n (7.e.) Either 1. in my funeral ſolemnities for the dead. But this falls in with the laſt branch. Or 2. in my diſtreſs or poverty,or up- on pretence of my own want, in whichcaſe men are tempted and inclined to fall upon ſacred or forbidden rhings. Or 3. in ſorrow, or grieving that I was to give away ſo much of my profits to the poor, but I have chearfully eaten and feaſted with them, -as I was obliged to do. For though it be taken for granted by ſome learned Expoſitors, from Deut: 14: 28, 29: that the owner was not to eat any part of the rhird years tithe, but ro give it all away to the ſtranger and fatherleſs, &c. the contrary ſeems to me more probable from that very place, where it is ſaid, thou ſhalt Iay it up within thy gates, and then it follows, that the Levite, ſtranger, &c ſhall come,to wit,to thy gates, and jball ear, to wit, there, as is expreſſed wv: 12: that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled ; which implies, that theſe tithes, or ſome part of them, were eaten in the owners gates or dwelling, with holy rejoycing and feaſting, wherein it is moſt probable the owner had his ſhare, though ir be nor there expreſſed, becauſe it wasevident in itſeffrom the foregoing paſſage, Dent: 14: 23, Oc. where the owner 15 allowed and commanded ro eat thoſe tithes to- gether with the Levizes. And howſoever ſome think the third years tithes, v: 28: were not the ſane with thoſe v:23:yer it eannort with
any colour of reafon be thought that thoſe tithes which were to be
eaten, nctonly by the Levires,but alſo by the ſtrangers, wv: 29:were
"more ſacred than thoſe that were to be eaten by nche but the Le-
vites and the owners, v: 23, 27: or that the owner might eat ofthe one,and nor of the other. o (#:e:) For any common uſe ; the words
common and unclean being oft indifferently nſed one for the other, or
for any other uſe than that which thou haſt appointed, which would have been a pollution of them. þ (7: e:) For any funeral pomp or ſervice or feaſt; for the Jews uſed to ſend in proviſions to feaſt with the neareſt relations of the Party deceaſed, of which ſee Jer: 16: 7: Exzek; 24: 17: Hoſ:9: 4: and 1n that caſe both the gueſts and food were legally polJuted, Nirmb: 19: 17, 14: and therefore the uſe of theſe tithes in ſuch caſes had been a double faulr, both the defiling of ſa- ered food, and the imploying of thoſe proviſions upon ſorrowful oc- caſions, which by God's expreſs command were to beeaten with re- joycing, Deut: 14: 26: and 26: 11. 15 *Look down q from thy holy habitation, from *1ſ53"!
heaven, and bleſs thy people Ifrael, and the land which 2"
thou haſt given us, as thou ſwareſt unto our fathers, = land that floweth with milk and honey. | - q Affeer that ſolemn prefefſion of their obedience to God's com-
mands, they are taught to pray for God's blefling upon their 1and,
whereby they areinſtruQted how vain and ineffeftual the prayers of ighdons or diſobedient perſons are. Payer 0
16 This uy the LORD thy God hath conwtmnanded
e ſtatutes and judgments: thou (halrthere- fore keep.and do them with all thine heart, 'and with all thy ſoul. 17 Thou
Chap. XXVL
|
1
Cha
*Tof. *Joſ.8
*Ex.20
Joſh.s.;
' Chap.
*Joſ.8.3 2,
*Ex.20.25 Joſh.8.31.
*Tol. 4.1.
4 - XXVII. : — 15 Thou haft avouched r the LORD this day « to be thy God, and to walkin his ways, and to keep his ſta- tutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his VOICE. ; r Or declared, or, profeſſed, or, owned. 5s (3. e.) At this time, in this wilderneſs, where thou haſt accepted and ratified God's covenant. 18 And * the LORD hath avouched thee 7 this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promiſed thee, and that thou ſthouldeſt keep all his commandments.
t Hath owned thee forſuch before all the world by eminent and glorious communications and manifeſtations ofhis powerand grace and favour in thee and for thee, by a ſolemn entring into covenant with thee, and giving peculiar laws, promiſes, and priviledges to thee above all mankind. « Which is here mentioned as an aCt of God's, becauſe though this be Man's duty, yet it is the work of God's grace that he will vouchſafe to give us ſuch commands, that he oth require and will accept of our obedience to them,and that we have any power or will to obey them, Ezek. 36. 26, 27.
19 And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praiſe, and in name, and in honour, and that thou mayeft be anholy people unto the LORD thy
God, as he hath ſpoken.
CH A P. - XXVIL.
A Command to ſet up flones for a Remembrance, and to write the Law upon them. ; They muſt build the Altar of the Lord with whole ſtones, 1--=8, To pronounce the Bleſſmg on Gerizzim, and the Curſe on Eball, g-==-26.
ND Moſes with the elders of Iſrael commanded the people, ſaying, Keep all the commandments
which I command you this day.
2 And it ſhal be on that day # * when ye ſhal paſs over Jordan, unto the land which the LORD thy God gi- veth thee, that * thouſhalt ſet thee up great ſtones,and plaiſter them with plailter 5. |
a ( i. e.) About that time, for it was not done till ſome days af- ter their paſſing over. Day is oft put for time, as hath been noted before. 6b For conveniency of writing upon them.
3 Andthou ſhalt write upon them all the werds of this law c when thouart pailed over that thou mayelt go in into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land thac floweth with milk and honey, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promiſed thee.
c Either 1. All the words of this book of Deuteronomy. But that ſeems too large for this place. Or 2. The dleflings and curſes here following. Burt they are mentioned as a different thing. Or 3. The law properlyeſo called, i« e. the ſum and ſubſtance of the precepts or laws of Moſes, eſpecially ſuch as were moral and general,as may be gueſſed from the following, part of the chapter, where the curſes pronounced againſt all :hat confirm not all the words of this law to do them are particularly applied unto the tranſgreſſours of moral laws only, v. 15, 16, &c. And eſpecially the Decalogue,which oft goes under that name. Compare Jef. 8. 32, &c.
4 Therefore it ſhal be when ye are gone over Jordan, ;hat ye (bal ſet uptheſe ſtones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal || and thou ſhalt plaiſter them with plaiſter.