Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 5 · Chapter 13 – Chapter 16
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. IF there ariſe among you a Prophet] A publike Deceiver, that ſhall boldly obtrude upon you his erroneous opinions for divine oracles; ſeeking to drag diſciples after him, Act. 20.20. Such as of late times were Servetus, Socinus, Arminius, Vorſtius, Pelargus the firſt Anabaptiſt, Iſlelius Agricola, the firſt Antinomian: H. N. that is, Henry Nicolai of Leiden, the firſt Familiſt. Howbeit, Gerſon tells us of a woman, one Maria de Valentiana, that had, lately, before his relation, written a book with incredible ſubtilty, concerning the prerogative and eminence of divine love; to the which, whatever ſoul had attained, is (according to her) let looſe from all the law of Gods Commandements.
Verſ. 2. And the ſign or the wonder come to paſſe] For ſo it may fall out by Divine permiſſion, for the patefaction and pudefaction of hypocrites; Exod. 7.22.as when Jannes and Jambres turned water into blood, or at leaſt, ſeemed to do ſo.
Verſ. 3. Thou ſhalt not hearken] Hereticks have their pithanology, their good words and fair ſpeeches, wherein they can vent a ſpittle of diſeaſed opinions, and whereby they deceive the hearts of the ſimple, Rom. 16.18. It is not ſafe therefore to hear them, or hold diſcourſe with ſuch; leſt they inſinuate and infect us, as the Montaniſts did Tertullian; as the Valentinians did divers well-affected Chriſtians; as Acacius the heretick, did Anaſtaſius, 2 Biſhop of Rome, Anno 497. who ſought to rectifie him. It is reported of Placilla, the good Empreſs, that when Theodoſius Seniour deſired to confer with Eunomius, Sozomen. l. 7. cap. 7.ſhe diſſwaded her husband very earneſtly; leſt, being perverted by his ſpeeches, he might fall into hereſie. Keep thee far from an evil matter, ſaith Solomon. Mark thoſe that make diviſions, and avoid them, Rom. 16.18.ſaith Paul. And again, There are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers—whoſe mouthes muſt be ſtopped, &c. Tit. 1.11.
Verſ. 4. Ye ſhall walk after the Lord] A ſpecial Antidote againſt Apoſtacy from the truth, 2 Pet. 3.17, 18. whereas thoſe that have put away a good conſcience, do, as concerning faith, 1 Tim. 1.19.eaſily make ſhipwrack.
Verſ. 5. Shall be put to death] This power is ſtill in the Chriſtian magiſtrate, to inflict capital puniſhment on groſs hereticks; ſuch as was Servetus at Geneva, and Campian here; who ſpiderlike, was ſwept down by the hand of juſtice, and drew his laſt threed in the triangle of Tiburn, Speeds hiſt. of Engl. 1176.as the Hiſtorian wittily phraſeth it. Quid Imperatori cum Eccleſia? was a queſtion moved by the old Donatiſts. Libertas prophetandi, is much challenged by the Arminians, and other Sectaries. But if in matter of religion, every man ſhould think what he liſts, and utter what he thinks, and defend what he utters, and publiſh what he defends, and gather diſciples to what he publiſheth, this liberty, or licentiouſneſs rather, would ſoon be the bane of any Church.
Verſ. 6. Thy friend, which is as thine own ſoul] Amicitia fit tantùm inter binos qui ſunt veri, & bonos qui ſunt pauci.
Entice thee ſecretly, ſaying] Chriſt found the Devil in Peter, perſwading him to ſpare himſelf. Caſſianus reports of a young man, that had given himſelf up to a Chriſtian life; and his parents miſliking that way, wrote letters to him, to diſſwade him; which when he knew, he would not once open them, but threw them in the fire. Mention is alſo made in Eccleſiaſtical hiſtory, of one Phileas, a Noble-man, and conſtant Martyr, who going to execution, ſeemed as one deaf at the perſwaſions, and blind at the tears of his deareſt friends: As the waters uſe to break themſelves on a rock, ſo was he inflexible.
Verſ. 9. Kill him] i. e. Deliver him up to the Magiſtrate, to be killed; for he bears not the ſword in vain, like S. Paul in a glaſs-window, or George on a ſign-poſt.
Verſ. 10. To thruſt thee away] By force, not of arms, but of arguments, Tertull.as the Valentinians, qui priùs perſuadebant quam docebant. Thus Jeroboam is ſaid to have driven Iſrael from following the Lord, 2 King. 17.21.
Verſ. 12. If thou ſhalt hear ſay] Rumours are not alwaies to be credited, nor alwaies to be contemned.
Verſ. 13. Childron of Belial] Renegadoes are the worſt of men. 1 Joh. 2.19.Rabſhakeh is held ſuch a one; ſo Bertius, Tilenus, Staphylus, &c.
CHAP. XIV.
Verſ. 1. YE are the children of the Lord] Ye ſhould therefore do nothing unworthy of ſuch a Father. Antigonus being invited to a place, where a notable harlot was to be preſent, asked counſel of Menedemus, what he ſhould do? He bad him only remember, Plut.that he was a Kings ſon, and do accordingly. [ye ſhall not cut] See the Note on Levit. 19.28.
Verſ. 2. For thou art] See the Note on Chap. 7.6.
And the Lord hath choſen thee] Hence all thy holineſs. The maids were firſt purified, before Ahaſueroſh choſe one; but here it is otherwiſe, Epheſ. 5.25, 26.
Verſ. 3. Thou ſhalt not eat any abominable] See the Notes on Levit. 11. This law taught them to abſtain from communion with wicked men, in whom are found the malignities and evil properties of all other creatures, Act. 10.13, 17, 20, 28. They feed hard on ſin, the Devils excrement; as the Tartarians eat the carrion, carkaſes of horſes, camels, aſſes, cats, dogs, yea when they ſtink, and are full of magots, and hold them as dainty, as we do veniſon.
Verſ. 5. The Hart, and the roe-buck] Theſe were dainties fit for a King, 1 King. 4.23. Rice and mutton is the cheer wherewith the great Turk entertaineth forraign Ambaſſadours; and that ſo plainly and ſparingly dreſſed, as if they would give check to our gourmandize and exceſs.
Verſ. 6. That parteth the hoof] See the Note on Levit. 11.3.
Verſ. 21. Thou ſhalt not ſeethe] See the Note on Exod. 23.19.
Verſ. 22. Thou ſhalt truly tithe] He ſeems to mean that ſecond tithe, wherewith they were to feaſt before the Lord; and not the tithe given to the Levites, Num. 18.24.
Verſ. 23. That thou mayſt learn] A man cannot converſe with God, but he ſhall learn ſomething. Semper a te doctior redeo, ſaid He to his friend. Moſes came from the Mount with his face ſhining. Confer Eccleſ. 81.
Verſ. 29. That the Lord thy God, &c.] Not getting, but giving, is the way to thrive in the world.
CHAP. XXV.
Verſ. 1. AT the end of every] This Sabbatical year ſignified the year of grace, the Kingdom of Chriſt, wherein all Iſraelites indeed, are diſcharged of their debts, Matth. 6.12. See the Note there.
Verſ. 2. He ſhall not exact it] For that ſeventh year at leaſt; becauſe there was neither ſowing, nor reaping, that year: how then could the poor pay their debts? We muſt all put on bowels of mercy, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, &c. Col. 3.12, 13.
Verſ. 3. Of a forraigner] To ſhew, that none that are alienated from the life of God, (or a godly life) have remiſſion of ſin by Chriſt: He ſanctifies all whom he juſtifies, Compare Rom. 11.26. with Iſai. 59.20.
Verſ. 4. Save when there ſhall be no poor] Here (as in ſundry other places of the new Tranſlation) the margin is better then the text; as giving a good reaſon of the former law; To the end, that there be no poor amongſt you, that is, extream poor by your exactions. Of a cruel creditour it is ſaid, Pſal. 10.9. that he lyeth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor, when he draws him into his net, that is, into bonds, debts, morgages, as Chryſoſtome expounds it.
Verſ. 7. Thou ſhalt not harden thy heart] But draw out thy ſoul to the hungry, Eſay 58. Many have iron-bowels, and withered hands. See my common-place of Almes.
Verſ. 8. Thou ſhalt ſurely lend him] See the Note on Matth. 5.42.
Verſ. 9. And he cry unto the Lord] Who is the poor mans King, as James the fifth, of Scotland, was tearmed, for his charity.
Verſ. 10. Thine heart ſhall not be grieved] See the Note on 2 Cor. 9.7.
The Lord thy God ſhall bleſſe thee] See Prov. 19.17. and Almes, ubi ſupra.
Verſ. 11. For the poor] See the Note on Matth. 26.11. Aged and impotent poor, whoſe miſery moves compaſſion, without an Oratour, called here our poor, as well as our brethren.
Verſ. 12. In the ſeventh year] Viz. Since he was ſold unto thee.
Verſ. 16. Then thou ſhalt take an awle] Ʋt ſi non horreret ſervitudinem, horreret ſaltem ignominiam publicam: If we can bear reproach for Chriſt, its an argument we mean to ſtick to him, as this bored ſervant, to his maſter.
CHAP. XVI.
Verſ. 1. ANd keep the Paſſeover] Every man that ſeeth another ſtriken, and himſelf ſpared, is ſtill to keep a Paſſeover for himſelf.
Verſ. 3. Even the bread of affliction] Or, of poverty; as who ſhould ſay, poor folks bread, ill-leavened, ill-prepared.
Verſ. 4. And the…e ſhall be] See the Notes on Exod. 12.
Verſ. 10. With a tribute of a free-will offering] Over and beſides the ſacrifice appointed for the feaſt-day, Numb. 18.27, 31. and the two loaves with their ſacrifices commanded, Levit. 23.17, 20. ſo good-cheap is Gods ſervice to us, over what it was to them.
Verſ. 12. And thou ſhalt remember] It is very good to look back, and recognize our former worſe condition. Agathocles, King of Sicily, being a potters ſon, would be ſerved only in earthen veſſels. Willigis, Archbiſhop of Ments, a Wheel-wrights ſon, hang'd wheels, and the tools wherewith they were made, round about his bed-chamber, and had theſe words written upon the walls, in very fair Characters, Willigis, Willigis, recole unde veneris, Remember whence thou cameſt.
Verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt obſerve] See the Notes on Exod. 23.16.
Verſ. 15. Thou ſhalt ſurely rejoyce] See the Notes on Chap. 12.12.
Verſ. 18. With juſt judgment] Heb. with judgment of juſtice. Ʋt fiat juſtitia, ruat coelum. Let heaven and earth be blended together, rather then Magiſtrates be drawn to deal baſely. It is reported by a late traveller, that in Zant, over the place of judgment, theſe two Latine verſes are written on the wall, in letters of gold,
Hic locus odit, amat, punit, conſervat, honorat,
Nequitiam, pacem, crimina, jura, bonos.
Verſ. 19. Neither take a gift] Rain is good, and ground is good; yet, ex eorum conjunctione fit lutum, by the mixture of thoſe two, is made dirt; ſo giving is kind, and taking is courteous; yet the mixing of them, makes the ſmooth pathes of juſtice, foul, and uneven.
Verſ. 20. That which is altogether juſt] Heb. juſtice, juſtice; that is, let pure juſtice, without mud, run down; let all ſelf-iſh affections be ſtrain'd out.