Deuteronomy 7 commentary

Here is a strict caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters. Those who are in communion with God, must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness. Limiting the orders to destroy, to the nations here mentioned, plainly shows that after ages were not to draw this into a precedent. A proper understanding of the evil of sin, and of the mystery of a crucified Saviour, will enable us to perceive the justice of God in all his punishments, temporal and eternal. We must deal decidedly with our lusts that war against our souls; let us not show them any mercy, but mortify, and crucify, and utterly destroy them. Thousands in the world that now is, have been undone by ungodly marriages; for there is more likelihood that the good will be perverted, than that the bad will be converted. Those who, in choosing yoke-fellows, keep not within the bounds of a profession of religion, cannot promise themselves helps meet for them.

We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those who do such works. Whatever brings us into a snare, brings us under a curse. Let us be constant to our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God's mercy. Diseases are God's servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies, thoroughly to mortify the sin of our souls; which is our rule of duty. Yet sin is never totally destroyed in this world; and it actually prevails in us much more than it would do, if we were watchful and diligent. In all this the Lord acts according to the counsel of his own will; but that counsel being hid from us, forms no excuse for our sloth and negligence, of which it is in no degree the cause. We must not think, that because the deliverance of the church, and the destruction of the enemies of the soul, are not done immediately, therefore they will never be done. God will do his own work in his own method and time; and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but at length there will be a complete victory. Pride, security, and other sins that are common effects of prosperity, are enemies more dangerous than beasts of the field, and more apt to increase upon us.

2. Thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Those who think that there was cruelty in this command, usurp too great authority in respect to Him who is the judge of all. The objection is specious that the people of God were unreasonably imbued with inhumanity, so that, advancing with murderous atrocity, they should spare neither sex nor age. But we must first remember what we shall see hereafter, i.e., that when God had destined the land for His people, He was at liberty utterly to destroy the former inhabitants, so that its possession might be free for them. We must then go further, and say that He desired the just demonstration of His vengeance to appear upon these nations. Four hundred years before He had justly punished their many sins, yet had He suspended His sentence and patiently borne with them, if haply they might repent. That sentence “On sait ce qui fur dit a Abraham,” etc. — Fr. is well known, “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” (Genesis 15:16.) After God had shewn His mercy for four centuries, and this clemency had increased both their audacity and madness, so that they had not ceased to provoke His wrath, surely it was no act of cruelty to compensate for the delay by the grievousness of the punishment. And hence appears the foul and detestable perversity of the human intellect. We are indignant if He does not smile at once; if He delays punishment our zeal accuses Him of slackness and want of energy; yet, when He comes forth as the avenger of guilt, we either call Him cruel, or at least complain of His severity. Yet His justice will always absolve Him; and our calumnies and detractions will recoil upon our own heads. He commanded seven nations to be utterly destroyed; that is to say, after they had added sin to sin for 400 years, so that their accumulation was immense, and experience had taught that they were obstinate and incurable. It will therefore be said elsewhere, that the land “spewed them out,” (Leviticus 18:28,) as if it had eased itself, when burdened by their filthiness. If impiety is intolerable to the lifeless element, why should we wonder that God in His character of Judge exercised extreme severity? But if God’s wrath was just, He might surely choose whatever ministers and executioners of it He pleased; and when He had given this commission to His people, it was not unreasonable that He should forbid them to pity those whom He had appointed for destruction. For what can be more preposterous than for men to vie with God in clemency? and when it pleases the Master to be severe, for the servants to assume to themselves the right of shewing mercy? Therefore God often reproves the Israelites for being improperly merciful. And hence it came to pass that the people, whom they ought to have destroyed, became as thorns and briars to prick them. (Joshua 23:13, and throughout the book of Judges.) Away, then, with all temerity, whereby we would presumptuously restrict God’s power to the puny measure of our reason; and rather let us learn reverently to regard those works of His, whose cause is concealed from us, than wantonly criticise them. Especially when He declares to us the just grounds of His vengeance, let us learn to subscribe to His decrees with the humility and modesty that becomes us, rather than to oppose them in vain, and indeed to our own confusion.

Deuteronomy 7

Deuteronomy 7:16-26

16. And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

16. Absumesque omnes populos quos Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi: non parcel oculus tuus els, nec coles deos eorum, quid laqueus erunt tibi.

17. If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

17. Quum dixeris in corde tuo, Plures sunt gentes illae quam ego: quomodo potero expellere eas?

18. Thou shalt not be afraid of them; but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

18. Ne timeas tibi ab eis: recordando recorderis quae fecerit Jehova Deus tuus ipsi Plaraoni, et omnibus Aegyptiis;

19. The great temptations which thine 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 people of whom thou art afraid.

19. Probationum magnarum quas viderunt oculi tui, et signorum, portentorumque, et manus validae, brachiique extenti quo eduxit to Jehova Deus tuus: sic faciet Jehova Deus tuus omnibus populis a quorum conspectu times tibi.

20. Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

20. Praeterea crabronem immittet Jehova Deus tuus in cos, donec pereant qui superfuerint, et quia absconderint sea facie tua.

21. Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

21. Ne paveas a facie eorum: quia Jehova Deus tuus est in medio tui, Deus maximus et terribilis.

22. And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

22. Expelletque Jehova Deus tuus gentes illas a facie tua paulatim paulatim: non poteris absumere eas cito, ne multiplicetur contra to bestia agri.

23. But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

23. Attamen tradet eas Jehova Deus tuus coram to, et conteret eas contritione maxima, donec perdantur ipsae.

24. And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

24. Tradetque reges earum in manum tuam, et perdes nomen earum de sub coelo: non consistet quisquam coram te, donec perdas cos.

25. The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

25. Sculptilia deorum ipsorum combures igni: non concupisces argentum, et aurum quae sunt super ca, et capias tibi: ne illaquees to in illo: abominatio enim Jehovae Dei tui est.

26. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

26. Neque introduces abominationem in domum tuam, et sis anathema sicut illud: detestando detestaberis illud, et abominando abominaberis illud, quia est anathema.

6. For thou art a holy people. He explains more distinctly what we have lately seen respecting God’s gratuitous love; for the comparison of the fewness of the people with the whole world and all nations, illustrates in no trifling degree the greatness of God’s grace; and this subject is considerably enlarged upon. Almost the same expressions will very soon be repeated, and also in the Song of Moses; but there by way of reproof, whilst here it is directed to a different object, as is plain from the context, viz., that they might be, by so great a blessing, laid under obligation to devote themselves and their services to God. He begins by declaring the end of their election, viz., that God had deigned to bestow this peculiar honor upon them that He might acquire unto Himself a holy people, pure from all pollutions, and then, by adding the circumstance I have adverted to, he magnifies the excellence of the benefit. From his argument drawn from their dignity, that they ought therefore to labor after holiness, we gather, that in proportion to the abundance of grace with which any one is endued, he is solemnly bound to live piously and justly. For God does not wish the gifts he bestows upon us to lie idle, but to produce their appropriate fruits; and we must especially remember that when He adopts us, and gathers us into His Church, we are not “called to uncleanness,” but to purity of life, and to shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7, and 1 Peter 2:9.) The Hebrew word סגלה, segullah, which we translate “peculiaris,” special, some understand to mean a “treasure,” or a precious and desirable thing, as was stated on Exodus 19. Undoubtedly it appears from many passages that gold, silver, pearls, and the like, are designated by this word; but substantially it is agreed that this title is given to the elect people, because God delights Himself in them; and herein His incomparable goodness shines forth, that He so highly esteems such miserable and worthless creatures, (homunciones.) Hence, too, it appears that by His holy calling He, as it were, creates out of nothing “things which are not,” that they may excel every earthly being.

7. The Lord did not set his love upon you. He proves it to be of God’s gratuitous favor, that He has exalted them to such high honor, because He had passed over all other nations, and deigned to embrace them alone. For an equal distribution of God’s gifts generally casts obscurity upon them in our eyes; thus the light of the sun, our common food, and other things, which all equally enjoy, either lose their value, or, at any rate, do not obtain their due honor; whilst what is peculiar is more conspicuous. Moreover, Moses takes it for granted, that there was nothing naturally in the people to cause their condition to be better or more distinguished; and hence infers, that there was no other reason why God should choose them, except His mere choice of them. We have elsewhere observed, that by this His love, whatever men would bring of their own is excluded or annihilated. It follows, therefore, that the Israelites could never be sufficiently grateful to God, since they had been thus liberally dealt with by Him, without any desert of their own.

8. Because he would keep the oath. The love of God is here referred back from the children to the fathers; for he addressed the men of his own generation, when he said that they were therefore God’s treasure, because He loved them; now he adds that God had not just begun to love them for the first time, but that He had originally loved their fathers, when He chose to adopt Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But although he more clearly proves that the descendants of Abraham had deserved nothing of the kind, because they are God’s peculiar people only by right of inheritance, still it must be remarked that God was induced to be kind to Abraham by no other cause than mere generosity. A little further on, therefore, he will say that those who then survived were dear to God, because He had already loved their fathers. But now he still further commends the goodness of God, because He had handed down His covenant from the fathers to the children, to shew that He is faithful and true to His promises. At the end of the verse, he teaches that the deliverance of the people was both an effect and a testimony of that grace.

deuteronomy 10

Deuteronomy 10:14-17

14. Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

14. Ecce, Jehovae Dei tui sunt coeli, et coeli coelorum, terra et omnia quae in ea sunt.

15. Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.

15. Tantummodo in patribus tuis beneplacitum est Jehovae, ut diligeret eos: et elegit semen eorum post eos, nempe vos, ex omnibus populis, sicut hodie.

16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

16. Circumcidite igitur praeputium cordis vestri, et cervicem vestram ne induretis ultra.

17. For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.

17. Jehova enim Deus vester est, Deus deorum, et Dominus dominorum, Deus magnus, potens et terribilis.-

9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God. The verb “Heb. And thou shalt know.” — Ainsworth. “Et scies.” — V. might have been as properly translated in the future tense; and, if this be preferred, an experimental knowledge, as it is called, is referred to, as if he had said that God would practically manifest how faithful a rewarder He is of His servants. But if the other reading is rather approved, Moses exhorts the people to be assured that God sits in heaven as the Judge of men, so that they may be both alarmed by the fear of His vengeance, and also attracted by the hope of reward. This declaration, however, See on Deuteronomy 5:9, 10, vol. 2, p. 110, et seq. was appended to the Second Commandment, and there expounded; for since it is comprehended in the Decalogue, it was not right to separate it from thence; but since it is now repeated in confirmation of the whole Law, it is fitly inserted in this place. It will not be amiss, nevertheless, slightly to advert to what I there more fully explained. The promise stands first, because God chooses rather to invite His people by kindness than to compel them to obedience from terror. The word mercy is coupled with the covenant, that we may know that the reward which believers must expect, does not depend on the merit of their works, since they have need of God’s mercy. We may, however, thus resolve the phrase — keeping the covenant of mercy — or the covenant founded on mercy — or the mercy which He covenanted.

When it is required of believers that they should love God before they keep His Commandments, we are thus taught that the source and cause of obedience is the love wherewith we embrace God as our Father. With respect to the “thousand generations,” it is better that we should refer to the Second Commandment, because it is a point which cannot be hurried over in a few words.

10. And repayeth them that hate him. There is no mention here made of the vengeance “unto the third and fourth generation? Added in Fr., “Mais seulement que Dieu punira les delinquans;” but only that God will punish the transgressors.

Those who expound the passage that God confers kindnesses on the wicked, whilst they are living in this world, The question is as to the word פניו, literally his or their face. The first explanation noticed by C., in their lifetime, is that of the Chaldee and Syriac versions, and also of the Hebrew Commentators; the second, in his anger, is attributed in Poole’s Synopsis, amongst others, to S M. Dathe’s translation is, “praesentissima pernicie;” and his note “mihi quidem videtur פנים dictum esse pro nomine reciproco ille, ipse, ut Exodus 33:15; Deuteronomy 4:37; 2 Samuel 17:11. Vide Noldius sub hac voce, num. 2. Latine non commode iisdem verbis exprimi potest. Igitur notionem, quae vocabulo Hebraeo subisse videtur, cum sequenti להאבידו conjunetim indicavi.” that He may at length destroy them in final perdition, wrest the words too violently. Nor is the opinion of others probable, that God repays the wicked with the reward of hatred, in His face, or anger. I therefore interpret it to mean the face of those to whose disobedience God opposes Himself when He humbles their arrogance; for He alludes to their pride and audacity, because they do not hesitate to provoke God, as if He were without the courage or the power to contend with them. He declares, then, that their impudence and brazen front shall avail them nothing, but that He will cast down the impertinence of their countenance, and the insolence of their forehead; and signifies that they shall as certainly feel the judgment which they despise, as if He presented it before their eyes. He adds, moreover, that He will not deal towards the wicked with the clemency which he uses towards His children; for He so chastises them that His correction is always profitable for their salvation, whilst He denounces deadly punishment against the former; for although He seems to deal alike with both, when He inflicts temporal punishment, still, that which is but a medicine for believers, is to the reprobate a foretaste of their eternal destruction. What He says, however, as to taking vengeance without delay, does not seem to accord with other passages of Scripture, in which He declares Himself to be slow to anger, kind, and long-suffering. Besides, it seems also to be contradicted by experience, since He does not immediately hasten to inflict punishment, but proceeds slowly, so as to compensate by His severity for the slowness with which He acts. But we must remember what He says in Psalm 90:4, that a thousand years in His sight are but as a single day; and consequently, when we think that He delays, He is, in His infinite wisdom, hastening as much as is necessary. He seems, indeed, to take no notice for a time, that He may thus invite men to repent; but still He declares that He will not delay, but that He will come suddenly, like a whirlwind, to hasten His judgments, lest the ungodly should grow drowsy from their security. Let us, therefore, learn quietly and patiently to wait for the fit season of His vengeance.

12. Wherefore it shall come to pass. God appears so to act according to agreement, as to leave (His people) no hope of His favor, unless they perform their part of it; and undoubtedly this is the usual form of expression in the Law, in which the condition is inserted, that God will do good to His people if they have deserved it by their obedience. Still we must remember what we have elsewhere seen, that, after God has so covenanted with them, He Himself, in order that His promise may not be made of none effect, descends to the gratuitous promise of pardon, whereby He reconciles the unworthy to Himself. Thus the original covenant only avails to man’s condemnation. But when salvation is offered to them gratuitously, their works at the same time become pleasing to God. Inasmuch, however, as the cause of reward is unconnected with men and their works, all calculation of merit is out of the question: still it is profitable to believers that a reward should be promised them if they walk in the commandments of God; since, in His inestimable liberality, He deals with them as if they did something to deserve it.

In conclusion, Moses enumerates some of the proofs of God’s favor, such as fecundity, and an abundance of the fruits of the earth. It is questionable whether by what is added at the end respecting the diseases of Egypt, he means the boils which were generated by the scattered ashes, (Exodus 9:8,) or the lice which infested both man and beast, (Exodus 8:17,) or whether he extends them to those diseases which had prevailed long before the departure of the people. I am disposed to embrace the latter opinion; “Certain diseases, peculiar to Egypt, are meant; such as various diseases of the skin, as the scab, elephantiasis, plague, etc. Pliny, Nat. Hist., 26., calls Egypt the mother of such diseases. Even at the present day, there are in Egypt several peculiar diseases, especially ophthalmia, variolous diseases, and plague.” — Rosenmuller. Hengstenberg also, in his “Egypt and the Books of Moses,” has an article on this subject, p. 454, confirmative of the above. He quotes Wagner as calling Egypt, in his Natural History of Man, “a great focus of the diseases in universal history.” for in Deuteronomy 28:27, after mentioning “the botch of Egypt,” he adds “emerods, and the scab, and the itch:” it is, therefore, probable that the Egyptians were subject to various maladies, from which Moses declares that the people should be free by special privilege, if only they obeyed God’s Law.

Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12:28

28. Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou does that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God.

28. Custodi, et audi omnia verba ista quae ego praecipio tibi, ut bene sit tibi et fillis tuis post te usque in saeculum, quum feceris quod bonum est et rectum in oculis Jehovae Dei tui.

16. And thou shalt consume all the people. It is plain from the second part of the verse wherefore He commands the people of Canaan to be destroyed, when He forbids their gods to be worshipped. This precept, therefore, corresponds with the others, where He dooms in like manner these nations to utter destruction. I now pass over what I have explained elsewhere, i.e., that the vengeance which God exercised against these obstinate and ten-times lost people cannot be ascribed to cruelty. For since 400 years ago it had been said to Abraham that their iniquity was not yet full, they could not be treated with severity equal to their deserts, when they had so licentiously and wickedly abused God’s long-suffering. But we must take notice of God’s design in so particularly enjoining on the Israelites utterly to destroy whatever should be found there; for besides that He had once doomed them all to the destruction they merited, He would have the land also, in which His name was to be invoked, purged from all pollutions. Now, if any of the old inhabitants had survived, they would soon have endeavored to revive their corruptions, and since the Israelites were otherwise more disposed than enough to superstition, they would easily have been attracted to the worship of idols. This, then, is the reason why God forbids them to shew these people any humanity or clemency, as I have reminded you to be clear from the context; for these things stand in connection, that they should not spare the nations nor worship their gods. The reason which is subjoined, “for it will be a snare or stumblingblock to you,” must be extended to the whole context, viz., that it would be fatal to the Jews if they should spare the nations which would allure them to impiety.

17 If thou shalt say in thine heart. Since it was a matter of great difficulty to destroy such a multitude of men, and despair itself would drive them to madness, so that it would be frivolous for the Israelites to cut off all hope of mercy, God anticipates their fear, and exhorts them to the strenuous execution of His sentence. From whence we gather some useful instruction; whenever God commands anything which exceeds our power, we must still obey and boldly break through whatever obstacles present themselves to impede us. In all arduous matters, therefore, let this doctrine come to our aid, that whatever is contrary to God’s will may easily be annihilated by His almighty power. But since terror, presented to our eyes, immediately so lays hold of all our senses that we lie as it were torpid, God recalls to the recollection of the Israelites what abundant grounds of confidence He had supplied them with. For all the miracles He had wrought were so many proofs of His invincible power; and hence they should conclude that nothing was to be dreaded, provided God should go before them, and that, therefore, being assured of victory, they should not descend to any treaties.

20. Moreover, the Lord thy God will send the hornet. Since the destruction of their enemies might seem long, if they were only to be slain by their hands and weapons, and again, because it was scarcely credible that, without defending themselves, they would voluntarily stretch forth their own throats, God promises that in another way also He would supply the means of their conquest. Therefore, lest the Israelites, imagining that their enemies would be prompt and vigorous in resistance, should be alarmed or affrighted, God declares that other forces should be at hand, for that hornets or other poisonous insects should destroy all the fugitives. The same declaration is found in Exodus 23; and what God had promised, Joshua relates that He performed. (Joshua 24:12.) But inasmuch as these nations were not to be destroyed in a moment, lest the people should therefore grow weary or become inactive, God anticipates this, and reminds them that this delay would be advantageous, for when all the inhabitants were exterminated, the wild beasts would occupy the empty land. The prolongation of the war, therefore, ought not to trouble them, for by it God provided for His people’s welfare, since, if the men were speedily destroyed, they should have to contend with wild beasts. But though the passage which I have quoted from Exodus is similar in terms, yet I have designedly placed it under another head; for God here refers to the extermination of the Gentile nations with another object, i.e., lest any of the ancient pollutions should remain in the land, and lest the Israelites should mingle with the ungodly, by whose arts they might at length be drawn away to spurious religions.

25. The graven images of their gods. He again impresses upon them the object of the destruction of the nations, but he goes further than before. He had before forbidden them to worship their gods. He now commands them to consume their graven images with fire, for since the people were prone to superstition, such snares might easily have alienated them from God’s pure worship. Nor does he command them merely to melt the gold and silver so as to alter its shape, but he altogether interdicts its use, since it would be a contagious plague; for he shews how greatly God abominates idols, inasmuch as whosoever should touch the materials of which they were molten, would contract pollution and become accursed. This great severity might indeed seem to condemn the metals which were created for man’s use, as if they were impure, and as if the perfectness of natural things was liable to be corrupted by man. But in this way idolaters would contaminate the sun and moon, when falsely regarding them as objects of corrupt worship; and it must be answered that the gold and silver itself was by no means polluted by this impious abuse; but that, although free from all stain in itself, it was polluted in respect to the people. Such was the uncleanness of animals, not that they had in themselves any pollution, but because God had interdicted their being eaten. The pollution therefore which is now mentioned arises from a similar prohibition; for otherwise the ignorant people could not be restrained, and hence God would have that to be abominable which in itself was pure. Still this was a political precept, and only given temporarily to the ancient people; yet we gather from it how detestable idolatry is, which even infects the works of God themselves with its own filthiness.

Deuteronomy 25

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

17. Memento quid fecerit tibi Amalec in via, quando egressi estis ex Aegypto:

18. How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

18. Quod tibi occurrerit in via, et te in cauda agminis aggressus sit, omnium debilium post to, quum esses lassus et fatigatus, et non timuerit Deum.

19. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD 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 it.

19. Erit ergo quum dederit requiem Jehova Deus tuus tibi ab omnibus inimicis tuis per circuitum, in terra quam Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi in haereditatem ut possideas eam, delebis memoriam Amalec de sub coelo, ne obliviscaris.

CHAPTER 7

De 7:1-26. All Communion with the Nations Forbidden.

1. the Hittites--This people were descended from Heth, the second son of Canaan (Ge 10:15), and occupied the mountainous region about Hebron, in the south of Palestine.

the Girgashites--supposed by some to be the same as the Gergesenes (Mt 8:28), who lay to the east of Lake Gennesareth; but they are placed on the west of Jordan (Jos 24:11), and others take them for a branch of the large family of the Hivites, as they are omitted in nine out of ten places where the tribes of Canaan are enumerated; in the tenth they are mentioned, while the Hivites are not.

the Amorites--descended from the fourth son of Canaan. They occupied, besides their conquest on the Moabite territory, extensive settlements west of the Dead Sea, in the mountains.

the Canaanites--located in Phoenicia, particularly about Tyre and Sidon, and being sprung from the oldest branch of the family of Canaan, bore his name.

the Perizzites--that is, villagers, a tribe who were dispersed throughout the country and lived in unwalled towns.

the Hivites--who dwelt about Ebal and Gerizim, extending towards Hermon. They are supposed to be the same as the Avims.

the Jebusites--resided about Jerusalem and the adjacent country.

seven nations greater and mightier than thou--Ten were formerly mentioned (Ge 15:19-21). But in the lapse of near five hundred years, it cannot be surprising that some of them had been extinguished in the many intestine feuds that prevailed among those warlike tribes. It is more than probable that some, stationed on the east of Jordan, had fallen under the victorious arms of the Israelites.

2-6. thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them--This relentless doom of extermination which God denounced against those tribes of Canaan cannot be reconciled with the attributes of the divine character, except on the assumption that their gross idolatry and enormous wickedness left no reasonable hope of their repentance and amendment. If they were to be swept away like the antediluvians or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, as incorrigible sinners who had filled up the measure of their iniquities, it mattered not to them in what way the judgment was inflicted; and God, as the Sovereign Disposer, had a right to employ any instruments that pleased Him for executing His judgments. Some think that they were to be exterminated as unprincipled usurpers of a country which God had assigned to the posterity of Eber and which had been occupied ages before by wandering shepherds of that race, till, on the migration of Jacob's family into Egypt through the pressure of famine, the Canaanites overspread the whole land, though they had no legitimate claim to it, and endeavored to retain possession of it by force. In this view their expulsion was just and proper. The strict prohibition against contracting any alliances with such infamous idolaters was a prudential rule, founded on the experience that "evil communications corrupt good manners" [1Co 15:33], and its importance or necessity was attested by the unhappy examples of Solomon and others in the subsequent history of Israel.

11-26. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for delivering them from every evil to which, as a people, they would be exposed. That people accordingly were truly happy as a nation, and found every promise which the faithful God made to them amply fulfilled, so long as they adhered to that obedience which was required of them. See a beautiful illustration of this in Psa 144:12-15.

Seven nations greater and mightier than thou - In several places of the Hebrew text, each of these seven nations is not enumerated, some one or other being left out, which the Septuagint in general supply. How these nations were distributed over the land of Canaan previously to the entering in of the Israelites, the reader may see in the note on Jos 3:10 (note).

Thou shalt smite them, etc. - These idolatrous nations were to be utterly destroyed, and all the others also which were contiguous to the boundaries of the promised land, provided they did not renounce their idolatry and receive the true faith: for if they did not, then no covenant was to be made with them on any secular or political consideration whatever; no mercy was to be shown to them, because the cup of their iniquity also was now full; and they must either embrace, heartily embrace, the true religion, or be cut off.

Neither shalt thou make marriages, etc. - The heart being naturally inclined to evil, there is more likelihood that the idolatrous wife should draw aside the believing husband, than that the believing husband should be able to bring over his idolatrous wife to the true faith.

Thou art a holy people - And therefore should have no connection with the workers of iniquity.

A special people - סגלה segullah, - Septuagint, λαον περιουσιον, - a peculiar people, a private property. The words as they stand in the Septuagint are quoted by the apostle, 1Pet 2:9.

But because the Lord loved you - It was no good in them that induced God to choose them at this time to be his peculiar people: he had his reasons, but these sprang from his infinite goodness. He intended to make a full discovery of his goodness to the world, and this must have a commencement in some particular place, and among some people. He chose that time, and he chose the Jewish people; but not because of their goodness or holiness.

The Lord - shall keep unto thee the covenant - So we find their continuance in the state of favor was to depend on their faithfulness to the grace of God. If they should rebel, though God had chosen them through his love, yet he would cast them off in his justice. The elect, we see, may become unfaithful, and so become reprobates. So it happened to 24,000 of them, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness because they had sinned; yet these were of the elect that came out of Egypt. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.

Put out those nations - by little and little - The Israelites were not as yet sufficiently numerous to fill the whole land occupied by the seven nations mentioned Deu 7:1. And as wild and ferocious animals might be expected to multiply where either there are no inhabitants, or the place is but thinly peopled, therefore God tells them that, though at present, by force of arms, they might be able to expel them, it would be impolitic so to do, lest the beasts of the field should multiply upon them.

Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them - Some of the ancient idols were plated over with gold, and God saw that the value of the metal and the excellence of the workmanship might be an inducement for the Israelites to preserve them; and this might lead, remotely at least, to idolatry. As the idols were accursed, all those who had them, or any thing appertaining to them, were accursed also, Deu 7:26.

Seven nations - There were ten in Gen 15:19 - 21. But this being some hundreds of years after, it is not strange if three of them were either destroyed by foreign or domestick wars, or by cohabitation and marriage united with, and swallowed up in the rest.

To serve other Gods - That is, there is manifest danger of apostacy and idolatry from such matches. Which reason doth both limit the law to such of these as are unconverted (otherwise Salmon married Rahab, Matt 1:5) and enlarge it to other idolatrous nations, as appears from 1Kin 11:2 Ezra 9:2 Neh 13:23.

Their graves - Which idolaters planted about the temples and altars of their Gods. Hereby God designed to take away whatsoever might bring their idolatry to remembrance, or occasion the reviving of it.

The fewest - To wit, at that time when God first declared his choice of you for his peculiar people, which was done to Abraham. For Abraham had but one son concerned in this choice and covenant, namely, Isaac, and that was in his hundredth year; and Isaac was sixty years old ere he had a child, and then had only two children; and though Jacob had twelve sons, it was a long time before they made any considerable increase. Nor do we read of any great multiplication of them 'till after Joseph's death.

The Lord loved you - It was his free choice without any cause or motive on your part.

Them that hate him - Not only those who hate him directly and properly, (for so did few or none of the Israelites to whom he here speaks,) but those who hate him by construction and consequence; those who hate and oppose his people, and word, those who wilfully persist in the breach of God's commandments. To their face - That is, openly, and so as they shall see it, and not be able to avoid it. Slack - So as to delay it beyond the fit time or season for vengeance, yet withal he is long - suffering, and slow to anger.

The covenant and the mercy - That is, the covenant of mercy, which he out of his own mere grace made with them.

He will love thee - He will continue to love thee, and to manifest his love to thee.

The diseases of Egypt - Such as the Egyptians were infected with, either commonly, or miraculously. It seems to refer not only to the plagues of Egypt, but to some other epidemic disease, which they remembered to have prevailed among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins. Diseases are God's servants, which go where he sends them, and do what he bids them.

The temptations - The trials and exercises of thy faith and obedience to my commands.

No man shall stand - This promise is made upon condition of their performance of their duty, which they neglecting, justly lose the benefit of it.

The silver or gold - Wherewith the idols are covered or adorned, nor consequently any other of their ornaments. This he commands to shew his utter detestation of idolatry, and to cut off all occasions of it.

1 WHen the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven Nations greater and mightier than thou:

There were ten in Gen. 15. 19. But this being some hundreds of years after that it is not strange if three of them were either destroyed by Forreign or Domestick wars, or by [illegible: 1+ letters] tion and marriage united with, and swallowed up in some of the rest,

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 31. 3.

2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them, thou shalt make no covenant with them , nor shew mercy unto them.

To spare them, or permit them to dwell with thee in the land. Other Nations had more favour, but these were for their great wickedness, and for the good of Israel devoted to utter destruction.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 33. 52.; [illegible: 1 word]. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. & [illegible: 1 word] 10. 28, [illegible: 1 word] 11. 11▪ 12; [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1+ letters]3. 32. [illegible: 1 word] 1[illegible: 1+ letters], 15. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] Josh. 2. [illegible: 1 word] 9. 15. [illegible: 1 word] 1. 24.

4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods : so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

i. e. There is manifest danger of Apostacy and Idolatry from such matches. Which reason doth both limit the Law to such of these as were unconverted, otherwise Salmon marryed [illegible: 1 word]. Mat. 1. 5. and enlarge it to other Idolatrous Nations, as appears from 1 King. 11. 2. Ezra. 9. 2. Neb. 13. 23.

5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves , and burn their graven images with fire.

Which Idolaters planted about the Temples and Altars of their Gods. Hereby God designed to take away whatsoever might bring their Idolatry to remembrance, or occasion the reviving of it.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 23. 24.; [illegible: 1 word] or [illegible: 1 word] ▪

7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were moe in number than any people: (for ye were the sewest of all people .)

To wit, at that time when God first declared his love to you, and choice of you for his [illegible: 1 word] people, which was done to Abraham For [illegible: 1 word] had but one Son concerned in this choice and covenant, to wit, [illegible: 1 word] ▪ and that was in his hundredth year; and [illegible: 1 word] was 60 years old ere he had a Child▪ and then had onely two Children; and though Jacob had 12 Sons, yet it was a long time ere they made any considerable increase. Nor do we read of any great multiplication of them till after [illegible: 1 word] death, Exod. 1. 6, [illegible: 1+ letters].

8 But because the LORD loved you , and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh King of Egypt.

i. e. Because it pleased him to love you▪ it was his free choice, without any cause or motive on your part. Compare Deut. 10. 15. 1 Sam. 12. 22. [illegible: 1 word]. 44. 3.

9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God , which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations:

True to his word, and constant in performing all his promises.

Marginal references: Exod. 20. 6.

10 And repayeth them 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.

Not onely those who hate him directly and properly, (for so did few or none of the [illegible: 1 word] to whom he here speaks,) but those who hate him by construction and consequence, those who hate and oppose his People, and Word, and Image, those who presumptuously and wilfully persist in the breach of Gods Commandements, as appears from v. 9. where the love of God, to which this hatred is opposite, is described and expressed by the keeping of his commandements.

i. e. Openly, and so as they shall see it, and not be able to avoid it.

To wit, so as some [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] slackness, 2 Pet. 3. 9. so as to delay it beyond the fit time or season for vengeance, yet withal he is long-suffering, and slow to anger, as that and other places inform us.

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers.

i. e. The Covenant of Mercy or Grace, which he out of his own meer grace made with them. A figure called [illegible: 1 word].

Marginal references: Lev. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 3. chap. 28. 1.; Heb. because.

13 And he will love thee , and bless thee, and multiply thee, he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oyl, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

He will continue to love thee, and to manifest his love to thee, he will not repent of his love to thee.

15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt , (which thou knowest) upon thee, but will lay them all upon them that hate thee.

Such as the Aegyptians were infested with, either commonly, as that [illegible: 1 word], Deut. 28. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. or miraculously and extraordinarily from the hand of the Lord, as Exod. 9. 10, 15. Compare Exod. 23. 25. Psal. 105. 37.

Marginal references: Exod. 9. 14▪ and 15. 26.

16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee, thine eye shall have no pity upon them, neither shalt thou serve their Gods, for that will be a snare unto thee.

[illegible: 1 span]

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].; Exod. 23. 33.

18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

Heb. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ i. [illegible: 1+ letters]. remember it frequently, [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word], and for thy encouragement, for men are said to forget those things which they do not remember to good purpose.

19 The great temptations which thine 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 people of whom thou art afraid

The Tryals and Exercises of thy Faith and Obedience to my call and commands.

So as he did to [illegible: 1 word] and his people, mentioned, [illegible: 1+ letters]. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

Marginal references: chap. 4. [illegible: 1+ letters]4. and 29. 3.

20 Moreover, the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are lest and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

Of which see on Exod. 23. 28.

Marginal references: Exod. 23. 28. Josh. 24. 12.

22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once , lest the beast of the field increase upon thee.

Or, Thou shalt not be able to conf[illegible: 1+ letters]e them at once, i. e. in an instant. I will not assist thee with my omnipotency, to crush them in a moment, but will bless thee in the use of ordinary [illegible: 1 word] ▪ and destroy them successively by several battles.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] off.

24 And he shall deliver their Kings into thi[illegible: 1+ letters]e hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them .

This promise is made upon condition of their performance of their duty, which they neglecting, they justly lose the benefit of it, as we see, Iudg. 2. 1, 2, 3.

Marginal references: Josh. 12. 1.

25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them , nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

Wherewith the Idols are covered or a lorned, nor conse [illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] other [illegible: 1 word] their ornaments. This he commands to sh[illegible: 1+ letters] his [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] of Idol[illegible: 1+ letters]ry, and to cut off all occasions of i[illegible: 1+ letters].

Marginal references: chap. 12. 3. Exod. 32. 20.; Josh. 7. 1, 21.; Psa. 106. 36.

26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly ab[illegible: 1+ letters]or it: for it is a cursed thing.

i. e. [illegible: 1 word] to [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word], as that was. See Ios. 7. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word] ▪

Marginal references: chap. 13. 17. [illegible: 1 word]. 27. 23.

Deu 7:1-4

As the Israelites were warned against idolatry in Deu 6:14, so here are they exhorted to beware of the false tolerance of sparing the Canaanites and enduring their idolatry. - Deu 7:1, Deu 7:5. When the Lord drove out the tribes of Canaan before the Israelites, and gave them up to them and smote them, they were to put them under the ban (see at Lev 27:28), to make no treaty with them, and to contract no marriage with them. נשׁל, to draw out, to cast away, e.g., the sandals (Exo 3:5); here and Deu 7:22 it signifies to draw out, or drive out a nation from its country and possessions: it occurs in this sense in the Piel in 2Ki 16:6. On the Canaanitish tribes, see at Gen 10:15. and Deu 15:20-21. There are seven of them mentioned here, as in Jos 3:10 and Jos 24:11; on the other hand, there are only six in Deu 20:17, as in Exo 3:8, Exo 3:17; Exo 23:23, and Exo 33:2, the Girgashites being omitted. The prohibition against making a covenant, as in Exo 23:32 and Exo 34:12, and that against marrying, as in Exo 34:16, where the danger of the Israelites being drawn away to idolatry is mentioned as a still further reason for these commands. יסיר כּי, “for he (the Canaanite) will cause thy son to turn away from behind me,” i.e., tempt him away from following me, “to serve other gods.” Moses says “from following me,” because he is speaking in the name of Jehovah. The consequences of idolatry, as in Deu 6:15; Deu 4:26, etc.

Deu 7:5

The Israelites were rather to destroy the altars and idols of the Canaanites, according to the command in Exo 34:13; Exo 23:24.

Deu 7:6-8

They were bound to do this by virtue of their election as a holy nation, the nation of possession, which Jehovah had singled out from all other nations, and brought out of the bondage of Egypt, not because of its greatness, but from love to them, and for the sake of the oath given to the fathers. This exalted honour Israel was not to cast away by apostasy from the Lord. It was founded upon the word of the Lord in Exo 19:5-6, which Moses brought to the recollection of the people, and expressly and emphatically developed. “Not because of your multitude before all nations (because ye were more numerous than all other nations) hath Jehovah turned to you in love (חשׁק, to bind oneself with, to hang upon a person, out of love), for ye are the littleness of all nations” (the least numerous). Moses could say this to Israel with reference to its descent from Abraham, whom God chose as the one man out of all the world, whilst nations, states, and kingdoms had already been formed all around (Baumgarten). “But because Jehovah loved you, and kept His oath which He had sworn to the fathers, He hath brought you out,” etc. Instead of saying, He hath chosen you out of love to your fathers, as in Deu 4:37, Moses brings out in this place love to the people of Israel as the divine motive, not for choosing Israel, but for leading it out and delivering it from the slave-house of Egypt, by which God had practically carried out the election of the people, that He might thereby allure the Israelites to a reciprocity of love.

Deu 7:9-10

By this was Israel to know that Jehovah their God was the true God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant, showing mercy to those who love Him, even to the thousandth generation, but repaying those who hate Him to the face. This development of the nature of God Moses introduces from Exo 20:5-6, as a light warning not to forfeit the mercy of God, or draw upon themselves His holy wrath by falling into idolatry. To this end He emphatically carries out still further the thought of retribution, by adding להאבידו, “to destroy him” (the hater), and וגו יאהר לא, “He delays not to His hater (sc., to repay him); He will repay him to his face.” “To the face of every one of them,” i.e., that they may see and feel that they are smitten by God (Rosenmüller).

Deu 7:11

This energy of the grace and holiness of the faithful covenant God was a powerful admonition to keep the divine commandments.

Deu 7:12-26

The observance of these commandments would also bring great blessings (Deu 7:12-16). “If ye hearken to these demands of right” (mishpatim) of the covenant Lord upon His covenant people, and keep them and do them, “Jehovah will keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He hath sworn to thy fathers.” In עקב, for אשׁר עקב (Gen 22:18), there is involved not only the idea of reciprocity, but everywhere also an allusion to reward or punishment (cf. Deu 8:20; Num 14:24). חסד was the favour displayed in the promises given to the patriarchs on oath (Gen 22:16).

A Caution Against Idolatry. (b. c. 1451.)

1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2 And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them: 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. 5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. 6 For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 10 And repayeth them 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. 11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

Here is, I. A very strict caution against all friendship and fellowship with idols and idolaters. Those that are taken into communion with God must have no communication with the unfruitful works of darkness. These things they are charged about for the preventing of this snare now before them.

1. They must show them no mercy, v. 1, 2. Bloody work is here appointed them, and yet it is God's work, and good work, and in its time and place needful, acceptable, and honourable.

(1.) God here engages to do his part. It is spoken of as a thing taken for granted that God would bring them into the land of promise, that he would cast out the nations before them, who were the present occupants of that land; no room was left to doubt of that. His power is irresistible, and therefore he can do it; his promise is inviolable, and therefore he will do it. Now, [1.] These devoted nations are here named and numbered (v. 1), seven in all, and seven to one are great odds. They are specified, that Israel might know the bounds and limits of their commission: hitherto their severity must come, but no further; nor must they, under colour of this commission, kill all that came in their way; no, here must its waves be stayed. The confining of this commission to the nations here mentioned plainly intimates that after-ages were not to draw this into a precedent; this will not serve to justify those barbarous laws which give no quarter. How agreeable soever this method might be, when God himself prescribed it, to that dispensation under which such multitudes of beasts were killed and burned in sacrifice, now that all sacrifices of atonement are perfected in, and superseded by, the great propitiation made by the blood of Christ, human blood has become perhaps more precious than it was, and those that have most power yet must not be prodigal of it. [2.] They are here owned to be greater and mightier than Israel. They had been long rooted in this land, to which Israel came strangers; they were more numerous, had men much more bulky and more expert in war than Israel had; yet all this shall not prevent their being cast out before Israel. The strength of Israel's enemies magnifies the power of Israel's God, who will certainly be too hard for them.

(2.) He engages them to do their part. Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them, v. 2. If God cast them out, Israel must not take them in, no, not as tenants, nor tributaries, nor servants. Not covenant of any kind must be made with them, no mercy must be shown them. This severity was appointed, [1.] By way of punishment for the wickedness they and their fathers had been guilty of. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full, and the longer it had been in the filling the sorer was the vengeance when it came at last. [2.] In order to prevent the mischiefs they would do to God's Israel if they were left alive. The people of these abominations must not be mingled with the holy seed, lest they corrupt them. Better that all these lives should be lost from the earth than that religion and the true worship of God should be lost in Israel. Thus we must deal with our lusts that was against our souls; God has delivered them into our hands by that promise, Sin shall not have dominion over you, unless it be your own faults; let not us them make covenants with them, nor show them any mercy, but mortify and crucify them, and utterly destroy them.

2. They must make no marriages with those of them that escaped the sword, v. 3, 4. The families of the Canaanites were ancient, and it is probable that some of them were called honourable, which might be a temptation to the Israelites, especially those of them that were of least note in their tribes, to court an alliance with them, to ennoble their blood; and the rather because their acquaintance with the country might be serviceable to them in the improvement of it: but religion, and the fear of God, must overrule all these considerations. To intermarry with them was therefore unlawful, because it was dangerous; this very thing had proved of fatal consequence to the old world (Gen. vi. 2), and thousands in the world that now is have been undone by irreligious ungodly marriages; for there is more ground of fear in mixed marriages that the good will be perverted than of hope that the bad will be converted. The event proved the reasonableness of this warning: They will turn away thy son from following me. Solomon paid dearly for his folly herein. We find a national repentance for this sin of marrying strange wives, and care taken to reform (Ezra ix. x., and Neh. xiii.), and a New-Testament caution not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Cor. vi. 14. Those that in choosing yokefellows keep not at least within the bounds of a justifiable profession of religion cannot promise themselves helps meet for them. One of the Chaldee paraphrases adds here, as a reason of this command (v. 3), For he that marries with idolaters does in effect marry with their idols.

3. They must destroy all the relics of their idolatry, v. 5. Their altars and pillars, their groves and graven images, all must be destroyed, both in a holy indignation against idolatry and to prevent infection. This command was given before, Exod. xxiii. 24; xxxiv. 13. A great deal of good work of this kind was done by the people, in their pious zeal (2 Chron. xxxi. 1), and by good Josiah (2 Chron. xxxiv. 3, 7), and with this may be compared the burning of the conjuring books, Acts xix. 19.

II. Here are very good reasons to enforce this caution.

1. The choice which God had made of this people for his own, v. 6. There was such a covenant and communion established between God and Israel as was not between him and any other people in the world. Shall they by their idolatries dishonour him who had thus honoured them? Shall they slight him who had thus testified his kindness for them? Shall they put themselves upon the level with other people, when God had thus dignified and advanced them above all people? Had God taken them to be a special people to him, and no other but them, and will not they take God to be a special God to them, and no other but him?

2. The freeness of that grace which made this choice. (1.) There was nothing in them to recommend or entitle them to this favour. In multitude of the people is the king's honour, Prov. xiv. 28. But their number was inconsiderable; they were only seventy souls when they went down into Egypt, and, though greatly increased there, yet there were many other nations more numerous: You were the fewest of all people, v. 7. The author of the Jerusalem Targum passes too great a compliment upon his nation in his reading this, You were humble in spirit, and meek above all people; quite contrary: they were rather stiff-necked and ill-natured above all people. (2.) God fetched the reason of it purely from himself, v. 8. [1.] He loved you because he would love you. Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy eyes. All that God loves he loves freely, Hos. xiv. 4. Those that perish perish by their own merits, but all that are saved are saved by prerogative. [2.] He has done his work because he would keep his word. "He has brought you out of Egypt in pursuance of the oath sworn to your fathers." Nothing in them, or done by them, did or could make God a debtor to them; but he had made himself a debtor to his own promise, which he would perform notwithstanding their unworthiness.

3. The tenour of the covenant into which they were taken; it was in short this, That as they were to God so God would be to them. They should certainly find him, (1.) Kind to his friends, v. 9. "The Lord thy God is not like the gods of the nations, the creatures of fancy, subjects fit enough for loose poetry, but no proper objects of serious devotion; no, he is God, God indeed, God alone, the faithful God, able and ready not only to fulfil his own promises, but to answer all the just expectations of his worshippers, and he will certainly keep covenant and mercy," that is, "show mercy according to covenant, to those that love him and keep his commandments" (and in vain do we pretend to love him if we do not make conscience of his commandments); "and this" (as is here added for the explication of the promise in the second commandment) "not only to thousands of persons, but to thousands of generations—so inexhaustible is the fountain, so constant are the streams!" (2.) Just to his enemies: He repays those that hate him, v. 10. Note, [1.] Wilful sinners are haters of God; for the carnal mind is enmity against him. Idolaters are so in a special manner, for they are in league with his rivals. [2.] Those that hate God cannot hurt him, but certainly ruin themselves. He will repay them to their face, in defiance of them and all their impotent malice. His arrows are said to be made ready against the face of them, Ps. xxi. 12. Or, He will bring those judgments upon them which shall appear to themselves to be the just punishment of their idolatry. Compare Job xxi. 19, He rewardeth him, and he shall know it. Though vengeance seem to be slow, yet it is not slack. The wicked and sinner shall be recompensed in the earth, Prov. xi. 31. I cannot pass the gloss of the Jerusalem Targum upon this place, because it speaks the faith of the Jewish church concerning a future state: He recompenses to those that hate him the reward of their good works in this world, that he may destroy them in the world to come.

12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 14 Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. 15 And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and 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 people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee. 17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? 18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; 19 The great temptations which thine 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 people of whom thou art afraid. 20 Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. 21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. 22 And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. 23 But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed. 24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them. 25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. 26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Here, I. The caution against idolatry is repeated, and against communion with idolaters: "Thou shalt consume the people, and not serve their gods." v. 16. We are in danger of having fellowship with the works of darkness if we take pleasure in fellowship with those that do those works. Here is also a repetition of the charge to destroy the images, v. 25, 26. The idols which the heathen had worshipped were an abomination to God, and therefore must be so to them: all that truly love God hates what he hates. Observe how this is urged upon them: Thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; such a holy indignation as this must we conceive against sin, that abominable thing which the Lord hates. They must not retain the images to gratify their covetousness: Thou shalt not desire the silver nor gold that is on them, nor think it a pity to have that destroyed. Achan paid dearly for converting that to his own use which was an anathema. Nor must they retain them to gratify their curiosity: "Neither shalt thou bring it into thy house, to be hung up as an ornament, or preserved as a monument of antiquity. No, to the fire with it, that is the fittest place for it." Two reasons are given for this caution:—1. Lest thou be snared therein (v. 25), that is, "Lest thou be drawn, ere thou art aware, to like it and love it, to fancy it and pay respect to it" 2. Lest thou be a cursed thing like it, v. 26. Those that make images are said to be like the, stupid and senseless; here they are said to be in a worse sense like them, accursed of God and devoted to destruction. Compare these two reasons together, and observe that whatever brings us into a snare brings us under a curse.

II. The promise of God's favour to them, if they would be obedient, is enlarged upon with a most affecting copiousness and fluency of expression, which intimates how much it is both God's desire and our own interest that we be religious. All possible assurance is here given them,

1. That, if they would sincerely endeavour to do their part of the covenant, God would certainly perform his part. He shall keep the mercy which he swore to thy fathers, v. 12. Let us be constant in our duty, and we cannot question the constancy of God's mercy.

2. That if they would love God and serve him, and devote themselves and theirs to him, he would love them, and bless them, and multiply them greatly, v. 13, 14. What could they desire more to make them happy? (1.) "He will love thee." He began in love to us (1 John iv. 10), and, if we return his love in filial duty, then, and then only, we may expect the continuance of it, John xiv. 21. (2.) "He will bless thee with the tokens of his love above all people." If they would distinguish themselves from their neighbours by singular services, God would dignify them above their neighbours by singular blessings. (3.) "He will multiply thee." Increase was the ancient blessing for the peopling of the world, once and again (Gen. i. 28; ix. 1), and here for the peopling of Canaan, that little world by itself. The increase both of their families and of their stock is promised: they should neither have estates without heirs nor heirs without estates, but should have the complete satisfaction of having many children and plentiful provisions and portions for them.

3. That, if they would keep themselves pure from the idolatries of Egypt, God would keep them clear from the diseases of Egypt, v. 15. It seems to refer not only to those plagues of Egypt by the force of which they were delivered, but to some other epidemical country disease (as we call it), which they remembered the prevalency of among the Egyptians, and by which God had chastised them for their national sins. Diseases are God's servants; they go where he sends them, and do what he bids them. It is therefore good for the health of our bodies to mortify the sin of our souls.

4. That, if they would cut off the devoted nations, they should cut them off, and none should be able to stand before them. Their duty in this matter would itself be their advantage: Thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee—this is the precept (v. 16); and the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them—this is the promise, v. 23. Thus we are commanded not to let sin reign, not to indulge ourselves in it nor give countenance to it, but to hate it and strive against it; and then God has promised that sin shall not have dominion over us (Rom. vi. 12, 14), but that we shall be more than conquerors over it. The difficulty and doubtfulness of the conquest of Canaan having been a stone of stumbling to their fathers, Moses here animates them against those things which were most likely to discourage them, bidding them not to be afraid of them, v. 18, and again, v. 21. (1.) Let them not be disheartened by the number and strength of their enemies: Say not, They are more than I, how can I dispossess them? v. 17. We are apt to think that the most numerous must needs be victorious: but, to fortify Israel against this temptation, Moses reminds them of the destruction of Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt, v. 18, 19. They had seen the great temptations, or miracles (so the Chaldee reads it), the signs and wonders, wherewith God had brought them out of Egypt, in order to his bringing them into Canaan, and thence might easily infer that God could dispossess the Canaanites (who, though formidable enough, had not such advantages against Israel as the Egyptians had; he that had done the greater could do the less), and that he would dispossess them, otherwise his bringing Israel out of Egypt had been no kindness to them. He that begun would finish. Thou shalt therefore well remember this, v. 18. The word and works of God are well remembered when they are improved as helps to our faith and obedience. That is well laid up which is ready to us when we have occasion to use it. (2.) Let them not be disheartened by the weakness and deficiency of their own forces; for God will send them in auxiliary troops of hornets, or wasps, as some read it (v. 20), probably larger than ordinary, which would so terrify and molest their enemies (and perhaps be the death of many to them) that their most numerous armies would become an easy prey to Israel. God plagued the Egyptians with flies, but the Canaanites with hornets. Those who take not warning by less judgments on others may expect greater on themselves. But the great encouragement of Israel was that they had God among them, a mighty God and terrible, v. 21. And if God be for us, if God be with us, we need not fear the power of any creature against us. (3.) Let them not be disheartened by the slow progress of their arms, nor think that the Canaanites would never be subdued if they were not expelled the first year; no, they must be put out by little and little, and not all at once, v. 22. Note, We must not think that, because the deliverance of the church and the destruction of its enemies are not effected immediately, therefore they will never be effected. God will do his own work in his own method and time, and we may be sure that they are always the best. Thus corruption is driven out of the hearts of believers by little and little. The work of sanctification is carried on gradually; but that judgment will at length be brought forth into a complete victory. The reason here given (as before, Exod. xxiii. 29, 30) is, Lest the beast of the field increase upon thee. The earth God has given to the children of men; and therefore there shall rather be a remainder of Canaanites to keep possession till Israel become numerous enough to replenish it than that it should be a habitation of dragons, and a court for the wild beasts of the desert, Isa. xxxiv. 13, 14. Yet God could have prevented this mischief from the beasts, Lev. xxvi. 6. But pride and security, and other sins that are the common effects of a settled prosperity, were enemies more dangerous than the beasts of the field, and these would be apt to increase upon them. See Judges iii. 1, 4.

CHAP. VII.

WHen Iehovah thy God shall have brought thee in, into the land whither thou goest in, to possesse it, and hath cast out many nations from thy face; the Chethite, and the Girgasite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Pherizzite, and the Evite, and the Iebusite; seven nations, greater and mightier than thou. And Iehovah thy God shall have delivered them before thee, and thou shalt smite them; utterly destroying thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt not strike any covenant with them, nor shew them grace.

Neither shalt thou make mariages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his sonne, and his daughter thou shalt not take unto thy sonne. For hee will turne away thy sonne from after me, that they may serve other gods; and the anger of Iehovah will be kindled against you, and will destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall yee doe unto them; yee shall destroy their altars, and breake downe their pillars, and cut downe their groves; and their graven Images yee shall burne with fire. For thou art an holy people unto Iehovah thy God: Iehovah thy God hath chosen thee to bee unto him a peculiar people, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. Not for your multitude above all peoples did Iehovah set his love upon you, and chose you, for ye were the fewest of all peoples. But because Iehovah loved you, and because hee would keepe the oath which he had sworne unto your fathers, hath Iehovah brought you out with a strong hand, and hath redeemed thee out of the house of servants, out of the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that Iehovah thy God, hee is God, the faithfull God, that keepeth covenant and mercy to them that love him, & that keepe his commandements, to the thousand generation. And repayeth them that hate him unto his face, to destroy him: hee will not delay to him that hateth him, unto his face he will repay him. Therefore thou shalt keepe the commandement, and the statutes, and the judgments which I command thee this day, to doe them. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

And it shall be, because yee shall hearken to these judgments, and shall keepe and doe them, that Iehovah thy God will keepe unto thee the covenant, and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers. And hee will love thee, and will blesse thee, and multiply thee: and he will blesse the fruit of thy wombe, and the fruit of thy land, thy corne, and thy new wine, and thy new oyle, the increase of thy kine, and the flockes of thy sheepe, upon the land which hee sware unto thy fathers to give unto thee. Blessed shalt thou be above all peoples: there shall not be a barren male, or a barren female, among thee, or among thy cattell. And Iehovah will take away from thee all sicknesse, and all the evill diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, hee will not put upon thee, but will lay them upon all that hate thee. And thou shalt cat up all the peoples which Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee; thine eye shall not spare them, neither shalt thou serve their gods, for that will be a snare unto thee. If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are moe than I, how shall I be able to dispossesse them? Thou shalt not bee afraid of them: remembring thou shalt remember that wch Iehovah thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt. The great tentations which thine eye saw, and the signes, and the wonders, and the strong hand, and the stretched-out arme, with wch Iehovah thy God brought thee out: so will Iehovah thy God do unto all peoples, of whose faces thou art afraid. And also Iehovah thy God will send the hornet among them. untill they perish that are left, and that hide themselves from thy face. Thou shalt not be affrighted at their faces: for Iehovah thy God [illegible: 1 word] the midst of thee, a great God, & a fearful.

And Iehovah thy God will plucke out these nations from thy face, by little and little: thou shalt not be able to consume them suddenly, lest the wilde beasts of the field multiply upon thee. But Iehovah thy God will deliver thē before thy face, and will destroy them with a great destruction, untill they be wasted out.

And hee will deliver their Kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under the heavens: there shall not a man stand before thy face, untill thou have wasted them out. The graven images of their gods shall yee burne with fire; thou shalt not desire the silver and gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, left thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to Iehovah thy God. And thou shalt not bring an abomination unto thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: detesting, thou shalt detest it, and abhorring, thou shalt abhorre it, for it is a cursed thing.

Annotations. CHethite] that is, as the Chaldee explaines them; Chethites; G[illegible: 1 letter] g[illegible: 1 letter]site[illegible: 1 letter], &c. See the notes [illegible: 2 words]. 10. 16. Here Moses shewe[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] her [illegible: 1 word] whereby Is[illegible: 1 span] might be draw[illegible: 2 letters] from the love and [illegible: 1 span]diente of God; even by communi [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 span]h [illegible: 1 letter]dolaters, and their abomi[illegible: 1 letter]qtions, which therefore they ought carefully to avoyd [illegible: 2 words]] that [illegible: 1 word] Paul also mentioneth in Act. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. 19. in rehearsing them, the Scripture sometime [illegible: 1 span]h [illegible: 1 letter]o[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] fewer, Gen. 15. 19. E[illegible: 2 letters]d. 23 l 23. [illegible: 1 word] a f[illegible: 1 letter]ll and perfect number Ase[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 2 words]. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word] signifieth the many enemies of [illegible: 1 word] Church, [illegible: 1 word] God will subdue, though they [illegible: 1 word] migh[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 2 words], for his strength is made perfect [illegible: 3 words] 2 Cor. 12. 9. Vers. 2. before thee] that is, as the G[illegible: 3 letters]ke explai [illegible: 1 word] here, and in ve[illegible: 1 letter]. [illegible: 1 letter]3. into th[illegible: 3 letters] [illegible: 1 span]ds. So in D[illegible: 1 span]. 23. 14. [illegible: 1 word] utt[illegible: 1 letter]r [illegible: 1 letter]y destroy] as ac[illegible: 2 letters]rs[illegible: 1 letter]d, or ana [illegible: 1 span]zed▪ see the notes on Exod. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. Com [illegible: 1 word] with this Law, Exod. 34. 11, 1[illegible: 1 letter], &c. Vers. 3. make mariages] or, [illegible: 1 letter]oyne in affinitie, by [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 span]ge: and this concerned not the seven [illegible: 1 word] onely, but all heathens, E[illegible: 1 letter]r. 9▪ 1. [illegible: 1 letter]2. The Hebrewes say, An Israel[illegible: 1 letter]te that ly[illegible: 1 letter]t[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 span]th an [illegible: 1 word] of any other nation, by way of [illegible: 1 word]; or [illegible: 1 word] Is[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 span]sse that so lyeth with [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 2 letters]athen man they [illegible: 2 words] [illegible: 2 letters]e b[illegible: 1 span]en by the Law. Deut. 7. 5. whether it [illegible: 1 word] of the seven nations, or of any other peoples, it is [illegible: 2 words] prohibition. And so it is expounded by Ezra, &c. Maimony in, Issurei biah, chap. 12. sect. 1. Vers. 4. from after me] that is, from following me and my Law. The G[illegible: 2 letters]eke translateth, from me▪ the Chaldee, from after my feare. other gods] the Chaldee explaines it, the idols of the peoples. This was fulfilled even in Solomon the wise, who clave in love unto strange women, and they turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, 1. King. 11. 2. 4. will be kindled] so it was against Solomon for this sinne, the LORD was angry with him; because his heart was turned from the LORD; the God of Israel. [illegible: 1 word]. King. 11. 9. Vers. 5. pillars] or, statues, or standing images: see Exod. 23. 24. and Levit. 26. 1. This Law was executed by the good Kings of Iudah, 2 King. 18. 4. and 23. 6.—14. gro[illegible: 1 span]] or, trees planted for religious use, whereof see the notes on Exod. 34. 13. here they are commanded to be [illegible: 1 word] downe, in Deut. 12. 3. to be burnt with fire. The Hebrewes say, A tree which is planted at the first to be served (or worshipped) is unlawful for any use, and that is Asherah (the grove) spoken of in the Law. If it were not planted for religious use at the first, but that afterward some man had worshipped it, though all the body (or stock) be not unlawful; al the boughes, and the leaves▪ and the branches, and the fruits [illegible: 1 letter]hat it bringeth forth all the while that it is worshipped, they are unlawfull for any use. A tree under which they have se[illegible: 1 letter] upon idol, all the while that it [illegible: 1 word] under it, (the trge.) [illegible: 1 word] unlawfull for any use▪ if (the Idoll) [illegible: 1 letter]e taken from under it, then it is lawfull, because it was not the tr[illegible: 2 letters] it selfe which was worshipped. M[illegible: 1 span]. in treat of Idolot[illegible: 1 letter]ie, [illegible: 2 letters]ap. 8. sect. 3. 4. [illegible: 1 word] images] to wit[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 3 words], as is expressed in [illegible: 1 span]s. 25. Vers. 6. [illegible: 1 word]] [illegible: 1 word] Chaldee translateth it be [illegible: 1 word] pro[illegible: 1 span] is [illegible: 1 word] treasure [illegible: 1 word], which is d[illegible: 1 span] to any see Exod. 19. [illegible: 1 word]. This space proceeding from [illegible: 2 words] of God, [illegible: 2 words] [illegible: 1 span]lled in Christ, Who ga[illegible: 2 letters] himselfe [illegible: 1 word] us▪ that hee [illegible: 1 line] himselfe a peo[illegible: 1 span] people [illegible: 1 word] of good work[illegible: 2 letters]; [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 3 words] ▪ Vers. 7. [illegible: 1 word] his love] o[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 3 words] [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 4 lines] [illegible: 1 word]. Vers. 8. the oath] Gods irrevoca[illegible: 2 letters]e promise, (proceeding from [illegible: 1 letter]grace) of which there is often [illegible: 5 lines] that by two immu[illegible: 1 letter]able things in which it was impossible for God [illegible: 1 letter]o [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 letter]ee might [illegible: 1 word] a strong consolation, Heb. 6. 17, 18. ser[illegible: 1 span]] in Greeke and Chaldee, ser[illegible: 1 span], o[illegible: 1 letter] bo[illegible: 1 span]. A figure of our deliverance from these [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 2 letters]nne, and of men, Ioh. 8. 34. 36. [illegible: 1 word]. 6. 14. 16, [illegible: 2 words] 20. 1 Gor. 7. [illegible: 1 word] 3. Vers. 9. Know therefore] Hebr. And thou shalt know: so in v. 11: See the notes on Gen. 31. 44. that love him] see the notes on Exod. 20. 6. Vnto this promise Daniel hath respect in his praier, Dan. 9. 4. and Nehemiah, Neh. 1. 5. Vers. 10. his face] that is, the face of every of them. So after, to destroy him, that is, every one of them: therefore the Greeke translateth plurally, them. The Chaldee saith, In their life (time) hee will repay them. Chazkuni likewise and others expound it, In his life time. And so it is said, Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner, Prov. 11. 31. A like phrase there is of recompensing the wicked into their bosome, Esay 65. 6. not delay] that is, not faile, See the notes on Exod. 22. 29. will repay him] or, recompense, reward him, to wit, with vengeance or punishment, as these are joyned together in Deut. 32. 35, 41. and it is called paiment or reward, because it shall be according to mans worke, Iob 34. 11. Psal. 62. 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Here beginneth the 46 Section of the Law: whereof see Gen. 6. 9. Vers. 12. because] the Greeke translateth it, when [illegible: 1 word] it implieth a reward of their obedience, which God of his grace will give: as in Gen. 22. [illegible: 1 letter]8. And the originall word sometime is used for a reward, as Psal. 19. 12. sometime it signifieth for, or, because of, Esay 5. 23. these] the Greeke addeth, all these; which is intended as the like phrase in Deut. 27. 2[illegible: 1 letter]. is opened by the Apostle, Gal. 3. 10. And under the name judgements, the commandements and statutes are also contained. keepe unto the[illegible: 1 letter]] understand againe, keep & doe, (that is, performe) unto thee. Here by promises of communicating good things, and turning away evill, hee exciteth them unto obedience: for godlinesse is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to some, [illegible: 1 word]. Tim. 4. 8. s[illegible: 1 span] unto thy fathers] The oath and promise unto the fathers, pertaineth unto the faithfull children, which are all implied in the covenant, Psal. 105. 8. 11. Luk. [illegible: 1 span]5. 72, 73, 74. Act. 3. 25, 26. Gal. 3. 29. So punishment remaineth for the wicked, from the parents to the children, for God recompenseth the iniquity of the fathers, into the bosome of their children after them, ser. 32. [illegible: 1 letter]8. Vers. 13. love thee] that is, continue to love thee; for the love of God to his people, was the cause why hee chose and called them, [illegible: 1 word]. 7, 8. not that we loved God; but that hee loved us, 1 Iob. 4. 10. and from the feeling of this in our hearts, proceedeth our love towards God; and out of love obedience; and so God continueth his love, which is the fountaine of all blessings. So Christ faith, Hee that hath my commandements; and keepeth them, is hee that loveth mee: and he that loveth mee, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will shew my selfe unto him, Iob. 14. [illegible: 1 word]. fruit of thy wombe] in Chaldee, the childe of thy bowels: so in Deut. 28. 4. The just man walking in his integrity, his children are blessed after him, Prov. 20. 7. increase] or, young, as Exod. 13. 12. the Greeke and Chaldee here translate, herds of thy kine. Vers. 14. barren male] the Greeke translateth, without seed (or generation) compare this with Ex. 23. 26. Hereupon barrennesse was a reproach, Luk. 1. 25. and fruitfulnesse counted a blessing, Psalm. 128. 1, 3. Vers. 15. evill diseases] that is, painefull, malignant, and incurable diseases, as Deut. 28. 27. Compare Exod. 15. 26. and 23. 25. lay] Hebrew, give: that is, lay, or, impose, as the Greeke translateth. Vers. 16. eat up] that is, as the Chaldee translateth it, consume: But the word, eat, hath respect unto that in Num. 14. 9. they are bread for us. See also Psal. 14. 4. This is not onely a promise of victory, but a precept also, to abolish those cursed nations, as the words following manifest, and v. 1, 2, 3. spare] to wit, from vengeance, not take pitty on them. This affection is often given to the eye, (as in other cases, Matt. 20. 15.) See Gen. 45. 20. Deut. 13. 8. Ezek. 5. 11. snare] a cause of thy ruine: the Chaldee faith, a scandall, or stumbling-blocke: so after in v. 25. See Exod. 23. 33. and the performance hereof mentioned in Psal. 106. 36. they served their Idols, which were a snare unto them. Vers. 17. dispossesse them] or, as the Chaldee translateth, cast them out; in Greeke, destroy them. These words of God tend to the strengthening of faith, against the feares and infirmities of the Saints, and power of their enemies. Compare Num. 13. 32.—34. Vers. 18. Egypt] or, the Egyptians, as both Greeke and Chaldee doe translate. This example is often mentioned for the comfort of faith, Deut. 4. 34. &c. and 29. 2, 3. for it was a manifestation both of the power of God, and of his good will towards his people. Vers. 19. tentations] or, trialls, essaies: see Deut. 4. 34. and 29. 3. Vers. 20. the hornet] or, hornets, as the Greeke translateth. As God by frogs, lice, and other creatures, plagued the Egyptians, Exod. 8. so did he the Canaanites with hornets, Ios. 24. 12. shewing his power in confounding mighty enemies by small and weake meanes, 1 Cor. 1. 27, 28. Hereby also the pricks and terrours of conscience sent upon the wicked, may fitly bee signified. So in Exod. 23. 28. from thy face] the Greeke translateth, from thee: so it is referred to the latter word hide, rather than to the former, perish. Vers. 21. fearefull] or, terrible; in Greeke, strong, that is, able to save thee, terrible to thine enemies, (as 1 Sam. 4. 7. 8.) and unto thee fearefull and to be reverenced, Psal. 89. 7. Vers. 22. by little] This was accomplished, when some could not at the first bee driven out, Ios. 15. 63. Iudg. 3. 1. suddenly, or, hastily, quickly, that is, at once, but by degrees. Yet in Deut. 9. 3. hee promiseth that they should destroy them suddenly, to wit, in respect of their enemies, [illegible: 1 word] whom sudden destruction come [illegible: 1 word] they [illegible: 1 word] aware[illegible: 1 letter] but in respect of Israel, it was not so [illegible: 1 word] as they looked for and desired. For God foresaw their infirmities, and how they would sin against him, if they were not exercised with troubles: yea, and for their sinnes it is observed, that he would not drive out the nations, that through them hee might prov[illegible: 1 span], whether they would keepe the way of the Lord, &c. Therefore the Lord [illegible: 2 words] nations, [illegible: 1 word] haue [illegible: 1 span]ing them [illegible: 1 word] hast[illegible: 1 letter]ly, [illegible: 1 word] delivered hee them into the hand of Ioshua, [illegible: 1 word]. 21, 22, 23. beasts] Hebr. beast. Here the Greeke addeth, lest the land be wildernesse, and the [illegible: 1 word] beasts of the field multiply: God could also have destroyed the wild be[illegible: 1 letter]sts from before them (as [illegible: 1 word] promiseth in L[illegible: 1 letter]v[illegible: 1 letter]. 26. 6. Ezek. 34. 25.) but if Israel had suddenly destroyed the peoples, pride, or security, or other vices would have crept upon them, which God in justice must also have punished[illegible: 1 span] Iudg. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. Vers. 23. destroy] or, vex, with [illegible: 1 word] and tumult: see Deut. 2. 15. and 2[illegible: 1 letter]. 20. Exod. 14. 24. It implieth troubles and vexations, which should cause their destruction. So the promise of God should certainly be performed, though not so speedily as men desired, that their faith and patience might be tried. Vers. 24. their kings] as was fulfilled in Ios. 10. 24. and [illegible: 1 letter]2. 7. 9.—24. where one and thirty kings are [illegible: 1 span]ed, whom Israel conquered. from under heaven] out of this world: the Greeke translateth, out of that place. This hath long since been accomplis[illegible: 2 letters]d; that now there is no memorie either of [illegible: 1 word] Kings, or of any of those peoples on the earth. Vers. 25. The graven images of their gods] in Chaldee, The Images of their Idols: under the name [illegible: 1 word], all other sorts are implyed, as images mol [illegible: 1 span] painted, or the like, Esay 30. 22. And by saying, of their gods, he excepteth other Images for civill use, as the Image of Caesar upon his coine [illegible: 1 span]wfull, Matt. 22. 20, 21. The Hebrewes say, Figures (or Images) which idolatrous heathens [illegible: 1 word] beauty (or civill ornament) are lawfull to [illegible: 2 words] but figures which they make for Idolatry, [illegible: 1 span]full. Maimony treat of Idolatry, chap. 7. [illegible: 1 word] burne] so David burnt the Philistines [illegible: 1 word] Chron. 14. 12. See Deut. 12. 3. silver [illegible: 1 word] these are named for an instance, but all o [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 span]ous instruments are implyed, covering, [illegible: 1 word], &c. Esay 30. 22. nor take it] Hebr. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 2 letters]ke it, that is, and not take it: the former pro [illegible: 1 span] is here againe to bee understood, as in the verse following, and often in the Scriptures. [illegible: 2 words] be snared] that thou bee not snared; this [illegible: 1 span]t often implieth certaine danger, as is no [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] Gen. 3. 3. and by snared, is meant falling into sinne, and so into destruction, as before in ver. 16. an abomination to Iehovah] Hebr. the ab [illegible: 1 span]tion of Iehovah, that is, a thing which the Lord much abhorreth. And this is another reason of the prohibition. Vers. 26. into thine house] for any use or profit to thy selfe; and so from these words the Hebrewes gather, that The Idoll, and things that serve it, and that which is offered thereto, and whatsoever is made for it, is unlawfull for any use. Maimony treat. of Idolatrie, chap. 7. sect. 2. lest thou be] Hebr. and thou bee a cursed thing: meaning, and that thou be not, or, lest thou be: See the notes on Numb. 4. 15. or, for so thou shalt be a cursed thing, like it. it is a cursed thing] in Hebr. Cherem, in Greek, Anathe [illegible: 1 span]a; which meane a thing separated from mens use, and devoted either to destruction, as the Idoll and instruments therof here mentioned; or, at the Lords appointment to be caried into his treasury, as were the gods of Iericho, Ios. 6. 17, 19, 24. This law against idols & images, which are the worke of mens hands, Psal. 115. 4. extendeth not to the creatures of Gods making, though by men abused to idolatry, as the Hebrews also expound it, saying; Whatsoever hath not beene taken by mans hand, and which man hath not made, though it hath beene worshipped, yet is it lawfull to have use of it. Therefore the beathens that served (or worshipped) the mountains, and the hills, and the trees that were planted at first for fruit, and fountaines of water, that are common, and beasts; loe these are lawfull to be made use of, and it is lawfull to eat of those fruits which were worshipped in the place where they grew, and of those beasts, &c. A beast is not unlawful, so long as a man hath not done with it any worke pertaining to idolatry; but if hee have done any (such worke therewith) it is unlawfull every whit: as if hee kill it to the service of an Idoll, or exchange it, &c. provided that it be his owne beast [and not another mans:] for if he kill his neighbours beast to an Idoll, or exchange it, it is not made unlawfull: for no man can make a thing unlawfull which is not his owne. If one worship any ground in the world, it is not made unlawfull: if he dig pits or caves therein, to the name of an idoll, they are unlawfull, &c. Maimony treat. of Idolatry, chap. 8. sect. 1.