The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 437

generations. That thou ahouldest enter into twist ~gether, to be tough or firm); the oovenant. The expression in the Hebrew word 1s 11lw11ye used in a bad sense in is n s(rnng one, indicating not n me-re formal Hebrew, though not in Aramaic (cf. Ps. <'ngaf:vment, but e. going thoroughly into lxxxi. 13 [12] ; Jer. iii. 17; vii. 24; ix. 18 1he cr,·!'nRnt; the phrnso is med of the [14]; xi. 8). To add drunkennese to thirst; ~word going through the lnnd (LC'I'. xxvi. a proverbial expression, of which very dif- G).and of one going into the pit (Job xxxiii. ferent explanations ha1•0 been given. It 2S). Into his 011.th. Covenants wPre con- is now generally admitted that the verb firmed by oath (Gen. xxvi. 28; Heh. ,i. (ri\oo) cannot be taken here in the sense of 17); hence in Sc.ripturc the cornnant of " adrl," but has its proper sense of pouring God is sometimes called his oath (vcr. 14; out, pouring away, destroying. The word l Chron. ni. lG; Heh. ,ii. 28). (On ver. 13, rendered "drunkenness" (:,),'), from nr:i, cf. eh. xx1·iii. 8; xx,ii. 9; Exod. xix. 5, 6.) to be sated with moisture, to bo drenched) Ycrs. lG-29.-The summons to renew means rather· " sated, drenched, well- the coYcnant is enforced by a fresh exposi- watered ; " and the word rendered " thirst" t.ion ,,f the c,il and danger of apostacy (:,~!?¥, from N!?¥, to thirst) is properly from the Lord. This is introduced by a thirsty, and is used of dry land (Isa. xliv. rcfer,·ncc to the <'.xpericnce which the people 3); both arc adjectives, and a substantive already hr.<l of idolatry in Egypt, and among is to be supplied. Somo supply ~\ll, soul or per;on ; others, ni::, land. 'fho •former the uations with whom they bad come in render,." The full [soul] with tho thirsty" contact during their march through the (Geseums); or," Them that aro sated with wilderness, from which they must have them that are thirsty," i.e. as well those who learned the utter worthlessness of all idols, have imbibed the poison as those who thirst tlmt they were no gocls, but only wood ~nd for it (Knobel); or "That the sated [soul] stone. may destroy the thirsty," i.e. that theimpio11& one, restrained by no law e.nd, as it were, Ycrs. IG, 17.-These verses are not a drunk with crime, may corrupt others, also p,nenthcsis, as in the Authorized Version. prone to evil, 11.nd bring on them destruc- \',-r. 18 is connected, not with ver. 15, but tion (Maurer). Those who supply "land," with vcr. 17; there should be a full stop render "To destroy the well-watered [land] at the end of '<er. 15. Their idols; literally, with the dry." This le.at seems the prefer- their bloclcs or logs (o•~,S~, from S';,~, to roll able rendering; but the general meaning is something too heavy to be carried), a term tho same in either case, viz. the.t the effect of contempt used frequently in Scripture of of such hardness of heart would be to de- id .. ls. stroy one and all. " 'l'he Orientals a.re fond \'er. 18.-Lestthere should be among you; of such bipartite forms of expressing the rnther, See that there be not among you, etc. whole (of. Gesenius, • Thes.,' p. 1008) '' The part. rn, lest, at the begiuning of a (Knobel ; cf. eh. xx..xii. 36). sentence, sometimes implies a prohibition Vera. 20, 21.-Though the sinner fancies or dissuasion, as Job xxxii 13, "say not;" all is well with him, and is hardenecl in his Isa. xuvi. 18," beware of saying" (Gesenius, iniquity, and is lee.ding others a.stray by his Koldius in ,'DOC). Gall. The Hebrew word example, the Lord will not suffer him to so rendered (c't<,) is supposed by Gesenius rest in impull'ity, but will send on him to be the poppy plant, by Celsius to be the terrible punishments. The anger of the Lord hemlock (it is so rendered, Hoa. L 4-; Amos and his jealousy shall smoke, i.e. shall break l'i. 12 , and by <Edman to be colocynth. forth in destructive fire (cf. Ps. lxxiv. I: It is probably a r;eneral name for what is Isa. lxv. 5; Ps. xviii. 8). The Lord shall poisonous and bilter; for it is used of blot out his name from under heaven (cf. poison generally (eh. :nxiL 32) and of the eh. xxv. 19; Exod. xvii. 14-). The Lord shall venom of asps (eh. xxxii. 33; Job xx. 16), separate him unto evil out of all the tribes as wdl o.s of poisonous roots and bitter of Israel,-so that, excluded from the cove- fruits (see Kitto, • Bihl Cycl.,' iii 701). nant nation, and placed beyond the sphere Cuupled here with wormwood, it must be a over which rests the salvation of the Lord, plant that is referred to; and the union of they will be exposed to destruction-accord- the t,vo affords "a striking image of the ing to all the curses of the oovenant th&t are d~structi ve fruit borne by idolatry " (Keil). written in this book of the law; rather, e.s in Ver. 19.-That he bless hlmeelf in hia the margin, is written; the participle agreco hea'l't;-congratulatebimself-1!8.ying,Ishall with "covenant." h&ve peace-i.e. all shall be well with me-- Vere. 22-24.-Future generations and though- rather,for-1 walk in the imagine.. foreign visitants, seeing the calaQiities with tion of mine heart; literally,in thefirmnus or which the rebels had been visited, nay, a.II l"1,rdne,, of my heart, (nli'')~, from i':~, to nations, sboul4 ftB!r, ill 1¥>toni~h111ent anll on. XXIL 1-29.] THE DOOK OF DEUTERO~OMY, 44.9