A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. THou ſhalt not ſee thy brothers ox or his …heep go aſtray and hide thy ſelf from them, &c.]
That is, thou ſhalt not upon any pretence withhold thine help, yea though he be thine enemy; for that is alſo expreſſed, Exod. 23. 4. If thou meet thine enemies ox or his aſſe going aſtray, thou ſhalt ſurely bring it back to him again: and hereby we are taught that much more we muſt perform this office of love to our brethren, even to ſeek the converſion of them that are out of the way▪ James 5. 19, 20. Brethren, if any of you do erre from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know that he which converteth a ſinner from the crrour of his way ſhall ſave a ſoul from death, and hide a multitude of ſinnes.
Verſ. 2. And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, &c.]
Here two caſes are reſolved that might be queſtioned, to wit, what they were to do in caſe the owners of ſuch cattel as they found going aſtray did either dwell farre off from them, or were altogether unknown to them; and the anſwer is▪ that in ſuch caſes they were to drive the cattel home to their own houſes till the owners did fetch them away: and ſo in caſe they knew the owners, it muſt needs alſo be implyed, that they were to ſend them word of the cattel they had taken up, though they dwelt farre off; but if they knew not the owners, then indeed they were to keep them till the owners themſelves did ſeek out for them.
Verſ. 5. The woman ſhall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man▪ &c.]
Under this all manlineſſe is forbidden in women, and all effeminateneſſe in men, either in their attire, or in the ordering of their hair; of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 1. Cor. 11. 4—14. or any thing of like nature▪ as that, 1. Cor. 14. 34. Let your women keep ſilence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak.
Verſ. 7. But thou ſhalt in any wiſe let the▪ damme go, and take the young to thee, &c.]
The end of this law was firſt, to teach them alwayes in the leaſt things to have reſpect to the publick good, and to preferre that before their own private ſatisfaction, as here they were forbidden to deſtroy the damme when it was breeding time, becauſe ſhe might ere long have other young ones, and ſo might ſtill continue the ſtore of birds for the good of others; and ſecondly, to ſhew them how well God was pleaſed that his people ſhould be mercifull and pitifull, and how …e ab…orred all cruelty and hardheartedneſſe, in that he would not allow them to kill the damme when they took away her egges, or her young ones, becauſe this might ſeem a kind o… cruelty and unmercifulneſſe towards the poore creature▪ that did ſu…fer enough already in the loſſe of her young ones, that were ſo precious to her.
Verſ. 8. When thou buildest a new houſe, then thou ſhalt make a battlement for thy roof.]
The houſes of the Iſraelites were alwayes built flat on the tops, and ſo they uſed to be much on the tops of their houſes, both to recreate themſelves there▪ and for many other occaſions. Whence is that of our Saviour, Matth. 10. 27. What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the houſe tops. Here therefore they are enjoyned alwayes to make battlements round about their houſe tops, to prevent the caſuall falling of any body from thence; and conſequently alſo under this one particular they were enjoyned to prevent, what in them lay, all occaſions of bloudſhed, or of any other evil, that through their default might redound unto their brethren.
Verſ. 9. Thou ſhalt not ſow thy vineyard with divers ſeeds, &c.]
The main and principall end of this, and the two following laws againſt plowing with an ox and an aſſe, and againſt wearing garments of linſey-wolſey, was I conceive, one and the ſame, to wit, to teach them what exact p…rity and ſincerity God required in them that were his peculiar people, and how hatefull to God all mixtures were in ſpirituall things. There was not in it ſelf any evil at all in wearing a garment made of linen and wollen together, nor was it a matter of any great moment in it ſelf▪ whether they ſowed a field with pure wheat, or with wheat and ri… mingled together, as we do now in many places. But thus was the Lord pleaſed, under the…e outward elements, to teach them matters of greater moment: for whileſt the Lord would not allow them any mixture in ſuch ſlight and trivi…ll things as theſe, hereby they were led, as it were by the hand, to con…der how much more hatefull to God all mix…ures were in matters of greater moment, as in religion and in the duties of his worſhip, and how ſtrictly the Lord required that they ſho…ld keep them…elves to the purity and ſimplicity of his word, without mingling any thing of their own inventions through curioſity or a perverſe imitation of the ſtrange … of o…her nations, which he had not enjoyned them. If they might not ſow a field …ith mingled ſeeds, much leſſe might they teach the truth of God mixt with any errour; if they might not wear a linſey-wolſey garment, m…ch leſſe m…y we think to cloth our ſouls in caſe of juſtification, with Chri…s righteouſneſſe and our own▪ G…l. 2. 16. yea all hypocriſy and whatever was not pure and ſincere was hereby condemned. And this, I ſay, was the main and principall drift of theſe laws. Now in this particular law concerning their vineyards, there are two things that are farther queſtionable, to wit firſt, what is meant here by ſowing a vineyard with divers ſeeds; & ſec…ndly, what that reaſon is that is here given for this law, lest the fruit of thy ſeed which thou hast ſown, and the fruit of thy v…neyard, be deſiled. And in anſwer hereto, for the firſt, we muſt know that by divers ſ…eds here is meant any ſeeds different or divers from that of the vine. I know that ſome Expoſi…o…rs hold▪ that …he ſowing of mingled ſeeds, as of wheat and barley, in the void and empty ground betwixt the rows of the vines there planted, is onelyonly here forbidden, and that the Iſraelites might lawfully ſow any one ſort of ſeed betwixt the rows of their vines, ſo they ſowed no more. But this was ſufficiently forbidden in that former law, Levit. 19. 19. Thou ſhalt not ſow thy field with mingled ſeed; and beſides the reaſon that is here given for this prohibition is not that the m…ngling of divers ſeeds might be prevented, but the mingling of the fruit of any ſe…d with the fruit of the vine. And therefore I conceive that the ſowing of any ſeed together with their vines is here ſorbidden; and indeed becauſe the rea…on here given for this law is, that the fruit of their ſeed ſowen and the fruit of their vines might not be mingled together, and ſo be defiled, it is worth our conſidering whether this be not meant rather of the ſeed of fruit-trees then of corn and herbs, the fruit whereof was not likely to be mingled with that of the vine: and thus as in that law, Levit. 19. 19. the ſowing of ſeverall kinds of grain in one field was forbidden, ſo here the ſowing of the ſeed of other fruit-trees together with the vine. As for the reaſon here annexed to this law, lest the fruit of thy ſeed which thou haſt ſown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled, ſome underſtand it thus, leſt the fruit of their ſeed and their vineyard be corrupred and marred, to wit, becauſe whileſt the heart of the earth is ſucked away by too many things ſown or planted in it, neither of them can be good and fair, as they would otherwiſe be, but both are ſpoyled and good for nothing: and thus, they ſay, the Iſraelites were taught to take heed of a covetous and greedy deſire to draw more from the earth then it is well able to bear. But it is better by others underſtood of their being defiled by being mingled together: for as that is ſaid to be pure which is not mixed, as that we call pure wheat, which is not mixed with any other grain; ſo that may be ſaid to be defiled which is mingled, eſpecially being done contrary to Gods law, and ſo rendered unlawfull either in firſtfruits or otherwiſe to be offered to the Lord.
Verſ. 10. Thou ſhalt not plow with an ox and an aſſe together.]
The princ…pall end of this law I have ſhown in the foregoing note upon verſ. 9. But yet there might be other grounds of this law beſides: for firſt, God might have reſpect herein to the good of th…ſe poore creatures, that muſt needs both ſuffer by ſuch unequall yoking, the ox, on whom the whole labour of drawing muſt needs lie for want of another that with equall ſtrength ſhould help forward the work, and the aſſe, by being haled on beyond that which he is able to do: and ſecondly, hereby might alſo be ſignified, both that men ought not to be imployed in thoſe callings for which they are unfit, to the overburdening of others that are joyned with them in that ſervice, and that God will not endure the unequall yoking of his people with infidels, of which the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2. Cor. 6. 14, &c.
Verſ. 11. Thou ſhalt not wear a garment of divers ſorts, as of wollen and li…e…, together.]
See the former note upon verſ. 9.
Verſ. 12. Thou ſh…lt make the fringes upon the foure quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou covereſt thy ſelf.]
Concerning the principall end of theſe fringes, which was to put them in mind of the Lords commandments, ſee the note upon Numb. 15. 38. But beſides, by this preſcr…bing them a faſhion of attire, whereby they might alwayes be known to be Iſraelites, they were taught not to be aſhamed openly to proſeſſe themſelves the people of God: and it might alſo be enjoyned, as ſome think, to prevent any undecency in the diſcovery of their naked skin; for the Iſraelites wore long looſe garments, which being opened below, both behind, and on each ſide, they had foure skirts or quarters, as they are here called, and theſe they were that had a fringe upon them round about, by means whereof there was the leſſe danger of diſcovering their bodyes as they went, which they ſay is implyed in the laſt words of this verſe, wherewith thou covereſt thy ſelf.
Verſ. 15. Then ſhall the father of the damſel and her mother take and bring forth the tokens, &c.]
This was impoſed upon the parents, becauſe the evil of which their daughter was accuſed, if true would be a diſhonour to them, who ought to have been caref…ll guardians of their daughters chaſ…ity: whence it was alſo that if their daughter was found guilty, ſhe was to be ſtoned before the doore of her fathers houſe, verſ. 21, and if innocent, her husband was to pay her father a hundred ſhekels of ſilver, verſ. 19. for the wrong which by this falſe ſlander was done to him.
Verſ. 19. And ſhe ſhall be his wife, he may not put her away all his dayes.]
Which was permitted to other men▪ Deut. 24. 1. When a man hath taken a wi…, and married her, and it come to paſſe that ſhe find no favour in his eyes, becauſe he hath found ſome uncleanneſſe in her; then let him write her a bill of divorceme…, and give it in her hand, and ſend her out of his houſe.
Verſ. 20. But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginitie be not found for the damſel.]
Becauſe in ſome caſes it is found by experience that the tokens of a maids virginitie may fail, and ſo much alſo is acknowledged by the Hebrews themſelves, therefore ſome hold that though the parents could not bring forth the tokens of their daughters virginitie, yet this alone was not ſufficient to prove her guiltie, and make her liable to be ſtoned, unleſſe it were by other circumſtances found to be true, as by the teſtimonie of witneſſes proving that ſhe had no ſickneſſe upon her to hinder the tokens of her virginitie, or ſome ſuch like evidence. But becauſe the words here ſeem not to implie any ſuch thing, I rather think that in thoſe countreys the tokens of a maids virginitie did never fail, and ſo the want of them was taken for a certain proof that the accuſation was true, and ſo the damſel was to be ſtoned: for though in other caſes the fornication of a woman before marriage was not puniſhe… with death, Exod. 22. 16. yet here it was: firſt, becauſe of the great wrong ſhe had done to the man that had married her, pretending to him that ſhe was a virgin, when indeed ſhe was not; and ſecondly, becauſe by the evidence of her own words, wherein ſhe profeſſed her ſelf a virgin when ſhe promiſed him marriage, it muſt needs follow that ſhe was deſiled after ſhe was betrothed to him, and in that caſe her ſinne was adulterie, and to be puniſhed with death.
Verſ. 27. For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damſel cried, &c.]
That is, it muſt be preſumed that ſhe cried. Every one knows that though ſhe were in the ſield, yet ſhe might conſent to that lewdneſſe; but unleſſe that could be proved againſt her, they were bound in charitie to hope and judge the beſt; & ſo accordingly the Scripture ſpeaks of it, as of that they were to take for granted, the betr…thed damſel cried, and there was none to help h…r.
Verſ. 28. If a man find a damſel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, &c.]
Some conceive that this law differeth from that, Exod. 22. 16, 17. becauſe that was for ſuch as conſented being enticed, this ſuppoſeth violent hands laid upon the damſel; but for this ſee the note upon that place in Exodus.
Verſ. 29. Becauſe he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his dayes.]
This libertie afforded or winked at in others, Deut. 24. 1. he muſt not enjoy.