The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 291

ligh!I_,- Rddnced, RB none would ,·ontnre to shouM declnre. Sentenoe of judgment • witness ngainBt any one unless so deeply litemlly, ,cord of right, 1Je1·bwn juris, de: 00111·inc-ed of his guilt that they were clarRtion of whnt was lege.lly right. willing to Rssume I.he responsibility of in- Vere. 10-12. -This sentence, being flicting on him the Inst penRlty with their founded on the Lnw, tho suitors were to 11ocept own hRnds. Worthy of death be put to and implicitly obey. Ifnny through pride or d_eath; i.e. odj11dged or appointed to death; arrogRnce shoukl refuse to accept the inter- hternlly, the dead mnn shall die. n!;), tho pretation of the Law given by the priests, or part. of rw.:i, to die, is here equivalent to to submit to the sentence pronounced by the m.R p, son of death (1 Sam. xx. 31), or judge, he Wll8 to be regarded ns a rebel agaiust God, and to be put to death, that ;,);c ::'•t::, a man of death (1 Kings ii. 26), i.e. others might be deterred from the like one assigned to death, already the property presumption (eh. xiii. 11). The sentenoe, of death, and so as good o.s dead. Put the which they of that plaoe whioh the Lord evil away; literally, consume or sweep away shall choose shall Bhew thee; rather, which the eriL 'l'be verb •N means primarily to they shall declare to thee from that place consume by burning. which the Lord shall choose. Aooorcling to Vers. 8-13.-So long as Moses was with the sentenoe of the law; literally, accvrding the people, they bad in him one to whom, in to the mouth of the Law; i.e. according as the last resort, cases might be brought for of the Law prescribes, according to the purport the statute. decision which were found too difficult for the Vera. H-20.-Israel, being under a ordinary judges (Exod. xviii. 19-26). But, theocracy, did not need an earthly king; but ns he was not to be always with them, it was neither was this thereby precluded, pro- needful to pro.ide a supreme court, to which vided the king chosen by the people were one such cases might be carried when they could whom Jehovah would approve as his vice- no longer be decidetl by him; and such a gerent. In case, then, of their coming to court is here appointed to be held at the desire to have a king over them like the eanctuary. nations around them, l\Ioses gives instruc- ,er. 8.-A matter too hard for thee; literally, too mar'Vellous; something extra- tions here as to the choice of a king, and as ordinary, and '<l"hich could not be decided to the duties and obligations resting upon by the ordinary rules of the judicature. those who might be elevated to that office. Between blood &nd blood, between plea &nd The form in which these are conveyed clearly plea, &nd between stroke &nd stroke ; i.e. in indicates that, at the time this was uttered, cases where blood had been shed and death had ensued, either accidentally or from the existence of a king in Israel was con- murderous in tent ( cf. Exod. :x.xi. 13, etc.; templated as only a distant possibility. Numb. xxxv. 9, etc.); in cases of disputed Ver. 14.-When thou art come unto th3 rights and claims (cf. 2 Chron. xix. 10); and land, etc. This phraseology, which is in cases where corporeal injury had been common to the laws which respect the a.ffairs suffered, whether in strife or from assault of the Hebrewa after they should be settled (Exod. x.xi 18, etc.); and, in general, in Canaan, implies that this law was given wherever matten of controversy--disputes whilst they were yet outside the promised as to what was lawful and right, might land. It is plain also, from the tenor of the arise in their towns and villages. In all whole statement in this verse, that the legis- such cases recourse was to be had to the lator in this case is providing for what court at the sanctuary-" to the priests tbe he supposes may happen, is likely to happen, Levites," i.e. the priests who were of the but which he by no means desires should tribe of Levi, auu to the judge presiding happen. Jlfoses foresaw that the people Lher&--the Jay judge associated with the would wish to be as the nations a1·ound high priest as president (see Oehler, in them-governed by a king-and he legislateH Herzog's 'Encyclop.,' vol. v. p. 58). It is accordingly, without approving of that wish. not intended by this that an appeal was Ver. 15.-The prohibitiou to choose a to lie from the lower court to the higher, foreigner indicates that the people ha.d the or that the parties in a suit might carry it right of election. Iu what way this was at one(; to tl1" supreme judge; the meaning to be exercised, and how it was subject ratht:r k that, when the ordinary judges to tho Divine choice, is not declared. fouud a case too difficult for them to deal Judging from what actually happened in with, they were themselves to transmit it subsequent history, it would appear that to the supreme court for decision. only on special occasions, such as the Ver. 9.-Enquire; what, namely, is "the election of the first king or a change of irenteoce of judgmeut ; " ancl this the jud~e dynast1, did God t11ke the iuitia.tive, 1u1d OH. XVII, 1-iO.j 'l'HE IlOOK OF DED1'ERONOMY. 287