Ordinances relative to CHAP. XIX. tion of the Almighty: these are contained in the Pentateuch. Christ gave a new law, the Gospel contained in the four Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, on which the Christian Church is founded, and by which all genuine Christians are governed both in heart and life. To all which may be added, 8. That God never commissioned any human beings.to give laws to mankind but Moses and Christ; and therefore, as a lawgiver, Christ alone resembles Moses; for to the present hour none but themselves have given laws in the name of God, which he has ratified and confirmed by the most indubitable and infallible signs, proofs, and miracles. the six cities of refuge. Dr. Jortin, in his Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, has drawn a parallel between Moses and Christ in a great number of particulars, which he concludes thus : "Let us search all the records of universal history, and see if we can find a man who was so like to Moses as Christ was, and so like to Christ as Moses was. If we cannot find such a one, then have we found HIM of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God." On this subject see Ainsworth, Calmet, and Dodd, who have all marked this striking correspondence between Moses and Christ. CHAPTER XIX. Three cities of refuge to be appointed in the midst of the promised land; the land being divided into three parts, a city is to be placed in each, a proper way to which is to be prepared, 1-3. In what cases of manslaughter the benefit of those eities may be claimed, 4-6. Three cities more to be added should the Lord enlarge their coasts, and the reasons why, 7-10.. The intentional murderer shall have no benefit from these cities, 11-13. The landmark is not to be shifted, 14. One witness shall not be deemed sufficient to convict a man, 15. How a false witness shall be dealt with he shall bear the punishment which he designed should' have been inflicted on his neighbour, 16–20. talionis, 21. A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Ex. Isr. 40. Sebat. WHEN the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 & Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. 4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past; 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the shelve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the Another command to establish the lex iNum. xxxv. 12. * Heb. smite him in life. Heb. from yesterday the third day.— - Gen. xv. 18; chap. xii. 20.- Josh. xx. 7, 8.- Exod. xxi. 12, &c.; Num. xxxv. 16, 24; chap. xxvii. 24; Prov. xxviii. 17.—P Heb. in life. there should be no impediments in the way; and were constantly kept in good repair. Verse 9. Shalt thou add three cities more] This was afterwards found necessary, and accordingly six cities were appointed, three on either side Jordan. See Josh. xxi. 1, &c. In imitation of these cities of 785 Of false witnesses A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. Sebat. 12 Then the elders of his city man to testify against him that An. Ex. Isr. 40. shall send and fetch him thence, but 14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. 15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any. sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. 16 If a false witness rise up against any ↑ Chap. xiii. 8; xxv. 12.—r Num. xxxv, 33, 34; chap. xxi. 9; 1 Kings ii. 31. Chap. xxvi. 17; Job xxiv. 2; Prov. xxii. 28; Hos. v. 10. Num. xxxv. 30; chap. xvii. 6; Matt. xviii. 16; John viii. 17; 2 Cor. xiii. 1; 1 Tim. v. 19; Heb. x. 28.— " Psa, refuge the heathens had their asyla, and the Catholics their privileged altars. See Exod. xxi. 13, 14, and on Num. xxxv. 6, &c. Verse 11. If any man hate his neighbour] · Sée óp Exod. xxi. 13. Verse 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark] Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus the dishonest man enlarged his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. The termini or landmarks among the Romans were held very sacred, and were at last deified. To these termini Numa Pompilius commanded offerings of broth, cakes, and first-fruits, to be made. And Ovid informs us that it was customary to sacrifice a lamb to them, and sprinkle them with its blood:Spargitur et caso communis terminus agno. FAST. lib. ii., ver. 655. And from Tibullus it appears that they sometimes adorned them with flowers and garlands : Nam veneror, seu stipes habet desertus in agris, Seu vetus in trivio florida serta lapis. ELEG. lib. i., E. i., ver. 11. "Revere each antique stone bedeck'd with flowers, That bounds the field, or points the doubtful way." GRAINGER. It appears from Juvenal that annual oblations were made to them : Convallem ruris aviti A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Ex. Isr. 40 Sebat. 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 z And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. xxvii. 12 ; xxxv. 11.-—▾ Or, falling away.— Chap. xvii. 9; xxi. 5.- Prov. xix. 5, 9; Dan. vi. 24; Hist. Sus. 62.- Ch. xiii. 5; xvii.7; xxi. 21 ; xxii. 21, 24; xxiv.7.2 Ch. xvii. 13; xxl. 21. Ver. 13.- b Exod. xxi. 23; Lev. xxiv. 20; Matt. v. 38. "If any rogue vexatious suits advance Against me for my known inheritance, Enter by violence my fruitful grounds, Or take the sacred landmark from my bounds, Those bounds which, with procession and with prayer And offer'd cakes, have been my annual care.”, DRYDEN.. In the digests there is a vague law, de termino moto, Digestor. lib. xlvii., Tit. 21, on which Calmet remarks that though the Romans had no determined punishment for those who removed the ancient landmarks; yet if slaves were found to have done it with an evil design, they were put to death; that persons of quality were sometimes exiled when found guilty; and that others were sentenced to pecuniary fines, or corporal punish ment. Verse 15. One witness shall not rise up, &c.] See Num. xxxv. 30. Verse 19. Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother] Nothing can be more equitable or proper than this, that if a man endeavour to do any injury to or take away the life of another, on detection he shall be caused to undergo the same evil which he intended for his innocent neighbour. Some of our excellent English laws have been made on this very ground. In the 37th of Edw. III., chap. 18, it is ordained that all those who make suggestion shall incur the same pain which the other should have had, if he were attainted, în case his suggestions be found evil. A similar law was made in the 38th of the same reign, chap. 9. By a law of the twelve Tables, a false witness was thrown down the Tarpeian rock. In short, false witnesses have been execrated by all nations. Verse 21, Life-for life, eye for eye, &c.] The ( 51* ) Regulations relative to -CHAP. XX. campaigns, sieges, &c operation of such a law as this must have been very | to prevent and punish ferocious and malevolent offences. salutary: if a man prized his own members, he would A Christian may always act on the plan of forgiving naturally avoid injuring those of others. It is a pity injuries; and where the public peace and safety may that this law were not still in force: it would certainly not be affected, he should do so; but if law did not prevent many of those savage acts which now both make a provision for the safety of the community by disgrace and injure society. I speak this in reference enactment against the profligate, civil society would to law generally, and the provision that should be made | soon be destroyed. CHAPTER XX. Directions concerning campaigns, 1. The priest shall encourage the people with the assurance that God will accompany and fight for them, 2-4. The officers shall dismiss from the army all who had just built a new house, but had not dedicated it, 5. All who had planted a vineyard, but had not yet eaten of its fruits, 6. All who had betrothed a wife, but had not brought her home, 7. And all who were timid and faint-hearted, 8. The commanders to be chosen after the timid, &c., had retired, 9. No city to be attacked till they had proclaimed conditions of peace to it, provided it be a city beyond the bounds of the seven Canaanitish nations; if it submitted, it was to become tributary; if not, it was to be besieged, sacked, and all the males put to the sword; the women, children, and cattle to be taken as booty, 10-15. No such offers to be made to the cities of the Canaanites; of them nothing shall be preserved, and the reason, In besieging a city no trees to be cut down but those which do not bear fruit, 19, 20. 16-18. A. M. 2553. An. Ex. Isr. 40. A. M. 2553. WHEN thou goest out to battle 4 For the LORD your God is he b a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; This NOTES ON CHAP. XX. Verse 1. When thou goest out to battle] refers chiefly to the battles they were to have with the Canaanites, in order to get possession of the promised land; for it cannot be considered to apply to any wars which they might have with the surrounding nations for political reasons, as the Divine assistance could not be expected in wars which were not undertaken by the Divine command. Verse 2. The priest shall approach, and speak unto the people] The priest on these occasions was the representative of that God whose servant he was, and whose worship he conducted. It is remarkable that almost all ancient nations took their priests with them to battle, as they did not expect success without having the object of their adoration with them, and they supposed they secured his presence by having that of his representative. Verse 5. That hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?] From the title of Psa. xxx.,-A Psalm or save you. Sebat. e Chap. i. 30; iii. 22; Josh. xxiii. 10.- See Neh. xii. 27; Psa. xxx. title.- Heb. made it common; see Lev. xix. 23, 24; chap. xxviii. 30. Song at the Dedication of the House of David-it is evident that it was a custom in Israel to dedicate a new house to God with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving; and this was done in order to secure the Divine presence and blessing, for no pious or sensible man could imagine he could dwell safely in a house that was not under the immediate protection of God. Hence it has been a custom in the most barbarous nations to conse crate a part of a new house to the deity they worshipped. The houses of the inhabitants of Bonny, in Africa, are generally divided into three apartments: one is a kind of state room or parlour; another serves for a common room, or kitchen; and the third is dedicated to the Juju, the serpent god, which they worship; for even those savages believe that in every house their god should have his temple! At the times of dedication among the Jews, besides prayer and praise, a feast was made, to which the relatives and neighbours were invited. Something of this custom is observed in some parts of our own country in what is called Regulations relative to A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. Sebat. DEUTERONOMY. 7 h And what man is there that An. Ex. Isr. 40. hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak farther unto the people, and they shall say, i What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart. 9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies 1 to lead the people. 10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. warming the house; but in these cases the feasting only is kept up-the prayer and praise forgotten! so that the dedication appears to be rather more to Bacchus than to Jehovah, the author of every good and perfect gift. Verse 7. Betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?] It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse or betroth, and for some considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of their respective parents when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and thus the marriage was consummated. The provisions in this verse refer to a ease of this kind; for it was deemed an excessive hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, where there was a probability of his being slain, who had left a new house unfinished; a newly purchased heritage half tilled; or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage. Homer represents the case of Protesilaus as very afflicting, who was obliged to go to the Trojan war, leaving his wife in the deepest distress, and his house unfinished. Του δε και αμφιδρυφης αλοχος Φυλακη ελέλειπτο, To rend in Phylace her bleeding cheeks, Verse 8. What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?] The original 17 rach, signifies tender or soft-hearted. And a soft heart the man must have campaigns, sieges, &c. 12. And if it will make no peace. with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Ex. Isr. 40. Sebat. 13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou Ptake unto thyself; and a thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations. 16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth : 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; xxxi. 7.— Josh. viii. 2.- P Heb. spoil. Josh. xxii. 8. Num. xxi. 2, 3, 35; xxxiii. 52; chap. vii. 1,2; Josh. xi. 14. who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops commanded by Gideon in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 remained to fight! Judges vii. 3. There could be no deception in a business of this kind; for the departure of the 22,000 was the fullest proof of their dastardliness which they could possibly give. Verse 10. Proclaim peace unto it.] Interpreters are greatly divided concerning the objects of this law. The text, taken in connection with the context,) see verses 15-18,) appears to state that this proclamation or offer of peace to a city is only to be understood of those cities which were situated beyond the limits of the seven anathematized nations, because these latter are commanded to be totally destroyed. Nothing can be clearer than this from the bare letter of the text, unless some of the words, taken separately, can be shown to have a different meaning. For the common interpretation, the following reasons are given. God, who knows all things, saw that they were incurable in their idolatry; that the cup of their iniquity. was full; and as their Creator, Sovereign, and Judge, he determined to destroy them from off the face of the earth, "lest they should teach the Israelites to do after all their abominations," ver. 18. After all, many plausible arguments have been brought to prove that even these seven Canaanitish nations might be received into mercy, provided they, 1. Renounced their idolatry; 2. Became subject to the Jews; and, 3. Paid annual tribute and that it was only in case these terms were rejected, that they were not to leave alive in such a city any thing that breathed, ver. 16. Verse 17. But thou shall utterly destroy them] The above reasoning will gain considerable strength, In taking a city all A. M. 2553. Sebat. CHAP. XX. A. M. 2553. Sebat. fruit trees to be preserved. An. Ex. Isr. 40. Amorites, the Canaanites, and the 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God. 19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou provided we could translate It is diabolic cruelty to add-to the miseries of war the horrors of famine; and this is done where the trees of the field are cut down, the dykes broken to drown the land, the villages burnt, and the crops wilfully spoiled. O execrable war! subversive of all the charities of life! "ki ha- against thee to the siege-or, lastly, The tree of the charem tacharimem, thou shalt utterly subdue them—| field (is as) a man, to go before thy face for a bulwark. slaying them if they resist, and thus leaving nothing The sense is sufficiently clear, though the strict gramalive that breathed; or totally expel them from thematical meaning of the words cannot be easily ascerland, or reduce them to a state of slavery in it, that tained: it was a merciful provision to spare all fruitthey might no longer exist as a people. This certainly bearing trees, because they yielded the fruit which made them an anathema as a nation, wholly destroying supported man's life; and it was sound policy also, for their political existence. Probably this was so under- even the conquerors must perish if the means of life stood by the Gibeonites, viz., that they either must be were cut off. slain or utterly leave the land, which last was certainly in their power, and therefore, by a stratagem, they got the princes of Israel to make a league with them. When the deceit was discovered, the Israelites, though not bound by their oath, because they were deceived by the Gibeonites, and therefore were under no obligation to fulfil their part of the covenant; yet, though they had this command before their eyes, did not believe that they were bound to put even those deceivers to death; but they destroyed their political existence, by making them hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation; i. e., slaves to the Israelites. (See Josh. ix.) Rahab and her household also were spared. So that it does not appear that the Israelites believed that they were bound to put every Canaanite to death. Their political existence was under the anathema, and this the Hebrews annihilated. That many of the Canaanites continued in the land even to the days of Solomon, we have the fullest proof; for we read, 2 Chron. viii. 7: “All the people of the land that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were left in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute to this day." Thus Solomon destroyed their political existence, but did not consider himself bound by the law of God to put them to death. Verse 19. (For the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege] The original is exceedingly obscure, and has been variously translated, THERE are several curious particulars in these verses: 1. The people had the most positive assurances from God that their enemies should not be able to prevail against them by strength, numbers, nor stratagem, because God should go with them to lead and direct them, and should fight for them; and against his might none could prevail. 2. All such interferences were standing proofs of the being of God, of his especial providence, and of the truth of their religion. 3. Though God promised them such protection, yet they were to expect it in the diligent use of their own prudence and industry. The priests, the officers, and the people, had their respective parts to act in this business; if they did their duty respectively, God would take care that they should be successful. Those who will not help themselves with the strength which God has already given them, shall not have any farther assistance from him. In all such cases, the parable of the talents affords an accurate rule. 4. Their going to war against their enemies must not deprive them of mercy and tenderness towards their brethren. He who had built a house and had not yet dwelt in it, who had planted a vineyard and had not eaten of its fruits, who had betrothed a wife and had not yet taken כי האדם עץ השרה לבא מפניך במצור | ki hassadeh labo mippaneycha bammatsor. The follow her to his house, was not obliged to go to battle, lest he should fall in the war, and the fruits of his industry and affection be enjoyed by others. He who was faint-hearted was also permitted to return, lest he should give way in the heat of battle, and his example have a fatal influence on others. |