Westminster Annotations, Deuteronomy · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
THis Chapter is for the materiall contents of it much like the 26. of Leviticus, the clearing whereof, may be a sparing of some labour in the expounding of this.
Vers. 2. overtake thee] If thou be diligent in hearing, and constant in doing of the will of God out of pure love to him, though thou hast no mind of the reward, but shouldest rather runne from it, then aime at it, or labour for it; blessings should follow thee so fast, as to be sure to overtake thee.
V. 7. seven wayes] That is, many wayes; a certaine number for an uncertaine; as vers. 25.
V. 8. command the blessing] We obtaine blessings by intreaty, but God bestoweth them by command, since the creatures can no more resist his power in their use, then in their essence, when at first he commanded their being.
V. 10. the Name of the Lord] That is, the Lords children, as Chap. 14. 1. Or, his peculiar people, Chap. 26. 18.
afraid of thee] The holy league betwixt God and his people, is matter of terrour to those, who otherwise would be a terrour to them. See Exod. 23. 22.
V. 12. treasure, the heaven] Heaven is the treasure of every blessing; even those which are most earthly, have their Originall from thence.
V. 13. and not the taile] A proverbiall speech importing high preheminence, or a security from contempt.
V. 15. not hearken] To hearken is more then to heare, for that compehendeth hearing with attention, and with a ready disposition to actuall obedience.
V. 20. perish quickly] Plagues shall come on apace, treading on the feet of one another, like Jobs messengers, making haste to make thee quickly miserable many wayes. See Job Chap. 1.
V. 23. brasse] See Annot. on Levit. 26. 19.
V. 24. powder and dust] That is, in stead of raine; by exceeding great drought graines of dust shall ascend into the aire with the winde, and come downe as the drops of raine in a shower when it is kindly weather.
V. 26. carkasse] Thou shalt be cursed both in thy life, and in thy death, and after it, for thy buriall is a testimony of the resurrection, which signe for thy wickednesse thou shalt want, being left a prey to be devoured by the fowles of the aire, and the beasts of the earth.
V. 27. botch of Egypt] See Exod. 9. 9.
Emerods] A disease proceeding principally of the excesse, and malignitie of melancholy bloud in the heads of the veines of the fundament, which sometimes bleed, and sometimes gather into knots with a painfull swelling, called by some the Piles.
V. 29. grope at noone day] In things evident and cleare, thou shalt lack discretion and judgement to doe what is best, or to prevent, and avoid the worst.
V. 32. to another people] Carried captive to another Nation, vers. 41.
V. 32. thine eyes shall looke] When they shall returne from their captivitie.
V. 36. and thy King] As he did Manasseh, Joachim, Zedekiah, and others; for they have no more priviledge to offend, nor protection from punishment, then their meanest subjects.
serve other Gods] There is no God but one, Isa. 44. 8. the maker of all things; but there are many gods made by the fond fancies of men, these they shall be made to serve, either blinded in their understandings, or forced against their consciences. See Dan. 3. 19, &c.
V. 40. cast his fruit] It shall perish before it come to maturitie.
V. 42. locust consume] Under one kinde is contained all the vermine which destroy the fruit of the land, which sometimes succeed and prey upon the leavings of each other; as Joel 1. 4.
V. 43. very high] Heb. high, high.
very low] Heb. low, low.
V. 44. and thou the taile] See Annot. on vers. 13.
V. 46. for a signe] Of Gods great indignation, which shall be evident upon thee.
for a wonder] That a people once so happy in Gods favour, should be so unwise and wicked as to deserve so great a change.
V. 49. as the Eagle flyeth] With swiftnesse of her wings, greedinesse of prey, without any respect or pity: such were their enemies mentioned, Jer. 4. 13. Lam. 4. 19. & Ezek. 17. 3. See Dan. 7. 4.
V. 53. the fruit of thine owne body] See Levit. 26. 29.
V. 55. not give to any of them] That is, neither to his brother, nor to his wife, nor to a remnant of his children, whom yet he hath not eaten.
V. 57. betweene her feet] See Annot. on Gen. 49. 10.
V. 58. to doe all] For he that willingly offendeth in one point, is guilty of all; because in a willing breach of one he contemns the Authour of the Law; and he that contemns him in one point, obeyes him not in any, James 2. 10. For though he observe the matter of the Law, he doth it for some other reason, then the Word, or Law of God, and so to him it is no obedience.
fearefull Name] The name of God is sometimes put for God himselfe; as Psal. 20. 1. so here.
V. 61. not written] Though God hath threatened many sorts of punishments in expresse termes, yet he hath many more plagues in store, then are committed to record, or writing.
V. 63. rejoyce over you to destroy] Not as a worke of misery to the creature, Ezek. 33. 11. but as an execution of justice upon the sinner.
V. 64. serve other gods] See Annot. on vers. 36.
V. 68. with ships] In mentioning Ships, he gives them occasion to remember their passage through the Sea without Ships, by Gods miraculous making of the water to give way unto them, Exod. 14. 21, 22. 29. and to stand as a wall on each side their passage, and afterward to turne, and overwhelme their enemies. This mention of Ships by Moses confutes the fiction of them who faine there were no Ships until about fourty yeares before the last Trojan warres, which is later then this record of Moses by above two hundred yeares: and although this be a prophecie for after-times, he speaketh of Ships as things then known to those, to whom he spake.
by the way whereof I spake] That is, that miraculous way foretold by God, and fore-mentioned by Moses, Exod. 14. 16. thou shat not goe that way nor shalt see that way any more; for that is covered with the Sea, which no more shall be divided to shew the bare ground for thy passage, as once it did. Or, no more that long and winding way by many turnings and changes to and fro, backward or forward in the wildernesse; and when many hundreds of yeares after the Jewes (upon the taking of Jerusalem by the Romanes) were sold captives many wayes, and some were carried into Egypt partly by Ships, partly by the way of the wildernesse; yet was not their passage in the same road or way whereby they passed out of Egypt towards Canaan.
sold] That is, set to sale, and they shall be so vile, and contemptible, that none shall bid any money for them: or, they shall be sold, and none shall buy them againe by way of redemption; and hereof read Josephus of the warres of the Jews, lib. 17. cap. 16.