Commentary on Deuteronomy, Commentary · Chapter 27
Chapter XXVII.CHAP. XXVII.
Verſe 1 Verſe 1. AND Moſes with the Elders of Iſrael commanded the people, ſaying.] I obſerved in the Preface to this Book, and upon Chapter IV. 41. and other places, that Moſes did not ſpeak all that is contained in this Book at once, but at ſeveral times; and that he commonly took the Elders to his aſſiſtance, as is here expreſly affirmed; though ſome things he ſpake himſelf alone to all the People, as I obſerved upon V. 1.
Keep all the Commandments which I command you.] This is a new Exhortation to Obedience; which he could not preſs too often, conſidering the great proneneſs of this People to break God's Laws.
This day.] At this time, and formerly: for it doth not preciſely ſignifie one day; and the word this is not in the original.
Verſe 2 Ver. 2. And it ſhall come to paſs on the day when ye ſhall paſs over Jordan.] Here it is evident the word day, doth not ſignifie preciſely the very ſame day they paſſed over; but not long after, as ſoon as they were come to Mount Ebal, v. 4. after the taking of Jericho and Ai, as appears from VIII Joſhua 30. For they were to paſs over Jordan, unto the Land which the LORD their God gave them, (as it here follows) before they were obliged to do what is here required.
That thou ſhalt ſet thee up great ſtones.] It is not ſaid how many; but ſome fancy there were Twelve, according to the number of Pillars which Moſes imployed (XXIV Exod. 4.) when he made the Covenant between God and his People. But unleſs we could certainly determine how much of the Law was to be written upon theſe Stones, we cannot give a good gueſs at their number. For if only the Ten Commandments, fewer than Twelve would ſerve: if the whole Book of Deuteronomy, ſo many were not ſufficient. As for the Marginal Reference in our Bibles, unto IV Joſh. 1. it can have no reſpect to this place; for thoſe Twelve Stones were ordered to be taken our of Jordan, and left there where they lodged that Night, which was at Gilgal. See there v. 3, 8, 20.
And plaiſter them with plaiſter.] That being plain and ſmooth, they might write what is here commanded, upon them: which they could not do while they were rough and uneven.
Ver. 3. And thou ſhalt write upon them all the words Verſe 3 of this Law.] Many think he means the whole Book of Deuteronomy; which becauſe it is long, great ſtones are ordered to be provided for this purpoſe. Others think only the Ten Commandments are here intended, which were the principal words of the Covenant, as Moſes calls this Law XXIX. 1. But Joſephus, L. IV. Archaeol. Cap. ult. is of opinion, that he means the Curſings which here follow from v. 15. to the end of the Chapter. Which is no improbable Opinion, they containing ſeveral ſelect Precepts, and the laſt of them ſeems to reſpect the whole Law of Moſes, v. 26.
But however we underſtand this, it is certain that before the uſe of Paper was found out, the Ancients, particularly the Phoenicians and Egyptians, were wont to write their minds upon Stones, as a great many Authors teſtifie mentioned by Huetius. Who obſerves that this Cuſtom continued long after the Invention of Paper; eſpecially if they deſired any thing ſhould be vulgarly known and conveyed down to Poſterity. See Demonſtr. Evang. Propoſ. IV. Cap. II. N. XV. where he obſerves that Moſes ordered the Book of Deuteronomy to be inſcribed upon Stones. I ſuppoſe he means all the Laws contained in this Book (not all the Exhortations and Hiſtorical paſſages) which agrees very well with this Injunction, that they ſhould write on the ſtones, all the words of this Law.
When thou art paſſed over, that thou mayeſt go in unto the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, &c.] When they were gone over Jordan, to take poſſeſſion of the Land of Canaan; and were come to the place where he directed theſe Stones to be ſet up, and this Inſcription made upon them. Which place is particularly named, in the next Verſe. And from theſe words, Fortunatus Scacchus thinks he hath reaſon to aſſert, that none of the things forementioned are meant by the words of this Law, here commanded to be written: But that upon the very top of theſe Stones (or the Altar made of them, as he would have it underſtood) were written only the words of this Covenant, whereby the People of Iſrael confeſſed themſelves to have received the Land of Canaan from God, and to hold it on Condition of their Obedience unto him. For ſo he interprets the words write upon them; in ſumma ſuperficie. And to make us know what he means by the words of this Law, he thinks the following words are added, That thou mayest go in unto the Land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, &c. That is, thou ſhalt declare who brought thee hither, and gave thee poſſeſſion of this Country, and upon what Condition, viz. that thou ſhouldſt keep the Commands given to thee by God in Horeb. And therefore Moſes doth not bid them write on the Stones the Law of the LORD, nor the Law abſolutely, but the words of this Law. Where the demonſtrative Particle hazoth limits the ſenſe to the preſent Matter of which he is ſpeaking. Thus he. Myrothec. 2. Sacror. Elaeochriſm. Cap. LVII. where he endeavours to ſtrengthen this Interpretation, by obſerving, that after this Command for writing this Law upon the Stones, Moſes and the Prieſts and Levites ſpake unto all Iſrael, ſaying, Take heed, and hearken, O Iſrael, this day thou art become the People of the LORD thy God, &c. v. 9, 10.
Ver. 4. Therefore it ſhall be, when ye be gone over Verſe 4 Jordan, that ye ſhall ſet up theſe ſtones.] This Phraſe ſet up ſeems to imply that they were a kind of Pillars erected for this purpoſe, that the Inſcription might appear more fairly upon them.
In Mount Ebal.] Here the Samaritan Pentateuch hath, in Mount Gerizim; which is a manifeſt corruption, to juſtifie their building a Temple there, which they pretend God commanded in theſe words,
Ver. 5. And there ſhalt thou build an Altar unto the Verſe 5 LORD thy God.] That they might offer Sacrifice to God, and renew their Covenant with him.
An Altar of Stones.] Upon which Joſephus himſelf fancies the forenamed Inſcription was to be made: and ſo the Talmudiſts alſo in Miſchna Sota, Cap. VII. But it is plain, the Stones deſigned for that uſe, were to be ſet up before the Altar was built; the intention of it being (as I ſhall ſhow preſently) that they might promiſe to obſerve the words which were there written.
Thou ſhalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.] See XX Exod. 25.
Verſe 6 Ver. 6. Thou ſhalt build the Altar of the LORD thy God of whole ſtones.] Not hewn, nor poliſhed; whereby all manner of imagery was avoided. Such Ruſtick Altars of rough Stone, piled one upon another, were in uſe among the Heathen, who ſeem to have imitated this Pattern. The Form of one of them Fortunatus Scacchus hath given us out of ſome ancient Monuments at Brixia, related by Octavius Roſcius. See his forenamed Book, Cap. LIX. p. 585. Such Altars the Iſraelites were permitted to build, upon ſome ſpecial occaſion; as Gideon and Manoah did, VI Judg. 24, 26. XIII. 19. and Samuel, 1 Sam. VII. 17. and Saul, 1 Sam. XIV. 35. and David, 2 Sam. XXIV. 25. And ſuch an one Moſes himſelf built, XXIV Exod. 4. And as Moſes there ſet up Twelve Pillars according to the number of the Tribes of Iſrael, when they entred into Covenant with God at Horeb; ſo the forementioned Author thinks, at the Confirmation of it, when they came into Canaan, they built not Twelve Altars, but heaped up Twelve Stones, which made one Altar, without any Coſt at all beſtowed upon it. And thus Elijah took Twelve Stones, and on a ſudden built an Altar with them; when he endeavoured to bring the Iſraelites back again, into the Covenant of God, 1 Kings XVIII. 31, 32.
And thou ſhalt offer Burnt-offerings thereon.] As they did at Horeb, XXIV Exod. 5. and as Joſhua did when they came into Canaan, and had built the Altar here commanded, VIII Joſh. 31. which Burnt-offerings were an acknowledgment of God's Soveraign Dominion over them, and that they held this Land of him as their Supream LORD, from whom they had received it. They kept the Paſſover as ſoon as they came into Canaan; but we read of no Altar erected, nor Burnt-Sacrifices offered, till they came to Ebal.
Ver. 7. And thou ſhalt offer Peace-offerings.] So Verſe 7 Moſes alſo did at Horeb, as we read in the forenamed place, XXIV Exod. 5. and ſo Joſhua did, when they came into Canaan. And they were offered as Thankſgivings to God, for bringing them into that good Land.
And ſhalt eat there, and rejoyce before the LORD thy God.] The Sacrificers had a part of the Peace-offerings given them, that they might feaſt with God, in Token that they were in Covenant with him. See VII Levit. 5. And therefore God ordered theſe Sacrifices to be offered, as ſoon as they came to this place, where his Law was to be inſcribed upon the Stones before-mentioned; that the People of Iſrael, to whom God promiſed the poſſeſſion of the Land of Canaan, upon the Condition that they obſerved his Laws, might confirm their Covenant with him, when they took poſſeſſion of it: And be given to underſtand that God having performed what he promiſed, expected that they ſhould be mindful of their Obligation, faithfully to obſerve his Divine Laws. So that this Altar may be properly called (as the ſame Fort. Scacchus terms it) The Altar of Confederation, or Confirmation of the Covenant, into which they had entred at Horeb.
Ver. 8. And thou ſhalt write upon the ſtones all the Verſe 8 words of this Law very plainly.] So that they might be read eaſily. How the Talmudiſts came to fancy they were written in LXX Languages, I cannot imagine. But ſuch a Conceit there is among them, as Mr. Selden obſerves, Lib. II. de Synedr. Cap. IX. p. 396. For ſo many Languages they think there were in the World; and Bartenora ſaith, God would have every Body▪ that came into their Country, learn theſe Truths, if he pleaſed; and no Pagan be able to excuſe his Ignorance, by ſaying, He had no means to know them. See Joh. Wagenſeil upon Sota, Cap. VII. Sect. V. Annot. V.
Verſe 9 Ver. 9. And Moſes, and the Prieſts, and the Levites, ſpake unto all Iſrael, ſaying.] It ſeems, by this, that Moſes and the Elders (v. 1.) took the Prieſts and Levites to their Aſſiſtance, to deliver what follows.
Take heed.] Attend to what we ſay. The Hebrew word is found no where elſe; and ſeems to belong to their outward poſture.
And hearken.] So, as to conſider.
This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.] Theſe words following after the Precept concerning building an Altar of Confederation, muſt be underſtood as relating unto that. And therefore the word this day doth not reſpect only that particular day on which Moſes ſpake this to the People, or the day wherein God declared it; but the day upon which ſuch an Altar, for the renovation of the Covenant, was to be erected; when Joſhua was to ſpeak theſe words: For then, and not before, the Bleſſings were pronounced to thoſe that obſerved the Laws of God; and the Curſes againſt thoſe that broke them: and God had not fulfilled his Promiſes to them till they came over Jordan. Therefore he did not order this Altar to be built, and theſe Sacrifices to be offered, whereby they obliged themſelves to him, and became his People by a new Bond, till their entrance upon the poſſeſſion of what he had promiſed.
Ver. 10. Thou ſhalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his Commandments, &c.] Theſe words, and the foregoing, are plainly words of a mutual Covenant between God and them. Into which Covenant they entred three times. First at Horeb, XXIV Exod. and then juſt before Moſes died, XXIX. of this Book, 1, 12, 13, &c. and when they were come into Canaan, VIII Joſh. 30, 31, &c. And becauſe the Divine Laws delivered to them, were confirmed and ratified, at all theſe times, therefore it is that thoſe Laws are ſo frequently called by the Name of the Covenant; and when they tranſgreſſed them, they are ſaid to break this Covenant.
Ver. 11. And Moſes charged the people the ſame day, Verſe 11 ſaying.] Which Charge, I ſuppoſe, the Elders, with the aſſiſtance of the Prieſts and Levites, delivered throughout the whole Camp of Iſrael, v. 1, 9.
Ver. 12. Theſe ſhall ſtand upon Mount Gerizim.] Verſe 12 This is a Mountain upon which Samaria was afterwards built.
To bleſs the people.] By ſaying Amen, when they heard the Bleſſings read by the Prieſts. For it was not the People, who ſtood upon the Mountain, that bleſſed (i. e. pronounced the Bleſſings) but the Prieſts below, v. 14.
When ye are gone over Jordan.] See v. 2.
Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Iſſachar, and Joſeph, and Benjamin.] Theſe ſix Tribes who ſtood upon Mount Gerizim, (i. e. upon the top, and on the deſcent of it down to the bottom) were all deſcended from the Sons of the Free-women, Leah and Rachel: and therefore, many think, appointed to bleſs; which was more honourable than to curſe.
Ver. 13. And theſe ſhall ſtand upon Mount Ebal, to curſe.] This was a Mountain oppoſite to the other; and there lay a Valley between them. Abimelech Verſe 13 ſeems to have been made King upon this Mountain, when he had killed all the Sons of Gideon, but Jotham: for it was done in the Plain (or, by the Oak) of the Pillar, which was in Schechem; that is, by this Pillar, on which the Curſes of the Law were written, IX Judges 6. whereupon Jotham got upon Mount Gerizim, and thence curſed the Men of Schechem. Which ſhows that the tops of theſe Mountains were not ſo far diſtant one from another, but what was ſaid upon the one, might be heard by thoſe who were on the top, and the ſides of the other. And yet there was ſuch a Valley between them, that they could not preſently come at Jotham to apprehend him; but he had time to flee and get away, after he had ſpoken his Apologue.
Reuben, Gad, and Aſher; and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.] Four of theſe were Children of the Handmaids; and Reuben had loſt his Dignity by going up to his Father's Bed; and Zebulun was the youngeſt of Leah's Sons; who was therefore choſen, rather than any of the other, for this leſs honourable Employment. For otherwiſe there would not have been an equal number of Tribes upon each Mountain.
Verſe 14 Ver. 14. And the Levites.] That is, the Prieſts, who are often called the Prieſts, the Levites: particularly in that very place, where we read of the Execution of this Command, VIII Joſh. 33. And the Levites were among thoſe that ſtood upon Mount Gerizim, (v. 12.) who did not pronounce the Bleſſings; but anſwered Amen to them. Yet the Gemara upon Sota, Cap. VII. Sect. XXIII. will have it, that as many of the Levites as were fit to miniſter (that is, all from thirty to fifty years of Age, who were fit to carry the Ark) ſtood round about the Ark, with the Prieſts: the reſt of the Levites being upon Mount Gerizim, with the other Tribes appointed to have their ſtation there.
Shall ſpeak and ſay unto all the men of Iſrael.] The ſame Gemara rightly gathers, that the Ark with the Prieſts, were below in the Valley between the two Mountains; becauſe it is ſaid, in the place before-mentioned, that all Iſrael and the Elders ſtood about it, VIII Joſh. 33. Which could not have been, unleſs it were placed between the two Mountains, whereon they ſtood upon both ſides, from the top to the bottom.
With a loud voice.] That every one that ſtood on the ſide or top of the Mountains might hear what they ſaid; the Prieſts being placed ſo in ſeveral parts of the Valley, that their voice might reach them all. For which end they were advanced, perhaps upon a Pulpit, (as Ezra afterwards was, VIII Nehem. 4.) and a ſignal likewiſe given when they ſhould ſay, Amen.
Ver. 15. Curſed be he that maketh any graven or molten Verſe 15 image.] The People upon the Mountains being to bleſs as well as curſe, the Miſchna in the Title Sota (Cap. VII. Sect. V.) rightly explains this; that firſt the Prieſts, turning their Faces towards Mount Gerizim, proclaimed with a loud voice, Bleſſed be the man that maketh not any graven, &c. Unto which all the People that ſtood there, anſwered Amen. And then turning their Faces towards Mount Ebal, they ſaid theſe words, Curſed be the man that maketh, &c. to which they that ſtood there made the ſame anſwer. See alſo the Hieruſalem Targum, which paraphraſes theſe words in the ſame manner.
An abomination unto the LORD.] Which is odious, and far to be removed from the Preſence of the LORD, as the ſame Targum interprets it.
The work of the hands of the Crafts-man▪] A meer device of Men, and therefore not to have Divine Worſhip given to it of any ſort.
And putteth it in a ſecret place.] Though he was not a publick declared Worſhipper of Images; yet if he did it privately in ſome Cloſet of his own Houſe, or in any other ſecret place to conceal his wickedneſs; though he eſcaped the puniſhment of the Law, which ſentenced open Idolaters to death, yet he could not eſcape the vengeance of God.
And all the people.] The forenamed Miſchna and Targum ſay, That the People on both Mountains anſwered Amen; both to the Bleſſings, and to the Curſings: which doth not agree with what goes before, v. 12, 13.
Shall anſwer and ſay, Amen.] Expreſs their conſent to it. For the word Amen, as the Talmudiſts ſay in Schebuoth, hath ſometimes the force of an Oath; ſometimes only declares conſent and approbation; and ſometimes is uſed for the confirmation of any thing. An Example of the firſt they think there is in V Numb. 22. and they alledge this place for an Example of the ſecond: and for the third XXVIII Jerem. 6.
Verſe 16 Ver. 16. Curſed be he that ſetteth light by his father and mother.] It is obſerved by Interpreters, that as the Precept of honouring Parents ſtands next to the Commandment concerning the Honour that is due to God, (XX Exod. 12.) ſo the Curſe pronounced againſt thoſe who diſhonoured them, is here placed next to the Curſe againſt Worſhippers of Images. And as Idolaters were to be put to death, ſo were thoſe that curſed their Parents, XXI Exod. 17. XX Levit. 9. And I may add, from the foregoing words, that though they did it ever ſo ſecretly, they lay under this Curſe.
And all the people ſhall ſay, Amen.] But before this Curſe was pronounced, they had ſaid Amen to the Bleſſing oppoſite to it, (bleſſed is he that ſetteth not lightly by his Father and Mother) as was obſerved on the foregoing Verſe. And the ſame is to be noted concerning the following Curſes, which were preceded with a Bleſſing; till they were all ended.
Ver. 17. Curſed be he that removeth his neighbour's Verſe 17 Land-mark, &c.] Againſt which there is an expreſs Precept in the foregoing part of this Book, XIX. 14. And Pellicanus well obſerves, that by this particular Inſtance of God's diſpleaſure againſt Injuſtice, they were deterred from all Incroachments upon their Neighbours Poſſeſſions.
Ver. 18. Curſed be he that maketh the blind to wander Verſe 18 out of the way.] By giving him wrong directions, or miſleading him. See XIX Levit. 14. Some apply this to giving pernitious Advice to ſimple People; which is certainly worſe than miſguiding of the blind, becauſe it leads Men into ſin, as well as into danger.
Ver. 19. Curſed be he that perverteth the judgment of Verſe 19 the ſtranger, fatherleſs and widow.] Theſe three I obſerved before (XXIV. 19.) are commonly put together, as a paraphraſe upon the word poor: whoſe Cauſe God himſelf undertakes to plead, X. 18. and ſee XII Exod. 21, 22. And therefore all good Lawgivers have taken ſpecial care of them; particularly of Orphans; concerning whom Plato ordains, that the Conſervators of the Laws ſhould be foreign, inſtead of their natural Parents, and look after them ſo well, that they ſhould not fare the worſe for wanting their Fathers. See Lib. VIII. de Legibus, fol. 926, &c. Edit. Serrani.
Verſe 20 Ver. 20. Curſed be he that lieth with his father's wife, See XXII. 30. and XVIII Levit. 8.
Verſe 21 Ver. 21. Curſed be he who lieth with any manner of beaſt, &c.] XXII Exod. 19. and XVIII Levit. 23. This ſome of the Jewiſh Doctors, out of an unaccountable pride, apply to the Vulgar ſort of their own Nation, (whom they call the People of the Earth) as if they were no better than Beaſts, with whom they were not to marry.
Verſe 22 Ver. 22. Curſed be he that lyeth with his ſiſter, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, &c.] This hath been explained alſo XVIII Levit. 9.
Verſe 23 Ver. 23. Curſed be he that lyeth with his mother-in-law, &c.] See XVIII Levit. 17. and XX. 14.
Verſe 24 Ver. 24. Curſed be he that ſmiteth his neighbour ſecretly, &c.] Though it be but with his Tongue, whereby he wounds the ſame of an abſent Perſon. But the word ſmite is often uſed for killing, XXI Exod. 12. XXIV Levit. 17. Of which, if a Man was guilty, though he committed the Murder ſo ſecretly, that he could not be put to death by the Sentence of the Judges, yet he lay under this heavy Sentence of God.
Verſe 25 Ver. 25. Curſed be he that taketh a reward to ſlay an innocent perſon, &c.] This ſeems to have reſpect to the Judges, who for Money not only gave wrong Judgment in other Cauſes, but condemned thoſe that were not guilty to death. See XXIII Exod. 7, 8. and in this Book X. 17. XVI. 19.
Ver. 26. Curſed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.] The word we here tranſlate confirm, is more plainly tranſlated perform, in 1 Sam. XV. 11. And ſo it certainly ſignifies here: the performing Verſe 26 of what God commands, being a kind of Eſtabliſhment of the Law; as Diſobedience is a Subverſion of it, and, as far as lyes in the Offenders power, an aboliſhing it, and taking it away. Therefore the Apoſtle exactly tranſlates the ſenſe of theſe words, III Galat. 10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things, &c. where the Apoſtle adds the word all (as the LXX. and the Samaritan did, even in St. Hierom's time) to expound the words of this Law, to ſignifie not meerly all that is contained in theſe Bleſſings and Curſes, but all things which are written in the Book of the Law. So that whether this whole Book (i. e. all the Laws contained in it) written upon the Pillars, or only theſe Bleſſings and Curſings, the matter comes to the ſame Iſſue; becauſe all that is contained in this Book, is comprehended in this laſt Curſe; yea, all that is contained in the whole Law of Moſes. Therefore it is not very material neither, whether only theſe Curſes and Bleſſings were recited upon Mount Gerizim and Ebal; or the whole Law of Moſes from one end to the other; about which the Jews themſelves differ. But they that are of the latter Opinion, think it well grounded upon VIII Joſh. 33. where we read how Joſhua carefully performed what Moſes here enjoyned. And that his words might not be forgotten, Moſes ſeems to have ordered the continuance of this Solemnity, every ſeventh year; in the Twenty ninth Chapter of this Book, v. 10, 11, &c.
The Miſ…hna in Sota (which I have often mentioned) concludes this matter with theſe words; When the Bleſſings and the Curſings were ended, they brought Stones and built an Altar, which they plaiſtered over, and wrote upon them all the words of this Law in Seventy Languages. But I have ſhown before, that the Stones on which the Law was written, was different from the Altar: and were erected before the building of the Altar. The Gemara there adds, Cap. VII. Sect. XXIV. That every one of the Iſraelites there preſent ſtood bound one for another (that is for the whole Company) that they would obſerve theſe Laws. Which I know not how they extract out of Moſes his words; but their Doctors frequently mention it in their Books; and make this pious uſe of it. That, by virtue of this Security which they gave for each other, every Man was bound to reprove his Neighbour, if he ſaw him offend; unleſs he was content to undergo the Puniſhment which was threatned unto the Breach of God's Laws, and come under the Curſe, XIX Levit. 17. And unto this they apply thoſe words, They ſhall fall one upon another, (as we truly tranſlate XXVI Levit. 37.) as if they ſignified, every one ſhall fall by his Brother; that is, by his Brothers Crimes. For we all promiſed, ſay they, (in the Gemara Sanhedrim, Cap. III. Sect. VI.) and engaged one for another: and ſo from that time were puniſhed one for another.