Westminster Annotations, Deuteronomy · Chapter 6 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VI.
Vers. 1. DOe them] See Annot. on Chap. 4. vers. 1.
V. 2. feare] A reverend feare of God is the the first beginning to keep his Commandements, Eccles. 12. 13.
I command thee] That is, God: for, though Moses spake sometimes in the third person of God, yet he often useth the first, as if God himselfe spake; from whom, and in whose nam… he giveth the charge unto the people.
prolonged] Chap. 5. 16. & 22. 7. Exod. 20. 12. Pro. 3. 2. 1 Pet. 3. 10.
V. 4. one Lord] One in the substance of the Deitie (though three in the Persons of the Trinitie): and therefore being one Lord to all, he alone is to be worshipped by all in one way and forme of worship: and though but one, he must be loved and served with all the heart, soule and might of every man, as in the next verse: and all that is too little for so great and good a a God, though it be a great deale more then we can performe, Chap. 4. 35. Zach. 14. 9. Mar. 12. 29. Joh. 17. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 4. 6. Ephes. 4. 5.
V. 5. with all thine heart] See the precedent Annot. and the Annot. on Chap. 4. 29. Gen 31. 6.
V. 6. teach them] Or, whet them; that is, sharpen them, so that they may make the deeper impression in the minds and hearts of the hearers, Chap. 4. 9. Exod. 13. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 13.
V. 7. talke of them when] Holy discourse is never out of season.
V. 8. frontlets] Which are not (as some expound) to be taken literally, but parabolically, with this meaning, that we should as much remember and minde the Law of God, as if it were written in frontlets on the forehead, and bracelets on the armes; though the Jewes, the Pharisees especially, followed the literall sense, Matt. 23. 5. See Annot. on Exod. 13. 16. Pro. 3. 3. & 6. 21. & 7. 3.
V. 9. * write them] * Chap. 11. 20.
V. 10. * cities, which, &c.] * Josh. 24. 13. Neh. 9. 25. Psal. 105. 44.
V. 12. * Then beware] Let not wealth and ease cause thee to forget Gods mercies, whereby thou wast delivered out of miserie.
* Chap. 8. 11. Prov. 30. 9.
V. 13. * serve the Lord] * Matth. 4. 10. & Luk. 4. 8.
sweare by] We must fear God, and serve him onelyonly, and confesse his Name, which is done by swearing lawfully, Jer. 4. 2. And when swearing is lawfull, then to sweare by any other name then Gods, is unlawful.
V. 16. tempt the Lord] By making doubt, or tryall of his presence, wisdome, power, and providence, without warrant from his revealed will; or, by provoking him to wrath by your unbeliefe and murmurings, as formerly you have done.
V. 17. * diligently] * Chap. 11. 22. Psal. 119. 4.
Testimonies] His Lawes by which he hath testified his will concerning thine obedience to him.
Statutes] The same Lawes ratified by his authoritie for rules of obedience, with commination of penaltie to those that disobey them.
commanded thee] This verse beginneth in the plurall number, but endeth in the singular, that every one should make application of generall precepts to himselfe.
V. 18. sight of the Lord] We must doe not what seemeth good in our owne eyes, but what is good in Gods sight, Chap. 12. vers. 8, 21, 25.
V. 20. * when thy sonne] * Exod. 12. 26. & 13. 14.
V. 21. * mightie hand] * Exod. 3. 19. & 13. 3.
V. 23. and brought us] The more we receive of Gods benefits, the more are we bound to his obedience, Luk. 12. 48.
V. 24. for our good] Our conformitie to the Law of God doth him no good, Job 35. 7. Though the law be his, the benefit of obedience is ours; and the more constant it is, the more beneficiall, Prov. 9. 12.
V. 25. our righteousnesse] So it should be if we could exactly keepe the Law, Rom. 10. 5. but because we cannot, we must betake our selves for refuge to the righteousnesse of faith, ver. 6. and so be saved, not by our owne justice, but by Gods mercy for Christs merits, as divers Translations render it, He will be mercifull unto us, Chap. 24. 13.
CHAP. VII.
Vers. 1. SEven nations] In the 33. of Exodus, vers. 2. and Deut. 20. 17. sixe onelyonly are named, the Gergashite being omitted; and in the 15. of Gen. vers. 19, &c. are named ten: the Hivites omitted, and the Kenites, Kenezites, Kadmonites, and Rephaims added: the reason of which difference may be, that one part of the people might have severall names, and severall parts of them might be comprehended under one name; or, sometimes generall names, sometimes particular might be mentioned.
V. 2. make no covenant] Heb. Cut no Covenant. See Gen. 15. 17, 18. Jer. 34. 18. No covenant of cohabitation in the same countrey; much lesse of marriage, unlesse they be converts to the true Religion, See Exod. 34. 15, 16. 1 King. 11. 2. Ezra 9. vers. 2. 12. Nehem. 13. 23. Judg. 3. 6, 7. & 14. 2, 3.
V. 4. * turne away, &c.] * 1 King. 11. 2. Neh. 13. 26.
V. 5. destroy] God would have his service pure without any pollution of superstition and Idolatry, vers. 25. & Chap. 12. 2, 3. Exod. 23. 24. & 34. 13.
V. 7. fewest] Before God had made a miraculous multiplication of you from those few which were of your posteritie of Jacob, See Chap. 10. vers. 22.
V. 8. loved] You freely, finding no cause in you more then in others so to doe, Chap. 10. 15. 1 Sam. 12. 22. 2 Sam. 22. 20. Psal. 44. 3. Zeph. 3. 17.
V. 9. * to a thousand generations] * Chap. 5. 9, 10. Exod. 20. 5, 6.
V. 10. to his face] The words are doubled for assurance that God will so apparently take vengeance of his enemies, that they shall plainly perceive (as they doe a thing set before their face) he doth it; and that he doth it for their wickednesse, as in that example of the idolaters and of the lusters after flesh, Numb. 11. and of Corah and his company, Chap. 16. Exod. 32.
V. 12. mercy] This Covenant is grounded upon his free grace: therefore in recompencing their obedience he hath respect to his own mercy, not to their merits, Chap. 28. 1. Levit. 26. 3.
V. 13. the fruit of] By multiplying thy posteritie, and withholding the mishaps of abortion, and feeble and deformed births, Deut. 28. vers. 4.
V. 15. * all sicknesse, &c.] * Exod. 23. 25. Psal. 105. 37.
V. 16. no pity] We ought not to be mercifull where God commandeth severitie: for such a mercy to others would prove a crueltie to their own souls that use it.
V. 18. remember, &c.] Psal. 77. 11.
V. 19. temptations] The tryals of their faith and obedience were very great, and such as required miracles to uphold them from falling from God, and to scourge and recover them when they were fallen, Chap. 4. 34. & 29. 3.
so shall] This is to be referred to the precedent verse, concerning the destruction of Pharaoh and his people, meaning they shall be overcome as well as they were, though not with so many works of wonder.
V. 20. hornet] The smaller creatures shall be armed against the enemies of God, and of his people, and shall subdue them as well as the greater.
V. 21. * among you] * Exod. 17. 7.
V. 22. lest the beasts] So that it is for your commoditie that God accomplisheth not his promise so soone as you wish.
V. 23. untill they be destroyed] That is, destroyed utterly.
V. 24. destroy their name] So, as their name shall be buried in oblivion, or, if it be mentioned, it shall be but as the stirring of a sepulchre, which will raise an offensive fume.
V. 25. an abomination] A thing that the Lord doth loath and abhorre, as he doth all sinnes, though one sinne more then another, idolatry especially.
CHAP. VIII.
Vers. 1. OBserve to do] See Annot. on Chap. 4. 1.
V. 2. to prove thee] See Annot. on Exod. 16. 4. vers. 16. of this Chapter.
V. 3. * but by every word] Not by the ordinary way of provision, wherein mans providence is exercised onelyonly, a… in preparing of bread, (the principall substance of his Table) but in roome thereof, either Gods word or command will make a miraculous supply of food, as by Quailes and Manna, and that without any meanes at all; his word, that is, his will, made as readily and evidently known by his powerfull worke, as a mans minde by his word, will support a mans life: and when a man hath meat, it is the vertue of that word and power of his that nourisheth, else it would be more likely to choake then to feed; but his word of command would soften stones into dough and make poyson to be both meat and medicine, * See Matth. 4. 4. Luke 4. 4. Mark. 16. 18.
V. 4. thy raiment] Besides the provision of apparell which they had of their own, they were furnished with many suits of severall sizes for themselves and their children by borrowing of the Egyptians, Exod. 3. 22. & Chap. 12. 35. These being by a Divine power preserved from decay, some conceive the garments of thriving children or young men miraculously grew up with their persons: But it is more like that many of different ages and statures, dying their garments were kept for, and used by such as succeeded in the same measure; for we must not multiply miracles without necessitie; where one is mentioned (as the preserving of clothes without decay) there is no need nor ground for God to make, or man to imagine any more.
V. 5. chasteneth his sonne] God sheweth his love as well by afflictions, as by apparent favours; as a man sheweth love to his sonne, as well by providing Physick for him in his sicknesse, as food in his health, Heb. 12. 6. and his chastening of his children is for their correction and amendment; not as the punishments of the wicked, for their ruine and destruction. 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psal. 89. 32. Prov. 3. 11, 12. Revel. 3. 19.
V. 6. * feare] Chap. 6, 2. 13. & 10. 12.
V. 7. * bringeth thee, &c.] * Chap. 6. 10, 11. & 11. 10, 12.
V. 9. stones] That is, store of Mines of iron and brasse, Chap. 33. 25. Job 28. 2.
V. 10. shalt blesse] For to receive Gods blessings and not to be thankfull, is to contemn God in them; and we must not onelyonly conclude our refreshings with thanksgiving, but pray for a blessing before the use of them. See 1 Tim. 4. 5. Rom. 14. 6.
V. 12. and art full, &c.] Chap. 28. 47. & 31. 20. & 32. 15. Prov. 30. 9.
V. 14. lifted up] By ascribing Gods benefits to thine own power, or care, or skill, boasting as if thou hadst them of thy selfe, without receiving them from God, 1 Cor. 4. 7. or, as if for some worthinesse in thee God had been so bountifull unto thee, Hos. 13. 6.
V. 15. terrible wildernesse] See Annot. on Chap. 1. vers. 19. Chap. 32. 10. Psal. 136. 16. Hos. 13. 5.
V. 16. to doe thee good] Jer. 24. 5. Heb. 12. 10, 11.
V. 19. if thou doe] The word [thou] taken distributively in the beginning of this verse amounts to a collective sense, and is as much as [yee] in the end of it.