Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 5 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
An exhortation to love and obedience, 2 by … experience of Gods great workes done in … and in the wildernesse, 8 by promise of Gods …ngs in the land of Canaan, 16. and by …gs. 18 Gods words must be laid up in the … and for a signe outwardly, 19 taught unto the …, 20 and written on the doore-posts. 22 VponUpon …ing of the Law, the casting out of the heathens, …ssing their land, is promised. 26 The blessing … is set before them: 29. and must after …d on Gerizim and Ebal, mounts within ….
ANd thou shalt love Iehovah thy God, and keepe his charge, and his statutes, and his judgements, and his commandements, all dayes: And know ye this day: for (I speake) not with your children, which have not knowne, and which have not seene the chastisement of Iehovah your God, his greatnesse, his strong hand, and his stretched-out arme. And his signes, and his deeds which he did in the midst of Egypt, unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land.
And what he did unto the armie of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their Chariots; how he made the waters of the Red sea to flow over their faces as they pursued after you; & Iehovah hath destroyed thē unto this day. And what he did unto you in the wildernesse, untill ye came unto this place. And what he did to Dathan, and to Abiram, the sonnes of Eliab, the sonne of Reuben, how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up them, and their houses, and their tents, and all the substance that was at their feet, in the midst of all Israel.
But your eyes have seene all the great work of Iehovah, which he hath done. Therefore shall ye keepe all the commandement which I command thee this day, that yee may be strong, and goe in, and possesse the land, whither yee are going over to possesse it. And that yee may prolong your dayes upon the l…nd, wch Iehovah sware unto your fathers, to give unto them, and to their seed; a land flowing with milk & hony. For the land whither thou goest in to possesse it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence yee came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wa…er…dst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs. But the land whither ye are going over to possesse it, is a land of mountaines and of vallies; it drinketh waters of the raine of heavens. A land which Iehovah thy God careth for; the eyes of Iehovah thy God are continually upon it, from the beginning of the yeere, even to the end of the yeere.
And it shall be, if hearkening ye shall hearken unto my commandements which I command you this day, to love Iehovah your God, and to serve him, with all your heart, and with all your soule; That I will give the raine of your land in his time, the first raine, and the latter raine; and thou shalt gather in thy Corne, and thy new wine, and thy new Oyle. And I will give grasse in thy field, for thy cattell, that thou … and be full.
Take heed to your selves, lest your heart be deceived, and yee turne aside, and serve other gods, and bow downe your selves to them. And the anger of Iehovah be kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens, that there bee no raine, and the land yeeld not her increase, and ye perish quickly from off the good land, which Iehovah giveth you.
And yee shall put these my words in your heart, and in your soule, and shall binde them for a signe upon your hand, and they shall be for Phylacteries betweene your eyes. And yee shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest in the way, and when thou lyest downe, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the doore-posts of thine house, and on thy gates. That your dayes may be multiplied, and the dayes of your children, in the land which Iehovah sware unto your fathers, to give unto them, as the dayes of the heavens upon the earth. For if keeping yee shall keepe all this commandement, which I command you, to doe it, to love Iehovah your God, to walke in all his wayes, and to cleave unto him; Then will Iehovah drive out all these nations from before your faces, and yee shall possesse nations greater and mightier than your selves. Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread, shall be yours: from the wildernesse and Lebanon; from the river, the river Euphrates, and unto the hindmost sea shall your coast be. There shall not a man stand before you: Iehovah your God will give the dread of you, and the feare of you upon the face of all the land, which yee shall tread upon, as hee hath spoken unto you.
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Behold, I set before you this day a blessing, and a curse. A blessing, if yee shall hearken unto the commandements of Iehovah your God, which I command you this day. And a curse, if yee will not hearken unto the commandements of Iehovah your God, but turne aside out of the way which I command you this day, to goe after other gods, which yee have not knowne.
And it shall bee, when Iehovah thy God hath brought thee in, unto the land whither thou goest, to possesse it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. Are they not on the other-side Iordan, by the way of the going downe of the Sunne, in the land of the Canaanite, which dwelleth in the plaine, over against Gilgal, besides the Okes of Moreh? For yee are passing over Iordan, to goe in, to possesse the land which Iehovah your God giveth unto you, and yee shall possesse it, and dwell in it. And yee shall observe to doe all the statutes, and the judgements which I set before your faces this day.
Annotations.
ANd thou shalt love] or, Love thou therefore. Moses returneth to exhort Israel unto the love of God, and to shew the same by their continuall obedience. his charge] or, his custodie, his observation: which word is often used for a watch, as in Exod. 14. 24. The Greeke translateth it charges, or custodies; meaning, ordinances to be kept heedfully: so in Gen. 26. 5. Lev. 8. 35. and 18. 30.
Vers. 2. for (I speake not) with your children] or, that (it is) not your children (or sonnes) namely, which have seene Gods greatnesse, &c. but your eyes (are they) that have seene, &c. vers. 7. Hee commendeth Gods speciall favour to their owne persons, more than to their fathers, or to their children, in shewing them his great workes, for which they should the more love and obey him. This he after confirmeth by many arguments. the chastisement] or nurture: which the Chaldee translateth, doctrine, or instruction. It implieth nurture both by words and workes, as Deut. 4. 36. and 8. 5. Lev. 26. 18. Prov. 1. 2. and 4. 1. stretched out] the Greek and Chaldee translate, high arme. See the notes on Deut. 4. 34.
Vers. 3. deeds] or acts, in Greeke wonders. Of these see the history in Exod. 7, &c. And here is the first argument, from Gods mighty workes in Egypt.
Vers. 4. arme] or power, forces. So the Greeke translateth, the power of the Egyptians. See Exod. 15. 4. to their horses] Hebr. to his horses, and to his Chariots; speaking of them as of one man, or having respect to Pharaoh their King. to flow] or, to swim; and over their faces, is like that in Lam. 3. 54. waters flowed over mine head. He meaneth they were drowned, the Sea covered them, they sanke as Lead in the mighty waters, Exod. 15. 10. destroyed] or, made them perish: so that there remained not so much as one of them, Exod. 14. 28. This was an extraordinary favour of God, who oftentimes suffereth the oppressors to have the strong hand, whiles the oppressed have the teares, and no comforter, Eccles. 4. 1. So this is the second argument from Gods power shewed at the Red sea.
Vers. 5. what hee did] or, the things which hee did, in his continuall guiding them thorow that terrible wildernesse, where they bewrayed their many infirmities, and had experience both of his chastisements, and of his mercies: the third argument and motive unto obedience.
Vers. 6. Dathan] of whose historie, see Numb. 16. This is the fourth argument of Gods greatnesse, to perswade Israel unto his love: for that hee had repressed the factious and mutinous rebels among themselves, which would have subverted the order and ordinance of God concerning the Priesthood, the meanes of the atonement and reconciliation betweene God and his people. their houses] that is, housholds; as the Chaldee expounds it, the men of their houses: See Numb. 16. 32. at their feet] that is, in their possession: the Greeke and Chaldee translate, that was with them.
Vers. 7. have seene] or, are they that see. Therefore this people, above all other, were bound to love the Lord. worke] or deed, that is, workes, as the Greeke translateth. So in the verse following, commandement, for commandements.
Vers. 8. be strong] in body and spirit, to fight against the enemy: as in Ios. 1. 6. 1 Ioh. 2. 14. Or, be strong, that is, lively and healthfull, as the Greeke translateth, that ye may live: and they that be strong, Matth. 9. 12. are by another Evangelist said to be in health, opposed to the sicke, Luk. 5. 31. possesse] or, inherit the land; a figure of the kingdome of Gods grace and glory, which the righteous shall possesse by inheritance, Esay 60. 21. and 65. 9.
Vers. 9. and honey] which signified the great fertility of that land, and figured out spirituall graces and comforts, as is noted on Exod. 3. 8.
Vers. 10. thou sowedst] and so all the inhabitants, as the Greeke translateth, they s…w. In Egypt (from whence Israel came) they had no raine, but by the over-flowing of the river Nilus, the land was watered; and by the labour of the husbandman, beckes were derived to moysten the ground. And that there they had no raine, is testified both by the Prophets, Zach. 14. 18. and by humane histories: Pomp. Mela li. 1. Herodotus in Euterpe. Nec pluvio supplicat herba Iovi, Tibul. lib. 1. Eleg. 8. with thy foot] that is, with thy diligent labour, signified sometime by the hand, Psal. 128. 2. sometime by the foot, as Gen. 30. 30. This condition of the land of Egypt (the house of bondage) figured the estate of men naturally corrupted, which they labour to releeve by their own works, and with the muddy waters which are from beneath, proceeding from earthly wisedome and carnall understanding, 1 Cor. 1. 20, 31. and 2. 4. 5. Ezek. 34. 19. Ier. 2. 13.
Verse 11. mountaines, &c.] hereby is meant the commodious, healthfull, and pleasant situation of the land, farre exceeding Egypt. Wherefore sometime the whole land is signified under the name of a mountaine, Exod. 15. 17. And because it was hills and vallies, it could not be watered with the over-flowing of any river, (as Egypt which was a plaine,) but must otherwise bee moystened with the raine of heaven, or else remaine barren and fruitlesse. the raine] this, as it is most kinde, & causeth the earth to be fruitfull in nature; so it figured heavenly graces, the doctrine of Gods word & spirit, wherewith the soules of men are made fruitfull in good works, Esay 45. 8. Mica 5. 7. See the notes on Gen. 27. 28. Deut. 32. 2. The want of raine is on the contrary, a signe of curse, Zach. 14. 17, 18. Rev. 11. 6.
Vers. 12. careth for] Hebr. seeketh, that is, carefully seeth unto it, and as the Greeke translateth, visiteth. According to this phrase, Sion is called a citie sought, (that is, cared for, or regarded) and not forsaken, Esay 62. 12. And of Gods gracious providence towards the land of Israel, David singeth, how the Lord visited the land, and plenteously moystened it, very much enriched it, softned it with showers, blessed the bud of it, crowned the yeere of his goodnesse, and his pathes [the clouds] dropped fatnesse, Psal. 65. 10, 11, 12. the eyes] this also signifieth Gods care and providence, for good, as in the like speeches, Ier. 40. 4. Ezra 5. 5. Psal. 34. 16. Though Gods providence be towards all peoples, and hee giveth to all, life and breath, and all things, Acts 17. 25. doing good. giving us raine from heaven, and fruitfull seasons, Acts 14. 17. causing it to raine on the earth where no man is; on the wildernesse, wherein there is no man, Iob 38. 26. yet other peoples have not the word and promise of God, whereon to depend, as Israel had: whereby they might live, not by bread onelyonly, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord, Deut. 8. 3.
Vers. 13. if hearkening yee shall hearken] that is, if yee shall diligently hearken, and obey. This passage of Scripture following, the Iewes read daily in their families, as is noted on Deut. 6. 4.
Vers. 14. the first raine, &c.] or, the early raine. Twise in a yeere there fell store of raine in Israel; in the beginning of the yeere, about September or October; and halfe a yeere after, which was in Abib (or March) which ecclesiastically began the yeere unto Israel, as is noted on Exod. 12. 2. whereupon it is called the latter raine in the first monethmonth, Io…l 2. 23. The first raine fell after the …owing of their corne, that it might take rooting in the earth: the latter raine was a little before harvest, that the eare might be full, Of these the Scriptures sundry times speake; but so as that they depended upon God, to whom Israel should obey, and of whom they should aske raine, in the time of the latter raine, Zach. 10. 1. and then hee would come unto them (with his blessings) as the raine, as the latter and former raine unto the earth, Hosea 6. 3. So for the fruits, the husbandman waited, and had long patience, untill hee received the early raine, and the latter raine, I am. 5. 7. Which raine, as it figured heavenly blessings in Christ, Deut. 32. 2. Psal. 72. 6. so they led Israel to the feare of God; but when they revolted from him, they said not in their heart, Let us now feare the Lord our God, that giveth raine, both the former and the latter raine in his season, Ier. 5. 24. If these raines were seasonable and moderate, the land was fruitfull; (as Moses in the next words sheweth:) if they failed, then the drought as …ire devoured the pastures; if they fell immoderately, the graines rotted under their clods, Ioel 1. 19, 17. new oyle] These three were for the use of man, and the grasse after mentioned, for beasts, as David also sheweth in Psal. 104. 13, 14, 15. By these earthly promises God drew his people to obedience: but David had more gladnesse in his heart, in the light of the Lords countenance, than when corne and wine increased, Psal. 4. 6, 7.
Vers. 16. deceived] or, inticed and drawen away by riches, pleasures, or false perswasions: of which Iob saith, If my heart hath beene secretly inticed (or deceived) Iob 31. 27. other gods] that is, Idols, falsly reputed Gods: so the Chaldee translateth, Idols (or Errours) of the peoples.
Vers. 17. shut-up the heavens] this phrase is used, both for restraining the naturall raine for mens sins, 1 Kings 8. 35. and the spirituall raine of Gods word and blessings, Revel. 11. 6. perish quickly] or, speedily, suddenly. The wicked heathens God suffered with much patience, and would not have them destroyed suddenly, Deut. 7. 22. but his owne people are threatned for their sinnes to perish suddenly: for judgement must beginne at the house of God, 1 Pet. 4. 17. & he warneth his Church to repent, &c. or else he will come unto her quickly, Revel. 2. 5.
Vers. 18. phylacteries] or frontlets, written in parchments, and tyed to the forehead, as the former were to the hand or arme: of these, see the annotations on Exod. 13. 9. 16. and Deut. 6. 4, 8.
Vers. 19. teach them your children] cause your children (Hebr. your sonnes) to Iearne them; this explaineth the former precept, Thou shalt whet them on thy children, Deut. 6. 7. Abraham (the father of the faithfull) is commended for this, that he would command his children, and his honshold after him, to keepe the way of the LORD, Gen. 18. 19. and Solomons parents taught him the Law, Prov. 4. 3, 4. and 31. 1, 2, &c. when thou walkest &c.] answerable to these, are those sayings of Solomon, When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keepe thee; and when thou awakest; it shall talke with thee: for the Commandement is a Lampe, and the Law is a light, Prov. 6. 22, 23.
Vers. 20. doore-posts] of this rite, see the notes on Deut. 6. 9.
Vers. 21. dayes may be multiplied] Long life is a blessing, often promised to them that keepe Gods Law. Heare, O my sonne, and receceive my sayings, and the yeeres of thy life shall be many, Prov. 4. 10. dayes of the heavens] that is, whiles the world endureth; for so long, by the decree of God (in Gen. 8. 22.) shall the dayes of heaven be; and so long shall the heavens be over the earth. And under this, eternall life was also figured. A like promise was for the kingdome of David, or of Christ, that his throne should be as the dayes of the heavens, Psal. 89. 30.
Vers. 22. this commandement] the Greek explaineth it, these commandements: see the notes on Deut. 5. 31. to cleave] that is, to continue fast united unto him and his Law, as is noted on Deut. 10. 20.
Vers. 23. drive out] according to his former promise, in Exod. 23. 23. 27.—31. But because Israel kept not Gods commandement, this promise was not fully performed, Iudg. 2. 1, 2, 3.
Vers. 24. shall tread] The like promise is made after Moses death to Israel under Iesus their Captaine, Ios. 1. 3. who was a figure of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom this promise was fulfilled. the wildernesse] of Paran, which was the southerne border of the land of Canaan. and Lebanon a mountaine which was the northerne bound. By and Lebanon, we may understand and unto Lebanon, as the next words manifest. Euphrates] in Hebrew, Pherath: this is called the river for excellency sake, meaning the great river, as Deut. 1. 7. Gen. 15. 18. and so the Greeke translateth it here. It was the easterne border of their territories. hindmost sea] or, after sea, which the Greeke and Chaldee calleth the Westerne sea, meaning the maine or great sea toward the going downe of the Sunne, as is explained in Ios. 1. 4. which sea is said to be after or behinde them, because it was to the West, and so their westerne bound. For the East is counted the fore-part of the world, the West behinde, the South on the right hand, Psal. 89. 13. and the North on the left: all which foure parts are called by these names in Iob 23. 8, 9. See this promise fulfilled in 2 Chron. 9. 26.
Vers. 25. stand] or, set himselfe, that is, resist or withstand you, as the Greeke translateth. So in Ios. 1. 5. feare] in Greeke, trembling; this was fulfilled before, Deut. 2. 25. Psal. 105. 38. and after, Ios. 2. 11. and 10. 10.
Here beginneth the 47. section, foreign or Lecture of the Law: see Genes. 6. 9.
Vers. 26. I set] Hebr. I give: this was, that they might take their choise of either of these; for so the phrase elsewhere meaneth, Deut. 30. 19. and so to manifest, that if the curse or evill came upon them, they caused it themselves.
Vers. 27. if yee shall hearken] or, that yee may hearken: but the Hebrew Asher, That, is sometimes used for If, as the Greeke here translateth it, and in Levit. 4. 22. So Asher in 1. King. 8. 31. is Im, that is, If, in 2 Chron. 6. 22.
Vers. 28. after other gods] in Greeke, to serve other gods, following other religions, or divine services, which the Chaldee calleth the idols of the peoples. Sol. Iarchi observeth from this place, that whosoever committeth idolatry, he turneth aside from all the way which was commanded to Israel: here upon they say, He that professeth idolatry, is as if he denied the whole Law.
Vers. 29. put the blessing] Heb. give the blessing, that is, cause it to be pronounced upon mount Gerizim. The manner is shewed in Deut. 27. where this Law is repeated and enlarged. A thing is said to be given sometime, when it is spoken or pronounced with the mouth, as in Iob 36. 3. Deut. 13. 1, 2. upon mount Gerizim] or, towards mount Gerizim, (which the Greeke calleth Garizim:) so after, towards mount Ebal, (called in Greeke Gaibal.) For the people stood halfe of them over against mount Gerizim, and halfe of them over against mount Ebal, as is recorded in Ios. 8. 33. And the Hebrew gnal sometimes signifieth towards a place, as in Exod. 9. 22. towards heaven.
Vers. 30. Are they not] that is, Loe they are, speaking as of a thing well knowne. See the notes on Gen. 4. 7. by the way] or, after (behinde) the way of the going downe of the Sunne, that is, the way towards the West, or Sunne-setting. Gilgal] the place where Israel was circumcised afterward in Iosuahs time, Ios. 5. 9. Okes of Moreh] or, plaines of Moreh, as the Chaldee expoundeth it; which was a place by Sechem, where God first appeared to Abraham after he came into the land of Canaan, and there Abraham built an Altar to the Lord, Gen. 12. 6, 7. And that mount Gerizim was by Sechem, (in that part of the country which after was called Samaria) appeareth in Iudg. 9. 6, 7. And the Hebrewes say, in Thalmud Bab. in Sotah, chap. 7. that Gerizim and Ebal were in Samaria. There on mount Gerizim was the Samaritans Temple, 2 Maccab. 6. 2. where they worshipped they knew not what, Ioh. 4. 20. 22. See also Iosephus Antiq. l. 11. c. 8. It seemeth they tooke occasion of that superstition from this Law, thinking Gerizim to be a holy place, because the blessings were pronounced on it; and they called themselves, those that belong to the blessed mount. And there have been of them in that place of late yeeres, as Benjamin in his Itinerario relateth, how he saw the citie in a valley betweene the mountaines Garizim and Ebal, wherein the Samaritans dwelled, and did sacrifice there on mount Garizim, alleaging that which is written in the Law, And thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim.