Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 5 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
1 The Prophet that inticeth to idolatry, though he give signes which come to passe, must not bee hearkened unto, but put to death. 6. The brother, childe, wife, or friend, that inticeth to idolatry, must not bee bearkened unto, spared, or concealed, but stoned to death. 12 The citie that revolteth to serve other gods, after due inquiry, must bee smitten with the sword, men and beasts utterly destroyed, the spoiles burned, the citie ruined for ever, and none of that execrable thing reserved.
IF there arise in the middest of thee a Prophet, or a dreamer of dreames, and hee give unto thee a signe or a wonder; And the signe commeth, or the wonder which hee spake unto thee, saying; Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, & serve them: Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet, or unto that dreamer of a dreame; for Iehovah your God tempteth you, to know whether you be the lovers of Iehovah your God, with all your heart, and with all your soule. After Iehovah your God shall yee walke, and him yee shall feare, and his commandements shall ye keepe, and his voice yee shall obey, and him you shall serve, and unto him shall ye cleave.
And that Prophet, or that dreamer of a dreame, shall be put to death, because hee hath spoken revolt against Iehovah your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, to thrust thee out of the way, which Iehovah thy God commanded thee to walke therein: and thou shalt put away the evill from the middest of thee.
If thy brother, the sonne of thy mother, or thy sonne, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosome, or thy friend which is in thine owne soule, entise thee in secret, saying, Let us goe and serve other gods, which thou hast not knowne, thou nor thy fathers. Of the gods of the peoples which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or farre off from thee, from the one end of the earth, even unto the other end of the earth. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye spare him; neither shalt thou pitty, neither shalt thou conceale him. But killing thou shalt kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him, to put him to death; and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, and he shall die, because hee hath sought to thrust thee away from Iehovah thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of servants. And all Israel shall heare and feare, and shall doe no more as this evill thing, in the middest of thee.
If thou shalt heare (say) in one of thy cities, which Iehovah thy God giveth to thee, to dwell there, saying, Certaine men, the sons of Belial, are gone out from the middest of thee, and have thrust away the inhabitants of their citie, saying, Let us goe and serve other gods, which yee have not knowne: Then shalt thou enquire, and shalt search, and shalt aske diligently; and behold (if it be) truth, the word certaine, this abomination is done in the middest of thee. Smiting thou shalt smite the inhabitants of that citie with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, and all that is therein, and the cattell thereof, with the edge of the sword. And all the spoile of it thou shalt gather into the middest of the street thereof, and shalt burne with fire the citie and all the spoile thereof, everie whit, to Iehovah thy God: and it shall be an heape for ever, it shall not bee built againe.
And there shall not cleave to thy hand ought of the cursed thing, that Iehovah may turne from the burning of his anger, and may give unto thee tender mercies, and may have tender merciemercy on thee, and multiplie thee, as hee hath sworne unto thy fathers. When thou shalt obey the voice of Iehovah thy God, to keepe all his commandements, which I command thee this day, to doe that which is right in the eies of Iehovah thy God.
Annotations.
IF there arise] or, when there shall stand up; by which word is signified the open and bold cariage of deceivers. Moses having from the first commandement, taught the doctrine of one only God, whom wee should in faith, love, and obedience have to bee ours, and give our selves to him; and from the second commandement, taught the right way of serving this God, according to his owne word, doth now from the third commandement, teach to beware of the abuse of Gods name and word unto vanity, heresie, or idolatry; and so generally warneth Israel to take heed lest they transgressed the first and second commandements by the breach of the third. in the middest of thee] speaking to Israel, amongst whom many false prophets did arise, 2 Pet. 2. 1. VntoUnto which danger all Churches are subject, as it is said, Moreover of your owne selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, Act. 20. 30. a Prophet] a publike seducer, touching whom hee giveth warning first, as afterwards of the private, in v. 6. &c. What a Prophet signifieth, is noted on Gen. 20. 7. and Exod. 7. 1. dreames] this was one of the waies, by which prophesie came of old unto men, Num. 12. 6. Ier. 23. 25. 28. By a Prophet he seemeth to denote the principall sort, such as saw visions: by a dreamer, the inferiour sort, that saw things more obscurely. he give] either by word and promise, or by action or gesture, as 1 King. 13. 3. and 22. 11. Mat. 12. 39, 40. wonder] any miraculous, or supernaturall thing; as Iannes and Iambres in appearance turned water into bloud, Exod. 7. 22.
Vers. 2. or the wonder] Hebr. and the wonder: these are said to come, when they are effected or fulfilled: so Ier. 28. 9. Deut. 18. 22. saying] that is, and he say: as saying in 1 Chron. 13. 12. is expounded, and said in 2 Sam. 6. 9. so in 2 King. 22. 9. compared with 2 Chron. 34. 16. after other gods] the Greeke explaineth it, and serve other gods; which the Chaldee calleth, idols of the peoples. Thus the religion given of God by the hand of Moses, was established against all opposition that after might arise, upon what pretence soever: And so the saith taught by Christ and his Apostles, was confirmed against the future signes, and lying wonders of Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2. 9. 10. The Hebrews say, If there stand up a prophet, and hee doth great signes and wonders, and seeketh to denie (or make false) the prophesie of Moses, wee may not hearken unto him, but wee know certainly, that those signes are by enchantment and sorcery. For the prophesie of Moses was not by signes, &c. but with out eies we saw, and with our eares we heard as he did heare, &c. Therefore the Law saith, If the signe or wonder come to passe, thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet, (Deut. 13.) for loe, hee commeth unto thee with signe and wonder, to make that false which thou hast seene with thine eies. And for as much as we beleeve not in a wonder, but because of the commandement which Moses commanded us; how should wee receive this signe, which commeth to make the prophesie of Moses false, which we saw and heard? Maimony tom. in Iesude hatorah, chap. 8. sect. 3. See also the annotations on Exod. 19. 9.
Vers. 3. that dreamer] or, the dreamer of that dreame; and so the Greeke translateth it. God tempteth] or proveth: See the notes on Gen. 22. 1. But there God himselfe immediately tempted Abraham; here mediatly, and that by evill meanes, which he of his grace and wisdome ordereth and disposeth for good to his people: as also the Apostle saith, There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may bee made manifest among you, 1 Cor. 11. 19.
Vers. 4. After Iehovah] the Chaldee saith, after the feare of the Lord your God. Here the Lord and his commandements are opposed to all other: so that after Iehovah, meaneth after him onelyonly; as our Saviour expoundeth a like speech, Mat. 4. 10. from Deut. 6.
Vers. 5. spoken revolt] or apostasie, that is, spoken words to cause thee to revolt, or turne away; as the Greeke translateth, to make thee to erre from the Lord. This judgment of the false Prophet (as all other weighty matters) none but the high councell of 71 Elders might judge of, as the Hebrewes say, Talmud. Bab. in Sanhedrin, c. 1. and Maimony in Sanhedrin, c. 5. See the annotations on Num. 11. 30. the evill] both person and worke; as the Chaldee translateth, the evill doer: the Greeke, the evill thing: but in Deut. 17. 7. the Greeke translateth, the evill one; which Paul approveth, using the same words, in 1 Cor. 5. 13.
Vers. 6. thy brother] by nature, or in the same faith and Church: but the Greeke addeth, thy brother on thy fathers side, or on thy mothers. son of thy mother] such are dearest brethren, as the example of Ioseph and Benjamin sheweth, Gen. 43. 34. and 45. 12, 14. daughter] Love and affection descendeth from parents to children, as it were by inheritance; and the daughter for in firmity of sex, is most spared and pittied; but may not so bee in this case. of thy bosome] the Greeke saith, which is in thy bosome, as thine owne soule] most de…rely loved, put therefore in the last place; for a friend sticketh closer than a brother, Prov. 18. 24. And as man and wife are one flesh, Matt. 19. 6. so friends here are as one soule. intice] with motions, reasons, exhortations; the Greeke translateth, exhort: the Chaldee, counsell. The Hebrewes write; Hee that entiseth any one of Israel, whether man or woman, he is to be stoned; although neither the … nor the intised, hath worshipped the idoll, yet he d…th for teaching to worship it. Whether the intiser bee private man, or Prophet, bee the intised one singular person, man or woman, or a few persons, they are to die by stoning. Hee that intiseth the multitude of a citie, he is a thruster away, and is not called an intiser. Maimony treat. of Idolatry, chap. 5. sect. 1, 2. See after in vers. 13. other gods] in Chaldee, Idols of the peoples: so in vers. 7.
Vers. 7. unto the other end] that is, all the world over. Hereby God condemneth all the feigned religions thorowout the earth, as being gone astray from him: and having made himselfe and his word knowne unto Israel, would have them therein to rest their faith, without declining to novelties. Wee know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickednesse, 1 Ioh. 5. 19.
Vers. 8. not consent] or, not affect, have any liking or will unto him. From which word, the Hebrews gather, that it is unlawfull for the intised to love the intiser. Maimony treat. of Idolatry, chap. 5. sect. 4. If he were drawne away by him, so that hee said, Goe we and let us serve them, although they had not as yet served, both of them were to be stoned, the intiser and the intised. Ibidem sect. 5. eye spare] to wit, from vengeance. See this phrase in Gen. 45. 20. Deut. 7. 16. pitie] or use gentlenesse and indulgence, as Gen. 19. 16. conceale him] but bewray, and use all meanes to bring him to his punishment. Therefore the Hebrews thinke, that the intised person was to take witnesses, to see if he would intise before them: if hee would not, then (they say) it is commanded to lay privy wait for him, and they lay wait for none that are guilty of death by the Law, but for this man. And thus they doe it: The intised bringeth two men, and sets them in a darke place, so that they may see the intiser, and heare his words, but he may not see them. Then he saith to the intiser, Say what is it that you said, &c. When he hath spoken, the intised answereth; How shall wee leave our God which is in heaven, and goe and serve stockes and stones? If he convert hereby, or hold his peace, hee is free: But if hee say unto him, thus are we bound to doe, and thus it be seemeth us; then they that stood there aloofe, bring him to the judgment Hall, and they stone him. Maimony treat. of Idolatry, chap. 5. sect. 3.
Vers. 9. shalt kill him] by shewing the thing to the Magistrate, who hath power to kill him: therfore the Greeke translateth, Shewing thou shalt shew concerning him. thine hand] this is spoken to the accuser, or first witnesse, who must cast the first stone at him, Deut. 17. 7. Of the manner of stoning used in Israel, see the notes on Levit. 24. 23.
Vers. 10. to thrust thee away from Iehovah] in Chaldee, to make thee to erre from the feare of the Lord, that is, to goe astray from his true worship …d service, as feare in Esay 29. 13. is expounded worship, in Matt. 15. 9. of servants] in Greeke and Chaldee, of servitude, or bondage.
Vers. 11. shall doe no more] Hebr. shall not adde to doe as this evill word, that is, any such evill thing as this is. For punishment of transgressours, is a meane to restraine others from wickednesse, and to make them wise, Prov. 21. 11. On the contrary, Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill, Eccles. 8. 11. See the like in Deut. 17. 13. The Hebrewes gather from the words, All Israel shall heare, &c. that a cryer was to proclaime before him unto all, the cause of his death; and they note foure sorts of evill doers, before whom such proclamation was made; The rebellious Elder, (Deut. 17. 13.) the presumptuous false witnesse, (Deut. 19. 19, 20.) the intiser to Idolatry, (here spoken of) and the stubborne rebellious sonne, (Deut. 21. 18, 21.) Maimony tom. 4. treat. of Rebels, c. 3. s. 8.
Vers. 12. If thou shalt heare say in one] or, When thou shalt heare of one, that is, of any one of thy cities. This is one of the most severe lawes, wherein God sheweth his jealousie and indignation against idolaters, to the utter rooting out, not onelyonly of their persons, but or their posterity, goods, and citie it selfe for ever. of thy cities] of the cities of Israel, which were Gods people, against whom onelyonly this law is given, if they should bee drawne to idolatry, and not against those that were without. So of spirituall judgment it is said, Doe not yee judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth, 1 Cor. 5. 12, 13.
Vers. 13. sonnes of Belial] that is, wicked or mischievous persons, which the Chaldee interpreteth, sonnes of wickednesse. Belial (in Hebrew Beliijagnal) is by interpretation, without profit, or, without yoake, that is, lawlesse, rebellious and wicked; and this name is given unto Satan or Antichrist, opposed unto Christ, in 2 Cor. 6. 15. and to bee sonnes of Belial, is to be addicted or given over unto wickednesse, as in 1 Sam. 2. 12. Iudg. 19. 22. 1. King. 21. 10. The like is of a daughter of Belial, 1 Sam. 1. 16. and man of Belial. 1 Sam. 25. 25. and sometime the wicked are simply called Belial, as in 2 Sam. 23. 6. Nahum 1. 15. and as it is here applyed to persons, so is it also to wicked things, words or thoughts, as in Deut. 15. 9. out from the middest of thee] or, from among you, speaking to Israel, from whom such wicked persons might in all ages goe forth, as they did also from the Christian Churches, as it is said, They went out from us, but they were not of us, 1 Ioh. 2. 19. And this their going out, argueth likewise their stubborne and presumptuous carriage in their evill, which they did not in secret, but as proclaiming warre against the Lord. have thrust away] or, have driven, have withdrawne, to wit, out of the way, as was expressed in vers. 5. the Chaldee expoundeth it, have caused to erre, (or goe astray:) and it noteth the force and efficacie or such seducers; as Ieroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord, 2 King. 17. 21. See before on Deut. 4. 19. the inh…b…tants] This is spoken generally and indefinitely: if all the inhabitants were seduced, there is no doubt but the judgment following was to be executed: the Hebrews also thinke, if the greater part of the citie were drawn away, they all that were seduced, were to dye, and the citie to bee destroyed: but if the lesser part onelyonly were withdrawne, then they were killed, but the citie it selfe was to be let stand, as is further shewed in the annotations following. other gods] in Chaldee, the idols of the peoples: so here were two evills, the forsaking of the true God, whom they had knowne, and the following of other gods whom they had not knowne. Of these the Lord saith by his Prophet, Bee astonished, O yee heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid: he yee very desolate, saith the LORD; for my people have committed two evills, they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters; they have hewed them out cesternes, broken cesternes that can hold no water, Ier. 2. 12, 13.
Vers. 14. Then shalt thou enquire] hee speaketh to Israel, and therein chiefly to the Rulers, whom it most concerned to try out this case: and by these three, enquire, search, aske, & that well or diligently, he teacheth them what care should be had for finding out the truth; that this severe judgment came not upon any without their due demerit. The Hebrewes say, They judge not a citie thrust away, but in the judgment hall of 71 (Magistrates:) it is said (in Deut. 17. 5.) Thou shalt bring forth that man or that woman unto thy gates, and shalt stone them, &c. Particular persons are killed by the Iudges that are in every citie; but the multitude are not killed save by the great Synedrion. The great Court doe send, and enquire, and search, till they know evidently, that all the citie, or the most of it, is thrust away, and turned to idolatry. Afterward they send two learned men, to admonish and to convert them. If they convert and shew repentance, it is well: but if they persist in their folly, the Synedrion doe command all Israel to goe up against them to warre: and they doe besiege them, and wage warre against them, untill the citie be broken up. When it is broken up, forthwith they set for them many courts of judgment, and doe judge them: whosoever hath two witnesses come against him, that hee served an Idoll, after they have dispatched him, they put him apart. If all the Idolaters be found the lesser number, they stone them to death, and the rest of the citie is delivered. If they be found the greater number, they carry them up to the high Court, and give sentence there against them. Maim. treat of Idolat. c. 4. s. 3. 6.
Vers. 15. smite the inhabitants] the Greeke saith, kill all the inhabitants with the slaughter of the sword: which is to bee understood, if they bee all found guilty: as they say, They kill with the sword all that have served (the Idoll;) and smite every soule, men, women, and children, if all (the citie) bee thrust away. If the Idolaters be found the greater number, they smite all the little ones, and women of the Idolaters with the edge of the sword. And whether the whole, or the most part, be thrust away, they stone to death those that did thrust them away. Maim. ibid. s. 6. utterly destroying] with a curse or execration: after the Greeke version, anathematizing. Of such the Hebrews say, The men of the citie drawne away (to Idolatry) have no part in the world to come, (that is, in life eternall.) Thalmud. Bab. in Sanhedrin, c. Chelek. the cattell] and of the cattell that is killed, it … forbidden to make any profit (or use) of them, even as of the Oxe that is stoned. Maimony in Idolatry, c. 4 s. 13.
Vers. 16. all the spoile of it] This the Hebrews understand largely, whether they be the goods of the idolaters, or of the other that fell not unto idolatry: for so they write; The goods of the just men that are within it, if they be the rest of the inhabitants of that citie, which are not drawne away with the multitude, they are burnt with the generall spoile: for as much as they dwell therein, their goods perish. A company of passengers from place to place, if they passe thorow a citie so drawne away, and be drawne away with it; if they have continued in it thirty daies, they are killed with the sword, and their goods perish; if not, they are stoned to death, and their goods are to their heires. The goods of the men of another citie reserved therein, are not burned, but returned to the owners; for it is said, The spoile of it, and not the spoile of their neighbours. The goods of the wicked men of that citie, which are reserved in another citie, if they be gathered together with it, are burnt in the generall: if not, they perish not, but are given to their heires. The holy things within it, such as are sanctified for the Altar, doe die; for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. Things sanctified to the maintenance of the Temple, are redeemed, and afterward burnt: for it is said, the spoile of it, not the spoile of heaven. The first-borne, and the tithe that are perfect, are as the holy things of the Altar, and dye: such as are blemished, are as the common cattell, and are killed, &c. The second tithes, and the money of the second tithes, and the holy Scriptures that are within (the citie) are laid up in store. Maimon. in Idolat. chap. 4. sect. 7. 9, 10, 15. every whit] The Hebrew Calil here used is sometime an whole burnt offering, Levit. 6. 22. Deut. 33. 10. Hereupon the Hebrewes say, Who so executeth judgment upon the citie drawne away (to Idols) loe he offereth the burntoffering Calil; as it is written, every whit (Calil) to the LORD thy God: neither that onelyonly, but turneth away burning anger from Israel, (Deut. 13. 17.) and bringeth a blessing and mercies upon them. Maim. in Idolat. c. 4. s. 16. an heape] the Greek translateth, uninhabited; the Chaldee, a desolate heape. The Hebrewes say, Whosoever buildeth it, is to be beaten: but it is lawfull to turne it into Gardens or Orchards; for it is said, it shall not be built againe; not built for a citie, as it was before. Maim. ibid. s. 8.
Vers. 17. not cleave to thy hand] that is, thou shalt not make any profit or use to thy selfe of any of the goods of the citie. Compare the example of Iericho, Ios. 6. 17. &c. and see the annotations on Deut. 7. 26. from the burning] the Chaldee expoundeth it, from the strength; the Greeke, from the wrath of his anger, which oftentimes is kindled, not onelyonly against the sinners themselves, but all Israel for their sakes, as Ios. 7. 1. 11, 12. and 22. 17. 18, 20.
Vers. 18. obey] or hearken to the voice; in Chaldee, shalt receive the word of the Lord. that which is right in the eies] which the Greeke expoundeth, That which is good and pleasing before the Lord.