A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 1. THou ſhalt not ſacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bull…ck, or ſheep, wherein is blemiſh, &c.]
See the notes upon Levit. 22. 20, 21.
Verſ. 2. If there be found among you within any of thy gates, &c.]
The ſumme of the law here delivered is this, That if any amongſt them were ſound guilty of idolatry in that they had worſhipped either the ſunne, or the moon, or any of the hoſt of heaven, or conſequently any other creature (for theſe the moſt glorious of Gods creatures are onelyonly mentioned to imply that much leſſe might they worſhip ſtocks and ſtones, or any other creatures) they muſt certainly be ſtoned to death, whether it were man or woman (no pity muſt be ſhown to them for the weakneſſe of their ſex) and the reaſon is implyed in this verſe, becauſe they had wrought wickedneſſe in the ſigh… of the Lord, in tranſgreſſing his covenant: where we muſt note that idolatry is termed a tranſgreſſing of Gods covenant, not onelyonly becauſe it was (as all other ſinnes are) contrary to Gods law, which they had covenanted to obſe…ve and keep; but alſo becauſe therein men did openly as it were renounce God and th… true religion, and chuſe themſelves other gods whom they would ſerve, and therefore this was in a more ſpeciall and …minent manner a tranſgreſſing of the covenant.
Verſ. 4. And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired d…ligently, and behold, it be true, &c.]
This is added both leſt in favour of any man th…y ſhould ſlight a report brought unto them, and not carefully enquire of it; and alſ… leſt they ſhould be too haſty to puniſh men upon uncertain reports.
Verſ. 7. The hands of the witneſſes ſhall be firſt upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.]
The witneſſes were to throw the firſt ſtones at them that were condemned to be ſtoned, which was t… make men the more afraid to bear falſe witneſſe, and that becauſe it was ſuppoſed that men would be afraid after good deliberation to have a hand in killing an innocent man, though in their wrath and fury they might ſpeak that which might tend to the loſſe of his liſe. But then afterwards all the people aſſembled were to have a hand in the ex… cution of him▪ thereby to inure them to be ſervent and zealous in Gods cauſe againſt all thoſe that ſhould deſpiſe and diſr…gard his laws.
Verſ. 8. If there ariſe a matter too hard for thee in judgement, between bloud and blo…d, &c.]
Her…he I…ra…lites were taught what they were to do … queſtion did ari…e concerning any cauſe that was brought before their Ju…ges and Magiſ…rates, in their ſeverall towns and cities, which the magiſtr…tes …re ſo…nd ſo hard that they made a doubt, or were of different j…dgement amongſt t…mſelves, what to determine in it, as between bloud and bloud, that is, in ca…e of bloudſhed, whether it were to be judged wilfull murder, or▪ as we call i…, chance▪medley, and ſo in any other queſtionable cauſe, either concerning any plea about their eſt…es▪ or concerning any ſtroke given, or any other thing of the like n…ture▪ …o wit, that in this caſe they were to go up to the place which God ſhould c…ſe (which was Jeruſalem in after-ages) and there reſort to the pri…ſ…s, as expounders of the law, and to the judge, that is, the j…ge… ▪ the civil Magi…trates, who were judicially to give ſent…nce according to the …i…ſts …po…ition of the law, that ſo by them the matter in queſtion might be d…c…d…: and o… this I conceive that is meant, 2. Chron. 19. 8, 9, 10. Moreover in J…ruſalem di… Jehoſhaphat ſet of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Iſrael▪ for the ju…gement of the Lord, and for controverſies, when they returned to Jeruſalem▪ &c. and that they were appointed to go up unto Jeruſalem with all ſuch cauſ… of great di…icultie, not becauſ… the ſupreme Magiſtrate▪ the Judge or King of Iſta…l, did alway… reſide there▪ but either becauſe this is meant of the Sanhedrim, which was their ſupreme Senate or Councel, conſiſting partly of pri…ſts and partly o… civil Magiſ…rates, to whom all appeals were made, and did therefore alwayes abide at Jer…ſ…lem; or elſe becau…e, if need ſo required, the high pri…ſt was to enquire of the Lord, and to anſwer them after the judgemen… of …rim before the Lord, Numb. 27. 21. and therefore it is ſaid here, verſ. 9. that they ſhould go un…o the prieſts, &c. and enquire, which may be m…ant of the high …i…ſts enquiring for them of the Lord; a priviledge which the Biſhop of Rome cannot challenge for the bringing of all appe…l… to be ſinally determined by him.
Verſ. 10. And thou ſhalt do according to the ſentence which they of that plac… (which the Lord ſhall chooſe) ſh… …ew thee▪ &c.]
Namely, bec…uſe their ſentence was to be according to the La… o… God… verſ. 11. and in c…e of great difficulty to be proved ſo to be by …quiring of the Lord: for we muſt not think the people were bound to reſt in their ſen…ce, if it were clearly contrary to the law of God.
Verſ. 11. Ac…or…ing to the ſenten…e of the Law which they ſhall teach thee, &c.]
Here is methinks a maniſe…t di…e…ence betwixt that which the pri…ſt was to do, and that which the Judge was to do: the prieſts office being m…an… by t…aching the ſentence of the Law, that is, giving the interpretation of it; and the J…dg… by telling them the judgement, that is, giving judgem…nt accordi…g to that which the prieſt had delivered to be the meaning of the Law.
Verſ. 12. And the man that will do p…ſ…mptu…uſly, and w…ll not …ear…n unto the prieſt,—or unto the judge, even that man ſhall die, &c.]
Death is appointed to be inflicted upon him that would not he…ken to the p…ieſt, expounding the Law, or the judge, paſſing ſentence accordingly, to wit, if he p…eſu…ouſly and ſtubbornly oppoſed their judgement, though they proved it never ſo cl…arly o…t of the Law, or eſpecially if the prieſt had …nquir…d of the Lord,
Verſ. 14. When thou art come unto the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee,—and ſhalt ſay, I will ſet a King over me, &c.]
This is ſaid, not as in allowance of their changing the government by judges, which he had erected amongſt them, eſpecially upon this ground, becauſe they would be like other nations; but onelyonly foretelling what they would do, and thereupon preſcribing certain Laws to prevent greater miſchiefs in erecting of a Monarchy amongſt them.
Verſ. 15. Thou ſhalt in any wiſe ſet him King over thee whom the Lord thy God ſhall chooſe, &c.]
The Lord here gives them two rules, to which they ſhould be bound when ever they ſhould deſire to have a King to reigne over them: The firſt is, That they ſhould onelyonly make ſuch a one king as God ſhould chooſe; which was accordingly obſerved partly in Saul, but fully in David, and in his progeny too, in that it was of Gods ordaining that his poſterity ſhould ſucceſſively inherit the kingdome: and this was thus appointed, becauſe the Kings of Judah were to be types of Chriſt; who was choſen of God to be the great King of Iſrael, Pſal. 2. 6. I have ſet my King upon my holy hill of Sion. The ſecond is, That they might onelyonly chooſe one from amongſt their brethren to be their King: and this was, firſt, becauſe ſuch a one was likelieſt to love them, and to be beloved by them, and to rule over them with the more equity and gentleneſſe; and ſecondly, leſt a ſtranger of another nation ſhould bring in ſtrange Laws and cuſtomes, yea and corrupt their religion too; and thirdly, to ſignifie that their promiſed Meſſiah, the Lords Anointed, was to be the ſeed of Abraham according to the fleſh, even one of their own nation.
Verſ. 16. But he ſhall not multiply horſes to himſelf, &c.]
That is, exceſſively, even beyond that which reaſonably the ſtate of a King may require: and this the Lord gives in charge concerning the Kings of Iſrael, firſt, to teach both the King and the people to put their ſole truſt and confidence in God, and not to rely on any outward ſtrength of horſes and chariots, which men having abundance of ſuch military forces are prone to do; ſecondly, that they might not hereby be exalted and puffed up in their minds, even to the deſpiſing and perhaps the oppreſſing of their brethren; and thirdly, that they might not, to maintain the exceſſive charge hereof, be burdenſome to their ſubjects: & herein therefore we may well think that Solomon did not keep ſo cloſe to the rule of Gods word as he ought to have done, in that he had fourty thouſand ſtalls of horſes for his chariots, and twelve thouſand horſemen, 1. Kings. 4. 26. as likewiſe in that he fetcht his horſes out of Egypt, 2. Chron 1. 16. which is expreſſely alſo forbidden here, He ſhall not multiply horſes to himſelf, nor cauſe the people to return to Egypt to the end that he ſhould multiply horſes; and that not onelyonly becauſe Egypt of all the neighbouring countreys was moſt famous for horſes, whence is that, Eſa. 31. 3. The Egyptians are men and not God, and their horſes fleſh and not ſpirit, but a ſo to imply that one reaſon why the Lord forbad their having ſo many horſes was, leſt they ſhould go down into Egypt to procure themſelves horſes.
For as much as the Lord hath ſaid unto you, Ye ſhall henceforth return no more that way.]
That is, ye ſhall no more return to Egypt: for it was not their returning to Egypt by the ſame way they came from thence that was forbidden them, but generally all going back to Egypt; yea, though they w…nt thither, not to dwell and ſojourn there, but onelyonly for trade and merchandiſe; for ſo much this place ſeems to imply. The reaſon of this law ſeems to have been, firſt, that hereby they might be kept from being corrupted there by their idolatry and other foul ſinnes, and from making any wicked leag…e or confed…racy with them; and ſecondly, that hereby they might be ta…ght with ſuch thankfulneſſe to rem…mber their former del…verance from the bondage they endured in that land, as to abhorre the very thought of their going thither again, leſt that ſhould ſeem a contempt of their former eſcape thence, & an unthankfull forgetting that gloriou… deliverance. The greateſt▪ difficultie in theſe words is, what prohibition this is, and when given, whereof Moſes here ſpeaks, The Lord hath ſaid unto you, Ye ſhall henceforth no more return that way. But for this we muſt know, firſt, that though this charge w…re no where formerly given in expreſſe words, yet it was ſufficiently implied, in that God had told them often that he had brought them out of Egypt to plant & ſe…tle them in the land of Canaan▪ and that he had ſo ſharply rebuked them when ever they had made any mention of going back into Egypt; and ſecondly, that theſe words may be underſtood of this charge now at preſent given them. The Lord hath ſaid unto you, Ye ſhall henceforth return no more that way, that is, the Lord hath commanded me now to ſay this unto you, &c.
Verſ. 17. Neither ſ…all he multiply wives to himſelf, that his heart turn not away.]
By this God allows not Princes to have more wives then one▪ ſo they took not too too many; no more then the forbidding of perjury allows all ſwearing when that is true which we ſwear: onelyonly God pitcheth upon the greateſt ſinne, and that whereto kings were uſually enclined, who were wont to abuſe their power in marrying all that pleaſed them, though never ſo many; and a reaſon is added why the King might not marry ſo many wives, to wit, that his heart turn not away, namely, from the Lord unto the pleaſures of life, or unto other Gods (in caſe he ſhould amongſt others marry any idolatrous wives) as it fared with Solomon, 1. Kings 11. 4. This as the chief reaſon is expreſſed in the law, yet withall we may well conceive that God had reſpect alſo herein to the eaſe of the people, that the Kings having ſo many wives and children by them, who muſt be kept after the ſtate of Queens and Princes, might not increaſe the burden of their taxes and impoſitions.
Neither ſhall h… greatly multiply to himſelf ſilver and gold.]
That is, too too exceſſively. Princes above all men have need of a full treaſure, and therefore the Kings of Iſrael are here allowed a moderate care herein: But withall the Lord forbids them a boundleſſe deſire and endeavour to heap up riches, and that leſt ſuch an exceſſive greedineſſe after riches ſhould make them either oppreſſe the people, and heap up gold and ſilver by rapine and unjuſt exactions, or be exalted in their minds becauſe of their great wealth, as indeed it is uſually with men that have ſuch a mighty maſſe of riches, Give me not riches (ſaith Agur, Prov. 30. 8, 9.) leſt I be full, and deny thee, and ſay, Who is the Lord?
Verſ. 18. He ſhall write him a copie of this law in a book, out of that which is before the prieſts, the Levites.]
The originall book of the law was kept in the Sanctuary▪ Deut. 31. 26. Take this book of the Law, and put it in the ſide of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witneſſe againſt thee, 2. Kin. 22 …. And Hilkiah the high prieſt ſaid unto Shaphan the ſcribe, I have found the book of the Law, in the houſe of the Lord. Here therefore God appoints that the King muſt not onelyonly have a copie of this book, but alſo that he muſt either write it himſelf, or cauſe it to be purpoſely written for him out of the originall copie, both that it might be perfect, and alſo that receiving it immediately from the Prieſts and Levites, he might take it, as it were, out of Gods hand, and might be the more carefull to obſerve and obey it in every particular, both for the ordering of his own life, and for the government of the people.