g Which were wiſely appropriated to that one and publick place, partly for the ſecurity of the true Religion, and for the prevention of Idolatry and Superſtition, which otherwiſe might more eaſily have crept in : and partly to ſignifie that their Sacrifices were not accepted for their own worth, but by God's gracious appointment, and for the ſake of God's Altar,by which they were ſanCtified, and for the ſake of Chriſt, whom the Altar did manifeſtly reprelaggy h Of which ſee below on wer. 17. 7 (7. e: ) Your firſt-fruits, to wit, of the carth, as of corn and wineand oyl and other fruits,as plain- ly appears by comparing this place with Deur. 18. 4. and 26. 2. where theſe are commanded tobe brought thither ; and ſeing here i5an exatt and particular enumeration of all ſuch things, and theſe cannot be put under any of the other branches, theſe muſt needs be intended here, the rather, becauſe the other kind of firſt-fruits, to wit, of the herds and flocks, are here expreſſy mentioned. And theſe are called here the heave-offerings of their hand, becauſe the offer- er was firſt to take theſe into his hands, and to heave them before the Lord ( as other places tell us ) and then to give them to rhe Prieſt, as appears from Deut. 18. 3, 4. and 26. 4. &k Even for your voluntary oblations, which were not due by my preſcription, but only by your own choice and voluntary engagement: you may chuſe what kind ofoffering you pleaſe to vow and offer, but not the place where you ſhall offer them. 7 Either 1. the holy firſtlings or firſt-born, as appears by Numb. 18. wherethey are commanded ro be broughtto this one place here deſigned, and to be offeredupon God's altar, ve 17. Itis objeQed by ſome, that thoſe were given to the Prieſts, Numb. 18. 18. but theſe were to be eaten by the peo- ple here, wer. 7. But that the next verſe doth not ſay, but only in general, there ſhall ye eat, to wit, ſuch of the offerings mention- ed v.6. as they were allowed to eat,but not ſuchas were the Prieſts peculiar, for theſe they might not eat, nor all there expreſſed ; for it is evident they might not eat any of the burnt-offerings,nor ſome parts of the orher ſacrifices, which are here mentioned. Or 2. the ſecond births, which were the peoples frſt-born, or the firſt which they could eat of, which they were to cat before the Lord by way of acknowledgement of his favour in giving them to them and all their ſucceeding births. See more on wer. 17.
7 And theremye ſhal eat » before the LORD o your God, and ye thal rejoyce in all that ye put your hand unto p, ye and your houſholds, wherein the LORD thy
:: God hath bleſled thee,
*
Lev. 17
z Heb. Thin fha!t gi we, 7. e. Tpeak or pronounce or cauſe to be pro- |
DEUVTER ONO M TY.
ſhal * chuſe out of all your tribes, to put his Name |.
|
”
Chap. XIT, Chap » Not in the moſt holy place,wherein only the Prieſts might ear, | Numb, 18.10. but more generally in places allowed to the people for this end in the holy city. » To wit, your part of the things men- tioned, wer. 6. 0 (7. e. ) In the place of God's preſence,where God's SanCtuary ſhall be. p Either to beſtow your pains and labour upon it : or,to take and uſe or enjoy it. Theſenſe 1s, You thus doing thall be blefled and enabled to rejoyce, or to take comfort in all your 1a- bours and enjoyments, which otherwiſe would be :ccurſed to vorr. We have the fame phraſe below, ver. 18. and Dert. 15. 10.
8 Yeſhallnor do after all rbe things that we do here q
this day,every man whatſoever is right in his own <yes ||. q Where the inconveniency of the place and the uncertainty of our abodein and removal from ſeveral places,would not permit ex- act order in ſacrifices and feaſts and ceremonies, v hich therefore God was pleaſed then to diſpenſe with;bur,ſaith he,he will not doſo there [Not that univerſal liberty was given to all perſonsto worſhip whom and how they liſted, but that in many things their unſerled condi- tion gave every one opportunity to do ſo, if he thought good. 9 For ye are notas yet come to the reſt, and to the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you. 1o But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inhe- rit, and whey he giveth you reſt from all your eneniies round about, ſo that ye dwell in ſafety, | 1: Then there ſha] be * a place which the LORD * i King, your God ſhal chuſe to cauſe his Name » todwell there, 8. 29. thither thal ye bring all that I command you:your burnt- F£78.68. offerings, and your ſacrifices, your tithes,and the heave- + Heb. the otierings of your hand, and all your choice vows s, {j,;.. of which ye vow unto the LORD.
7 (7. e.) His Majeſty 2nd glory, his worſhip and ſervice, his ſpe- cial and gracious preſence, and the tokens of it. 5s Heb. the choice of your vows, 2. e. your ſele& or choſen vows ; ſo called, becauſe things offered for vows were to be perfe&, whereas ſuperfluous or defeCtive creatures were accepted in free-will offerings, as appears from Lev. 22. 21, 22, 23.
12 And yeſhal rejoyce before the LORD your God, ye, and your ſons, and your daughters t,and your men- ſervants, and your maid-ſervants, and the Levite that is within your gates, foraſmuch as * he hath no part nor inheritance with you,
# Hence it appears, that though the males only were obliged to appear before God in their ſolemn feaſts, Exod. 23. 17. yet the wo- men aJſo were permitted to come, as they did. See Juag. 21. 19, 21, I Sam. 4,3, 7, 21,.22, 23.
13 Take heed to thy ſelf, that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings « in every place thattbou ſeeſt x : u Nor the other things mentioned above, this one and moſt emi« nent kind being put for all the reſt, as is uſual : for being all ex- preſſed before, ir was needleſs to repeat them again. x To wit, with. complacency and approbation, which thou thinkeſt very fit and proper for ſuch a work, as one might poflibly judge of ſome high-places or groves or gardens.
14 But in the place which the LORD fhal chuſe in one of thy tribes, there ſhalt thou offer thy burnt-offer- ings, and there ſhalt thou do all that I command thee.
15 Notwithſtanding thou mayeſt kill and eat fleſh y in allthy gates z, whatſoever thy ſoul luſteth after , ac- cording to the blefling of the LORD thy God, which he hath given thee b: the * unclean c and the clean may
eat thereof d, as of the roe- buck, and as of the hart.