, and let us smite
Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with
j the children of Israel. Therefore the five kings of the
Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,
the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of
Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they
and all their hosts, and encamped against Gibeon, and
6 made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto
Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand
from thy servants ; come up to us quickly, and save us,
and help us : for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell
in the hill country are gathered together agairist us.
7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he, and all the people of
war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8 [RD] And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not :
for I have delivered them into thine hands ; there shall

2. as one of the royal cities : though itself possessing no king
(note on ix. ii).
3. Hebron : the ancient and important city, near the modern
El-Khalil, nineteen miles south of Jerusalem, on the road to
Beersheba. Jarmuth: (Khirbet el Yarmuk) sixteen miles west of
Jerusalem, near Bet-Nettif.
Lachish: (Tell el-Hesy) .between Eleutheropolis and Gaza.
Eglon : (Kh. 'Ajlan) two miles north, of Lachish, and twenty-
three miles west of Hebron. ¦
5. Amorites : Deut. i. 7 (note). The three last-named cities
he in the Shephelah rather than in the > hill-country ' (verse 6).
6. Slack not thy hand : lit. ' let drop ' (3 Sam. xxiv. 16), here,
with ' froirT = • abandon. '
8. Cf. viii. 1 ; Deut. iii. 2, vii. 34, &c, for ascription to RD.

JOSHUA 10. 9-12. RDJERD yj
not a man of them stand before thee. [JE] Joshua 9
therefore came upon them suddenly; for he went up
from Gilgal all the night. And the Lord discomfited io
them before Israel, and he slew them with a great
slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them by the way of the
ascent of Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and
unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled "
from before Israel, while they were in the going down of
Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from
heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they
were more which died with the hailstones than they
whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
[RD] Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day 12
9. he went up : more than twenty miles by a climbing road.
10. discomfited : Exod. xiv. 24 ; Judges iv. 15 ; 1 Sam. vii. 10 ;
better ' threw into panic' Note, as characteristic, how the
action of Israel is identified with that of Yahweh. So, on the
Moabite Stone (1. 19), Mesha describes his victory over the king of
Israel by saying, ' Kemosh drove him out before me.'
Beth-horon : i. e. the Upper, or more eastern Beth-horon,
five miles north-west of Gibeon, to which an ' ascent ' of nearly
two miles leads from the Lower Beth-horon lying to the north
west. Azekah : xv. 35 ; in the Shephelah, and near Socoh (1 Sam.
xvii. 1) ; in or near the Vale of Elah, though the exact site has not
been identified (Zakariya ?).
Mafcfcedah : xii. 16, xv. 41 ; identified by Warren with
el-Mughar, south-west of Ekron, and twenty-five miles from
Gibeon (D.B., iii. p. 218), though this is considered doubtful by-
others (H.G.H.L., p. 211).
11. the going down of Beth-horon: (i.e. the 'ascent' of
verse 10 : cf. 1 Mace. iii. 16, 24) probably extending to the whole
road down from the plateau to the maritime plain. On the
topography of this battle, see G. A. Smith (H.G.H.L., p. 309 f.).
great stones : cf. Eccliis. xlvi. 6. For the conception of
hailstones as Divine weapons, see Ecclus. xliii. 15 ; Exod. ix. 19,
25 ; Job xxxviii. 22 ; Hag. ii. 17 ; Rev. viii. 7 (see E.B., 1937).
Statistics of some remarkable hailstones are collected in D.B., ii.
282, where, also, are cited some historical cases of the discom
fiture of armies by hail.
12f. An early fragment of poetry dramatically describes the

3™ JOSHUA 10. 13, M- RDJERD
when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the
children of Israel; [JE] and he said in the sight of
Israel, Sun, a stand thou still upon Gibeon ;
And thou, Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.
>3 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed,
Until the nation had avenged themselves of their
enemies.
Is not this written in the book of b Jashar ? And the sun
stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go
14 down about a whole day. And there was no day like
that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto
the voice of a man : [RD] for the Lord fought for Israel.
a Heb. be silent. b Or, The Upright See 2 Sam. i. 18.

warrior's desire for time enough to achieve victory, with its fulfil
ment at Gibeon. As Bennett remarks, ' It means simply, " May
God grant us victory before the sun sets '' . . . there is no reason
to suppose that the narrative originally stated that a miracle
happened.' The poetry, however, was prosaically interpreted
by those who have handed it down to us, i. e. in the first place by
J (Oxf. Hex., Bennett) or E (Holzinger, Driver), and further
by RD, in quoting it from JE. Thus, the prose introduction
(verse I2a) interprets it as the prayer for a miracle ; the prose
conclusion (verses I3b, 14) asserts that the miracle took place.
From such categorical statements the song of the poet is clearly
distinguished (cf. Judges v. 20). ' With a touch of primitive
feeling, Syrian peasants still cry in song to the sun to hasten his
going down, that they may rest ' (Cheyne, E.B., 2333).
12. Aijalon: the town itself (now Yalo) being on the south side
of the valley, about fourteen miles from Jerusalem.
13. the book of Jashar : a written collection of ancient songs,
once handed down orally. The name ' Jashar ' means ' upright '
(either of Israel, or of its brave men) : cf. the Arabic name 'Hamasa'
(valour) for a similar collection. One other quotation is made
from this source by the O. T., viz. David's Lament over Saul and
Jonathan (2 Sam. i. 18), so that the compilation of the songs must
be later than the time of David. It is possible that 1 Kings viii. 13,
13 is drawn from this collection (LXX : cf, D.B., ii. 551 ; E.B.,
3334; Rob. Smith, O.T.J.C, 435; Ryle's Canon, p. 31 note).

JOSHUA 10. 15-21. JE 317
[JE] And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, Ifi
unto the camp to Gilgal.
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the 16
cave at Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The 17
five kings are found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
And Joshua said, Roll great stones unto the mouth of 18
the cave, and set men by it for to keep them : but stay 19
not ye ; pursue after your enemies, and smite the hind
most of them ; suffer them not to enter into their cities :
for the Lord your God hath delivered them into your hand.
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of 20
Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great
slaughter, till they were consumed, and the remnant which
remained of them had entered into the fenced cities, that 2 1
all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at
Makkedah in peace : none a moved his tongue against
a Heb. whetted.
A similar collection called ' The Book of the Battles of Yahweh '
supplies the fragment of poetry quoted in Num. xxi. 14, 15.
15. The verse is identical with verse 43, and is omitted by
LXX ; it is out of place (cf. v. si) in its present position, and
suggests that a new source is used, v. 16 f., to describe a particular
incident of the battle.
16. in the cave : a principal ground for the identification of
Makkedah (verse 10) with the present village of el-Mughar (' the
caves ') ; 'at this site alone, of all the possible sites for Makkedah
in the Philistine plain, do caves still exist ... cut out of the sand
stone ' (Warren, D.B., iii. 218).
20. fenced cities : Heb. 'cities of fortification.' The earliest
defensive walls of the Canaanites seem to have been made simply
of unhewn blocks of stone, but Babylonian influence must have
led to more developed means of defence. 'The Lachish of this
period bad crude brick walls nine or ten feet in thickness . . .
Fortresses such as Lachish the nomadic Hebrews could hardly
take by storm, not possessing the arms and engines of war
requisite for the purpose' (E.B., 1553).
21. moved his tongue : Heb. 'sharpened' (Ex6& xi. 7: cf.
Isa.x. 14); a proverbial way of describing the return-from the
pursuit ' in peace '-

3i8 JOSHUA 10. 22-27. JERDJE
22 any of the children of Israel. Then said Joshua, 0Pen
the mouth of the cave, and bring forth those five kings unto
23 me out of the cave. And they did so, and brought forth
those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the
24 king of Lachish, the king of Eglon. And it came to
pass, when they brought forth those kings unto Joshua,
that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto
the chiefs of the men of war which went with him, Come
near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And
they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of
25 them. [RD] And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor
be dismayed ; be strong and of good courage : for thus
shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye
26 fight. [JE] And afterward Joshua smote them, and put
them to death, and hanged them on five trees : and they
27 were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it
came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun,
that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off
the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had
hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth
of the cave, unto this very day.

24. chiefs: Heb. kdetn, etymologically connected with the
Arabic Kadi, or ' decider ' ; used, as here, of a military com
mander : Judges xi. 6, n ; Dan. xi. 18 : of a civil dictator, Isa. iii.
6, 7 : and of a ruler in general, Isa. i. 10, &c.
upon the necks : Ps. ex. 1 ; Isa. Ii, 23 : such customs, for
pnmitive thought, are not simply what they would be for us,
expressive or symbolic actions ; they belong to the great realm of
symbolic magic ; they confirm and help to repeat the victory won.
Assyrian sculptures illustrate the practice. See Introd., p. 266.
26. See the note on viii. 29.
27. untoi^his very day: i. e. some cave, with rocks lying
across 1ts.Cmc.1h, was pointed out in the writer's time as the place
where the bones of these kings lay.

JOSHUA 10. 28-33. RP 3I0
[RD] And Joshua took Makkedah on that day, and 2S
smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof;
he a utterly destroyed them and all the souls that were
therein, he left none remaining : and he did to the king
of Makkedah as he had done unto the king of Jericho.
And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with 29
him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah : and the 30
Lord delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand
of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and
all the souls that were therein ; he left none remaining in
it ; and he did unto the king thereof as he had done unto
the king of Jericho.
And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with 31
him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought
against it : and the Lord delivered Lachish into the 32
hand of Israel, and he took it on the second day, and
smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls
that were therein, according to all that he had done to
Libnah. Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish ; 33
and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left
him none remaining. a Heb. devoted.
x. 28-39. The principal items in this southern campaign are
noted according to a. regular formula. The emphasis falls, in
each case, on the completeness of the 'devotion' (herem).
28. them : read ' it,' as in verse 37 (MSS., Targ., LXX of Luc).
as he had done unto the Icing of Jericho : not stated in
chap, vi ; probably the hanging of viii. 29 is meant (cf. x. 1).
29. Libnah: in the Shephelah (xv. 43), site unknown, but
between Makkedah and Lachish.
33. Gezer: Tell Jezer, six miles south of Lydda (cf.
H.G.H.L., p. 216). It is named in the Tell el-Amarna Letters as
captured by invaders ; also in an inscription of Merneptah of the
thirteenth century. Israel did not take it (xvi. 10: cf. Judges
i. 29).

320 JOSHUA 10. 34-40. RD
34 And Joshua passed from Lachish,andalllsraelwithhim,
unto Eglon ; and they encamped against it, and fought
35 against it ; and they took it on that day, and smote it
with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were
therein he a utterly destroyed that day, according to all
that he had done to Lachish.
36 And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with
37 him, unto Hebron ; and they fought against it : and they
took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the
king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls
that were therein ; he left none remaining, according to all
that he had done to Eglon ; but he a utterly destroyed it,
and all the souls that were therein.
38 And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to
39 Debir; and fought against it: and he took it, and the
king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote
them with the edge of the sword, and a utterly destroyed
all the souls that were therein ; he left none remaining :
as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to
the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to
the king thereof.
;o So Joshua smote all the land, the hill country, and the
South, and the lowland, and the slopes, and all their
a Heb. devoted.

37. the king' thereof: already killed and hanged, according to
v. 26; the inconsistency is due to the different source (RD) of the
present statement, which is omitted by LXX in consequence.
Contrast, also, xiv. 13, xv. 13 ; Judges i. 10.
38. Debir: called Kiriath-Sepher in xv. 15, Judges i. n ;
identified by some with ed-Pahanyeh, eleven miles south-west of
Hebron (H.G.H.L., 279; but see p. 670, and E.B., ii. 2681;
Moore, Judges, p. 25).
x. 40-43. General summary of the southern campaign (cf. Judges
i. 9). 40. the South : see on Deut. i. 7,
the slopes : or ' cliffs ' (Gray, Numbers, p. 286) xii. 3, xiii.

JOSHUA 10. 41—H. 1. R» JE 321
kings ; he left none remaining : but he a utterly destroyed
all that breathed; as the Lord, the God of Israel, com
manded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea 41
even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even
unto Gibeon. And all these kings and their land did 43
Joshua take at one time, because the Lord, the God of
Israel, fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all 43
Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
r [JE]And it came to pass, when jabin king of Hazor heard 11
a Heb. devoted.
30 ; connected with Pisgah (Deut. iii., 17, iv„49) ,and with Arnon
(Num. xxi. 15) ; here more generally, it would seem, for the
regions west and east of the ' hill-country,'
aU that breathed : Deut. xx. 16.
41. Kadesh-barnea : (Deut. i. 2) 'Ain Kadis, fifty miles south
ofBeersheba. ,
Gaza : (Deut. ii. 33) near the coast, the most southern of the
chief Philistine cities.
the country of Goshen: (xi. 16) ; not, of, course, that of
Egypt (Gen. xlvi. 28) ; the reference is obscure, since, no place or
district of this name is known in the south of Palestine. ¦ The
town of this name in the hill-country of Judah (xv. 51) cannot be
intended. xi The Northern Campaign : general review. Jabin of Hazor
forms a league of northern kings (verses 1-4). A battle is fought
with them by the waters of Merbiri, in which they arfe utterly
defeated and destroyed (verses 4-9),. Hazor, the centre of the
league, is captured and burnt ; the other cities are 'taken, but not
burnt ; the inhabitants, however, are in every case destroyed, the
spoil only, including the cattle, being retained by Israel (verses
10-15). The two campaigns, south and north, are briefly noticed ;
the Gibeonites form the' solitary exception to the policy of ex
termination (verses 16-ao). Joshua also 'destroyed the Anakim,
except some in Philistia (verses 21, 22). Thus the whole land
was taken for division amongst Israel (verse 23).
The nari-ative of the defeat of the northern league against
Israel (xi. 1-9) is parallel to that of the southern (x. i-27), and is
apparently from the sVme source (J E) with additions (especially
in verses 2, 3) by RD. The subsequent summaries (xi. 10-23) are'by
Deuteronomistic writers (verses 21-3 may belong to a different
stratum from the rest).

3?z , JOSHUA 1 1. 2, 3- JE RD
thereof, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to th$
2 king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, [RD] and
to the kings that were on the north, in the hill country,
and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the low?
3 land,, and in afhe heights of ; Por on the west, to the
Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amprite,
1 Of, Naphoth Dor
1. Jabin king- of Hazor: described in Judges iv. 2f. as the
' King of Canaan.' Sisera, said to be his general : (Judges iv. s),
is overthrown by the tribe? Zebulun and Naphtali under Barak
and Deborah. The 'Song of Deborah' (Judges v), which cele
brates this victory "and is our "earliest source for the history of
Israel, does not mention Jabin. "Probably there were two tradi
tions relating to-Jabin and Sisera respectively, which have been
combined by making Sisera the general of Jabin: ' The war of
Zebulun and Naphtali against1 Jabin, king of Hazor, and his allies is
recounted in Joshua xi. 19, where if is magnified into the conquest
of all the northern Canaanites by Joshua and all Israel, in the
same way in which the victory ofjudah and Simeon over Adoni-
zedek (Adoni-bezek) of Jerusalem (Jud. i. 4-7) is elaborated in
Joshua x into the account of Joshua's conquest of all Southern
Canaan ' (Moore, Judges, p. 109). -
Hazor : somewhere near Kedesh-Naphtali and Lake Huleh ;
but the site of this, as of other places named, has not been
identified. Hazor belonged to Naphtali (xix. 36), Shimron to
Zebulun (xix. 15), Achshaph to Asher (xix, 35). With possible
identifications, the four towns broadly represent Galilee.
2. hill country ... lowland: i. e. Galilee, and the coast
north of Carmel respectively.
the Arabah south of Chinneroth: i. e. the Jordan Valley,
south of the Sea of Gennesareth (xii. 3, xiii. 27 ; Num. xxxiv.
11). ThetownofKinnereth(xix.35"; Deut.iii. 17), of unknown site,
existed already in the sixteenth century b. c. (Thutmosis III), ane)
supplied, the earlier name fpr the Sea of Gennesareth or Galilee.,
the heights of Dor: Dor (Tanturah) was an important
Phoenician settlement on the coast between Carmel and Caesarea.
Its ' heights ' or ' uplands ' are probably the low hills south of
Carmel (Conder, D.B., i. 617, who, however, doubts the identifi
cation with Tanturah),
3. Cf. Deut. vii. 1 for the names. The Hivites seem to belong
to Central Palestine (ix. 7), and probably ' Hittites ' and ' Hivites '
should be interchanged (as in LXX, J5)- ' The Hittites of the
Lebanon in the O. T. are, so far as we can judge, Semites of the

JOSHUA 11. 4-8. RD JE 323
and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the
hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land
of Mizpah. [JE] And they went out, they and all their 4
hosts with them, much people, even as the sand that is
upon the sea shore in multitude, with horses and chariots
very many. And all these kings met together ; and they 5
came and pitched together at the waters of Merom, to
fight with Israel. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be 6
not afraid because of them : for to-morrow at this time will I :
deliver them up all slain before Israel : thou shalt hough
their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. So Joshua 7
came, and all the people of war with him, against them by
the waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them.
And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, 8
and they smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon,
Palestinian rather than the Aramaean branch of the race*
(Moore, Judges, p. 82), and are not to be confused with the Hittite
empire of the Egyptian wars. For a statement of our present
knowledge of the Hittites, see Jastrow's article in E.B., 2094-2100.
the land of Mizpah (i. e. of the 'watch-tower') ; some district
north-east of the waters of Merom.
4. chariots : plated with iron (xvii. 16) ; the Hittite chariot
had usually two horses and three riders, the driver, the bowman,
and the shield-bearer (see the ^lustrations in E.B., 729, or in
S.B.O.T., frontispiece to 'Joshua').
5. met together : Heb. ' assembled by appointment ' (Ps.
xlviii. 4).
the waters of Merom : usually identified (as in the map pre
fixed to this volume) with Lake Huleh, the highest of the three
lakes in the Jordan Valley (H.G.H.L., p. 481) ; but this is doubted
by Buhl (Geographic des alten Paldstina, p. 113), and by recent
commentators. The geography of this campaign is obscure and
uncertain. 6. hough : ' hamstring,' i. e. cut the tendon of the joint in the
hind leg of a quadruped which corresponds to the ankle in man (cf.
2 Sam. viii. 4 ; Gen. xlix. 6) ; a custom due either to Israel's
inability to use horses and chariots (Steuernagel), or to the belief
that trust in Yahweh would be lessened by the use of such aids
(Dillmann) : cf. Isa. ii. 7 ; Deut. xvii. 16.
8. great Zidon: (xix. 28) ' great,' to distinguish it from a smaller
Y 2

324 JOSHUA H.9-14. JERD
and ; unto Misrephoth-maim,- and unto the valley of
Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left
9 them none remaining. And Joshua did unto them as
the Lord bade him: he houghed their horsevand burnt
their chariots with fire.
10 [RD] And Joshua turned back at that time, and took
Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword.; for
Hazor beforetime was' the head of all those kingdoms.
11 And they smote all -the souls that were therein with the
edge of the 'sword, <a utterly destroying. them-: there was
none left that breathed: dnd he burnt Hazor with fire.
12 And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of
•them, didt Joshua take, and he smote them with the edge
of the sword, and b utterly destroyed them ; as Mosesithe
13 servant of the Lord commanded. But as for the cities
that stood, on, their mounds, Israel burned none of them,
14 save Hazor only ; that did Joshua burn. And all the spoil
of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for
a prey unto themselves ; but every roan ythey/ smote with
the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them,
a Heb, devoting. b Heb. devoted.

place of the same name, for whose existence there is cuneiform
authority." •¦'"-. »¦• -.-i-.s^tt <>. -
Misrephoth-maim : site unknown, but apparently, on the
sea-coast (xiii. 6). 'Ain-Mesherfe, south of the ' Ladder of Tyre,'
is suggested. IO f. Cf. the similar, but more detailed, review of the southern
campaign, x. 28-43.
the head: see on verse 1.
13. on their mounds : (Jer. xxx. 18) Hebrew, Arabic, and
Syriac tel=' mound,' so frequent and familiar in place-names;
used in Deut. xiii. 16, Jer. xlix.. 3 of the 'heap', of ruins of a
destroyed city. These elevated cities are apparently supposed tobe
reserved for the settlement of Israelites.
14. As in the case of Ai (viii. 27).

JOSHUA 11. 15-20. RD 325
neither left they any that breathed. As the Lord com- 15
manded Moses his servant, so did Moses command
Joshua: and so did Joshua ; a he left nothing undone of
all that the Lord commanded Moses.
So Joshua took all that land, the hill country, and all 16
the South, and all the land of Goshen, and the lowland,
and the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel, and the
lowland of the same ; from •> mount Halak, that goeth up 17
to Seir, even unto Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon
under mount Hermon : and all their kings he took, and
smote them, and put them to death.' Joshua made war 18
a long time with all those kings. There, was not a city 19
that made peace with the children of Israel, save the
Hivites the inhabitants of Gibeon : they took all in ->
battle. For it was of the Lord to « harden their hearts, 20
to come against Israel in battle, that he might d utterly
destroy them, that they e might have ho favour, but
" Heb. he removed nothing. b Or, the bare mountain
° Heb. make strong; A Heb. devote. v
* Or, might not sue for favour ' ' •'-<¦'
15. A keynote of the book, stating the dominant conception of
RD, in his compilation of the narrative of the Conquest. See
Introd., pp. 261, 267.
16-20. A combined review of the results of the two campaigns.
17. mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir : xii. 7 ; the "Seir '
is that of Deut. ii. 5, in the extreme south- of Palestine, west of the
Arabah. "> • • - -
Baal-gad : xii. 7, xiii. 5 (so called from the worship of the
gpd of ; Fortune practised there) ; > perhaps Caes'area Philippi
(Panias), the objection being that the latter can hardly be said to
lie within the, .' valley-plain ' of Lebanon. The,- first part of this
verse corresponds to our English phrase ,'frbm Land's End to
John o' Groats.'
18. a long time : see on xiv. 10, implying five or seven years.
20. harden (their hearts) : 'make obstinate' ; Exod. iv. 21,
&c. (of Pharaoh). Their obstinacy is 'of Yahweh/ i. e. it
originated in His purpose and came through His inspiration.
favour : i. e. from Israel (Esra ix. 8, R.V. 'grace ' from

326 JOSHUA 11. 21—12. i. RD
that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded
Moses.
21 . And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim
from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from
Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from
all, the hill country of Israel : Joshua a utterly destroyed
22 them with their cities. There was none of the Anakim
left in the land of the children of Israel : only in Gaza, in
23 Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain. So Joshua took
the whole land, according to all that the Lord spake
unto Moses ; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto
Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And
the land had rest from war.
12 Now these are the kings of: the land, whom the
* Heb. devoted.
Yahweh); elsewhere ithe word is used for 'supplication for
favour,' whence comes R. V. marg.
21-23. An appendix on the expulsion of the giants by Joshua.
21. at that time : cf. x. 36, to which reference is possibly
made. Anakim : the (long)-necked men, i. e. those 0/ great
height; xiv. 12, xv. 13, 14 (expelled by, Caleb); Judges i. 10
(expelled by Judah) ; Deut. i. 28 ; Num. xiii. 23, 28, 33. They
are generally connected with Hebron, but are here more widely
distributed. Debir : x. 38.
Anab : xv. 50 ; the name is still found near to Debir, fourteen
miles south-west of Hebron.
22. Gaza, Gath, Ashdod: the well-known cities of Philistia,
the first and the third near or on the sea-coast, the second inland;
probably at Tell-es-Safiyeh, at the entrance to the Vale of Elah
(H.G.H.L., p. 194 f.). An illustration of the tradition of this verse
is supplied by ' Goliath of Gath ' (1 Sam. xvii. 4).
23. The two halves of this verse summarize respectively the
two halves of the Book of Joshua, viz. the Conquest (chaps.
i-xii) and the Division of Canaan (chaps, xiii-xxiv). ' ' '-
had rest: as in xiv." 15.
xii. Catalogue of the conquered kings on the east (verses 1-6)

JOSHUA 12. 2-6, RD 327
children of Israel smote, and possessed their land
beyond Jordan toward the sunrising, from the valley
of Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the Arabah
eastward? Sihon king of the Amorites,' who dwelt in 2
Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of
the valley of Arnon, and *the city that is in the middle
of the valley, and half Gilead, even unto the river
Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon ; arid the 3
Arabah unto the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and unto
the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the
way to Beth-jeshimoth ; and on the south, under the
slopes of Pisgah : and the border of Og king of Bashan, 4
of the remnant of the Rephaim, who dwelt at Ashtaroth
and at Edrei, and ruled in mount Hermon, and in 5
Salecah; and in all Bashan, unto the border of the
Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the
border of Sihon king of Heshbon. Moses the servant 6
of the Lord and the children of Israel smote them : and
Moses the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession
* See Deut. ii. 36.

and on the west (verses 7-24) of Jordan ; Sihon (verses 4-5) and
Og (verses 4-5) having been overcome, and their territory
divided, by Moses (verse 6), whilst Joshua occupied and assigned
the western territory (verses 7, 8), viz. that of the thirty- one (or
thirty) kings here specified (verses 9-24).
The first half of this summary is based on Deut. ii, iii ; the
second incorporates the deeds of Joshua from Joshua vi f., but
adds (from some unknown source) fifteen kings, viz. those of
Geder, Hormah, Arad, ¦¦ Adullam, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher,
Aphek of the Sharon (LXX), Tanaach, Megiddo, Kedesh,
Jokneam, Dor, Tirzah, the nations of Galilee (LXX).
1-6. For notes on the particular names, see Deut. ii and iii,
where all will be found except
Beth-jeshimoth: (xiii. 20; Num. xxxiii. 49) probably
Suweimeh, at the north-east corner of the Dead Sea ; here named
as a southern limit to the territory of Sihon ; and
Ashtaroth : ix. 10 ; Deut. i. 4.

328 JOSHUA 12, 7-13.! , RD
unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and' the half tribe
of Manasseh,;
7 .And these are the kings of , the land whom Joshua and
the children of Israel smote beyond Jordan westward,
from. Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon even unto
"mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; and Joshua gave
it , unto the tribes of Israel .for a possession according to
8 their; divisions ; in the hill country, and in the lowlaridj
and;! in ithe Arabah, and. in the slopes, and in the
wilderness, and in the South; the! Hittite, the Amorite^
and the, Canaanite, the Pefrizzite,i the> Hivite, and the
9 Jebusite:! the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai,
i o which is beside Beth-el, < one ; thei king of Jerusalem,
none; the king of Hebron; one; the king of Jarmuth;
12 one; the king of Lachish, one; the king bf'Eglori, one;
13 the king 'Of Gezer,. one; the king of Debir, one; the
a See ch. xi. 17.
7. Cf. xi.: 17.
8. Cf. ix. 1, x. 40, xi. 2, 16 ; the wilderness of Judah (xv. 61 ;
Judges i. 16) is added, i. e. the district between the Dead Sea and
the 'hill-country,' known as Jeshimon (H.G.H.L., p. 313).
9 f. Jericho (vi* if.), Ai (vii. sf.), Jerusalem (x. 3, not itself
taken), Hebron (x. 36), Jarmuth (x. 3), Lachish (x. 31), Eglon
(x. 34), Gezee (x. 33), Debir (x. 38), Geder (not known, here
only), Hormah (Num.. xiv. 45), Arad {Num. xxi. 1 ; Tell Arad,
seventeen miles south-east of Hebron, H.G.H.L., p. 278), Libnah
(x. 39); Adullam (Gen. xxxviii. 1 ; 'Aid el-ma, sixteen miles south
west of Jerusalem, H.G.HL.,p. 339), Makkedah (x. 38), Bethel (cf.
viii. 17), Tappuah (xvi. 8), Hepher (neither known, but in Central
Palestine), Aphek (not known), Lashafon (read with LXX, ' which
is in Sharon,' and 'connect with previous name), Madon, Hazor'
Shimron-meron, Achshaph. (xi. 1, 3), Taanach. <xvii, 11, xxi. 25;
south of the Plain of Esdraelon), Megiddo (probably 1 Lejjiin,
opposite Jezreel, H.G.H.L., p. 386), Kedesh (xix. 37; north-west
of Lake Huleh, i.e. Kedesh^Naphtali), Jokneam (xix. 11, xxi. 34 ;
north-west of Esdraelon), Dor (xi. 2), Goiim (as R. V. marg. •
read with LXX, ' in Galilee' for 'in Gilgal '), Tirzah (in Mount
Ephraim, site disputed, H.G.HM, p. 355 : cf. E.B:, 5103).

JOSHUA 12. 14—13, 1. RD JE 329
king of Geder, one; the king of Hormah, one; the king 14
of Arad, one; the king of Libnah, one; ,the king of 15
Adullam, one; the king of Makkedah, one; the king of 16
Beth-el, one; the king of Tappuah, one; the king, of 17
Hepher, one; the king of Aphekj one; the king of 18
Lassharon, one ; the king of Madon, one ; the king of 19
Hazor, one ; the king o( Shimron-meron, one ; the king 20
of Achshaph, one; the king of Taanach, one; the king 21
of Megiddo, one; the king of Kedesh, one; the king of 22
Jokneam in Carmel, one; the king of Dor in a the height 23
of Dor, one; the king of DGoiim in Gilgal, one; the 24
king of Tirzah, one : all the kings thirty and one.
[JE] Now Joshua was old and well stricken in years ; 13
a Or, Naph'dfh-dor ' * Orj nations
XIII f. The Division of the Land.
Here begins the second half of the book, ' devoted to the
Division of the Land, whose conquest has been described in
chaps, i-xii. It belongs chiefly to P (see Introd., II. 3), and it
should be noticed that the boundaries for the nine and a half
tribes (cf. Num. xxxiv. 1-15) agree substantially with those of
the land allotted by Ezekiel for the twelve tribes, on , their restora
tion from exile (Ezek. xlvii. 13-20). ' Here, as in other things,
what Ezekiel embodies in his description of the ideal future, P
embodies in his account of the idealized past' (Gray, Numbers,
P- 453)-
xiii. Yahweh recapitulates to Joshua the districts left uncon-
quered, within' the ideal boundaries (verses 1-6), and bids him
divide the land amongst the (western) tribes (verse 7). Summary
of the eastern territory (verses 8-12). An exception to the
occupation (Geshurites, verse 13), and to the participation (Levi,,
verse ii, cf. verse 33). Inheritance of Reuben (verses 15-33)',' of
Gad (verses '34-8), and of Eastern Manasseh (verses 29-31), com
pleting the division of the country east of Jordan (verse 32).
xiii. 1-14 has been expanded by the Deuteronomistic oditor
from a fragment of JE, representing the conquest of the Promised
Land as incomplete. The remainder of the chapter belongs to
what is now the main source, P.
1. well stricken in years : the Hebrew idiom is ' advanced in

33°: JOSHUA 13. 2, 3. JE Rb
and the Lord said unto him, ThoU art old and well
stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much
2 land to be ¦ possessed.' [RD] This is the land that yet
remaineth : all the regions of the Philistines, and all the
3 Geshurites ; from a the Shihor, which is before Egypt,
a Commonly called, the brook of Egypt. See Num. xxxiv. 5. ,
days'; in xxiv. 39 Joshua is said to have been no when he
died. See note on i. 1.
remaineth, &c. : this verse, with 7*, may have, referred
originally to the internal territory ; but it has been interpreted'-
by RD in verses.3-6 of the territory external to Israel, on the far
south and north. . Kuenen (Hex, p. 135) and others connect it
with xviii. 2f„ as referring to the land to be divided among the
seven tribes (after the settlement of Judah and Joseph). If this
is correct, RD has altered ' seven ' to ' nine and a half ' in verse 7,
when making the editorial transference.
2 f. Recapitulation of unconquered territory, on the borders of
Israel. ...
Philistines : particularized in verse 3, where are named the
inhabitants pf their five principal cities, viz. Gaza, Ashkelon, and
Ashdod on or near the coast, Gath in the Shephelah, and Ekron
eight miles south-east of Lydda. Their ' regions ' extended along
the Maritime Plain from Joppa for forty miles, to the south of
Gaza. For the history of this remarkable people, see Moore in
E.B., s.v., or G. A. Smith, H.G.H.L , chap. ix.
Geshurites : 1 Sam. xxvii. 8, where thiey are located south .
of Philistia, in the extreme south-west pf Palestine. The name
occurs also in verse 11 (cf. xii. 5 ; Deut. iii. 14), but of another
group in the north-east of Palestine.
3. the Shihor : denoting the Pelusiac arm of the Nile in Isa.
xxiii. 3 ; Jer. ii. ,18 ; so, possibly, here and in 1 Chron. xiii. 5.
In xv. 4, 47 (cf. Num. xxxiv. 5 ; , 1 Kings viii. 65 ; 2 Kings
xxiv. 7 ; Isa. xxvii. 12 ; 2 Chron. vii. 8) the south-west border of
Judah is defined by the 'Brook of Egypt,' identified with the
Wady el-'Arish, flowing into the Mediterranean midway between
Gaza and Pelusium. With this R.V. marg. identifies 'the
Shihor.' Authorities are divided as to these two views (cf.
Wilson, in D.B., iv. 498).
before Egypt: i. e'. east of it (Deut. xxxii. 49, xxxiv, 1, E.V.
'over against'), according to the familiar Hebrew idiom which
takes the left hand to represent the north (xix. 27 ; Gen. xiv. 15
R. V.), the right hand the south (Ps. lxxxix. 12), and behind, the
west (Judges' xviii. 12).

JOSHUA 13. 4-6. RD 331
even unto the border of Ekron northward, which is
counted to the Canaanites : the five lords of the
Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites,' the
Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; a also 4
the Awim, on the south : all the land of the Canaanites,
and Mearah that belongeth to the Zidonians, unto
Aphek, to the border of the Amorites : and the land of 5
the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising,
from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the entering
in of Hamath : all the inhabitants of the hill country 6
from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, even all the
Zidonians ; them will I drive out from before the
* Or, also the Awim : from the south, all Sec.
which is counted to the Canaanites : and is therefore part
of the (ideal) inheritance of Israel. The Philistines may have
seized this territory shortly before the Israelite invasion ; they
are not mentioned in the Tell el-Amarna Letters (1400 B.C.), rior
do they appear on the monuments of Ramses II (1340-1273). (Cf.
E.B., 3718, and see on Deut. ii. 23.)
also the Awim : Deut. ii. 23 ; with this connect the words
' on the south ' as in R. V. text, following the versions.
4. all the land of the Canaanites : Deut. i. 7 ; here, also, of
Phoenicia. Mearah is unknown ; Aphek -Aphaca (Afka), at the mouth
of the river Adonis (Nahr Ibrahim) ; for Amorites, see on
Deut. i. 7.
5. the land of the Gebalites: Gebal = Byblus, the ancient
Phoenician city, and the centre of the Tammuz cult, four miles
north of the Adonis (now Jebeil).
Baal-gad: xi. 17.
the entering in of Hamath : a phrase frequent in definitions
of the north boundary. Hamath lay on the Orontes, 150 miles
north of Dan ; ' the entrance to Hamath ' is either the mouth of
the pass between Lebanon and Hermon, as the starting-point of
the road to Hamath (Driver on Amos vi. 2, Cam. Bib.), or the plain
HOms, thirty miles south of Hama (Moore, Judges, p. 80).
' 6. Misrephoth-maim : xi. 8 ; the first part of the verse com
prehends (from east to west) the territory named in verses 4, 5.
them will I drive out: the 'I ' is emphatic in the Hebrew ;
Yahweh makes Himself responsible for the expulsion of the

332 JOSHUA 13, 7-12. RD:JE,RD
children of Israel,: only, allot thou it unto Israel for an
7 inheritance, as I have, commanded ,thee. [JE] Now
therefore, divide, this land for an inheritance [RD] unto
8 the nine tribes, -and the half tribe of Manasseh, , With
him the Reubenites and the Gadjtes, received their
inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan
eastward, even as Moses, the, servant of the Lord gave
9 them; from Aro^r, that, is on, the .edge of the valley of
Arnon,, and the. city that is, in the middle of th$, valley,
io and. alj, the a plain, pf Mfideba unto Dibon-;, apd allith©
cities of Silion king, of; the.. Amorites,,, which reigned in
Heshbpn, unto trie, border .qf {he, children of Ammon ;
n and Gilead, ., and the. border of, the Geshurjtes and
Maacathites, arid all mount Hermon, and all Bashan
12 untpSalecah; all the, kingdom of Og in, f;Bash.aiV which
reigned in Ashtaroth arid in Edrei (the siime was left of
the remnant of ' the Rephaim); for these did Moses
"Or, tableland ,.

peoples of these territories, so that •¦ Joshua may now .proceed? to
the division of the land. ,"
• allot: xxiii. 4 ; lit. ' make (the lot) to fall ' : cf. NutM.'XXSiv. 2.
as I have commanded thee : i. 6 ; Deut. iii. 28, xxxi. 7.
7. the nine tribes : i. e. excluding Reuben and Gad; and' the
half of Manasseh, whose territory is already assigned on the east
of Jordan. The first half of the verse continues verse 1, 'this
land ' being Canaan, not, of course^ the land unconquered.
8. With him does not connect properly with verse 7; since
'him' must, denote, the. eastern halfeof .Manasseh, whilst verse 7
(to which the, pronoun. would refer) speaks of Western Manasseh.
Some words have dropped .out- between verse 7 and verse 8,ie. g.
'For the half tribe; of. Manasseh! and' (Dillmann). LXX inserts
'from the Jordan unto the Great Sea in the direction of < the
sunset shalt thou ,give it.. The Great Sea shall be the boundary,'
and reads in verse 8, ' to the (two) tribes, and to the half of the
tribe of Manasseh, to Reuben and to Gad gave Moses,' &c.
8f. which Moses gave them : xii. 1-5; Deut.riii. 8-13, where
see the notes. ..-<.-

JOSHUA 13. 13-21. JRDP 333
smite, and drave them out. [J] Nevertheless the 13
children'of Israel drave not out the Geshurites, nor the
Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath dwelt in the
midst of Israel, unto this day. [Rb] Only unto the 14
tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance ; the offerings of
the Lord, the God of Israel, made by fire are his
inheritance, as he spake unto him.
[P] And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of 15
Reuben according to their families. And their border 16
was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of
Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valle^,
and air the a plain by Medeba; Heshbon, and all her 17
cities that are in the a plain'; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal,
and Beth-baal-meon ; and Jahaz, and Kedemoth, and 18
Mephaath; and Kiriathaim, and Sibmah',1 and Zereth- 19
shahar in the mount of the valley ; and Beth-peor, and 20
the b Slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth; and all the 21
cities of the' a plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king
of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbbh, Whom
Moses smote with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, and Rekem,
"Or, table land b Or, springs
 —  :  —  !  ; •- ¦ 'ig *.. -r ....' ¦ ¦-.  — 
13. See Introd., III. 1 (a), for the important evidence of this
and similar statements (incompleteness of conquest).
14. the tribe of Levi : verse 33, xiv. 3 ; Deut. x. 9, xviii. 1
(notes). the offering's . . . made hy fire : one word in Hebrew,
which has here been interpolated, as the grammar of the Hebrew
sentence shows (LXX omits). The sentence read originally as
verse 33".
xiii. 15-33. Tribal territories east of Jordan (P). Cf. Num.
xxxii. 34 f. Details as to the site (where identified) and history
of the cities hereafter catalogued may be found most conveniently
in the Bible Dictionaries, under the respective names ; points of
special interest only will be noticed here.
xiii. 15-23. The Inheritance of Reuben.

334 JOSHUA 13. 22-28* P
and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, that
22 dwelt in the land. Balaam also the son of Beor, the
soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword
23 among the rest of their slain. And the border of the
children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof.
This was the inheritance of the chjldren of Reuben
according to their families, the cities and the villages
thereof.
24 And Moses gave unto the tribe of Gad, unto the
25 children of Gad, according to their families. And their
border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half
the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is
a 6 before Rabbah; and ,, from, Heshbon unto Ramath-
mizpeh, and Betonim;, and from Mahanaim unto the
^7 border of "Debir; and in the, valley, Beth-haram, and
Beth-nimrah,. and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the
kingdom of .Sjhon king of Heshbon, b Jordan and the
border thereof, unto the uttermost part of the sea of
28 Chinnereth beyond Jordan eastward. This is the inherit-
* Or, Lidebir ' b Or, having Jordan for a border

SI. the chiefs of Midian: Num. xxxi. 8, where their over
throw is mentioned apart from that of Sihon.
22. Balaam: named with the Midianites in Num. xxxi. 8 also ;
the term applied to him, soothsayer (or diviner, Deut. xviiL 10),
originally denoted divination by drawing lots with headless arrows
at a sanctuary (see on vii. 14). Its later use, as here by P, is in
a more general and disparaging sense, viz. the ' oracle-monger '
(Gray, Numbers, p. 320). For the story of Balaam, see Num.
xxii-xxiv, esp. xxii. 5-6 ; cf. Joshua xxiv. 9, 10.
23. and the border thereof: should be rendered, as in Deut.
iii. 16, R. V. marg., ' for a border.'
xiii. 34-08. The Inheritance of Gad.
26. Debir : read with R. V. marg. (Lo-debar, a Sam. ix. 4,
xvii. 27, may be meant). .
27. the sea of Chinnereth : xi. 2,

JOSHUA 13. 29—H. 1. P 335
arice of the children of Gad according to their families,
the cities and the villages thereof. -
And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of 29
Manasseh : and it was for the half tribe of the children
of Manasseh according to their families, And their 3°
border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all tjie kingdom
of Og king of Bashan, and all athe towns of Jair, which
are in Bashan, threescore cities : and half Gilead, and 31
Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdoni of Og in
Bashan, were for. ; the children of Machir the son of
Manasseh, even for the half of the children of Machir
according to their farnilies.  , ,
These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in 32
the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho,
eastward. But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave none 33
inheritance : the Lord, the God of Israel, is their
inheritance, as he spake unto them.
And these are the inheritances which the children of 14
a See Num. xxxii. 41.

xiii. 29-31. The Inheritance of East Manasseh.
30. the towns of Jair : ' tent-villages ' .: Deut. iii. 14 (note),
31. half Gilead: contrast verse 25 (verses 29-31 probably
form a later stratum of P).
Machir the son of Manasseh : Deut iii. 15 ; the following
words of the verse appear to be a corrective gloss in the light of
Num. xxvi. 29, where all Manassites are sons of Machir. See on
xvii. 1.
xiii. 33, 33. Subscription to account of the division of eastern
territory. 32. Num. xxxiv. 15 ; Deut. xxxiv. 1.
33. See on verse 14 ; here probably a later addition (omitted
by LXX).
xiv. Introduction to the division of western territory (verses
1-5). Caleb claims Hebron, according to the promise of Moses
(verses 6-9). He proposes to drive out the Anakim who are

336 JOSHUA 14. 2-4. P
Israel' took in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the
priest, and Joshua the son of Nun; and the heads of the
fathers' houies of the tribes of the children of Israel,
2 distributed unto them, by the lot of their inheritance, as
the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, for the
3 nine tribes, and for the half tribe. For Moses had given1
the inheritance of the two tribes and the half tribe
beyond Jordan : but unto the Levites he gave none
4 inheritance among them. For tone children of Joseph
were two tribes; Manasseh and Ephraim : arid the/ gave
no portion unto the Levites in the land, save cities to
dwell in, with the a suburbs thereof for their cattle and
"Or, pasture lands'
there (verses 10-12). Joshua accordingly gives' Hebron to Caleb
(verses 13-15).
The account of the division of the country west of Jordan
(xiv. 1 — xix. 51) is drawn chiefly from P, to whom verses r-5 of
., this chapter belong, originally preceded byxyiij. 1 (Dillmann).
The remainder of the chapter lies before us as by R°, though
probably based on E.
1. Eleazar the priest : the son and successor of Aaron (Deut.
x. 6), who, according to P (Num. xxxiv. 16-29), with Joshua,
and a prince from each tribe, has been appointed to divide the
land by lot (Num. 'xxvi. 54-6, xxxiii. 54). 'Contrast the different
representation of JE in xViii. 6, 8-10, ° ' •"' "'
the heads of the fathers' : a shorter form of the phrase in
xxii. 14 (note).
2. by the Wt of their inheritance : read (with change of
a single Hebrew vowel) 'by lot, as their inheritance,' connecting
with verse 1.
as Yahweh commanded : Num. xxxiv. 13.
3 f. The writer proceeds to explain the number 9I by (a) the
subtraction of the a\ trans-Jordanic tribes, (A) the exclusion of
Levi, (c) the two branches of the Jasephites counting as two
tribes (Gen. xlviii. 5),
4. cities to dweU in: for these wholly ideal Levitical cities
cf. Num. xxxv. 1-8 ; Lev. xxv. 32-4.
suburbs : better R. V. marg. 'pasture lands,'held in common
(xxi. 11). The Hebrew word is, literally, " a place where cattle
are driven.'

JOSHUA M.5-ioJ PRD 331
for their substance. As the Lord commanded Moses, 5
so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
[(E) RD] Then the children of Judah drew nigh unto 6
Joshua in Gilgal : and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the
Kenizzite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that
the Lord spake unto Moses the man of God concerning
me and1 concerning thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years 7
old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me
from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought
him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless 8
my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the
people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land 9
whereon thy foot hath trodden shall be an inheritance to
thee and to thy children for ever, because thou hast
wholly followed the Lord my God. And now,. behold, 10
the Lord hath kept me alive, as he spake, these forty
and five years, from the time that trie Lord spake this
6. Caleb : of the tribe of Judah (Num. xiii. 6, xxxiv. 19), the
faithful and courageous spy (Num. xiv. 6). In another tradition
he is called the Kenizzite (Num. xxxii. 12 : cf. Judges i. 13), from
Kenaz, an Edomite tribe (Gen. xxxvi. 11).
Kadesh-barnea : Num. xiii. 26, xxxii; 8 ; for site, see on
Deut. i. 2.
7. in mine heart : Hebrew ' with ' ; the heart, in Hebrew
psychology, is the centre not of feeling only, but of all psychical
phenomena, including (as here) intellectual states (Deut. viii. 5 ;
1 Kings x. 2, &c).
8. For the conflicting testimonies of the spies, see Num. xiii.
9. whereon thy foot hath trodden : Hebron (Num. xiii. 22).
The promise is confirmed by the oath of Yahweh in Deut. i. 36 ;
cf. Num. xiv. 34.
10. these forty and five years : the exact time of desert-
wandering, after the departure from Kadesh-barnea, is given else
where (Deut. ii. 14) as thirty-eight years. This would, leave
a period of seven years (cf; xi. 18) for the conquest of Canaan,
as far as the present point of the narrative (or five years, if we

33» JOSHUA 14. n-15. RD
word'unto Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness :
and now, lo, I am this day fourscore a&d five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I Was in the day that
Moses sent me : as my strength was then, even so is my
Strength now, for war, and to go out .and to come in.
1 2 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord
spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how
the Anakim were there, and cities great and fenced:
it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall
13 drive them out, as the Lord spake. And Joshua
blessed him; and he gave Hebron unto Caleb the son
14 of Jephunneh for an inheritance. Therefore Hebron
became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh
the Kenizzite, unto this day ; because that; he wholly
15 followed the Lord, the God of Israel. Now the name
of Hebron beforetime was a Kiriath-arba ; which Arba
* That is, The city of Arba.
subtract the conventional forty years). No other chronological
information is given in this book as to the Conquest (see Introd.,
III. 2).
11. to go out and to, come in : Deut. xxviii. 6, xxxi. 2, &c.
12. this mountain: i.e. the 'hill-country' round Hebron,
which is in the highest part of the mountains of Judah.
Anakim: xi. 21 (note).
fenced: x. so (note). ,
13. blessed him : the solemn blessing, or curse (vi. 36),
especially at an important crisis, had great importance attached to
it by the Hebrews, as by other ancient peoples : cf. Gen.ix. 35,
xxvii. 35, &c. Such blessings are really spells, charged with an
automatic power to affect the future. -.,;,„, ,„.{,
<-rXf' x**lath-ar°a ' Judges i. 10. The name probably meant
Tetrapolis,' the 'fourfold' city (cf. Moore, Judges, p. 23), ex
plained by Jerome as being the fourfold buriaMace of Adam,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The numeral form ' arba ' was mis
understood at an early date, and transformed into a legendary
nero of the Anakim, Arba, founder of the city, and (in xv. 13,
xxi. n) the father of Anak. 3'

JOSHUA 15.'i-5:. RDP

339

was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the
land had rest from war.
[P] And the lot for the tribe of the children of Judah 15
according to their families was unto the border of Edom,
even to the wilderness of Zin southward, at the uttermost
part of the south. And their south border was from the 2
uttermost part of the Salt Sea, from the abay that
looked southward : and it Went out southward Of the 3
ascent of Akrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and went
up by the south of Kadesh-barnea, and passed along by
Hezron, and went up to Addar, and turned about to
Karka : and it passed along to Azmon, and went out at 4
the brook of Egypt ; and the goings out of the border
were at the sea : this shall be your south border. And 5
" Heb. tongue.
xv. 1-13. The Inheritance of Judah ; defined by a line drawn
from the south end of the Dead Sea to Kadesh, and thence to the
Wady el-'Arish (verses 3-4) ; by the Dead Sea on the east (verse
5a) ; on the north, by a line drawn from the Dead Sea mouth of
the Jordan across to the Mediterranean, having on it, or near it,
the following places (amongst others), viz. Beth-Hoglah, Adum-
mim, En-Shemesh, Jerusalem, Kiriath-jearim, Chesalon, Beth-
Shemesh, Timnath, Ekron, Jabneel (verses 5b-n) ; on the west
by the Mediterranean (verse is).
It See especially G. A. Smith, H. G,. H- L., chap. xiii,.'The
Borders and Bulwarks of Judaea,' where the character of the
debatable north frontier is described. The same frontier
delineated by towns and natural features in verses 5b-n is given,
for the most part, as the south border of Benjamin in xviii. 13-19
(though reversed, from west to east).
1. Edom: the district of Mount Seir (Deut. i. 3).
the wilderness of Zin : in which lay Kadesh (Deut. xxxii. 51).
2. hay : verse 5, xviii. 19 ; whereas we speak of a ' tongue ' of
land, the Hebrews spoke of a ' tongue ' of sea (Isa. xi. 15) ; the
parallel description in Num. xxxiv. 3 says simply 'from the end
of the Salt Sea.' . .
3. the ascent of Akrabbim : Num. xxxiv. 4 ; Scorpion Pass,
one of the passes opening from the Wady el-Fikreh, possibly
that opposite the prominent Jebel Madurah.
4. the brook of Egypt : xiii. 3 (note) ; your : read ' their' (LXX).
Z 2

340 JOSHUA 15. 6-8. P
the east border was the Salt Sea, even unto the end of
Jordan. And the border of the north quarter was from
6 the a bay of the sea at the end of Jordan : and , the
border went up to Beth-hoglah, and passed along by the
north of Beth-arabah ; and the border went up to
7 the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben : and the border
went up to Debir from the valley of Achor, and so
northward, looking toward Gilgal, that is over against
the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south side
of the river : and the border passed along to the waters
of En-shemesh, and the goings out thereof were at
8 En-rogel : and the border went up by tbe valley of the
son of Hinnom unto the "side of the Jebusite south
ward (the same is Jerusalem) : and the border went up
1 Heb. tongue. * Heb. shoulder.
5. bay : here that of the north end of the Dead Sea.
6. The line can be traced by means of the names selected in
the summary above, all of which will be found in any large map.
the stone of Bohan: xviii. 17 ; unknown both as regards
name and site. 'Bohen' in Hebrew means 'thumb,' and the
name may have been given to some rock or hill from a fancied
resemblance — the ' Thumb Rock.'
7. the valley of Achor : vii. 24.
Gilgal : not, of course, the basal camp in the Jordan Valley.
ascent of Adummim: xviii. 17 ; prbbably Tala'at ed Dumm
(Ascent of Blood) on the ordinary road from Jericho to Jerusalem.
' Curious red streaks appear from time to time on the stone, and
perhaps account for the sanguinary names which attach to the
road' (H.G.H.L., p. 265).
8. the valley of the son of Hinnom : Heb. g6 ben-Hinhom,
or (xviii. 16) ge-Hinnom, familiar in its later form, Gehenna,
through associations engendered by the use of the valley for the
worship of Molech (2 Kings xxiii. 10) ; one of three possible
valleys south of Jerusalem, viz. the Wady er-Rababi, the Tyro-
poeon, and the Kidron, but probably the first (E.B., 243a : D.B.
ii. 3?5f-)- unto the side of the Jebusite southward: south of the
'shoulder' on which Jerusalem stands; Jerusalem itself being
within the territory of Benjamin (xviii. 28).

JOSHUA 15. 9-13. P 341
to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of
Hinnom westward, which is at the uttermost part of the
vale of Rephaim northward : and the border was drawn 9
from the top of the mountain unto the fountain of the
waters of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of mount
Ephron ; and the border was drawn to Baalah (the same
is Kiriath-jearim) : and the border turned about from 10
Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along
unto the side of mount Jearim on the north (the same is
Chesalon), and went down to Beth-shemesh, and passed
along by Timnah : and the border went out unto the 1 1
side of Ekron northward : and the border was drawn to
Shikkeron, and passed along to mount Baalah, and went
out at Jabneel ; and the goings out of the border were
at the sea. And the west border was to the great sea, 12
and the border thereof. This is the border of the
children of Judah round about according, to their
families. And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave 13
a portion among the children of Judah, according to the
9. was drawn : ' inclined.'
the fountain of the waters of Nephtoah : xviii. 15 ; in its
original form, probably 'the fountain of Merneptah' (Calici, quoted
by Meyer, Die Israeliten, p. 233).
11. Jabneel : Yebna, twelve miles south from Joppa, and four
miles from the Mediterranean. Under the name Jamnia it became
famous as the religious centre of the Jewish race in the period
70-135 A. D.
12. The verse should read, ' And the west border was the Great
Sea as border ' : cf. xiii. 23.
xv. 13-20. Caleb acquires his portion. Verse 13 is redactional,
introducing an account of the acquisition of the territory around
Hebron by Caleb (cf. xiv. 6-15). This is one of the fragments
of J, closely related to the first chapter of Judges, which contains
a parallel and almost verbally identical narrative (Judges i. 10-15).
Verse 20 is the concluding formula of P to the whole definition
of the territory of Judah.

342 JOSHUA 15. 14-19. P J
commandment of the Lord to Joshua, even ,a Kirjatb,-*
arba, which Arba was the father of Anak (trie same
14 is Hebron). [J] And Caleb drove out thence the three
sons of Anak, Sheshai,. and Ahiman, and Talmai, trie
15 children of Anak. And he went up thence against the
inhabitants of Debir : now the name, Of Debir beforetime
16 was Kiriath-sepher. And Caleb said; He that smiteth
Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah
17 my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz,
the brother of Caleb, took it : and he gave him; Achsah
18 his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, when she
came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father
afield: and she lighted down< from off her ass; and
10 Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou ? And she
tt That is, the city of Arba. '
13. Kiriath-arba : xiv. 15 (note). , ¦
14. Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai : Num. xiii. 22 ; Judges
i. 10 (according to the latter, it is Judah who smites them).' The
names suggest Aramaean origin for the clans in question ; Sheshai
may be the Shasu (Syrian Bedouins) of the Egyptians ; the Talmai
of 2 Sam. iii. 3, xiii. 37 is the Aramaean king of Geshur (cf.
Gray, Numbers, p. 141 ; Moore, Judges, p. 24).
15. Debir: x. .38.
Kiriath-sepher: lit. (if the name be of Hebrew Origin)
'city of writing,' but no inference can be draSvn from such an
etymology as to the literary life of Canaan! It is quite-likely that
some (unknown) Canaanite word, resembling Sepher in sound,
has been reproduced in a form familiar to Hebrew ears ; cf. the
English modification of ' e'crevisse' into ' crayfish.'
16. For the idea cf, 1 Sam. xvii. 35 ; 1 Chron. xi. 6.
Achsah must be taken to represent a Kenizzite clan- con
nected with the Othnielites of Debif, and the Calebites of
Hebron. '¦.'¦
17. Othniel: called (Judges, i. 13) the younger brother of
Caleb : cf. Judges iii. 9-11.
18, 19. The story is a graceful one, and may well rest on some
personal incident, although its significance in the present con
text is in relation to Clans. Achsah, when she comes to her
future husband as the prize of battle, incites him. to join her in

JOSHUA 15. 20-32. J P 343
said, Give me a » blessing ; for that thou hast t> set me in
the land of the South, give me also springs of water.
And he gave her the upper springs and the nether
springs. [P] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children 20
of Judah according to their families. '
And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of 21
Judah toward the border of Edom in the South were
Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur; and Kinah, and Dimonah, 22
and Adadah ; and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan ; 23
Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth ; and Hazor-hadattah, 24, 25
and Kerioth-hezron (the same is Hazor) ; Amam, and 26
Shema, and Moladah ; and Hazar-gaddah, and Heshmon, 27
and Beth-pelet ; and Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba, and 28
Biziothiah ; Baalah, and lim, and Ezem ; and Eltolad, 39, 30
and Chesil, and Hormah ; and Ziklag, and Madmannah, 31
and Sansannah ; and Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, 3 a
and Rimmon : all the cities are twenty and nine, with
their villages.
" Or, present * Or, given me the land of the South
a further request. She descends from her ass to show respect for
her father, as did Abigail on meeting David (1 Sam. xxv. 23)!
The 'present1 (R.V. marg. : cf. Gen. xxxiii. 11 ; 1 Sam. xxv. 27,
xxx. 26 ; 2 Kings v. 15), for which she asks, consists of certain
water-rights, of consequence because the ' South ' is the dry or
parched land. 'Property in water is older and more important
than property in land' (Rel. Sem., p. 104). The springs in
question may be those of a particularly well-watered valley (Seil
ed-Dilbeh) found between Hebron and Debir.
xv. 21-63. Catalogue of cities belonging to Judah. This catalogue
falls into four topographical divisions, viz. the Negeb or ' South '
(verses 31-33), the Shephelah or 'lowland ' (verses 33-47)1 the
' hill-country ' (verses 48-60), and the 'wilderness ' (verses 61-62).
An appended note states the inability of Judah to expel the
Jebusites from Jerusalem (verse 63). ,
28. Biziothiah: we should, perhaps,' read, with slight change,
' her daughters ' (verse 45, Neh. xi. 28).

344 -7 JOSHUA .15. 33-54- P
33, 34 In the lowland, Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah ; and
35 Zanoah, and En-gannim, Tappuab*. and Enam; Jarmuth,
36 and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah ; and Shaaraim, -and
Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim; fourteen
cities with their villages- .
37, 38 Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdal-gad; and Dilan,
39 and Mizpeh, and Joktheel ; Lachish, and Bozkath, and
40 Eglon ; and Cabbon, and a Lahmam, and Chithlish ;
41 and Gederoth, Beth-dagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah;
sixteen .cities with their villages. .
4 a, 43 Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan; and Iphtah, and
44 Ashnah, and, Nezib ; and; Keilah, . and Acji^ib,, and
Mareshah ; nine cities with their villages.
45, 46 Ekron, with her b towns and her villages : from Ekron
even unto the sea, all that were ,by the "side of; Ashdodi
with their villages.
47 Ashdod, her towns and her villages; Gaza, her towns
and her villages ; unto the brook of Egypt, -and the great
sea, and the border thereof. \ ; ,
48 And in the hill country, Shamir, and Jattini and
49 Socoh -, and Dannah, and Kiriath-sannah (the same is
5°i $r Debir); and Anab,. ,and Eshtemoh, and Anim ; and
Goshen, and Holon; and Giloh ; eleven cities with their
villages'.
52i 53 Arab, and Dumah, and Eshan ; and Janim, and Beth-
54 tappuah, and Aphekah ; and Humtato, and Kiriath-arba
a Or, Lahmas " Heb. daughters.
32. twenty and nine: thirty-six are actually given; seven,
therefore, have been added subsequently, possibly in verses 36-8
(cf. Neh. xi. 26, 27) ; LXX unites Ain and Rimmon as one city.
36. fourteen: fifteen are actually given : Adithaim is omitted
by LXX.
47. and the border thereof: should be, as in xiii. 23, 'as the
border,' ' •

JOSHUA 15. 55—I6, n. P J JE 345
(the same is Hebron), and Zior ; nine cities with their
villages. Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Jutah ; and Jezreel, and 55, s6
Jokdeam, and Zanoah ; Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah ; 57
ten cities with their villages.
Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor ; and Maarath, and 58, 59
Beth-anoth, and Eltekon ; six cities with their villages.
Kiriath-baal (the same is Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah; 60
two cities with their villages.
In the wilderness, Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah ; 61
and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and En-gedi ; six 62
cities with their villages.^
[J] And as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of 63
Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them
out : but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Judah
at Jerusalem, unto this day.
[JE] And the lot for the children of Joseph went out 16

59. After this verse add with LXX, ' Tekoa, Ephratha, that is
Bethlehem, Peor, Etam, Rolen, Tatam, Sores, Kerem, Gall.im,
Bether, Manahath, eleven cities and their villages.'
63. Another fragment of J = Judges.!, 21 (except that 'Judah'
is replaced by '.Benjamin,' and 'could not' by 'did not,' the
present being the more original form of the verse). According
to verse 8 and xviii. 28, Jerusalem belongs to Benjamin, and the
redactor of Judges i has corrected J accordingly. For the con
quest of Jerusalem by David (of Judah), see 2 Sam. v. 6f. (cf.
2 Sam. xxiv. 18). ,
xvi, xvii. The Inheritance of Joseph : definition of south border
by a line drawn from Jericho through Bethel, the lower Beth-
horon and Gezer (xvi. 1-3). Inheritance of Ephraim, as one of
the sons of Joseph (xvi. 4); definition of territory (xvi. 5-8);
which includes some cities in Manasseh (xvi. 9), and excludes
Gezer (xvi. 10). Inheritance of Manasseh (xvii. 1) ; divisions of
the tribe, male (xvii. 2), and female (xvii; 3) ; claim of the latter
to inherit (xvii. 4). Territory of Manasseh (xvii. 5-6), and its
borders (xvii. 7-10). Canaanite cities not dispossessed (xvii.

34& : JOSHUA 16. 2, 3. JE
from the Jordan at Jericho, at the waters of Jericho on
the east, even the wilderness, going up from Jericho
2 through the hill country to Beth-el ; and it went out
from Beth-el to Luz, and passed along unto the. border,
3 of the Archites to Ataroth ; and it went down westward
 r  . - h- - — r*  '  .  » 
11-13). The claim of the Josephites for a larger share (xvii.
14-18). "'
There is a marked contrast between the precise details in regard
to Judah, and the briefer and more generalized statements of these
chapters in regard to the Josephite territory ; it is probably due
to the fact that when this book was compiled the Northern King
dom had ceased to exist, and its territpry was no longer in Jewish
hands. The territory of Joseph is the middle part of the country west
of Jordan, bounded by Benjamin (xviii. II f.) and Dan (xix. 40 f.)
on the south, and by Issachar (xix.' 17 f.) and Asher (xix. 24 f.) on
the north. Its central feature is 'the hill-country of Ephraim i'
(xvii. 15 ; on the extension of this name to the whole territory,
see H.G.H.L., p. 335), in which the central range of Judah is
continued. On the west this descends to the Plain of Sharon,
with many points of easy access ; on the. east it overhangs the
Jordan Valley, being steep and inaccessible in the southern half,
but with broad valleys opening up into the interior in the northern
half (op. cit., 336). For the boundary between Judah (Benjamin,
and Israel, see H.G.H.L., chap, xii ('Judaea and Samaria — The
History of their Frontier'), where the reasons for its shifting
character are given.
1. the lot . . . went out : read, with LXX, ' the border . . . was.'
(The Hebrew text, if retained, will refer to the lot falling from
the receptacle in which it was shaken : cf. xviii. n, &c.)
the waters of Jericho : probably 'Ain es-Sultan, a little
north-west of the present Riha.
This verse is as clumsy in Hebrew as it is in English, and is
possibly corrupt, but the general meaning is that the boundary
runs from Jericho to Bethel (leaving room for Benjamin, xviii. 12 f.,
between it and the north border of Judah, xv. 5*t).
2. Beth-el to luz: cf. Gen. xxviii. 19. where the sanctuary of
Bethel and the city of Luz are brought into close connexion.
Luz may be an addition here (cf. LXX), as the earlier name
of the place called Bethel (House of God) on account of its
sanctuary. Archites: cf. 2 Sam. xv. 32 (Hushai the Archhe).; possibly
the inhabitants of the place now represented by 'Ain 'Arik, west
of Bethel.

JOSHUA 16. 4-9. JE P JE? 347
to the border of the Japhletites, unto the border of
Beth-horon the nether, even unto Gezer : and the goings
out thereof were at the sea. [P] And the children of 4
Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
And the border of the children of Ephraim according to 5
their families was thus :, even the border of their
inheritance eastward was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon
the upper ; and the border went out westward at 6
Michmethath on the north; and the border turned
about eastward unto Taanatb-shiloh, and passed along it
on the east of Janoah ; and it went down from Janoah 7
to Ataroth, and to Naarah, and reached unto Jericho;
and went out at Jordan. From Tappuah the border 8
went along westward to the brook of Kanah ; and the
goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inherit
ance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according
to their families ; [ JE ?] together with the cities which 9
were separated for the children of Ephraim in the midst
3. Japhletites : quite unknown, and not elsewhere mentioned.
4. the children of Joseph : Gen. xlviii. so, where Ephraim
is made to take the place of Manasseh the firstborn ; P, how
ever, here recognizes the primogeniture of Manasseh, though the
redactor has placed the description of Ephraimite territory first.
5. The Hebrew is confused ; the definition of the border seems
to have been condensed, in view of verses 1-3. Thus, only the
east half of the south border is repeated.
Ataroth-addar: ( = Ataroth, verse 2) may be Atara, three
and a half miles south of Bethel, on the road to Jerusalem.
Beth-horon : see on x. 10. ...
6-8 With Michmethath (east of Shechem, xvii. 7) begins the
north border, with Taanath-Shiloh, the east, which falls along the
edge of the Jordan Valley down to Jericho (verse 7) ; while the
western part of the north border (verse 8) runs from Tappuah to
the brook of Kanah (xvii. 9); i.e. probably the Wady Kanah,
south-west of Shechem, a tributary of the ' Auja, which falls into
the Mediterranean above Joppa. '
9. Cf. xvii. 8, where Tappuah is named as one of these extra
territorial Ephraimite cities,

348 JOSHUA 16. ro— 17. 2. JE ? J P JE ?
of the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the
10 cities with their villages. [J] And they drave not out
the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer : but the Canaanites
dwelt in the midst of Ephraim, unto this day, and
became servants to do taskwork.
17 [P] And this was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh ;
for he was the firstborn of Joseph. [JE?] As for
Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead,
because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead
2 and Bashan. And the lot was for the rest of the
children of Manasseh according to their families; for
the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek,
10. This verse belongs to the chain of J passages (cf. xv. 63),
and is repeated (to ' Ephraim ') in Judges i. 39. Gezer (cf. verse
3) retained its Canaanite population until the time of Solomon,
when it came into his possession as the dowry of his wife,
Pharaoh's daughter (cf. 1 Kings ix. 16).
became servants to do taskwork : xvii. 13 ; Gen. xlix. 15 ;
1 Kings ix. 31 ; lit. ' were for a working labour-gang.'
xviu 1-6. The Tribal Divisions of Manasseh.
this was the lot for: Heb. 'and the lot was (drawn) for'
(as in verse s).
for he was the firstborn of Joseph : a reason for, the place
of.Manasseh before Ephraim in P's account of the division of the
land ; the redactor has, however, reversed this order (cf. xvi. 5 f.)
in our present text.
Machir: Num. xxvi. 29; where, however, he. is represented
as the only -son of Manasseh (cf. Gen. 1. 23), whilst the six clans
named here (verse '2) as children of Manasseh are there the sons
of Gilead (the son of Machir),. That implies the view that the
western half of Manasseh is of later origin than the eastern half.
The direct opposite is more probable. ' In later times the seats of
Machir were in Gilead ; but there is good ground for the opinion
that the conquest of this region was made, not in the first invasion
of the lands east of the Jordan by Israel, but subsequently, by
a reflux movement from Western Palestine ' (Moore on Judges
v. 14, where Machir is named amongst western clans). On the
various Biblical theories of Manassite clans (cf. 1 Chron. ij, 21 f.,
vii. 14 f.), see Driver in D.B., iii. 23o.f.
therefore he had Gilead and Bashan : these being specially
open to attack from the east.

JOSHUA I7.3-7. JE?P 349
and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of
Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the
children of Shemida : these were the male children of
Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
[P] But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of 3
Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no
sons, but daughters : and these are the names of his
daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and
Tirzah. And they came near before Eleazar the priest, 4
and before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the
princes, saying, The Lord commanded Moses to give us
an inheritance among our brethren : therefore according
to the commandment of the Lord he gave them an
inheritance among the brethren of their father. And 5
there fell ten a parts to Manasseh, beside the land of
Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond Jordan ; because 6
the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among
his sons : and the land of Gilead belonged unto the rest
of the sons of Manasseh. And the border of Manasseh 1
" Heb. lines.
3. Zelophehad : Num. xxvi. 33, xxvii. 1 f. (cf. xxxvi. 10). Note
that Hepher is here the son of Gilead, whilst in verse 2 he is
son of Manasseh, therefore brother to Machir (verse 1), and uncle
to Gilead.
4. an inheritance among1 our brethren : the appeal is based
on the judgement of Yahweh recorded in Num. xxvii. 7. Hebrew
law before the Exile recognized sons only as heirs (Deut. xxi. 15 f.,
xxv. 5-10).
5. ten parts: according to Num. xxvii. 7, they are to
receive the inheritance of their father only, divided amongst the
five. Here each receives a share equal to that of each of the
clans in verse 2 (five without Hepher).
xvii. 7-10. The Territory of Manasseh. This is defined as
extending from Asher in the north, and Issachar in the east (verse
10), to the Wady Kanah (xvi. 8) in the south, the rest of the
south border being defined by a line drawn through En Tappuah
(xvi. 8), and north by Michmethah (east of Shechem).
7. Asher : not the territory of Asher (verse 10) ; it is sup-

350 JOSHUA 17. 8-u, P JE? P JE? P J
was ¦ from Asher to Michmethath, which is before
Shechem; and the border 'went along to the right
8 hand, unto the inhabitants of En-tappuah. [JE ?] The
land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh : but Tappuah
on the border of Manasseh belonged to the! children of
9 Ephraim. [P] And the border Went down unto the
brook of Kanah; southward of the brook j [JE?] these
cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh :
[P] and the border of Manasseh was on the north side
of the brook, and the goings out thereof were at the sea :
io southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was
Manasseh's, and the sea was his border;, and they
reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the
ii east. [J] And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher
Beth-shean and her a towns, and Ibleam and her towns,
¦ Heb. daughters.
posed to be the village Tejaslr, rather more than half-way on the
road from Shechem to Scythopolis. The text is, however,
doubtful. before : to the right hand : Hebrew terms for east and south
respectively (see on xiii. 3).
9. these cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of
Manasseh : a fragment which is meaningless in its present con
nexion : cf. xvi. 9. The rest of the verse describes the south
border as intersecting the Wady Kanah on its south bank, and
continuing along its north bank to the sea.
IO. Manasseh is contiguous with Ephraim (xvi. 8) on the
south, with Asher on the north, with Issachar on the east.
xvii. 11-13. Manassite Cities unconquered. A fragment of J,
practically identical with Judges i. 27, 28, except for the assertion
that these Cities were extra-tefritorial possessions of Manasseh. It
is possible that the latter rests on the displacement of the words
' even the three heights. Yet the children of Manasseh could not
drive out ' from after ' Asher ' (verse 1 1) to the end of the verse (so
Dillmann, followed by Bennett ; ' those cities ' (Verse 12) is then
regarded as an addition made necessary by the displacement).
11. Beth-shean . . . Megiddo: these Canaanite settlements
form ' a chain of fortified cities guarding all the passes ' from the

JOSHUA 17. ^-is. J 35i
and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the
inhabitants of En-dor and her towns, and the inhabitants
of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of
Megiddo and her towns, even the three a heights. Yet 12
the children of Manasseh could not drive out the in
habitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would
dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when the 13
children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put
the Canaanites to taskwork, and did not utterly drive
them out.
And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, 14
Why hast thou given me but one lot and one b part for
an inheritance, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as
hitherto the Lord hath blessed me? And Joshua said 15
unto them, If thou be a great people, get thee up to the
forest, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the
Perizzites and of the Rephaim ; since the hill country of
* See. ch. xi. 2, xii. 33. b Heb. line.
mountains of Ephraim northwards. 'At the eastern end of this
cordon was Beth-shean, on the main road to Damascus ; at the
western extremity, Megiddo, on the road up from the coast,
commanding thus the great commercial and military road between
Egypt and the East ' (Moore, Judges, p. 43). See the map.
the three heights : R. V. marg. suggests that ' the heights of
Dor' (xi. 2, note) are meant, but the meaning of the words is
unknown. 12. would dwell: rather, 'persisted in dwelling.'
13. taskwork : see on xvi. 10.
xvii. 14-18. The Josephites demand a larger inheritance.
Another J fragment, probably belonging to the time when
Manasseh overflowed from its western to its eastern territory (see
on verse 1 : cf. Num. xxxii. 39-41).
IS. forest could be some part of the territory described ab6ve ;
it should, however, be noted that 2 Sam. xviii. 6 speaks of a
'forest of Ephraim,' east of Jordan, and probably the 'forest' of
Gilead (cf. Num. xxxii. 39) was in view in the original meaning
of this passage.
Perizzites : Deut. vii. 1.

352 JOSHUA 17.. 16—I8. i. J P
16 Ephraim is too narrow for thee.. And the children of
Joseph said, The hill country ais not enough for. us:
and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the
valley have chariots of iron, hoth they who are in Beth-
shean and her towns, and they who, are in the valley of
17 Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph,
even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art
a great people, and hast great power : thou, shalt not
18 have one lot only: but the hill country shall be t^ine;
for though it is a forest, thou shalt cut it down, and the
goings out thereof shall be thine : for thou shalt drive
out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron,
and. though they be strong.
18 [P] And the whole congregation of the children of
Israel assembled themselves together at Shiloh, and set
a Heb. is. not found for us.
Rephaim : according to Deut. iii. 13, Bashan was known as
' the land of Rephaim.'
16. chariots of iron : see on xi. 4 ; specially strong chariots
for warfare, plated with iron, are meant. The moral effect of
these (to Israel) novel instruments of warfare may be compared
with that of the elephants of Pyrrhus on the Romans (Budde on
Judges i. 19).
18. the hill country : i. e. that of Gilead, on the view taken
above. xviii. 1-10. Preparation for the division of the. land (verse r).
Seven tribes have yet to receive their inheritance (verse 3). A
commission of three from each tribe is appointed to divide the
remaining land into seven parts, (verses 3-5*), Judah, Joseph,
Levi, Gad, Reuben, and half Manasseh .having already been pro
vided for (verses 5b-7). After a systematic survey, the commission
divides the land into seven portions, which Joshua assigns by the
sacred lot at Shiloh (verses 8-10).
1. Apparently part of an introduction to the division of the
whole land west of Jordan (see note on xiv.. 1).
Shiloh : (Judges xxi. 19) i. e. of Seilun, about twelve miles
south of Shechem. Here an annual feast was held (Judges xxi.
19 f.), and the ark was kept by Eli in a sanctuary (1 Sam. iii. 3, 15 :
cf. Judges xviii. 31). Shiloh does not appear in history after 1, Sant.

JOSHUA 18. 2-8. P JE RD JE

353

up the tent of meeting there : and the land was subdued
before them. [JE] And there remained among the chil- 2
dren of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet divided
their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of ?,
Israel, How long are ye slack to go in to possess the
land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, hath
given you ? Appoint for you three men for each tribe : 4
and I will send them, and they shall arise, and walk
through the land, and describe it according to their
inheritance ; and they shall come unto me. And they 5
shall divide it into seven portions : Judah shall abide in
his border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall
abide in their border on the north. And ye shall de- 6
scribe the land into seven portions, and bring the descrip
tion hither to me : and I will cast lots for you here before
the Lord our God. [RD] For the Levites have no 7
portion among you ; for the priesthood of the Lord
is their inheritance : and Gad and Reuben and the half
tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond
Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord
gave them. [JE] And the men arose, and went : and 8
Joshua charged them that went to describe the land,
saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and

i-iv, and is thought to have been destroyed by the Philistines (cf.
Jer. vii. 12 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 60).
3. slack : i. e. as contrasted with Judah and Joseph (verse 5),
who have taken possession of their inheritance.
4. describe : i. e. in the literal sense ' write down ' the cities
(verse 9), in order that an equitable division may be made on the
forthcoming data. We have no evidence as to the date at which
the art of writing began to be practised by Israel.
6. cast lots : see on vii. 14.
7. The verse is an editorial note, explaining why seven portions
only are wanted : cf. xiii. 14, xiv. 3/.
the priesthood of Yahweh : ~
a a

354 JOSHUA 18. 9-i4. JE P
come again to me, and I will cast lots for you here before
9 the Loud in Shiloh. And the men went and passed1
through the land, and described it by cities into seven
portions in a book, and they came to Joshua1 unto the
io camp at Shiloh. And Joshua Cast lots for them in Shiloh
before the Lord : and there Joshua divided the land
unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
1 1 [P] And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin
came up according to their families1: and the border of
their lot went out between the children of Judah and the
12 children of Joseph. And their border on the north
quarter was from Jordan ; and the border went up to
the a side of Jericho on the north, and went up through
the hill country westward; and the goings out thereof
13 were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. And the border
passed along from thence to Luz, to the aside of Luz
(the same is' Beth-el), southward; and the border went
down to Ataroth-addar, by the mountain that lieth on
14 the south of Beth-horon the nether. And the border
was drawn and turned about on the west quarter south-'
* Heb. shoulder.

10. according to their divisions : (xi. 23, xii 7) i e those
given in order in xviii. 11— xix. 51 (Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun,
Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan).
xviii. 11-28. The Inheritance of Benjamin.
11. came up: literally; or, as we should say, 'was drawn'
(in Lev. xvu 9 the same Hebrew word is rendered ' fell '). '
the border . . . went out : ' the territory . . , lay.'
12, 13. The north border (contiguous with the south border of
Joseph, xvi. 1-4 q. v.) is described from east to west
Beth-aven: somewhere east of Bethel, hear Ai (vii. 2) and
west of Michmash (1 Sam: xiii. 5; xiv. 23). . ;
14. The west border, from Beth-horon in the north to Kiriath-
in^l II S°fUtJ^cf' 1X' I7' where the ,atter is °ne «* Ae cities
torruory^d'hO.' e°n' ^ ^ 6°' ""^ * * induded fa the

JOSHUA 1SV 15-20. P 355
ward, from the mountain that lieth before Beth-horon
southward ; and the goings out thereof were at Kiiiath-
baal (the same is Kiriath-jearim), a city of the children
of Judah : this was the west quarter. And the south 15
quarter Was from the uttermost part of Kiriath-jearim,
and the border went out westward, and went out to the
fountain of the waters of Nephtoah : and the border 16
went down to the uttermost part of the mountain that
lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is in
the vale of Rephaim northward ; and it went down to the
valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite southward,
and went down to En-rogel; and it was drawn on the 17
north, and went out at En-shemesh, and went out to
Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim ;
and it went down to the stone of Bohan the son of
Reuben; and it passed along to the side over against 18
the Arabah northward, and went down unto the Arabah :
and the border passed along to the side of Beth'hoglah 19
northward : and the goings out of the border were at the
north a bay of the Salt Sea, at the south end of Jordan :
this was the south border. And Jordan was the border 20
of it on the east quarter. This was the inheritance of
the children of Benjamin, by the borders thereof round
a Heb. tongue.

xviii. 15-19. The south border, described from west to east
fcontiguous with the north border of Judah, xv. 5-9 q. v.), from
Kiriath-jearim to the north end of the Dead Sea.
15. the border went out westward : what is apparently
meant is that it started from this (most) westward point to go
eastward. 20. The east border.
xviii. 21-28. Catalogue of the cities of Benjamin "{ twelve in the
east (verses 21-4) and fourteen in the west (verses 25^8), the
line of division between the two groups being that of. the water
shed marked roughly by the road from Jerusalem to Shechem.
A a 2

356 JOSHUA 18. ar— 19. 8. P
21 about, according to their families. Now the cities of the
tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their
families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and Emek-keziz ;
22, 23 and Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el; and
24 Awim, and Parah, and Ophrah ; and Chephar-ammoni,
and Ophni, and Geba ; twelve cities with their villages :
25> 26 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth ; and Mizpeh, and
2 7 Chephirah, and Mozah ; and Rekem, and Irpeel, and
28 Taralah ; and Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite (the same
is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath ; fourteen cities with
their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of
Benjamin according to their families.
19 And the second lot came out for Simeon, even for the
tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families :
and their inheritance was in the midst of the inheritance
2 of the children of Judah. And they had for their inherit-
3 ance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah ; and Hazar-
4 shual, and Balah, and Ezem ; and Eltolad, and Bethul,
5 and Hormah ; and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and
6 ;Hazar-susah ; and Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen ; thirteen
7 cities with their villages : Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and
8 Ashan ; four cities with their villages : and all the villages
xix. 1-9. The Inheritance of Simeon.
1. The statement of the second half of the verse replaces any
definition of borders.
2. Catalogue of the cities of Simeon, thirteen in the Negeb
(verses 2-6) and four in the Negeb and Shephelah (verse 7).
With some textual variations, all are included in the catalogue of
the cities of Judah (xv. 26-32, 42) .
or Sheba: Heb. 'and Sheba,' perhaps a dittograph from the
preceding word (not wanted for the total of thirteen, and not in
the parallel passage, 1 Chron. iv. 28), or possibly for ' and Shema '
(xv. 36 ; so LXX). • •'
7. Ain, Simmon : xv. 32 ; should be En-Rimmon (Neh. xi. 29)
as in LXX, which inserts Talcha (=Tochen? i Chron. iv. 32)
after it, so making up the, total of four cities.

JOSHUA 19. 9-13. P 357
that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer,
Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the
tribe of the children of Simeon according to their
families. Out of the a part of the children of Judah 9
was the inheritance of the children of Simeon : for the
portion of the children of Judah was too much for them :
therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the
midst of their inheritance.
And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun 10
according to their families : and the border of their in
heritance was unto Sarid : and their border went up 1 1
westward, even to Maralah, and reached to Dabbesheth ;
and it reached to the brook that is before Jokneam ; and 12
it turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto
the border of Chisloth-tabor ; and it went out to Daberath,
and went up to Japhia; and from thence it passed along 13
eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin ; and it went out
1 Heb. line.
8. Cf. 1 Chron. iv. 33, from which (cf. 1 Sam. xxx. 27) 8a is
perhaps inserted here (Steuernagel).
9. The actual history behind this statement seems to be that
' Simeon stands for one of the unsettled elements of the southern
population fused more or less permanently into a state by David '
(E.B., 4531 : cf. 1 Chron. iv. 31").
xix. 10-16. The Inheritance of Zebulun (south of Asher and of
Naphtali, north of Issachar).
10. Sarid: perhaps (reading Sadid) Tel-Shaddiid, on the north
edge of the Plain of Esdaelon, and south-west of Nazareth. From
this point the south border is defined, first west (verse 11), then
east (verse 12).
11. Jokneam : xii. 22; in Carmel, near the north-west end of
the plain.
12. Chisloth-tabor : possibly Chesulloth (verse 18), two miles
south-east of Nazareth ; Daherath is Dabureye, four miles east of
Nazareth. 13. Gath-hepher: perhaps El-Meshed, three miles north-east
of Nazareth.

358 JOSHUA 19, 14-23. P
14 at Rimmon which stretcheth unto Neah ; and the border
turned about it on the north to Hannathon : and the
15 goings out thereof were at the valley of Iphtah-el; and
Kattath, and Nahalal, and Shimron, and Idalah; and
16 Beth-lehem ;, twelve cities with their villages. This is the
inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their
families, these cities with their villages.
17 The fourth lot came out for Issachar, even; for the
1 8 children of Issachar according to their families. And their
border was unto Jezreel, and Chesullothj and Shunem;
to and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath ; and Rabbith,
2 1 and Kishion, and Ebez ; and Remeth, and En-gannim,
22 and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez ; and the border reached
to Tabor, and Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh ; and the
goings out of their border were at Jordan : sixteen cities
23 with their villages. This is the inheritance of the tribe

Simmon : Rummaneh, six miles north of Nazareth.
which stretcheth : read, with Dillmann, by a change of one
letter, ' and inclined.' .,¦•..-.
14. The nortli border (the west border, contiguous with Asher,
is not given : cf. verse 27).
15. Five cities are named abruptly as belonging to Zebulun,
whilst the total is stated tp be twelve. Similar discrepancies,
pointing to textual omissions, occur in verses 30, 38.
xix. 17-23. The Inheritance Sf Issachar (having Manasseh to its
south (xvii. 7) and west (xvii. 10), Zebulun and Naphtali to its
north (verses 11, 34), and the Jordan to its east). Most of the
Plain of Esdraelon is, included. !
18. unto Jezreel : this cannot be part of the definition of the
border, since Jezreel lies in the centre of Issacharls territory ;
a catalogue of cities belonging to Issachar begins here ; note that
'border' can also mean 'territory.'
22. This verse apparently gives the east part of the north border,
contiguous with Naphtali, from Tabor (at or near the mountain of
that name) to the Jordan. These three cities, however, are
reckoned with the total of sixteen. The. whole section is con
fused, perhaps through abbreviation.

JOSHUA 19. 24-30. P 359
of the children of Issachar according to their families,
the cities with their villages.
And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children 24
of Asher according to their families. And their border 25
was Helkath, arid Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph; and 26
Allammeleeh, and Amad, and Mishal ; and it reached to
Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath ; and it turned 27
toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reached to
Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah-el northward to
Beth-emek and Neiel ; and it went out to Cabul on the
left hand, and Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and 28
Kanah, even unto great Zidon ; and the border turned to 29
Ramah, and to a the fenced city of Tyre ; and the border
turned to Hosah ; and the goings out thereof were at the
sea b by the region of Achzib : Urrimah also, and Aphek, 3°
a Or, the city of Mibzar Zor that is, the fortress of Tyre.
b Or, from Hebelto Achzib.

xix. 24-31. The Inheritance of Asher (along the Mediterranean
coast, from the Carmel district northwards). The text shows
disorder similar to that of the last section. The catalogue of the
cities and the definition of the border, lines have been confused.
It is difficult to trace the boundaries intended on the south, east,
and north. See map for genial indication.
25. border: here 'territory' (cf. verse 11). Seven cities
belonging to Asher are first named (verses 35, s6a),
26. The southern limit is given by Carmel, where the point of
contact with Manasseh is found (xvii. 10).
Shihor-libnath: probably the Nahr ez-Zerka, flowing into
the Mediterranean a little north of Caesarea.
27. The east border (contiguous with Zebulun) is_ defined to
' the valley of Iphtah-el ' (verse 14), from which it continues north
to Zidon (verse 29). Beth-emek and Neiel belong to the catalogue
of cities. ,
28. Four cities belonging to the catalogue rather than to the
border. 29. The north border, which apparently turns southwards before
reaching the coast. .....
30. by the region of (Achzib) : by transposition of a letter we

360 JOSHUA 19, 31-39. P
and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.
si This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of
Asher according to their families, these , cities with their
villages. ;
32 ,The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali,
even for t,be children of Naphtali according to their
33 families. ; And their ; border was from Heleph, from the
aoak in .Zaanannim, and Adami-nekeb, and Jabneel,
unto Lakkum ; and the goings out thereof , were at
34 Jordan: and the border turned westward to Aznoth-
tabor, and went put from thence to Hukkok ; and it
reached to Zebulun on the south, and reached to Asher
on the west, and to Judah at Jordan toward the sunrising.
35 And the fenced cities were Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath,
36 Rakkath, and Chinnereth; and Adamah, and Ramah,
37, 38 and Hazor; and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor,; and
Irori; and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-
39 shemesh j nineteen cities with their villages. This is
* Or, oak (or terebinth) of Bezaanannim

should probably read Mahalab (the Assyrian Mahalliba, named by
Sennacherib), itself varied to Ahlab in Judges 1. 31. This, with
the next four names; will belong to the catalogue of cities, of
which; however, bnly seventeen (eighteen) instead of the alleged
total, twenty-two, appear to be named.
Vmmah : read ' Akko ' with LXX and Judges i. 31.
xix. 32-39. The Inheritance of Naphtali.
32 f. ' Little that is definite can be gathered from the description
in verses 32-4 beyond the fact that Naphtali lay in the angle
between Asher and Zebulun ' (Bennett, S.B.O.T.).
33. the oak : a sacred tree (cf, xxiv. 26), here become a land
mark. For the tree cult of the 'Semites, cf. Rel. Sem.1, p. 185.
34. to Judah : meaningless (LXX omits) ; perhaps it comes
from a marginal gloss 'like Judah,' indicating the similarity of the
east borders of Naphtali and Judah respectively.
35. fenced cities : verse 29 (R. V. marg.), x. 20 (note).
38. nineteen : sixteen names are^ actually given.

JOSHUA 19. 40-48. P J P 361
the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali
according to their families, the cities with their villages.
The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children 40
of Dan according to their families. And the border of 41
their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh ;
and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Ithlah ; and Elon, and 42, 43
Timnah, and Ekron ; and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and 44
Baalath:; and Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon ; 45
and Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border over against 46
a Joppa. [J] And the border of the children of Dan 47
went out b beyond them : for the children of Dan went
up and fought against cLeshem, and took it, and smote
it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt
therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan
their father. [P] This is the inheritance of the tribe of 48
a Heb. Japho. b Or, from them : and &c.
c In Judg. xviii. 29, Laish.

xix. 40-48. The Inheritance of Dan (north-west of Judah). No
definition of border is given, but simply a catalogue of seventeen
or eighteen cities (verses 41-6). A verse is inserted from J,
describing the Danite migration to Laish in the north (verse 47).
41. border : ' territory ' (verses 18, 46).
Zorah, Bshtaol, and Ekron (verse 43) belong to Judah,
according to xv. 33, 45.
Ir-shemesh = Beth-shemesh, xv. 10.
46. over against Joppa : it is not said that Joppa itself be
longed to Dan ; as a matter of history, it was never in the hands
of Israel till taken under Simon the Maccabee (1 Mace. xiii. 11).
47. The verse is placed by LXX after verse 48, with a preface,
drawn from Judges i. 34, 35, explaining that this migration was
due to Amorite pressure. In Judges xiii f., the Danites are settled
near Zorah and Eshtaol, but the greater part of the tribe migrated
to the extreme north, as is described in Judges xviii.
went out beyond them : we should read, probably (cf. LXX),
' was too narrow for them ' (cf. xvii. 15).
Leshem : Laish or Dan, near the sources of the Jordan, the
most northern settlement of Israel, as is suggested by the well-
known phrase ' from Dan even to Beersheba' (1 Sam. iii. 30, See.),

362 JOSHUA 19. 45—20. 2., PEP
the children of Dan according to their families, these
cities with their villagesj
49 , So they made an end of distributing the land for in
heritance by the borders thereof; [E] and the children
of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun
50 in the midst of them : according to the commandment
of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked, even
Timnath-serah in the, hill country of Ephraim -. and he
built the city, and dwelt therehv "
51 [P] These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the
priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the
fathers' houses of the tribes of the children of Israel,
distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the
Lord, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they made
an end of dividing the land.
20 And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to
the children of Israel, saying, Assign you the cities of
xix. 49-50. The Inheritance of Joshua (xxiv. 30 ; cf. Caleb, xv. 13).
50. Timnath-serah, xxiv. 3o = Timnath-h'eres, Judges ii. 9;
i.e. Tibneh, twelve miles north-east of Lydda, ten miles north
west of Bethel.
51. Formal conclusion by P to the account' of the division of the
land, answering to the introduction, xviii. 1, xiv. 1 f.
xx. The Cities of Refuge. Yahweh instructs Joshua to proceed
with the appointment of cities of refuge for those who have com
mitted (unintentional) homicide (verses 1-6). The following are
accordingly set apart : Kedesh-Naphtali, , Shechem, and Hebron
on the west (verse 7), and Bezer, Ramoth-Gilead, and Golan, on
the east of Jordan (verse 8) ; for the aforesaid purpose (verse 9).
The chapter is closely connected with Num. xxxv. 9 f. (P) as
the execution of the command there given. But certain parts of
it (' unawares' inverse 3; verses 4, 5; verse 6, except 'until he
stand before the congregation for judgement ') show equally close
contact with Deut. xix, and with Deuteronomy in general. Since
these particular verses are not found in the LXX, it seems clear
that they have been added by a writer! wishing to combine D's
version of the command with that of P. In the text above they
are placed in square brackets.

JOSHUA 20. ,1-7. P 363
refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses :
that the ' manslayer that killeth any person a unwittingly 3
[and unawares] may flee thither: and they shall be unto
you for a refuge from the avenger of blood. [And he 4
shall flee unto one of those cities, and shall stand at the
entering of the gate of the city, and declare bis cause in
the ears of the elders of that city ; and they shall b take
him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that
he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood 5
pursue after him, then they shall not deliver up the man
slayer into his hand ; because he smote his neighbour
unawares, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall 6
dwell in that city], until he stand before the congregation
for judgement, [until the death of the high priest that
shall be in those days : then shall the manslayer return,
and come unto his own city, and unto his own house,
unto the city from whence he fled.] And they c set 7
apart Kedesh in d Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali,
and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-
arba (the same is Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
a Or, through error b Heb. gather. ° Heb. sanctified.
d Heb. Galil.

2. whereof I spake : Num. xxxv. 9 f.
3. unwittingly : or 'accidentally,' the phrase of P (Num.
xxxv. 11, 15).
unawares : the phrase of D (Deut. xix. 4, cf. iv. 42).
the avenger of blood : see on Deut. xix. 6.
4, 5. See the notes on Deut. xix for these verses and for the
whole subject.
6. until he stand; &C; ; this belongs to verse 3 (LXX, and
Num. xxxv. 12) ; nor is it a real parallel with 'until the death,' &c.
that shall be in those days : Deut. xvii. 9," xix. 17, xxvi. 3.
7. set apart : historically, no doubt, the reference is to the
maintenance of ancient sanctuary rights at these particular places.
Kedesh : xii. 22, xix. 37 ; Shechem, xxiv. 25 f. ; Kiriath-
arha, xiv. 15 (notes).

364 JOSHUA 20. 8—21. 4. P
8 And beyond ¦ the Jordan at Jericho eastward, they
assigned Bezer in the wilderness in the a plain out of
the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the
tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of
9 Manasseh. These were the appointed cities for all the
children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth
among them, that whosoever killeth any person b unwit
tingly might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the
avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
21 Then came near the heads of fathers' houses of the
Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son
of Nun, and unto the heads of fathers' houses of the tribes
2 of the children of Israel ; and they spake unto them at
Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord com
manded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell
3 in, with the c suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the
children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their
inheritance, according to the commandment of the
Lord, these cities with their suburbs.
4 And the lot came out for the families of the Kohath-
a Or, table land n Or, through error
0 Or, pasture lands

8 f. According to Deut. iv. 41, 43 (where See the notes), these
three cities have already been assigned by Moses.
at Jericho eastward : omit with LXX.
9. the stranger : Num. xxxv. 15 ; Deut. i. 16 (note).
xxi. The Levitical Cities (cf. Num. xxxv. 1-8, P).
The representatives of the Levites ask for the appointment of
their promised cities (verses i, 2), which is thereupon made (verse
3). Catalogue of these cities by number (verses 4-7) , and by name
(verses 8-40). Summary (verses 41, 42), and conclusion to whole
account of the division of the land (verses 43-45).
1. the heads of fathers' (houses) : Exod. vi. 25 : cf. Joshua
2. commanded: Num. xxxv. 2f.
suburbs : substitute R. V. marg. throughout (see on xiv. 4).
4. According to Exod. vi. 16 ; Num. iii. 17, xxvi. 57, the

JOSHUA 21. s-io. P 365
ites : and the children of Aaron the priest, which were
of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and
out of the tribe of the Simeonites, and out of the tribe of
Benjamin, thirteen cities.
And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot out 5
of the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and out of the
tribe of Dan, and out of the half tribe of Manasseh,
ten cities.
And the children of Gershon had by lot out of the 6
families of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of
Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the
half tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.
The children of Merari according to their families had 7
out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad,
and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites 8
these cities with their suburbs, as the Lqrd commanded
by the hand of Moses. And they gave out of the tribe 9
of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the
children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned
by name : and they were for the children of Aaron, of 10
the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children
three sons (i. e. clans) of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari ;
Kohath is here put first because the Aaronitic priests belong to
this division (verse 10). Amram, the eldest son of Kohath is the
father of Aaron and Moses ; the children of Aaron are Nadab and
Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
5. the rest of the children of Kohath are Izhar, Hebron, and
Uzziel (Exod. vi. 18).
out of the families : omitted by LXX and Pesh. ; read as in
verse 7, ' according to their families,' after ' Kohath.'
6. the children of Gershon : Libni and Shimei (Exod. vi. 17).
7. the children of Merari : Mahli and Mushi (Exod. vi. 19).
xxi. 0-19. Nine cities of Judah and Simeon (verses 13-16), and
four of Benjamin (verse 17) are assigned to the Aaronites.
10. The Hebrew breaks off abruptly ; see next note.

366 JOSHUA 21, 11-20. P
ii of Levi : for theirs was the first lot. And they gave them
Kiriath-arba, which Arba was the father of a Anak, (the
same is Hebron,) in the bill country of Judah, with the
12 suburbs thereof round about it. But the fields of the
city, and the villages thereof, gave they to -Caleb the
soil of Jephunneh for his possession.
13 And unto the children of Aaron the priest they gave
Hebron with her suburbs, the city of refuge for the man-
14 slayer, and Libnah with her suburbs ; and Jattir with her
15 suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs ; and Holoh with
16 her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs; and Ain with her
suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-shemesh
with her ¦ suburbs ; nine cities out of those two tribes.
1 7 And out ¦ of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her
18 suburbs, Geba with her suburbs; Artathoth with her
19 suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities. All
the- cities of the children, of Aaron, the priests, were
thirteen cities with their suburbs.
20 And the families of the children of Kohath, the
a Heb. Anok.

11, 12. Verse 11 forms a doublet with verse 13, and seems to
have been added (with verse 12) to reconcile the possession of
Hebron by both Caleb (xiv. 13, xv. 13) and Levi. The recon
ciliation is effected by distinguishing between the wider territory
('fields,' 'villages') as given to Caleb, and the immediately
neighbouring pasture-grounds ('suburbs': cf. Num. xxxv. 3) as
given to Levi.
Kiriath-arba : xv. 13. The six cities of refuge of chap, xx
are all included amongst the Levitical cities of chap, xxi, according
to Num. xxxv. 6.
16. Ain: read, with LXX, ' Asa' = Ashan (1 Chron. vi 59, in
a parallel list), the one Simeonite city assigned to Levi.
18. Anathoth, Almon : not named amongst the Benjamite
cities of xviii. 21-8.
19. the children of Aaron, the priests : see on Deut. xviii!m>
xxi. 20-36. Four cities of Ephraim (verses si, 22),' four of Dan

JOSHUA 21.. 21-32. P 367
Levites, even the rest of the children of Kohath, they
had the cities of their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.
And they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in the 21
hill country of Ephraim, the city of refuge for the man
slayer, and Gezer with her suburbs ; and Kibzaim with 22
her suburbs, and Beth-horon with her suburbs ; four
cities. And out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with her 23
suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs; Aijalon with 24
her suburbs, Gath-rimmon with her suburbs ; four cities.
And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with her 2?
suburbs, and Gath-rimmon with her suburbs ; two cities.
All the cities of the families of the rest of the children of 26
Kohath were ten with their suburbs.
And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of 2 7
the Levites, out of the half tribe of Manasseh they gave
Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, the city of refuge for
the manslayer ; and Be-eshterah with her suburbs ; two
cities. And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with 28
her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs ; Jarmuth with 29
her suburbs, En-gannim with her suburbs; four cities.
And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, 30
Abdon with her suburbs ; Helkath with her suburbs, 31
and Rehob with her suburbs ; four cities. And out of 32
the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs,
the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Hammoth-dor
with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs ; three
(verses 23, 24), two of Western Manasseh (verse 35), are assigned
to the non-Aaronitic Kohathites.
25. Gath-rimmoji : probably a mistaken repetition from the
previous verse; read 'Ibleam' (cf. LXX, and 1 Chron. vi. 70).
xxi. 27-33. Two cities of East Manasseh (verse 27), four of
Issachar (verses 28, 29), four of Asher (verses 30, 31), three of
Naphtali (verse 32) are assigned to the Gershonites.
27. Be-eshterah =' Beth-Eshterah, or Ashtaroth (xiii. gi),

368 JOSHUA 21. 33-43. P RD
33 cities. All the cities of the Gershonites according to
their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.
34 .And unto the families of the children of Merari, the
rest of the Levites, out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam!
35 with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs, Dimnah
with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs ; four: cities.
36 aAnd out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs,
37 and Jahaz with her suburbs, Kedemoth with her suburbs,
38 and Mephaath with her suburbs; four cities. And out
of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs,
the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Mahanaim with
39 her suburbs ; Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her
40 suburbs ; four cities in all. All these were the cities
of the children of Merari according to their families,
even the rest of the families of the Levites ; and their lot
was twelve cities.
41 All the cities of the Levites in the midst of the posses
sion of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities
42 with their suburbs. These cities were every one with their
suburbs round about them : thus it was with all these
cities.
43 [RD] So the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he
sware to give unto their fathers ; and they possessed it,
a Verses 36, 37 are not in the Massoretic text, but are found
in very many MSS. and in the ancient versions. See also
1 Chr. vi. 78, 79.
xxi. 34-40. Four cities of Zebulun (verses 34, 35), four of
Reuben (verses 36, 37), four of Gad (verses 38, 39) are assigned
to the Merarites.
35. Dimnah : not in LXX, nor in xix. 10-16 ; Rimmonah ?
(cf. xix. 13 ; 1 Chron. vi. 77).
xxi. 41, 42. Concluding Summary.
forty and eight : so Num. xxxv. 7.
xxi. 43-45. General Deuteronomistic conclusion, emphasizing

JOSHUA 21. 44—22. 5. R" 3e9
and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round 44
about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers :
and there stood not a man of all their enemies before
them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their
hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which 45
the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel ; all
came to pass.
Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, 22
and the half tribe of Manasseh, and said unto them, Ye 2
have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord com
manded you, and have hearkened unto my voice in all
that I commanded you : ye have not left your brethren 3
these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge
of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now 4
the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren,
as he spake unto them : therefore now turn ye, and get
you unto your tents, unto the land of your possession,
which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond
Jordan. Only take diligent heed to do the command- 5
the fidelity of Yahweh to his promises, as shown by Israel's
secure possession of Canaan.
45. failed: Heb. 'fell,' i.e. to the ground as unfulfilled
(2 Kings x. 10).
xxii. 1-8. Dismissal of the east of Jordan tribes. Joshua praises
their conduct (verses 1-3), and dismisses them to their own
territory (verse 4), bidding them continue their obedience to
Yahweh (verses 5, 6). Two notes are added, on the territory of
Manasseh and the division of spoil respectively (verses 7, 8).
3. many days : in xi. 18 the same phrase is rendered ' a long
time.' charge : Deut. xi. t.
4. hath given rest : as stated in xxi. 44.
tents: Deut. v. 30, xvi. 7; Israelite homes bore this name
long after the nomad dwelling had passed away with the nomad
life (cf. 2 Kings xiv. 12). The well-known phrase, ' To yourtents,
O Israel ! ' is a formula of dispersion, not, as is often supposed, a
call to military action (cf., e. g., 1 Kings xii. 16).
5 A characteristic epitome of Deuteronomic religion.
Bb

370 JOSHUA 2,2. 6-9. RD: P?
ment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord
commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to
walk in all, his ways, and to keep his commandments, and
to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart
6 and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them, and
sent them; away * and they went unto their tents.
7 Now to the one half tribe of Manassete Moses had
given inheritance, in, Bashan : but Untq the other half
gave Joshua among their brethren beyond Jordan west
ward. Moreover when Joshua sent them away unto
8 their tents, he blessed them, and spake unto them,
saying, Return with much wealth unto your tents, and
with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and
with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment:
divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
9 [P ?] And the children of Reuben andr the children of
6. blessed them : xiv. 13 (note).
7. The foUowing section (verse 9 f.) seems to have spoken
originally o,f Reuben, and Gad only (cf. versess 25^ 32, 34). Refer
ences to ' the half tribe of Manasseh ' have been added in verses
9-11, 13, 15, 21 (30, 31), probably by the same aianotator to whom
the present verse is due. For the probability, that the territory
east of Jordan was not occupied hy Manasseh til} a later date than
that of the western invasion, see the notes on xvii. 1, 14-18.
8. Return with much wealth : as an address, the -sentence is
peculiar, both in, grammar, and subject-matter ; LXX, omits ' spake
unto them saying,' -and, renders the whole, vejse as narrative,(' they
returned,' -&c), which U, in.pre likely tjo ha^e been the original
form of the words.
your brethren ijie. those left east of. Jprdan^iv. 12) : cf. the
equitable principle ofDavidfor the division ofbooty(i Sam. xxx. 34).
xxii. 9-34. The Altar of the Eastern Tribes. . The eastern tribes
return, and erect an altar by the Jordan (verses 9, 10). The report
of this leads to preparations for war by the western tribes (verses
'11, 12). A deputation is sent, headed by Phinehas, to, protest
against the building of this altar, and; to point out the' peril to all
in the sin of some (verses 13-20). The eastern tribes reply that
their act has no element of rebellion in it, since the akar is not for
sacrifice, but is a memorial of the abiding share of the eastern

JOSHUA 22. 10-12. P? 37 r
Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and de
parted from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is
in the land of Canaan, to go unto the land of Gilead, to
the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed,
according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand
of Moses. And when they came unto, the region about io
Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of
Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to
see to. And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the 1 1
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the
half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront
of the land of Canaan, in the region about Jordan, on the
side that pertaineth to the children of Israel. And when 12
tribes in the worship of Yahweh, and a witness to future genera
tions (verses 21-9). This explanation is, accepted by the deputation,
and, on their return, by the western tribes (verses 30-4).
The central emphasis on the single sanctuary (of Jerusalem),
(see p. 36), would suggest a Deuteronomistic writer, but the
language and much of the subject-matter connect with P. The
whole idea is, of course, untrue to the earlier freedom of Israel's
religion, which permitted many altars (Exod. xx, 24),
9. Shiloh : xviii. 1.
Gilead : in its wider sense of the Israelite territory, north
and south of the Jabbok (Num. xxxii. 39, &c.) ; -in Joshua xii. s, 5
of the southern half, in xiii. 31 of the northern half»,
hy the hand of Moses : Num. xxxii.
IO. the region about (Jordan) : Heb. ' Geliloth ' (circles),
perhaps a place-name (xviii. 17, a place between Benjamin and
Judah). LXX (B) and Pesh. have 'Gilgal,' which Dillmann
thinks probable. The altar is,- in this verse, setup west of Jordan
as ' in the land of Canaan ' implies (eft verse 33).
a great altar to see to : i. e. one that was conspicuous ;
stated in view of the subsequent claim (verse 27) that ifris monu
mental, not sacrificial.
11. in the forefront of: 'in front of (viii. 33, ix. 1), i.e.
opppsite to.
in the region about (Jordan) : see on verse 10 ; Pesh. has
' Gilgal ' here, as there ; but LXX (B) has ' Gilead ' here.
on the side that pertaineth to: rather, 'toward the region
opposite ' (Heb. Lex. B.D.B. : cf. Deut. xxx. 13, 'beyond the sea'),
B b 2

372 JOSHUA 22. 13-18. P?
the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation
of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at
Shiloh, to go up against them to war.
13 And the children of Israel sent unto the children of
Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe
of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son
14 of Eleazar the priest ; and with him ten princes, one
prince of a fathers' house for each of the tribes of Israel ;
and they were every one of them head of their fathers'
15 houses among the a thousands of Israel. And they came
unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad,
and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead,
16 and they spake with them, saying, Thus saith the whole
congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye
have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away
this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded
17 you an altar, to rebel this day against the Lord? Is the
iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not
cleansed ourselves unto this day, although there came a
18 plague upon the congregation of the Lord, that ye must
"¦ Or, families
i. e. on the eastern side of Jordan. If the text be right (cf.
Steuernagel) verse 11 comes from a source different from that of
verse 10.
13. Phinehas : Exod. vi. 35 ; Num. xxv. 7, xxxi. 6 ; Joshua
xxiv. 33.
14. ten (princes) : i. e. representing Ephraim and Western
Manasseh separately, but not Levi (represented by Phinehas).
a fathers' house : Num. i. 4, 16, &c. ; the group deriving its
origin from one common ancestor (see note on Joshua vii. 14),
usually a subdivision smaller than the ' clan ' (mishpachah\ here
for the fribe itself, as in Num. xvii. 2 (Steuernagel). The 'thou
sand ' is another tribal division of varying extent.
16. trespass : rather, ' treachery,' infidelity (vii. 1), i. e. the
breach of the law in Deut. xii. 4 f.
17. the iniquity of Peor : Num. xxv. 1-9 : cf. Deut. iv. 3; for
the plague, see Num. xxv. 3, 8, 9.

JOSHUA 22. 19-22. P? 373
turn away this day from following the Lord ? and it will
be, seeing ye rebel to-day against the Lord, that to
morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation
of Israel. Howbeit, if the land of your possession be 19
unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the posses
sion of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth,
and take possession among us : but rebel not against the
Lord, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar be
sides the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan 20
the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing,
and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel ? and
that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad 21
and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and spake unto
the heads of the a thousands of Israel, b The Lord, the 22
God of gods, the Lord, the God of gods, he knoweth,
and Israel he shall know ; if it be in rebellion, or if in
a Or, families
b Or, God, even God, the Lord Heb. El Elohim Jehovah.
18. wroth with the whole congregation : (cf. Num. xxv. 3,
4, n) see note on vii. 24.
19. unclean: because a heathen land : cf. Amos vii. 17 (Hos.
ix. 3, 4 ; Ezek. iv. 13).
tabernacle : enclosed within the ' tent of meeting ' (xviii. 1 :
cf. Num. iii. 25), which is described as of curtains of goats' hair
over the tabernacle (Exod. xxvi. 7). But the earlier sources know
nothing of this (note on iii. 3).
rebel against us : probably we ought to modify the vowels of
the Hebrew verb into ' make us rebels,' i. e. through our corporate
life (verse 20), by which the rebellion of some is visited on all.
20. Achan : vii. 1 f. ; Israel suffered defeat and thirty-six men
perished through the treachery of one man.
22. Yahweh, the God of gods : rather, ' The Mighty One, God,
Yahweh ' (Ps. 1. 1) ; the titles are brought together, and the
phrase duplicated, to increase the solemnity of the utterance,
which is best taken as consisting of three parallel and independent
titles. The first of these (El, R.V. marg.) is the most general, the
third the most special, the second the ordinary name for Deity
among the Hebrews (see Cheyne on Ps. 1. 1).

374 JOSHUA 22. 23-28. P?
trespass against the Lord, (save thou us not this day,)
2 3 that we have built us an altar to turn away from following
the Lord ; or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meal
offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace 'offerings thereon,
24 let the Lord himself require it ; and if we have not rather
out of carefulness done this, and of purpose, saying,
In time to come your children might speak unto our
children, saying, What have ye; to do with the Lord,
25 the God of Israel ? for the Lord hath made Jordan a
border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and
children of Gad ; ye have no portion rin the Lord : so
shall your children make our children cease from fearing
26 the Lord. Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to
build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice :
27 but it shall be a witness between us and you, and between
our generations after us, that we may do the service of
the Lord before him with our burnt offerings, and with
our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings ; that your
children may not say to our children in time to come,
28 Ye have no portion in the Lord. Therefore said we, It
shall be, when they so say to us or to our generations in
time to come, that we shall say, Behold the pattern of
the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for

23. burnt oifering (Deut. xii. 6); meal offering: or cereal
oblation of flour, baked or fried cakes, or ears of wheat, with oil ;
\>eace offering! Deut. xxvii. 7 ; for details of these three offerings
see Lev. i, ii, iii, respectively.
24. out of carefulness,... and of purpose: better, 'from anxiety
on account of a (particular) thing,' i. e. exclusion from the worship
of Yahweh.
26. prepare: the Hebrew is 'make,' requiring some direct
object, which is missing.
28. pattern : Deut. iv. 16, ' likeness ' ; the distinctive character
of the Yahweh altar will prove an earlier relationship to Him,
with participation in His worship. - ¦'- ¦<¦-. - • - ¦

JOSHUA 22. 29-34. P? 37S
burnt offering, nor for sacrifice ; but it is a witness be
tween us and you. God forbid that we should rebel 29
against the Lord, and turn away this day from following
the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal
offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the .Lord
our God that is before his tabernacle.
And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the 30
congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel
which were with him, heard the words that the children
of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of
Manasseh spake, it pleased them well. And Phinehas 3'
the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of
Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children
of Manasseh, This day we know that the Lord is in the
midst of us, because ye have not committed this trespass
against the Lord : now have ye delivered the children of
Israel out of the hand of the Lord. And Phinehas the 32
son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from
the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad,
out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan,
to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.
And the thing pleased the children of Israel ; and the 33
children of Israel blessed God, and spake no more of
going up against them to war, to destroy the land
wherein the children of Reuben and the children of
Gad dwelt. And the children of Reuben and the 34

29. God forbid : Heb. ' far be it for us.'
31. The absence of sin shows the presence of Yahweh; the
explanation has delivered Israel from the peril of His wrath.
34. The name of the altar is wanting in the Hebrew. The
R. V. has followed the Peshitto and some Hebrew MSS. in supply
ing the name ' Witness ' ; Dillmann and others prefer to supply
Gal'ed (Heap of Witness) by comparison of the narrative iri Gen.
xxxi. 47 f., which offers this phrase as the etymology of Gilead.

376 JOSHUA 23. 1-4. P? RD
children of Gad called the altar *Ed; For, said they,
it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.
23 [RD] And it came to pass after many days, when the
Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies
round about, and Joshua was old and well stricken in
z years ; that Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders
and for their heads, and for their judges and for their
officers, arid said unto them, I am old and well stricken
3 in years : and ye have seen all that the Lord your God
hath done unto all these nations because of you ; for the
4 Lord your God, he it is that hath fought for you. Be
hold, I have allotted unto you these nations that remain,
to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with
all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great
» That is, Witness.
xxiii. 1-16. The first farewell address of Joshua. Joshua addresses
the representatives of all Israel, reminding them of his old age
(Verses 1, a), and of the completion of Yahweh's work (verse 3).
The remaining nations shall be dispossessed (verses 4, 5). Let
Israel faithfully obey the Mosaic law of separation from these
nations and their gods (verses 6-8). It is Yahweh who has given
the victory, and is to be loved (verses 9-1 1). Marriage alliance
with these nations will be punished by their being preserved to
Israel's hurt (verses 12, 13). As Yahweh's promises of good
have been kept, so will it be with these threats of evil ; if Israel
worship other gods than Yahweh, His anger will destroy them,
even in this Land of Promise (verses 14-16).
This exhortation, clearly Deuteronomic in language and thought
throughout, should be compared with the farewell addresses of
Moses (Deut. xxviii. f.), which offer frequent parallels.
1. many days : xi. 18, xxii. 3.
given rest : xxii. 4.
weU stricken in years : xiii. 1.
2. all Israel : represented by the subordinate rulers (viii. 33 ;
Deut. xxix. 10) ; the place of the assembly is not stated.
4. these nations that remain : enumerated by this writer in
xiii. 2-6. After from Jordan the verse shows some disorder;
read, with Graetz and Holzinger (cf. Vulg.), ' from all the nations
which I have cut off, from Jordan and unto the Great Sea.'

JOSHUA 23. 5-12. RD

377

sea toward the going down of the sun. And the Lord 5
your God, he shall thrust them out from before you, and
drive them from out of your sight ; and ye shall possess
their land, as the Lord your God spake unto you.
Therefore be ye very courageous to keep and to do all 6
that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye
turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left ;
that ye come not among these nations, these that remain 7
among you ; neither make mention of the name of their
gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor
bow down yourselves unto them : but cleave unto the 8
Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. For 9
the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations
and strong : but as for you, no man hath stood before
you unto this day. One man of you n shall chase a 10
thousand : for the Lord your God,, he it is that fighteth
for you, as he spake unto you. Take good heed there- 11
fore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.
Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the 12
remnant of these nations, even these that remain among
a Or, hath chased

6. courageous : rather, ' strong ' (firm), as rendered in i. 6.
the hook of the law of Moses : i. 8.
7. make mention: Exod. xxiii. 13.
cause to swear : better, by a change of the vowel points,
' swear,' i. e. invoke them in an oath.
Marriage alliance is specially in view (verse 12 : cf. Deut. vii.
3), and the objection to it is based on religious grounds ; in the
home of a mixed marriage, the recognition of other gods than
Yahweh could hardly be avoided : compare the difficulties of early
converts to Christianity, reflected in the N. T. (1 Cor. vii. 12 f.).
10. shall chase : the Hebrew imperfect tense, here employed,
is neither future (R. V. text) nor perfect ,(R. V. marg.), but
frequentative = ' would often chase ' (cf. Driver, Tenses, § 30).
For the figure, see Deut. xxxii. 30 (of Israel's foes chasing Israel),
xxviii. 7 : cf. Deut. i. 30, iii. 22.

3fS JOSHUA 23. 13—24. i. RD E
you, and make marriages with them, and go in unto
13 them, and they to you: know for a certainty that
the Lord your God will no more drive these nations
from out of your sight ; but they shall be a snare and
a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and thorns
in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which
14 the Lord your God hath given you. And, behold, this
day I am going the way of all the earth : and ye know
in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not One
thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord
your God spake conceriiihg you ; all are come to pass
15 unto you, not one thing hath failed thereof. And it shall
come to pass, that as all the good things are come upon
you of which the Lord youf God spake unto you, so
shall the Lord bring upon you all the evil things, until
he have destroyed you from off this good land which the
16 Lord your God hath given you. When ye transgress
the covenant of the Lord yout God, which he com
manded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow
down yourselves to them ; then shall the anger of
the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish
quickly from off the good land which he hath given
unto you.
24 [E] And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to
13. The snare is that of verse 7 ; the scourge and the thorns
(Num. xxxiii. 55) are the continued presence of ah alien popula
tion in Israel's midst.
14. the way of all the earth : so David, speaking of his death
to Solomon (1 Kings ii. 2).
16. transgress the covenant : viii 11, 15 : anger: cf. Deut. xi. 17.
xxiv. 1-28. The second farewell address of Joshua ; ratification of
the covenant. Joshua, addressing Israel at Shechem, reviews in
the name of Yahweh the people's history (verSes 1-13) ; the
points noticed being the call of Abraham (verse 3) and the fortunes
of his descendants (verse 4), the mission of Moses and Aaron, and

JOSHUA 24. 2. E RD E 379
Shechem, [RD] and called for the elders of Israel, and
for their heads, and for their judges, and for their
officers ; [E] and they presented themselves before God.
And Joshua sard unto all the people, Thus saith the 2
Lord, the God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt of old time
beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham,
and the father of Nahor : arid they served other gods.

the deliverance from Egypt (verses 5-7), the victory over the
Amorites (verse 8), and the deliverance from Balak and Balaam
(verses 9, 10), the victory over the inhabitants of Canaan at Jericho,
and the acquisition of their territory (verses 11-13). On the basis
of this history Joshua appeals for loyalty to Yahweh; his own
choice is made, let Israel choose either the gods of Abraham's
ancestors or those of their present environment if they will not
serve Yahweh (verses 14, 15). The people reply, confessing the
truth of Joshua's review, and professing loyalty to Yahweh (verses
16-18). Joshua warns them of His exclusive claims and the perils
of forsaking Him ; but the people hold to their profession (verses
19-31), which Joshua embodiesin a covenant (verses 22-5), recorded
in writing, and marked by a stone of witness (verses 25-7). He
then dismisses them (verse 28).
The passage, as a whole, belongs to E (in illustration of the
evidence see on verses 1, 3, 11, 12, 23, 26) ; the chief editorial
additions of RD are indicated in the text. The review of the
history iS of value for literary criticism, as showing what was
included in the E document.
1. Shechem: xvii. 7, xx. 7, xxi. 21; for its character as a
sanctuary, prominent in E, see Gen. Xxxiii. 20, xxxv. 4 : cf.
Deut. xxvii. 5 f. and, in this chapter, verses 26, 32 : note also ' before
God,' at end of this verse. It lies in what G. A. Smith calls ' the
only real pass across the range ' of central hills running north and
south (H.G.H.L., p. 119), and to this he traces its prominence in
the earlier history. It is still the centre of the government of the
province. The editorial addition (cf. xxiii. 2) characterizes the
assembly as representative only.
2 f. Joshua speaks in the name of Yahweh (111. 9), and therefore
(to verse 13) in the first person, except for the accidental relapse
of the writer into the third in verse 7.
beyond the River : i. e. the Euphrates (Gen. xxxi. 21) ; the
term, thus used, is a mark of E. Terah, Abraham, Nahor : Gen.
X1" other gods : cf. Gen. xxxv. 4 (E), and especially xxxi. 53

380 JOSHUA 24. 3-9- E
3 And I took your father Abraham from beyond the
River, and led him throughout all, the land of Canaan,
4 and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I
gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau : and I gave unto Esau
mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children
5 went down into Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron,
and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in
the midst thereof: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt : and ye came
unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your
fathers with chariots and with horsemen unto the Red
7 Sea. And when they cried out unto the Lord, he
put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought
the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes
saw what I did in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilder-
8 ness many days. And I brought you into the land
of the Amorites, which dwelt beyond Jordan ; and they
fought with you : and I gave them into your hand, and
ye possessed their land; and I destroyed them from
9 before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and
(E), where the Hebrew ('judge' is in the plural) shows that
Nahor's god is distinct from Abraham's. Note the importance of
this verse for the O.T. doctrine of revelation. Yahweh elects
Abraham from a heathen environment.
3 f. The following references will enable the reader to trace
the details of this historical review : (verse 3) Gen. xii ; xvi. 10,
xxii. 17, xxvi. 4, 24 ; xxi. 1 f. : (verse 4) Gen. xxv. 31 f. ; xxxii. 3 ;
xlvi : (verse 5) Exod. iii, iv. 16 ; plagued, lit. ' smote ' (Exod.
viii. 3), vii. 14 f. ; xii. 29-51, xiii. 17 f. ('according to that' yields
no adequate sense ; read with LXX, A and Exod. iii. so, ' with
wonders'): (verse 6) Exod. xiv. 2 f . ; xiv. 6f. (drawings and
descriptionsof Egyptian chariots of this period in S.B.O.T., p. 42,
cf. Joshua xi. 6, xvii. 16, note) : (verse 7) Exod. xiv. 10 ; xiv.
19 f. ; xiv. 30, 31 : (verse 8) Num. xxi. 21-5 : (verse 9) Num.
xxii-xxiv (cf. Micah vi. 5).
9, fought against Israel: not recorded (contrast Deut. ii. 9 ;

JOSHUA 24. to- 14. E RD E RD E 38r
called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you : but I 10
would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed
you still : so I delivered you out of his hand. And ye n
went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho : and the men
of Jericho fought against you, [RD] the Amorite, and the
Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the
Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; [E] and I
delivered them into your hand. And I sent the hornet 12
before you, which drave them out from before you, even
the two kings of the Amorites ; not with thy sword, nor
with thy bow. [RD] And I gave you a land whereon 13
thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye built not,
and ye dwell therein ; of vineyards and oliveyards which
ye planted not do ye eat. [E] Now therefore fear the '4
Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth : and put
Judges xi. 25), though Moab is said to have prepared for battle
(Num. xxii. 6, n).
10. he blessed you still : Hebrew ' he went on blessing you '
(cf. Davidson's Hebrew Syntax, p. 119) ; the repeated blessings of
Balaam are here regarded as actually instrumental in the deliver
ance ; see on vi. 26, xiv. 13.
11. Here we pass to the period covered by the Book of Joshua
itself (iii, iv, v. 10).
the men (of Jericho) : lit. ' possessors of (Hebrew ba'ale),
a characteristic idiom of E.
fought against you : not recorded (cf. vi. 20) in the extant
sources ; E probably had a different and more historical narrative
of the conquest of Canaan.
The names added by RD (cf. Deut. vii. i) are intended to
include the Canaanite people as a whole in . this review of
the conquest.
12. hornet: Exod. xxiii. 28 (E), Deut. vii. 20 (note).
the two kings of the Amorites : read (with LXX) ' twelve '
for 'two,' the corruption of the Hebrew text being due to con
fusion with Sihon and Og.
not with thy sword, nor with thy how : Gen. xlviii: 22 (E) ;
the victory has been won by Yahweh. As Steuernagel points
out, this does not disprove the presence of E in battle-narratives,
chaps, i-xii.
13. For this editorial addition, cf. Deut. vi. 10 f.

382 JOSHUA 24. 15-19- E
away the gods which your fathers served, beyond the
15 River, and in Egypt ; and serve ye the Lord. And if it
seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this
day whom ye will serve ; whether the gods which your
fathers served that, were beyond the River, or the gods
of the Amorites> in whose land ye dwell : but as for me
16 and my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people
answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake
17 the Lord, to serve other gods; for the Lord our God,
he it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the
land of Egyplj, frp,n> the house of a bondage, and that did
those great signs in our sight,, and. preserved us in all the
way wherein we; went, and among all the peoples through
18 the midst of whom we passed : and the Lord drave out
from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites which
dwelt in the land : therefore we also will serve the Lord ;
19 for he is our God. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye
cannot serve the Lord ; for he is an holy God ; he is a
» Heb. bondmen.
14. gods : verse 33 5 probably the teraphim are meant, as in
Gen. xxxv. 4 (E), according to which they are buried at Shechem
by Jacob. :]
15. choose you : the choice offered, first between Yahweh
and other gods^ (verse 14), secondly between Aramaean and
Amorite, gods (verse 15) is severely practical ; which god can help
his worshippers most? This thought underlies the whole of the
appeal of Joshua, as weU as of Elijah on Carmel (1 Kings xviii. 21).
16. God forbid: (xxii. 29) 'far be it for usr' \ The people
answer, ' It is Yahweh — our national God — who has done all yqu
say; we (as well as you, emphatic in, the Hebrew) will worship
Yahweh' (verse 18).
17, the house of bondage: Exod, xxf 9, (Deut., v. 6) ; Deut.
vi. 12, &c. ; properly denoting a place in which s)ay,es, are confuted ;
hence, figuratively, of Egypt. The phrase,, is characteristic' of
Deuteronomy, and is absent in LXX.
19. Joshua emphasizes the exclusive and exacting claims of
Yahweh. holy = exalted (not primarily in an ethical sense). Steuer-

JOSHUA 24. 20-25. E 383
jealous God ; he will not forgive your transgression nor
your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange 20
gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume
you, after that he hath done you good. And the people 21
said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.
And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses 22
against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord,
to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now 23
therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are
among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord, the
God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The 24
Lord our God will we serve, and unto his voice will we
hearken. So Joshua made a covenant with the people 25
nagel well compares Isa, v. 16, where Yahweh's 'holiness' is
demonstrated by His power of judicial action.
jealous: Exod. xx. 5 ; Deut. iv. 24 (note).
transgression, sins: those, especially, of verse 20, viz. of
disloyalty to Himself (not here in a general sense).
20. strange (gods) : ' foreign ' (so verse 23), Gen. xxxv. 2 (E) ;
the phrase being characteristic of E.
22. witnesses : i. e. your present testimony will justify your
future punishment, should you be disloyal to. Yahweh.
And they said, We are witnesses : these words are best
omitted, with LXX. The speech of Joshua should continue with
out a break. As it is, R. Y- has to supply ' said^ lie.'
23. put away: verse 14, cf. Gen. xxxv. 2,
25. covenant: Hebrew berilh, whose Assyrian qognate suggests
the root-meaning ' bind ' or ' fetter ' : cf. Deut. iv. 13 (note), xxix. 1 f.;
here, as defined in the second half of the verse, an agreement made
between Joshua and Israel on the one side and Yahweh on the
other, to keep His statute an$ ordinance (Exod, xv. 25) that He
alone is to be; served. Cf. the Divine covenant with Jehoiada and
Israel (2 Kings xi. 17) tha,t they should be Yahweh's people.
Such a covenant is, of course, much simpler than the ceremony
of Exod, xxiv, 5,1, The, interesting, conjecture is offered by
Meyer (Die Isra$l\ten ifnd ihre Nachbarstcimme, 1906) that ' the
whole idea of a covenant with the national god, of a solemn
obligationk. has its roots, in the cultus of Shechem' (p. 501). He
calls attention to the original presence of a covenant-god (Judges
ix. 4, 46) at the Canaanite sanctuary of Shechem.

384 JOSHUA 24. 26-28. E
that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in
Shechem.
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of
God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there
under the oak that was a by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold; this stone
shall be a witness against us ; for it hath heard all the
words pf the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be
therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.
28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his
inheritance. ? Or, in
26. these words : the reference will naturally be to the
particulars of the covenant or agreement just made (xxiv. 2 f.).
The precise meaning of the book of the law of God will depend
on the view taken of the authorship of this verse. If the writer
were RD (so Dillmann, following Noeldeke), we should naturally
think of the Deuteronomic Law-book ; Kuenen thinks we have
a reference to some other 'book of law' than the one we know
(Hex., p. 156) ; Bennett assigns the clause to a late priestly redactor,
and points out that ' The Book of the Law is regarded here as
capable of receiving additions from time to time ' (S.B.O. T., p. 92) ;
whilst Holzinger, Staerk, and Steuernagel would place at" this point
in the original narrative (wholly or partly) the early Law-book,
Exod. xxi. 1 — xxiii. 19, known as the ' Book of the Covenant.' The
evidence' does not seem to yield more than such individual con
jectures, of which the last-named is perhaps best worth consideration.
a great stone : probably the ' pillar ' or mazzebah con
demned in Deut. xvi. 22 is meant, though here assimilated by E to
the worship of Yahweh.
the oak : the form of the word is peculiar to this passage
('alldh), and some would repuhctuate to read ' terebinth ' ; in any
case a sacred tree is meant, possibly that called ' the terebinth of
the director ' in Gen. xii. 6, from the oracular responses given by
or in connexion with it. This tree is in (R. V. marg.) the
sanctuary ; possibly the latter came into being round the tree as
centre. The same sacred place and tree appear to be mentioned
in Gen. xxxiii. 26, xxxv. 4 ; Deut, xi. 30 ; Judges ix. 6 (cf. ix.
37) : cf. Joshua viii. 33. See on Deut. xvi. 21.
27. witness: xxii. 34 ; Gen. xxxi. 48: an appeal to such
a ' witness ' is still made in the East ; it hath heard points to
primitive belief in a spirit dwelling within the stone (fetishism)

JOSHUA 24. 29-33. E RD E 385
And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the 29
son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an
hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the 30
border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in
the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the moun
tain of Gaash. [RD] And Israel served the Lord all the 31
days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that out
lived Joshua, and had known all the work of the Lord,
that he had wrought for Israel. [E] And the bones of 3»
Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of
Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground
a which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father
of Shechem for an hundred pieces of money : and they
became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And 33
Eleazar the son of Aaron died ; and they buried him in
bthe hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in
the hill country of Ephraim.
"¦ See Gen. xxxiii. 19. b Or, Gibeah of Phinehas
xxiv. 39-33. Concluding Notices, (a) The death and burial of
Joshua (verses 29-30) ; (b) obedience of Israel during the life
time of Joshua's contemporaries (verse 31) ; (c) burial of Joseph's
bones (verse 33) ; (d) death and burial of Eleazar (verse 33).
Verses 28-31 occur, in varied order, in Judges ii. 6-9 also.
30. Timnath-serah : xix. 50 (LXX adds that the stone knives
with which he circumcised Israel at Gilgal were buried with him).
32. the hones of Joseph : Gen. I. 25 ; Exod. xiii. 19.
an hundred pieces of money: the exact meaning of the
term used (kesitdh) is unknown. This piece of ground ' had the
same interest and significance for the northern kingdom which the
cave of Machpelah at Hebron had for the kingdom of Judah '
: (Driver on Gen. xxxiii. 19). .
* they became, &c. : viz. Shechem and the piece of land;
LXX reads, ' and he gave it to Joseph for an inheritance,' which
is preferable.33 the hill of Phinehas : to be taken as a place-name (with
R v'marg.); Gibeath Phinehas may be Jebia, three and a half
Smiles east of Tibneh. It is not included in xxi, 10-18.

C C

INDEX

[The Numerals refer to the pages ; more important references
are denoted by an asterisk.']

Aaron, 105, 106, 332, 380.
Abbreviations, 53, 54.
Achan, *2gsf., 373.
Ai, 296, 301 f., 313.
Altar (eastern), 370 f.
— (Mount Ebal), 190, 306.
Amalek, 184.
Ammon, *67, 172.
Anakim, 62, 326.
Ark, 106, 107, 215, 218, *379,
284, 307.
Asher, 243.
— (territpry of), 359.
Asherim, 9, 37, 95, 115, '142,
Balaam, 172, '334, 381.
Ban, *I58, 298, et passim.
Benjamin, 239.
— (territory of), 354 f.
Bethel, 304, 346, 356.
Beth-horon, *3i5, 355, 367.
Birth, 25. .
Blessings, *338, 381.
Blood, *24, 118, 119, 160, 167,
278.
Blood-revenge, 24, 152, 363.
Caleb, 62, *337, *34i f-i 366-
Canaan. See ' Palestine.'
Canaanites (unconquered), 259,
260. See Map.
Canon, 43.
Charity, 130, 187.
Children (training of), 29, &c.
Chinneroth, 323.

Chronology, 337 : cf. 361 f.
Circumcision, 108, *286, 287.
Codes of O. T. Law, 23, 54.
Conquest of Canaan, *a5g-s6i,
312 f., 321 f.
Conquest (list of kings), 327,
328.
Cosmology, 78, 196, 226.
Covenant, *77, 83, 96, 143,
*383-
Curse, 192, *294.

Dan, 242.
— (territory of), 361.
Dead (cuttings for), 125.
— (offerings to), 188.
Death, 25.
Debt (release from), 130 f.
Decalogue, 77, *84f., 103, 106.
Deuteronomy, Book of :-^
— Character, 1 f., 42.
— Commentaries, &c, 52, 53.
— Contents, 4-8.
— Critical Analysis, 13.
— Date, 14 f.
-r- Discovery, 8, 9.
— Inspiration, 16, 17.
-r- Legislation, 18-33.
— Literary Influence, 45 f.
— Name, 146.
— Original Extent, 12.
— Quoted in N. T., 50-2.
— Relation to Canon, 43-5.
— Religion, 33-43.
— Religious Influence, 49.

388 DEUTERONOMY AND JOSHUA

Division of Land, 329 f.
Divorce, 176, 177.
Ebal, *H3, 189, 306, 307.
Edom (Esau), *6s, 172, 339,
343, 380.
Elders, 31 : cf. 59, &c.
Eleazar, 106, 336, 349, 362, 364,
385-
Eunuchs, 171.
Family Jurisdiction, 164.
Fetishism, 26, 384.
First-fruits, 147, 185.
Firstlings, 135 : cf. 25.
Flogging, 181.
Fortresses (Canaanite), 317.

Gad, 73, 343, 373, 369.
— (territory of), 334.
Gerizim, *ii3, 189, 306, 307.
Gezer, *3i9, 347, 348, 367.
Gibeon, 307 f., 356, 366.
Gilead, 70, 73, 348, 371 f.
Gilgal, *285f., 288, 314, 337.
Hammurabi (Code of), *2of.,
134, 141, 154, 159, 160, 163,
164, 166, 170, 171, 178, 179,
180, 183, 190.
Hanging, 165, 305.
Hebron, *3i4, 320, 326, 328,
338, 34i, 345, 363. 366.
Herem. See ' Ban.'
High Place, 10, *H5.
Hinnom (Valley of), 10, *340,
355-
Horeb, 57, 60, 77, 83, 102, 149,
205.
Idolatry, 78, 97, 121, 143, 148,
192, 207.
Inheritance, Law of, 163.
Inscription, The ' Israel,' 262.

Issachar, 241.
— (territory of), 358.
Ius Talionis, 21, 32, 155, 184.
Jabin, 322.
Jashar, Book of, 316.
Jeremiah (relation to Deut.),
45, 46.
Jericho (capture), 293 f.
— (site), 274.
Jerusalem, *n6, 339, 313. 340,
345, 356.
Jeshurun, 224, 236, 343.
Jordan (passage of), 381 f.
Joseph, 239.
— (territory- of), 345 f., 351.
Joshua, 63, 73, 74, 214, 2r6,
217, 231, 246, *264, "271,
329, 362, 376, 385.
— Book of: —
Canonical Place, 354.
Commentaries, &c, 268.
Contents, 251-4.
Critical Analysis, 355 f.
Religious Ideas, 365-7.
Sources (J, E, RD, P), 255f-
Judah, 236.
— (territory of), 339 f.
Judges, 31 : cf. 141.
Justice (organization of), *3i,
32, 59, 144.

Kadesh-barnea, 57, 64, 67, 233,
3=i, 337, 339-
King (ideal), 145, 146.
Kings, Book of, 47.
Kiriath-arba ( = Hebron, q. v.),
*338, 3^3, 366-

Landmarks, 153.
Law, Bedouin, 19.
— Evolution of, 18.
— O. T. Codes of, 23, 54.
Law-book of Josiah, *8f., 11,
83, 15°, 194, s°5-

INDEX

389

Levites, ii, 107, 117 (&c), 144,
*i46-8, .161, 178, 191, 192,
315, 217, 237, 238, 379, 307,
333, 335, 353, 3^5-
Levitical Cities, 364 f.
Loans, 175, 178, 179.
Lot, Sacred, 367, *2g8, 353.
JVIagic and Divination, 10, *I48,
366, 304, 318.
Manasseh, 72, 373, 369.
— (territory of), 335, 348.
Marriage, 28, 156, 163, 168 f.,
377-
— Levirate, 182 f.
Mazzebah, lo, 37, 115, *i42,384-
Mezuza, 49, 91.
Miracle, 122, 316.
Moab, 34, *66, 172.
Monotheism, Hebrew, *34 f.,
39, 89-
Mourning, 162, 296.
Moses (alleged author of Deut
eronomy), 14.
— (law-giver), 18.
— (prophet), 149, 247.
— ' Blessing,' of, 233 f.
— Death of, 244 f.
— 'Song' of, 218 f.
Name (significance of), 297.
Naphtali, 242.
— (territory of), 360.
Oath, 92, 311.
Og (of Bashan), 57, &c.
Palestine, Land and Climate,
in, 197, 199, 309, 323.
— Nations, 94.
— Topography, 58, 308.
Passover, 10, *i36f., 388.
Pentecost, 136 f.
Philistines, 330.
Phinehas, 37s f-, 385.

Pisgah, 74, 83, 232, *245.
Priest. See ' Levite.'
Property, Laws of, 29 f.
Prophet, 121, 122, 149, 150,
247 : cf. 15.
Proselytes, 49, 206.
Prostitution, 9, 174.
Psychology, Primitive, 21, 25,
61, 6g, 77, n8, 133,134, 162,
181, 198, 233, 338, 246, 347,
266, 280, 301, 337.
Rahab, 275 f.
Reformation of Josiah, 9-11.
Refuge, Cities of, 82, 151 f.,
363 f.
Religion of Israel, 14 f., 331'.,
265 f.
Rephaim, 66, &c.
Responsibility (corporate), 300.
— (individual), 22, 180.
Retribution, Doctrine of, 40,
41, 48.
Reuben, 72, 236, 273, 369.
— (territory of), 333.
Revelation, 209, 380.
Sacrifice, 38 n., 116-18, 137,
138, 142, 147, 190, 306, 374.
Sanctuary, Central, 10, 36 f.,
114 f.
Seir, Mount, 57, &c. See
'Edom.'
Servants (hired), 179.
Seven, 291.
Sex, 166, 173: cf. 'Marriage.'
Shechem, 113, *I93, 350, 363,
3^7, 379, 383, 385-
Shekel, 300.
Shema', 15, 35, 50, *8g.
Shiloh, *352, 354, 362, 364, 371.
Sihon, 57, &c.
Simeon (territory of), 356 f.
Sinai, 234. See ' Horeb.'
Slavery, 22, 29, 133 f., 135, 174,
178.

390 DEUTERONOMY AND JOSHUA

Spies (mission of), 274.
Stoning, 123.
Stranger, *59, 128, 133, 180,
200, 206, 307.
Symbols, 53.

Tabernacles, Feast of, 136 f.
Taboo, See ' Ban.'
Tell-el-Amarna Tablets, 262,
263.
Tephillin, 49, 90.
Tithes, 129, 187.
Totemism, 27, 78, 126.
Tree, Sacred, 143, 360, 384 :
cf. 159.
Tribal Organization, 298.

Tribes, Twelve, 191, 233, 236 f.,
*s63, 364, 332, 372. '
Twelve, 285.
Virginity, 168 f.
Vows, 176.
Warfare, Laws of, 155.
Weights and Measures, 184.
Witnesses, Law of, 154-
Yahweh (conception of), 38 f.,
4i, g9, 266.
Zebulun, 241.
— (territory of), 357 f.
Zizith, 49, 168.

OXFORD: HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY