Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 5 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. THou ſhalt not ſee thy brothers] No not thine enemies, Exod. 23.4. for, have we not all one father? Mal. 2.10. See the Note on Matth. 5.44.
Verſ. 5. The woman ſhall not wear] Becauſe it is againſt both natural and civil honeſty.
Neither ſhall a man put on] That is, (ſay Stage-Players, and thoſe that plead for them,) a man ſhall not wear womens apparel ordinarily and daily, ſo as women uſe to do. But the word is, Put on, and ſo they do; The ſame word is uſed of Davids putting on Sauls armour, which yet he put off again preſently. So full (ſaith One hereupon) are our hearts of diſtinctions and ſhifts, odia reſtringere, ampliare favores, to reſtrain hatreds, (as they call them) that is, the Commandements that make againſt them.
Verſ. 7. And that thou mayſt prolong, &c.] They were commanded to ſpare the damme, becauſe ſhe repreſented the parents, in bringing up of her young ones: and if their dayes ſhould be for that prolonged, much more for this. The Hebrews reckon this commandement, for the leaſt of all in Moſes law; and yet ſuch a promiſe is annexed thereunto.
Verſ. 9. And the fruit of thy vineyard be defiled] Heb. be ſanctified, per antiphraſin; as Auri ſacra fames; and Anthony's fire is, ignis ſacer. So a whore is called in Hebrew, Kedeſha, of Kadaſh, i. e. Holineſs, Deut. 23.17. by a contrary meaning, as moſt unholy, and unchaſte.
Verſ. 10. Thou ſhalt not plough] Theſe laws were made, to ſet forth how God abhorreth all mixtures in religion; and how carefully men ſhould keep their minds from being corrupted from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt.2 Cor. 11.3.
Verſ. 12. Wherewith thou covereſt thy ſelf] Ne in motu …liquid indecerum appareat; Luſt and malice are ſharp-ſighted, 2 Sam. 11.2. 2 Sam. 6.20.
Verſ. 14. I found her not a maid] Silveſter Petra-ſancta Jeſuita calumniatur puellas plerunque corruptas nuptui dari in Reformato Evangelio: Jeſuita Vapulans. pag. 146.Quod de Evangelio Romano (ait Rivettus noſter) potiùs dici poſſet; poſtquàm puellae dementarunt a vobis ſeducta, & ſub veſtibus cordulis nodoſis ſpurcis veſtris manibus fuerunt ligatae. Papiſts falſly affirm, that few maids amongſt us come clear to marriage: cujus contrarium verum eſt.
Verſ. 15. Then ſhall the father of the damoſel] Whoſe houſe, hereby, was diſhoneſted, and by whom his daughters honour was to be defended; eſpecially, ſince childrens miſcarriages reflect upon the parents; and the daughters ſin, is the fathers ſhame.
Verſ. 16. And he hateth her] Which is a monſter in nature Epheſ. 5.28, 29,
Verſ. 17. Theſe are the tokens] Which in thoſe countries ſeldome or never failed.
Verſ. 19. He hath brought up an evil name] Which is a kind of murther, Ezek. 22.9. God ſhall clear the innocency of his ſlandered ſervants, Pſal. 37.6. Iſai. 54.17. As the eclipſed Moon, by keeping her motion, wades out of the ſhadow, and recovers her ſplendour; ſo ſhall it be with ſuch.
Verſ. 20. And the tokens] Nor any natural impediment can be proved; as the Hebrews explain it.
Verſ. 22. With a woman married] Adultery was puniſhed with death; becauſe ſociety, and the purity of poſterity could not otherwiſe continue amongſt men.
Verſ. 24. Humbled his neighbours wife] So called, becauſe betrothed, quià nuptias facit conſenſus, non concubitus, as the Lawyers determine it.
Verſ. 25. And the man force her, and lie with her] It was a ſpeech of Charles 5. Emperour, If that impure fellow, Farneſins, (who being the Popes General, had forced many fair Ladies,) were here preſent, I would kill him with mine own hand. Nec vocem iracundiorem unquam ex Carolo auditam ferunt. Parei hiſt. prof. medulla.Never was he heard to ſpeak ſo angerly. The Lacedaemonian Common wealth was utterly ruined by a rape committed on the two daughters of Scedaſus at Leuctra.
Verſ. 29. She ſhall be his wife] Howbeit, he muſt be humbled before the Lord, for entring into his ordinance thorough the Devils portal.