A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Verſ. 3. FOurtie ſtripes he may give him, and not exceed, &c.]
That is, …ourtie ſtripes is the utmoſt that for any offence the Judge ſhall appoint the faultie perſon to ſuffer; and the reaſon is given, leſt if he ſhould exceed, and beat him above theſe with many ſtripes, then thy brother ſhould ſeem vile unto thee, that is, if you ſhould proceed to what extremitie you liſt herein, it would argue too great a contempt of ſuch a poore wretch, who though he have offended is notwithſtanding a brother, and therefore not to be uſed as if there were no more regard to be had of him then of a beaſt. Now ſo ſuperſtitiouſly carefull were the Jews not to tranſgreſſe this law, that their cuſtome was ſtill to ſtay at 39. ſtripes, even when they meant to go as high as they might, and that for ſear leſt in giving the ſtripes they ſhould have miſtold one: whence was that of the Apoſtle, 2. Cor. 11. 24. for that I conceive was the true reaſon why they never gave full four…ie ſtripes, though others hold they did it out of a fooliſh conceit of appearing herein mercifull, to wit, in that they gave the malefactour one ſtripe leſſe then by Gods Law they might have done.
Verſ. 4. Thou ſhalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.]
The Iſraelites uſed not it ſeems to threſh their corn with flails, but trod it out with the ſeet of beaſts, Hoſ. 10. 11. Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn: yea and ſometimes with cart-wheels, as we may ſee, Eſa. 28. 27. The fetches are not threſhed with a threſhing instrument, neither is a cartwheel turned about upon the cummin, and verſ. 28. Bread-corn is bruiſed; becauſe he will not ever be threſhing it, nor break it with the wheels of his cart, nor bruiſe it with his horſemen: and hence it was that God gave them this law, not to muzzle the mouths of their oxen, ſo to hinder them from eating the ears of corn when they were thus led up and down upon the ſheaves that with their hoofs they might tread it out; and herein the Lord taught them to be mercifull to th… very bruit beaſts they had occaſion to make uſe of, and to take heed of all inhumanity and cruelty towards them: and ſecondly, by neceſſary conſequence much more to beware of depriving their brethren of that which is due to them for the ſervice they did them, eſpecially ſo as not to let them eat the fruit of their labours. If it be unnaturall not to let the ox eat of the corn he treadeth out, much more it is againſt the light of nature to deny requiſite allowance to miniſters that provide us the food of our ſouls, and to keep thoſe that any way labour for us from having a ſhare in the benefit that redounds to us by their means. Indeed ſome would have this laſt the onelyonly thing intended in this Law, & that it was not at all to be underſtood literally of oxen▪ & that becauſe S. Paul proving from theſe very words, 1. Cor. 9. 9. that it was fitting that the Preachers of the Goſpel ſhould live of their labours, he addes, Doth God take care for oxen? or ſaith he it altogether for our ſakes? for our ſakes no doubt this is writte…, &c. But for this conceit there is no ju…t ground in the Apoſtles words: for he meant not thoſe words abſolutely, that God did not in his law provide for their mercifull dealing with their oxen; but onelyonly that the principall thing intended in that law was not ſo much to take care that the oxen might be ſuffered to feed as they trod out the corn, as to teach them that if it w…re cruelty to deny a poore beaſt his food in this kind, it would be farre worſe to deny their brethren, and Gods labourers, to live of the fruit of their labours.
Verſ. 5. If brethren live together, and one of them die and have no child, &c.]
For the better underſtanding of this law two things muſt be known: firſt, that by brethen that dwell together are meant brethren that live in the ſame citie or tow…, or happely in the ſame houſe, as when a mans ſonnes live together in their fathers houſe; for this firſt clauſe is added by way of limitation, to ſhew that in caſe the brother or next kinſman of the deceaſed party ſhould live afarre off in ſome remote place, the widow ſhould not then be bound to ſeek him out, but might challenge the right of marriage from the next kinſma… that lived in that place that was not yet married: and ſecondly, that it is meant not onelyonly of next kinſmen▪ but alſo of naturall brothers, as is evident in many places of Scripture; for even in the dayes of the Patriarchs (God having then given this law to his Church, as he did many other ceremoniall precepts concerning ſacrifices, &c. which afterwards he confirmed amongſt the Iſraelites by the hand of Moſes) Er the firſtborn ſonne of Judah died without iſſue, and Onan his ſecond ſonne married his widow, according to this Law; and when Onan died alſo without iſſue, Judah adviſed his daughter in law to continue a widow in her fathers houſe till Shel…h his third ſonne was grown and fit for marriage, chap. 38. 8, 9, 10, 11. and ſo alſo, Ruth 1. 11, 12, 13. when Naomies daughters in law, the widows of her two ſonnes that died without iſſue, would needs go along with her into the land of Iſrael, ſhe diſſwaded them by this argument, that ſhe was paſt hope of having ſon…es, at leaſt ſuch as might be th…ir husbands; and the Sadduces we ſee propounded a queſtion to our Saviour, Matth. 22. 24, 25. concerning ſeven brethren that ſucceſſively married one and the …ame woman, purpoſely to raiſe up ſeed unto their bro…her. But was not this inceſt by the Law of nature, confirmed by Moſes Law, Lev. 18. 16. Thou ſhalt not uncover the nakedneſſe of thy brothers wife. I anſwer, it was doubtleſſe inceſt generally for any man to marry his brothers wife; but to the Iſraelites in this particular caſe it was not ſo, and that becauſe this was given them as a ſpeciall exception to that generall Law, peculiar onelyonly to them as being ceremoniall. The firſtborn were types of Chriſt, who is therefore called the f…st-born among many brethren, Rom. 8. 29. and the land was to them a type of heaven: So that he who dyed without a firſt-born might ſeem to die without intereſt in the firſt-born Chriſt, and the blotting out his name out of the land of Can…an carried a kind of ſhew of being blotted out of heaven: and therefore was barrenneſſe counted ſuch … heavy affliction, and the cutting of their names out of the land of Canaan reputed a moſt fearfull judgement, Let his poſterity be cut off▪ ſaith David, Pſal. 109. 13. and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. Now therefore to teach them ſtill to fear that heavieſt of judgements, their dying without intereſt in Chriſt or heaven, they were appointed by this law to ſee that the name of their deceaſed brother were not put out of Iſrael.
Verſ. 6. The firſt-born which ſhe beareth ſhall ſucceed in the name of his brother▪ &c.]
That is, he ſhall be counted the legall ſonne of his brother that died without iſſue: and hence Obed, whom Boaz begat of Ruth, is ſaid to be Naomies ſo…ne, Ruth 4. 17. beca…ſe he was counted the legall ſonne of Elimelech, her deceaſed ſonne, Ruths for…er husband, though withall he was counted the naturall ſonne of Boaz, Luke 3. 32.
Verſ. 9. Then …all his brothers wife come unto him in the pr…ſence of the Elders, and looſe his ſhoe, &c.]
Both the womans looſing of his ſhoe from off his foot that would not marry her, and likewiſe her ſpitting in his face, were appointed doubtleſſe by way of diſgracing and ſhaming the man that would not according as God had appointed raiſe up ſeed to his deceaſed brother: for though indeed in all reſignations or alienations of houſe a…d land from one man to another this ceremonie was uſed, that he who did reſigne the houſe or land pulled off his ſ…oe▪ and gave it to his neighbour, to whom he paſſed it over, Ruth 4. 7. thereby ſignifying that he would now be diſabled from going any more upon ſuch houſe or lands as any part of his eſtate (and ſo alſo in this caſe of marriage it might ſignifie that he re…gned his right o… marriage to any other that would marrie her) yet here I conceive it was done alſo in a way of diſgracing the man, to ſhew that he was unworthy to marrie her, and to enter upon and poſſeſſe his brothers inheritance; and ſo likewiſe it was much more for her ſpitting in his face. There is nothing that is a greater ſhame and reproch to a man then to have any bodie ſpit in his face, If h…r fath…r had but ſpit on her face ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed ſeven dayes? ſaith the Lord of Miriam, Numb. 12. 14. and ſo, I hid not my face from ſhame and ſpitting, ſaith the Prophet in the perſon of Chriſt, Iſai. 50. 6. and therefore the womans ſpitting in the face of him that would not marrie her was in effect all one as if ſhe had openly proteſted him to be a man that deſerved to be dereſted and abhorred of all men, a man that was not worthy to ſhew his face amongſt his brethren: yea indeed ſo foul a diſgrace this was, that it was therefore never done but when the woman did claim and preſſe her right before the Elders, and the …ext kinſman did ſtill obſtinately refuſe her; for when by a free agreement the next brother or kinſman did reſigne his right to another, the widow alſo conſenting, here this note of …nfamie was never put upon him, as we may ſee. Ruth 4. 8. where there was no ſpitting on the face of the next kinſman, but onelyonly by pulling off his ſhoe he reſigned his right to Boaz, and ſo he married Ruth.
So ſhall it be done to the man that would not build up his brothers houſe.]
See the note upon Exod. 1. 21.
V…rſ. 10. And his name ſhall be called in Iſrael, The houſe of him that hat… …is ſhoe looſed.]
That is, whenever in after-times this mans familie ſhall be ſpoken of, it ſhall be under the name of, The man that had his ſhoe looſed, this ſhall they ſay was the houſe of him that had his ſhoe looſed: and thus there was a note of infamie ſet both upon the man himſelf, and likewiſe upon his familie and poſteritie, that men might hereby be rendred the more carefull to ſubmit herein to the direction of Gods law.
Verſ. 12. Then thou ſhalt cut off her hand, thine eye ſhall not pitie her.]
Becauſe much might be ſaid for the woman that did in this caſe take hold of the ſecrets of the man that was fighting with her husband, as firſt, that the affection of a loving wife muſt needs make her paſſions ſtirre when ſhe ſees her husband beaten, and provoke her to do what ſhe can to reſcue him; ſecondly, that being not able to help him by ſtrength, ſhe ſought by taking that advantage to force the man to give over ſmiting him, and did what ſhe did not out of wantonneſſe but merely for her husbands help; and thirdly, that a weak woman is not ſo well able to bridle her paſſions, and therefore may eaſily be overborn by them to do that which is not fitting▪ therefore God did expreſſely here enjoyn that by no ſuch arguments the Judges ſhould be moved to take pity on the woman that had herein offended, but that they ſhould cert…inly cut off her hand, hereby giving them to underſtand how much he abhorres all wanton, bold, impure and ſhameleſſe behaviour in thoſe that profeſſe them…elves to be his people.
Ver…. 13. Thou ſhalt not have in thy bagge divers weights, a great and a ſmall, &c.]
To wit, a great, to buy with, and a ſmall, to ſell with; or a greater to be kept to be ſhown to th… Magiſtrate or O…ficers when they come to view & try thy weights and meaſures, and a leſſe, which notwithſtanding thou uſeſt continually in ſelling thy wares.
Ver…. 17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out …f Egypt, &c.]
There is an E…pha…is in theſe words, when ye were come forth out of Egypt, the noting whereof will help us much in the underſtanding of the paſſage; for herein Moſes implyes the reaſon why the Lord was ſo highly offended againſt the Amalekites, above other nations, for their aſſaulting the Iſraelites, that he did then paſſe ſentence againſt them, that their whole nation ſhould be utterly deſtroyed, and did now put them in mind to execute againſt them what he had decreed; and why alſo in the following verſe he inferres from this which Amalek did▪ that he feared not God, He met t…ee by the way, and ſmote the hindmoſt of thee, even all that were feeble behind the…, when thou wast faint and weary, namely, becau…e this circumſtance, that he did this to the Iſraelites, when they were newly come out of Egypt did much aggravate their ſinne, and their contempt of God, and that in two reſpects: firſt, in regard the Iſraelites had already endured ſo much miſery; for to oppreſſe thoſe that had been already ſo grievouſly oppreſſed was an act of great inhumanity and crueltie, and a notable contempt of God, who is ſo conſtantly wont to plead the cauſe of thoſe that are ſo barbarouſly uſed: and ſecondly, in regard of that which God had ſo lately done for the Iſraelites in Egypt; for when God had ſo immediately before manifeſted the ſpeciall love that he bore to this people by taking ſuch vengeance on the Egyptians for their ſakes, and by thoſe many ſtrange ſignes and wonders which he had wrought amongſt them, it argued a high degree of deſperate boldneſſe in the Amalekites, that yet notwithſtanding they were not afraid to fight againſt them, and ſo indeed in fighting againſt them to fight againſt God.
Verſ. 19. Thou ſhalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.]
This judgement God appointed Saul to execute, 1. Sam. 15. 2, 3. but he failed in the performance of it. Afterwards God ſtirred up the Simeonites in Hezekiahs dayes, who ſmote the reſt of the Amalekites, 1. Chron. 4. 42, 43. And ſome of them, even of the ſonnes of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the ſonnes of Iſhi. And they ſmote the reſt of the Amalekites that wer… eſcaped, and dwelt there unto this day: and what befell Haman and his ſonnes, who were of that race, is largely related in the third chapter of Eſther.