The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 131

Inflnito One, who alone Is to be worshipped, head, the ohe.mber of thought 1md purpose: on whom 1111 clopencl, 1111d to whose command and they were to inscribe them on the poste 11 11 must yield obedience (cf. Zech. xiv. 9). of their honses, and on their gates. The Not only to polytheism, but to p11ntheism, purport of this is that they were constantly 11nd to the conception of a localized or na• and everywhere to have these command- tioDlll deity, is this declaration of the unity ments of the Lord in view and in mind, of Jehovah opposed. With these words the so as to nndeviatingly observe them. It Jews bogin their cl11ily liturgy, morning and seems, however, to have been a custom ovoning; the sentence expresses the essence widely prevalent among the ancient Eastern of their religious belief; and so familiar is peoples to carry about their persons slips of it to their thought e.nd speech that, it is parchment or some other material, on which s11id, they were often, during the persecu- were written sentences of moral or religious tion in Spain, betrayed to their enemies by import; and snch sentences they were also the involuntary utterance of it. wont to inscribe on conspicuous places of Ver. 5.-To the one indivisible Jehovah their dwellings; usages still to be found undivided devotion o.nd love are due. among the Moslems(see Wilkinson,' Ancient Hence the injunction, Thou she.It love Je- Egyptians,' iii. 364; Lane,' )Iodem Egypt,' hovah thy G~ with all thme heart, and i. 338; Russell, 'Nat. Hist. of Aleppo;' with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Thomson, 'Land and the Book,' i. 216), and The " heo.rt" is the inner ne.ture of the the latter of which was not altogether me.n, including his intellectual, emotional, unknown among Western nations (cf. Virgil, and cono.ti ve faculties ; the " soul" is the 'Georg.' iii. 26, etc.), of which traces may personality, the entire self-consciousness; still be seen in Switzerland, Germauy, and o.nd the" might" is the sum of the energies, on old houses in both England and Scot- bodily and mental. Not by profession land. This custom originated, probably, merely is Jehovah to be loved; the whole in a desire to have the sentiments inscribed man, body, soul, and spirit, is to be yielded always in mind; but for the most part these to him in holy and devout affection (cf. inscriptions came to be regarded as amulets Matt. xxii. 37; J\fark xii. 33; Luke x. 27; or charms, the presence of whicll on the Rom. xii. 1). The Inst letter of the first person or the house was a safeguard against word, and the last letter of the last word evil influences, especially such as were in this verse are larger than the ordinary supernatural. By the Jews this custom size (majuscula), and as these two form the was followed; and they regarded it as word for witness (,y), the Jews say that authorized by the injunction of Moses in they a.re written thus "that every one may this passage. Taking his words literally, know, when he professes the unity of God, they had their tota.photh and their mezuzah, that his heal't ought to be intent and devoid the former of which-the phylacteries of of every other. thought, because God is a the New Testament-were strips of parch- witness, and knoweth everything " (R. ment, on which passages of the Law (Exod. Bechai, fol. 195, quoted by Michaelis, 'Bib. xiii. 2-10, 11-17; eh. vi. 4-10, 13-22) Heh.,' in loc.). were written, and these, enclosed in a box, Vere. 6, 7.-Where true love to God were bound on the forehead and left wrist, exists in the heart, it will manifest itself in and worn at prayers by the worshippers; the a regard to his will, and in the diligent latter a slip of parchment, on which were keeping of his commandments. Henco his written certain passages of Scripture (vers. words were to be not only in the memory 4-9; eh. xi. 13-21), and which, enclosed of the people, but laid upon their heart in a reed or cylinder, was fixed on the right- (cf. eh. xi. 18), the.t they might be ever hand .doorpost of every room in the house present to tho thought and will. They (see arts. 'l\Iezuzah' and • Phyl.lcteries' were also to be inculcated upon their in Kitto's 'Biblical Cyclopredia,' 3rd edit.). children, and to be the subject of convers:i- Vers. 10-12.-As the Israelites were lion on all fitting occasions between them, about to enter upon the possession of a rich the members of their household, ond even and fertile land, where everything for their their casual associates. Thou she.It teach accommodation and comfort was already pro- them diligently unto thy ohildren; literally, vided for them, there was a danger of their Thou ehalt sharpen them to thy children, being so engrossed with their new posses- imp!'css them upon them, seud them iuto sions as to forget the Lord and his gracious them likii a sl:.arp weapou. dealings with them. 'fhey are, therefore, Ver. 8.-'l'he words of God were to be here warned against the danger to which bound for a sign [a memorial or directory] they would be thus exposed. House of upon thine hand, the instrument of acting, bondage (Exod. xiii. 3). aud to be as frontlets [fillets or bauds] Vere. 13-18.-Thou shalt fear the Lord between thme eyes, the organs of direotion thy God. The fear or the Lord-that in walking or moving, and so on the fore- reverent awe which is akin to love-is the 120 THE DOOK OF' DE'.UTERONOMY. ten. VI. 1-25.