Westminster Annotations, Deuteronomy · Chapter 18 – Chapter 20
CHAP. XVIII.
Vers. 1. MAde by fire] Which were partly burned for Gods glory, and partly reserved for maintenance of the Levites, Levit. 7. 32. 34. as in the right of the Lords inheritance, who hath reserved that portion for the service of himselfe and the sustenance of his servants, Numb. 18. 20. Deut. 10. 9. Josh. 13. 14. 33. Ezek. 44. 28. 1 Cor. 9. 13.
V. 2. the Lord is their inheritance] They must looke to the Lord for their portion, and shall finde it in him by his right in all, and his favour to them, whose riches and beneficence will supply them with maintenance.
V. 3. that offer] That bring a sacrifice, which is to be understood of peace-offerings.
the maw] Or, the breast. As Exod. 29. 27. Levit. 7. 31. Or, the maw with the breast.
V. 7. as his brethren] Though they attend the service of the Sanctuary by course, yet if any would willingly offer his service who was not bound unto it by his turne, he was to be admitted.
V. 8. like portions] For their diet out of the revenues of the Tabernacle, while they attend at it, who at other times were maintained by the tythes: wherein some conceive they that did not performe such a service in the Sanctuary, had neither any sustenance thence, nor so much in tythes as their brethren who underwent the service in their turnes.
sale of his patrimonie] Which he was to keepe; for if hedid not spend the money, he might redeeme it at any time, Levit. 25. 32.
V. 10. passe through the fire] Either as a superstitious purging, by passing betweene two fires, or by an idolatrous sacrificing them to the Idol Molech. See Annot. on Levit. 18. vers. 21.
divination] Taking upon them to foretell things to come, Micah 3. 11. without any ground of reason, or Divine revelation.
observer of times] Superstitiously making difference of dayes or times, good or bad, as lucky or unlucky.
an inchanter] Is such an one as useth songs and verses, or other words or ceremonies to produce supernaturall effects.
V. 11. Or a Charmer] A Charmer is the same in effect with the Inchanter.
a wizard] Is the same with the Diviner.
a Necromancer] One that seeketh to the dead: as 1 Sam. 28.
V. 14. hath not suffered] Heb. It is the Lord thy God hath given thee: that is, Prophets and Instructors to teach thee, that thou maist not need to seeke to Diviners for instruction or direction.
V. 18. a Prophet like] This is meant principally of Christ, Act. 3. 22. betwixt whom and Moses though there are many remarkable conformities, as Numb. 12. 3. Exod. 32. 32. compared with Matth. 11. 29. Joh. 2. 17. & Deut. 5. 5. Gal. 3. 19. with 1 Tim. 2. 5. & Exod. 1. with Matth. 2. yet withall God promiseth here a succession of Prophets before his coming, by whom his people were to be instructed from time to time, so that they should not be affrighted with Gods speaking to them as formerly they had been.
V. 19. I will require it of him] That is, I will call him to an account, and bring him to punishment for it.
V. 22. if the thing follow not] For if the Prophecie were of God, it must needs come to passe, for he cannot lie, nor be deceived; though it follow not to say, the thing is come to passe, therefore it is the Lord that speaketh: for they that use to foretell, may among many untruths light upon some truth: as if a blind man shoot many arrows at a marke, he may sometimes hit it, though it be rather by chance then any good cunning: and sometimes God may for triall, (Chap. 13. 3.) in judgement punishing the people by mis-guidance, suffer it to come to passe. See Annot. on Chap. 13. 2.
not be afraid of him] Though he foretell fearefull things, thou shalt not be afraid of him, since he is a false Prophet, and his predictions shall not take effect.
CHAP. XIX.
Vers. 1. THeir cities] On the other side Jordan: for on the one side there were three appointed before, Chap. 4. v. 41. See Numb. 35. 14.
V. 2. in the midst] That is, within the land, (though not precisely in the midst) so that from all parts there may be convenient recourse to some of them. The three Cities were to be of equall distance one from another, and as it is probably conceived, the distance was triangular thus, like the Capital Greek letter delta Δ.
V. 3. prepare thee a way] For commodious passage unto them; which some thinke was paved, and had markes of direction, that they which fled towards them might not misse their way, nor be hindered, if there were need to make an hastie flight from the pursuit.
every slayer] Which kild against his will, and bare no hatred in his heart before.
V. 4. ignorantly] At unawares, or unwillingly. See Numbers 35.
V. 5. and live] That murder be not committed upon murder, by slaying of him in wrathfull revenge who slew another against his will.
V. 7. for thee] He speaketh to the people as to one man, or to Moses, as in their names, and for their use.
V. 8. enlarge thy coast] When thou goest over Jordan, and art possessed of the whole Land of Canaan.
to give unto thy fathers] Which he promised to thy fathers to give thee, as to Abraham, Gen. 15. 7. to Isaac, Gen. 26. 3. and to Jacob, Gen. 28. 13.
V. 9. If thou keepe] The promise of the Land of Canaan was but conditionall, and therefore if the people did not their part, their failing of possession was not Gods, but their owne fault.
shalt thou adde] In thy enlarged portion, vers. 8. which if it be without the Land of Canaan, the Cities of refuge shall be there: but we read not of those three Cities more added to the former sixe, for the enlargement of the dominion of the Israelites in the time of David and Solomon was not so much in actuall possession, as a tributary dominion: in which case, (if it were none otherwise) the Cities of refuge were of no use to the people of the Jews: nor was this therefore an idle ordinance; for if the people had kept covenant with God, he had enlarged their borders, not onelyonly by conditionall subjection by tribute, but by actuall possession.
V. 11. if any man hate &c.] Numb. 35. 20, 21, &c.
V. 12. of his citie] Not where the man-slayer hath taken Sanctuary for safetie, but where the slaine man dwelt.
V. 13. put away guilt] See Annot. on Chap. 17. 7.
V. 14. land-marke] See Annot. on Chap. 27. 17. Prov. 22. 28. Hos. 5. 10.
V. 15. at the mouth] An Enallage of number: that is, of mouth for mouthes: Or, though severall witnesses, they must agree as if they had but one mouth.
V. 17. before the Lord] Gods presence is where his Ministers are assembled to doe according to his commandements.
CHAP. XX.
Vers. 1. VVHen thou goest] Which is to be understood of a warrantable warre, which requireth a just cause, and lawfull authoritie, and great necessitie, when peace will not be entertained, vers. 12.
V. 2. the Priest] The Priest, though he warred not with his hands, did animate to the battell with his tongue.
V. 4. goeth with you] That is, is present to defend you with his grace and power.
V. 5. not dedicated it] For when they entered first to dwell in an house they gave thankes to God, acknowledging that they had that benefit by his grace, and it may be also feasted with singing of Psalmes at their first possession of it, which was a kind of dedication of it to the use intended. See the title of the thirtieth Psalme.
V. 6. planted a vineyard] Or garden, or any such like thing, which makes men unwilling to goe to warres: for as in all the services done to God, we are to bring a good will to the work; so especially in warre God requireth a most cheerefull and cordiall resolution to fight his battels.
not eaten of it] Heb. not made it common. For the law concerning a vineyard was, that for the first three yeares the fruit of it should not be eaten: the fourth yeare it was offered to God: and the fi…th it was common to the owners and to others. See Levit. 19. 23.
V. 8. faint as well as] Cowardise is catching, especially in such as should be leaders unto others; in so much that some hold that an army of Harts led by a Lion would be more valourous and victorious then an army of Lions led by an Hart.
V. 10. proclaime peace] For though nothing seeme more contrary to peace then warre; yet warre is not to be undertaken if peace may be obtained without it: and the end of war should be peace; and therefore David enquiring of Uriah concerning Joab his army, and the warre; asked him of the peace of the warre; so it is in the Originall, 2 Sam. 11. 7. But this is not to be understood of the Cities of the Land of Canaan, for they were to be more severely dealt withall, vers. 16, 17. and for shewing them more favour Israel is blamed, Judg. 1. 28. but of Cities without the Land of promise, vers. 15.
V. 14. women, and the little ones] The weaknesse of the sex in the one, and of age in the other, made them objects of compassion; when men, who were more able for doing, were more obnoxious to the suffering of violence; yet sometimes the slaughter was to be generall, when God did particularly prescribe it, women and children not excepted, Josh. 6. 21.
V. 15. Thus shalt thou doe] In sparing women and children, and taking the spoile, as vers. 14.
of these nations] Which are after mentioned, vers. 16, 17.
V. 16. save alive nothing] If they refuse conditions of peace, when they are tendered unto them; this slaughter is to be understood, not of beasts, but of mankinde, Josh. 11. 14.
V. 17. the Hittites] See Annot. on Chap. 7. vers. 1.
V. 19. is mans life] This is spoken of the fruitfull tree, which ministred food for mans sustenance; and so is called mans life by a figure called a Metonymie, whereby the cause is put for the effect.