Exodus 23 commentary

In the law of Moses are very plain marks of sound moral feeling, and of true political wisdom. Every thing in it is suited to the desired and avowed object, the worship of one only God, and the separation of Israel from the pagan world. Neither parties, friends, witnesses, nor common opinions, must move us to lessen great faults, to aggravate small ones, excuse offenders, accuse the innocent, or misrepresent any thing.

Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God's faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the heathen is strictly forbidden. Since idolatry was a sin to which the Israelites leaned, they must blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen. Solemn religious attendance on God, in the place which he should choose, is strictly required. They must come together before the Lord. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which he requires, and count his sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls. They were not to come empty-handed; so now, we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1Co 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God use for chastising his people's enemies. In real kindness to the church, its enemies are subdued by little and little; thus we are kept on our guard, and in continual dependence on God. Corruptions are driven out of the hearts of God's people, not all at once, but by little and little. The precept with this promise is, that they should not make friendship with idolaters. Those that would keep from bad courses, must keep from bad company. It is dangerous to live in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares. Our greatest danger is from those who would make us sin against God.

1. Thou shalt not receive (margin) a false report. It might also be translated, Thou shalt not raise, or stir up: and, if this be preferred, God forbids us to invent calumnies; but, if we read, Thou shalt not receive, He will go further, i e., that none should cherish, or confirm the lie of another by his support of it. For it has been stated that sin may thus be committed in two ways: either when the wicked invent false accusations, or when other over-credulous persons eagerly associate themselves with them; and thus either sense would be very applicable, that the original authors are condemned, who raise a false report, or those who help on their wickedness, and give it, as it were, their endorsement. But, since it immediately follows, “put not thine hand with” them, I willingly embrace the version, “Thou shalt not receive,” in order that the two clauses may combine the better. Indeed Moses uses this word with great propriety, for a lie would soon come to nothing from its own emptiness, and fall to the ground, if it were not taken up and supported by the unrighteous consent of others. God, therefore, recalls His people from this wicked conspiracy, “De s’accoupler avecques les malins et les menteurs pour diffamer le prochain;” of associating themselves with the malicious and with liars to defame their neighbor. — Fr. lest by their assistance they should spread abroad false accusations; and calls those false witnesses who traduce their neighbors by lending their hand to the ungodly: because there is but little difference between raising a calumny and keeping it up.

If it be thought preferable to restrict the second verse to judges, it would be a Supplement to the Sixth Commandment as well as the Eighth, viz., that none should willingly give way to the unjust opinions of others, which might affect either the means or the life of an innocent person. But, inasmuch as the error of those who are too credulous is reproved by it, whence it arises that falsehood prevails, and calumniators throw what is clear into obscurity, it finds a fit place here. “Ceste sentence doit estre comprinse aussi bien sous les faux tesmoignages;” this declaration ought to be comprised under the head of false testimony. — Fr.

Exodus 23:4. If thou meet thine enemy’s ox. From these two passages it is very clear that he who abstains from evil doing, is not therefore guiltless before God, unless he also studies to do good. For our brethren’s advantage ought to be so far our care, that we should be disposed mutually to aid each other as far as our means and opportunities permit. This instruction is greatly needed; because, whilst everybody is more attentive to his own advantage than he ought to be, he is willing to hold back from the assistance of others. But God brings him in guilty of theft who has injured his neighbors by his negligence; and justly, because it depended only upon him that the thing should be safe, which he knowingly and willfully suffered to perish. This duty, too, is extended even to enemies; wherefore our inhumanity is the more inexcusable, if we have not helped our friends. The sum therefore is, that believers should be kind, “Soyent pitoyables, et humains pour faire plaisir a chacun;” should be pitiful and humane, to show kindness to all. — Fr. that they may imitate their heavenly Father; and should not only bestow their labor upon the good, who are worthy of it, but should treat the unworthy also with kindness: and since many might invent means of subterfuge, God anticipates them, and commands that the beast of a person unknown should be kept until reclaimed by its owner; and lays down the same rule as to all things that may be lost.

Numbers 5

Numbers 5:5-7

5. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

5. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

6. Speak unto the children of Israel, when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty;

6. Alloquere filios Israel, Vir sive mulier quum fecerint ex omnibus peccatis hominum, transgrediendo transgressione in Jehovam, et deliquerit anima illa:

7. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

7. Fatebuntur peccatum suum quod fecerunt: et restituet delictum suum in solidum, et quintam ejus partem superaddet, dabitque ei in quem peccaverit.

By this law also, God exhorts His people to exercise the duties of humanity towards brute animals, in order that they may be the more disposed to assist their brethren; for we must bear in memory what Paul teaches, where God commands oxen to be kindly treated, viz., that He does not care so much for them in this, as for mankind. (1 Corinthians 9:9.) God prescribes elsewhere, that if any should see the ox or ass of his brother, or even of his enemy, going astray, he should catch it, and restore it to its master, (Deuteronomy 22:1-3, and Exodus 23:4;) but here He had another intention, i.e., that believers should testify their forgiveness of their enemies, by being merciful to their animals. If it had been simply said, that our enemies were to be helped, and that we must contend with them by acts of kindness, to overcome their ill-will, all cruelty would have been sufficiently condemned; but when God commands us not only to succor our enemies, to point out their way to those who are straying, and to lift up those who are fallen, but would also have us exercise these kindnesses to their very beasts, He more emphatically and strongly expresses how very far removed from hatred and the desire of vengeance He desires His children to be. Wherefore we see that what Christ afterwards taught His disciples is taught also in the Law, that we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44.) Nor is it merely the desire of vengeance which is here restrained, but something more is required, viz., that believers should conquer the ill-will of their enemies by kindnesses: since to bring back a straying ox or ass is a proof of sincere affection. But, in these two passages, what relates to the Sixth Commandment is represented in a more striking manner, viz., that assistance should be rendered to an ox or an ass, weighed down by its burden. Interpreters Margin A V., Exodus 23:5, “Wilt thou cease to help him? or, and wouldest thou cease to leave thy business for him; thou shalt surely leave it to join with him.” The Vulg. translation is, “Si videris asinum odientis te jacere sub onere, non pertransibis, sed sublevabis cum eo:” and this precisely accords with LXX., οὐ παρελέυσὟ αὐτὸ are not agreed as to the meaning of the words, and Jerome has departed most widely from them. But others, who desire to translate them more accurately, read them interrogatively, — If thou shall see an animal fall under its burden, etc., wilt thou hesitate to help? The other sense seems more appropriate, — If thou shall; have seen and have hesitated to help, still do thou help: for in this way God anticipates a person, if, perchance, impelled at first by hatred, he should dislike to help his enemy: and then commands him to correct his guilty thought. The meaning, therefore, will be, — if the sight of thine enemy should delay thee from aiding his beast, lay aside thine ill-will, and unite thyself with him, that you may together be humane and merciful to the wretched animal. Thus an opportunity was given to enemies for their mutual reconciliation. There is another difficulty in the word גזב, Exodus 23:5 עזב, in its primary and most usual sense, signifies to leave; but a thing may be left from dislike or weariness; hence it signifies (2) to forsake. On the other hand, it may be left, because it has been brought into that state, in which it needs no further help or security; and hence (3) it sometimes signifies to complete a defense, as Nehem. 3:8; 4:2; to relieve from a difficulty, as in this place — W. The whole of this criticism is omitted, not only in the French translation, but also in the Latin edition of 1563, pp. 390, 391. gnazab, which, although it means to leave, still, in my judgment, is used for to assist, or to give help: although it is not translated amiss, to let fro, or to loose: or, if it be preferred, to strengthen; in which sense it is sometimes found.

Numbers 35

Numbers 35:9-34

9. And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

9. Et locutus est Jehova ad Mosen dicendo:

10. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan,

10. Alloquere filios Israel, et dicas eis, Quum transieritis Jordanem in terra Chanaan,

11. Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

11. Constituetis vobis urbes: urbes autem refugii erunt vobis, quo fugiet homicida qui percusserit aliquem per errorem.

12. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

12. Et erunt vobis urbes illae in refugium a propinquo, et non morietur homicida, donec steterit ipse ante congregationem adjudicium.

13. And of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge.

13. Et ex urbibus quas dabitis, sex urbes refugii erunt vobis.

14. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

14. Tres urbes dabitis citra Jordanem, et tres urbes dabitis in terra Chanaan: urbes refugii erunt.

15. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them; that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

15. Filiis Israel, et peregrino, et incolae in medio eorum, erunt sex urbes illae refugium, ut fugiat illuc quicunque percusserit aliquem per errorem.

16. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that lie die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

16. Si instrumento ferreo percusserit eum, et mortuus fuerit, homicida est: moriendo morietur homicida.

17. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17. Si vero lapide manus, quo moriatur, percusserit eum, et mortuus fuerit, homicida est: moriendo morietur homicida.

18. Or if he smite him with an hand-weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18. Aut instrumento ligneo manus, quo moriatur, percusserit eum, et mortuus fuerit, homicida est: moriendo morietur homicida.

19. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

19. Propinquus sanguinis ipse interficiet homicidam: quum ipse obviaverit illi, ipse interficiet eum.

20. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

20. Si per odium, inquam, impulerit eum, aut projecerit aliquid in eum per insidias, et mortuus fuerit.

21. Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him.

21. Aut per inimicitiam percusserit eum manu sua, mortuusque fuerit: moriendo morietur percussor, homicida est: propinquus sanguinis interficiet homicidam quum ipse occurrerit illi.

22. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him ally thing without laying of wait;

22. Si autem casu absque inimicitiis impulerit eum, vel projecerit in eum quodvis instrumentum absque insidiis.

23. Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;

23. Aut quemvis lapidem quo moriatur quem prius non videbat, et cadere fecerit super illum, mortuusque fuerit, et ipse non erat inimicus, neque quaerebat malum ejus;

24. Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

24. Tunc judicabit congregatio inter percussorem et propinquum sanguinis secundum judicia ista.

25. And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

25. Et eruet congregatio homicidam e manu propinqui sanguinis, et reverti faciet eum congregatio ad urbem refugii sui ad quam confugerat: habitabitque in ea donec moriatur sacerdos magnus qui unctus est oleo sanctitatis.

26. But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;

26. Quod si egrediendo egressus fuerit homicida terminum urbis refugii sui ad quam confugerat:

27. And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:

27. Et invenerit eum propinquus sanguinis extra terminum urbis refugii sui, atque occiderit propinquus ille homicidam: non erit obnoxius morti.

28. Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

28. In civitate enim refugii sui habitabit donec moriatur sacerdos magnus: posteaquam autem mortuus fuerit sacerdos magnus, revertetur homicida in terram possessionis suae.

29. So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations, in all your dwellings.

29. Et erunt ista vobis in statutum judicii per generationes vestras, in omnibus habitationibus vestris.

30. Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

30. Quicunque percusserit aliquem, ad verbum testium occidet homicidam: solus enim testis non testificabitur in animam ut moriatur.

31. Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death; but he shall be surely put to death.

31. Neque accipietis pretium pro anima homicidae qui est sceleratus, ut moriatur: sed moriendo morietur.

32. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

32. Sed nec accipietis pretium ut fugiat ad urbem refugii sui, ut revertatur habitare in ea terra donec moriatur sacerdos.

33. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

33. Et non polluetis terram in qua fueritis, quia sanguis iste polluet terram: neque terra expiabitur propter sanguinem qui effusus est in ea nisi per sanguinem illius qui effudit illum.

34. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.

34. Ne ergo polluatis terram in qua habitatis, et in cujus medio ego habito: ego enim Jehova habito in medio filiorum Israel.

6. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor. Since laws are enacted to repress the vices which are of frequent occurrence, no wonder that God should put forward the case of the poor, to whom it often happens that they fail though their causes are good, both because they are without interest and are exposed to injury through the contempt in which they are held, and also because they cannot contend with the rich in incurring expense. Justly, then, is provision made for their inferiority, lest the iniquity of judges should rob them of the little they possess. But the other point here referred to might appear superfluous, viz., that judges should not favor the poor, which very rarely takes place. It would also be incongruous that what God elsewhere prescribes and praises should here be reprehended. I reply, that rectitude is so greatly pleasing to God, that the judge would in no wise be excusable, under whatever pretext he might decline from it ever so little, and that this is the intention of this precept. For, although the poor is for the most part tyrannically oppressed, still ambition will sometimes impel a judge to misplaced compassion, so that he is liberal at another’s expense. And this temptation is all the more dangerous, because injustice is done under the cloak of virtue. For, if a judge only directs his attention to the poverty of the litigant, a foolish fear will at the same time insinuate itself lest his sentence should ruin the man whom he would wish to save; thus he will award to the one what belongs to the other. Sometimes the temerity, audacity, and obstinacy of the poor in commencing and prosecuting suits is greater than that of the rich; and when they despair of their cause, they are sure to have recourse to tears and lamentations, by which they deceive incautious judges, who, forgetful of the cause itself, only consider how their misery and want is to be relieved. Besides, too, whilst they think little of the rich man’s loss, because he can easily bear it, they make no scruple of declining from equity in favor of the poor. But hence it better appears how greatly God is offended by the oppression of the poor, when He will not have even them befriended to the injury of the rich.

Political Supplements to the eighth Commandment

Exodus 22

Exodus 22:1-4

1. If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

1. Quum furatus fuerit quis bovem aut pecudem, et jugulaverit, aut vendiderit, quinque boves reddet pro illo bove, et quatuor pecudes pro pecude illa:

2. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

2. (Si in effossione inventus fuerit fur, et percussus fuerit, et inde mortuus, non erit ei in sanguinem.

3. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution: if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

3. Si ortus fuerit sol super eum, erit ei in sanguinem:) reddendo reddet: si non sit ei, vendetar propter furtum suum.

4. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore double.

4. Si deprehendatur in manu ejus furtum a bove usque ad asinum, usque ad pecudem: viva duo reddet.

7. Keep thee far from a false matter. Since he seems to speak of perjury, which brings about the death of the innocent, some might perhaps prefer that this passage should be annexed to the Sixth Commandment; but this is easily solved; for Moses is expressly condemning false-witness, and at the same time instances one case of it, whereby it may appear how detestable a crime it is, viz., the slaying of a brother by calumny, because the false witness rather kills him with his tongue than the executioner with his sword. Although, therefore, it is a gross act of inhumanity to lie in general against one’s brother, yet is its atrocity increased if he be put to death by perjury; because murder is thus combined with perfidy. A threat follows, whereby God summons false-witnesses before His tribunal, where they who have brought the good into peril by their falsehoods shall not escape with impunity.

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:16, 17

16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the Lord.

16. Non incedes obtrectator in populis tuis, nec stabis contra sanguinem proximi tui: ego Jehova.

17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.

17. Corripiendo corripies proximum tuum, neque excitabis super eum crimen.

Exodus 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift. This kind of theft is the worst of all, when judges are corrupted either by bribes, or by affection, and thus ruin the fortunes which they ought to protect: for, since their tribunal is as it were sacred asylum, to which those who are unjustly oppressed may fly, nothing can be more unseemly than that they should there fall amongst robbers. “Il n’y a rien plus enorme, que d’en faire une caverne de brigans;” there is nothing more enormous than to make a den of robbers of it. — Fr. Judges are appointed to repress all wrongs and offenses; if therefore they show favor to the wicked, they are harborers of thieves; than which there is no more deadly pest. And besides, since their authority excludes every other remedy, they are themselves like rob-hers with arms in their hands. The greater, therefore, their power of injury is, and the greater the damage committed by their unjust sentences, the more diligently are they to be warned to beware of iniquity; and thus it was necessary to keep them in the path of duty by special instructions, lest they should conceal and encourage thievery by their patronage. Now, as avarice is the root of all evils, when it thus lays hold of the minds of judges, no integrity can continue to exist. But, since all utterly condemn this vice, even though they may be entirely under its influence, God speaks of it the more plainly and popularly, enjoining that judges should withhold their hands from every gift: for there is no more fatal poison for the extinction of all uprightness, than when a judge suffers himself to be cajoled by gifts. Let those who accept gifts allege as much as they please that they still maintain their integrity, the fact itself clearly shows that they are venal, and seek their own pecuniary advantage when they are thus attracted by gain. Formerly it was enough to render judges infamous that they were called nummarii, (moneyers.) Fr. “Et de faict, ce titre la suffit entre les payens pour diffamer les juges, de les appeler argentiers;” and, in fact, this title sufficed among the heathen to bring their judges into disrepute, to call them argentiers. See Cic. Ep. in Att. 1:16, “Insectandis vero, exagitandisque nummariis judicibus.” Item, Verr. 5:57, et pro Cluent., 36. But it is superfluous to treat any further of this matter, since God cuts off all handles for subterfuge in a single sentence: “for gifts (He says) blind the eyes of him that seeth, and pervert the judgment of the righteous.” If, then, we acquiesce in His decision, there is no light of intelligence so bright but that gifts extinguish it, nor any probity so great but that they undermine it; in fact, gifts infect a sound mind before they soil the hand; I mean those which a person receives in reference to the judgment of a cause; for there is no question here as to those gifts of mutual kindness which men reciprocate with each other. Thus, in the passage from Deuteronomy 16, before God speaks of gifts, He forbids that justice should be wrested., or men’s persons respected: whence we gather, that only those snares are condemned which are set to curry favor. It must be observed on the passage from Leviticus, that to judge in righteousness is contrasted with respecting the person: and consequently, as soon as the judge turns away his eyes ever so little from the cause itself, he forgets equity. Moreover, to wrest judgment is equivalent to doing iniquity in judgment; but since injustice is not always openly manifested, but rather disguised by various artifices, after God in Leviticus has condemned corrupt and unjust judgments, He uses this word to wrest (inclinandi), in Deuteronomy, in order to dissipate all vain pretexts.

Deuteronomy 16

Deuteronomy 16:19, 20

19. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

19. Non inflectes judicium, non agnosces personam, neque capies munus: quia munus excaecat oculos sapientum, et pervertit verba justorum.

20. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

20. Justitiam, justitiam sequeris, ut vivas, et possideas terram quam Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi.

10. And six years shalt thou sow. Another Sabbatical institution (Sabbathismus) follows, viz., that of years, in reference to the cultivation of the land; for as men and cattle rested on every seventh day, so God prescribed that the earth should rest on the seventh year. According to the fertility or barrenness of the soil, fields are fallowed every third or fourth year, lest they should become altogether unproductive through exhaustion. Indeed a soil can hardly be found of such fecundity as to be fitted for continual productiveness. Some relaxation is therefore given, until the land recovers its vigor; but this only pertains to wheat, barley, pease, beans, and other pulse, and seeds. As to meadows and vineyards the state of things is different, since, when meadows are mown every year, the fertility of the soil is not weakened; whilst vines degenerate unless they are cultivated. It was a sign of extraordinary and exceeding fertility that the land of Canaan could bear six years’ sowing following, without being worn out. God honored it with this privilege in favor of His people; nor did He indeed ordain the rest from necessity, since on the sixth year He doubled the power of His blessing; but in order that the sanctity of the Sabbath might be everywhere conspicuous, and that thus the children of Israel, as they looked upon the land, might be the more encouraged to its observance. The nature of the rest was that they should not sow anything, nor prune their vineyards in the sacred year; and if anything should spring up from the scattered seeds of last harvest, it was the common property of the inhabitants of the land and strangers, although He peculiarly bestowed whatever grew of itself, whether corn or grapes, upon the poor, as a kind of gratuitous present for the relief of their wants. And this kindness and liberality was a kind of incidental adjunct to the performance of the religious duty. It was not indeed mainly or chiefly God’s purpose to give relief to the poor, but, as we said before, there was nothing strange in it that the offices of charity should be consequent upon God’s service.

If ungodly men should foolishly object that there is no connection between the senseless soil and a spiritual mystery, we have already answered, that although the Sabbath was deposited with believers only as a pledge of an inestimable blessing, still tokens of it appeared both in the flocks and herds, as well as in dead creatures, in order to renew the recollection of it, lest the people should grow cold, and their devotion should become languid. But if they mockingly persist that the Jews were finely dealt with, “La condition des Juifs n’a gueres este honorable;” the condition of the Jews was hardly honorable. — Fr. when in their highest privilege they had asses and oxen, as well as the fields themselves, for companions; I answer, why do they not apply the same scoff to a commoner matter? For since the doctrine of salvation is committed to paper or parchment before it comes to us, why do they not laugh with all their might at the obedience of our faith? since in our silly credulity we embrace the promises transmitted to us by a stinking skin or some other filthy material? God would have the observation of the Sabbath engraved on all creatures, that wherever the Jews turned their eyes they might be kept up to it. Why, then, should not the earth be a conspicuous and impressive sign (character) for the rude inculcation of this doctrine? When it is said, “What they leave the beasts of the field shall eat,” the injunction does not extend to wild and noxious animals which they might drive away from their property; but God merely commands that whatever the earth produced should be exposed promiscuously for the food both of man and beast. And this affords an indirect answer to a question that might occur for God shews that the grass would not be lost, although there should be no hay-making; for the grass would be instead of hay for the beasts, so that they might feed abundantly in the fields and meadows.

Another question, however, arises from the passage in Leviticus, where God permits the owners of the land and their families to gather for food whatever shall then grow of itself. But there was nothing to prevent them, like the strangers, and anybody else, from eating of the fruits which were common to all, provided they did not defraud the poor by their covetousness. Addition in Fr., “et que chacun en preint ce qu’il pourroit, comme d’un bien commun;’ and that each should take what they could of them, as of a common property. The same thing is soon afterwards added in the description of the Jubilee; for although that year, which completed seven times seven years, was more holy than the rest, still God allows all to eat in it the fruits grown of themselves. He speaks more restrictedly in Exodus, in order to inculcate greater liberality upon them; but in Leviticus He shews that there is no danger of any of the produce of the land being lost, because permission is given both for themselves and their servants and cattle, besides the hireling and the stranger, to partake of it. Where He says, “that which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest,” I understand it of the land which they usually reaped; as also a little further on He calls their peculiar right of ownership in their vines “their separation.” See Margin, A. V., Leviticus 25:5, ענבי נזירך, “grapes of thy separation.” S.M., “uvas a te derelictas.” S. M. says in his note, “We follow the Chaldee interpreter, who renders these words The grapes of thy relinquishing; but others render them the grapes of thy separation, (that is, which hitherto thou hast separated or set apart for thyself,) thou shalt not suffer to be common property.” — W. The translation of V. is, “uvas primitiarum tuarum." Although, therefore, the possessor might boast that the property was his own, and consequently that the harvest should be left entirely to himself, God reminds them that its fruits were nevertheless common to all during the Sabbatical year. The word “harvest,” therefore, is applied to the land which was sown, and “separation” to the private vineyard, or its fruit. The old interpreter has translated them “the grapes of first-fruits.” If it is preferred to adopt this sense, Moses would expressly declare that no oblation of them conferred on the owners of the property a right to claim as their own what grew in their vineyard (during the year;) Addition from Fr. else it would have been a good excuse to offer to God the first-fruits of the vintage, and under this pretext for the Jews to contend that they had consecrated the whole produce in the first-fruits. But God anticipates this gloss, by shewing that what was said respecting the ordinary cultivation was improperly turned aside to the extraordinary year of rest. But since the word נאזיר, nazir, means “separation,” I do not see why we should change what accords very well. Still commentators differ as to the meaning of this word; some understand it “relinquishing,” because every owner resigned his private property, so that the vintage might be common. Others explain it as expressing that they had abstained from its cultivation for that year. My own opinion, however, as I have said, is simply that the peculiar right of the possessor is called his “separation;” so that it was not lawful for others to touch the vintage except in the Sabbatical year. Thus separation is opposed to common fields free to the public.

Leviticus 25

Leviticus 25:1-7, 20-22

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

1. Loquntus est Jehova ad Mosen in monte Sinai, dicendo:

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

2. Alloquere filios Israel, et dic illis, Quum veneritis in terram quam ego do vobis, sabbathizet terra quiete Jehovae.

3. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

3. Sex annis seminabis agrum tuum, et sex annis putabis vineam tuam, et fructum ejus colliges.

4. But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

4. Septimo autem cessatio quietis erit terrae, sabbathum Jehovae: agrum tuum non seminabis, nec vineam putabis.

5. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

5. Quae sponte gignet terra in messe tua non metes, et uvas possessionis tuae non vindemiabis: annus enim quietis terrae est.

6. And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,

6. Sed erunt vobis in cibum, tibi et servo tuo, ancillae, et mercenario, et inquilino tuo qui peregrinatur apud to.

7. And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

7. Jumentis quoque tuis et pecoribus terrae tuae erit cunctis ejus proventus in cibum.

20. And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

20. Quod si dixeritis, Quid edemus anno septimo, si neque seminabimus, nec colligemus fruges nostras?

21. Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

21. Ego mandabo benedictionem meam anno sexto, et edet provenrum tribus annis.

22. And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

22. Seminabitis anno octavo: comedetis tamen e proventu vetere usque ad annum nonum: donec nova nascantur comedetis vetera.

12. Six days thou shalt do thy work. In this passage the incidental use of the Sabbath is again referred to, although it is no inherent part of its original institution, viz., that by its means the family also and the cattle shall be benefited. There is no impropriety in reckoning this amongst the other blessings which enhance the value of the Sabbath, although it is a portion of the Second Table. And we know that this rude people required to be attracted by every possible means to present cheerfully to God the worship due to Him. The sum therefore is, that they were thus to testify not only their piety towards God, but also their kindness towards their servants. I have already shewn that their authority as masters was to be exercised in moderation by them, if they were mindful of their former condition:, since they also had been servants in Egypt. If any one should suppose that the argument does not hold good, because; they were oppressed by cruel and dreadful tyranny, the reply is easy, that so much the better could they determine from their own feelings how detestable and intolerable a thing cruelty is.

Exodus 31

Exodus 31:12-17

12. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12. Dixit praeterea Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

13. Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

13. Et tu alloquere filios Israel, dicendo: Veruntamen Sabbatha mea custodietis: qnia signum eat inter me et vos in generationibus vestris, ut sciatis quod sum Jehova sanctiffcans vos.

14. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

14. Custodietis igitur Sabbathum, quia sanctitus est vobis: quisquis profanaverit illud moriendo morietur: quia omnis faciens in eo opus, excidetur anima ipsa e medio populorum suorum.

15. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

15. Sex diebus fiet opus: at die septimo Sabbathum cessationis est, sanctitas Jehovae: quicunque fecerit opus die Sabbathi, moriendo morietur.

16. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

16. Observabunt itaque filii Israel Sabbathum, observando ipsum in generationibus suis, pactum est perpetuum.

17. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

17. Inter me et filios Israel signum est in perpetuum: quia sex diebus fecit Jehova coelos et terrain, die autem septimo cessavit et requievit.

13. Make no mention of the name of other gods. There is no sort of doubt but that this declaration should be connected with the Third Commandment. Moses explains that God’s name is taken in vain and abused, if men swear by other gods; for it is not lawful to refer the judgment of things unknown to any other than the one true God. Consequently, the glory of the Deity is transferred to those by whose name men swear. Therefore by the Prophet God pronounces a severe denunciation, that He will destroy all those that swear by His name, and also by Malcham, (Zephaniah 1:5,) since thus the Jews mixed Him up with their idol, and so profaned His holiness. In sum, since by swearing we profess that He is our God, whom we declare to be both the knower of our hearts and the judge of our souls, the true God justly claims this honor for Himself alone, inasmuch as the glory of His name is detracted from, not only if we speak less reverently than we should of Him, but also if we associate with Him such as may usurp a part of His rights. And this more clearly appears from the two passages which we have adduced from Deuteronomy, wherein the people are commanded to swear by the name of the one God, which is equivalent to rendering to His sacred name in our outward profession of service the unmixed reverence which it deserves. “Ce qui vaut autant comme de luy rendre l’hommage qu’il merite, en le constituant tesmoin des choses cachees, et confessant que c’est a luy seul de maintenir la verite;” which is equivalent to rendering to Him the homage He deserves, in constituting Him the witness of hidden things, and confessing that it is His alone to maintain the truth. — Fr. Still God does not exhort the people to indulge themselves freely in oaths, as if by frequent oaths they exercised themselves in the duties of piety, but simply means that when there is occasion for it or necessity, and a just cause shall demand it, they must swear in no other way than by invoking Him alone as their witness and judge.

Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

21. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

21. Si votum voveris Jehovae Deo tuo, non tardabis illud solvere: alioqui requirendo requiret illud Jehova Deus tuus abs to, et erit in to peccatum.

22. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

22. Quod si abstinueris a vovendo, non erit in to peccatum:

23. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

23. quod egressum fuerit e labiis tuis observabis, et facies sicut vovisti Jehovae Deo tuo liberaliter, et sicut loquutus es ore tuo.

Exodus 23:14. Three times shalt thou keep a feast. It is strange that Moses, who elsewhere enumerates several feast-days, should here only command them to appear in God’s presence thrice a year. Where then is the feast of trumpets and the day of atonement? for undoubtedly all were to be celebrated at Jerusalem. In the first place, it is to be observed that the principal ones, to which the greater honor appertained, are here mentioned. Secondly, because the three holidays in the seventh month were almost continuous, (it is probable Added from Fr. ) that some indulgence was given them, lest they should be absent from their homes the whole month; for at the beginning of the month the trumpets sounded, on the tenth day was the solemn fast, and on the fifteenth they began to dwell in the booths. If the necessity of remaining in Jerusalem had been imposed on all, so long a stay would have been burdensome. But, if they chose to be present from the beginning to the end, still there would have been only one journey, which is named after the most remarkable day. And certainly רגלים and פעמים each signify the feet, in their primary sense; and each are used, but the latter more commonly, for times, as when we say, “so many times.” — W

It is so used in Deuteronomy 1:2, and 16:16.

For this critical sentence, the following is substituted in Fr., “Ainsi trois festes y eussent este comprises; pource qu’ils ne fussent point retournez jusques a ce qu’elles eussent este aceomplies;” thus, three festivals would have been comprised in it; because they would not have returned until they were all completed. the word רגלים, raglim, which Moses uses, means, metaphorically, rather journeys than times, although I allow that פעמים, phagnemim, which signifies times, is used in Deuteronomy in a similar sense. At any rate, it appears that God spared His people, when prescribed only three necessary convocations, lest the fathers of families and their children should be wearied by the expense and trouble of them, since he approves of no service which does not proceed from a cheerful heart.

Deuteronomy 16

Deuteronomy 16:1, 2, 5-17

1. Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

1. Observa mensem Abib, et fac Pesah Jehovae Deo tuo: quia mense Abib eduxit to Jehova Deus tuus ex Aegypto nocte.

2. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.

2 Et sacrificabis Pesah Jehovae Deo tuo de pecudibus et bobus, in loco quem elegerit Jehova ut habitare faciat nomen suum ibi.

5. Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:

5. Non poteris sacrificare Pesah in aliqua e portis tuis quas Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi.

6. But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

6. Sed in loco quem elegerit Jehova Deus tuus ut habitare faciat nomen suum ibi: sacrificabis Pesah ad vesperam, occumbente sole, tempore quo egressus es ex Aegypto.

7. And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.

7. Assabis autem ac comedes in loco quem elegerit Jehova Deus tuus, postea mane conversus reverteris in tabernacula tua.

8. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

8. Sex diebus comedes infermentata, die autem septimo erit solennitas Jehovae Deo tuo: non facies opus ullum.

9. Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

9. Septem hebdomadas numerabis tibi, ex quo ceperit falx esse in segete, incipies numerare septem hebdomadas.

10. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

10. Postea celebrabis solennitatem hebdomadum Jehovae Deo tuo pro facultate spontaneae marius tuae quod dabis pront benedixerit tibi Jehova Deus tuus.

11. And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

11. Et laetaberis coram Jehova Deo tuo, tu et filius tuus et filia tua, et servus tuns et ancilla tua, et Levita qui est intra portas tuas, et peregrinus, et pupillus, et vidua, qui fuerint in medio tui, in loco quem elegerit Jehova Deus tuus ut habitare faciat nomen suum ibi.

12. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

12. Et recordaberis quod servus fueris in Aegypto, propterea custodies ac facies statuta haec.

13. Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:

13. Solennitatem tabernaculorum facies septem diebus, quum collegeris tu de area tua, et de torculari tuo.

14. And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

14. Et laetaberis in solennitate tua, tu et filius tuus et filia tua, et servus tuus et ancilla tua, et Levita, et peregrinus, et pupillus, et vidua, qui habitaverint intra portas tuas.

15. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

15. Septem diebus solennitatem celebrabis Jehovae Deo tuo in loco quem elegerit Jehova: quum benedixerit tibi Jehova Deus tuus in cunctis frugibus this, et in omni opere manuum tuarum, et eris tantummodo laetus.

16. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

16. Tribus vicibus quotannis conspicietur omnis masculus tuus coram Jehova Deo tuo, in loco quem elegerit, in solennitate inferment atorum, et in solennitate hebdomadum, et in solennitate tabernaculorum, neque quisquam conspicietur coram Jehova vacuus.

17. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

17. Quisque secundum donum manus suae, secundum benedictionem Jehovae Dei tui quam dedit tibi.

19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid. The threefold repetition of the command reminds us that a serious matter is spoken of, whereas it would be a light and almost frivolous one, if, as some suppose, it is merely the prohibition of a somewhat unwholesome food. But the Jews, not considering its intent, and affecting sanctity, as they do, in trifling puerilities, dare not taste of cheese together with kid, or lamb’s flesh, until they have well cleaned their teeth. I have no doubt, however, but that this prohibition relates to the sacrifices, for in the first passage quoted, it is added in connection with the offering of the first-fruits; and in the second, we read as follows: “The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Nor shalt thou seethe a kid in his mother’s milk;” and so also in the third passage: “Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself, etc., for thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God; nor shalt thou seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” I allow indeed that Moses sometimes mixes together precepts respecting different things; but this running context shews that this precept is delivered among the ceremonies, and must therefore be reckoned to be a part of the legal service. Whence I conclude, that the people are not only interdicted from eating this sort of food, as if they were to partake of flesh steeped in blood; but that they should not pollute the sacrifices by the carnal mixture. It is however probable, that meat seasoned with milk was accounted a delicacy; but inasmuch as they might grow cruel, if they ate of a lamb or kid in its mother’s milk, God forbade to be offered to Himself, what was not allowable even in their common meals. The exposition of some, that kids were excluded from their tables until they were weaned, is not agreeable to reason; because they then begin to have a goatish flavor. But the reason is a very appropriate one, i.e., that God would not admit a monstrous thing in His sacrifices, that the flesh of the young should be cooked in its mother’s milk, and thus, as it were, in its own blood.

The civil Supplements to the Second Commandment

Exodus 23

Exodus 23:24

24. ... Thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

24. Destruendo destrues eos, et confringendo confringes statuas eorum.

Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12:1-3

1. These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

1. Haec sunt statuta et judicia quae custodietis, ut faciatis in terra quam daturus est Jehova Deus patrum tuorum tibi, quo possideatis eam omnibus diebus quibns vos vivetis super terrain illam.

2. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

2. Destruendo destruetis omnia loca in quibus servierunt gentes quas possessuri estis, diis suis, super montes excelsos, et super colles, et sub omni arbore frondosa.

3. And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

3. Diruetisque aras earum, et statuas earum confringetis, lucos earum comburetis igni, et sculptilia deorum earum concidetis, abolebitisque nomen earum ex ipso loco.

Exodus 34

Exodus 34:13

13. But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:

13. Aras eorum diruetis, statues eorum confringetis, lucosque eorum succidetis.

Deuteronomy 7

Deuteronomy 7:5

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.

5. Sic facietis els, altaria eorum destruetis, et statues eorum confringetis, lucosque eorum succidetis, ac sculptilia eorum comburetis igni.

Numbers 33

Numbers 33:52

52. ... destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

52. Destruite omnes statues earum, et omnes imagines confiatiles destruite, et omnes aras eorum dissipate.

20. Behold, I send an Angel before thee. God here reminds the Israelites that their wellbeing is so connected with the keeping of the Law, that, by neglecting it, they would sorely suffer. For He says that He will be their leader by the hand of an angel, which was a token of His fatherly love for them; but, on the other hand, He threatens that they would not be unpunished if they should despise such great mercy and follow their own lusts, because they will not escape the sight of the angel whom He had appointed to be their guardian. Almost all the Hebrew rabbins, For this opinion, Corn. a Lapide quotes Justin. contra Tryphon. fol. 58; and Eusebius, lib. 4, Demonstr. Evang. 28, and Raban. with whom many others agree, too hastily think that this is spoken of Joshua, but the statements, which we shall consider more fully just beyond, by no means are reconcilable with his person. But their mistake is more than sufficiently refuted by this, first of all, that if we understand it of Joshua, the people would have been without the angel as their leader as long as they wandered in the desert; and, besides, it was afterwards said to Moses, “Mine Angel shall go before thee,” (Exodus 32:34;) and again, “And I will send an Angel before thee,” (Exodus 33:2.) Moses, too, elsewhere enlarges on this act of God’s goodness, that He should have led forth His people by the hand of an angel. (Numbers 20:16.) But what need is there of a long discussion, since already mention has been so often made of the angel of their deliverance? This point ought now to be deemed established, that there is no reference here to a mortal man; and what we have already said should be remembered, that no common angel is designated, but the chief of all angels, who has always been also the Head of the Church. In which matter the authority of Paul should be sufficient for us, when he admonishes the Corinthians not to tempt Christ as their fathers tempted Him in the desert. (1 Corinthians 10:9.) We gather this, too, from the magnificent attribute which Moses immediately afterwards assigns to Him, that “the name of God should be in him.” I deem this to be of great importance, although it is generally passed over lightly. But let us consider it particularly. When God declares that He will send His angel “to keep them in the way,” He makes a demand upon them for their willing obedience, for it would be too base of them to set at nought, or to forget Him whose paternal care towards them they experience. But in the next verse, He seeks by terror to arouse them from their listlessness, where He commands them to beware of His presence, since He would take vengeance on their transgressions; In the Fr. the following paragraphs are omitted. wherein, also, there is a delicate allusion to be observed in the ambiguous meaning of the word employed. For, since שמר, shamar, in Hebrew signifies “to guard,” after He has said that an angel shall be their guardian, He warns them, on the other hand, that they should guard themselves. Herein the Angel is exalted above the rank of a human being, since He is appointed to be their judge, if the Israelites should offend in any respect; not in the way that judgment is deputed to the Prophets with reference to their doctrine, the power of which is supreme, but because nothing shall be hidden from Him. For Scripture assigns to God alone as His peculiar attribute, that we should walk before His face. What follows is to the same effect, “provoke him not,” which is everywhere spoken of God. But, as I have just said, this seems to me to be of most importance, that the name of God was to be in Him, or in the midst of Him, which is equivalent to this, that in Him shall reside my majesty and glory; and, therefore, He shall possess both the knowledge of hearts, as well as dominion, and the power of judgment. Besides, we have already said that there is no absurdity in designating Christ by the name of the Angel, because He was not yet the Incarnate Mediator, but as often as He appeared to the ancient people He gave an indication of His future mission.

22. But if thou shalt indeed obey. He moderates the terror with which He had inspired them for two reasons, — first, that He may rather gently attract them than force them by the fear of punishment; secondly, lest, if they imagine that the Angel is formidable to them, the anxiety conceived in their minds should deaden their perception of His mercy and layout. Now, although I postpone to another place the promises whereby their obedience to the Law was confirmed, I have thought it right to include this among the exhortations or eulogiums whereby the dignity of the Law is enhanced, because it relates to the time past, for thus is the expression to be paraphrased, “Take heed that ye respond to God who deals so liberally with you. The promises which He made to your fathers as to the inheritance of the land, He is now ready to perform, unless your iniquity should stand in the way. Make room, then, for His grace, that, by the hand of the Angel, He may lead you into His rest.” In order to stimulate them still more, He points out to them their need of His aid, as though He had said that nothing, could be more miserable than their case, unless they were protected from so many enemies by His defense, for He enumerates several most important nations to which they would be by no means a match unless they should fight under the guidance of the Angel. He says, therefore, that if they only obey His Law, there is no occasion for them to be afraid, for that He will destroy by His own power alone all that shall rise against them to resist them.

24. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods. Moses repeats what had been before said, that the worship of God must be separated from all the superstitions of the Gentiles; for this error has been everywhere rife, that unbelievers would rather draw down God to themselves on earth, than ascend above to seek for Him. And in this sense we have said that idols are called gods; because it is impossible but that he who would represent God by wood and stone, should associate Him with corruptible matter. Experience also teaches us, that all the wicked are so attached to their idols, that they gain nothing by their subterfuge, when they allege that this is a necessary help to their ignorance. The following clause, “nor do after their works,” sufficiently proves that all corrupt worship is comprehended under the term idolatry.

Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12:4-14, 17, 18, 26, 27

4. Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

4. Non facietis sic Jehovae Deo vestro.

5. But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:

5. Sed locum quem elegerit Jehova Deus vester e cunctis tribubus vestris, ut ponat illic nomen suum ad habitandum, quaretis, veniesque illuc.

6. And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:

6. Et afferetis illuc holocausta vestra, sacrificia vestra, decimas vestras, levationem manus vestrae, vota vestra, spontaneas oblationes vestras, primogenita armentorum vestrorum, et pecudum vestrarum.

7. And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

7. Comedetisque in conspectu Jehovae Dei vestri, et laetabimini in omni applicatione manus vestrae, vos et domus vestrae quibus benedixerit Jehova Deus tuus.

8. Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

8. Non facietis secundum omnia quae nos hodie hic facimus, unusquisque quod rectum est in oculis suis.

9. For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you.

9. Quia non venistis adhuc ad requiem et haereditatem quam Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi.

10. But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

10. Quum vero transieritis Jordanem, et habitabitis in terra quam Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi possiden-dam, et requiem dederit vobis ab omnibus inimicis vestris in cireuitu, et habitabitis secure.

11. Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

11. Tune ad locum quem elegerit Jehova Deus vester, ut in eo habitare faciat nomen suum, adducetis omnia quae ego praecipio vobis, holo-causta vestra, sacrificia vestra, decimas vestras, elevationem manus vestrae, et omnem delectum votorum vestrorum quae vovebitis.

12. And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

12. Et laetabimini coram Jehova Deo vestro, vos et filii vestri, et filiae vestrae, servi vestri et ancillae vestrae: Levita quoque qui erit intra portas vestras: quia non habebit partem et haereditatem vobis-cum.

13. Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:

13. Cave tibi ne forte offeras holocausta tua in quovis loco quem conspexeris:

14. But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

14. Sed in loco quem elegerit Jehova in una tribuum tuarum, illic offeres holocausta tua, et illic facies quae ego praecipio tibi.

17. Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand:

17. Non poteris comedere in portis tuis decimam frumenti tui, vini tui, et olei tui, neque primogenita armentorum tuorum et pecudum tuarum, et onmia vota tua quae voveris, et spontanea tua, et elevationem manus tuae.

18. But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

18. Sed coram Jehova Deo tuo comedes illa in loco quem elegerit Jehova Deus tuus, tu et filius tuus, et filia tua, servus tuus, et ancilla tua, et Levita qui erit intra portas tuas: laetaberisque coram Jehova Deo tuo in omni applicatione manuum tuarum.

26. Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose.

26. Sanctificata tua quae fuerint tibi et vota tua tolles, ut venias ad locum quem elegerit Jehova:

27. And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

27. Et facies holocausta tua ex carne et sanguine super altare Jehovae Dei tui, sanguis autem sacrificiorum tuorum fundetur super altare Dei tui, carnes vero comedes.

Exodus 23:24. Thou shalt utterly overthrow them. I allow indeed that these supplements would partly agree with, and be applicable to, the First Commandment; but since express mention is everywhere made in them of idols, this place seems to be better suited to them. After Moses has taught what was necessary to be observed, he adds a political law about breaking down altars and overthrowing images, in order that the people may take the more diligent heed. These passages, however, differ from the foregoing; for in condemning thus far the superstitions which are vicious in themselves, God prescribed what He would have observed even to the end of the world. He now confirms that instruction by temporary enactments, that He may keep His ancient people up to their duty. For we have now-a-days no scruples in retaining the temples, which have been polluted by idols, and applying them to a better use; since we are not bound by what was added consequently (propter consequentiam), as they say, to the Law. I admit indeed that whatever tends to foster superstition should be removed, provided we are not too rigorously superstitious in insisting peremptorily on what is in itself indifferent. The sum amounts to this, that to shew more clearly how greatly God detests idolatry, He would have the memory of all those things abolished which had once been dedicated to idols. The second passage more fully unfolds what Moses had briefly adverted to in the first; for under the word “image,” he included all those tokens of idolatry which he afterwards enumerates, and of which he commands the whole land to be so cleared that no relics of them should remain. From the words, when ye have come into the land “to possess it,” Augustin “Hostes nos dicunt idolorum suorum. Sic praestet Deus, et det omnia in potestate, quomodo dedit quod fractum est. Hoc enim dicimus caritati vestrae, ne faciatis ista, quando in porestate vestra non est, ut faciatis illud. Pravorum hominum est, furiosorum Circumcellionum, et ubi potestatem non habent saevire, et velle mort properant sine causa. Audistis quae vobis legimus, omnes qui nuper in Mappalibus adfuistis. ‘Cum data vobis fuerit terra in potestatem (prius ait in potestatem, et sic dixit quae facienda sunt;) aras eorum, inquit, destruetis, lucos eorum comminuetis, et omnes titulos eorum confringetis.’ (Deuteronomy 7:1, and Deuteronomy 12:9.) Cum acceperitis potestatem, hoc facite. Ubi nobis non est data potestas, non facimus; ubi data est, non praetermittimus,” etc. — Aug. Serm. 62 (Opp. Edit. Bened. T.v.p. 364.) sensibly infers, that there is no command for private individuals to destroy the instruments of idolatry; but that the people are armed and furnished with this authority to take the charge of regulating the public interests, when they have obtained possession of the land. The third passage is more brief, only enumerating three kinds; the fourth adds “graven images,” (sculptilia.) The fifth omits the groves, and puts in their place images or representations made of molten materials; and here we must observe what we have before adverted to, that the name of statue (statuoe) is sometimes taken in a good sense; and therefore the Jews think that what was permitted to the fathers before the Law is now forbidden. To us, however, it seems more probable, that the statues now condemned are not such as Jacob erected only as a monument, but such as they pretended to be a likeness of God. Some translate the word “titles,” Numbers 33:52, משכיתם A.V., their pictures. others “pictures,” with what propriety I leave to the judgment of my readers. He adds “image,” צלמי, tsalemey — “metallic talismanical figures, made under certain constellations, and supposed, in consequence, to be possessed of some extraordinary influences and virtues.” — Ad. Clarke, in loco. a word which, though not in itself sinful, is still deservedly rejected in connection with the worship of God. Man is the image of God; for Moses uses this same word, when relating the creation of man. But to represent God by any figure, before which He is worshipped, is nothing less than to corrupt His glory, and so to metamorphose Him. By speaking of molten images, he admits neither sculptures nor pictures; but since they are generally cast in the precious metals, the people were expressly to beware of keeping gods of gold or silver for ornament.

Deuteronomy 16

Deuteronomy 16:21

21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

21. Non plantabis tibi lucum quarumvis arborum apud altare Jehovae Dei tui, quod facies tibi.

25. And ye shall serve the Lord your God. It is true that this promise is very similar to others, to which I have assigned a peculiar place, but it has this difference, that, in inviting the people to be zealous in keeping the Law, it sets before their eyes the effect of the covenant already made with their fathers, in order that they may more cheerfully receive the Law. Therefore there was good reason for my saying just before that the promises which refer to the past have their appropriate place here, where their minds are prepared to obey God and keep His Law, because the race of Abraham God had chosen to Himself, that tie may continually visit them with His favor. He therefore promises them His blessing on their bread and water and bodily health, for on these three things depend the condition of our present life. Two other things He adds — fecundity in generation, and length of days. The sum is, that they had been prevented by God’s loving-kindness, in order that they might willingly honor Him, and that now all He had promised them was close at hand, if only they responded to His grace. But, although the fertility of the land was great, and its productions various and abundant, no mention is here made, as in other places, of wine or oil, but only of simple food, as if He had said that the necessary supports of life should not be wanting to them.

27. I will send my fear before thee. It is very clear from these words that God’s fatherly love towards the people is magnified, to prepare their minds to submit themselves to the yoke of the Law. Therefore their reward, if they should keep the Law, is not so much set before them here, as shame is denounced upon them if they should be ungrateful to God their deliverer, who was soon after about to give them the enjoyment of the promised land. Moreover, God is said to sent forth His fear, when by His secret inspiration He depresses men’s hearts. Whence we gather that fear, as well as courage, is in His hand. Of this no doubtful examples exist in every history, if only God obtained His due rights amongst men. It will often happen that the courage of brave men gives way to alarm, and on the other hand, that the timid and cowardly awake to sudden bravery. Where the cause is not discovered, the profane have recourse to the hidden dominion of fortune to account for it, or imagine that men’s minds have been stupified by Pan or the Satyrs. “Les phantomes ou tritons.” — Fr. “De Panicis terroribus prudentissima doctrina proponitur: Natura enim rerum omnibus viventibus indidit metum, ac formidinem, vitro atque essentim suae conservatricem, ac mala ingruentia vitantem, et depellentem: veruntamen eadem natura modum tenere nescia est; sed timoribus salutaribus semper vanos, et inanes admiscet, adeo ut omnia (si intus conspici darentur) Panicis terroribus plenissima sint; praesertim humana, quae superstitione (quae vere nihil aliud, quam Panicus terror est) in immensum laborant: maxime temporibus duris, et trepidis, et adversis.” — Bacon, de Sapientia Veterum. Let us however learn, that it is in God’s power to bend men’s hearts either way, so as both to cast down the courageous with terror, as well as to animate the timid. From this passage what we read in Psalm 44:2, 3, is taken, —

“Thou didst drive out the heathen with thine hand, and plantedst them, (our fathers.) For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them,” etc.

Moreover, Rahab, who was both a harlot and belonged to an unbelieving nation, still acknowledged this, when she said to the spies,

“our hearts did melt; for the Lord your God is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:11.)

She does not, indeed, express what we have here, that they were smitten from heaven with internal fear, but only says that their terror came from a sense of God’s power; still she admits that it is no human cause which makes them thus to tremble. Moses ascends higher, that God puts to flight or routs their enemies not only by setting before them external objects of terror, but that He works also inwardly in their hearts, that they may fly in confusion and alarm; as it follows in the end of the verse, “I will make them turn their backs,” as much as to say, that He would cause them immediately to retreat, and not even to sustain the sight of the people.

28. And I will send hornets. Although that secret terror, of which He had made mention, would be sufficient to put their enemies to flight, He states that there would also be other ready means, to rout them without any danger, or much difficulty to His people. Yet He does not threaten to send great and powerful warriors, but only insects and hornets; as much as to say, that God would be so entirely propitious to His people that He would prepare and arm even the smallest animals to destroy their enemies. Few historical conjectures can be more striking than that of Dr. Hales, quoted in the Illustrated Commentary on Joshua 24:12, who supposes the “arma Jovis,” by which Virgil represents Saturn as having been driven to Italy, to have been the hornets here spoken of, and identifies the fugitive monarch with one of the Amorite kings, expelled before the armies of Joshua. Thus is the easiness of their victory shewn; because, without the use of the sword, hornets alone would suffice to rout and exterminate their enemies. He adds, however, an exception, lest the Israelites should complain, if the land should not immediately lie open to them empty and cleared of its old inhabitants; and He reminds them that it would be advantageous to them that He should consume their enemies by degrees. Although, therefore, God might at first sight seem to perform less than He had promised, and thus to retract or diminish somewhat from His grace; yet Moses shews that in this respect also He was considering their welfare, lest the wild beasts should rush in upon the bare and desert land, and prove more troublesome than the enemies themselves. It came to pass indeed, through the people’s slackness, that they were long mixed with their enemies, because they executed with too little energy the vengeance of God; yea, His menace against them by the mouth of Joshua was then fulfilled,

“if ye cleave unto the remnant of these nations, know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you.” (Joshua 23:12, 13.)

The fact, therefore, that it was later and at the end of David’s reign that these wicked and heathen nations were exterminated so as to deliver up to the people the quiet possession of the land, must be attributed to their own fault, since unbelief and ingratitude rendered them inactive, and disposed to indulge their ease. But, if no such inactivity had delayed the fulfillment of the promise, they would have found that the final destruction of the nations by God would have been delayed no longer than was good for them.

31. And I will set thy bounds. There is no question that He confirms here the covenant which he had made with Abraham in somewhat different words. More briefly had it been said to Abraham,

“Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18.)

Here the four cardinal points of the compass are enumerated, and, instead of the Nile, the other sea is mentioned, which is opposite to the sea of Tarshish. Corn. a Lapide thus explains these boundaries, — “God here gives the boundaries of the promised land with respect to the cardinal points; for it has the Red Sea as its southern limit; on the west, the sea of the Palestini, or the Mediterranean, whose shores are inhabited by the Philistines; (whence Scripture often speaks of ‘the Sea’ to express the west;) on the east, it has the Arabian Desert, lying between it and Egypt; and, finally, to the north it has the River Euphrates, which is called par excellence (autonomasian) the River.” Nor is it anything new which the Israelites are commanded to expect; but they are reminded of what they had heard of by tradition even from the time of Abraham. Hence what I have already said is more clearly perceived, viz., that the ancient covenant is set before them, in order that they may respond to God’s gratuitous favor, and on their part honor and worship Him, who had already anticipated them with His mercy. Furthermore, when they had robbed themselves of this blessing, God applied a remedy to their iniquity, by raising up a new condition of things under David, to whom this promise is repeated, as is seen in Psalm 72. Therefore, although even up to that time their inheritance was in a measure incomplete (truncata), “Quand Dieu a establi son Eglise;” when God established His (Church. — Fr. yet, under this renovated condition, they reached its full and solid enjoyment. But since that prosperity and extension of the kingdom was not lasting, but after Solomon’s death began to fail, and at last its dignity was destroyed; therefore Zechariah uses the same words in declaring its ultimate and perfect restoration. (Zechariah 9:10.) Thence we gather that by the coming of Christ this prophecy at length obtained its perfect accomplishment; not that the race of Abraham then began to bear rule within the bounds here laid down, but inasmuch as Christ embraced the four quarters of the globe under His dominion, from the east even to the west, and from the north even to the south. Meanwhile the power of David was the prototype of this boundless reign, when he acquired the sovereignty of the promised land. We ought not to think it unreasonable that the ancient people should be kept out of some portion of that inheritance which was to be expected by them in accordance with the covenant; but rather does God’s incredible goodness display itself, in that, when they had altogether disinherited themselves, He still combated their iniquity, and failed not to shew practically His faithfulness. We may see the same thing in the calling of the Gentiles; for, if the Jews had continued faithful, the Gentiles would have been joined with them, as it had been said,

“In those days it shall come to pass that ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew,” (Zechariah 8:23;)

but their rebellion brought it about, that God only gathered from among them the first-fruits of His Church, and afterwards the Gentiles were substituted in the place which they had left empty. In this way neither did this people retain their right of primogeniture, neither did God’s truth cease to stand firm, as Paul more fully explains in the eleventh chapter of Romans.

Deuteronomy 29

Deuteronomy 29:29

29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

29. Secreta sunt Jehovae Deo nostro: revelata autem nobis et filiis nostris usque in saeculum, ut faciamus omnia verba Legis hujus.

CHAPTER 23

Ex 23:1-33. Laws concerning Slander, &c.

1. put not thine hand--join not hands.

2. decline--depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.

3. countenance--adorn, embellish--thou shalt not varnish the cause even of a poor man to give it a better coloring than it merits.

10. six years thou shalt sow thy land--intermitting the cultivation of the land every seventh year. But it appears that even then there was a spontaneous produce which the poor were permitted freely to gather for their use, and the beasts driven out fed on the remainder, the owners of fields not being allowed to reap or collect the fruits of the vineyard or oliveyard during the course of this sabbatical year. This was a regulation subservient to many excellent purposes; for, besides inculcating the general lesson of dependence on Providence, and of confidence in His faithfulness to His promise respecting the triple increase on the sixth year (Le 25:20, 21), it gave the Israelites a practical proof that they held their properties of the Lord as His tenants, and must conform to His rules on pain of forfeiting the lease of them.

12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest--This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.

13. make no mention of the name of other gods, &c.--that is, in common conversation, for a familiar use of them would tend to lessen horror of idolatry.

14-18. Three times ... keep a feast ... in the year--This was the institution of the great religious festivals--"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover--"the feast of harvest," or pentecost--"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were enjoined to repair to the tabernacle and afterwards the temple, and the women frequently went. The institution of this national custom was of the greatest importance in many ways: by keeping up a national sense of religion and a public uniformity in worship, by creating a bond of unity, and also by promoting internal commerce among the people. Though the absence of all the males at these three festivals left the country defenseless, a special promise was given of divine protection, and no incursion of enemies was ever permitted to happen on those occasions.

19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk--A prohibition against imitating the superstitious rites of the idolaters in Egypt, who, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its mother's milk and sprinkled the broth as a magical charm on their gardens and fields, to render them more productive the following season. [See on De 14:21].

20-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.

28. I will send hornets before thee, &c. (See on Jos 24:12)--Some instrument of divine judgment, but variously interpreted: as hornets in a literal sense [Bochart]; as a pestilential disease [Rosenmuller]; as a terror of the Lord, an extraordinary dejection [Junius].

29-30. I will not drive ... out ... in one year; lest the land become desolate--Many reasons recommend a gradual extirpation of the former inhabitants of Canaan. But only one is here specified--the danger lest, in the unoccupied grounds, wild beasts should inconveniently multiply; a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to contain the actual population of the Israelites.

Thou shalt not raise a false report - Acting contrary to this precept is a sin against the ninth commandment. And the inventor and receiver of false and slanderous reports, are almost equally criminal. The word seems to refer to either, and our translators have very properly retained both senses, putting raise in the text, and receive in the margin. The original לא תשא lo tissa has been translated, thou shalt not publish. Were there no publishers of slander and calumny, there would be no receivers; and were there none to receive them, there would be none to raise them; and were there no raisers, receivers, nor propagators of calumny, lies, etc., society would be in peace.

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil - Be singular. Singularity, if in the right, can never be criminal. So completely disgraceful is the way of sin, that if there were not a multitude walking in that way, who help to keep each other in countenance, every solitary sinner would be obliged to hide his head. But רבים rabbim, which we translate multitude, sometimes signifies the great, chiefs, or mighty ones; and is so understood by some eminent critics in this place: "Thou shalt not follow the example of the great or rich, who may so far disgrace their own character as to live without God in the world, and trample under foot his laws." It is supposed that these directions refer principally to matters which come under the eye of the civil magistrate; as if he had said, "Do not join with great men in condemning an innocent or righteous person, against whom they have conceived a prejudice on the account of his religion," etc.

Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause - The word דל dal, which we translate poor man, is probably put here in opposition to רבים rabbim, the great, or noble men, in the preceding verse: if so, the meaning is, Thou shalt neither be influenced by the great to make an unrighteous decision, nor by the poverty or distress of the poor to give thy voice against the dictates of justice and truth. Hence the ancient maxim, Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum. "Let justice be done, though the heavens should be dissolved."

If thou meet thine enemy's ox - going astray - From the humane and heavenly maxim in this and the following verse, our blessed Lord has formed the following precept: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you;" Mat 5:44. A precept so plain, wise, benevolent, and useful, can receive no other comment than that which its influence on the heart of a kind and merciful man produces in his life.

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor - Thou shalt neither countenance him in his crimes, nor condemn him in his righteousness. See Exo 23:5, Exo 23:7.

Thou shalt take no gift - A strong ordinance against selling justice, which has been the disgrace and ruin of every state where it has been practiced. In the excellent charter of British liberties called Magna Charta, there is one article expressly on this head: Nulli vendemus, nulli negabimus aut differemus, rectum aut justitiam - Art. xxxiii. "To none will we sell, to none will we deny or defer, right or justice." This was the more necessary in those early and corrupt times, as he who had most money, and gave the largest presents (called then oblata) to the king or queen, was sure to gain his cause in the king's court; whether he had right and justice on his side or not.

Ye know the heart of a stranger - Having been strangers yourselves, under severe, long continued, and cruel oppression, ye know the fears, cares, anxieties, and dismal forebodings which the heart of a stranger feels. What a forcible appeal to humanity and compassion!

The seventh year thou shalt let it rest - As, every seventh day was a Sabbath day, so every seventh year was to be a Sabbath year. The reasons for this ordinance Calmet gives thus: - "1. To maintain as far as possible an equality of condition among the people, in setting the slaves at liberty, and in permitting all, as children of one family, to have the free and indiscriminate use of whatever the earth produced. "2. To inspire the people with sentiments of humanity, by making it their duty to give rest, and proper and sufficient nourishment, to the poor, the slave, and the stranger, and even to the cattle. "3. To accustom the people to submit to and depend on the Divine providence, and expect their support from that in the seventh year, by an extraordinary provision on the sixth. "4. To detach their affections from earthly and perishable things, and to make them disinterested and heavenly-minded. "5. To show them God's dominion over the country, and that He, not they, was lord of the soil and that they held it merely from his bounty." See this ordinance at length, Leviticus 25 (note).

That God intended to teach them the doctrine of providence by this ordinance, there can be no doubt; and this is marked very distinctly, Lev 25:20, Lev 25:21 : "And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years." That is, There shall be, not three crops in one year, but one crop equal in its abundance to three, because it must supply the wants of three years.

1. For the sixth year, supplying fruit for its own consumption;

2. For the seventh year, in which they were neither to sow nor reap; and

3. For the eighth year, for though they ploughed, sowed, etc., that year, yet a whole course of its seasons was requisite to bring all these fruits to perfection, so that they could not have the fruits of the eighth year till the ninth, (see Lev 25:22), till which time God promised that they should eat of the old store.

What an astonishing proof did this give of the being, power, providence, mercy, and goodness of God! Could there be an infidel in such a land, or a sinner against God and his own soul, with such proofs before his eyes of God and his attributes as one sabbatical year afforded?

It is very remarkable that the observance of this ordinance is nowhere expressly mentioned in the sacred writings; though some suppose, but without sufficient reason, that there is a reference to it in Jer 34:8, Jer 34:9. Perhaps the major part of the people could not trust God, and therefore continued to sow and reap on the seventh year, as on the preceding. This greatly displeased the Lord, and therefore he sent them into captivity; so that the land enjoyed those Sabbaths, through lack of inhabitants, of which their ungodliness had deprived it. See Lev 18:24, Lev 18:25, Lev 18:28; Lev 26:34, Lev 26:35, Lev 26:43; 2Chr 36:20, 2Chr 36:21. Commentators have been much puzzled to ascertain the time in which the sabbatical year began; because, if it began in Abib or March, they must have lost two harvests; for they could neither reap nor plant that year, and of course they could have no crop the year following; but if it began with what was called the civil year, or in Tisri or Marcheshvan, which answers to the beginning of our autumn, they would then have had that year's produce reaped and gathered in.

Six days thou shalt do thy work - Though they were thus bound to keep the sabbatical year, yet they must not neglect the seventh day's rest or weekly Sabbath; for that was of perpetual obligation, and was paramount to all others. That the sanctification of the Sabbath was of great consequence in the sight of God, we may learn from the various repetitions of this law; and we may observe that it has still for its object, not only the benefit of the soul, but the health and comfort of the body also. Doth God care for oxen? Yes; and he mentions them with tenderness, that thine ox and thine ass may rest. How criminal to employ the laboring cattle on the Sabbath, as well as upon the other days of the week! More cattle are destroyed in England than in any other part of the world, in proportion, by excessive and continued labor. The noble horse in general has no Sabbath! Does God look on this with an indifferent eye? Surely he does not. "England," said a foreigner, "is the paradise of women, the purgatory of servants, and the hell of horses.

The son of thy handmaid, and the stranger - be refreshed - ינפש yinnaphesh may be respirited or new-souled; have a complete renewal both of bodily and spiritual strength. The expression used by Moses here is very like that used by St. Paul, Act 3:19 : "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing (καιροι αναψυξεως, the times of re-souling) shall come from the presence of the Lord;" alluding, probably, to those times of refreshing and rest for body and soul originally instituted under the law.

Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year - The three feasts here referred to were,

1. The feast of the Passover;

2. The feast of Pentecost;

3. The feast of Tabernacles.

1. The feast of the Passover was celebrated to keep in remembrance the wonderful deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt.

2. The feast of Pentecost, called also the feast of harvest and the feast of weeks, Exo 34:22, was celebrated fifty days after the Passover to commemorate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, which took place fifty days after, and hence called by the Greeks Pentecost.

3. The feast of Tabernacles, called also the feast of the ingathering, was celebrated about the 15th of the month Tisri to commemorate the Israelites' dwelling in tents for forty years, during their stay in the wilderness. See on Leviticus 23 (note). "God, out of his great wisdom," says Calmet, "appointed several festivals among the Jews for many reasons:

1. To perpetuate the memory of those great events, and the wonders he had wrought for the people; for example, the Sabbath brought to remembrance the creation of the world; the Passover, the departure out of Egypt; the Pentecost, the giving of the law; the feast of Tabernacles, the sojourning of their fathers in the wilderness, etc.

2. To keep them faithful to their religion by appropriate ceremonies, and the splendor of Divine service.

3. To procure them lawful pleasures, and necessary rest.

4. To give them instruction; for in their religious assemblies the law of God was always read and explained.

5. To consolidate their social union, by renewing the acquaintance of their tribes and families; for on these occasions they come together from different parts of the land to the holy city."

Besides the feasts mentioned above, the Jews had,

1. The feast of the Sabbath, which was a weekly feast.

2. The feast of the Sabbatical Year, which was a septennial feast.

3. The feast of Trumpets, which was celebrated on the first day of what was called their civil year, which was ushered in by the blowing of a trumpet; Lev 23:24, etc.

4. The feast of the New Moon, which was celebrated on the first day the moon appeared after her change.

5. The feast of Expiation, which was celebrated annually on the tenth day of Tisri or September, on which a general atonement was made for all the sins, negligences, and ignorances, throughout the year.

6. The feast of Lots or Purim, to commemorate the preservation of the Jews from the general massacre projected by Haman. See the book of Esther.

7. The feast of the Dedication, or rather the Restoration of the temple, which had been profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes. This was also called the feast of Lights.

Besides these, the Jews have had several other feasts, such as the feast of Branches, to commemorate the taking of Jericho.

The feast of Collections, on the 10th of September, on which they make contributions for the service of the temple and synagogue.

The feast for the death of Nicanor. 1 Maccabees 7:48, etc.

The feast for the discovery of the sacred fire, 2 Maccabees 1:18, etc.

The feast of the carrying of wood to the temple, called Xylophoria, mentioned by Josephus - War, b. ii. c. 17.

All thy males - Old men, sick men, male idiots, and male children under thirteen years of age, excepted; for so the Jewish doctors understand this command.

The blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread - The sacrifice here mentioned is undoubtedly the Passover; (see Exo 34:25); this is called by way of eminence My sacrifice, because God had instituted it for that especial purpose, the redemption of Israel from the Egyptian bondage, and because it typified The Lamb Of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. We have already seen how strict the prohibition against leaven was during this festival, and what was signified by it. See on Exodus 12 (note).

Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk - This passage has greatly perplexed commentators; but Dr. Cudworth is supposed to have given it its true meaning by quoting a MS. comment of a Karaite Jew, which he met with, on this passage. "It was a custom of the ancient heathens, when they had gathered in all their fruits, to take a kid and boil it in the milk of its dam; and then, in a magical way, to go about and besprinkle with it all their trees and fields, gardens and orchards; thinking by these means to make them fruitful, that they might bring forth more abundantly in the following year." - Cudworth on the Lord's Supper, 4th.

I give this comment as I find it, and add that Spenser has shown that the Zabii used this kind of magical milk to sprinkle their trees and fields, in order to make them fruitful. Others understand it of eating flesh and milk together; others of a lamb or a kid while it is sucking its mother, and that the paschal lamb is here intended, which it was not lawful to offer while sucking.

After all the learned labor which critics have bestowed on this passage, and by which the obscurity in some cases is become more intense, the simple object of the precept seems to be this: "Thou shalt do nothing that may have any tendency to blunt thy moral feelings, or teach thee hardness of heart." Even human nature shudders at the thought of causing the mother to lend her milk to seethe the flesh of her young one! We need go no farther for the delicate, tender, humane, and impressive meaning of this precept.

Behold, I send an Angel before thee - Some have thought that this was Moses, others Joshua, because the word מלאך malach signifies an angel or messenger; but as it is said, Exo 23:21, My name is in him, (בקרבו bekirbo, intimately, essentially in him), it is more likely that the great Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, is meant, in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. We have had already much reason to believe that this glorious personage often appeared in a human form to the patriarchs, etc.; and of him Joshua was a very expressive type, the names Joshua and Jesus, in Hebrew and Greek, being of exactly the same signification, because radically the same, from ישע yasha, he saved, delivered, preserved, or kept safe. Nor does it appear that the description given of the Angel in the text can belong to any other person.

Calmet has referred to a very wonderful comment on these words given by Philo Judaeus De Agricultura, which I shall produce here at full length as it stands in Dr. Mangey's edition, vol. 1., p. 308: Ὡς ποιμην και βασιλευς ὁ Θεος αγει κατα δικην και νομον, προστησαμενος τον ορθον αυτου λογον πρωτογονον υἱον, ὁς την επιμελειαν της ἱερας ταυτης αγελης, οἱα τις μεγαλου βασιλεως ὑπαρχος, διαδεξεται. Και γαρ ειρηται που· Ιδου εγω ειμι, αποστελω αγγελον μον εις προσωπον σου, του φυλαξαι σε εν τῃ ὁδῳ "God, as the Shepherd and King, conducts all things according to law and righteousness, having established over them his right Word, his Only-Begotten Son, who, as the Viceroy of the Great King, takes care of and ministers to this sacred flock. For it is somewhere said, (Exo 23:20), Behold, I Am, and I will send my Angel before thy face, to keep thee in the way."

This is a testimony liable to no suspicion, coming from a person who cannot be supposed to be even friendly to Christianity, nor at all acquainted with that particular doctrine to which his words seem so pointedly to refer.

He will not pardon your transgressions - He is not like a man, with whom ye may think that ye may trifle; were he either man or angel, in the common acceptation of the term, it need not be said, He will not pardon your transgressions, for neither man nor angel could do it.

My name is in him - The Jehovah dwells in him; in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and because of this he could either pardon or punish. All power is given unto me in heaven and earth, Mat 28:18.

Unto the Amorites - There are only six of the seven nations mentioned here, but the Septuagint, Samaritan, Coptic, and one Hebrew MS., add Girgashite, thus making the seven nations.

Break down their images - מצבתיהם matstsebotheyhem, from נצב natsab, to stand up; pillars, anointed stones, etc., such as the baitulia. See Clarke on Gen 28:18 (note).

Shall bless thy bread and thy water - That is, all thy provisions, no matter of what sort; the meanest fare shall be sufficiently nutritive when God's blessing is in it.

There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren - Hence there must be a very great increase both of men and cattle.

The number of thy days I will fulfill - Ye shall all live to a good old age, and none die before his time. This is the blessing of the righteous, for wicked men live not out half their days; Psa 55:23.

I will send hornets before thee - הצרעה hatstsirah. The root is not found in Hebrew, but it may be the same with the Arabic saraa, to lay prostrate, to strike down; the hornet, probably so called from the destruction occasioned by the violence of its sting. The hornet, in natural history, belongs to the species crabro, of the genus vespa or wasp; it is a most voracious insect, and is exceedingly strong for its size, which is generally an inch in length, though I have seen some an inch and a half long, and so strong that, having caught one in a small pair of forceps, it repeatedly escaped by using violent contortions, so that at last I was obliged to abandon all hopes of securing it alive, which I wished to have done. How distressing and destructive a multitude of these might be, any person may conjecture; even the bees of one hive would be sufficient to sting a thousand men to madness, but how much worse must wasps and hornets be! No armor, no weapons, could avail against these. A few thousands of them would be quite sufficient to throw the best disciplined army into confusion and rout. From Jos 24:12, we find that two kings of the Amorites were actually driven out of the land by these hornets, so that the Israelites were not obliged to use either sword or bow in the conquest.

I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea - On the south-east, even unto the sea of the Philistines - the Mediterranean, on the north-west; and from the desert - of Arabia, or the wilderness of Shur, on the west, to the river - the Euphrates, on the north-east. Or in general terms, from the Euphrates on the east, to the Mediterranean Sea on the west; and from Mount Libanus on the north, to the Red Sea and the Nile on the south. This promise was not completely fulfilled till the days of David and Solomon. The general disobedience of the people before this time prevented a more speedy accomplishment; and their disobedience afterwards caused them to lose the possession. So, though all the promises of God are Yea and Amen, yet they are fulfilled but to a few, because men are slow of heart to believe; and the blessings of providence and grace are taken away from several because of their unfaithfulness.

Thou shalt make no covenant with them - They were incurable idolaters, and the cup of their iniquity was full. And had the Israelites contracted any alliance with them, either sacred or civil, they would have enticed them into their idolatries, to which the Jews were at all times most unhappily prone; and as God intended that they should be the preservers of the true religion till the coming of the Messiah, hence he strictly forbade them to tolerate idolatry.

They shall not dwell in thy land - They must be utterly expelled. The land was the Lord's, and he had given it to the progenitors of this people, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The latter being obliged to leave it because of a famine, God is now conducting back his posterity, who alone had a Divine and natural right to it, and therefore their seeking to possess the inheritance of their fathers can be only criminal in the sight of those who are systematically opposed to the thing, because it is a part of Divine revelation.

What a pity that the Mosaic Law should be so little studied! What a number of just and equal laws, pious and humane institutions, useful and instructive ordinances, does it contain! Everywhere we see the purity and benevolence of God always working to prevent crimes and make the people happy! But what else can be expected from that God who is love, whose tender mercies are over all his works, and who hateth nothing that he has made? Reader, thou art not straitened in him, be not straitened in thy own bowels. Learn from him to be just, humane, kind, and merciful. Love thy enemy, and do good to him that hates thee. Jesus is with thee; hear and obey his voice; provoke him not, and he will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries. Believe, love, obey; and the road to the kingdom of God is plain before thee. Thou shalt inherit the good land, and be established in it for ever and ever.

Thou shalt not raise, the margin reads, Thou shalt not receive a false report, for sometimes the receiver in this case is as bad as the thief; and a backbiting tongue would not do so much mischief, if it were not countenanced. Sometimes we cannot avoid hearing a false report, but we must not receive it, we must not hear it with pleasure, nor easily give credit to it.

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil - General usage will never excuse us in any ill practice; nor is the broad way ever the safer for its being crowded. We must inquire what we ought to do, not what the most do; because we must be judged by our master, not our fellow servants; and it is too great a compliment, to be willing to go to hell for company.

Keep thee far from a false matter - From assisting or abetting an ill thing. Yea, keep thee far from it, dread it as a dangerous snare. I will not justify the wicked - That is, I will condemn him that unjustly condemns others.

Thou shalt not oppress the stranger - Though aliens might not inherit lands among them; yet they must have justice done them. It was an instance of the equity of our law, that if an alien be tried for any crime except treason, the one half of his jury, if he desire it, shall be foreigners; a kind provision that strangers may not be oppressed. For ye know the heart of a stranger - You know something of the griefs and fears of a stranger by sad experience.

The institution of the sabbatical year was designed, To shew what a plentiful land that was, into which God was bringing them, that so numerous a people could have rich maintenance out of the products of so small a country, without foreign trade, and yet could spare the increase of every seventh year. To teach them a confidence in the Divine Providence, while they did their duty, That as the sixth day's manna served for two days meat, so the sixth year's increase should serve for two years subsistence.

In all things that I have said unto you be circumspect - We are in danger of missing our way on the right hand and on the left, and it is at our peril if we do, therefore we have need to look about us. A man may ruin himself through mere carelessness, but he cannot save himself without great care and circumspection; particularly since idolatry was a sin they were much addicted to, and would be greatly tempted to, they must endeavour to blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen, and must disuse all their superstitious forms of speech, and never mention them but with detestation. In Christian schools and academies (for it is in vain to think of re - forming the play - houses) it were to be wished that the names and stories of the heathen deities or demons rather were not so commonly and familiarly used.

The Passover, Pentecost, and feast of Tabernacles, in spring, summer, and autumn, were the three times appointed for their attendance; not in winter, because travelling was then uncomfortable; nor in the midst of their harvest.

All thy males - All that were of competent years, and health and strength, and at their own disposal. 'Tis probable, servants were exempt: for none was to appear without an offering: but most of these had nothing to offer.

Some of the Gentiles, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in it's dam's milk, and sprinkled that milk - pottage in a magical way upon their gardens and fields, to make them fruitful. But Israel must abhor such foolish customs. Is not this rather forbidden, as having some appearance of cruelty?

Behold, I send an angel before thee - The angel of the covenant: Accordingly the Israelites in the wilderness are said to tempt Christ. It is promised that this blessed anger should keep them in the way, though it lay through a wilderness first, and afterwards through their enemies country; and thus Christ has prepared a place for his followers.

Beware of him, and obey his voice; provoke him not - It is at your peril if you do; for my name - My nature, my authority is in him.

He shall bless thy bread and thy water - And God's blessing will make bread and water more refreshing and nourishing, than a feast of fat things, and wines on the lees, without that blessing. And I will take sickness away - Either prevent it or remove it. Thy land shall not be visited with epidemical diseases, which are very dreadful, and sometimes have laid countries waste.

The number of thy days I will fulfill - And they shall not be cut off in the midst by untimely deaths. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is.

I will send my fear before thee - And they that fear will soon flee. Hosts of hornets also made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God make use of for the chastising of his people's enemies.

1 THou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Heb. not take up, to wit, into thy mouth, as Exod. 20. 7. either by the first raising, or further spreading, of it: or, not bear, or endure, as that word oft signifies; not hear it patiently, delightfully, readily, approvingly, as persons are very apt to do, but rather shalt discourage and reprove the spreader of it, according to Prov. 25. 23. Possibly the holy Ghost might chuse a word of such general signification to shew that all these things were forbidden.

(i. e.) Not conspire or agree with them, which is signified by joyning hands, Prov. 11. 21. not give them an helping hand in it, not incourage them to it by gifts or promises, not assist them by counsel or interest. Others not swear with them. But swearing is not noted by putting the hand, but by lifting it up.

Marginal references: Psal. 15. 3.; Or, receive.

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil : neither [illegible: 1 word] thou speak in a cause, to decline after many, to wrest judgment .

Either their counsel or example. But the Hebrew rabbim both here and in the following clause is by some rendred great men, men in power and authority, whom we are commanded not to follow. And as the word is thus used, Iob 32. 9. Ier. 41. 1. so this sence may seem most probable: 1. because in the last clause he speaks of causes or controversies, as the Hebrew rib signifies and matters of judgment, which were not determined by the multitude, but by great men. 2. because these are opposed to the poor in the next verse. 3. because the examples of such men are most prevalent.

Either in general, or particularly, to work mischief, to oppress or crush another.

Heb. answer, when thou art summoned as a witness in any cause.

Or, to turn aside right, or, to pervert thy self, the verb being taken reciprocally, as Hiphil is oft put for Hithpahel, or, which is all one, to do perversly, i. e. unrighteously.

Marginal references: Lev. 19. 15. Deut. 1. 17.; Heb. answer.

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

Heb. Honour, i. e. respect, or prefer, his cause, when the richer mans cause is more just: The meaning of this and the former verse is, there shall be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause. See Levit. 19. 15. Psal. 72. 1, 2.

4 If thou meet thine enemies oxe or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

So far shalt thou be from revenging his injuries, that thou shalt render good to him for them, whereby if thou dost not reconcile him, thou wilst procure peace to thy self, and honour to Religion.

Marginal references: Deut. 22. 1. Job 24. 3. Prov. 24. 17. & 25. 21. Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 20.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him; thou shalt surely help with him .

This translation depends upon this supposition, that the Hebrew verb azab, which is thrice used in this verse, signifies not onely to leave, but also to help, or erect, or li[illegible: 1+ letters]t up or strengthen or restore: which signification of the verb may be proved, 1. from that use of it Nehem▪ 3. 8. and 4. 2. 2. from the parallel place, Deut. 22. 4. where instead of this verb, azab▪ is hakim which is properly to [illegible: 1 word] or li[illegible: 1+ letters]t up. But if the verb did signifie onely to leave, it may be thus rendred according to the Hebrew words, then or therefore, or surely, (for all these ways the Hebrew particle Van is used) thou shalt forbear to leave it, to wit, the ass groaning under his burden, or the lifting up of the ass and burden, to him alone: but if thou wilst be leaving, I will appoint thee a better object for it, thou shalt surely leave or lay aside what thou hast against him, i. e. whatsoever controversie thou hast with him, that shall not hinder thee from succouring him or his in any distress. The Hebrew preposition, i[illegible: 1+ letters], doth oft signifie against, as Gen. 26. 20. Psal. 85. 4. and 94. 16. Hos. 9. 8. And it is a concise or short way of speaking, which is very common in the Hebrew language, against him for, what thou hast against him. Or thus, and wouldest forbear to leave, to wit, thy business which thou art going about, for him, i. e. for the sake of him who is thine enemy, as the Hebrew preposition, lamed, is oft used, as Exod. 14. 25. Numb. 25. 13. Ios. 10. 14. &c. thou shalt repress those malitious desires, and thou shalt surely leave it to be or to tarry or to help with him to lift up the ass. So there is onely an Ellipsis of the verb, which is most common in the Hebrew tongue.

Marginal references: Deut. 22. 4.; Or, wilt thou cease to help him? and wouldest▪ cease to leave thy business for him: thou shalt surely leave it to join with him.

6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

(i. e.) Of the poor which is among thee, not of the poor Iews onely, as some peradventure may conceive, for common right must be done even to the Gentiles. Compare Deut. 27. 19.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter : and the innocent and righteous slay thou not : for I will not justifie the wicked .

(i. e.) Abstain from all occasions, degrees, or appearances of it. Compare Iob 22. 23. Prov. 4. 14, 15.

(i. e.) An unrighteous judgment: for he is speaking to the Judges, as appears both by the foregoing and following verses.

Condemn not to death, nor to any other unjust penalty, for the same reason.

And therefore not condemn the innocent, one contrary being here understood from the other, as is frequent in the book of the Proverbs, and what I do not, thou who actest in my name and stead shouldest not do. Or rather thus, Know O Judge, for to such he speaks, if thou dost pronounce such a wicked sentence, I will not justifie thee, or hold thee guiltless, i. e. I will severely punish thee, as Exod. 20. 7.

Marginal references: chap. 34. [illegible: 1+ letters].

8 And thou shalt▪ take no gift : for the gift blindeth the w of , and perverteth the words of the righteous .

Namely from such whose causes are depending before thee, because if thou dost not sell Justice for it, yet thou wilt both seem to do so and be tempted to do so. Compare Deut. 16. 19. 1 Sam. 8. 3▪ Prov. 17. 8, 23. and 19. 6.

Or, the open eyed, the quick-sighted, who in this case cannot see, partly because they will not see, and partly because interest and affection do exceedingly corrupt the judgment, and render it very partial.

(i. e.) The judgment of the righteous Judges, i. e. of them who before were such and are enclined to be so, and probably would be so, were they not tempted with bribes, or, of them who by their place should be righteous. So they are called righteous to admonish them of their duty to be so, and to aggravate their sin when they are unrighteous, and consequently to aggravate the mischief of gifts, which make those unrighteous whose office obligeth them to be righteous. Or thus, the matters or causes of the righteous, which may be understood not of the Judges, but of the parties pleading, whose righteous cause is by this means perverted by the Judge, and a wrong sentence given.

Marginal references: Eccl. 20. 28.; Heb. the seeing.

9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger : seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(i. e.) The disposition, dejection, and distress of his heart, which makes him an object of pity, not of malice or mischief.

Marginal references: chap. 22. 21.; Heb. soul.

11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest, and lie still : that the poor of thy people may eat : and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive-yard .

(i. e.) From manuring, plowing, tilling and sowing, and reaping also, by comparing Levit. 25. 3, 4, 5. And this God ordained not onely for the reason here mentioned, the more comfortable provision for the poor, and for the cattel, but for other weighty reasons, as 1. that the heart and strength of the land might not be eaten out by continual tillage. 2. that he might both try and exercise and also secure the obedience of the Israelites. 3. that he might keep them in dependance upon himself, and give to them and to all their neighbours a manifest proof of his singular and gracious providence over his people. 4. that by this kind of quit-rent they might be admonished that God alone was the Lord and proprietary of the land, and they were onely Tenants at his will. 5. that being freed from their great labours about the land they might have the more leasure to meditate upon Gods works and to attend upon the law, which was to be solemnly read at this time; Deut. 31. 10, &c.

Quest. What had the poor to eat? Ans. Not onely the fruits of the vines and olives and other fruit-trees, but also all that grew of its own accord, Levit. 25. 5. from those seeds which in the last reaping time were scattered here and there, which were much more numerous now than in other years, because God gave a special blessing to the sixth year, whereby it did bring forth the fruit of 3 years, Lev. 25. 21. and in years of so great plenty men are generally more negligent in their reaping, and therefore the relicks are more.

(i. e.) Thou shalt not prune nor dress them, nor gather and appropriate to thy own use what they shall produce, but shalt leave them to the poor.

Marginal references: Or, olive trees.

12 Six dayes thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest : that thine oxe and thy ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed.

This command is here repeated, lest any should think the weekly rest might cease when the whole year was consecrated to rest. There were three sorts of Sabbaths to the Jews, 1. of days. 2. of years, to wit, the seventh year. 3. of weeks of years, to wit the Jubilee, and all these are types of the eternal rest in heaven.

Marginal references: chap. 20. 8, 9▪ Deut. 5. 13. Luk. 13. 14.

13 And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the names of other gods , neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

To wit, with honour or delight or without detestation; as fornication is not to be named among Saints, Eph. 5. 3. Or, not mention them in your worship, or in oaths, or, in common discourse, and without special occasion, lest the frequent mention of them might keep up their memory or introduce their worship. Hence the names of Idols and Idolatrous places were ofttimes changed by the Israelites. See Numb. 32. 38. Ios. 23. 7. Compare Psal. 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. Zech. 13. [illegible: 1+ letters].

Marginal references: Deut. 12. 3.

15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: thou shalt eat unleavened bread as I have commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib: for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty :

This may be either 1. a precept, as it is generally understood, that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other, for the support of the Levites and of the worship of God: but the determination of this or what they would give was left to their choice. Or 2. a promise to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Ierusalem, because they should never appear before God in vain, i. e. to no purpose, or without some benefit, for so the word, rekam, oft signifies. So it may be parallel to Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the seed of Iacob, seek ye me in vain: But the former sence is more probable by comparing this with its parallel place, Deut. 16. 16, 17.

Marginal references: chap. 13. 3. & 34. 18.; Deut. 16. 16. Eccl. 35. 4.

16 And the feast of harvest the first-fruits of thy labours , which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of in-gathering which is in the end of the year , when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.

(i. e.) Of wheat-harvest: for barley-harvest was before this time. This feast was otherwise called Pentecost.

How were these the first-fruits, when a sheaf was offered to God in the feast of the Passeover? Ans. That sheaf was generally of barly, which was less considerable than their wheat, but this was the first-fruits of their wheat, which was their principal grain, and they had no bread before this time from the growth of that year.

To wit, of all the rest of the fruits of earth, as of the vines and olives. This was called also the feast of booths, and of Tabernacles. See Levit. 23. 34. Numb. 29. 12. Deut. 16. 13. All their three feasts had a respect to the harvest, which began in the Passeover, was carried on at Pentecost, and was fully compleated and ended in this feast.

Of the common or civil year which began in September, as the sacred year began in March.

17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God .

To wit, such as are of competent years and health and strength, and such as were at their own dispose: for that servants were not bound to this may seem probable, because none of these concerned were to appear before the Lord empty or without an offering, but the generality of servants had not any thing to offer. And the care and management of their domestick affairs did require the presence and care of many of their males.

(i. e.) In that place where God shall record his name, Exod. 20. 24. as the Tabernacle or Temple.

18 Thou shalt not offer the bloud of my sacrifice with leavened bread , neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain untill the morning .

This and the following clause most understand of the Passeover, by comparing this place with its parallel. Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned. But the words being here universal, by the laws of interpretation they ought to be universally understood, if they can bear that sence, which here they may: for both these clauses agree to other sacrifices. For as every sacrifice had a Minchah or a meat-offering of flour attending upon it and offered with it, so it was expresly cautioned, that no leaven should be in that Minchah, Lev. 2. 11. And the fat of every sacrifice was consecrated to God, Lev. 3. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 14, &c. and was presently to be burnt upon the Altar, Lev. 7. 2, 3. And for Exod. 34. 25. what hinders but what is here more generally prescribed, may be there particularly applied to the Passeover? and that seems more reasonable, than to make that an idle repetition of the same thing. And my sacrifice may be here put for my sacrifices, by the common Enallage. Moreover the two principal things which were offered to God in every sacrifice were blood and fat, [illegible: 1+ letters]v. 17. 6, 11, &c.

This if understood of the Passeover may seem superfluous, because nothing of it, neither fat nor lean, was to remain until the morning, Exod. 12. 10. but all of it was to be eaten even the purtenance thereof, ver. 9. and that, for ought I see, without any exception of the fat, as there was in other sacrifices, Lev. 3. 16. And therefore in that parallel place, Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned, there is not a word of the fat, but onely it is said in the general, neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover beleft until the morning. And in that 2 Chron. 35. 14. where there is mention of the fat, it is manifestly restrained to the burnt-offerings, which are there distinguished from the Passeover, ver. 11, 12.

Marginal references: Lev. 2. 11. Deut. 16. 3.; Or, feast.

19 The first of the first-fruits of thy land, thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milk .

This seems to be a general rule extending to all the fruits which the earth first produced in every kind of which the very first are here enjoyned to be offered unto God, before they should presume to eat any of them. It may seem to be repeated here where the year of rest is mentioned, to teach them the first-fruits were to be given to God of all that the earth produced, not onely by their labour and seed, as might be thought from ver. 16. but also of its own accord, as is here implyed.

He names one kind, under which he understands a lamb or a calf, &c. according to the use of Scripture-stile. This law many understand literally, and that it is forbidden to them, because the Idolaters had such a custome; whereof yet there seems to be no sufficient proof: nor, if there were, doth it seem to be a rite of that importance or probability to entice the Israelites to imitate it, that there needed a particular law against this more than against an hundred such ridiculous usages which were among the heathen, and are not taken notice of in the book of Gods laws. The words may be rendred thus, Thou shalt not seethe or rost (for the word bashal signifies to rost as well as to boyl, as it is evident from Deut. 16. 7. a kid being or whilest it is (which is to be understood, there being nothing more common than an Ellipsis of the verb substantive) in his mothers milk: which it may be said to be, either 1. whilest it sucks its mothers milk, and so it may admit of a twofold interpretation, 1. that this is to be understood of the Passeover, of which most conceive he had now spoken, v. 18. in which they used either a lamb or a kid, Exod. 12. 5. and then the word bashal must be rendred rost, 2. that this speaks not of sacrifice to God, wherein sucking creatures were allowed, Exod. 22. 30. Levit. 22. 27. 1 Sam. 7. 9. but of mans use, and so God ordained this partly because this was unwholesome food, and principally to restrain cruelty, even towards brute-creatures, and luxury in the use of them. Or rather 2. whilest it is very tender and young, rather of a milky than of a fleshy substance, like that young kid of which Iuvenal thus speaks, Qui plus lactis habit quàm sanguinis, i. e. which hath more milk than blood in it. And it may be said to be in its mothers milk, by an usual Hypallage, when its mothers milk is in it, i. e. whilest the milk it sucks as it were remains in it undigested and unconverted into flesh, even as a man is oft said to be in the spirit, when indeed the spirit is in him. And what is here indefinitely prohibited, is elsewhere particularly explained and the time defined, to wit, that it be not offered to God before it was eight days old. And this interpretation may receive light and strength from hence, that the law of the first-fruits, which both here and Exod. 34. 26. goes immediately before this law, doth in Exod. 22. 30. immediately go before that law of not offering them before the eighth day, which implies, that both of them speak concerning the same thing, to wit, the first-fruits or first-born of the cattel, which were not to be offered to God, while they were in their mothers milk, saith this place, or till they were 8 days old, saith that place. And consequently, if they might not be offered to God, they might not be used by men for food.

Marginal references: Deut. 14. 21.

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

To wit, Christ, the Angel of the covenant, as may be gathered both from the following words, because pardon of sin, which is Gods prerogative, Mark 2. 7. is here ascribed to him, and Gods name is in him, and by comparing other Scriptures, as Exod. 32. 34. Acts 7. 38, 39. 1 Cor. 10. 9. See Exod. 13. 21. and 14. [illegible: 1+ letters]9.

Marginal references: chap. 33. 2, 14. Num. 20. 16.

21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions : for my Name is in him .

(i. e.) He will severely punish you for them, by a common Meiosis, as Exod. 20. 7. Understand, if you continue obstinate in your sins.

Heb. Is in his inward parts, i. e. is intimately united to him, according to Ioh. 10. 38. I am in the father and the father in me. It not onely signifies, that he acts in his name, and by his power and authority, which even the Apostles did, and other Ministers of the Gospel do, and therefore it is unreasonable to think no more is ascribed to this Angel, but that his divine nature or essence is in him, whence he is called the Lord our righteousness, Ier. 23. 6. and God who will not give his glory to another, Isa. 42. 8. hath given it to Christ, that all men should honour the son even as they honour the father, Ioh. 5. 23. which never was nor can be said of any Angel without blasphemy. Add to this, that the word name is oft put for the thing or being, whether it be humane or divine, as is manifest from Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 20. 1. and 115. 1. Isa. 30. 27. Act. 1. 15. Revel. 3. 4. and 11. 13. And so it must be here, because this name is not said to be given to him, as it would be, if it were properly taken, but to be in him, or, in his inwards, which agrees well to the Divine nature or essence, but not to the meer name.

22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak , then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

All that I have already commanded, and shall further prescribe by him unto Moses.

Marginal references: Gen. 12. 3. Deut. 30. 7. Jer. 30. 20.; Or, I will afflict them that afflict thee.

24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them , Nor do after their works : but thou shalt utterly overthrow them , and quite break down their images .

(i. e.) Give them neither outward worship with thy body, nor inward with thy mind.

(i. e.) Nor follow their example in the worship of Idols.

(i. e.) The people, lest thou be ensnared by their counsel or example.

Or, statues, or pillars, or any thing else erected in honour to their false Gods. See Gen. 28. 18. and 35. 20.

Marginal references: Lev. 18. 3. Deut. 12. 31.; chap. 34. 13. Num. 33. 52. Deut. 7. 5, 35. & 12. 3.

25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God; and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water : and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

(i. e.) Thy meat and thy drink, that they shall be able to nourish thee and gi[illegible: 1+ letters]e thee comfort which without my blessing they will never be able to do.

Marginal references: Deut. 28. 5, 8.; chap. 15. 26. Deut. 7. 15.

26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren in thy land: the number of thy dayes I will fulfill .

Here was a double mercy. God gave them strength both to conceive, and to retain the conception, till the natural and proper time of bringing forth came.

I will preserve thee so as thou shalt live as long as the course of nature and temper of thy body will permit, when evil men shall not live out half their days. Psal. 55. 23.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 14.

27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

(i. e.) A great terrour, or a terrour wrought by me. See Exod. 33. 2. Iosh. 24. 12.

Marginal references: Heb. necks.

28 And I will send Hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee.

Properly so called, as may be gathered from Ios. 24. 12. Deut. 7. 20. Hornets are of themselves very troublesome and mischievous, but these it is very probable were like those Egyptian flies, Exod. 8. 21. of an extraordinary higness and perniciousness. Nor is it strange that such creatures did drive many of these people from their habitations, for many heathen writers give us instances of some people driven from their seats by frogs, others by mice, others by bees and wasps: of which see Herodotus, Diodorus, Plin. Aelian, Iustin, &c.

He names these three people, either for all the rest, because they were the most potent about the time of Israels first entrance into Canaan, and gave them most trouble, or because these three were more infested with Hornets than the other Nations, as being more numerous and dangerous.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate , and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

Void of inhabitants in a great measure, because thy present number is not sufficient to occupy and manage their whole land.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 22.

31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red-sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines , and from the desert unto the river : for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Compare this place with Gen. 15. 18. Numb. 34. 3.

(i. e.) The Mediterranean or Mid-land sea, upon whose coast the land of the Philistines lay.

Of Egypt or Arabia: whereof see Gen. 16. 7. Exod. 15. 22.

To wit, Euphrates, as it is expressed, Deut. 1. 7. and 11. 24. which is oft called the river by way of eminency. All within these bounds were given them by God, but upon conditions, which they manifestly broke, and therefore were for the most part confined to a much narrower compass.

Marginal references: Josh. 1. 4.

32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods :

To worship them; as they made a covenant with Iehovah to worship him. The sence is, Thou shalt not engage thy self either to the people or to their Gods, but shalt root out both.

Marginal references: chap. 34. 15. Deut. 7. 2.

33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Or, for thou wilt serve: this will be the fruit of thy cohabitation with them, thou wilst thereby be drawn to Idolatry.

Or, and assuredly this will.

An occasion of further sin and utter ruine.

Marginal references: chap. 34. 12. Deut. 7. 16. Josh. 23. 13. Judg. 2. 3. 1 Sam. 18. 21. Psal. 106. 36.

Lastly, no one was to violate another’s rights. - Exo 23:1. “Thou shalt not raise (bring out) an empty report.” שׁוא שׁמע, a report that has no foundation, and, as the context shows, does injury to another, charges him with wrongdoing, and involves him in legal proceedings. “Put not thine hand with a wicked man (do not offer him thy hand, or render him assistance), to be a witness of violence.” This clause is unquestionably connected with the preceding one, and implies that raising a false report furnishes the wicked man with a pretext for bringing the man, who is suspected of crime on account of this false report, before a court of law; in consequence of which the originator or propagator of the empty report becomes a witness of injustice and violence.

Exo 23:2-3

Just as little should a man follow a multitude to pervert justice. “Thou shalt not be behind many (follow the multitude) to evil things, nor answer concerning a dispute to incline thyself after many (i.e., thou shalt not give such testimony in connection with any dispute, in which thou takest part with the great majority), so as to pervert” (להטּות), sc., justice. But, on the other hand, “neither shalt thou adorn the poor man in his dispute” (Exo 23:3), i.e., show partiality to the poor or weak man in an unjust cause, out of weak compassion for him. (Compare Lev 19:15, a passage which, notwithstanding the fact that הדר is applied to favour shown to the great or mighty, overthrows Knobel's conjecture, that גּדל should be read for ודל, inasmuch as it prohibits the showing of favour to the one as much as to the other.)

Exo 23:4-5

Not only was their conduct not to be determined by public opinion, the direction taken by the multitude, or by weak compassion for a poor man; but personal antipathy, enmity, and hatred were not to lead them to injustice or churlish behaviour. On the contrary, if the Israelite saw his enemy’s beast straying, he was to bring it back again; and if he saw it lying down under the weight of its burden, he was to help it up again (cf. Deu 22:1-4). The words וגו מעזב וחדלתּ, “cease (desist) to leave it to him (thine enemy); thou shalt loosen it (let it loose) with him,” which have been so variously explained, cannot have any other signification than this: “beware of leaving an ass which has sunk down beneath its burden in a helpless condition, even to thine enemy, to try whether he can help it up alone; rather help him to set it loose from its burden, that it may get up again.” This is evident from Deu 22:4, where התעלּמתּ לא, “withdraw not thyself,” is substituted for מעזב חדלתּ, and עמּו תּקים הקם, “set up with him,” for עמּו תּעזב עזב. From this it is obvious that עזב is used in the first instance in the sense of leaving it alone, leaving it in a helpless condition, and immediately afterwards in the sense of undoing or letting loose. The peculiar turn given to the expression, “thou shalt cease from leaving,” is chosen because the ordinary course, which the natural man adopts, is to leave an enemy to take care of his own affairs, without troubling about either him or his difficulties. Such conduct as this the Israelite was to give up, if he ever found his enemy in need of help.

Exo 23:6-8

The warning against unkindness towards an enemy is followed by still further prohibitions of injustice in questions of right: viz., in Exo 23:6, a warning against perverting the right of the poor in his cause; in Exo 23:7, a general command to keep far away from a false matter, and not to slay the innocent and righteous, i.e., not to be guilty of judicial murder, together with the threat that God would not justify the sinner; and in Exo 23:8, the command not to accept presents, i.e., to be bribed by gifts, because “the gift makes seeing men (פּקחים open eyes) blind, and perverts the causes of the just.” The rendering “words of the righteous” is not correct; for even if we are to understand the expression “seeing men” as referring to judges, the “righteous” can only refer to those who stand at the bar, and have right on their side, which judges who accept of bribes may turn into wrong.

Exo 23:9

The warning against oppressing the foreigner, which is repeated from Exo 22:20, is not tautological, as Bertheau affirms for the purpose of throwing suspicion upon this verse, but refers to the oppression of a stranger in judicial matters by the refusal of justice, or by harsh and unjust treatment in court (Deu 24:17; Deu 27:19). “For ye know the soul (animus, the soul as the seat of feeling) of the stranger,” i.e., ye know from your own experience in Egypt how a foreigner feels.

Exo 23:10-13

Here follow directions respecting the year of rest and day of rest, the first of which lays the foundation for the keeping of the sabbatical and jubilee years, which are afterwards instituted in Lev 25, whilst the latter gives prominence to the element of rest and refreshment involved in the Sabbath, which had been already instituted (Exo 20:9-11), and presses it in favour of beasts of burden, slaves, and foreigners. Neither of these instructions is to be regarded as laying down laws for the feasts; so that they are not to be included among the rights of Israel, which commence at Exo 23:14. On the contrary, as they are separated from these by Exo 23:13, they are to be reckoned as forming part of the laws relating to their mutual obligations one towards another. This is evident from the fact, that in both of them the care of the poor stands in the foreground. From this characteristic and design, which are common to both, we may explain the fact, that there is no allusion to the keeping of a Sabbath unto the Lord, as in Exo 20:10 and Lev 25:2, in connection with either the seventh year or seventh day: all that is mentioned being their sowing and reaping for six years, and working for six days, and then letting the land lie fallow in the seventh year, and their ceasing or resting from labour on the seventh day. “The seventh year thou shalt let (thy land) loose (שׁמט to leave unemployed), and let it lie; and the poor of thy people shall eat (the produce which grows of itself), and their remainder (what they leave) shall the beast of the field eat.” הנּפשׁ: lit., to breathe one’s self, to draw breath, i.e., to refresh one’s self (cf. Exo 31:17; 2Sa 16:14). - With Exo 23:13 the laws relating to the rights of the people, in their relations to one another, are concluded with the formula enforcing their observance, “And in all that I say to you, take heed,” viz., that ye carefully maintain all the rights which I have given you. There is then attached to this, in Exo 23:14, a warning, which forms the transition to the relation of Israel to Jehovah: “Make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.” This forms a very fitting boundary line between the two series of mishpatim, inasmuch as the observance and maintenance of both of them depended upon the attitude in which Israel stood towards Jehovah.

Exo 23:14-16

The Fundamental Rights of Israel in its Religious and Theocratical Relation to Jehovah. - As the observance of the Sabbath and sabbatical year is not instituted in Exo 23:10-12, so Exo 23:14-19 do not contain either the original or earliest appointment of the feasts, or a complete law concerning the yearly feasts. They simply command the observance of three feasts during the year, and the appearance of the people three times in the year before the Lord; that is to say, the holding of three national assemblies to keep a feast before the Lord, or three annual pilgrimages to the sanctuary of Jehovah. The leading points are clearly set forth in Exo 23:14 and Exo 23:17, to which the other verses are subordinate. These leading points are משׁפּטים or rights, conferred upon the people of Israel in their relation to Jehovah; for keeping a feast to the Lord, and appearing before Him, were both of them privileges bestowed by Jehovah upon His covenant people. Even in itself the festal rejoicing was a blessing in the midst of this life of labour, toil, and trouble; but when accompanied with the right of appearing before the Lord their God and Redeemer, to whom they were indebted for everything they had and were, it was one that no other nation enjoyed. For though they had their joyous festivals, these festivals bore the same relation to those of Israel, as the dead and worthless gods of the heathen to the living and almighty God of Israel.

Of the three feasts at which Israel was to appear before Jehovah, the feast of Mazzoth, or unleavened bread, is referred to as already instituted, by the words “as I have commanded thee,” and “at the appointed time of the earing month,” which point back to chs. 12 and 13; and all that is added here is, “ye shall not appear before My face empty.” “Not empty:” i.e., not with empty hands, but with sacrificial gifts, answering to the blessing given by the Lord (Deu 16:16-17). These gifts were devoted partly to the general sacrifices of the feast, and partly to the burnt and peace-offerings which were brought by different individuals to the feasts, and applied to the sacrificial meals (Num 28 and 29). This command, which related to all the feasts, and therefore is mentioned at the very outset in connection with the feast of unleavened bread, did indeed impose a duty upon Israel, but such a duty as became a source of blessing to all who performed it. The gifts demanded by God were the tribute, it is true, which the Israelites paid to their God-King, just as all Eastern nations are required to bring presents when appearing in the presence of their kings; but they were only gifts from God’s own blessing, a portion of that which He had bestowed in rich abundance, and they were offered to God in such a way that the offerer was thereby more and more confirmed in the rights of covenant fellowship. The other two festivals are mentioned here for the first time, and the details are more particularly determined afterwards in Lev 23:15., and Num 28:26. One was called the feast of Harvest, “of the first-fruits of thy labours which thou hast sown in the field,” i.e., of thy field-labour. According to the subsequent arrangements, the first of the field-produce was to be offered to God, not the first grains of the ripe corn, but the first loaves of bread of white or wheaten flour made from the new corn (Lev 23:17.). In Exo 34:22 it is called the “feast of Weeks,” because, according to Lev 23:15-16; Deu 16:9, it was to be kept seven weeks after the feast of Mazzoth; and the “feast of the first-fruits of wheat harvest,” because the loaves of first-fruits to be offered were to be made of wheaten flour. The other of these feasts, i.e., the third in the year, is called “the feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year, in the gathering in of thy labours out of the field.” This general and indefinite allusion to time was quite sufficient for the preliminary institution of the feast. In the more minute directions respecting the feasts given in Lev 23:34; Num 29:12, it is fixed for the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and placed on an equality with the feast of Mazzoth as a seven days’ festival. השּׁנה בּצאת does not mean after the close of the year, finito anno, any more than the corresponding expression in Exo 34:22, השּׁנה תּקוּפת, signifies at the turning of the year. The year referred to here was the so-called civil year, which began with the preparation of the ground for the harvest-sowing, and ended when all the fruits of the field and garden had been gathered in. No particular day was fixed for its commencement, nor was there any new year’s festival; and even after the beginning of the earing month had been fixed upon for the commencement of the year (Exo 12:2), this still remained in force, so far as all civil matters connected with the sowing and harvest were concerned; though there is no evidence that a double reckoning was carried on at the same time, or that a civil reckoning existed side by side with the religious. בּאספּך does not mean, “when thou hast gathered,” postquam collegisti; for בּ does not stand for אחר, nor has the infinitive the force of the preterite. On the contrary, the expression “at thy gathering in,” i.e., when thou gatherest in, is kept indefinite both here and in Lev 23:39, where the month and days in which this feast was to be kept are distinctly pointed out; and also in Deu 16:13, in order that the time for the feast might not be made absolutely dependent upon the complete termination of the gathering in, although as a rule it would be almost over. The gathering in of “thy labours out of the field” is not to be restricted to the vintage and gathering of fruits: this is evident not only from the expression “out of the field,” which points to field-produce, but also from the clause in Deu 16:13, “gathering of the floor and wine-press,” which shows clearly that the words refer to the gathering in of the whole of the year’s produce of corn, fruit, oil, and wine.

Exo 23:17

“Three times in the year” (i.e., according to Exo 23:14 and Deu 16:16, at the three feasts just mentioned) “all thy males shall appear before the face of the Lord Jehovah.” The command to appear, i.e., to make a pilgrimage to the sanctuary, was restricted to the male members of the nation, probably to those above 20 years of age, who had been included in the census (Num 1:3). But this did not prohibit the inclusion of women and boys (cf. 1Sa 1:3., and Luk 2:31.).

The blessing attending their appearing before the Lord was dependent upon the feasts being kept in the proper way, by the observance of the three rules laid down in Exo 23:18 and Exo 23:19. “Thou shalt not offer the blood of My sacrifice upon leavened bread.” על upon, as in Exo 12:8, denoting the basis upon which the sacrifice was offered. The meaning has been correctly given by the early commentators, viz., “as long as there is any leavened bread in your houses,” or “until the leaven has been entirely removed from your houses.” The reference made here to the removal of leaven, and the expression “blood of My sacrifice,” both point to the paschal lamb, which was regarded as the sacrifice of Jehovah κατ̓ ἐξοχήν, on account of its great importance. Onkelos gives this explanation: “My Passover” for “My sacrifice.” - “Neither shall the fat of My feast remain (ילין to pass the night) until the morning.” “The fat of My feast” does not mean the fat of My festal sacrifice, for חג, a feast, is not used for the sacrifice offered at the feast; it signifies rather the best of My feast, i.e., the paschal sacrifice, as we may see from Exo 34:25, where “the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover” is given as the explanation of “the fat of My feast.” As the paschal sacrifice was the sacrifice of Jehovah par excellence, so the feast of the Passover was the feast of Jehovah par excellence. The expression “fat of My feast” is not to be understood as referring at all to the fat of the lamb, which was burned upon the altar in the case of the expiatory and whole offerings; for there could have been no necessity for the injunction not to keep this till the morning, inasmuch as those parts of every sacrifice which were set apart for the altar were burned immediately after the sprinkling of the blood. The allusion is to the flesh of the paschal lamb, which was eaten in the night before daybreak, after which anything that remained was to be burned. עד־בּקר (without the article) till morning, has the same meaning as לבּקר “for the (following) morning” in Exo 34:25.

Exo 23:19

The next command in Exo 23:19 has reference to the feast of Harvest, or feast of Weeks. In “the first-fruits of thy land” there is an unmistakeable allusion to “the first-fruits of thy labours” in Exo 23:16. It is true the words, “the first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God,” are so general in their character, that we can hardly restrict them to the wave-loaves to be offered as first-fruits at the feast of Weeks, but must interpret them as referring to all the first-fruits, which they had already been commanded not to delay to offer (Exo 22:29), and the presentation of which is minutely prescribed in Num 18:12-13, and Deu 26:2-11, - including therefore the sheaf of barley to be offered in the second day of the feast of unleavened bread (Lev 23:9.). At the same time the reference to the feast of Weeks is certainly to be retained, inasmuch as this feast was an express admonition to Israel, to offer the first of the fruits of the Lord. In the expression בּכּוּרי ראשׁית, the latter might be understood as explanatory of the former and in apposition to it, since they are both of them applied to the first-fruits of the soil (vid., Deu 26:2, Deu 26:10, and Num 18:13). But as ראשׁית could hardly need any explanation in this connection, the partitive sense is to be preferred; though it is difficult to decide whether “the first of the first-fruits” signifies the first selection from the fruits that had grown, ripened, and been gathered first-that is to say, not merely of the entire harvest, but of every separate production of the field and soil, according to the rendering of the lxx ἀπαρχηὰς τῶν πρωτογεννημάτων τῆς γῆς, - or whether the word ראשׁית is used figuratively, and signifies the best of the first-fruits. There is no force in the objection offered to the former view, that “in no other case in which the offering of first-fruits generally is spoken of, is one particular portion represented as holy to Jehovah, but the first-fruits themselves are that portion of the entire harvest which was holy to Jehovah.” For, apart from Num 18:12, where a different rendering is sometimes given to ראשׁית, the expression מראשׁית in Deu 26:2 shows unmistakeably that only a portion of the first of all the fruit of the ground had to be offered to the Lord. On the other hand, this view is considerably strengthened by the fact, that whilst בּכּוּר, בּכּוּרים signify those fruits which ripened first, i.e., earliest, ראשׁית is used to denote the ἀπαρχή, the first portion or first selection from the whole, not only in Deu 26:2, Deu 26:10, but also in Lev 23:10, and most probably in Num 18:12 as well. - Now if these directions do not refer either exclusively or specially to the loaves of first-fruits of the feast of Weeks, the opinion which has prevailed from the time of Abarbanel to that of Knobel, that the following command, “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk,” refers to the feast of Ingathering, is deprived of its principal support. And any such allusion is rendered very questionable by the fact, that in Deu 14:21, where this command is repeated, it is appended to the prohibition against eating the flesh of an animal that had been torn to pieces. Very different explanations have been given to the command. In the Targum, Mishnah, etc., it is regarded as a general prohibition against eating flesh prepared with milk. Luther and others suppose it to refer to the cooking of the kid, before it has been weaned from its mother’s milk. But the actual reference is to the cooking of a kid in the milk of its own mother, as indicating a contempt of the relation which God has established and sanctified between parent and young, and thus subverting the divine ordinances. As kids were a very favourite food (Gen 27:9, Gen 27:14; Jdg 6:19; Jdg 13:15; 1Sa 16:20), it is very likely that by way of improving the flavour they were sometimes cooked in milk. According to Aben Ezra and Abarbanel, this was a custom adopted by the Ishmaelites; and at the present day the Arabs are in the habit of cooking lamb in sour milk. A restriction is placed upon this custom in the prohibition before us, but there is no intention to prevent the introduction of a superstitious usage customary at the sacrificial meals of other nations, which Spencer and Knobel have sought to establish as at all events probable, though without any definite historical proofs, and for the most part on the strength of far-fetched analogies.

Relation of Jehovah to Israel. - The declaration of the rights conferred by Jehovah upon His people is closed by promises, through which, on the one hand, God insured to the nation the gifts and benefits involved in their rights, and, on the other hand, sought to promote that willingness and love which were indispensable to the fulfilment of the duties incumbent upon every individual in consequence of the rights conferred upon them. These promises secured to the people not only the protection and help of God during their journey through the desert, and in the conquest of Canaan, but also preservation and prosperity when they had taken possession of the land.

Exo 23:20-27

Jehovah would send an angel before them, who should guard them on the way from injury and destruction, and bring them to the place prepared for them, i.e., to Canaan. The name of Jehovah was in this angel (Exo 23:21), that is to say, Jehovah revealed Himself in him; and hence he is called in Exo 33:15-16, the face of Jehovah, because the essential nature of Jehovah was manifested in him. This angel was not a created spirit, therefore, but the manifestation of Jehovah Himself, who went before them in the pillar of cloud and fire, to guide and to defend them (Exo 13:21). But because it was Jehovah who was guiding His people in the person of the angel, He demanded unconditional obedience (Exo 23:21), and if they provoked Him (תּמּר for תּמר, see Exo 13:18) by disobedience, He would not pardon their transgression; but if they followed Him and hearkened to His voice, He would be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries (Exo 23:22). And when the angel of the Lord had brought them to the Canaanites and exterminated the latter, Israel was still to yield the same obedience, by not serving the gods of the Canaanites, or doing after their works, i.e., by not making any idolatrous images, but destroying them (these works), and smiting to pieces the pillars of their idolatrous worship (מצבת does not mean statues erected as idols, but memorial stones or columns dedicated to idols: see my Comm. on 1Ki 14:23), and serving Jehovah alone. Then would He bless them in the land with bountiful provision, health, fruitfulness, and length of life (Exo 23:23-26). “Bread and water” are named, as being the provisions which are indispensable to the maintenance of life, as in Isa 3:1; Isa 30:20; Isa 33:16. The taking away of “sickness” (cf. Exo 15:26) implied the removal of everything that could endanger life. The absence of anything that miscarried, or was barren, insured the continuance and increase of the nation; and the promise that their days should be fulfilled, i.e., that they should not be liable to a premature death (cf. Isa 65:20), was a pledge of their well-being.

Exo 23:28

In addition to the fear of God, hornets (הצּרעה construed as a generic word with the collective article), a very large species of wasp, that was greatly dreaded both by man and beast on account of the acuteness of its sting, should come and drive out the Canaanites, of whom three tribes are mentioned instar omnium, from before the Israelites. Although it is true that Aelian (hist. anim. 11, 28) relates that the Phaselians, who dwelt near the Solymites, and therefore probably belonged to the Canaanites, were driven out of their country by wasps, and Bochart (Hieroz. iii. pp. 409ff.) has collected together accounts of different tribes that have been frightened away from their possessions by frogs, mice, and other vermin, “the sending of hornets before the Israelites” is hardly to be taken literally, not only because there is not a word in the book of Joshua about the Canaanites being overcome and exterminated in any such way, but chiefly on account of Jos 24:12, where Joshua says that God sent the hornet before them, and drove out the two kings of the Amorites, referring thereby to their defeat and destruction by the Israelites through the miraculous interposition of God, and thus placing the figurative use of the term hornet beyond the possibility of doubt. These hornets, however, which are very aptly described in Wis. 12:8, on the basis of this passage, as προδρόμους, the pioneers of the army of Jehovah, do not denote merely varii generis mala, as Rosenmüller supposes, but acerrimos timoris aculeos, quibus quodammodo volantibus rumoribus pungebantur, ut fugerent (Augustine, quaest. 27 in Jos.). If the fear of God which fell upon the Canaanites threw them into such confusion and helpless despair, that they could not stand before Israel, but turned their backs towards them, the stings of alarm which followed this fear would completely drive them away. Nevertheless God would not drive them away at once, “in one year,” lest the land should become a desert for want of men to cultivate it, and the wild beasts should multiply against Israel; in other words, lest the beasts of prey should gain the upper hand and endanger the lives of man and beast (Lev 26:22; Eze 14:15, Eze 14:21), which actually was the case after the carrying away of the ten tribes (2Ki 17:25-26). He would drive them out by degrees (מעט מעט, only used here and in Deu 7:22), until Israel was sufficiently increased to take possession of the land, i.e., to occupy the whole of the country. This promise was so far fulfilled, according to the books of Joshua and Judges, that after the subjugation of the Canaanites in the south and north of the land, when all the kings who fought against Israel had been smitten and slain and their cities captured, the entire land was divided among the tribes of Israel, in order that they might exterminate the remaining Canaanites, and take possession of those portions of the land that had not yet been conquered (Jos 13:1-7). But the different tribes soon became weary of the task of exterminating the Canaanites, and began to enter into alliance with them, and were led astray by them to the worship of idols; whereupon God punished them by withdrawing His assistance, and they were oppressed and humiliated by the Canaanites because of their apostasy from the Lord (Judg 1 and 2).

Exo 23:31-33

The divine promise closes with a general indication of the boundaries of the land, whose inhabitants Jehovah would give up to the Israelites to drive them out, and with a warning against forming alliances with them and their gods, lest they should lead Israel astray to sin, and thus become a snare to it. On the basis of the promise in Gen 15:18, certain grand and prominent points are mentioned, as constituting the boundaries towards both the east and west. On the west the boundary extended from the Red Sea (see Exo 13:18) to the sea of the Philistines, or Mediterranean Sea, the south-eastern shore of which was inhabited by the Philistines; and on the east from the desert, i.e., according to Deu 11:24, the desert of Arabia, to the river (Euphrates). The poetic suffix מו affixed to גּרשׁתּ answers to the elevated oratorical style. Making a covenant with them and their gods would imply the recognition and toleration of them, and, with the sinful tendencies of Israel, would be inevitably followed by the worship of idols. The first כּי in Exo 23:33 signifies if; the second, imo, verily, and serves as an energetic introduction to the apodosis. מוקשׁ, a snare (vid., Exo 10:7); here a clause of destruction, inasmuch as apostasy from God is invariably followed by punishment (Jdg 2:3).

Judicial Laws. (b. c. 1491.)

1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. 6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. 7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. 8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. 9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Here are, I. Cautions concerning judicial proceedings; it was not enough that they had good laws, better than ever any nation had, but care must be taken for the due administration of justice according to those laws.

1. The witnesses are here cautioned that they neither occasion an innocent man to be indicted, by raising a false report of him and setting common fame against him, nor assist in the prosecution of an innocent man, or one whom they do not know to be guilty, by putting their hand in swearing as witnesses against him, v. 1. Bearing false witness against a man, in a matter that touches his life, has in it all the guilty of lying, perjury, malice, theft, murder, with the additional stains of colouring all with a pretence of justice and involving many others in the same guilt. There is scarcely any one act of wickedness that a man can possibly be guilty of which has in it a greater complication of villanies than this has. Yet the former part of this caution is to be extended, not only to judicial proceedings, but to common conversation; so that slandering and backbiting are a species of falsewitness-bearing. A man's reputation lies as much at the mercy of every company as his estate or life does at the mercy of a judge or jury; so that he who raises, or knowingly spreads, a false report against his neighbour, especially if the report be made to wise and good men whose esteem one would desire to enjoy, sins as much against the laws of truth, justice, and charity, as a false witness does—with this further mischief, that he leaves it not in the power of the person injured to obtain redress. That which we translate, Thou shalt not raise, the margin reads, Thou shalt not receive a false report; for sometimes the receiver, in this case, is as bad as the thief; and a backbiting tongue would not do so much mischief as it does if it were not countenanced. Sometimes we cannot avoid hearing a false report, but we must not receive it, that is, we must not hear it with pleasure and delight as those that rejoice in iniquity, nor give credit to it as long as there remains any cause to question the truth of it. This is charity to our neighbour's good name, and doing as we would be done by.

2. The judges are here cautioned not to pervert judgment. (1.) They must not be overruled, either by might or multitude, to go against their consciences in giving judgment, v. 2. With the Jews causes were tried by a bench of justices, and judgment given according to the majority of votes, in which cause every particular justice must go according to truth, as it appeared to him upon the strictest and most impartial enquiry, though the multitude of the people, and their outcries, or, the sentence of the rabbim (we translate it many), the more ancient and honourable of the justices, went the other way. Therefore (as with us), among the Jews, the junior upon the bench voted first, that he might not be swayed nor overruled by the authority of the senior. Judges must not respect the persons either of the parties or of their fellow-judges. The former part of this verse also gives a general rule for all, as well as judges, not to follow a multitude to do evil. General usage will never excuse us in a bad practice; nor is the broad way ever the better or safer for its being tracked and crowded. We must enquire what we ought to do, not what the majority do; because we must be judged by our Master, not by our fellow-servants, and it is too great a compliment to be willing to go to hell for company. (2.) They must not pervert judgment, no, not in favour of a poor man, v. 3. Right must in all cases take place and wrong must be punished, and justice never biassed nor injury connived at under pretence of charity and compassion. If a poor man be a bad man, and do a bad thing, it is foolish pity to let him fare the better for his poverty, Deut. i. 16, 17. (3.) Neither must they pervert judgment in prejudice to a poor man, nor suffer him to be wronged because he had not wherewithal to right himself; in such cases the judges themselves must become advocates for the poor, as far as their cause was good and honest (v. 6): "Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the poor; remember they are thy poor, bone of thy bone, thy poor neighbours, thy poor brethren; let them not therefore fare the worse for being poor." (4.) They must dread the thoughts of assisting or abetting a bad cause (v. 7): "Keep thyself far from a false matter; do not only keep thyself free from it, nor think it enough to say thou art unconcerned in it, but keep far from it, dread it as a dangerous snare. The innocent and righteous thou wouldest not, for all the world, slay with thy own hands; keep far therefore from a false matter, for thou knowest not but it may end in that, and the righteous God will not leave such wickedness unpunished: I will not justify the wicked," that is, "I will condemn him that unjustly condemns others." Judges themselves are accountable to the great judge. (5.) They must not take bribes, v. 8. They must not only not be swayed by a gift to give an unjust judgment, to condemn the innocent, or acquit the guilty, or adjudge a man's right from him, but they must not so much as take a gift, lest it should have a bad influence upon them, and overrule them, contrary to their intentions; for it has a strange tendency to blind those that otherwise would do well. (6.) They must not oppress a stranger, v. 9. Though aliens might not inherit lands among them, yet they must have justice done them, must peaceably enjoy their own, and be redressed if they were wronged, though they were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel. It is an instance of the equity and goodness of our law, that, if an alien be tried for any crime except treason, the one half of his jury, if he desire it, shall be foreigners; they call it a trial per mediatatem linguae, a kind provision that strangers may not be oppressed. The reason here given is the same with that in ch. xxii. 21, You were strangers, which is here elegantly enforced, You know the heart of a stranger; you know something of the griefs and fears of a stranger by sad experience, and therefore, being delivered, can the more easily put your souls into their souls' stead.

II. Commands concerning neighbourly kindnesses. We must be ready to do all good offices, as there is occasion, for any body, yea even for those that have done us ill offices, v. 4, 5. The command of loving our enemies, and doing good to those that hate us, is not only a new, but an old commandment, Prov. xxv. 21, 22. Infer hence, 1. If we must do this kindness for an enemy, much more for a friend, though an enemy only is mentioned, because it is supposed that a man would not be unneighbourly to any unless such as he had a particular spleen against. 2. If it be wrong not to prevent our enemy's loss and damage, how much worse is it to occasion harm and loss to him, or any thing he has. 3. If we must bring back our neighbours' cattle when they go astray, much more must we endeavour, by prudent admonitions and instructions, to bring back our neighbours themselves, when they go astray in any sinful path, see Jam. v. 19, 20. And, if we must endeavour to help up a fallen ass, much more should we endeavour, by comforts and encouragements, to help up a sinking spirit, saying to those that are of a fearful heart, Be strong. We must seek the relief and welfare of others as our own, Phil. ii. 4. If thou sayest, Behold, we know it not, doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? See Prov. xxiv. 11, 12.

Sacred Feasts. (b. c. 1491.)

10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. 12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. 13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. 14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God . 18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning. 19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Here is, I. The institution of the sabbatical year, v. 10, 11. Every seventh year the land was to rest; they must not plough nor sow it at the beginning of the year, and then they could not expect any great harvest at the end of the year: but what the earth did produce of itself should be eaten from hand to mouth, and not laid up. Now this was designed, 1. To show what a plentiful land that was into which God was bringing them—that so numerous a people could have rich maintenance out of the produce of so small a country, without foreign trade, and yet could spare the increase of every seventh year. 2. To remind them of their dependence upon God their great landlord, and their obligation to use the fruit of their land as he should direct. Thus he would try their obedience in a matter that nearly touched their interest. Afterwards we find that their disobedience to this command was a forfeiture of the promises, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 21. 3. To teach them a confidence in the divine Providence, while they did their duty—that, as the sixth day's manna served for two day's meat, so the sixth year's increase should serve for two years' subsistence. Thus they must learn not to take thought for their life, Matt. vi. 25. If we are prudent and diligent in our affairs, we may trust Providence to furnish us with the bread of the day in its day.

II. The repetition of the law of the fourth commandment concerning the weekly sabbath, v. 12. Even in the year of rest they must not think that the sabbath day was laid in common with the other days, but, even that year, it must be religiously observed; yet thus some have endeavoured to take away the observance of the sabbath, by pretending that every day must be a sabbath day.

III. All manner of respect to the gods of the heathen is here strictly forbidden, v. 13. A general caution is prefixed to this, which has reference to all these precepts: In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect. We are in danger of missing our way on the right hand and on the left, and it is at our peril if we do; therefore we have need to look about us. A man may ruin himself through mere carelessness, but he cannot save himself without great care and circumspection: particularly, since idolatry was a sin which they were much addicted to, and would be greatly tempted to, they must endeavour to blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen, and must disuse and forget all their superstitious forms of speech, and never mention them but with detestation. In Christian schools and academies (for it is in vain to think of reforming the play-houses), it were to be wished that the names and stories of the heathen deities, or demons rather, were not so commonly and familiarly used as they are, even with intimations of respect, and sometimes with forms of invocation. Surely we have not so learned Christ.

IV. Their solemn religious attendance on God in the place which he should choose is here strictly required, v. 14-17. 1. Thrice a year all their males must come together in a holy convocation, that they might the better know and love one another, and keep up their communion as a dignified and peculiar people. 2. They must come together before the Lord (v. 17) to present themselves before him, looking towards the place where his honour dwelt, and to pay their homage to him as their great Lord, from and under whom they held all their enjoyments. 3. They must feast together before the Lord, eating and drinking together, in token of their joy in God and their grateful sense of his goodness to them; for a feast is made for laughter, Eccl. x. 19. O what a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him, who feasts his servants when they are in waiting! Never let religion be called a melancholy thing, when its solemn services are solemn feasts. 4. They must not appear before God empty, v. 15. Some free-will offering or other they must bring, in token of their respect and gratitude to their great benefactor; and, as they were not allowed to come empty-handed, so we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with grace, with pious and devout affections, holy desires towards him, and dedications of ourselves to him, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased. 5. The passover, pentecost, and feast of tabernacles, in spring, summer, and autumn, were the three times appointed for their attendance: not in winter, because travelling was then uncomfortable; not in the midst of their harvest, because then they were otherwise employed; so that they had no reason to say that he made them to serve with an offering, or wearied them with incense.

V. Some particular directions are here given about the three feasts, though not so fully as afterwards. 1. As to the passover, it was not to be offered with leavened bread, for at that feast all leaven was to be cast out, nor was the fat of it to remain until the morning, lest it should become offensive, v. 18. 2. At the feast of pentecost, when they were to begin their harvest, they must bring the first of their first-fruits to God, by the pious presenting of which the whole harvest was sanctified, v. 19. 3. At the feast of ingathering, as it is called (v. 16), they must give God thanks for the harvest-mercies they had received, and must depend upon him for the next harvest, and must not think to receive benefit by that superstitious usage of some of the Gentiles, who, it is said, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its dam's milk, and sprinkled that milk-pottage, in a magical way, upon their gardens and fields, to make them more fruitful next year. But Israel must abhor such foolish customs.

Precepts and Promises. (b. c. 1491.)

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him. 22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 23 For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. 24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil. 27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. 28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. 31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Three gracious promises are here made to Israel, to engage them to their duty and encourage them in it; and each of the promises has some needful precepts and cautions joined to it.

I. It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise: Behold, I send an angel before thee (v. 20), my angel (v. 23), a created angel, say some, a minister of God's providence, employed in conducting and protecting the camp of Israel; that it might appear that God took a particular care of them, he appointed one of his chief servants to make it his business to attend them, and see that they wanted for nothing. Others suppose it to be the Son of God, the angel of the covenant; for the Israelites in the wilderness are said to tempt Christ; and we may as well suppose him God's messenger, and the church's Redeemer, before his incarnation, as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And we may the rather think he was pleased to undertake the deliverance and guidance of Israel because they were typical of his great undertaking. It is promised that this blessed angel should keep them in the way, though it lay through a wilderness first, and afterwards through their enemies' country; thus God's spiritual Israel shall be kept through the wilderness of this earth, and from the insults of the gates of hell. It is also promised that he should bring them into the place which God had not only designed but prepared for them: and thus Christ has prepared a place for his followers, and will preserve them to it, for he is faithful to him that appointed him. The precept joined with this promise is that they be observant of, and obedient to, this angel whom God would send before them (v. 21): "Beware of him, and obey his voice in every thing; provoke him not in any thing, for it is at your peril if you do, he will visit your iniquity." Note, 1. Christ is the author of salvation to those only that obey him. The word of command is Hear you him, Matt. xvii. 5. Observe what he hath commanded, Matt. xxviii. 20. 2. Our necessary dependence upon the divine power and goodness should awe us into obedience. We do well to take heed of provoking our protector and benefactor, because if our defence depart from us, and the streams of his goodness be cut off, we are undone. Therefore, "Beware of him, and carry it towards him with all possible reverence and caution. Fear the Lord, and his goodness." 3. Christ will be faithful to those who are faithful to him, and will espouse their cause who adhere to his: I will be an adversary to thine adversaries, v. 22. The league shall be offensive and defensive, like that with Abraham, I will bless him that blesseth thee, and curse him that curseth thee. Thus is God pleased to twist his interests and friendships with his people's.

II. It is promised that they should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan, which they hoped now (though it proved otherwise) within a few months to be in the possession of, v. 24-26. Observe, 1. How reasonable the conditions of this promise are—only that they should serve their own God, who was indeed the only true God, and not the gods of the nations, which were no gods at all, and which they had no reason at all to have any respect for. They must not only not worship their gods, but they must utterly overthrow them, in token of their great abhorrence of idolatry, their resolution never to worship idols themselves, and their care to prevent any other from worshipping them; as the converted conjurors burnt their books, Acts xix. 19. 2. How rich the particulars of this promise are. (1.) The comfort of their food. He shall bless thy bread and thy water; and God's blessing will make bread and water more refreshing and nourishing than a feast of fat things and wines on the lees without that blessing. (2.) The continuance of their health: "I will take sickness away, either prevent it or remove it. Thy land shall not be visited with epidemical diseases, which are very dreadful, and sometimes have laid countries waste." (3.) The increase of their wealth. Their cattle should not be barren, nor cast their young, which is mentioned as an instance of prosperity, Job xxi. 10. (4.) The prolonging of their lives to old age: "The number of thy days I will fulfil, and they shall not be cut off in the midst by untimely deaths." Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is.

III. It is promised that they should conquer and subdue their enemies, the present occupants of the land of Canaan, who must be driven out to make room for them. This God would do, 1. Effectually by his power (v. 17, 18); not so much by the sword and bow of Israel as by the terrors which he would strike into the Canaanites. Though they were so obstinate as not to be willing to submit to Israel, resign their country, and retire elsewhere, which they might have done, yet they were so dispirited that they were not able to stand before them. This completed their ruin; such power had the devil in them that they would resist, but such power had God over them that they could not. I will send my fear before thee; and those that fear will soon flee. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God make use of for the chastising of his people's enemies, as in the plagues of Egypt. When God pleases, hornets can drive out Canaanites, as well as lions could, Josh. xxiv. 12. 2. He would do it gradually, in wisdom (v. 29, 30), not all at once, but by little and little. As the Canaanites had kept possession till Israel had grown into a people, so there should still be some remains of them till Israel should grow so numerous as to replenish the whole. Note, The wisdom of God is to be observed in the gradual advances of the church's interests. It is in real kindness to the church that its enemies are subdued by little and little; for thus we are kept upon our guard, and in a continual dependence upon God. Corruptions are thus driven out of the hearts of God's people; not all at once, but by little and little; the old man is crucified, and therefore dies slowly. God, in his providence, often delays mercies, because we are not ready for them. Canaan has room enough to receive Israel, but Israel is not numerous enough to occupy Canaan. We are not straitened in God; if we are straitened, it is in ourselves. The land of Canaan is promised them (v. 31) in its utmost extent, which yet they were not possessed of till the days of David; and by their sins they soon lost possession. The precept annexed to this promise is that they should not make any friendship, nor have any familiarity, with idolaters, v. 32, 33. Idolaters must not so much as sojourn in their land, unless they renounced their idolatry. Thus they must avoid the reproach of intimacy with the worshippers of false gods and the danger of being drawn to worship with them. By familiar converse with idolaters, their dread and detestation of the sin would wear off; they would think it no harm, in compliment to their friends, to pay some respect to their gods, and so by degrees would be drawn into the fatal snare. Note, Those that would be kept from bad courses must keep from bad company; it is dangerous living in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares, if we look not well to ourselves. We must always look upon our greatest danger to be from those that would cause us to sin against God. Whatever friendship is pretended, that is really our worst enemy that draws us from our duty.

CHAP. XXIII.

THou shalt not take up a vaine report: put not thy hand with the wicked, to bee an unrighteous witnesse. Thou shalt not be after many, to evill things: neither shalt thou answer in a controversie, to decline after many, to wrest (judgement.) And a poore man shalt thou not countenance in his controversie. When thou shalt meet thine enemies oxe or his asse going astray, thou shalt returning returne it unto him. When thou shalt see thine haters asse lying under his burden, and wouldest forbeare to helpe him up, thou shalt helping helpe up with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgement of thy poore in his controversie. From a word of falshood thou shalt bee farre: and the innocent and just slay thou not; for I will not justifie the wicked. And gift thou shalt take none; for the gift will blinde the open-eyed, and will pervert the words of the just. And thou shalt not oppresse a stranger: for yee know the soule of a stranger, because yee were strangers in the land of Egypt. And sixe yeeres thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the revenue thereof. But the seventh thou shalt let it rest, and let it lie still, that the poore of thy people may eat; and what they leave, the beast of the field shall eat. So shalt thou doe to thy vineyard, and to thy olive-yard. Sixe daies thou shalt doe thy workes, and in the seventh day thou shalt cease, that thine oxe and thine asse may rest, and the sonne of thy bond-woman, and the stranger may be refreshed. And in all that I have said unto you, ye shall be warie: and the name of other gods ye shall not mention; it shall not bee heard out of thy mouth. Three times thou shalt keepe a feast unto me in the yeere. The feast of unlevened cakes shalt thou keepe: seven daies shalt thou eat unlevened cakes, as I have commanded thee, at the appointed time of the moneth of Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and they shall not appeare before me empty. And the feast of harvest, of the first-fruits of thy labours, which thou shalt sow in the field: and the feast of ingathering, in the going out of the yeere, when thou gatherest in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the yeere every male of thee shall appeare before the face of the Lord Iehovah. Thou shalt not sacrifice the blood of my sacrifice with levened bread, neither shall the fat of my feast remaine untill the morning. The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of Iehovah thy God. Thou shalt not seeth a kid in his mothers milke. Behold, I doe send an Angell before thee, to keepe thee in thy way, and to bring thee unto the place which I have prepared. Beware thou because of him, and obey his voice; provoke him not: for hee will not pardon your trespasse, for my name is in him. But if obeying thou shalt obey his voice, and doe all that I shall speak, then I will bee enemie unto thine enemies, and I will distresse thy distressers. For my Angell shall goe before thee, and shall bring thee in unto the Amorite, and the Chethite, and the Pherizzite, and the Canaanite, the Evite and the Iebusite: and I will cut them off. Thou shalt not bow thy selfe downe to their gods, nor serve them, not doe according to their works: but destroying thou shalt destroy them, and breaking shalt breake downe their pillars. And yee shall serve Iehovah your God, and hee will blesse thy bread, and thy water: and I will take away sicknesse from the midst of thee. There shal not be any casting their young, or barren in thy land: the number of thy dayes I will fulfill. My terrour I will send before thee, and will dismay every people among whom thou shalt come, and will give all thy enemies (to turne) the necke unto thee. And I will send hornets before thee: and they shal drive out the Evite, the Canaanite, and the Chethite, from before thee. I will not drive them out from before thee in one yeere, lest the land bee desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, untill thou shalt fructifie, and inherite the land. And I will set thy bound, from the red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the wildernesse unto the river: for I will give into your hand the inhabitants of the land, and thou shalt drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt not strike a covenant with them, or with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sinne against mee: if thou shalt serve their gods, surely it will be a snare unto thee.

Annotations. NOt take up] that is, neither receive (as the Greek and Chaldee translate) it of others, nor speake of it unto others: as taking up, in Exod. 20. 7. is for speaking or using any way. Both these are unlawfull, 1 Sam. 24. 10. Levit. 19. 16. a vaine report] or, a false rumor: Hebrew, an hearing of vanitie: which the Greeke translateth, vaine hearing. Uanitie and falsity, are used one for another, as is shewed on Exod. 20. 16. and the Chaldee here expoundeth i[illegible: 1 letter], falshood. Hearing (or hearesay) is used for report, tale, or rumor; whether in matters of religion, as Esay 53. 1. Rom. 10. 16. or in civill affaires, 1 Sam. 2. 24. 1 King. 2. 28. 2 Chron. 9. 6. And that which one Euangelist calleth Acoee, Hearing, Mar. 1. 28. another nameth Echos, fame or rumor, Luke 4. 37. put not thy hand] the Greeke translateth consent not. unrighteous] so the Greeke also is; the Chaldee saith, a false witnesse: the Heb. phrase is, a witnesse of unrighteousnesse, (or, of cruell wrong.) Of such David complained, Psalm. 35. 11. and the Law appointeth such punishment for them, as they intend against their neighbour, Deuternom. 19. 16. 19. Vers. 2. after many] or, after the great men, that is, to follow and consent unto them in evill: the Gr. saith, with many. So in the sentence following. answer] that is, speake in a cause, (or plea) The Chaldee paraphraseth, neither shalt thou refraine from teaching that which thou seest (meet) in judgement. to wrest] or, to pervert, namely, judgment (as the Greeke addeth, and) as is expressed in v. 6. The Chaldee saith, after the many, accomplish the judgement. So other Hebrewes expound it, saying When the Iudges are divided, some of them saying Guiltlesse, others saying Guiltie; they goe after the most part. So as it be in money matters, and other cases of prohibition and permission, of pronouncing unclean or cleane, and the like. But in cases of life and death, if they be divided, and the most part cleere a man, hee is cleered; and if the most condemne him, he is not killed, unlesse they that condemne him bee moe than they that cleere him by two men. Maimony in Sanhedrin. chap. 8 sect. 1. Vers. 3. not countenance] or, not honor, which the Greeke and Chaldee translate, not pity in judgment. The like is spoken of the rich, in Leviticus 19. 15. Thou shalt not countenance the face of the great man. It teacheth to doe right in all causes, without respect of poore or rich. Vers. 4. asse] and so any other beast, or garment, or lost thing, as Moses after explaineth, Deut. 22. 1. 2. 3. God hereby teaching every man, not to looke on his owne things onely, but also on the things of other men, Phil. 2. 4. and to love and doe good unto his enemie, Luke 6. 27. returning returne] that is, in any case returne and restore him: if the owner be not neere, or not knowne, it is to bee kept till inquirie be made after it, Deut. 22. 2. Also the Hebrew Doctors say, Who so findeth a lost thing, which he is bound to restore, he is bound to cry the same, and to make it knowne and say, Who so hath lost such a kind of thing, let him come and give the signes of it, and he shall receive it, &c. Maimony, in treat. of Robberie, and of losse, ch. 13. sect. 1. Vers. 5. his burden] or, falne by any other occasion; and this Law concerneth all other beasts, as well as the Asse: see Deut. 22. 4. and wouldest forbeare to helpe him up] or, then thou shalt cease from forsaking him, that is, shalt cease and leave off all ill will, and looke that thou forsake him not. The Greeke translateth, thou shalt not passe by the same. helping helpeup] that is, in any wise helpe up. Or, thou shalt leaving leave (thy owne businesse to be) with him. But the former translation seemeth most fit: for so the Greeke version saith, thou shalt not passe by the same, but shalt raise up the same together with him. And so Moses repeating this Law explaineth it, in Deut. 22. 4. thou shalt raising raise up with him. Likewise this Hebrew word Azab, which commonly signifieth to Leave, or Forsake, hath (as some other words) a contrary signification; to Fortifie, repaire, or helpe up with a thing, as Nehem. 3. 8. and 4. 2. The Chaldee joyneth both senses thus; leaving thou shalt leave that which is in thy heart against him, and shalt helpe up with him. Vers. 6. of thy poore] that is, thy poore neighbor: implying also the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow: whose judgement they that wrest (or turne aside) are cursed, Deut. 27. 19. Vers. 7. word of falshood] that is, false word, or false matter. The Chaldee saith, idle words: the Greek every unjust word. From hence the Iewes have a rule: A Iudge that knoweth of his fellow, that he is a violent extortioner, or a wicked man, it is unlawfull to be joyned in society with him, as it is written, FROM A WORD OF FALSHOOD, THOV SHALT BE FARRE. And so they in Ierusalem that had a cleere conscience were wont to doe: they sate not in judgement, untill they knew with whom they should sit, nor sealed any writing untill they knew who should seale it with them, &c. Maimony in Sanhedr. c. 22. sect. 10. not justifie] but will condemne the wicked, though he be the Iudge himselfe. See Rom. 2. 1. 2. 3. So, not to hold guiltlesse. Exod. 20. 7. meaneth, to damne and punish as guiltie. This which is spoken of God: is also an example for us: therefore the Greeke changeth the person, and saith; and thou shalt not justifie the wicked, for gifts sake. Vers. 8. gift] or bribe; for fire shall consume the Tabernacles of bribery, Iob 15. 34. And the Iew Doctors explaine it thus: Thou shalt take no gift, and I need not say, for to pervert judgement: but although it be to acquit the innocent, or to condemne the guilty, it is unlawfull, and a transgression: for loe it is a generall rule, Cursed is he that taketh a gift. And hee is bound to restore againe the gift, &c. And whatsoever Iudge taketh his reward for judging, his judgments are frustrate. Maimony in Sanhedrin, ch. 23. sect. 1. 5. take none] neither give any, Act. 24. 27. So also the Hebrew Doctors teach from that Law, Thou shalt not put a stumbling blocke before the blind, Levit. 19. 14. Moreover they say, Whatsoever Iudge giveth a bribe, to get an office, it is unlawfull to stand before him (in judgement.) And our wisemen have commanded to set him at nought, and to despise him, Maimony in Sanhedrin, ch. 3. S. 9. open-eyed] the Greeke translateth, the eyes of those that see: and the Chaldee, the eyes of the wise; which words Moses also useth, in Deut. 16. 19. And Solomon saith, a gift destroyeth the heart, Eccles. 7. 7. but he that hateth gifts shall live, Prov. 15. 27. will pervert] example in Samuels sonnes, who tooke bribes, and perverted judgement, 1 Sam. 8. 3. For a gift, whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth, Prov. 17. 8. and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, Prov. 19. 6. Such therefore as receive them are counted wicked and companions of theeves, Proverbs 17. 23. Esay 1. 23. Vers. 9. the soule] that is, the affection or heart. See the like precept in Exod. 22. 21. Deut. 10. 19. Vers. 10. thy land] the land of Canaan, which God would give to Israel, Levit. 25. 2. Neither did the Iewes hold themselves bound to keepe this Law in other countries, Maimony treat. of Intermission and Iubilee, ch. 4. S. 25. Vers. 11. the seventh] every seventh yeere: which was to bee a Sabbath yeere; as every seventh day was a Sabbath day: therefore repeating this Law, he calleth it a Sabbath of sabbatisme (or of rest) to the land, a Sabbath to Iehovah, Levit. 25. 4. As the Sabbath day signified that they themselves were the Lords, and therefore they ceased from their owne works, to doe the Lords: so the Sabbath yeere was to signifie, that both they and their land was the Lords, Levit. 25. 23. let it rest] or, intermit it, let it be free from manuring: as the Gr. translateth, make a remission. They might neither sow their fields, nor prune their vineyards, nor reape the corne, nor gather the vintage, &c. Lev. 25. 4. 5. The Hebrew canons explaine it thus, that they might neither dig nor plough the ground, nor gather out the stones, nor dung it; neither graffe nor plant any trees save such as bare no fruit; nor cut off the knobs of trees, nor brush off the leaves, or withered boughes, nor binde up the branches, nor make a smoke to kill: he wermes, nor any the like thing pertaining to husbandry. Maimony, treat. of the Intermission and Iubilee, ch. 1. If any said, What shall wee eat the seventh yeere? behold, wee may not sewe nor gather in our revenue. The Lord promised, I will command my blessing upon you in the sixt yeere, and it shall bring forth fruit for three yeeres, Levit. 25. 20. 21. God would by this Sabbath yeere, call his people from worldly [illegible: 1 span]es, to depend upon his providence in faith, M[illegible: 1 span]. 6. 31. 1 Cor. 7. 29. 30. 31. 32. and to exercise themselves in holy things, as the learning of his Law, which this yeere was to be read in the audience of all the people, Denter 31. 10. 11. 12. Nehe. 8. and that they should not pollute his land by their owne unlawfull workes, but walke holily upon it: otherwise, the land should spuethem out, and enjoy her Sabbaths, when it lay desolate and void of such evill inhabitants, Levit. 18. 24. 25. 28. and 26. 34. 35. 43. 2 Chron. 36. 21. that the poore] or, and the poore of thy people shall eat; to wit, as well as the owners and their servants, Lev. 25. 6. may eat] to wit, that which groweth of it owne accord in the seventh yeere, Levit. 25. 5. 6. By the Hebrew records, it is shewed, that Whosoever looked up his vineyard, or hedged in his field in the seventh yeere, brake the commandement. Likewise if he gathered any of his fruits into his house: but he was to let all be common, and every mans hand equall in every place. Hee might bring into his house a little, after the manner of those that brought in common goods. Moreover, concerning the fruits of the seventh yeere, Whatsoever was properly mans meat, as wheat, figs, grapes, and the like, they might not make of them medicines, plaisters, &c. Though for mans use, because it is said, TO YOV FOR MEAT, (Lev. 25. 6.) and not for medicine. Neither might they make merchandise of the fruits of the seventh yeere; but if they would sell a little thereof they might, and buy other meet with the price; and both the fruits which were sold, and the price were holy. And they might not bee sold by measure, by weight, or by tale, (lest they should seeme to make merchandise of the fruits of the seventh yeere,) but as other things that were free and common. Maimony, in the foresaid treatise, ch. 4. sect. 24. and ch. 5. Sect. 11. and ch. 6. Sect. 1. 3. they leave] as not being mans meate, it should be common for beasts, birds, &c. Therefore they might not burne the straw or stubble of the seventh yeere, for that it was meet for the beasts to eate, saith Maimony in the same place, ch. 5. S. 19. olive yard] or olive tree. And consequently all other trees, and fruits of like use. This holy yeere of rest figured the rest which the Church should enioy under Christ in her sanctification, and communion of heavenly blessings: and so had an end in him, with other rudiments of the Law, Esay 61. 2. Coloss. 2. 16. 17. Galat. 4. 10. 11. Heb. 4. 9. 10. 11. Vers. 12. cease] or rest, or keepe Sabbath: see Exodus 20. 8. &c. refreshed] or, take breath: the Chaldee expoundeth it, may rest. See the Iewes canons for these, on Exod. 20. 10. Vers. 13. shall be warie] or take heed to your selves that ye transgresse not. other gods] the Chaldee calleth them, idols of the peoples. So in Zacha. 13. 2. God saith he will cut off the names of the idols out of the land; and in Hosea 2. 17. that hee will take away the names of Baalim out of their mouthes; and David would not take up the names of such upon his lips, Psal. 16. 4. and so the Israelites practised, in changing the names of idolatrous places, Numb. 32. 38. See also Iosuah 23. 7. By the Hebrew canons it was decreed from this Law; Who so maketh a vow in the name of an idoll, or that sweareth by it, is to bee beaten, whether be sweareth thereby for himselfe, or for an infidell. And it is forbidden to make an infidell sweare by his God; or to mention the name thereof, though not by way of oath. Maimony, treat. of Idolatrie, ch. 5. S. 10. out of] or, upon thy mouth, or, in[illegible: 1 span]: but the Greeke translateth it, out of. Vers. 14. times] Hebr. feet: meaning three journeyes which they should goe on foot every g[illegible: 2 letters]re, to the place of Gods publike worship. The Greeke and Chaldee translate, times. Vers. 15. Abib] which we call March; the Gr. the moneth of now fruits: the first moneth unto Israel, because of their comming out of Egypt therin. This first feast was adjoyned to the Passeover: of it, with the rites and signification, see the notes on Exodus 12. and 13. and Numbers 28. 17. 18. &c. It was for a continuall remembrance of their comming out of Egypt, Deut. 16. 3. and an expectation of their better redemption and sanctification by Christ which was to come: in whom wee spiritually keepe this feast, 1 Cor. 5. 7. 8. they shall not appeare] that is, the males of Israel, ver. 17. Deut. 16. 16. The Greeke translateth it as before, thou shalt not; the Chaldee, ye shall not appeare empty that is, without some gift or oblation to the Lord; as 1 Sam. 6. 3. Deut. 15. 13. 14. The Hebrew Doctors observe, that there were three things commanded unto Israel at every of the three feasts; namely, Appearing, as it is said, All thy males shall appeare, Exod. 23. 17. And Feasting, as it is said, Thou shalt keepe a feast unto the Lord thy God, Deut. 16. 15. And Rejoycing, as it is said, Thou shalt rejoyce in thy feast, Deuteronom. 16. 14. The appearing spoken of in the Law, is, that his face should be seene in the Court (of the Sanctuary) in the first Good day of the feast. And hee must bring with him a burnt-offring, either of fowle, or of beast: and who so commeth into the court in the first day, and bringeth not a burnt-offring, doth not onely omit a thing commanded, but transgresseth also a prohibition; as it is said, They shall not appeare before mee empty, Exod. 23. 15. The Feast spoken of in the Law, is, that hee offer Peace-offrings in the first good day of the Feast, when hee commeth to appeare: and it is a knowne thing, that no peace-offrings are brought, but of beasts. And the Rejoycing spoken of at the Feasts, is, that he offer Peace-offrings more than the peace-offrings of the Feast: and these are called the Peace-offrings of the rejoycing of the Feast; as it is said, Thou shalt slay Peace-offrings, and shalt eat there, and rejoyce before the Lord thy God, Deuteronomy 27. 7. Who so commeth into the Court in the other dayes of the Feast, is not bound to bring a burnt-offring in his hand, every time that he assembleth: for that which is said, They shall not appeare before me empty, is not but for the root (or beginning) of the Feast onely, which is the first day, or in recompence for the first. But if he bring every time that he commeth, they receive it of him, and offer it in the name of a Burnt-offring for Appearing: for this appearing hath no stinted measure. Maimony in Chagigah, Chap. 1. Sect. 1. and Chap. 2. Sect. 6. See more in the annotations on Deut. 16. Vers. 16. of harvest] called also, the feast of weekes, (or, of sevens,) Exodus 34. 22. because it was seven [illegible: 2 words] after the former feast, upon the fiftieth day following, called thereupon Penteast, Levi[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ 2[illegible: 1 letter]. 15. 16. [illegible: 1 word]. 16. 9 [illegible: 1 word]. Acts 2. 1. First fruits] whereof in signe of homage and thankfulnesse to God, he man was to bring a tribute, of a free offring of his [illegible: 1 word], and give unto the Lord as he had blessed him, Deut. 16. [illegible: 1 letter]0. 12. At the time of this [illegible: 1 word] the [illegible: 1 word] ▪ had also beene given at mount Sinai, Exo [illegible: 4 letters] [illegible: 1 letter]9. and at the same feast Christ gave the fiery Law of [illegible: 1 word] Spirit, in Ierusalem, Acts 2. of ingathering] to wit, of the fruits of the land. This feast was at the revolution (or end) of the yeere, Exodus 34. 22. namely, in the seventh moneth, (which we call September; the Hebrewes called it Ethanim, (1 King. 8. 2.) in the fifteenth day of this seventh moneth it began, and lasted seven dayes; and was called also the feast of Boothes (or of Tabern[illegible: 1 letter]cles) Levit. 23. 34. Deuteronomy 16. 13.—16. See the annotations there. Vers. 17. every male] to wit, which were freemen, perfect males, and in health, able to goe unto the place of publike worship; which in the ages following was onely at Ierusalem, Deuter. 12. 5. 6. and 1[illegible: 1 letter]. 6. 1 King. 14. 21. The Iewes explaine it thus: Women and servants are not bound to appeare: but all men are bound except the deafe, and the dumbe, and the foole, and the little child, and the blinde, and the lame, and the defiled, and the uncircumcised, and the old man, and the sicke, and the tender and weake, which are not able to goe up on their feet. All these eleven are discharged, but all other men are bound to appeare. Such as are of neither sex, and that are of both sexes, male and female, are also discharged; and likewise they that are partly bond and partly free men. Every child that can hold his father by the hand, and goe up from Ierusalem (gates) to the mount of the Temple, his father is bound to cause him to goe up and appeare with him, that he may catechize (or traine him up) in the Commandements. Maimony in Chagigah, Chapt. 2. Section 1. 3. In repeating this Law God annexeth a promise, for the safety of the land from enemies, Exod. 31. 23. 24. that promise the Greeke version inserteth also here. the Lord Iehovah] the Hebrew Adon, which we English Lord, properly signifieth a Base, stay, or sustainer, as is noted on Gen. 15. 2. the Chaldee translateth it, Lord (or Master) of the world. The other name Iehovah, denoteth Gods Essence or Being; whereof see Gen. 2 4. The Greeke here translateth, the Lordthy God. Vers. 18. sacrifice] no[illegible: 1 letter] slay for sacrifice; as in repeating this Law is said, Exod. 34. 25. of my sacrifice] that is, of my Passeover, as the Chaldee translateth it, and Moses in Exod. 34. 25. sheweth the Passeover to be mean[illegible: 1 letter]. with levened bread] that is, having any levened bread in thy house, or power, but shalt purge out the leven before: as was commanded, Exod. 12. 15 &c. see the annotations there. Whether it be he that slayeth, or he that sprinkleth the blood, or he that burneth the fat: if any leven be in the power of any of these▪ or in the power of any of the company that eate the Passeover, in the houre of the offring of it, he transgresseth; as Maimony sheweth in [illegible: 1 word]. of the Passeover▪ chap. 1. Sect. 5. the fat of [illegible: 1 word]] which the Chaldee expoundeth, of the sacrifice of the feast; and for this, in Exodus 34. 25. is written, the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover. Compare this with the Law foregiven, in Exod. 12. 10. The fat of the Passeover, as of other sacrifices, was the Lords, to be burnt upon his Altar; see Levit. 3. 14. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 12. 13. 14. this might not be left unburnt till the morning; for so it became polluted▪ remaine] or be left all night. Vers. 19. The first] or, The first fruit, the beginning: see the notes on Exod. 22. 29. where seven things paid first-fruits. thy land] so this concerned onely the land of Israel, and such as were owners of land there. Whereupon the Hebrew Doctors say, He that buyeth a tree in his neighbours field, he bringeth not the first-fruits, because the ground is not his owne: but he that buyeth tree and ground, bringeth the first-fruits thereof. And so the like. M[illegible: 1 span] mony, treat. of First-fruits, Chap. 2. Sect. 13. the house] the tabernacle, (for that was called the house, 1 Chron. 9. 23.) or the Temple. The rites and words to bee used in the bringing of them, are shewed in Deuteronomy 26. 1. 2.—11. But from this Law the Iewes have a canon: He that separateth his first-fruits, (for the Lord), and they rot, or be lost, or stollen, or polluted, hee is bound to separate other in their stead; for it is said, THOV SHALT BRING (them) INTO THE HOVSE OF IEHOVAN THY GOD; to teach that hee is bound for other after them, till he bring them to the mount of the house of God. Maimony in First-fruits, Chap. 2. Sect. 20. not seeth a kid, &c.] This law is twice after repeated in the same words, Exod. 34. 26. Deuteron. 14. 21. For a kid, the Greeke translateth generally, a lam[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ The Chaldee paraphrast omitteth the name of a kid, and more generally translateth, Thou shalt not eate flesh with milke. So the Ierusalemy Thargum on Exod. 34. 26. expoundeth it; My people the house of Israel, it is not lawfull for you either to seeth or to eat flesh and milke mixed together. This sense the Thalmudists follow, gathering, if it be unlawful to seeth them together, much more to eate them. And understand it of the flesh and milk of all cleane beasts. Flesh with milke, it is unlawfull to seeth it, and unl[illegible: 2 letters] full to eate it by the Law: it is unlawfull also to make profit of it, but it is to be buried. Whoso boyleth ought of them two together, offendeth; as it is written, THOV SHALT NOT SEETH A KID IN HIS MOTHERS MILKE. So hee that eateth ought of these two, of flesh and milke sodden together, offendeth though he boyle it not, &c. Masmony, treat. of Forbidd[illegible: 2 letters] meats, Chap. 9. Sect. 1. Others understand it, of seething it while it is very young, as in the mothers milke, that is, untill it bee seven dayes old; according to the law before, in Exodus 22. 30. and after, Levit. 22. 27. But the phrase may also imply, during the time that it sucketh the mothers milke; as a milke lambe, 1 Sam. 7. 9. is a sucking lambe. The intendment of this law, seemeth to bee either against cruelty, according to another prohibition of taking the damme with the young, Deut. 22. 6. 7. or against mixtures of meats; as elsewhere God forbiddeth mixtures in garments, in sowing of fields, and the like, Levit. 19. 19. Vers. 20. an Angell] this is Christ, whom the Israelites are said to have tempted in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10. 9. See the notes on Exod. 14. 19. R. Me [illegible: 2 letters]chem upon this place, teacheth from ancient R[illegible: 1 letter]bbins, that the word I (send) signifieth the propertie of mercies, and this Angell is the Angell the Redeemer, (Gen 48. 16.) Also, The holy blessed God said unto Moses, He that did keepe the Father, (viz. Abraham, Isaac and Iakob,) shall keepe the children. before thee] or, before thy face, as the Greeke translateth. the place] the land (saith the Greek) which I have prepared for thee. A figure of that whither Christ is gone to prepare a place for us, Iohn 14. 2. Vers. 21. because of him] or, of his face, or presence. The Greeke translateth, take heed unto him▪ provoke] or, rebell not against him: the Greeke translateth, disobey him not. The Hebrew Doctors make the reason of the charge to bee this, Because his voice is the voice of the living God: R Menachem, on Exod. 23. in him] or, in the middest of him. Christ is the brightnesse of the glorie, and the expresse Image of Gods Person, Heb. 1. 3. and God was in him, 2 Cor. 5. 19. and he in the Father, Iohn 10. 38. and his name is Iehovah our Iustice, Ier. 23. 6. The Chaldee translateth, his word is (that is, hee speaketh) in my name. And Gods Name, may imply his Law or doctrine to bee in him: for so the Law of Christ (Esa. 42. 4.) is expounded his Name, Matt. 12-21. Ver. 23. before thee] as a leader of thee, saith the Greeke version. And here the Hebrew Malachi, My Angell, some of the Rabbines say, is Michael, by transposition of letters. the Amorite] that is, the land of the Amorites, &c. See Gen. 15. 18. 21. Ver. 24. gods] called in the Chaldee, idols. their workes] that is, the workes of the Heathen peoples. This Law is explained in Levit. 18. 3. pillars] or, standing images, statues. Vnder these all other monuments of idolatry are comprehended: as Deuter. 12. 2. 3. Of this the Hebrew canons say, Wee are commanded to destroy idolatry, and the services thereof, and whatsoever is made for the same, Deuteronomy 12. And in the land of Israel we are commanded to persecute it untill it be destroyed out of all our land: but without the land wee are not commanded to persecute it: but every place which wee shall subdue, we are to destroy all the idolatry that is therein. Maimony in Misn. treat. of Idolatry, c. 7. S. 1. Vers. 25. thy bread, &c.] hereby the coursest fare may be meant, which by Gods blessing nourisheth, as in Daniel 1. 12. 15. Or, these are named for all food, as the Chaldee translateth it, thy meat and thy drinke: and the Greeke addeth, thy bread, and thy wine, and thy water. sicknesse] in Chaldee, evill sicknesses. Compare Exod. 15. 26. Deut. 7. 15. Vers. 26. casting] or, miscarrying: the Greeke translateth, without seed. See a like promise in Deut. 7. 14. thy dayes] which by the course of nature thou shouldest live. So Iob dyed being old and full of dayes, Iob 42. 17. whereas the wicked live not out halfe their dayes, Psal. 55. 24. Vers. 27. dismay] with tumult and trouble; as God did before in Exod. 14. 24. So in Deut. 7. 23. Ios. 10. 10. The Greeke translateth, I will astonish all nations. shalt come] to warre against them: as the Chaldee addeth. to turne] this is added by the Chaldee for explanation. And by turning the neeke (or backe) is meant their flight; as the Greek translateth, I will give (that is, make) them fugitives. So David praised God that had given him the neck of his enemies: that is, made them flee, Psal. 18. 41. Vers. 28. hornets] Hebr. the hornet, a kinde of great waspe, which stingeth venomously, threatned against the Canaanites here, and in Deuter. 7. 20. and shewed to be accomplished in Ios. 24. 12. These signified the stinging terrours wherewith God striketh the hearts of his enemies. the Evite] that is, the whole nation of them, as the Greek saith, the Amorites, and the Evites, &c. These were the posterity of Canaan, of whom see Genesis, 10. 6. 7. V. 30. fructifie] that is, be increased or growne. Vers. 31. the river] which the Greek explaineth, the great river Euphrates: and Moses elsewhere so nameth it, Deuter. 11. 24. Gen. 15. 18. See these bounds in Numb. 34. the accomplishment of this promise in part, fulfilled in Solomons time, 1 Kin. 4. 21. thou shalt drive] the Greeke translateth, I will drive. Vers. 32. with them] the inhabitants of the land, Exodus 34. 12. 15. Deuter. 7. 1. 2 &c. gods] in Chaldee, idols. Vers. 33. if thou shalt] or, it may bee translated, for thou wilt serve, as came to passe, Iudg. 1. 21. 27. 29. and 2. 1. 2. 3. 12. &c. The Greeke translateth, for if thou shalt serve their gods: the Chaldee, and thou shalt not serve their idolls. surely] or, for it will be a snare; that is, a cause of thy fall and ruine: a scandall unto thee. See this fulfilled, Iudg. 2. Psal. 106. 34. 35. 36. Numb. 25. 1. 2. Compare also Deut. 7. 16. 25. A snare, is used to signifie the deceit whereby men fall into sinne, Deut. 12. 30. Ier. 5. 26. Prov. 13. 14. 27. and so the destruction that followeth thereupon, Prov. 12. 13. Esay 8. 15. and 28. 13. Eccles. 9. 12.