A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
Verſ. 1. KEep all the commandments that I command you this day.]
Moſes having aſſembled the people that he might give them a charge for the building of a monument of great ſtones at their firſt entrance into Canaan, whereon the law was to be written, he firſt begins with this Exhortation, Keep all the commandments tha… I command you this day, thereby to give them a hint of the end for which this monument was to be erected, namely, that it might be a memoriall to put them in mind of keeping Gods law.
Verſ. 2. And it ſhall be on the day when you paſſe over Jordan, &c.]
For the better underſtanding of the charge here given for the ſetting up of this monument, whereon the law was to be written, we muſt know firſt, that though it be ſaid here that they ſhould do this on the day they paſ…d over Jordan, yet thereby was not meant the very day they went over Jordan …ut onelyonly that they ſh…uld do it at their firſt entrance into the land of Canaan. Day in the Scripture …s ordinarily uſed for time, as Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! and ſo it is here. The meaning is onelyonly this, that after they were once gotten over the river Jordan▪ they ſhould take care at their firſt opportunity to ſee that this were done: and ſo it is expreſſed, verſ. 4. when ye be gone over Jordan ye ſhall ſet up theſe ſtones. And indeed in the hiſtory of Joſhua we may ſee, chap. 8. 30. that this monument was not erected till after the taking of A…: ſecondly, that though the text ſpeaks on…ly of ſetting …p great ſtones▪ and plaſtering them with morter, yet it is moſt probable that thereby is meant the ſetting up or building of ſome notable monument with theſe ſtones, which ſhould be then plaſtered over with plaſter for the more conveniency of writing the law thereon, which could not ſo well have been done upon the rough ſtones: thirdly, that though it be not expreſſed what law of God it was that was to be written on this monument, and therefore ſome conceive that it was the ten commandments, others the curſes and the bleſſings, which were then alſo to be pronounc…d upon mount Ebal and mount Gerizzim, and others this whole book of Deuteronomie, the law which Moſes had now given them, and for the proving thereof they urge much, that it is ſo of…en called, this law, as verſ. 3. Thou ſhalt write upon them all the words of this law, and ſo again, verſ. 32. it is ſaid that he wrote there upon the ſton…s a copie of the law of Moſes, which he wrote in the preſence of the children of Iſrael; yet it is moſt probable that either the curſings and bleſſings are here meant, or elſe the ten commandments, called the ten words, Exod. 34. 28. which are the ſumme of the whole law, and that becauſe we cannot conceive how this whole book of Deuteronomi… could be written upon this monument in ſuch fair plain characters that every one might reade it, and yet this was expreſly enjoyned them, verſ. 8. And thou ſhalt write upon theſe ſtones all the words of this law v…ry plainly: and fourthly, that the end of erecting this monument whereon the law was thus written was twofold; firſt, that it might be a memoriall to put them in mind, that when God did at firſt bring them into the land it was upon theſe co…ditions, that they ſhould ſerve him as his peculiar people, and keep all thoſe laws which he had given them in charge; ſecondly, that finding alſo hereby how farre they had been from doing exactly what God had required of them, and that hereby they were left under the curſe, this might lead them to ſeek ſalvation in Chriſt, the promiſed Meſſiah. And for this very reaſon it was alſo that this monument was ſet up in mount Ebal, verſ. 4. the mount whence the curſe was denounced, verſ. 13. againſt them that continued not …n all things written in the law, to ſignifie that thoſe that ſought ſalvation in the law muſt needs be left under the curſe; and ſecondly, together with this monument there was an altar built, and ſet up, verſ. 5. whereon they offered ſacrifices, verſ. 6, 7. to teach them, that the righteouſneſſe and ſalvation which could not be attained by the works of the law was to be ſought in Chriſt, of whom this altar was a type, and who is indeed the end of the law for righteouſneſſe to every one that believeth, Rom. 10. 4.
Verſ. 5. And there ſhalt thou …uild an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of ſtones.]
See the note upon Exod. 24. 4.
Thou ſhalt not life up an iron tool upon them.]
See the notes on Exod. 20. 24, 25.
Verſ. 9. This day art thou become the people of the Lord thy God.]
To wit, becauſe they had at this time in a ſolemn manner renewed their covenant with God.
Verſ. …12. Theſe ſhall ſtand upon mount Gerizzim to bleſſe the people, &c.]
Moſes here enjoyns the people that when they had ſet up the monument of ſtones on mount Ebal, whereon the law was written, and the …ltar, mentioned verſ. 5. and had offered ſacrifices thereon as God had commanded them, they ſhould then afterwards in a ſolemn manner give their conſent to the bleſſings and curſes that ſhould be pronounced by the prieſts upon thoſe that ſhould keep, and upon thoſe that ſhould break Gods laws; and the manner enjoyned for the doing hereof was this: Six of the tribes were to ſtand upon mount Gerizzim, to wit, Simeon and Levi, and Judah and Iſſachar, and Joſeph and Benjamin (where by the tribe of Joſeph is meant the two diſtinct tribes of Ephraim and Manaſſeh, the ſonnes of Joſeph, who are here joyned together as one, becauſe Levi is here reckoned as one of the twelve) and theſe were all the poſteritie of Leah and Rachel; and then the ſix other tribes were to …tand upon mount Ebal, to wit, Gad and Aſher, Dan and Naphtali, who were the ſonnes of the handmaids, and with them the Tribes of Reuben, who for his ſinne loſt his birthright, and Zebulun the youngeſt of Leahs ſonnes: and ſo the tribes being thus divided, the prieſts came with the ark, Joſh. 8. 32. into the little valley that was betwixt theſe two mountains, and there firſt they pronounced the bleſſings (happely turning their faces towards mount G…rizzim) and then all the tribes that ſtood on mount Gerizzim anſwered Amen, and then turning again to mount Ebal they pronounced the twelve curſes, that are afterwards ſet down in the latter end of this chapter, and then all the tribes that ſtood on mount Ebal anſwered Amen. Indeed in Joſh. 8. 33. it is not ſaid that the tribes ſtood upon mount Gerizzim and upon mount Ebal, but that they ſtood half of them over againſt mount Gerizzim, and half of them over againſt mount Ebal: But hereby one and the ſame thing is meant, onelyonly it is ſo expreſſed in Joſhua, either to intimate that th… tribes ſtood the one companie right oppoſite againſt the other, or elſe rather becauſe the people, at leaſt their rulers and officers, ſtood on the firſt aſcending of the hills, and ſo indeed rather over againſt them then upon them. Beſides, though there is no mention made here of the prieſts pronouncing the bleſſings, but onelyonly the curſes, yet in Joſhua 8. 33. it is expreſſely ſaid that Joſhua read (that is, the prieſts by Joſhuas appointment) the bleſſings and the curſes: and therefore doubtleſſe the bleſſings were read by the prieſts as well as the curſes, onelyonly Moſes paſſeth over the bleſſings, either becauſe they might be eaſily enough gathered from the contrary curſes which are expreſſed, or elſe (as ſome conceive) by this his ſilence in not mentioning the bleſſings, to lead his prudent reader to look for the bleſſings by another, which is Chriſt, Acts 3. 26. God having raiſed up his ſonne Jeſus, ſent him to bleſſe you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities: for ſilence in the holy ſtorie often implieth great myſteries, as the Apoſtle ſheweth from Moſes ſilence concerning Melchiſedecs parents, Heb. 7. 3, &c. As for the reaſons why the Lord would have the people in ſuch a ſolemn manner to give aſſent to theſe bleſſings and curſes thus pronounced in their hearing, we may probably conceive it was, firſt, to teach them hereby that the law of God was juſt, the ſinner himſelf being judge, and that he who breaks them muſt needs be ſelf-condemned even by the light of a naturall conſcience; and ſecondly, the better to reſtrain them from breaking theſe laws, where there was no danger of being puniſhed by the Magiſtrate, by putting them in mind that theſe ſinnes would however expoſe them to Gods curſe. And indeed the rather may we think that this God intended in this ſolemn ſervice, becauſe moſt of the ſinnes here particularly accurſed are ſecret ſinnes, as ſecret idolatrie, verſ. 15. the ſecret removing of the land-mark, verſ. 17. inceſt, and beſtialitie, and ſuch other ſinnes as men are uſuall to conceal. Some adde beſides, that mount Gerizzim being on the right hand of the prieſts, and mount Ebal on the left, hereby that day was ſhadowed forth, when a bleſſing ſhall be pronounced on them at the right hand, and a curſe upon them at the left. But whether there was any ground for this myſterie, I queſtion much: What is fit to be further obſerved concerning this paſſage, we may ſee in the foregoing note upon chap. 11. 29.
Verſ. 14. And the Levites ſhall ſpeak and ſay unto all the men of Iſrael with a loud voice, &c.]
That is, the prieſts, the Levites, for ſo it is expreſſed, Joſh. 8. 33. and indeed the Levites in generall ſtood upon mount Gerizzim amongſt their brethren of the other tribes, verſ. 12.
Verſ. 15. Curſed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, &c.]
Under this all ſinnes againſt the firſt table are likewiſe accurſed, and ſo under the following particulars all ſinnes againſt the ſecond table.
And all the people ſhall anſwer and ſay, Amen.]
So ſubſcribing to the juſtice of Gods law, and as it were wiſhing that the curſe might befall them, if they ſhould in any of theſe things tranſgreſſe Gods commandments.
Verſ. 18. Curſed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.]
And ſo alſo much more they that miſlead ſimple men and women into any dangerous and damnable errour, pernicious to their ſouls.