b Thoſe of thy Elders who are Judges : for the latter word ex< plains and reſtrains the former, the Judges or Rulers of all the neighbouring cities,who were all concerned in this enquiry. c Unleſs it be evident and confeſſed which city is neareſt, for then meaſuring was ſuperfluous. | EE | :
3 And it ſhall be zbat the city which is next unto the f1:in man, even the elders of that city ſhall take an heifer which hath not been wrought with, a»d which hath nov
drawn in the yoke 7, Rl EY |
a A fit vicegereat and repreſentative of the murderer, in whoſe ſtead it was killed, who by this a& hath ſhewn himſelf to be a ſont of Belial, who would not bear the yoke of Gods Law. A type alſo of Chriſt, who was obliged to no work, and under no yoke, but what he had voluntarily taken upon himſelf:
4 And the elders of that city ſhall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor ſown e, and ſhall ſtrike off the heifers neck f there in the valley. LIES IR
e Partly to repreſent the hard and unprofitable anduntutoured” heart of the murderer ; and partly that ſuch a defarr and horrid place might beget an horrour of murder and of the murderer. f To ſhew whar they would and ſhould have done to the marderer if they had found him. | | | :
5 And the priefts the ſons of Levi ſhall come near g (for *themi the LORD thy God hath choſen to miniſter |, unto him,and to bleſs in the Name of the LORD ) and * by their | word (ball every controverſte b, and every + chap,
ſtroke be cried. BE». 11.8, ge
g Both to dire& them in all the circumſtances of Aftion and to + Heb. ſee that the law was obſerved, and to bleſs them in Gods Name, by mouth. praying for them, and abſolving or pronouncing them guiltleſs in this matter. h Not abſolutely all manner of controverſies that could poſſibly ariſe, as if their word were to determine whether there were a God or providence or no, whether God ſhonld be worſhipped, and his commands obſerved or no, whether Moſes was a true Prophetor an impoſtour, whether Apoſtate and Idolatrous J7ael:tes ſhould be puni-= ſhed or no; which is apparently abſurd and ridiculous ; bur every ſuch controverſie as might ariſe about the matter here ſpoken of ; nothing being, more uſual rhan to underſtand univerſal expreſſions in a linited ſenſe; and indeed this is limited and explained by the fol- lowing words, and every ſtroke, the particle and being put expoſitively ; of which inſtances have been formerly given, 7.e. every controverſie which ſhal arite abour any ſtroke, whether ſuch a mortal ſtroke as is here ſpoken of; a murder,which may well be called a ffroke,as toſmite is oft uſed for to kZ, as Gen. 4. 15. Levit. 24. 17. &e. or any other ſtroke or weund given by one man to anorher.
6 And all the elders of that city that are next unto' the ſlain man, * ſhall waſb their hands 3 over the heifer
4 . -
Chap: Th
*See Plal;
| [-£ - 19. 12, * 5In teſtimony of their innocency. S:e on Mat. 27. 24. . + 7: And they ſhall anſwer & andſay, Our hands have not ſhed this blood }, neither have our eyes ſeen #t pr,... & To wit, to tae Priefts who ſhall examine them and determine this controverſie, «This about which the preſent enquiry is fade ? or ths which is here preſent: for it is thought the Corps_of che | (lim man was brought into the ſame place where the heifer was flein. m Nor have we ſeen or underſtood how or by whomthis was
done. a p 2 Hz ' "8 B&#
Chap. 040
4 1 ' [1 :
©. Chron.
Cha P. XXL.
| deſire this, or not delight in her,
of her renouncing her heatheniſh
'8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Iſrael whom thou haſt redeemed, and *lay not ianocent blood + unto thy people of Ifraels charge: and the blood ſhall
be forgiven them ». : | 2 ( 4 ) Not imputed to them nor puniſhed in them : for God is
ſometimesſaid to forgive, when he doth not puniſh, as Pſal. 18. 38. Beſides though there was no mortal guilt in this people, yet there
way A ceremonia 2 9 $ ſhalt chou put away the guilr of innocent blood from among you, when thou ſhalt do ther which is right
in the ſight of the LORD. ; ; io When thou goeſt forth to war againſt thine ene-
mies 0, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them
into thine hand, and thou haſt taken them captive ; o Of other nations, but not of the Canaanites, for they might not ſpare their Women, and much leſs marry them, Exod. 34. 16. Deut.
£ os And ſeeſt among the captives a beautifal woman, and haft a deſire unto her p, that thou wouldeſt have her
to thy wife : 205 p o: haſt cleaved to her, to wit, in love : or haſt taken aelight in
her, Which may be a modeſt expreſſi-n for hying with her, and ſeems probable, becauſe it is ſaid werſe 14. that he had humbled her , to wir, by military inſolence when be took her captive, not after he had married her, for then he would have expreſſed it thus, becauſe thou haſt married her, which had been more emphatical than to ſay, becauſe thou baſt humbled her, And here ſeem to be two caſes ſuppoſed, and dice&ion given what to do in both of them, x. that he did deſire to marry her, of which he ſpeaks werſe 11, 12,13. 2. thathe did not of which he ſpeaks, wer. 14. 12 Then thou ſhalt bring her home to thine houſe,
and ſhe ſhall have her head, and || | pare her nails q. :
q Either 2. to take off his affe&ions from her by rendring her uncomely and deformed, but then the laſt words muſt not be rendred ſhall pare her nails, but ſhall nowriſb them or ſuffer them fo grow, as the Chaldee, Arabick and divers of the learned Fews and other Interpreters render it. Or 2. to expreſs her ſorrow for the loſs of her father, and mother, as it follows ver. 13. it being th: antient cuſtom of mourners in moſt nations to ſhave themſelves, and in ſome to pare
their nails, in others to ſuffer them to grow. Ocrrather 3. in token | Idolatry and ſuperſtition, and of her
bracing the true religion. Which
becoming a new woman, and em 5 | « tion to his will would make her
her captive condition and ſubje inclinable to do in profeſſion. : EG
- 13 And ſbe ſhall pur the raiment of her me r from off her, and ſhall remain in thine houte, and bewail her father and mother 5 a full month : and after chat thou ſhaltgo in unto her, and'be her husband, and