A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Verſ. 1. HE that is wounded in the ſtones, &c.]
By the following laws in the beginning of this chapter certain men are diſabled for being admitted into the congregation of the Lord, that is, as moſt Expoſitours do moſt probably underſtand it, from being admitted into full communion with the commonwealth of Iſrael, at leaſt from being capable of bearing …ny office of Magiſtracie amongſt them. We cannot with any ſhew of probabilitie think that all theſe here mentioned, to wit, eunuchs, verſ. 1. baſtards and their children unto the tenth generation, verſ. 2. Ammonites alſo and Moabites unto the tenth generation, verſ. 3. yea and Edomites and Egyptians unto the third generation, verſ. 7, 8. (and ſo conſequently all other nations, ſince no nation was like to enjoy more priviledges then the Edomites, who are called their brethren, verſ. 8.) I ſay we cannot with any probabilitie hold that all theſe, though by circumciſion admitted into the Church, were excluded from the holy aſſemblies, where they ſhould hear the word, be inſtructed in the law, and be admitted to offer ſacrifices, as the ſignes of their faith and hope of ſalvation in the promiſed Meſſiah: for there are elſewhere many expreſſe laws, that ſuch as were Proſelytes, and had embraced the faith and religion of Iſrael, ſhould have equall libertie with the Iſraelites to celebrate the Paſſeover, Exod. 12. 48, 49. When a stranger ſhall ſojourn with thee, and will keep the Paſſeover to the Lord, let all his males be circumciſed, and then let him come near and keep it, and he ſhall be as one that is born in the land, one law ſhall be to him that is home-born, and unto the ſtranger that ſojourneth among you; and ſo likewiſe to bring their ſacrifices unto the Lord, Numb, 15. 14, 15. If a stranger ſojourn with you, or whoſoever be among you in your generations that will offer an offering mad… by fire of a ſweet ſavour unto the Lord, as ye do, ſo he ſhall do; one ordinance ſhall be both for you of the congregation, and alſo for the ſtranger, &c. either therefore by the congregation of the Lord here is meant the aſſembly of Judges and Magiſtrates ſo called, becauſe the Lord is preſident over them, and they exerciſe …hat power they have in his name, and by authoritie derived from him, Pſal. 82. 1. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty, he judgeth among the gods; and ſo the meaning of this phraſe, of not entring into the congregation of the Lord, is onelyonly this, that they ſhould not bear any publick office or place of Magiſtracie in the Commonwealth of Iſrael; or elſe by the congregation of the Lord is meant the people or commonwealth of Iſrael, and ſo this expreſſion is elſewhere often uſed, as Numb. 16. 3. Ye take too much upon you, ſeeing all the congregation are holy ever… ▪one of them, and the lord is among them; and again, Numb. 27. 16, 17. Let the Lord the▪ God of the ſpirits of all fleſh, ſet a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them,—that the congregation of the Lord be not as ſheep without a ſhepherd, and then the meaning of this place muſt be, that ſuch and ſuch as are here named might not be admitted into full communion with the Commonwealth of Iſrael; though they were admitted into the Church, and ſo into the communion of the ſame faith and worſhip of God, yet they might not be admitted to be members of the ſame bodie politick, and ſo to enjoy all the priviledges of free-born Iſraelites; and hereupon they ſtood after a ſort ſeparated ſrom Gods people, as the complaint of ſuch, and the Lords comfortable anſwer ſheweth, Iſai. 56. 3. &c. Neither let the ſonne of the ſtranger, that hath joyned himſelf to the Lord, ſpeak, ſaying, The Lord hath utterly ſeparated me from his people; neither let the eunuch ſay, Behold, I am a drie tree, &c. they were of the Church of Iſrael, but yet aliens and ſtrangers, as I may ſay, from the Commonwealth of Iſrael, not being capable of the priviledges of other Iſraelites, as for inſtance▪ of thoſe of the year of releaſe, and the year of Jubile, of bearing any place of Magiſtracie or office amongſt them, or having any power to intermeddle in ſuch affairs; yea we may adde too, of marrying a daughter of Iſrael (for though that cannot be meant here in this branch of the l…w concerning eunuchs, yet in the reſt it may be included) and ſome others of the like nature. And indeed thus to underſtand this phraſe, of not entring into the congregation of the Lord, we may be the rather induced, becauſe Nehem. 13. 1, 2, 3. it is ſaid, that when the Jews heard this law read out of the book of Moſes, that the Ammonite and the Moabite ſhould not come into the congregation of God for ever, they ſeparated from Iſrael all the mixed multitude, which ſeems plainly to be meant of their ſeparating them from being numbered amongſt Gods people, and from enjoying the priviledges of freeborn Iſraelites, Hebrews of the Hebrews, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks of himſelf, Phil. 3. 5. OnelyOnly ſome conceive that if we thus underſtand this phraſe, that which is ſaid here, verſ. 1. and 2. muſt onelyonly be underſtood of eunuchs and baſtards of other nations, becauſe it ſeems hard that ſuch being Iſraelites were excluded from enjoying all theſe priviledges of freeborn Iſraelites. As for the reaſons why here in the firſt place, he that is wounded in the ſtones, or hath his privy member cut off, is here excluded from thus entring into the congregation of the Lord, we may conceive them probably to have been theſe: firſt, that God might hereby ſhew his deteſtation of that unnaturall and barbarous cuſtome of the heathens of making men eunuchs: ſecondly, becauſe ſuch men are uſually of a baſe, and effeminate, and cowardly ſpirit, and liable to be ſcorned and deſpiſed by others, and therefore not fit to be in any place of authority: and thirdly, that hereby they might be taught what purity and perfection, what unblameableneſſe and freedome from all ſtains and pollutions God required in his people, and particularly how pleaſing a thing it is unto God to adde dayly to his Church, and to encreaſe the number of his people, to wit, by ſpirituall means, and not to be barren this way, as ſuch eunuchs were in regard of naturall generation.
Verſ. 2. A bastard ſhall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.]
What is meant by entring into the congregation of the Lord, is ſhown in the foregoing note. By baſtards here cannot be meant the ſonnes of concubines, who were in thoſe times counted as ſecond wives, but either the children of ſuch as did proſtitute themſelves as common whores, or rather all that were born illegitimate, whether by fornication, adultery, or inceſt. Now ſuch as theſe the Lord forbids them to admit into the congregation of the Lord, firſt, hereby to teach his people what an honour it was to be of Gods peculiar people, into the number of whom a man thus blemiſhed might not be received; ſecondly, by laying this ſtain and diſhonour upon the ſpurious iſſu… of ſuch unclean mixtures, to ſhew his people how deteſtable ſuch ſins were unto the Lord; and thirdly, leſt ſuch ſhould be capable of bearing any office or Magiſtracy amongſt the Iſraelites who were of baſe and vild conditions, as baſtards indeed many times are, or at leaſt liable to be ſcorned and deſpiſed for this reproch of their birth, and ſo might be the leſſe courageous in their places leſt they ſhould be upbraided herewith.
Even to his tenth generation ſhall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.]
That is neither the baſtard nor his children unto the tenth generation. Therefore after tenne generations this ſtain was to be blotted out: for that the expreſſion of thus many generations, that ſhould be excluded, doth imply that the eleventh generation was to be received into the congregation of the Lord, is evident, verſ. 8. where it is ſaid that the Edo…ites children ſhould enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation.
Verſ. 3. Even to their tenth generation ſhall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever.]
That is, neither ſhall the Ammonite or Moabite, that becomes a proſelyte, and embraceth the religion of the Iſraelites, be received into full communion with the commonwealth o… Iſrael, nor any other of their poſterity unto the tenth generation; for this was not meant of th… Iſraelites children born of Ammonitiſh or Moabitiſh mothers, converted to the Iſraelites faith, as the ſtories of Rahab and Ruth do evidently prove, but onelyonly of the children of Ammonites and Moabites that became proſelytes, who, becauſe they were of thoſe nations, might not be incorporated into the commonwealth of Iſrael unto the tenth generation. Some Expoſitours will have this laſt clauſe, for ever, to be added by way of explaining that which went befo…e of their not being admitted into the congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation, and ſo that the meaning of this Law was that their poſterity ſhould never be admitted into the congregation of the Lord; and indeed where this Law is repeated, Neh. 13. 1. there is no mention made of the tenth generation; but it is ſaid that they found written in the book of Moſes that the Ammonite and the Moabite ſhould not come into the congregation of the Lord for ever. But yet becauſe afterwards, verſ. 8. there is alſo mention made of ſome that were not to be admitted untill the third generation, even here alſo by the tenth generation a ſet number of generations is expreſſed that were to be excluded; and ſo by the addition of theſe words, for ever, this onelyonly is intended, that this Law concerning the Ammonites and Moabites not entring into the congregation of the Lord unto the tenth generation, was to be for ever inviolably obſerved, and not to be diſpenſed with upon any occaſion.
Verſ. 4. Becauſe they met you not with bread and with water, &c.]
The ra…her did God abhorre this their diſregard of the Iſraelites in their eſcape out of Egypt, becauſe the Ammonites and Moabites were the poſterity of Lot, who was ſo near of kinne to Abraham, of whom the Iſraelites came.
And becauſe they hired againſt thee Balaam the ſonne of Beor, of Meſopotamia, to curſe thee.]
That is, the Moabites: for of this the Ammonites were not guilty, but the Moabites, as is evident in the hiſtory thereof, Numb. 22, &c.
Verſ. 5. Nevertheleſſe the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, &c.]
This is added, to imply that the fault of the Moabites was never a whit the leſſe, becauſe Balaam bleſſed the Iſraelites in ſtead of curſing them; for they did what they could to have wonne Balaam to curſe them, and Balaam alſo ſought by all means to ſatisfie their deſire; onelyonly the Lord their God of his own free grace did overrule the tongue of that falſe prophet, and forced him to bleſſe them when he meant to curſe them, and ſo turned that to good which their enemies intended for their hurt and ruine.
Verſ. 6. Thou ſhalt not ſeek their peace, nor their prosperity all thy dayes for ever.]
The like is ſaid of the Canaanites, Ezra 9. 12, Now therefore give not your daughters to their ſonnes, neither take their daughters unto your ſonnes▪ nor ſeck their peace, or their wealth for ever. Now this is not meant of private revenge in malice, which was alwayes unlawfull for the people of God; o… that they ſhould not ſeek the ſalvation of the ſouls of theſe people, For this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God our Saviour, Who will have all men to be ſaved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, 1. Tim. 2. 3, 4. but onelyonly of publick confedracies with theſe people, which was likely to be for their own hurt, though for the others good. The meaning therefore of theſe words is onelyonly this, that they muſt not make peace, nor have any thing to do with them, but rather be at perpetuall enmity with them. And herein therefore if David offended by making peace with the Ammonites, 2. Sam. 11. 1. 2. as many Expoſitours hold he did, no marvell though the Lord ſuffered his meſſengers to be ſo baſely uſed by them.
Verſ. 7. Thou ſhalt not abhorre an Edomite; for he is thy brother.]
That is, thou ſhalt not ſo abhorre and Edomite as to exclude his poſterity, after he had embraced the faith of Iſrael, from being admitted into the commonwealth of Iſrael unto the tenth generation, as thou muſt exclude the Ammonites and Moabites: for that this is meant by abhorring the Edomite in this clauſe, and the Egyptian in the next, is evident in the eighth verſe, where it is ſaid, by way of explaining theſe words, The children that are begotten of them ſhall enter into the congregation of the Lord, in their third generation. The reaſon here given why the Lord would have them ſhew more reſpect herein to the Edomites then to the Ammonites and Moabites, is this, becauſe they were their brethren, as being the poſterity of Iſaac by Eſau, as they were by Jacob, and ſo indeed the neareſt of kinne to Iſrael of all the people on the earth: Though the Edomites uſed them as diſcourteouſly as they paſſed along to go into Canaan as the Ammonites or Moabites did (for they refuſed to let them paſſe through their land, and came out armed againſt them, Numb. 20. 20, 21.) and the fault of the Edomite was the greater, becauſe he was Iſraels brother; yet God will have them ſhew the Edomites more favour then other nations, becauſe they were their brethren, the Lord hereby teaching them what love men ought to bear to their brethren, and how we ought to bear with the injuries of brethren, becauſe of their near relation to us, though it be a greater ſault in them to be ſo injurious then it is in others.
Thou ſhalt not abhorre an Egyptian, becauſe thou waſt a ſtranger in his land.]
Though the Egyptians did moſt cruelly oppreſſe them, yet muſt they be favoured f… t…e courteſie which in former times they received amongſt them, God hereby tea…ing men rather to remember good turns then injuries.
Verſ. 9. When the hoſt goeth forth againſt thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing, &c.]
That is, then no leſſe then at other times, yea then eſpecially above all other times: For this charge is given them, firſt, to teach them that God requires that in times of warre they ſhould be as wary to avoid all kind of wickedneſſe as at other times: Souldiers in the warre are wont to carry themſelves as if they were lawleſſe, and might do what they liſt▪ and therefore to prevent this, they were told here that the Lord expects that his people ſhould in ſuch times of confuſion keep themſelves as ſtrictly to the rule of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe as at other times, according that charge given by the Baptiſt to ſouldiers, Luke 13. 14. Do violence to no man, and be content with your wages; yea ſecondly, to ſhew them that then they had reaſon to be moſt carefull not to provoke God by any miſdemeanour, whether againſt the morall or ceremoniall Law (ſuch as are thoſe particulars mentioned in the following verſes) to wit, firſt, becauſe ſouldiers go out as it were to execute vengeance upon others for the evil they have done, and they are not fit to puniſh others that are as bad themſelves; ſecondly becauſe a clear conſcience is one of the beſt means to make men tr…ly valorous; and thirdly, becauſe then there is moſt evident need of Gods aſſiſtance, and moſt danger of miſchief to come upon them if the Lord ſhould leave them and give them over into the hands of their enemies, as is implyed in the reaſon given for this law, verſ. 14. For thy Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee,—therefore ſhall thy camp be holy, &c.
Verſ. 10. If there be among you any man that is not clean by reaſon of uncleannes that chanceth him by night, &c.]
Though for the pollution here ſpoken of they were not to be ſhut out of their camps and cities, as lepers and others were, yet they were it ſeems to go forth voluntarily from amongſt their brethren, till having waſhed themſelves with water they returned at evening again to their tents and dwellings: and this was to teach them what exact puritie and holineſſe God required in his people.
Verſ. 12. Thou ſhalt have a place alſo without the camp, &c.]
That is, a place deſigned for the uſe by public appointment, whither they were bound to go, that ſo their camp might not be defiled with their excrements: and though the Lord might herein intimate their dutie in regard of civilitie, and the care men ought to take not to do any thing that might offend or annoy their brethren, yet doubtleſſe the chief drift of this law was to teach them, that in regard of Gods preſence amongſt them, they ought to keep themſelves clean from all ſpirituall pollutions, the outward cleanneſſe and neatneſſe here required being onelyonly a ſhadow of that ſpirituall puritie, which even in times of warre God required in his people.
Verſ. 15. Thou ſhalt not deliver unto his master the ſervant which is eſcaped from his maſter, &c.]
That is, when it ſhould be manifeſt that they fled to eſcape the … rage of cruel maſters, that did cauſeleſſely oppreſſe them: In this caſe if they fled from their maſters in other countreys, and ſought for ſhelter in the land of Iſrael, or if they fled from any cruel ma…er amongſt the Iſraelites, and ſought for ſhelter from the Magiſtrate, they were not to deliver them back to the tyrannie of ſavage men; but in other caſes, as when they …led in a gadding humour from their lawfull lords, who did no wayes oppreſſe them, or being guiltie of ſome capitall offenſe to eſcape deſerved puniſhment, we muſt not think God appointed his people to give harbour to ſuch: for this were to make this law contrary to that law, Thou ſhal… not ſteal: if they muſt be ſo juſt in all their dealings, as to reſtore the beaſt that ran aſtray, much more ſuch fugitive ſervants as thus robbed their maſters by flying from them.
Verſ. 17. There ſhall be no wh…re of the daughters of Iſrael, nor a Sodomite, &c.]
Though the tolerating of whores and Sodomites that were of the ſonnes and daughters of Iſrael be here onelyonly expreſſed, yet by neceſſary conſequence the permitting of ſuch open filthineſſe by any other nations, that ſhould live amongſt them, is alſo forbidden; who, beſides the enſnaring of Gods people to commit filthineſſe with them, might alſo corrupt them in regard of their religion too, and ſeduce them by degrees to open idolatrie.
Verſ. 18. Thou ſhalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the houſe of the Lord, &c.]
It is a great queſtion amongſt Expoſitours what is meant here by the price of a dog: Firſt, ſome conceive that becauſe theſe two are joyned thus together, the hire of a whore, and the price of a dog, this laſt is intended of ſome filthy thing as well as the firſt, and ſo they conclude that as amongſt us men are wont ſometimes to give money to have ſome goodly horſe to cover their mares, ſo it was in thoſe times for dogs, and this is meant here by the price of a dog: Secondly, others think it is meant of ſuch men as did openly in the ſight of others commit uncleanneſſe in a moſt impudent and brutiſh manner: Thirdly, others again think, that as in the foregoing verſe, the whore and the Sodomite are joyned together, There ſhall be no whore of the daughters of Iſrael, nor a Sodomite of the ſonnes of Iſrael; ſo it is here likewiſe, and by a dog is meant a Sodomite (the word dog being uſed metaphorically, as it is alſo Rev. 22. 15. without are dogs) and by the price of a dog is meant the hire that was given to him with whom men commit that horrid and unnaturall ſinne of Sodomie: And laſt of all, moſt Expoſitours take it according to the plain meaning of the words, for the price of a dog that is ſold, which being an unclean and withall a baſe and contemptible creature, God would not allow them to bring the price of it into his houſe. Now theſe two laſt Expoſitions, I conceive, are moſt likely to be intended here, but eſpecially the laſt; and that hereby God taught them to reverence his ſanctuary and ſacrifices, Lev. 19. 30. and not to offer him any thing that had been ſinfully gotten, or to contribute baſely to any holy uſes, as thinking any thing good enough for his worſhip and ſervice, who forbiddeth hi… name to be deſpiſed, his altar and table to be thought contemptible, Mal. 1. 6, 7, 8. or his houſe to be made a den of thieves, Jer. 7. 11.
Verſ. 19. Thou ſhalt not lend upon uſury to thy brother; uſury of money, uſury of victualls, &c.]
This laſt clauſe implyes the hainouſneſſe of the ſinne forbidden, to wit, the exacting of uſury from thoſe that wanted meat, and for their ſupply were glad to borrow of their neighbours.
Verſ. 20. Unto a ſtranger thou mayest lend upon uſury, &c.]
That is, a gentile, who was alſo an infidel: for to ſtrangers who were brethren in the faith they might not lend upon uſury, Levit. 25. 35, 3….
Verſ. 21. When thou ſhalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou ſhalt not ſlack to pay it.]
To wit, a vow which was poſſible and lawfull. See the note upon Numb. 30. 2.
Verſ. 25. When thou comeſt to the ſtanding corn of thy neighbours, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand, &c.]
And therefore when our Saviours diſciples did this, the Phariſees charged them not with taking that which was not theirs, but onelyonly with doing that which might not be done on the Sabbath day, Matth. 12. 1, 2.