Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 5 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Verſ. 1. NOw theſe are the Commandements] Moſes having repeated the Decalogue, begins here to explain it: and firſt, the firſt of the ten, in this preſent Chapter: that firſt Commandement being ſuch, Primo praec…pto reliquerum omnium ob ervantia praecipitur. Luth.as that therein the keeping of all the other nine is enjoyned, as Luther rightly obſerveth.
Verſ. 2. That thou mighteſt fear the Lord] Fear God, and keep his Commandements, Eccleſ. 12.13. fear the Lord and depart from evill, Prov. 16.6. this is the beginning, Prov. 1.7. and end of all, Eccleſ. 12.13. This is the whole of man, or as ſome read it, Hoc eſt enim totus Homo. foreignThis is the whole man. ib. It is a problem in Ariſtotle; why men are credited, more then any other creatures? The anſwer is, man alone reverenceth God. Deum ſiquis parum metuit, valdè contemnit: hujus qui non memor at beneficentiam, auget injuriam: Fulgentius.Not to fear God, is to ſlight him; as not to praiſe him, is to wrong him, ſaith an Ancient.
Verſ. 3. That it may be well with thee] Reſpect may be had to the recompence of reward: foreignWe may make it our ſcope, our ayme, 2 Cor. 4.18. though not our higheſt ayme; Moſes caſt an eye, when he was on his journey, Heb. 11.26. he ſtole a look from glory; and got freſh incouragement.
Verſ. 4. foreignThe Lord our God is one Lord] One in Three, and Three in One. Here are three words, anſwering the three perſons: And the middle word, Our God, deciphering fitly the ſecond, who aſſumed our nature, as Galatinus well obſerveth. Others take notice, that the laſt letter of this firſt word Hear, is extraordinarily great in the Hebrew; as calling for utmoſt heed and attention: And ſo is the laſt letter in the word rendred, One. See the Note on Exod. 34.14. This laſt letter Daleth, which uſually ſtands for four, ſignifieth (ſay the Hebrews,) that this one God, ſhall be worſhipped in the four corners of the earth.
Verſ. 5. And thou ſhalt love] See the Note on Mat. 22.37. This ſhewes the impoſſibility of keeping the law perfectly: Ità ut fruſtrà ſint ſophiſtae, &c. The true Chriſtian counts all that he can do for God, but a little of that much he owes him, and that he could gladly beteem him. But what a wretched Monk was that, that dyed with theſe words in his mouth; Redde mihi aeternam vitam quam debes; Lord, pay me heaven, for thou oweſt it?
Verſ. 6. Shall be in thy hears] A bible, men ſhould get ſtamped in their heads, and another in their hearts, as David had, Pſal. 119.11. Knowledg, that ſwims in the head only, and ſinks not down into the heart, does no more good, then rain in the middle region doth; or then the Unicorns horn, in the Unicornes head.
Verſ. 7. And thou ſhalt teach them diligently] Heb. Thou ſhalt whet or ſharpen them, as one would ſharpen a ſtake, Sha…an acuer… & S…anah repetere, affine… ſunt.when he drives it into the ground: Or, as one would ſet an edge upon a knife, by oft going over the whetſtone. A learned Hebrician obſerves a neer affinity between the word here uſed, and another word that ſignifies to repeat, and inculcate the ſame thing. Innuit ſtudium et diligentiam, qua pueris praecepta dei inculcari debent, ſaith Vatablus. Children ſhould be taught the principles, that they underſtand not: Firſt, that they might have occaſion much to think of the things that are ſo much and commonly urged. Secondly, that if any extremity ſhould come, they might have certain ſeeds of comfort and direction, to guide and ſupport them. 3. That their condemnation might be more juſt, if having theſe ſo much in their mouthes, they ſhould not get ſomething of them into their hearts.
Verſ. 8. And thou ſhalt binde them] See the Note on Mat. 23.5.
Verſ. 9. And on thy gates] In a fooliſh imitation whereof, the Engliſh Ieſuites beyond ſea have written on their Church and Colledge-doores, in great golden letters, Jeſu, Jeſu converte Angliam, Fiat, Fiat. Habent et veſpae favos.
Verſ. 11. When thou ſhalt have eaten and be full] Saturity oft breeds ſecurity, fulneſs forgetfulneſs. The beſt, when full fed, are apt to wax wanton, and will be dipping their fingers ſometimes in the devills ſauce: Platina.ipſis opibus laſcivire caepit Eccleſia. The Moon never ſuffers eclipſe, but at the full, and that by the earths interpoſition. The young mulets, when they have ſuckt, turn up their heeles, and kick at the damme.
Verſ. 12. Leſt thou forget the Lord] Should we with the ſed hawk, forget our maſter? Or, being full with Gods benefits, like the Moon, be then moſt removed from the Sun, from whom ſhe hath all her light? See Prov. 30.8, 9.
Verſ. 13. And ſhalt ſweare by his name] An oath rightly taken, is a peece of our holy ſervice to God; and may well be reckoned amongſt our prayers and other pious performances.
Verſ. 14. Thou ſhalt not go] See the Note on Exod. 34.14.
Verſ. 15. A jealous God amongſt you] Let the gods of the heathens be good-fellowes; our God will endure no corrivals. He is both a jealous God, and is ever amongſt us; ſo that our faults, our furta's, cannot be hid from his eyes. Now he that dares ſin, though he know God looks on, is more impudent in ſinning, then was Abſolom, when he ſpred a tent upon the top of the houſe, and went in to his fathers concubines, in the ſight of all Iſrael, and of the Sun,
Verſ. 15. Ye ſhall not tempt the Lord▪ By preſcribing to God, and limiting the holy one of Iſrael; as theſe men did at Maſſah, Pſal. 78.41. See the Notes on Mat. 4.7. and on Act. 5.9. and on Exod. 17.2.
Verſ. 17. You ſhall diligently keep] So Pſal. 119.4. Howbeit, the moſt that David could do towards it, was to wiſh well to it, verſ. 5.
Verſ. 20. What mean the teſtimonies] Here we have a briefe Catechiſme; which is a courſe and practice of ſingular profit. Luther ſcorned not to profeſs himſelf Diſcipulum Catechiſmi: and the Ieſuites, by the example of our Churches, do Catechiſe their novices.