Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 5 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
1 Moses setting himselfe to explaine Gods commandements, exhorteth Israel unto obedience. 4 He beginneth with the first and great commandement, the love of the Lord, 6 and of his Law in their heart, 7 and of teaching it to their children, 8 and professing it by outward signes. 10 He warneth them that they forsake not God by prosperitie, 16 nor by adversitie; 17 but to keepe his Law, for their good, 20 and to endevour the continuance and propagation of his religion among their posteritie.
ANd this is the Commandement, the Statutes and the Iudgements, which Iehovah your God commanded to teach you, to doe in the Land, whither yee passe over to possesse it. That thou maiest feare Iehovah thy God, to keepe all his statutes and his commandements, which I command thee; thou, and thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne, all the dayes of thy life; and that thy dayes may be prolonged. Heare therefore, ô Israel, and observe to doe, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may multiplie mightily, as Iehovah the God of thy fathers hath spoken unto thee, in the land that floweth with milke and honey.
Heare, ô Israel: Iehovah our God, Iehovah is one. And thou shalt love Iehovah thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt whet them on thy children, and shalt speake of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest downe, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt binde them for a signe upon thy hand, and they shall be for phylacteries betweene thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the doore-posts of thine house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when Iehovah thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaak, and to Iakob, to give unto thee, cities great & good, which thou buildedst not; And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not; and wells digged, which thou diggedst not; vineyards and olive-trees, which thou plantedst not; and thou shalt have eaten, and be full: Take heed to thy selfe, left thou forget Iehovah, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants. Thou shalt feare Iehovah thy God, and serve him, and shalt sweare by his name. Ye shall not goe after other gods, of the gods of the peoples, which are round about you. For Iehovah thy God is a jealous God, in the midst of thee; lest the anger of Iehovah thy God be kindled against thee, and he destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Yee shall not tempt Iehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. Keeping ye shal… keepe the commandements of Iehovah your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. And thou shalt doe that which is right and good in the eyes of Iehovah, that it may be well with thee, and thou maist goe in, and possesse the good land which Iehovah sware unto thy fathers. To drive out all thy enemies from thy face, as Iehovah hath spoken.
When thy sonne shall aske thee to morrow, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which Iehovah our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy sonne, Wee were servants to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Iehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a strong hand. And Iehovah shewed signes and wonders, great and evill, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes.
And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give unto us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And Iehovah commanded us to doe all these statutes, to feare Iehovah our God, for good unto us, all dayes, to preserve us alive, as (it is) this day. And justice shall it be unto us, when we observe to doe all this commandement, before Iehovah our God, as hee hath commanded us.
Annotations.
COmmandement] put generally for Commandements, as the Greeke translateth it: see Deut. 5. …. Here Moses entreth upon the explanation of the first commandement of the ten before rehear…, in chap. 5. to doe] that yee may doe them, …, continually. For practise and obedience is that which the Law requireth for blessednesse, Iam. …. …5. And that wch one prophet calleth Doing the words of the covenant, 2 Chron. 34. 31. another call…th Stablishing (or Confirming) 2 King. 23. 3. and Confirming is expounded by the holy Ghost, …, Gal. 3. 10. from Deut. 27. 26. …] to wit, the river Iordan, that so they might come into Canaan. This was by the cond…t of Iosua, Ios. 1. 1, 2, &c. and it figured the … of the Church under Christ, by whom these commandements are fulfilled in us that beleeve, …. 20. 40.—44. Rom. 8. 1, 2, 3, &c. In the …, time, the possession of Canaan and good thin…s therein, was a gracious inducement of that People unto voluntarie obedience and keeping of God…aw: which notwithstanding they perform▪ not, Psal. 105. 44. 45. Nehem. 9. 24, 25, 26, 35.
Vers. …. feare] this is the beginning of wisdome, Psal. 111. 10. and by it we depart from evill, Prov. 16. 6. and it comprehendeth generally Gods worship, and true religion, Esay 29. 13. Matt. 15. 8, 9. therefore it is mentioned in the first place. prolonged] under which, eternall life is also implied; for Gods commandements when they are kept, doe adde unto men, length of dayes, and yeeres of life, and peace, Prov. 3. 2. 1 Pet. 3. 10, 11, &c.
Vers. 3. and honey] signifying heavenly graces, as is observed on Exod. 3. 8.
Vers. 4. Heare] The last letter of this first word Heare, and of the last word One, are extraordinarily great in the Hebrew, and so noted in the margent, to cause heed and attention. And here beginneth the first and great commandement, as our Saviour calleth it, Mark. 12. 29, 30. Matt. 22. 38. And this place of Scripture, unto the end of the ninth verse, was one of the foure paragraphs which the Iewes were wont to write upon their Phylacteries, as is noted on Exod. 13. 9. and fastned to their doore-posts, and read in their houses twice a day: as the Hebrewes say, Twice every day doe men reade the lecture, HEARE O ISRAEL, &c. at evening and at morning, as it is written (in Deut. 6. 7.) when thou liest downe, and when thou risest up; at the time when men are wont to lie downe, which is at night; and at the time when men are wont to rise up, which is at day. And what is it that he readeth? Three sections; to wit, Heare O Israel, &c. (Deut. 6. 4) And it shall be if you shall hearken, &c. (Deut. 11. 13.) And Moses said unto the people, &c. (Exod. 13. 3.) And they read first the section, Heare O Israel, because in it there is the propertie of God, and the love of him, and the doctrine of him, which is the great foundation, whereupon all doe depend. Maim. in Misn. b. 2. in Keriath Shemangh, ch. 1. sect. 1, 2. is one] so in Mark. 12. 29. the LORD our God, the LORD is one: where the word is (which the Hebrew wanteth) is supplied in the Greeke, and explained by a learned Scribe, saying; Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other but he, Mark. 12. 32. So Paul saith, There is no other God but one, 1 Cor. 8. 4. Here it is probable, that Moses closely taught the unitie of the God-head, and trinitie of persons; Iehovah, the Father; our God, the Sonne; and Iehovah, the Holy Ghost: thus many doe understand these words. But the Apostle cleerely openeth the mysterie, saying, There are three that beare record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one, 1 Ioh. 5. 7. And here is the ground of saith.
Vers. 5. love] The end of the commandement is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfained. 1 Tim. 1. 5. See the notes on Exod. 20. 6. Ie…vah thy God] these implie the causes of our love of the Lord; the one, for his owne nature and being, Iebovah; the other, for the covenant of his grace, whereby he is our God. These two are often joyned together by Moses and all the Prophets. heart] unto the heart the Scripture attributeth wisdome and understanding, 1 King. 3. 9. 11. 12. Prov. 2. 2. 10, and beleefe in God, differing from confession with the mouth, Rom. 10. 10. and it is opposed unto hypocrisie, Matth. 15. 8. soule] the seat of the will and affections, Deut. 21. 14. and 24. 15▪ and 12. 20, 21. might] in Hebrew, Meod, which signifieth might or vehemencie, all that we can. The Chaldee translateth it riches; the Greeke, power (dunamis:) but the holy Ghost useth a more significant Greeke word, (ischus) might, or, ability, Mark. 12. 32. where also another word is added for explanation, dianoia, which is the efficacie both of the mind and will, and the Scribe useth a fit word, Sunesis, understanding, Mark. 12. 33. By which variety of words, God would teach us to love him unfainedly, with all whatsoever is in vsus, and in our power; for wee ought to honour him with our substance also, Prov. 3. 9. This praise is of King Iosias above all kings, that he turned to the Lord, with all his heart, and with all his soule, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses, 2 King. 23. 25. Moreover from this word, with all thy might, the Heb…ewsteach, that a man is bound to blesse (God) with cheerefulnesse of soule, for evill (or affliction) even as he blesseth for good (or prosperity) with gladnesse. Maimony in Beracoth, chap. 10. sect. 3. And hereof we have a good example in Iob, Iob 1. 21.
Vers. 6. these Words] the Oracles of God are also to be loved, as the outward meanes, whereby wee are bronght to the love and obedience of God, Psal. 119. 97, 98. in thy heart] as the fleshly tables wherein Gods law is to be written, Prov. 3. 3. and 7. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 3. The Greeke addeth, in thy heart, and in thy soule.
Vers. 7. What them] that is, often, earnestly, and diligently teach them, that they may pierce the hearts of thy children, to understand and affect them. So the Greek and Chaldee explaine it, to fore-instruct and teach. thy children] or, thy sonnes: under this name the Hebrews understand, not the naturall sonnes onelyonly, but schollers also, or disciples; because disciples are called sonnes, as it is written (in 2 King 2. 3.) and the sonnes of the Prophets came forth, &c. Maimony in Thalmud Torah, chap. 1 sect. 2. Children are to bee trained up (or catechized) in the way they should goe, and brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Prov. 22. 6. Ephes. 6. 4.
Vers. 8. phylacteries] or, fr…ntlets: ornaments fastened unto the liead; the Greek therefore calleth them unmo…able. Of these, see the notes on Ex. 13. 9. 16. By these outward rites, God would teach them to apply all their study, and all their practise, unto the keeping of his law.
Vers. 9. doore posts] by this signe to professe unto all, their love unto the Law, and to have it alwaie… in remembrance. So the blood of the Paschal Lambe was stricken on their doore posts, Exod. 12. 7. Of this ri… the Iewes are to this day very carefull, and even superstitious. The manner of observing it they have recorded this. They wrote two severall places of the Law, namely, Heare O Israel, &c. Deut. 6. 4.—9. And it shall be if you shall bearken &c. Deut. …. 13. 21. upon one peece of parchment, which they rolled …p beginning at the be…me, and so to the top; that when any should open to read it, he might read from the beginning to the end. After it was rolled up, they put it within a pipe of reed, or of wood, or of any other matter, and fastned it to the doore post with a naile; but blessed God before they so fastened it, who had commanded them that thing. If it were hung up on a sticke, it was unlawfull, for that was no fastening: or if it were laid behind the doore, it was as good as nothing. The writing was fastened a good height upon the doore post within, and it must be on the right hand, as a man went into the house: if it were on the left hand, it was unlawfull. These things Maimony sheweth at large, in Misneh, treat. Tephilin, (or of Phylacteries &c.) chap. 5. and 6. adding this in the end; A man must be warned of the post writings, because it is every ones duty continually. And every time that he goeth in, and goeth out, hee meeteth with the name of the holy blessed God, and shall remember the love of him, and awake out of his sleepe, and his erroars among the vanities of the time; and know that there is nothing which abideth for ever, and for ever and ever, but the knowledge of (God) the everlasting Rocke; and forthwith he returneth to his knowledge, and walketh in the strait & even waies. Our ancient wise men have said, Whosoever hath his phylacteries on his head and on his arme, and fringes on his garment, and postwriting on his doore, he is fortified that he shall not sin: for behold, hee hath many remembrancers, and they are the Angels which deliver him from sinning; as it is written, The Angell of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him, and delivereth them, Psal. 34. 8. Thus have they magnified their outward observances; and were taxed by our Saviour, for making their phylacteries broad, and the fringes of their garments large, Matth. 23. 5. See the annotations on Exod. 13. 9.
Vers. 10. to give unto thee] understand, he sware that he would give unto thee: so in vers. 19.
Vers. 11. digged] or, hewed, to wit, out of the Rocke. VnderUnder these particulars, all other good things are implyed: for which men ought to serve the Lord with joyfulnesse, and with a good heart, Deut. 28. 47. Prov. 3. 9, 10. And by earthly riches, the spirituall graces of God in Christ, are also understood, as 1 Cor. 1. 4, 5, 7. Ephes. 1. 18. and 2. 5, 6, 7. full] or, satisfied: which also is a blessing of God, Levit. 26. 5. But by mens corruption may easily be abused, unto lasciviousnesse, Deut. 32. 13, 14, 15.
Vers. 12. forget Iehovah] the Chaldeesaith, forget the feare of the LORD, that is, his true Religion. The Greeke addeth, lest thy heart be deceived, and thou forget the Lord. When men doe corrupt their religion, they are said to forget God, Psal. 106. 20, 21. and 44. 21. Iudg. 3. 7. Ier. 3. 21. and 18. 15. And this we are prone unto in prosperity: therefore the Prophet prayeth, Give me not riches, lest I be full, and belye thee, and say, who is the Lord' Prov. 30. 8, 9. This doctrine Moses repeateth in Deut. 8. 10, 11. servants] the Greeke and Chaldee …slate, servi…d… (or bondage.) Of this he Iewes made yeerely mention, when the brought their first-fruits unto God, Deut. 26 5, 6. &c.
Vers. 13. feare] this is for the inward worship of God, as the two next are for his outward service, and profession of the same. Feare is expounded worship, Matth. 15. 9. from Esay 29. 13. and so Christ speaketh, having reference to this Scripture, Matth. 4. 10. See after on Deut. 10. 12. serve him] the Greeke addeth, serve him …ly and so Christ all eageth it against Satan, Matt. 4. 10. The like is to be understood of the other two things here mentioned. VnderUnder service, prayer is comprehended, which Christ hath taught us, that it must be to our Father which is in heaven, Luk. 11. 2. So of the Hebrewes it is said, Wee are commanded to pray every day, as it is written, And yee shall serve the Lord your God, Exod. 23. 25. Wee have beene taught, that this service is praier, as it is written, And to serve him with all your heart: Our wise men have said, W…at service is this with the heart? It is praier. And there is no number of praiers by the Law, neither is there any set forme of this praier by the Law, nor any appointed time for praier by the Law. And therefore women and servants are bound to pray, because it is a commandement, the time wherof is not determined. But the dutie of this commandement is thus, That a man make supplication and praier every day, and shew forth the praise of the holy blessed (God) and afterward aske such things as are needfull for him, by request, and by supplication; and afterward give praise and thankes unto the Lord for his goodnesse which hee abundantly ministreth unto him, every one according to his might. If hee be accust…ed unto it, let him use such supplication and pra…: and if hee be of uncircumcised lips, let him speake according as hee is able, at any time when hee will; and so they make praiers every one according to his ability. Maimony in Misn…h, treat. of praier, chap. 1. sect. 1, 2, 3. sweare] before this the Greeke addeth, and shalt cleave unto him which words are used by Moses in Deut. 10. 20. and from thence here taken. Swearing is used for all other profession of Gods name and truth: as when the Prophet saith, Every … shall sweare, Esay 45. 23. the Apostle exp…s it, Every tongue shall confesse unto God, R… ▪ 14. 11.
Vers▪ 14. other gods] which the Chaldee inter…, Idols of the peoples. By going, or walking after such, is meant, worshipping or serving them, as afterward is shewed, Deut. 8. 19. and 13. 2. 4.
Vers. 15. in the middest] the Chaldee expounds …, his Majestie dwelleth is the middest of thee. Gods presence, and diligent looking to the waies of his people, is hereby meant, Esay 12. 6. Rev. 2. …. 2. Of jealousie, see Exod. 20. 5. by it was signified, that God would not forgive their transgressions, Ios. 24. 19.
Vers. 16. in Massah] or, in the tentation (as the Greeke and Chaldee explaine it;) where in their distresse and want, they tempted the Lord, saying. Is the Lord amongst us or no? Exod. 17. 1.—7. As prosperitie, so adversity often occasioneth men to sione; therefore the Prophet prayeth against both extremities, Proverb. 30. 8▪ 9.
Vers. 18. right] in Greeke, pleasing, which the word also signifies, as is noted on Exod. 15. 26. And so our Saviour did alwaies those things that pleased his Father, Ioh. 8. 29. By things right and good, are meant the things commanded of God, and the doing of them with a sincere heart. To performe this, the Apostle saith, Bee yee transformed by the renewing of your minde, that ye may prove what is that good, that well-pleasing and perfect will of God, Rom. 12. 2.
Vers. 19. to drive out] that is, hee sware unto thy fathers, that he would drive out, &c. But because the people obeyed not the voice of God, he would not drive out all from before them, Iudg. 2. 1, 2, 3, 12, 14. and 3, 1.—4.
Vers. 20. tomorrow] that is, hereafter in time to come. See Exod. 13. 14. Here followeth a briefe Catechisme, containing the grounds of religion. what are] that is, what meane, or signifie. The word are is supplied also in the Greeke, (as before in vers. 4.) and by it the meaning of Gods precepts is intended, as the answer following sheweth. Here God provideth for the continuance and propagation of his true religion in Israel, in respect of the whole Law, morall, ceremoniall, and judiciall. commanded you] The Law was commanded the Fathers, that they should make them knowne to their children, that the generation after, even children that should bee borne, might know, might rise up, and tell their children, Psal. 78. 5, 6.
Vers. 21. to Pharaoh] the Historie hereof is in Exod. 1. and 2. &c. the mystery was, our servitude unto sinne and Satan, from which God hath redeemed us, as Rom. 6. 17, 18. Heb. 2. 14, 15. The memoriall whereof is alwaies to be continued amongst us and our posterity, to the praise of Gods grace, Deut. 26. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. strong hand] that is, by force and constraint, through great judgments: see Exod. 6. 1. and 3. 19.
Vers. 22. evill] that is, hurtfull, grievous, noysome to the enemie, as were all the plagues of Egypt, Exod. 7. and 8, &c. So in Revel. 16. 12. a noysome and evill sore. house] that is, houshold, as the Chaldee translateth it, men of his house. our eies] that is, our sight. This is one of Gods promises to such as trust in him; With thine eyes shalt thou behold, and shalt see the reward of the wicked, Psalme 91. 8.
Vers. 24. for good] or as the Greeke explaineth, that it may bee well with us. The end of our redemption from misery is, that wee may serve God, and keepe his Law, for his glory in our good and salvation, Rom. 6. 17, 18, 22. to preserve] meaning, that hee may preserve us alive: the Greeke translateth, that wee may live. Here Life is promised to the doers of the Law; as also▪ in Luke 10. 28. but this is a legall promise, unpossible for us to fulfill, Romans 8. 3. and is not of faith, (as the Apostle teacheth) by which the just shall live, Galathians. 3. 11, 12.
Vers. 25. justice] or righteousnesse; the Greeke translateth, Mercy shall be to us: so the word justice sometime signifieth, Psal. 112. 9. But here it meaneth justice or righteousnesse, whereby men if they could doe the law, might bee justified before God; and differeth from the justice of faith which wee have obtained in Christ, as Paul saith, Moses describeth the justice which is of the Law, that the man which doth those things shall live by them. But the justice which is by faith, speaketh, &c. Rom. 10. 5, 6. Thus the law was a Schoolemaster unto Christ, that wee might bee made righteous by saith, Gal. 3. 24.