understand, not a multitude, but great and potent men: to whom a judge was not to have respect in judgment, no more than to a poor man; who (ver. 3) is opposed to those men of might. But what follows I think will better interpret this. ἐὰν δὲ ἴδῃς τὸ ὑποζύγιον τοῦ ἐχθροῦ σου πεπτωκὸς ὑπὸ τὸν γόμον αὐτοῦ, οὐ παρελεύσῃ αὐτὸ, ἀλλὰ συναρεῖς αὐτὸ μετ ̓ αὐτοῦ. Au. Ver.-5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him [or, wilt thou cease to help him? or, and wouldest cease to leave thy business for him: thou shalt surely leave it to join with him]. Neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.] This is interpreted by Maimonides to signify, that no judge was to give his sentence in a capital cause, either for absolving or con- Pool. This translation depends upon this demning, according to the opinion of the supposition, that the Hebrew verb azab, rest, if he were not able to deliver any which is thrice used in this verse, signifies opinion of his own (see Mr. Selden, lib. ii. not only to leave, but also to help, or erect, de Synedr., cap. 13, p. 529). Other fancies or lift up, or strengthen, or restore; which they have about the word rabbim in this signification of the verb may be proved, clause of the verse, which he notes there, 1. From that use of it, Neh. iii. 8; iv. 2. cap. 9, p. 421. But the sense I think will 2. From the parallel place, Deut. xxii. 4, be most plain and easy, if we take rabbim in where instead of this verb azab is hakim, the first part of the verse (as we do) for the which is properly to erect or lift up. But if multitude; and in this latter part, for the the verb did signify only to leave, it may be great and potent, or ruling men, who are thus rendered according to the Hebrew generally attended by a multitude; and words, then, or therefore, or surely (for all expound the whole thus: that the judges were not to be deterred, either by the people or by mighty men, to pronounce a false judgment. This agrees with what follows and with Lev. xix. 15. these ways the Hebrew particle vau is used) thou shalt forbear to leave it, to wit, the ass groaning under his burden, or the lifting up of the ass and burden, to him alone; but if thou wilt be leaving, I will appoint thee a Rosen., Noli sequi better object for it, thou shalt surely leave or multos ad male faciendum. Si quis innocens lay aside what thou hast against him, i.e., tibi videatur, quamquam a plerisque damna- whatsoever controversy thou hast with him, bitur, seu judex sedeas, seu privatus, ejus that shall not hinder thee from succouring innocentiæ intrepido animo aderis, eumque him or his in any distress. The Hebrew contra multos defendes. Sunt, qui hic preposition im, doth oft signify against, as magnos, potentes denotare existiment, ut Gen. xxvi. 20; Psal. lxxxv. 4; xciv. 16; Job. xxxv. 10, al., ut sensus hic sit: ne Hos. ix. 8. And it is a concise or short way insistito vestigiis potentiorum ad mala. Verum hic multos esse, suadet quod additur:, nec respondebis de lite declinando post multos ad declinare faciendum, i.e., pervertendum. Vult, non esse in judicio sententiam plurimorum sequendam, sed ex vero judicandum. Ver. 4. Au. Ver.—4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. Ged., Booth.-If ye meet your enemy's ox, or his ass, or any other beast [Sam.] going astray, &c. Ver. 5. of speaking, which is very common in the Bp. Patrick. And wouldest forbear to help y signifies to leave or forsake: and so the Chaldee here interprets it: "Thou shalt in | I shall notice only two: that of Sypkens, that moment dismiss or forsake thy enmity adopted by Dathe, and that of Michaelis. to him, and go and help him." And L. de According to the former, the meaning of Dieu to the same purpose: "Rather than the verse will be: Quando videris osoris leave him under his burden, quit thine tui asinum succumbentem sub onere suo, et enmity to him," &c. A great many other volueris eum auxilio destituere, quo minus ways there are to make out the grammar of vincla ei relaxes, relaxando relaxabis cum the Hebrew words; but Bochart thinks all eo: but how this, without much straining, in vain unless, instead of the particle lo can be brought out of the Hebrew, I with a vau, we admit it with an aleph: and confess myself at a loss to see. Michaelis then it runs clearly in the Hebrew in this thus: "Siehst du den esel deines feindes manner, "Thou shalt cease (or abstain) unter der last erliegen, so sollst du nicht from leaving him" (i.e., not follow thy own vorbey gehen, und ihn seinem herren inclinations to pass by him); "leaving thou hülflos überlassen, sondern du sollst shalt not leave him" (i.e., by no means angreifen, und ihn nicht eher, als der leave him), viz., to raise up his beast him- eigenthümer selbst verlassen.” This transself, as if it nothing concerned thee. Or, lation, or paraphrase, is founded on a "Thou shalt abstain from leaving it" (i.e., supposed double meaning in the word ; the ass labouring under his burden); "I first to leave a thing to its lord; and, say, thou shalt by no means leave it." The secondly, to leave a thing with its lord. same thing is repeated, because it is a command so opposite to men's depraved affections; and therefore was fit to be inculcated, that they might not lightly pass it over (see Hierozoic., par. i., lib. ii., cap. 40, p. 399). But why so much ingenuity exerted to explain a text which is visibly corrupted, and out of which no one yet has been able to draw even a plausible reading? The original meaning of the text was, in my opinion, certainly not , but in all the Bp. Horsley. For Bochart would read three places: this is the first emendation to , joining it to the latter clause. And be made. Then instead of n we should certainly, without introducing the negative read ; or, with Le Clerc (with into the latter clause, it is inexplicable by Houbigant's good leave), render interroany known sense of the word . I would gatively: "Wilt thou omit to help him?" then thou | And in either of these ways the sense will ", וחדלת מעזב לו עזב לא תעזב עמו read shalt forbear to leave him to himself: Thou be clear and consistent. The beth, and shalt by no means leave him by himself." resh, in the old Samaritan characters, (Compare Deut. xxii. 4.) Ged. If ye see the ass of your enemy succumbing under its burthen, ye shall not withhold your assistance, but shall surely help up with him [so also Booth.]. resemble each other as much as the daleth and resh in the common Hebrew characters; and many instances of their having been interchanged might be pointed out. It is evident that the Septuagint must have had Ye shall not withhold your assistance, in their copy, and that they read the but shall surely help up with him. The negative before, since they render words of the text are thus barbarously ου παρέλευση αυτο, αλλα συναρεις [so Rom., rendered by Montanus: Et cessabis a but Ald. and Compl. have συνερεις, and deserendo ei; deserendo deseres cum Alex. εγερεις, eo. in the same meaning] αυτο Our English translators: "and wouldest μET' AUTOV. So likewise Jerome : non forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help pertransibis, sed sublevabis cum eo. with him." But this is wresting the Hebrew text, thus amended, presents no difficulty. to a sense it will not bear; for a never Compare Deut. xxii. 4.-Geddes. signifies to help; but, on the contrary, to The Rosen.-5 Hic vs. ad verbum ita sonat: forsake. Purver tried his skill to give a Cum videbis asinum inimici tui sub onere suo more literal meaning thus: and by jacentem, desines a relinquendo ipsi; relinforsaking dost let him alone, thou shalt be quendo relinques cum eo. Quæ quia in utterly forsaken with him;-an odd method speciem contraria sunt, interpretes, ut hæc truly to explain a text. Others have taken concilient, in omnes partes se vertunt : other methods equally fanciful, which the LXX, verbasic vertunt: Où reader may see in Bochart and in Poole. παρελεύσῃ αὐτό, ἀλλὰ συναρεῖς αὐτὸ, μετ ̓ avrov, et Hieron. : non pertransibis, sed | sublevabis cum eo. Ver. 7. ἀπὸ παντὸς ῥήματος ἀδίκου ἀποστήσῃ. ἀθῶον καὶ δίκαιον οὐκ ἀποκτενεῖς. καὶ οὐ habent σvveyepeîs, uma eriges. Apparet, illos, de verbis non admodum sollicitos sensum eum, quem res et contextus suadent, utcumque expressisse. Onkelos: tunc cessabis ab eo derelinquendo, i.e., cave derelin- dikawσreis tòv åσeßî évekev dwpwv. quas eum, relinquendo relinquas id, quod Au. Ver.-7 Keep thee far from a false habes in corde tuo contra eum, et solvas cum matter; and the innocent and righteous In qua interpretatione tamen id dis- slay thou not: for I will not justify the plicet, quod in eadem periodo diverso wicked. eo. significatu sumitur. Recentiores quoque Bp. Patrick.-Keep thee far from a false Interpp. varie hunc locum torserunt; matter.] i.e., From a false judgment (for he quorum tamen opiniones in hoc Scholl. seems to speak to the judges), and neither nostrr. Compendio prætermittendas cen- admit that which is false, nor pronounce it. For I will not justify the wicked. semus. Interpretationem autem ceteris longe probabiliorem attulit Henr. Sypkens in Observatt. Miscell. ad selecta V. T. loca | So LXX, Sam. p. (in Sylloge Diss. sub Schultensii et Schroderi Rosen. -7, A mendacio præs. defens., p. ii., p. 925, sqq.) Atque procul absis. Quum hic sermo de officio primum quidem observat, hic dici de eo, judicis sit, horum verborum hæc significatio qui socium destituit auxilio, ut Job. xix. 14. esse videtur, judici cavendum esse, ne falsa Alterum verbum, , laxare, relaxare, atque rei expositione deceptus innocentem damnet, ita missum facere, dici primo de rebus, quæ aut nocentem absolvat. Item innocentem et ita relaxantur, ut nulla earum habeatur cura, justum ne occidas. Vocc., innocens et ut Job. ix. 27, Prov. iv. 6, deinde vero illam, justus sunt synonyma. Neque enim relaxandi notionem præsertim quoque fre- justificabo improbum, i.e., nolo improbum quentari de iis, qui pecora elaxatis vinculis, immunem exire; talem igitur qui debita quibus constricta tenebantur, dimittunt, ut pœna absolvit, sanctam legem meam conlibera quaquavorsum queant vagari, coll. temnit. Zach. xi. 17, Job. x. 1. Quare hunc Vs. ita ita ut subaudiri debeat D. LXX, où reddit: Quando videris osoris tui asinum, dikaiwσeis tòv ảσeßñ eveka dwpwv, quasi succumbentem sub onere suo, et volueris eum legissent: 'n pryn xh. auxilio destituere, quominus vincula ei relaxes, relaxando relaxabis cum eo, sc. osore tuo. , הצדיק habet אצדיק Cod. Sam. pro Ver. 8. וְשְׂחַד לֹא תִקָם כִּי הַכֹּחַר וְעַוּר Particula enim nexum arctissimum indicat καὶ δῶρα οὐ λήψῃ. τὰ γὰρ δῶρα ἐκτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς βλεπόντων, καὶ λυμαίνεται ῥήματα díkaia. inter verba et , et verti commode potest el tum, ut Gen. xxi. 15; Ez. xxxix. 15. Sensus igitur hic erit: si quando contingat, ut videas asinum ejus, quocum tibi inimicitiæ intercedunt, gravioribus pressum Au. Ver.-8 And thou shalt take no gift: sarcinis, ita ut suis viribus surgere nequeat, for the gift blindeth the wise [Heb., the et si tu, pristinæ inimicitiæ memor, promtum seeing], and perverteth the words of the auxilium pro illo erigendo præstare recuses; righteous. cave, ne ejusmodi criminis fias reus; e con- Ged. A bribe ye shall not receive; for trario, tum, una cum inimico tuo omnem a bribe will blind the eyes of [Sam., LXX, adhibebis operam, ut vincula oneris, quibus Syr., Targ., and thirteen MSS.] the clear constrictus et pressus hæret, dissolvas et sighted, and pervert the decisions of the elaxes, ut sic surgere atque libere procedere just. possit. Ver. 6. Pool. The wise, or, the open-eyed, and quick-sighted. The words of the righteous, i.e., the judgment of the righteous judges, Au. Ver.-6 Thou shall not wrest the i.e., of them who before were such. So judgment of thy poor in his cause. they are called righteous, to admonish them Ged., Booth.-Ye shall not wrest judg- of their duty to be so. Or thus, the matters ment in a poor man's cause. or causes of the righteous, which may be understood not of the judges, but of the parties pleading, whose righteous cause is by this means perverted by the judge, and a wrong sentence given. Ver. 23. Bp. Patrick. And perverteth the words of Au. Ver.-23 For mine angel shall go the righteous.] By words seems to be meant before thee, and bring thee in unto the the sentence of those who might otherwise Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizhave been inclined to be righteous and up-zites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and right judges. the Jebusites: and I will cut them off. And the Hittites and the Perizzites. Ged., Booth.-The Hittites, and the a stranger: for ye know the heart [Heb., Gergasites [Sam., LXX], and the Perizzites. the soul] of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ver. 9. Au. Ver.-9 Also thou shalt not oppress Bp. Horsley.——"The heart; " rather, "the feelings." Ver. 12. Heb., Au. Ver.-12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Ged., Booth.-Six days shall ye do your work, but on the seventh day ye shall rest; that your man-servants and maid-servants may rest as well as yourselves [Sam.]; all your cattle also and the stranger. 1, Ged., Booth. And whatsoever [Sam. Houb. ] I have said to you shall ye observe. Ver. 17. Ver. 27. καὶ τὸν φόβον ἀποστελῶ ἡγούμενόν σου, καὶ ἐκστήσω πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, εἰς οὕς σὺ εἰσπορεύῃ els avtoús. K.T.λ. Au. Ver.-27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, &c. And will destroy. Bp. Horsley. And will strike with a panic. Ged. And will dismay. Onkelos and Tharg., w, I will put in disorder, and so Pers., Gr. Vern., εñiτρi↓w. Our last translators rendered, I will destroy; but in Cranmer's Bible it is, I will trouble,-a I much better version, for the context shows that the word cannot here mean to destroy, but to trouble, intimidate, dismay, so as to make them turn their backs to the Israelites. That Schultens was right in deriving the word from the Arabic, liquefacere, is confirmed by a passage in Joshua ii. 9, where Rahab says to the spies: "The dread of you hath fallen on us, and all the inhabitants of the land are dispirited (lit., melt) at your approach ;" and again, ver 21. Every man's courage failed him; lit., our Here terror and liquefaction are joined together, as in Exod., and the one place is a proper commentary on the other. 17 τρεῖς καιροὺς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὀφθήσεται πᾶν ἀρσενικόν σου ἐνώπιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ 18 ὅταν γὰρ ἐκβάλω τὰ ἔθνη ἀπὸ προσώπου σου, καὶ ἐμπλατύνω τὰ ὅριά σου. σου. Au. Ver.-17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God. Ged., Booth.-Three times in the year all your males shall appear before Jehovah, your God [LXX, Syr., Vulg.]; when I have cast out the nations from before you, and enlarged your borders [LXX]. .ימס לבבנו ; heart was melted Rosen. Hieronymus vertit et occidam, quasi esset Hiph. verbi ; cujus tamen 1 pers. præter. Hiph. est ', coll. Hos. ix. 16. Verum valet perturbabo, ab p. LXX, KOTηow amentes reddam, et similiter Saadias: attonitos eos reddam, Ingentem quandam perturbationem, quæ Ged., Booth.-My [Sam., LXX, Vulg.] mentem adimit, et consilii inopem reddit, angel. significare voluerunt. Au. Ver.-1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. Nadab and Abihu. Ged., Booth.-Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar [Sam.]. Ver. 2, 3. Au. Ver.-2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. esse collective sumendum vix monitu opus. Verba hæc non videntur intelligenda esse proprie. Nam Jos. xxiv. 11, 12, eadem phrasis adhibetur de expulsione duorum regum Amoritarum. Jos. x., autem, ubi hæc historia narratur, nil dicitur de crabronibus, sed de terrore Cananææis immisso et de grandine magna inter fulgura et tonitrua delapsa. Nec satisfacit, quod ii, qui verba illa proprie intelligunt, et vere per crabrones Cananitas expulsos esse putant (quemad- 3 And Moses came and told the people modum Julianus ob muscarum et culicum all the words of the LORD, and all the judgmultitudinem e Parthorum regione eadem ments: and all the people answered with via regredi non poterat, vid. Ammian one voice, and said, All the words which Marcell. xxiv. 8), respondent, a sacris the LORD hath said will we do. scriptoribus multa obiter referri, loci et Bp. Horsley.-2 "And Moses alone shall temporis circumstantiis plane suppressis, come-shall not come-neither shall-go quæ tamen eo modo, quo narrantur, gesta up-." All these futures should be preessent majoris enim momenti fuit hæc res, terites. For Moses alone had approached si evenerit, quam ut tantum obiter adtingeretur. Igitur sub crabronibus varii generis mala intelligenda esse videntur, quæ aptissime per hæc insecta indicari poterunt, quum eorum punctus acerbissimos dolores concitet, et magna eorum multitudo homines necare valeat. The Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite. Pool. He names these three people, either for all the rest, because they were the most potent about the time of Israel's first entrance into Canaan, and gave them most trouble; or because these three were more infested with hornets than the other nations, as being more numerous and dangerous. to Jehovah, but they had not approached; neither had the people gone up with him. But Moses came back, &c. In these two verses, the 2d and 3d, we are told in what manner the laws contained in the two preceding chapters were delivered to the people. The five following verses relate the ceremony of a sacrifice, and a solemn covenant of obedience, which was performed the day after the delivery of these laws was finished. Then in the 9th, the history returns to what was done in consequence of the order mentioned in the first. With him. Ged., Booth.-With them. |