| CHAP. XV. ; 22 * Thou ſhalt truely tithe all the encreaſe of thy *Chap'12. ſeed g, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 6, 17- - This is to be underſtood of the ſecond tithes, which ſeem to be the ſame with the tithes of the third year, mentioned here below, ele 28. and Dent. 26. 12. on which ſee above. on chap. 12.verſe 17. And to confirm this opinion, (though I would not lay too great a freſs upon criticiſmes) yet I cannor but obſerve that this tithing is ſpoken of only as the peoples aEt here, and Devr: 26. 12. and the Levites are not at all mentioned in either place as receivers or takers of them, but only as partakers of them together with the owners, and therefore they are ſo ſeverely charged here upon their conſci- ences, thou ſhalt truely tithe all thine increaſe, becauſe the execution of this was left wholly to themſelves, whereas the firſt tithes were re- ceived by the Levites, who therefore are ſaid zotake or receive thoſe tithes, Numb. 18. 26. Neh. 10. 38. Heb. 7. 5. 23 And thou ſhalt eat before the LORD 56 thy God, in the place which he {hall chuſe to place his Name there, ' the tithe of thy corn,of thy wine, and of thine oil, and *chapx 15- * the firſtlings of thy herds, and of thy flocks, that thou 19,29 mayeſt learn to fear the LORD thy God always. h See onDeut.12.6,17. ; 24 Andif the way be too long for thee, ſo that thou art not able to carry it,or if the place be too farfrom thee, which the LORD thy God ſhall chuſe to ſet his Name there, when the LORD thy God hath bleſſed thee : 25 Then ſhalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand z, and ſbalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God ſhall chuſe. 3 (5.e.) In a bag to be taken into thy hand and carried with thee. 26 And thou ſhaltbeftow that money for whatſoever #Heb:a:k- thy ſoul luſteth after,or for oxen,for ſheep, or for wine, «h of thee. or for ſtrong drink,or for whatſoever thy ſoulfdeſirerh : and thou ſhalt cat there beforethe LORD thy God, and and thou ſbalt rejoyce, thou and thine houlbold. nd * the Levite that is within thy gates, thou
"h:12.19. 2 _ ſhall orſake him & ; For he hath no part nor inher1-
tance with thee. |
Feng ſhalt give him a ſhare in ſuch tithes, or in the produt ofthem. |
28 At the end ofthree years / thou ſhalt bring forth
all rhe tithe of thine increaſe m the ſame year », and ſhalr lay iz up within thy gates, |
I (i.e) Inthe third year, as it is expreſſed Deut. 26. 12+ So in the end of three years, or of ſeven years, is the ſame with 7» the third or ſeventh year, as appears by comparing Deut. 31. 10. Jo. 9. 16, 17- 2 Kings 18. 9, 19. and 17.6. m I joyn with thoſe Expoſitors who make this the ſame tithe with the former, werſe 22. as being called by the ſame title without any diſtinftion between them, fave only asto the place of cating them. See above on werſe 22. and Deut. 12. 17. 2 This is added to ſhew that he ſpeaks of the third year, and not of the fourth year, as ſome might conjeCure from the phraſe, at the end of three years. IE -
29 And the Levite (becauſe he hath no part nor inheri- tance with thee) and the ſtranger,and the fatherleſs, and the widow, which are within thy gates, (hall come 8 ſhall «Se Mal, C2tzand be fatisfied, that * the LORD thy God may bleſs
thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doelſt.
. yo ; CHAP. XV.
The ſeventh Year a Year of Releaſe, 1. To their Brethren only, 2. God pro- miſeth ta bleſs them in the Land of Canaan, 4--— G6. And commana- eth them to lend freely to the poor, 14----18. The Firſtlings to be janfiified and eaten before the Lord, 19 23.
"Lev: 25, T che end of * every ſeven years a thou ſhalt make 24, a releaſe. 2 (i.e) In the laſt year of the ſeven, as is moſt evident from werſe
9. Exod: 21.2. Jer: 34. 14. So the like phraſe is oft uſed, as Deuz:
14. 28. Joſ: 3- 2. Jer: 25. 12. Luke 2.21. Ads 2. 1; And this Tear
of Releaſe, as it is called below, werſe 9. is the ſame with the Sabba-
tical Year, Exod; 23. 11. Levit: 25. 4-
fHcb:ma. 2 And this is the manner of the releaſe. Every | cre- fer of the ditor that lendeth ought unto his neigabour, (hall releaſe {ending of 5tb;he ſhal not exaG& ir of his neighbour, or of his bro-
bis hand,
ther c,becauſe it is called the LORD's releaſe 4.
6 Not abſolutely:and finally forgive it,but forbeac it for that year, as may appear, 1. Becauſe the word doth not ſignifie a total diſmiſ- ſion or acquitting, but an intermiſſion for a time, as Exod: 23. 11. Heſball 70 exatt it, as it here follows, 7.e. force it from him by courſe of Law or otherwiſe, to wit, that year, which is caſily underſtood out of the whole context. 2. Becauſe the perſon releaſing is called a Crediter, and his eommunicating to him what he defires and needs 1s called lending here, and verſe. 8, whereas it were giving, and the perſon giving it were no creditor, but a donor, if it were to be whol- | Iy forgiven to him. 3. Becauſe the reaſon of this Law is tempora- ! Ty and peculiar to that year, wherein there being no ſowing, nor reaping, they were not in a capacity to pay their Debts. 4. Be- cauſe it ſeems unjuſt and unreaſonable, and contrary to other Scrip- tures, whichrequire men to pay what they borrow, as Pſal. 37. 21. YetI deny not that in caſe of poverty the debt was to be forgiven ; But that was not by vertue of this Law, but of other commands of God, c This is added to explain and limit the word Neighbour,
" which is more general, unto a Brother, to wit, in Nation and Reli- gion: To an I/-aelite, who is oppoſed to a Foreigner, verſe 3. Heb. and a brother, for, that is a brother, the pa: ticle and being oft ſo uſed, as Gen: 13.15, &c. d Or, areleaſe to or for the Lord, in obedience to his command, for his honour, and as .an acknowledgment of his rightin your eſtates, and of his kindneſs in giving and continuing
D 8 DU 7 6
them toyou. If you are unwilling to releaſe this for your brothers | Gake, yer do it for God's ſake, your Lord and the chief creditor. |
«
O N a F. CHAP. A
3 Of a forreigner e thou mayeſt exact: again: but that which is thine f with thy brother, chine hand ſhall releaſe.