A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Verſ. 1. YE are the children of the Lord your God.]
This is prefixed as a reaſon why they ſhould carefully obſerve, as all the commandments of God, ſo more eſpecially theſe that are here preſcribed: for being the children of God, and ſo conſequently heirs of eternall ſalvation, it was fit that they ſhould be very carefull that they did nothing that might diſhonour their father, or diſparage themſelves; and therefore not to mourn as men without hope, nor to conform themſelves to heathens, from whom God had ſeparated them.
Ye ſhall not cut your ſelves, nor make any baldneſſe between your eyes for the dead.]
That is, in the fore-part of your heads, juſt over the ſpace that is between your eyes. See the notes upon Levit. 21. 5. and 19. 27, 28.
Verſ. 3. Thou ſhalt not eat any abominable thing, &c.]
See the notes on the 11. chapter of Leviticus.
Verſ. 13. And the glede, &c.]
This bird is not mentioned in the 11. of Leviticus, but is comprehended under others of the ſame kind that are there named.
Verſ. 21. Thou ſhalt give it unto the ſtranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it, &c.]
Not the proſelyte or ſtranger joyned to the Church, for ſuch were bound to keep the whole law, and this in ſpeciall, Levit. 17. 15. but the ſtranger of anothe… religion, who onelyonly ſojourned amongſt them.
Verſ. 22. Thou ſhalt truly tithe all the increaſe of thy ſeed, &c.]
There was a tithe payed every yeare to the Levites in the ſeverall places of their habitation, Numb. 18. 24. and there was likewiſe another tithe (as was noted before on chap. 12. 6.) which the owners carried yearly with them to Jeruſalem, and was ſpent there in holy feaſting before the Lord. Either therefore theſe words in the 22. verſe, Thou ſhalt truly tithe all the m…r…aſe of thy ſeed that thy field bringeth forth year by year, are meant of the firſt of theſe tithes payed to the Levi…e…, and then thoſe that follow verſe 23. And thou ſhalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he ſhall …ooſe to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oyl, are meant of the ſecond tithe ſpent in their holy feaſts; or if both ver…es are meant of one and the ſame tithe, then doubtleſſe they are both meant of the ſecond tithe: for neither vv…re the firſt tithes carried up to Jeruſalem, nor had the owners any power to eat of them.
Verſ. 23. And thou ſhalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place which he ſhall chooſe, &c.]
The tithes, here appointed to be eaten by the people in the place which God ſhould chooſe, cannot be meant of the tithes which were yearly paid to the Levites. Numb. 18. 24. but were a ſecond tithe, as is ſhown in the foregoing note; and the like muſt be held concerning the firſtlings of their herds and ſlocks here mentioned, of which ſee the note upon ch…p. 12. 17. As for the laſt clauſe of the verſe, where a reaſon is rendered why the Lord did enjoyn them to go up to the place which he ſhould chooſe, and there to fea…t together with theſe their holy things, namely, that they might learn to fear the Lord their God alwayes, the ground of this may be 1. Becauſe the very preſenting of themſelves thus yearly before the Lord with their ſacrifices and offerings muſt needs be of it ſelf a good means to keep their hearts in a continuall aw and reverence of God; and 2. becauſe when they went up to Gods holy place, the Prieſts were wont to inſtruct them in the law and the pro…iſes conc…ning the Meſſiah (according to the diſpenſation of thoſe darker times) and in their ſacrifices they beheld a ſhadow of their redemption by him, all which muſt needs conduce much to teach them to fear the Lord their God.
Verſ. 24. And if the way be too long for thee, ſo that thou art not able to carry it, &c.]
In theſe words there is an exception added to the former law, to wit, that in caſe they dwelt very farre from the houſe of God, and their tithes and firſtlings were ſo much in quantitie that they could not well carry them ſo farre (which to imply that clauſe is added in the end of this verſe, when the Lord thy God hath bleſſed thee) then they might ſell theſe things, and c…rry the money with them, and buy therewith what they were to uſe there.
Verſ. 28. At the end of three years thou ſhalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increaſe the ſame year, &c.]
Here is expreſſe mention made of a third ſort of tithe, different from tho…e two before mentioned, verſ. 22, and 23. For 1. this was onelyonly paid every third year, to wit, each third year after the Sabbaticall year, when the land lay at reſt, and ſo there was then no tithe paid at all, but all things were common, Exod. 23. 10, 11. And 2. this was for another ſervice: the firſt of thoſe tithes mentioned before were wholly the Levites portion, and therefore often called, the Lords inheritance, and the ſecond or the price of them was carried up by the owners to the Lords dwelling place, and ſpent in holy feaſting before the Lord, but this now was laid up in ſome publick place in the towns and cities where they dwelt, and was not onelyonly for the uſe of the Levites, but alſo for the ſtranger, the fatherleſſe, and the widow, &c. as is expreſſed here, verſ. 29. So that it ſeems whereas the two firſt years after the Sabbaticall year there were two tithes onelyonly ſeparated from their eſtates, the firſt for the Levites, the ſecond to be ſpent in holy feaſting before the Lord, on the third year they ſeparated a third tithe, which was for the poore in the places where they dwelt; and ſo again the two next years they ſeparated onelyonly the two firſt tithes, and then on the third year three tithes again, and ſo then the next year was again the Sabbaticall year. I know there are many Expoſitours hold that the tithe here mentioned, which was at the end of three years laid up for the poore, was the very ſame tithe which the two years before the owners ſpent in holy feaſting: the third year, they ſay, this ſecond tithe was not carried up to Jeruſalem to be ſpent in their holy feaſts there, but it was laid up at home for the uſe of the poore. But two arguments may be brought againſt this opinion from a following paſſage concerning the third years tithes, chap. 26. 12. which cannot well be anſwered. The firſt is, that this third year is there called the year of tithing, there being no probable reaſon that can be given why that year ſhould be called peculiarly the year of tithing, but onelyonly this, becauſe that year they ſeparated three tithes from their eſtates, one more then on other years: If the tithes on this third year laid up for the poore were the ſame which the two former years they had ſpent in holy feaſting, then did they ſeparate no more tithes this third year then on other years; and vvhy then ſhould it be called the year of tithing? The ſecond argument is, that on this third year every man vvas to go up to Jeruſalem, and there to make a ſolemn pro…eſſion that he had faithfully paid all his tithes; and it is no vvay probable that vvhen he vvent up to Jeruſalem to make this ſolemn profeſſion he ſhould not then carry vvith him thoſe ſecond tithes vvhichwhich vvere to be ſpent in holy ſeaſting before the Lord, When, ſaith Moſes, thou haſt made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increaſe, the third year, which is the year of tithing▪ and haſt given it unto the Levites, the stranger, the fatherleſſe, and the widow, then thou ſhalt ſay before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine houſe, and alſo have given them unto the Levi…, and unto the ſtranger, &c. and indeed vvhat vvere thoſe hallowed things vvhichwhich he had brought with him out of his houſe, if they vvere not that ſecond tithe vvhichwhich vvas to be ſpent in holy feaſting before the Lord? and therefore doubtleſſe this third year they ſeparated three ſeverall tithes from their increaſe, the firſt vvhichwhich vvas the Levites yearly livelyhood, the ſecond vvhichwhich they carried up vvith them to Jeruſalem, therewith to feaſt before the Lord, and the third which was laid up for the poor e.