Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 5 · Chapter 20 – Chapter 21
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. VVHen thou goeſt out to battle] It is not unlawful therefore to go to war, (as Lactantius held, and ſome others;) whether it be pro religione, vel pro region…: OnelyOnly becauſe it is eaſier to ſtir ſtrife, then to ſtop and ſtint it; (non enim in ejuſdem poteſtate eſt initium belli, Saluſt. in Jugurth.…juſque finis,) war is not raſhly to be undertaken; leſt it befall men, as in the battle between the dragon and the elephant. The dragon ſucketh out the blood of the elephant, Pli…. lib. 8. cap. 12. Poſſid. in ivt. Aug.and the weight of the falling elephant oppreſſeth the dragon, and ſo both periſh. Saint Auguſtin would never pray for ſuch, as had wilfully and voluntarily thruſt themſelves into unneceſſary warrs.
For the Lord thy God is with thee] And how many reckoneſt thou him for? as Antigonus ſaid, to his diſcouraged ſouldiers: The Lord is a Man of warre, Exod. 15.3. Or, as the Chaldee there expreſſeth it; A victour of warrs, 2 Chron. 32.8. Si deus pro nobis, &c. Rom. 8.31.
Verſ. 2. That the Prieſt ſhall approach] For ſome Prieſts ordinarily went along with the army; not to be Tuba rebellionis, as the Papiſts ſaid of Zuinglius; nor evangelium flammeum praedicare, as they ſaid of Beza; as a common fire-brand, or fomenter of diſcord: but to blow the holy trumpets, that the people might be remembred before the Lord, and ſaved from their enemies, Num. 10.8, 9. 2 Chron. 13.12. And to ſay unto them, as 2 Chron. 19. Deal couragiouſly, and the Lord ſhall be with the good. The valour of the Gaules, was admired by the Romans. It proceeded from that inſtruction of the Druides their Prieſts, concerning the immortality of the ſoul, &c.
Verſ. 4. For the Lord your God is … ] Quid metuit homo in ſinu dei poſitus, Deo armatus? Creatures of an inferiour nature, will be couragious in the preſence of their maſters: And ſhall not men, when they have God with them? Xerxes was wont to pitch his tent on high, and ſtand looking on his army when in fight; to encourage them, So God.
Verſ. 5. And hath not dedicated it] By prayers, hymnes, and other holy ſolemnities, then uſuall, Neh. 12.27. Pſal. 30. title; that the houſe of David might be as God, as the Angell of the Lord before them, Zach. 12.8.
Verſ. 6. That hath planted a vineyard… This priviledg might incourage men to build and plant; which is good and profitable for the common-wealth, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh in a like caſe, Tit. 3.8.
Verſ. 7. That hath betrothed a wife] A commendable cuſtome, even among Heathens alſo: Placuit, deſpondi; nuptiis hic dictus eſt dies, ſaid he in Terence.
Verſ. 8. That is fearfull and faint-hearted] This cowardly paſſion diſ-pirits a man, expectorates his manlineſs, and expoſeth him to the cruell mercy of an enemy. Better be temerarious, then timorous: Ye fugitives of Ephraim, is no ſmall brand of diſhonor, Iudg. 12.4. beſides that, melting and trying judgments follow ſuch at heeles, as account one pair of heeles, worth two pair of hands, Ier. 9.3, 7. The French fled ſo faſt before the Engliſh, Paul. I…vius.at the battle of Terrim, that it was called the battle of Spur…es. [Leſt his brethrens hearts] Cowardice is catching, and ſhews that men, like ſtags, have great horns, but want hearts.
Verſ. 9. Captains of the armies, to lead the people] As Hanniball did, Deead. 3. lib. 1.of whom Livy reports, that princeps proelium inibat, vltimus, conſerto proelio, excedebat; he was firſt in the battell, and laſt out: And the ſame is ſtoried of Albert, Marqueſs of Brandenburg: Buchole.In congreſſibus prior pugnam iniit, victor à proelio exceſſit vltimus.
Verſ. 10. Then proclaime peace unto it] Heb. Shalt call unto it for peace: This hath been the practice of moſt nations. The Romans ſent their caduceum et haſtam: the Herald was commanded, Gel. lib. 16. cap. 4.to throw his weapons on the enemies ground, with this ſpeech: Ego, populuſque Rom. ho…inibus Hermundulis bellum dico facioque: I and the people of Rome, bid battell to the Hermunduli. Alexander the great, when he beſieged any city, would ſend his Herald into it, with a burning torch in his hand, to proclaim, that if any man would repair and ſubmit himſelf unto him, while that torch continued burning, he ſhould be ſafe: otherwiſe, Turk. hiſt.they ſhould expect nothing, but fire and ſword. Tamerlain, when he came againſt any place, firſt, he hanged out a white flag of grace, then a red, and laſtly, a black flag; to ſhew, that now there was no hope of mercy for them: foreign; God loves to give warning, ſaith Herodotus, a heathen. And the Turks are of opinion, …b. 344.that God would not proſper them, in their aſſaults, except they firſt make to their enemies ſome offer of peace, how unreaſonable ſoever, it forceth not. So they did, at the laſt fatall ſiege of Conſtantinople.
Verſ. 11. And open unto thee] As Tournay in France did, to our Henry the eight, with ten thouſand pound ſterling, for the Citizens redemption; yet was it never till then counted ſo invincible, that this ſentence was engraven over one of the gates; Iannes ton me a perdu ton pucellage, Speeds hiſt. of Engl. 1001.thou haſt never loſt thy maiden-head.
Verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt ſmite every male thereof] Let them pay for their pervicacy. So Caeſar anſwered the Adviatici, Si priuſqu…m aries murum attigiſſet ſe de diſſent. Caeſ. 2. Gallic. Conneſtab. 6.that he would have ſpared their city, if they had yielded, before he had aſſaulted. And ſo the Duke D' Alva, much blamed Proſper Columnus, for receiving a caſtle upon condition, after he had beaten it with the cannon. Howbeit, in the L. Protectours expedition into Scotland, in the raign of Edward the 6. one caſtle, when they underſtood they were not able to hold out: and that their obſtinacy had excluded all hope of pardon, they made petition, that they might not preſently be ſlain, but have ſome time to recommend their ſouls to God, and afterwards be hanged. Life of Edw. 6. by Sr. Jo. Heywood.This reſpite being firſt obtained, their pardon did the more eaſily enſue,
Verſ. 17. The Hivites and the I…buſites] The Gergaſhites are not reckoned among the reſt, as neither are they, I…ſh. 9.1. happy, becauſe they accepted of conditions of peace.
Verſ. 19. Thou ſhalt not cut them down] Fruit-trees might not be deſtroyed: doth God take care for trees? It was to teach us, that if we bring forth fruit fit for Gods taſte and relliſh, ſanctifying God and Chriſt in our hearts, we ſhall not be deſtroyed. Oakes bring forth apples, ſuch as they are, and acorns, but not fit for meat.
CHAP. XXI.
Verſ. 1. IN the field] Or elſewhere; the field is inſtanced, becauſe in places more frequented, murders are not ſo eaſily concealed, or ſo commonly committed.
Verſ. 2. Then thy Elders] Some of the Sanhedrin.
Verſ. 3. Shall take an heifer] Signifying Chriſt, who is the propitiation for his peoples ſins, 1 Joh. 2.2.
Verſ. 4. Which is neither eared nor ſown] That is, that afterwards ſhould neither be tilled nor ſown, for horrour and hatred of the innocent blood there ſpilled. So the mountains of Gilboah, 2 …am.1.
Verſ. 5. And by their word] i. e. According to that expoſition that they ſhall give of Gods Word, and not by any abſolute or arbitrary power of their own.
Verſ. 6. Shall waſh their hands] An old ceremony, uſed in this caſe, by the Gentiles alſo, as the Scholiaſt upon Sophocles, ſheweth. See the Note on Matth. 27.24.
Verſ. 27. And they ſhall anſwer] To the Prieſts examining them, and, in Gods name, making inquiſition for blood.
Verſ. 8. And the blood ſhall be forgiven] The fault of not well watching and guarding the place where the murther was committed. Our King Alfred was the firſt that divided this Kingdome into Shires: He ordained alſo, that his Subjects ſhould be divided into tens or tithings; every of which, ſeverally, ſhould give bond for the good abearing of each other. By this courſe men were not only careful of their own actions, but each had an eye to all the nine, for which he ſtood bound, as the nine had over him. Inſomuch, that a poor girle might travel ſafely with a bag of gold in her hand, and none durſt meddle with her. The ancienteſt of theſe men, were called the Tithingmen.
Verſ. 11. And haſt a deſire unto her] This was permitted them, as divorce was, ob duricordiam. But that is a baſe paſſage in the Turks Alchoran, that God did not give men ſuch appetites, to have them fruſtrate, but enjoyed; as made for the guſt of man, not for his torment, wherein his Creatour delights not; and therefore they hold it lawful, for a man to marry as many wives, as he is able to maintain.
Verſ. 12. And ſhe ſhall ſhave her head] In token, that ſhe muſt renounce her heatheniſm, and lead a new and holy life. And if ſhe thus conſented to marry, ſhe ſaved her life by it; ſo do thoſe their ſouls, that conſent to Chriſt; caſting away their tranſgreſſions, and paring off their ſuperfluities, by the conſtant practice of mortification.
Verſ. 13. A full monethmonth] Worldly ſorrow, like a land-flood, is for the preſent, impetuous and violent, but time wears it out; Not ſo, godly ſorrow.
Verſ. 14. Becauſe thou haſt humbled her] This expreſſion ſhews, that God approved not of his fact, which yet he tolerated.
Verſ. 15. And another hated] i. e. Leſs loved; as Gen. 29.31. See the Note there.
Verſ. 17. A double portion] According to this phraſe, Eliſha, 2 King. 2.9. doth not deſire a greater meaſure of the ſpirit, then reſted upon his maſter; but only to excel the other children of the Prophets, by a right of primogeniture.
Verſ. 20. He is a glutton] The ſame word is uſed for a vile perſon, Jer. 15 19. And indeed, belly-gods, Philip. 3.19. are dungy-gods, Hab. 2.18 with Ezek. 4.17, 18. A ſcavenger, whoſe office is to empty, is to be preferred before him that liveth but to fill privies.
Verſ. 21. Shall hear and fear] See the Note on Chap. 19.20.
Verſ. 23. For he that is hanged] See the Note on Gal. 3.13.