PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy
William Lindsay Alexander [1808-1884] · 519,671 words · 561 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 301
sight and forgc-t the life of faith. Others make the senses the only organs of know• ledge. and bR8C their so-r.alled philosophy upon sensation. It is not to be wondered at, in ~uch circumstances, that nature-worship prevailed in olden time~ and prevails still. A grent deal of the antitheistic science of the present ti…
885 wordsSECTION 302The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 302
priests had co-ordinate ruling power with the elders or judges, that they were ruler., nnd officinting ministers besirles. And here we-have to notice- I. 'l'IIESE Unurrcu OFFICERS EXERCISED THEIR AUTHORITY UNDER Gon AS KTIIG. The Church was r1 theocracy, and God was regarded as ever present with his officer, an,! :peo…
779 wordsSECTION 303The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 303
III. Tm: KING IS NOT TO RELY UPON THE CAVALRY ARM, Palestine, being moun- tain0us, <lid not require cavalry. Infantry would he more effective. Cavalry, if raised nnd relied on, would necessitate nn alliance with a cattle-breeding country like E:::;:,pt, and would be the precursor of a "spirited foreign policy," such as…
827 wordsSECTION 304The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 304
Ill. Suen RELIOIOUS FRAUD WAS INCIPIENT ATHEISM. Here was tho buddina0 of blackest sin-the first step on a slippery decline, which would land one in death. H I can set asido God's plain commands, as my selfishness desires; if I can treat God as my equal or rn.v inferior, and devote to him only what is useless for my…
1,309 wordsSECTION 305The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 305
'Vers. 14-20.-Limitations round· about a king. A king is the creation of a nation's will. The nation does not exist for the king, but the king exists for the nation. His proper aim IB not personal glory, but the widest public good. I. Kn.as ARE THE PRODUCT OF A DEGENERATE AGE. Since the King of heaven is willing to gi…
1,091 wordsSECTION 306The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 306
1imo the~- sl1mghtered an animal for and conveyed t\l them his word and will. domest.ir use? At the snme time, the In this respect his plnco could bo supplied sncri6res here referred to do not seom to neither by priest nor by king. Iu the be incl udcd in the offerings by fire aboyo nwnt.ioned ; nnd these gifts to t…
960 wordsSECTION 307The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 307
ohlefly (Tronoh, ' Select Glossary,' p. 306), specially mentioned, probably booanse ii A oharmer (7~\1 7:?,n); 11 denier in spells, was the form of idolatry with wl,ich thFJ ono who by mer:me of spells or charms Israelites were most likely to come in con- pretends to achiove eomo desired result. tact, both where they t…
1,962 wordsSECTION 308The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 308
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-8.-Tlie support of the ministry the duty of God'., people. In a note on a. corresponding passa;:;c in Numb. xviii. 21, 22, Dr. Jameson remarks, "Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land, but to depend entirely upon him who liberally provided for them out of his own…
854 wordsSECTION 309The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 309
~o to ,lcclarc the whole counsel of God, ns by manifestation of the truth to commend himself to e'l'cry conscience :-all these things go to make up a work so varied, so momentous, so exhausting, that nothiug less than" giving himself wholly" to it can cnahlc any man e'l'cn approximately to discharge it. III. Trns DEIN…
848 wordsSECTION 310The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 310
eougM to be accomplished, viz.: (1) the ascertainment of destiny· and (2) a peep into the invisible realm of the departed. And not only so; but the metho<ls of a modern so-calle<l " spiritualism " are so nearly analogous to those of ancient times, that it is as needful for the preacher now to warn the people against th…
1,310 wordsSECTION 311The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 311
1 ers. 15-22.-God speak£ng to man thrnugh man. The Exposition, as well as the Commentaries of Jameson and Keil, may, with great advantage, be consulted on this passage, and also Hengstenberg's 'Christology,' vol. i. pp. 96-107. Our brief homi- letic sketches assume that the student has already mastered the exegesis, an…
537 wordsSECTION 312The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 312
the 1;1i~st of thee, of thy ?rcth_ren, like unt_o me." Ench of _these phrases is emphatic, 11nd 1s mlended as the ant1tl,es1s to the not10n of overwhelmmg force. The meanin" of Moses is twofold. 1. '!'hero shall be from time to time a prophet sent to y"ou through whom you may hear the voice of God. 2. There shall be…
1,009 wordsSECTION 313The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 313
IIOMILTES BY VARIOUS AUTHOilS. V ers. 1-S.- God's provision fo1' tlie priests and Levites. From the limitations of the monarchy, llfoses next turns to the provision for the" priests the Levites, and nil the trihc of Levi." They ·were not to receive any estate in Canaan beyond the suburbs of certain cities. They wer…
724 wordsSECTION 314The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 314
go to malrn n public ministry more effective, if the ministry is true at all. They are, uot selrishly utilized, but used as a maLter of stewardship. In such circumstances, instead of being a hindrance to libernlity, these private possessions should boa. stimulus, o.s they are so much more in the line of things devoted …
783 wordsSECTION 315The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 315
with G,1d's full approval, the human medium through which the Divine will was conYcyed, which means God's prophet. They had had no difficulty in accepting the Di,·ine messages through him. Now, Moses assures them that this method of mediation tlm,ugh human beings will continue. He puts the promise in comprehensive form…
806 wordsSECTION 316The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 316
I. TnE MEANIN(l OF THE EXPRESSION. Inheritance-equal to lot, part, share. ln- beritance in families-the share which ench receives of the patrimony. In the partition of Canaan, each trihe had its lot, its portion, its share. God's portion or inheritance wns the tithes, with the prescribed parts of the sacrifices, the fi…
847 wordsSECTION 317The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 317
(e.g. 1 S:rn1. xxYiii. 7-10). The lower kinds of m:tgic :tre of rnnk growth in all harbarous and semi-civilized communities. The priests combine the functions oi' diYiners, prophets, exorcists, t.baum:tturgists, physicians, and m:tkers of idols and amulets, The m:tgic of the ancients wad distinguished as good or bad, a…
842 wordsSECTION 318The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 318
necromancy, consultation of familiar spirits, etc., ho givrs something better-some- thing that will lawfully supply the craving which these superstitions unlawfully souc,ht to gratify. The soul: 1. Cmves for a knowledge of God's will. 2. Desires guida~ce in criLical times of life. 3. Ponders anxiously its relations to …
799 wordsSECTION 319The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 319
prophets, while conceding, ~dth rnl ionalistic writers, oceasionnl failures in their predic• tinns. The prophets tliemselves do not shrink from this test, but confidently nppeal to ,t (Isa. xxxiv. 16). This shows how different their inspiration was from tho ordinary inspiration of genius, both in their estimation or…
1,070 wordsSECTION 320The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 320
Vers. 9-14.-Gross superstition the alternative of true religion. The popular superstitions of every age are very seductive. Our only safeguard against them is complete loyalty to the living God. The indwelling Spirit is a. Guide and a Defence. J. MAN GENERICALLY CRAVES TO UNRAVEL THE FUTURE, In every sane mind the inq…
607 wordsSECTION 321The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 321
n0t wish to sce him. He will not revciil himself, as an object of curiosity, to the oye of specu!Rtion. He reveals himself to the conscience and to the loyal heart. But men <lo not "'ish to see him as the embodiment of righteousness. '!'hey shudder and flee away. Yet in no other way can they see him than as ho truly…
824 wordsSECTION 322The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 322
EXPOSITION. cities wae to prevent the shedding of CHAPTER XIX. innocent blood, which would be the case LAW9 CONOEIININO CITIES 01!' REFUGE, were the unintentional mo.nslayer killed in LANDMAIIKS NOT TO llE REMOVED. LAWS revenge by one of the relatives of the man he had slain; in this case the guilt of blood- OONOE…
1,211 wordsSECTION 323The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 323
HOMILETICS. 1crs. 1-13.-The cities rf refuge. The appointment of cities of refuge by Moses is of great interest, as yielding a study in Jehovah's ways of educating his people, and of gi'.ing light and truth to men. We will see- I. THE PLACE THIS INSTITUTION OCCUPIES IN HISTOilY. 1 So far as we are aware, there is not…
480 wordsSECTION 324The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 324
vengeance on him. H is said that among the Arabs this right exists to the present day. In what form it existed among the ancient Egyptians we are able to inft'r from Mr. Lane's statement that it exists in almost savage wildness among the moderns. And wo might gather, from the way in which Moses uses the term "avenger o…
1,112 wordsSECTION 325The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 325
Vcrs. 1-13.-0itics of re/11-ge. The institution of cities of refuge (cf. eh. iv. 41- 48) seems to have been peculiar to the legislation of Moses. It is an institution reflecting strong light on the wisdom, justice, and humanity of the Mosaic code. The system of blood revenging, while securing a rude kind of justice in …
558 wordsSECTION 326The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 326
in his flight. le tbe situation of the sinner out of Obrist any less peri!,ms? "Th~ wrnth of God abideth on him" (John iii. 36), The sword of just.ice is unsheathed ngainst him, Whither shall he flco to escape his danger? Concealment may have been possible from the avenger of blood, but it is not possible from God. Nor…
901 wordsSECTION 327The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 327
Vcrs. lG-21.-FaJ.se witne,ss. God's brand is here placed upon the crime of false witness. It was to be severely punished. Every one is interested in the suppression of such_ a crime-the parties whose interests are involved, society at large, the Church, the n~ag1s~mcy, God himself, of one of _who~e comruand_ments (the …
824 wordsSECTION 328The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 328
clcnr, that the man who was fleeing for his life might have his fair chance of escape. And what agony must have been experienced along that way! The possibility of being overtaken, and having the life taken away; must have made the race to the city a desperate ordeal. And then the imprisonment there till the death of…
812 wordsSECTION 329The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 329
TrrE ruBLIO. It is too often supposed thllt revenge is such a gratification that men need no exhortation to take it,. But we find men that are too cownrdly to retaliate, men who would rather let the greatest ruffians escape than risk anything in giving them their desert. 1 Before the erection of public justice, there…
818 wordsSECTION 330The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 330
privnto vigilnnce does not suffice; it must be the business of the Stntc. The whr,10 community is addressed by God, as if it were a single person. Jn some respects, each man nnd cnch womnn hns to net separately and alone; in some respects, they have t,, merge self into the family, and the family into the nation. Man mu…
1,215 wordsSECTION 331The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 331
, er. 14.-Caution against fraud. Nothing that concerns mau's welfare and joy is beneath God's care. The vast extent of hi~ kingdom hinders not his guardianship ever every minute interest of his creatures. Even landmarks, boundary stones, are under his protection. I. GoD IS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE ABSOLUTE PROPRIETO…
1,169 wordsSECTION 332The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 332
would be with them to protect and help Ver. 9.-The next thing lhe e1wterina tlwm (cf. re. xx. 7). Horses e.nd oh'e.riots. hnd to no wns lo appoint cnpto.ine to hend In these, which constituted the main the people who were going to wo.r. Tbo strength of the nn\ ions with which they army was divided into bo.nde or comp…
1,016 wordsSECTION 333The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 333
but trees thnt were not for food they might tion applies to both. To both also it mny cut down nnd use in their operntione against be objected that by this way of taking the the city. passage Moses fa ma,Ie to utter a sentiment at once puerile ancl irreleva.nt; for what Ver. 19.-To employ them in the siege; need to d…
922 wordsSECTION 334The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 334
Tiy them, in fact, the old pagan war spirit is repressed, and a wal' policy discouraged. The main pursuits of their life arc to be found in the tillage of the soil. A standing army was unknown among them. ,var was not to be encouraged by an indis- criminate le,y of men, nor was it to lie pursued at the cost either of t…
838 wordsSECTION 335The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 335
mon, Instead of being the-worst, they make the best soldiers. An army of sohliers, God-fearing and thoroughly disciplined, has UHua\ly proved more than a. match for vastly superior forces of the enemy; Cromwell's Ironsides, the Scotch Covenanters, the Cameronians. As fine examples of the soldierly character, we may nam…
946 wordsSECTION 336The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 336
Yers. 10-20.-Forbeai·a'llce and severity. If these rules embody a severity happily rare in modern warfare, they also exhibit a forbearance which many modern nations 111ic'.ht well learn from. ,ve have here- i. W AR's HORRORS MITIGATEn. 1. Peace was invariably to be offered before atlaclc to a foreign city (vers. 10,…
714 wordsSECTION 337The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 337
JI. A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE ADMITS OF TflE WAR BEING ENTERED UPON Rl'!LIGIOUSLY. The priest was to give them an oration before the battle, showing that they were aoincr to fight the Lord's battles, and that he would be with them (vers. 2-4). Of cou';- 90 , tbi~ hns been imitated often by those who had not right on their side…
789 wordsSECTION 338The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 338
We are the property of another-the Supreme King. Therefore we must do his worlt nnd fight his battles. Our notion of what is right and just must be made subordinate to Ms. Onr minds are often too much biased with selfish feeling to jurl"e what is right, if left to onrseh·es; but we shall not err if we closely follow th…
847 wordsSECTION 339The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 339
1,otonce? Righteousness shall, sooner or later, be triumphant. All opposition to Jehovnh's will shall eventually be crushed out. He who created is ah\,, "!so to rlcst r,,y. For tho present his patient love provides other remedies; and if rcrne,!ial meo.surcs Cail, then fell destruction shall sweep into eternal darkness…
775 wordsSECTION 340The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 340
cf. Jo•ephns, • Antiq.,' iv. S. 16) were to which thev represented (of, P1. uvl. 6; meet. t h<' form<'r n.s mRgi~trates representing lxxiii. 13; Matt. xnil. 24). lh<' C'nmmnnit.ies, the l11tter RS RdministrRtors Vere. 7, 8.-'l'his act thoy were to o.o- of the lnw, 11nd WC'?e to me11sure the dist-nnco C'ompany with I\ s…
1,030 wordsSECTION 341The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 341
might put on gorments of mourning. A full .. glutton," however cS~iT, from S'.,1, to ahoke, month; litomlly, a montl• of days; the to shake out, to squrtnder), includ,·s other oriod of mourning woe forty clays (cf. Gen. r. 3).Ver.14.-Shoulc\ themon aftorwarclscome kincls of oxcess hesirlos cnting. It rlesi~n tcs one …
937 wordsSECTION 342The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 342
HOMILETICS, Yers. 1-9.-The preciousness of one human life in tl1e si'g'ht of God. The value of tl,i~ paragraph can be duly appreciated only as the indifference with which µe.aan nations of old regarded human life is studied and understood. As a piece of civil legi~lation, it is far superior to anything in the code of …
846 wordsSECTION 343The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 343
natione towards female captives taken in war, can surely appreciate the humanizina influence which the injunction in this paragraph was intended to exert. The law her; laid down may or may not be abstractly the best; but if it was the best that the peoplo could bear: if it would certainly lift up the people a step hi,,…
1,267 wordsSECTION 344The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 344
Vers. 18-21.-.A bad son a State peril. This is a very remarkable provision. It is based on the well-known fact that there are some who need a strong deterrent to keep them from being a plague and peril to a State, and also on the all-important principle, that whoever is a pest and nuisance in the home, is the bane o…
1,063 wordsSECTION 345The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 345
Vers. 22, 23.-Upon the tree/ These words form part of the criminal code of the Hebrews, and though as such they may be regarded as practically obsolete, yet they contain principles which will never wax old, and are, moreover, so frequently alluded to in the New Testament, that they furnish us with a starting-point of n…
1,172 wordsSECTION 346The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 346
V. Our Lord Jesus Christ then represented our race, and for them had become a curse. A stupendous transaction was then and there effected, to which we know of no parallel in heaven or on cart~ (~f. Matt. xx. 28; 1 Pet. ii. 24; 2 Cor. v. 21; John i. 29). Noto: 1. lie was of such dignity that he could represent the race.…
792 wordsSECTION 347The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 347
proved unAAfc, society cannot plead "Not guilty." Locally, it must be allocated, and so tlw city nearest the victim has the crime imputed to it. 'l'he sense of guilt is distributed territorially, and the elders, or representatives of the people, are required to clear themselves by the special rite here described. Sin …
771 wordsSECTION 348The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 348
Ill. llEn PnIVILEOE WAS TO DECOMI': THE FREE WIFE 011' HER JEWISH LORD, If a hnppily ordered mBrriage, it must have been a joyful isrne of the war. The terrible ordeal had proved to her the path to honour and social blessedness and peace. All the agony had given place to enlarging love. IV. AT THE VERY WORST, BUE REGA…
793 wordsSECTION 349The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 349
~0n would not hearken to father or mother, would not appreciate chastisement, and had hecome a drunkard and glutton, then the parents were directed to brina tho case before the c>lders of the city, and the impenitent, licentious son was to be ~ken away from the earth by public stoning. The public law was thus, in the …
1,014 wordsSECTION 350The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 350
Vers. 10-15.-The captive wife. The kindness, thoughtfulness,andstrictjustice of the Mosaic laws is very striking. The Law here interposes to secure- !. CONSIDERATE TREATMENT OF ONE BEREAVl!D, (Vers. 10-14.) The case sup- posed comes under the law of eh. xx. 14. Tbe woman was a captive in war and a heathen, yet the Isr…
1,007 wordsSECTION 351The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 351
, crs. 22, 23.-.Accursed of God. The criminal who had committed a sin worthy of death, and was put to death under the law, was viewed as dying under the ban or curse of God. \:Vben the crime was very execrable, and the criminal might be regarded as perishing under God's most awful curse, the fact was intimated by ex…
485 wordsSECTION 352The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 352
and ignvminy, and that the Father permitted him so to be "made a curse." A yet more mysterious featuro in the death of Christ is that, in the direst hour of his a"ony, tho Father seemed to sido with the world, by withdrawing from him the li"'ht and comfort of his presence (Matt. xxvii. 46). Christ was dealt with by …
966 wordsSECTION 353The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 353
1ers. 10-14.-The captor captured. God's laws arc accommodations to human infirmities. To require from men summarily, and as the result of law, perfect conduct of life is impracticable. Hence legislation, to be successful, must be adapted to the case, and must lead by gradations to a nobler life. This law, though tolera…
1,027 wordsSECTION 354The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 354
Vers. 18-21.-.A slippery path to ruin. It is of the first importance that a child should begin life well. A twist in the young stem will develop into a gnarled and crooked tree. A slight divergence at the outset of a voyage may end in a complete re\'crsal of the ship's course. Early obedience is the pathway to a prospe…
1,148 wordsSECTION 355The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 355
tho passive conveys tho idea or wandering Vere. 9-11.-(Cf. Lev. xix. I~-) Gori h(ls through being dmwn away by some e11tice- made distinctions in nnture, o.nd theso are ment. Hide thyself from them; ,.e. withdraw not to be confounded by the mixin" of thyself from thorn, nvoid noticing them or things distinct. The ox an…
956 wordsSECTION 356The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 356
llOMTLETICS. Yem. 1--4.-TAe dufy of cultivating neighbourly kindness. It wl11 bo a valuable study in Divine ethics if we first of all show what it is which is here required of the llcbrel\·s, and th<'n, with the Mosaic teaching for a starting-point, advance further and ~ce how far in Christian ethics there is incor…
1,123 wordsSECTION 357The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 357
Vers. 6, 7.-Kindness to animals a religious duty. There is a most valuable note in Dr. Jameson's 'Commentary' on this passage. " The Hebrews," says Trapp, "reckone·d this commandment the least of all in the Mosaic Law, yet is there such a promise attached thereto." "This law," says another annotator, "teaches a spirit …
954 wordsSECTION 358The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 358
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-4.-Love unfeigned. The precepts in these verses fairly anticipate the gospel love of one's neighbour, and even its inculcation of love to enemies (cf. Exod. xxiii. 4, 5). Whatever authority the scribes in Christ's time imagined themselves to have for their saying, "Thou shalt hate …
1,203 wordsSECTION 359The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 359
Yt>rs. 1::l-30.-Chasfily. The Mosaic Law is strict and stern in its requirement of purity in all that pertains to the marriage relation. Its strictness, however, is united with n fine sense of justice, and its shield is, as usual, extended for the prutection ol the innocent. I. '1'1m DEFAMED WIFE. (Vcrs. 13-19.) No…
1,239 wordsSECTION 360The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 360
Ver. 5.-The philosophy of clothes. We have here particular directions a.s to the maintenance of the distinction of dress between the sexes. On the termination of what Carlyle calls "Adamitism," in his 'Sartor Resartus,' when through the fall of man fig leaves were first resorted to, it is evident that the Lord was not …
1,175 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.