rding to the bleſſing of the LORD thy God which he hath given tegift of thee. hs han. 18 Judges « and officers x ſhalt thou make thee in all thy gates y which the LORD thy God giveth thee throughout thy Tribes, and they ſhall judge the peopl
R
O N O M YT. Chap. XVII
3 And hath gone and ſerved other gods, and wor- ſhipped them, eicher the * ſun or che moon, or any of the hoſt of Heaven e, which I have not commanded f; e Thoſe glorious Creatures, which are to be admired as the won« derful works of God, but not to beſet up in God's ſtead, nor wor- ſhiped as Gods ; ſee Job 31+26. By condemning the moſt ſpecicus and reaſonable ofall Idolaters, he intimats, how abſurd a thing it is to worſhip ſtocks and ſtones, the works of mens hands. f7. e.I have forbidden, to wit, Ex. 20. Such negative expreſſions are oft emphati- cal and imply the contrary, as Prov. 10. 2. and 17. 21. and 24. 23.
4 Andit be rold thee g, and thou haſt heard of ir, and enquired diligently ||, and behold, itbetrue, andthe thing certain, thatſuch abomination-is wrought in Iſrael:
' 8 By any perſon, thou ſhalt not ſlight fo much. as a rumour or , ying report of ſo groſs a crime. || By ſending meſſengers, exas. mining witneſles, &Cc. |
5 "Then ſbalt thou bring forth that man, or that wo- man (which have commited that wicked thing) unto «
h i - P * 4 (h {} . thy gates: even that man,or that woman, * andſhalt ſtone | them with ſtones, till they die. *Numb.
6 * Atthe mouth h of two witneſſes, or three witneſſes 3, 3 5 30- ſhall he that is worthy of death, be put to death : but at ©9P:19-
'
the mouth of one witneſs, he ſhall not be put to death. Matt. 18.M h (i.e.) Upon the teſtimony delivered upon oath before the Magi- 16. John ll ſtrares. i To wit, credible and competent witneſſes. The Jews re- 8. 179, WM jetted the teſtimonies of mad-men,children, women, ſervants,famili- 2Cor.13.1'8 ar friendsor enemies, perſons of diſſolute lives and eyil fame, 1 Tim. 5 7 * The hand ofthe witneſs ſhall be firſt upon him &, to 19 A} put himto death,and afterwardthe hand of all thepeople Heb: 10. /: ſo thou * ſhalt put the evil away from among you. 5c. 3M & Either laid upon his head to deſign the perſon, or ſtretched out a to throw the fir ſtone at him.God thus ordered it, partly for the + caution of witneſſes, that, if they had through malice or wrath ac- 5 cuſed him falſely, they might now be afraid to imbrue their hands in innocent blood ; Partly for the ſecurity and fatisfa&tion of the people, in the execution of this puniſhment. 1 Who being all highly and particularly obliged to God, .are bound to expreſs their
* chap. « |
19, hoohe
Chap. 13. |
with juſt judgement. 2
u Chief Magiſtrates to examine and determine cauſes and diffe- | rences. &« Who were inferiour and ſubordinate to the other to | bring cauſes and perſons before them, to acquaint people with the |
: ir {; 5 . : mind and ſentence of the Judges,and to RT Th Gs . pleao, and between ſtroke and ſtroke p, being matters Heb.
which he here calls gates, becauſe there were ſeats of Judgement |
Deut. 20. 5, 9. Yoſ. 1. 19, 11. and 3. 2, 3.
ſet. Compare 1 Chron, 23+ 4, : Heb. a:= 19 Thou faait not wreſt Judgement z; thou ſhalt
bopledge. not + reſpec perſons «,. * neither take a gift : for a gifc
by args doth blind the eyes of the wiſe 5,and pervert the || words ts * of the righteous e. |Or, mar. * (7. e.) Nor give a perverſe, forced and unjuſt ſentence. See on fer Exod. 23.8. # (i: e.) Not give ſentence according to the quality of " * the perſon, his riches or poverty, friendſhip or enmity, but accor- ding to the juſtice ofthe cauſe. 6b Corruprs and byafleth his mind, that as he will not, ſo oft-times he cannot, diſcern between right and wrong. c Either 1. The words, (:.e.) The ſentence, of thoſe Judges who are enclined and uſed to do righteous things, and have the Repute of Righteous Men, it makes them give wrong judge- ment, Or 2. The words, 7. «. The matters, or cauſes, (as word oft ſignifies) of Righteous Perſons, or of them whoſe cauſe is o_ {HcbJjuſt= 20 4 Thar which is aitogether juſt 4 ſhalt thou follow,
iz, juice. that thou mayeſt live, and inherit the land which the
LORD thy God giveth thee. 4 Heb. Righteouſneſs, Righteouſneſs, i:e. nothing but Righteouſneſs in all cauſes and times,and to all perſons equally. Compare 1/2. 26: 7, 21 Thou ſhalt not planc thee a grove of any trees e, near unto the Altar of the LORD chy God, which thou
/ ſhalt make thee.
e Becauſe this was the praftice of Idolaters, 1 Kings 157 13. and might be an occaſion of reviving Idolatry. See Juages 3, 7. 1 Kings 14. 23. and 16. 33. and 18. 19.
22 * Neither ſhalt thou ſet thee up «»y || image f, which the LORD thy God hateth.
f Heb. ſtatue, whether with a pifture or repreſentation, or with- | out it, as the Idolaters uſed to worſhip ſmoothed and poliſhed ſtones or pillars, without any image upon them.
CHAP. XVIL
"Lev. 26. I. |Or,fatue, or pillar,
They are not to offer blemiſht Sacrifices, 1. Jdolaters are to be put to death, 2 ——7.. Doubts in difficult matters to be reſolved by Prieſts and Judges, 8-—13. To chuſe a King of their own Brethren, 14, 15. Aud not ® |
* Stranger, 16. The duty of their King, 17 20,
Hou ſhalt not ſacrifice unto the LORD thy God
*chap. 15.
21.Mal.r. «ny bullock or || ſheep s, wherein 5s blemiſh, or
10: roar, ANY evil favouredneſs: for that is an abomination b un- 1804,
to the LORD thy God.
a (i.e.) Either greater or ſmaller ſacrifices, all being compre- hended under the two moſt eminent kinds. See Lev. 22. 20, 21: b (7.e.) Abominable, as Deut. 18. 12.
2 * If there be found among you within any of thy gates, Which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman c that hath wrought wickedneſs in the ſight of the LORD thy God, in tranſgrefling his covenant d.
c The weakneſs and tenderneſs of that Sex ſhall not excuſe her ſin, nor prevent her puniſhment: 4 7.e. In Idolatry,as it is explained } v. 3. which is called a tranſgreſſion of God's Covenant made with 1/rel, partly becauſe it isa breach of their Faith given ro God,and of thar |
aw which they covenanted to keep ; And principally becauſe it is a diſſolution of their matcimonial Covenant with God, a renoun-
cing of God and his worſhip and ſervice, and a chuſing other Gods.
"chap. 13.
zeal for his honour and ſervice, and their deteſtation of all perſons | and things ſo highly diſhonourable and abominable to him. 8 Jlt th iſe a matcer to hard for th in judg- Jer33.28 | 2 2.