No doubt these various expressions point out that great variety in the Word or Revelation of G«>d, whereby it is suited lo every place, occasion, person, and state; being " profitable for doctrine, reproof, and edification in righteousness." Hence the Apostle says, that GoD, at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets; and in these last times has spoken unto us by his Son; Heb. i. 1, 2. By e\eTy prophet, eiangelist, and apostle, God speaks a particular language — all is his doctrine, his great system of instruction, for ihe information and salvation of the souls of men — but some portions are like the sweeping showers, in which the tempest of God's wrath appears against sinners. Others are like the incessant showers of gintle rain, preparing the soil for the germination of the grain; and causing it to take root. And others still are like the dew, mildly and gently insinuating' convi<tions, persuasions, reproofs, and consolations, "^Fhe preacher of righteousness, who wishes to handle this word profitably, must attend closely to tl)o>e distinctions, that he may riglilly divide the word of truth; and give each of his hearers, his portion of the bread of life in due season.
Verse 4. He is the rock] The word "TiX tsur, is rendered creator by some eminent critics; and <-*jL=» khalyk, is the reading in the Arabic version. Rab. Moses ben Maymon, in his valuable work, Moreh Ncbochitn, observes, that the word ^1X tsur, which is ordinarily translated rocJt, signifies origin, fountain, first cuiuc, &c. and in this way it should be translated here: " He is the first principle, his work is perfect" As he is the cause of all things, he must be infinitely perfect: and consequently all his works must be perfect in their respective kinds. As is the cause, so must the eject be. Some think the word rock^ gives a very good sense: for, as in those lands, rocks were the ordinary place« of defence and i#-
The song taught hi/ Moscx
5* They' have corrupted themselves, 'their spot is not the spot oi' his chihlrcii: they are a * pcrvorsc and crooked generation.
G Do ye thus "requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he 'thy father /Aa/ liath "^ bou.i^ht tlice? Iialh he not ' made thee, and established thee?
7 IF Remember the days of old, consider the curtly, God may be nietapliorically repre.senled thus, to »ignify Ills proicclion of his follower.-.. I prefer the opinion of Maiiiiuiii(l('!>.
Veise 5. Their spot 'is nni the spot of hit children] This verse IS variously translated, and variously understood They are corrupted, not his, children of pollution. Kf.N.NICOIT. They arc corrupt, they are not his children; they are blotted. HOUBIGANT. This is according to the 6'a»i</r«un. The interpretation commonly given to thtse words, is as unfoundtd as it is eXLeptionablc. " God's children have their spots, i. e. their sins; but sin in them i> not like sin in others; in others, sin is exceedin'j;ly sinful; but God docs not see tiie sins of his children as he sees the sins of his enemies," &c. Unfortunately for this bad doctrine, there is no foundation for it in the sacred text, whirh though very obscure, may be thus translated: He (Israel) haih corrupted himself. — They (ll)e Israelites) are not his children: They are spotted. Coverdale renders the whole pas-sage thus: " The froward, and overtlnvart generation, have marred themselves to himward; and are not his children because of their deformity." This islhe.sfni<r of the verse. Let it be observed that the word spot, whicn is repeated in our translation, is but once in the original; and the marginal reading is greatly to be preferred. — He hath corrupied to himself, that they are not his children: that is titeir hloL.And because they had the blot of sin on them, because they were spotted with miquity. and marked idolaters, ihere- Ibre God renounces them. There may be here an allusion to the otarks, which the worshippers of particular idols had on diiTerent parts of tlieir bodies, especially on their /ort/Ka</.T — and as idolatry is the crime with which they are here charged, the spot or mark mentioned, may refer to the mark or stii^iu of their idol. The different sects of idolaters in the East, are distinguished by their feclarian marks, the stigma of their respective idols. These sectarian marks, particularly «n the forehead, amount to nearly one hundred among the Hindoos, an<l especially among the two sects, the worshippers of Stera, and the worshippers ot Vishnoo. In many cases these marks are renewed duily; foe they account it irreligious toperl'urm any sacred rite id their god, without his mark on tht forehead; the marks are geii< rally horiioniul:ind perpendicular lines, CTuennls, cmks, kawt, eyes, &c. la red, blacit, viM(e, mi
1o the chUflren of Israel.
years of " many crcncrations: "ask thy '},V**"- latlicr, and he will shew thee; thy Ku Eio« if. elders, and they will tell thee. ' J" r' "'
8 When the Most High " divided to the nations their inluritance, when he '" separated the sons of.Adam, he.set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
9 For '' the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the ' lot of his inheritance.
10 He found him ' in a depart land, and in the
yellow. This very custom is referred to in Kev. xx. 4. wlier<' the beast gives his mark to his followers— and it i^ very lik<-ly that Moses r^-fers to such a custom among the idolatrous of hi?' own day. This removes all the difficulty of the text. God'« rhildren have no sii\ful spots, because Christ saves lUtmfrom their sins, and their motto or t),ark is. Holiness to the Lord.
Ve^^e 8. When the Most High divided to the nations, &c.] Verses 8 and 9, says Dr. Keiinicolt, give us express authority for believing, that the earth was very early divided in consequence of a divine command; and probably by lot; see.\cl9 xvii. 26. and as Africa is called the land of Ham, P.sal. Ixxviii. 51. cv. 2'6, 21. cvi. 22. probably that country /t// to him and to his des<-endant5, at the same time tliat Euiope fell to Jiiphet, and Asia to S/.em, with a particular resene of Palestine to be the Lord's portion, for some one peculiar pe<^ pie. And this separation of mankind into three bodie«, called the general migration, was commanded to AcxjA, and by him to his sons — so as to take place in the days of Feleg, about two hundred years afterwards. This general migration was prior to the partial dispersion from Babel, by about five hundred
He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of IsraeL] The Sepluagint translation is vtry cu^iou^, £rfii7£v cfia jSvajy aara tx^ti/xcv ayycXuv t:v Qic-j. He establish.- ed the bound,- of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. The meaning of the passage seems to be, that when God divid- d the earth among mankind, he reserved eueke lots, according' to the num^r of the sons of Jach, whicii he wa» now about to give lo their descendant?, according to his promise.
Verse 9. The Lord's portion is his people] W hat an astoni.-hing. saying! As holy souls take GOD tor their portUn, so GOD talccb thm for his portion. He representi himself ^s happy in his followers; and they are int.nitely happy in, and satislied with, God as their portion. This is what i* implied in being a saint; He who is seeking for an earibly portion, has little commerce with the Most High.
Verse 10. Ht (the VAtvA) found him] (Jacob, in hi* deKciK dants) in a desu.t land (the wilderness) he led him abou:, orty years in tliis wilderness, Deut. viii. 2. or ril230»^jobebenehu — he compassed him about; i. e. God defenaed ti em on all bands, and in all places. He inumcted kim, uugbt
The sofig^ taught bij Moses
waste liowling ■wilderness; he Med him about, he ^ instructed him, lie "'kept him as the apple of his
io the children of Israel.
tlieun lliat astoni.'^hing law, ■llirou£jh which we have now almost passed, giving Uiem statutes and jiidj^ments, which for depth of wisdom, and correct political adaptation to times, places, and circumstances, are so wondrously constructed, as essentially to secure the comfort, peace, and happiness of the individual and tlie prosperity and permanency of the moral system. Laws so excellent, tliat they have met with the approbation of the wise and good in all countries, and formed tlie basis of the political institutions of all tlie civilized nations in the universe.
Notwithstanding the above gives the passage a good sense, yet probably the whole verse should Ije considered more literally. It is certain tlial in the same country, travellers are often obligetl to go about in order to find proper ])asses between the mountains; and the following extracts from Mr. Harmer well illustrate this point.
" Irwin farther describes the inounta'ins of the depart of Thebais, (upper Egypt,) as sometimes so steep and dangerous, as to induce even very bold and hardy travellers to avoid them by taking a large circuit; and tliat for want of proper knowledge of the way, such a wrong path may be taken, as liiay on a sudden bring them into the greatest dangers; while at other times a dreary wa>;te nir.y extend itself so prodigiously, as to ii:ake it dithcult, witlwut assistance, to find tlie way to a proper outlet. All \\hich shew us the meaning of those words of the songs of Moses, Deirt. xxxii. VO. He led him about, fie instructed him, lie kept him as the iipjAc of his ej/e.
"Jehovah certainly instructed Israr! in religion, by delivering to him his law in this wdderness: but it is not, I presume, of this kind of teaching Mo-es speaLs, as bishop Patrick supposes, but God's instructing Israel how to awid the dangers of the journey, by leading the people about this and that dangerous precipitous hill, directmg them to proper passes through the mountains, and guiding them tlirongh the intricacies of th.it dilTicnlt journey, which might, and pnjbalily wouhl, have eoiifounded the most consummate Arab guidrs. They that roidd have safely ennui;h condm-led a small caravan of travellers through lliis desart, might liave been very unequal to the task of directing such an enormous multitude, encumlicred with cattle, women, children, and utensils. The passages of Irwin, that establish the observation, I have been making follow here. ' At half past eleven we resumed our march, and soon came to the foot of a prodigious hill, which we unexpectedly found we were to ascend. It was perpendicular, like the one we had passed sonic hours before; but what rendered the access more difficult, the path which we vere to tread was nearly right up ami down. The captain of the robbers seeing the olislacles wc had to owrcome, wi.sely.-f»Lt all Ills camels round the mountain where he knew there va.- a ilefile, and only accompanied us with the beast he
11 ''As an eagle stirrcth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroadher wing.Sjtaketh them, beareth
rode. We luckily met with no accident in climbing this height,' p. 325. They afterwards descended, he tells us, into a valley, by a passage easy enoupfh, and stopping to dine at half past five o'clock, they were joined by the Arabs, who had made an astonishing march to overtake them, p. 3'2G. ' AVe soon quitted the dale, and ascended the high ground by the side of a mountain that overlooks it in this part. The path was narrow and perpendicular, and much resembled a ladder, l^o make it worse, we preceded the robbers, and an ignorant guide among our people led us astray. Here we found ourselves in a pretty situation! W'e had kept the lower road on the side of the liill, instead of that towards the summit, until we could proceed no further. We were now obliged to gain the heights, in order to recover the road, in performing which we drove our poor camels up such.steps as we had the greatest dfilculty to climb after them. ^\ e were under the necessity of leaiing them to themselves; as the danger of leading thcni through places, where the least false step would have precij^ilated both man and beast to the unfathomable abyss below, was too critical to hazard. M'e hit at length upon the proper path, and were glad to find ourselves in the road of our unerring yuidrs the robbers, after having won every foot of the ground with real peril and fatigue,' p..324. Again; ' Our ro;;d after leaving the valley, lay over level ground. As it would be next to an impossibility to find the way over these stony flats, where the lieavy foot of a camel leaves no impression, the different bands of robbers have heaped up stones at unequal distances for their direction through this depart. Me have derived creat assistance from the robbers in this respect, who are our guides when the marks either fail, or arc unintelligible to us.' The predatory Arabs were more successful guide.*! to Mr. Irwin and his companions, than those he brouglit with him from Ghinnah; but the march of Israel through dcsarts of the like nature, was through such an extent and varifely of country, and in such circumstances, " as to multitudes and encumbranees, as lo make divine interposition necessary. The ojienings tbrouuli the rocks seem to have licen prepared by him, to whom all things Irom the heu;iiiiiing' of the world were foreknown, with great wisdom and j^dodness, to enable tlu m to accomplish this stupendous march." — See Ilaniicr'i Ohsen-at. vol. iv. p. 125.
lie kept him us the apple nf his ci/c] Nothino- can exceed the force and delicacy of this expression. As ileeply concerned and as carefully attentive as man can be for the safety of his eye sit^ht, so was (iod for the ])rotec1iou and welfare of this people. How ama/ing this condescension!
Ver.se 11. As an ea'^le stirrelh up her 7ie.«] Flutters over her brood, to excite them to fly — or as some think, disturbs her nest to oblige the y<''ung ones to leave it, so God by his plagues in Kgypt obliged the Israelites, wlherwise very reluc- avV// Israel in the 'uilderneis.
A.M. svvi. 12.sv, the Lord alone did lead him, Ah. iixod iir. and t/uTC wfis no strange i^od with
1:5 " lie inadc him ildr on the high ])Iace.s of ihe earth, fliat he niiuhl eal the increase o(" (lie fields; and he made liiin to suck 'honey oiil of the i"oek, and oil out ol the flinlv roek:
tnnt, to leave a place, which he appeared by hi.s judgments io have devoted to dc.-itriiction.
Fill lie re ih oiir lirr yoiin:;] t^rtT ycraclirpli, liroodilh over tlic'tn, cominiiiiicaliiig to iheiii a |)oitiiin of licr own vital xrannili: so did God i)y the iiifiuciices of Ins S|)irit, tnliylitc n, encoiirai;e, and strcn^tlien tlicir minds. Jt is liit xamc word whicli is used Gen. i. '2.
Sprcadclli iihrnad her uirt'^s, &c.] In order not only to teach them iiow to lly, hut to bear tlicin when weary- For to this fact there socins an allusion, it having hccn generally hclicvtd thai tile eai^le, thrnu;;h extraordinary alli^ction for li«-r youn;;;, lalics tiicni upon iicr liaclc, wiien tiny are weary ol tlyin.j,."lo tliat the archers cannot injure ihcin, hut hy piercing the body of the mother. The same figure is used Exod. xix. 4. where see the note. The 1U?J neshtr, wliich we translate eagle, is I supposed hy Mr. Bruce to mean the rachnma, a bird remarkiil)le for its alVeclion lo its yonng", whicii it is known actually to hear on its back wlien tlicy are weary. [
Verse 12. i^o the Lord itlime did lend /liriil By his power, ' and hy his only, were they brought out of Egypt, and supjKirted in the wildernfss.
And there was no slranife gnd] They had help from no other quarter. The Egyptian idols were not able to save [ tin u own votaries; but God not only saved his people, but di-troyed the K:;y|)tians.
Verse 1 3. He made lu'in ride] ir.23T i/nrccebeliu, he uvV/ i cause him to ride. All the verbs here are in the future tense, because this is a prophecy of the prosperity they should possess in the promised land. The Israelites were to ride, exult on the high places, the mountains, and hdls of tlieir land, in i whidi tin y are pronii,-ed the highest degrees of prosperity; ' as even the rocky part of the country should be rendered fer- | lile by the peculiar benediction of CJod.
Siak hoiuy out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rocli] This promise states, that even the most barren places in the country should yield an abundance of aromatic flowers; from which the bees should colli et honey in ahumlance: and even the tops of llic roc ks atlord sufficient support for olive trees, from the iVuil of.\hieli liiey should extractor/ m abundance: and all tins should I.e' occasioned by the peculiar blessing of God upon ihe land.
Verse 14. F,it of kidihys of ivheat] Almost every person knows that ilie kidney is envclloped in a coat of the purest fal in the body of the animal, for which-.several anatomical reasons miglu))e given. As the kidney itself is to the abundantly surrounding fat, so is the genn of the grain to the loLes, or farinaceous pans. Tbe expression here may be considered
14 Biilter of kino, ami milk of ^, J' ';■■.sheep, with fiit of lanijjs, and rams Aii.k.w i.e. o/the bleed of Uashaii; and f,'.>ats, ♦'— ^»'^- " with the fat of kithieys of wheal; and tliou didst drink the jiiire '' hlood of the prapc.
l.'J ^ Ihit '.leshiinin waxed lilt, and 'kicked: " thou art waxen fat, thou art grown tiiick.
as a very strong and peculiarly happy figure to point out the finest wheat, containiiii; the hr:altllie^t and nio>t vigoroii* germ, grownig in a very largi- and nutritive grain; and ronsef|uciilly the whole fii;ur( point', out to us a gj)eeies of wluat, eipially excelleul, bolli for ned and hre/id. 1'liis beaut ilul metaphor seems to have escaped the notice of every conimcatator.
Pure blood of the grape.] Red wine, or the p'ln? juiec of whatever coleur, expressed from the grape.s without any adulteration, or mixture with ii-ater: blood here is synonymous with juice. This intimates that their zincs fchnuld lie of the best kind, and their wine in abundance, and of the most dfr> licious flavour.
Verse 15. Jcshurun] JPB" the upright: this appellative it here put for Israel, and as it comes from Ti" yashar, he was right, slruii-ht, may be intended to shew, that the people who once not only promised fair, but were really upright, walkm^ in the paths of rii;htcousncs.i, should in llie tune signified by the prophcl, not only revolt from Go<l, but actually fight against him, like a full fed horse, who not only wdl iiOt bear the harness, but breaks away firora his master, and endeavours to kick him as lie struggles to get loose. All this is spoken prophetically, and is intended as a u-«rnjn^, tliat the evil might not take ])lace. For were the transgression unavoidablf, it must be the ifllct of some nece^itatiitg cause, winch would destroy the turpitude of the action, as it referred to Israel; for if the evil were absolutely vnuvotdabic, no blani? could attach to the unfortunate agent, who could only consider himself the miserable instrumctl of a dire ncccsiily. See a case in point, 1.Sam. xxiii. 1 I, 12. where the prtdiction appears in the most absolute form, and yet the evd was prevented, by the |)erson receiving the prediction as a urtiTiing. The case is the following:
The Philistines attacked Kcilah and rohl)ed the threshing floors; David being informed of it, asked counsel of GmJ, w hether he sliould go and relieve it — he is ordered to go, and is assured of success — he goes, routs llie Binhslines, and delivers Keilah..'saul hearing that David was in Keilah, determines lo besiege the place. David findinij that Isaid meditated his destruction, a^kt.■d counsel of tbe Lord, thus, " O Lord God of Israel, thy.servant h.vh certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come lo Keilah, to destroy the city for my.sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver ine up into ins i:and? ^Vill Saul cone down.is thy servant hath heard.'^-And the Lord said. He will come d'lwn. Then sai3 David, \\'i!l ihe men of Kcilali deliver lue ani! my men int.i iIk hand <,f Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee uji. TUe«»
16 " They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
17 ^ They sacrificed unto devils, ^ not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
1 8 ^ Of the Rock t/uit begat thee thou art unmindfld, and hast " forgotten God that foimed thee.
19 ^ ' And when the Lord saw it, he " ab-
horred thein, ' because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters. 20 And he said, " I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, I ° children in whom is no faith, i 21 "They have moved me to jealousy with that "which is not God; they have provoked me j to anger ^ with their vanities: and "^ I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; 1 will provoke them to anger with a 1 foolish nation. 22 For ^ a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and ' shall
David and his men, xohich were about 600, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go: and it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he forbore to go forth." Here was the most positive prediction that Saul would come to Keilah, and that the men of Keilah would deliver David into his hands. Yet neither of these events took place, because David departed from Keilah; but had he continued there, Saul would have come down, and the men of Keilah would have betrayed their deliverer. Thus the prediction was totally conditional — and so were all these prophecies relative to the apostacy of Israel. They were only fulfilled in those who did not receive them as iL'arninqs. See Jer. xviii. 8 — 10.
Tlie Rock of his sahation.'i He ceased to depend on the fountain whence his salvation issued; and thinking highly of lumself, he lightly esteemed his God; and having' ceased to depend on him, his fall became inevitable. The figure is admirably well supported through the whole verse. — We see first, a miserable, lean steed, taken under the care, and into the keeping, of a master who provides him with an abundance of provender. We see secondly, this horse waxing fat, under this keeping. We see him thirdly, breaking auuy from his master, leaving his rich pasturage, and running to the wilderness, unwilhng to bear the yoke or harness; or to make any returns for his master's care and attention. We see fourthly, whence this conduct proceeds; from a want of consciou.«ness that his strength depends upon his master's care and keeping; and a lack of considfration tiiat leanness and wretchedness must be the consequence of his leaving his master's service, and running off from his master's pasturage. How easy to apply all these points to the case of tiie Israelites! and how illustrative of their former and latter state! And how powerfully do they apply to the case of many called Christians, who having increased in riches, forget that God from whose hand alone those mercies flowed.
Verse 17. TItcy sacrificed unto devils] The original word a*ni2^ sitcdim lias been variously understood, ''fhe Syriac,
Chaldee, Targums of Jerusalem and Jonathan, and the Samaritan, retain the original word: the Vulgate, Septuagint, Arabic, Persic, Coptic, and Anglo-Saxon, have devils or daemons. The Septuagint has ziuaav Jai/xowoif, they sacrificed to damons: the from the root (j*^ shatanu, he was obstinate, proud, refractory, xitnt fur away. And it is likely, that these fallen spirit* having utterly lost the empire at which they aimed, got themselves worshipped under various forms and names in different places. The Anglo-Sa.xon has beoplum, devils.
New gods that came newly up] Mi'2 31p0 jMikarob baoo, " which came up from their neighbours." Viz. the Moab~ ites and Ammonites, whose gods tiiey received and worshipped on their way through the wilderness: and often afterwards.
Verse 18. Of the Rock that begat thee] lis Tsur, the first cause, the fountain of thy being. See the note on ver. 4.
Verse 19. When the Lord saw it, &c.] More literally. Ami the Lord saiu it, and through indignation, he reprobated his sons and his daughters. That is, ^V hen the Lord shall see such conduct, he shall be justly incensed, and so reject and deliver up to captivity his sons and <iaughters.
Verse 20. Children in whom is no faith.] CDS ps N*? /» amen bam — " There is no stedfastness in them": they can never be depended on. They are fickle, because they are faithless.
Verse 2 1. They have moved me to Jealousy] This verse contains a very pointed promise of the calling of the Gentiles, in consequence of the ri'jection of the.lews, threatened ver. 19. and to this great event it is applied by St. Paul, Rom. X. 19.
very deepest destruction; a total extiiniination, so that the earth, their land, and /« increase, and all their property should j be seized, and tUe foundations of their mountains, their strong- in/l'tctcd on the rchellious.
A.M.ijM. consume tlio earth vvitli Iicr increase, '
Aii.Kxoii.i-r. and set on hrc the Jowndations ot the
23 I will ' heap miscliicrs upon iheni; '' I wilii spend mine arrows upon them. j
24 'J'/icjj s/iall III- hiuiit with hunger, and devoured witii ' hurning heat, and with hitter destiiietion: I will also send "^ the teeth of hcasts upon them, with the j)()ison ol serpents of the dust, 1 1
25 'The sword without, and terror 'within, shall ^destroy hoth the young man and the vir gin, the suckling also, with the man of gray hairs
est fortresses should be razed lr> tlic frrdiuul. All Ilii.s was fulfilled in a most reinarkal)lc manner in llie last de.struclion of Jerusalem l)y the Uoniaiis; so that of the lortitications of that city not one st<»ne was leil on another. See the notes on Matt. xxiv.
Verse 23. / will spend mine arrows upon them.] The judg-, menu of God in general, are termed the anoivs of God, Job vi. 4. I'sal. xxxviii. 2, 3. xci. 5. see also Ezck. v. 16.1 Jer. 1. 14. 2 Sam. xxii. 14, 15. hi this and the following verses, to the 28th inclusive, God threatens this jieoplt widi every sjiecies of calamity that could |X)sail)ly fall upon man. How strange it is, that having this law continually in their hands, they should not discern those threatened judgments, and cleave to Hie Lord that they might be averted!
It was customary among the heathens to represent any judgment from their gods, under the notion of arroivs, especially a pestilence; and one of their p^catcst deities, Apollo, is ever represented as bearing a bow, and quiz-er full of deadly arrows: so Homer, II. i. v. 43. where he represents him, in answer to the prayer of his priest Chryses, coming to •mite the Greeks with the pestilence.
Thus Chrysrs pray'd: the favouring pow'r attend.s
And from Olympus' lofty tops descends.
Bent was his baxu, the Grecian hearts to wound;
Fierce as he niov'd, his silver sha/is resound; —
The fleet in view, he twang'd his deadly bow,
And hissing fly the feather d fines below.
On mules and dogs th' infection firet began;
And lost, the vengeful etrrouis fix'd in man.
How frequently the same figure is employed in the Sacred Writings oery careful reader knows; and quotations need itot be multiplied.
27 V\'ere it not that I fi-ared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries ' should hehave themselves.strangely, a?i(I lest they.lioulri ^ say, ' Our hand?.v high, and the Loi;i) hath not done all this.
28 For they are a nation void of counsel, "" neither is there any understanding in
29 " O that they were wise, that they under-
Verse 24. They shall be burnt with hummer] Their land shall be cursed, and famine shall prevail. This is one of the arrows.
Burnins, heal] No showers to cool the atmosphere— or rather, boils, blains, and peslihiitial fevers; this was a second
Bitter destruction] The plague; this was a third.
Teeth of beasts — with the poison of serpents] The beasts of the field should multiply upon, and destroy them; this was a fourth: and poisonouj serpents, infesting all their steps, and whose mortal bite should produce the utmost anguish, was to be affih arrow. Added to all the.«e, the sword of their enemies— terror among themselves, ver. 25. and ca/»«/r!{y were to complete their ruin, and thus the arrows of God were to be spent upon them. There is a beautiful saying in the Toozuki Teanour, which will serve to illustrate this point; while it exhibits one of the finest metaphors that occurs in any writer, the Sacred ^\'rlters excepted.
" It was once demanded of the fourth Khaleefeh (Aaly) on whom be the mercy of the Creator, ' If the canopy of heaven were a BOW; and if the earth were the cord thereof; and if calamities were ARROWS; if mankind were the mark for those arrows; and if Almighty GOD, the tremendous and the glorious, were the unerring ARCHER; to whom could the sons of Adam flee for protection!' The Khaleefeh answered, sayinur; ' The sons of Adam must flee unto the Lord."
Verse 27. Were it not that I feartd the wrath of the enemyl Houbigant and others contend, that wrath here, refers not to the enemy, but to God; and that the passage should be tlius translated, " Indignation for the adversary deters roe, lest their enemies should be alienated, and say. The strength of our hands, and not of the Lord's, hath done this." Had not God punished them in such a way as proved that hij> hand, and not the hand of man had done it; the heathens would have boasted of their prowess, and Jehovah would have been blasphemed, as not being able to protect his worshippers, or to punish their infidelities. Titus, when he took Jerusalem, was so strack with the strength of the place, that he acknowledged, that if God had not delivered it into his hands, the Roman armies never could have taken it.
stood this, ' that they •would consider their latter end!,'iO How shoidd ^ one chase a tliousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock 'had sokl tlicm, and the Lord had shut them up?
SI For "tlieir rock is not as our Rock, "^ even our enemies themselves /«:7»»' judges.
32 For ' their vine ^ is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrali: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters arc bitter:
33 Their wine is " the poison of dragons, and the cruel ' venom of asps.
34 Is not tiiis ''laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
35 ' To me bdongetk vengeance and recom-
Dn'inx ncharey'am, properly, their latter times; the glorious days of the Messiah, who, accordin;^' to the flesh, should spring up among them..Should they carefully consider this •subject, and receive the promised.Saviour, they would consequently act as per.sons under infinite obligations to God; his strength would be their shield, and then,
Verse 30. How siiould one chase a tlion':and'] If therefore, they had not forgotten their Rock, Goil their author and defence, it could not possibly have come to pass, that a thousand of them should flee before one of their enemies.
Is not as our Rock} Have neither power nor influence like our God.
Our enemies tliemulves being judges.'\ For they often acknowledged the irresistible power of that God who fought for Israel. See Exod..xiv. 1o. Num. xxiii. 8 — 12 — 19, 20, 21. 1 Sam. iv. 8.
There is a verse in Virgil, Eclog. iv. ver. 58. very similar to this saying of JVIoses.
Pan etifim, Arcadia meciim sijudicc certel, I'an etium, Arcadia dkat sejudice victum.
" Should even Pan contend with me" (in singing the praises of the future hero, the deliverer, prophesied of in the Sybyllinc books) " were even Arcadia judge. Pan would acknowledge himself to be vanquished; Arcadia herself being judge."
Verse 32. For their tine is qf the vine of Sodoni] The Je\vs »rc as wicked and rebellious as the Sodomites; for by the vine, the inhabitants of the land are signified: see Isai. v. 2, 7.
Their i^rapes] Their action.s, sxi- j^ull and lunrmxuood; producing notbuig but mischief and misery to themselves and others.
Their clusters are bitler"^ I'heir united exertions, as well as their iiuiividual acts, are sin, and only sin continually. That
pence; their foot shall slide in due time: fbr " the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
36 " For the Lord shall judge his people, ° and repent himself for hi, servants, when he seeth that tlieir ^ power is gone, and '' lltere is none shut up, or left.
37 And he shall say, "■ Wliere are their gods, tJicir rock in whom they trusted,
38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink-offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be ' your protection.
39 See now that ' I, even I, am he, and " there is no god with me: " I kill, and I make alive; I
by vine is meant the people; and by grapes their moral conduct, is evident from Isai. v. 1 — 1, It i.^ very likely that the grapes produced about the lake Asphaltiies, where Sodom and Gomorrah formerly stood, were not only of an acrid, disagreeable taste, but of a deleterious quality; and to this, it is probable, Mases here alludes.
Verse 33. Their ivine"] Their system of doctrines and teachmg, is the poison of dragons, &c. fatal and destructive to all them who follow it.
Verse 34. Sealed vp among my treasiiresf] Deeds or engagements by which persons were bound, at a specified time to fulfil certain conditions, were sealed and laid up in places of safety: so here God's justice is pledged to avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant, on the disobedient Jews; but the time and manner were sealed in his treasures, and known only to himself. Hence it is said.
Verse 35. Their foot shall slide in due time, &c.] But Calniet thinks that this verse is spoken against the Canaanites, the enemies of the Jewish people.
Verse 36. T7ie Lord shall judge his people] He has an absolute right over them as their creator; and authoiity to punish them for their rebellions, as their sovereign: yet he will repent himself, i. e. he will change his manner of conduct towards them, when he seeth that their poiver is gone, when they ure entirely subjugated by their adversaries, so that ihe'n political poiver is entirely destroyed: and there is)wne shut up or left, not one strong place unlaken, and not one family left, all being carried into captivity, or scattered into strange lands; or, he will do justice to his pco])le and avenge them of their, adversaries. — See ver. 35.
Verse 37. He shall sat/] He shall begin to expostulate with them, to awaken them to a due sense of lli«ir ingratitude and rebellion. This may refer to tlic preaching of the go.spel to them in, the latter days.
An.li.xo<i. iw. am/ lint ciiii doliviT rtiit of my IkiikI.
41 '' If I whet my ^litti'riiig sword, and mirm Iiaiid tako hold on jiid;j;m(Mit; ' I will render vengeanci" to minu enemies, and will reward tlicm that liule me.
•I'J I will make mine arrows " drunk with blood, and my sword shall (Kvonr flesh; and I'ldf with the blood of the slain and of the ca])- ti\cs, from the bcgiiniing of
4,'i ' Uejoice,'' O ye nations, rivV// his people: for he will 'avenge the blood of his servants, and ' will render vengeance to his adversaries, anil '' will be merciful unto his land, and to his j)eople.
44 % And Moses came and spake all the words of this song in the oars of the people, he, and ' Hoshea, the son of Nun.
Goil alone can save, and God alone can destroy; and that your idols can neither /mit nor help you., I kill, and I make, alive, &c.] My mercy is as great as my justice, tor 1 mn as ready to save the penitent, a.s I was to punish the rtbtliious.
Verse 40. I'or 1 lift up my hand to heaicn] See concerninj; oatii-* and appeals to God, in the note on chap. vi. 1 '.i.
\ erse 42. From the he^inniiig of rercnges] The word r\U'^D perdolh, rendered revenges, a sense in which it never a[)peai'sto be taken, has rendered this place very perplexed and obscure. Mr. Paikhunt has rendered the whole passage thus:
I will make my arrows drunk with blood: And my sword shall devour flesh; With the blood of the slain and captive From the hairy head of the enemy.
Probably nuna tl'N'^0 mirosh perdoth, may be more properly translate J, from the naked head, the enemy shall have nothing to shield hiin from my vengeance; the crown of dip;nity shall fall i>tY, and even the hehnet be no protection ayaiiist the sword and arrows of the Lord.
Verse 43. Rtjoiee, 0 ye nations] Ye Gentiles, for the casting ofl' of the Jews shall be the means of your ingathering, with his people; for they shall not lie utterly ca.sl- ofl". See Kom. xv. 9. for in this way, the apojtle applies it. But bow shall (lie Gentiles be called, and the.lews have their in iijuily purged? lie -^iil be merciful uuio his land, and to his people, 1£3« yecipher, he shall cause an atonement to be made tor his land and people j i.e. Jesus Christ, tl»e long
4.5 And Moses made an end of f,?';J,'^' speaking all these words to all Is- a: rati:
4H And he said unto them, "" Set your hearts imto all the words which I testify among you this day, whit h ye shall conunand your chddren to observe to do, all the words of this law.
47 I'or it is not a vain thing for you; "because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
'V.) Get thee up into this "^ mountain Abarim, wilo nioimt Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, wliich 1 give unto tlic children of Israel for a possession:
.50 And die in the mount wliither thou goc-t up, ami be gathered unto thy people; as
promised IMessiah, shall be crucified for Jews and Gentile.*, and the waj' to the holiest be made plain by his blood.
The people had long been nnaking atonements for themselves, but to none cflect; for their atonements were but signs, and not the thirig signified, for the Ixidy i« Christ; now the Lord himself makes an atonement, for the Ijimb or God alone, tnkcth auay the sin of the world. This is a very proper and encouraging conclusion to the awfully important matter of this poem.
Israel shall be long scattered, peeled, and punished, but they shall have merry in the latter times; they also shall rejoice with the Gentiles, in the common salvation purchased by tile blood of the Saviour of all mankirMl.
Verse 44..-ind I\foses came] Probably from the tabernacle, where God had given him this prophetic ode, and he rehearsed it in the ears of the people.
Verse 46. Set your liearts unto all the Kordi] Another proof that all these aw ful denunciations of divine wrath, tliouglr delivered in an absolute torm, were only decluralory of what God would do IF ihey rebelled against him.
Verse 47. Through this thing ye shall prolong your dai/t^ Instead of being cut otV, as God here threatens, ye shall be preserved and rendered prosperous in the land, wliieh, when they passed over Jordan, llvey should possess.
Verse 49. Get thee up into this mountain.^hnrim] The mount of the 7)rt«au-«; i.e. of the Israelites when ihev entered into the promised land. —.See the notes on Xura. xxvii. 12.
Verse 50. And die in the mount — as Aaron] Some have supposed, tltat Moses was translated; but if ^, tliea Aaron
* Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
51 Because "^ ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel, at the waters of " Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because
was translated, for what is said of the death of the one, is said of the death of the other.
Verse 51. Ye trespassed against me — at the waters of Meribali] See the note on Num. xx. 8.
Verse 52. Thou shah see the land before thee] See Num. xxvii. 12, &c. How glorious to depart out of this life with God in his heart and heaven in his eye! his work, his great unparallelled usefulness ending only with his life. The serious Reader will surely join in the following pious ejaculation of the late Rev. Charlts Wesley, one of the best Christian poets of the last century.
" O that without a lingering groan I may the welcome word receive. My body with my charge lay down. And cease at once to work and lire.'"
It would require a dissertation expressly formed for the purpose, to point out the general merit and extraordinary beauties of this very sublime Ode. To enter into sucii particulars, can scarcely comport with tlie nature of the present work. Drs. Lowth, Kennicott, and Durell, have done much in this way; and to their respective works the critical Reader is referred. A very considerable extract of what tliey have written on this chapter, may be found in Dr. Dodd's Notes. In writing this ode, the design of Moses was evidently,
1. To set forth the Majesty of God: to give that generation, and all successive ones, a proper view of the glorious perfections of the object of their worship. He therefore shews, that from his holiness and purity, he must be displeased with sin: from his justice and righteousness he must punish it: and from the goodness and infinite benevolence of his nature, he is ever disposed lo help the weakness, instruct the ignorance, and siiew inercy to the wretched, sinful sous and daughters of men.
2. To shew the duty and interest of liis people. To have «uch a being for their friend, is to have all possible happiness, both spiritual and temporal, secured: to have him for their enemy, is to be exposed to inevitable destruction and ruin.
3. To warn tliem against irreligion and apostacy — to shew the possil)iiity of departing from God, and the miseries that would overwhelm them and their posterity, should
Jordan into the good land.
ye " sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
52 'Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of
they be found walking in opposition to tlie laws of their Creator.
4. To give a proper and impressive view of the provitience of God, by referring to the history of his gracious dealings with them and tiieir ancestors; the minute attention he paid to all their wants; the wonderful manner in which he led, fed, clothed, protected and saved them in all their travels and in all perils.
5. To leave on record an everlasting testimony against them, should thej' ever cast off his fear, and pollute his worship; which should serve at once as a warning to the world, and a vindication of his justice, when tiie judgments he had threatened were found to be poured out upon them; for he who loved them so long, and so intensely, could not become their enemy, but in consequence of the greatest, and most unprincipled provocations.
6. To shew the shocking and unprecedented ingratitude, which induced a people so highly tavoured, and so wondrously protected and loved, to sin against their God; and how reasonable and just it was, for the vindication of his holiness, that God should pour out upon them such judgments as he had never inflicted on any otlier people, and so mark their disobedience and ingratitude with f esh marks of his displeasure, that the punishment should bear some proportion to the guilt; and that their preservation, as a dislinct people, might afford a feeling proof both of the providence and justice of God.
7. To siiew the glory of the latter days, m the re-election of the long reprobated Jewish nation, and the final diffusion of his grace and goodness over the earth, by means of the gospel of Christ.
8. And all this is done with such strength and elegance of diction; with such appropriate, energetic, and impressive figures and metaphors; and in such a powerful torrent of that soul penetrating, pure poetic spirit, that comes glowing from the bosom of God, that the Reader is alternately elated or depressed, filled with compunction or confidence, with despair or hope, according to the quick transitions of the inimitable writer to the different topics which form the subject of this incomparable, and wondiously varied Ode. May that spirit, by which it was dictated, give it its fullest, most durable and most effectual impression, upon the mind of every Reader I
Moses delkers a prophetical blessing to the children of Israel, 1. The introduction, 1 — 5. -...,
Moses blesses CHAP. XXXIII. the twelve tribes.
Na|)lit.ili, '2.'!. comcriiiii;^ y\slicr, 'J4, 2.'). The ghnj of ihc God of Jcsluiriiii, and the i>lorious privileges of hit truefiillotcen, 2f>— 'J<i.
..o.-AW,u.. i^icssed the diihhen of Israel belore: them..""Sll'^-^
2 And he said, *" The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up i'rom Seir unto them; l)e shined Ibrth iiom mount Paran, and he came with
NOTES ON CllAl'..XXXlll. Verse 1. And tins is the ble.isinsr, whcreiLiili IHoses — blessed, &c.] The ji;eneral nature of tliis solemn introduction, says Dr. Kcnnicott, is to shew the foundation which Moses had for blessincf his brethren, viz. because God had I'rcqutntly manitested his (ilory in their behalf: and the several parts of this introduction are disposed in the followinjj order:
1. The manifestation of llie Divine glory on Sinai, as it was prior in time, and more magnificent in splendor, is mentioned first
2. That God manifested his glory at Seir, is evident from Judg. V. 4. Lord, ■when thou wenlest out of Seir, when thou murchcdst out of the fields of Edam, the eiirih trembled and the heaven.i dropped, &c.
The next place is Paran, where the:;lory of the Lord appeared before all the children of Israel, Numb. xiv. 10.
Instead of he came with ten thousand saints, by which our translators have rendered unp n33lO Meribboth Kadesh, Dr. Kcnnicott reads Meriba- Kadesh, the name of a place: for wc find that towards the end of forty years, tlie Israelites came to Kadesh, Num. x. 1. which was also called?Ieribah, on account of their contentious opposition to the determinations of God, in their favour, ver. 13. and there the gloiy of ihc Lord again appeared, as we are informed ver. 6. These /our places, Simii, Seir, Paran, and Meribah- Kadesh, mentioned by Mo'ies in the text, are the identical places where God manifested his glory in a firey appearance, the more illustriously to proclaim his special providence over, and care of Israel.
Verse.3. Yea, he loved the people] This is the inference which Moses makes from those glorious appearances, that God truly loved the people — and that all his saints, Vltnp kedoshaiv, the people whom he had consecrated to himself, were under his especial benediction. And that in order to make them a holy nation, God bad displayed his glory on mount Sinai, where they had tallen prostrate at his feet with the hunil>lest adoration, >incerety prrimising the most affectionate obedience. And that God had tliere commandeil them a taw whicii was to be the possession and inheritance of the children of Jacob, ver. 4. And to crowii the whole, he had not only blessed them as their lawgiver, but had alio vouch-
:i Yea, ' lie loved the peojile; '^ all his saints are in thy hand: and they '' sat down at thy feet; cveri/ one shall ' receive of thy words.
safed to be their kin", ver. 3.
Dr. Kcnnicott proposes to traaslate the whole 6ve vcrset thus:
Ver. 1. And this is the blessing wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the chddren of Israel before his death. And he said —
2. Jehovah came from SiNAI,
And he arose u[M)n them from Sf.IR;
He shone forth from mount Para.v,
And became from Meriuaii-Kadesh:
From his right hand a fire shone forth upon them.
3. Truly, he loved the people. And he blessed all his saints: For they fell down at his feet. And they received of his words.
4. He commanded us a law.
The inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
5. And he became king in Jeshurun;
When the heads of the people were assembled, Tosrether with the tribes of Israel.
We have already seen that Dr. Kcnnicott reads i:np."i'TD Meribah Kadesh, tiie name of a place, instead of unp r33»^0 Meribeboth Kadesh, which, by a most unnatural and forced construction, our version renders ten thousands of saints, a translation, which no circumstance ot the history justifies.
Instead of a _/irt;y /nuj ni 'Hii esh dath, he reads, following tiie Samaritan version, T>e "i'N esh aur, afire shining out upon them. In vindication of tins change in the original, it may be observed, 1. That though m daih, signifies a law; yet it is a Chaldee term, and appears no where in any part of the sacred writings, previous to the Babylonish captivity: mm torah, being the term constantly used to express the Law, at all times prior to the corruption of the Hebrew by the Chaldee. 2. That the word itself is obscure in it.s present situation, as the Hebrew Bibles write it and esh in one word, HTTM esitdath, which has no meaning; and which, in order to give it one, the Masorah directs should be read separate, though written comiected. 3. Thai the word is not acknowledged by the two most ancient versions, the Septuagint and ^riac. 4. That in the parallel place, Habak. in. 3, 4.
inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And he was ^king in '' Jcshurun, when tlic heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
6 ^ Let lleuben Hve, and not die; and let not his men be few.
a word is used which expresses the rays of light, CD'Jip keniim, horns, tliat is, splendors, rays, or effulgence of hglit. 5. That on all these accounts, together with the almost impossibility of giving a rational meaning to the text as it now stands, the translation contended for should be adopted. Verse 3. Instead of All his saints are in liis hand, Dr. Kennicott reads. He blessed all his saints — changing "ITS beyudca into Tl3 harac, he blessed, which word, all who ainderstand the Hebrew letters, will see, might be easily mistaken for the other; the l daleth and the T resh, being not only in MSS. but also in printed books, often so much alike, that analogy alone can determine which is the true letter; and except in the insertion of the > yod, which might have been easily mistaken for the apex at the top of the 3 heih, very frequent in MSS. both words have the nearest resembliuice. To this may be added, that the Syriac version
Instead of "pTv) leragcleca, and 'T'"'^^'^'^ midaleroteyca, THY feet, and THY words. Dr. Kennicott reads the pronouns, in the third person sing, vbyh leregelalv and TDPano mideburutaiv, HIS /ce/ — UK words, in which he is supported both by the Septuagiul and Vulgate. He also chanaes KIT' yissa, he shall receive, into 1SU" yisseu, THEY shall receive.
He contends also that rWO Mosheli, INIoses, in the fourth verse, was written by mistake for the following word, niZ^ilQ murashah, inheritance; and when the scribe found he had inserted a wrong word, he added the proper one, and did not erase the first. The word 3Ioses, he thinks, should therefore be left out of the text, as it is improbable that he should here introduce his own name; and that if the word lie allowed to be legitimate, then the word, king, must apply to him, and not to GuD, which would be most absurd. —.See Kennicott's first Dissertation, p. 422, &:c.
Verse 6. Let Reuben live, and not die] Though his life and iliis blessings have been forfeited by his transgression, with his fallitr's concubine, see Gen. xlix 3 and f. and in his rebellion witii Korali, Num. xvi. 1, &c let liiui not become extinct as a tribe ni Israel. " It is very usual," says Mr. Ainsvvorth, " in the Scripture, to set down things of importance and earnestness, by affirmation of the one part, and denial of the other, Isai. xxxviii. 1. Thou shall die and not lite. Num. iv. 14. That they may live, and not die. Psal. cxviii. ll. / shall not die, but live. Gen. xliii. 8. That we may live and not die..Jer. XX. 14. Curseii be the day — let not that day be.blessed. 1 John ii. 4 He-is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. lb. ver. n. is truth, and no lye. Jotm i. 2(J. He confes.ied, and Jaded not. 1 Sam. i. II. Remember me, and not forget thy unto his people: " let his hands be siiflicient for him; and be thou '^ a help to him from his enemies. S ^ And of Levi he said, 'Let tliy Thum- haridmaid. Deut. ix. 7. Remember, forget not. Deut. xxxii. 1. O foolish people, and unwi.ie.—ln all these places it is evident that there is a peculiar emphasis in this form of expression, as if he had said, Let him not only, 7iot die, but let him live in great and encreasing peace and prosperity. — Do not, only not, forget me, but keep me continually in remembrance. He denied not, but confessed FULLY and PARTICU- LARLY. 0 foolish people, silly and stupid — and unwise, destitute of all true wisdom.
And let not Ids men be few.] It is possible that this clause belongs to Simeon. In the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint, the clause stands thus: nai "ZoiJLiijiv ira!roAy{ tv a^i9/xo], and let SlMF.ON be very numerous, but none of the other versions insert the word. As the negative particle is not in the Hebrew, but is supplied in our translation, and the word Sitneon is found in one of the most ancient, and most authentic copies of the Sepluagiyit version; and as Simeon is no where else mentioned here, if not implied in this pbce, probably the clause anciently stood, Ixt Reuben live, and not die; but let the men of Simeon htfevj. Tlial this tribe was small, when compared with the rest, and with what it once was, is evident enough from the first census, taken after they came out of Egypt, and that in the plains of Moab, nearly forty years after. In the first, Simeon was 59,300; in the last, 22,200, a decrease of 17,100 men!
Verse 7. And this is the blessing of Judah] Though the word bles.dng is not in the text, yet it may be implied liom ver. 1. but probably the words, he spake, are those wliicli should be supplied; And this he sp^Ve of Judah, Lord, hear the voice of Judah, that is, says the Targum, receive his prayer when he goes out to battle, and let him be brought back in safety to his own people; let his hund.i be sufficient for hi.n, let him have a sufficiency of warriors always to support the tribe, and vindicate its righls: and let his enemies never be able to prevail against him! Three things are expressid here: 1. Tliat the tribe of Judah, conscious of its weakness, shall depend on the Most High, and make prayer and supplication to him. 2. That God will hear such prayer; and 3. that hi^ hands shall be increased, and that he shall jirevail over his enemies. This blessing has a ^t^iking afiiiiily with tliut which this inbe received from Jacob, (Jeii. xlix. y. and both may refer to our blessed Lord who sprang from this tribe, as is noticed on the above passage, who has coiKjuercd our deadly foes by his death, and whose praying posterity ever prevail through his might.
Verse 8, Of Levi he said] Concerning the fV/wi and Thunimim, see Exoil. xxviii. 30.
Thy holy one] Aaron primarily, who was anointed the high- nt the waters oC Morihah;
9 Who saitl unto his liither and to his niotlier, I liave not '' seen liim; " neillicr did he acknowledge his brellireii, nor knew liis own ehildren: for •* tlicy liavc observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.
10 ' Tliey ' shall teach Jacob thy judgments, j)ri( st of Goil; ami whose oflTice was the most holy that man coiiKI he invested witii. TliercCore Aaron was calletl Goil's /lo/y one, and the more csjiccialiy so, as he was the type of t!ie MOST HOLY and blessed Jesus, from whom the Urim, all linht and wisdom, and Thuminim, all excellence, completion, and perfection are derived.
If'/ioin thou didst proic, &c.] God contended with Aaron as well as with Moses, at the waters uf Merihah; and excluded him from the promised land, because he did not sanctify the Lord before the people.
From the words of.St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 8 — 12. it is evident, that ihrse worJ.s at least in a secondary sense, belon;T to Christ. He is tlic Hoi'/ One, who was tempted by them at Massah, who sulTcrcd their manners in the wilderness, who slew 23,000 of the most ineorrigibtc trans^;Tessoi-s; and who broujfht them into the promised land by his deputy.loshua, \vhosc name and that of Jesus have the same siornification.
Verse 9. fHio said unto liis father, &c.] There are several difficulties in this and the following verses. Some think they are spukrn of die tribe of I evi — others of all the tribes — olliers of the!\les>iali, &c. but several of the interpretations I'oundcd on these suppositions, are too recondite, and should not be resorted to, till a plain literal sense is made out. I suppose the whole to be primarily spoken of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. Let us examine the words in this way — Who said unto his father — the Law had strictly cnjoiiud, that if the father, mother, brother, or child of the IIii;h-pricsl should die, he must not mourn for them, but ait as if they were not his kindred: see LeviL xxi. II, 12. Neither must Aaron ino'irn for his sons Elcazar and hhamar, &c. thou<;h not only their death, but die c/rcuHisWna-.f of it, were the most afflicting: that Could possibly allect a parent's hcarL Desidis, the Hif^hpriest w as forbidden, on j)aiii of death, to go out from tlic door of the t;>.bernaelo, l,eviL x. 2 — 7. for God would liave them more to ngant their function (as good Mr. Ainsworth observes) and duty in his service, than any natural ailection ■whatsoever. j\nd herein Christ was figured, who when he was told that his mother and brethren stood without, and wished to speak with him, said: \\Mio is niy motlier, and who are my brethren? — whosoever shall do die will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister.
and Israel thy law. ^thcy" shall jmt incense ' beliiie thee, ''and mIioIc burnt sacrilice uj)on thine altar. ' 1 1 Bless, Lord, his substance, and ' acccjjt the work of his hands! smile throtigh the loins of tiiem tiiat rise against him, and of tliriu fli.xl hate him, that they rise not again.
12 ^ And o[' l^cnjamin he said. The lieiovcil of the J.(JKiJ shali dwell in safety by him-, and the LORD shall cover him all the day
and mother. Malt. xii. 46 — 50. It is likely also, that Moses may rel«;r here to the fact of the Lcvites, according to the command of.Mo.sis, killing every man his brother, friend, neighbour, and even son, who had sinned in worshipping the fiolden ca(f, Kxod. xxxii. 26. and in this way, llie Chaldee paraphrast understands the words.
Verse 10. They shall teach Jacob, &c.] This was the office of the Laiies, to teach (by their significant s<.n-icc and typical ceremonies) the way of righteousne.'-s and tnith to the children of Israel. And of their faithfulness in this respect, God bears testimony by the jirophet. My covenant uaj u:itlt him of life and peace, Mai. ii. 5. And, The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in hit lips: lie walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity: ver. 6. These words are a sufficient comment on the words of the Text.
Verse 1 1. Bless, Lord, his substance] The blessing of God to the tribe of Levi was peculiarly necessary, because they had no inheritance among the children of Israel, and lived more immediately than others, upon the providence of GOD. Yet, as they lived by the olterings of the jieople and the tithes, the increase of their substance necessarily implied the increase of the people at large: the more fruitful the land was, the more abundant would the titlies of the Levites be; and thus in the increased fertility of the land, the substance of Levi would be blessed.
Verse 12. Of Benjamin — the beloved of the Lord] Alluding to his being particularly beloved of his father Jacob, Gen. xlix. 21, &c.
Shall dwell in safety by him] That is, by the Lord, whose temple, which is considered as his dwelling place, was in the tribe of Benjamin — for a part of Jerusalem belonged to this tribe.
Shall cover him all the day] Be his continual protector; and he shall dwell Ifluxcn his shoulders — within his coasts, or in his chief city, viz.. Jerusalem, where the temple of God was built — 01 hij mountains, Zion and Moriah, here poetically termed his shoulders.
Some object to our translation of the Hebrew TT yedid, by the term beloved, and think the original should be divided as it is in the Samaritan, T T yad yad, the hand, even the hand
The bkssings DEUTERONOMY.
and he shall dwell between
his shoulders. 13^ And of Joseph he said, ' Blessed of the Loud be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for "^ the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneatli;
^ him that dwelt in the bush: let the blessing " come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren. 17 His glory is like the ' firstling of his bul-
14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by j lock, and his horns are like " the horns of ' unithe sun, and for the precious things " put forth corns: with them "" he shall pusli the people to-
gether to tlie ends of tlie earth: and " they are
15 And for the chief things of ^ the ancient i the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they a^-e the mountains, and for the precious things ' of the thousands of INiunasseh.
16 And for the precious things of the earth bulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy and fulness thereof; and^r the good will of tents.
of the Lord shall dwell for safety, or protection, vSj? dlaiv, upon him. This makes a good sense, and the reader may choose.
Verse 13. Blessed — be his land] The whole of ihis passage certainly relates to the peculiar fertility of the soil in the portion that fell to this tribe, which the Jews say, yielded a greater abundance of all good things, than any other part of the promised land.
The precious things of heaz.en'] The peculiar mildness and salubrity of its atmosphere.
For the dew] A plentiful supply of which, was a great blessing in the dry soil of a hot climate.
The deep that coucheth beneath] Probably referring to the plentiful supply of water, which should be found in digging wells: hence the Septuagint has a^uva-cov wijyojv, fountains of the deeps. Some suppose there has been a slight change made in ijie word "JWO mital, for the dew, which was probably at first Syo meal, FROM ABOVE, and then the passage would read thus: for the precious things of heaven FROM ABOVE, and for the deep that coucheth BENEATH. This reading is confirmed by several of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. The Syriac and Chaldee have both readings — the dew of heaven from above.
Verse 14. Vie precious fruits brought forth by the sun] All excellent and important productions of the earth, which come to perfection once in the year. So, the precious things put forth by the moon, may imply those vegetables which require but about a month to bring them to perfection; or vegetables, of which several crops may be had in the course of a year.
Verse 15- The chief things of the ancient mountains] U'^O01 mp mn Uvwosh harerey kcdem, and from the head, or top of the ancient or eastern mountains; the precious things or produc- I tions being still understood. And this probably refers to the large trees, &c. growing on the mountain tops; and the springs of water issuing from them. The mountains of Gilead may be here intended, as they fell to the half tribe of Manasseh. And the precious things of the lasting hills, may signify the mfitals and minerals which might be digged out of them. Verse 16, The good '") ill of him that dwelt in the bush] The favour of him who appeared in the burning bush, on mount Sinai — who there, in his good will, mere love and compassion, took Israel to be his people; and who has presented and will preserve in tribulation and distress, all those who trust in him; so that they shall as surely escape unhurt, as the bu$b> though envelloped with fire, was unburnt.
The top of the head, &c.] The same words are used by Ja.- cob in blessing this tribe, Gen. xlix. 26. The meaning appears to be, that God should distinguish this tribe in a particular way, as Joseph himself was separated, TtJ nazir, a Nazarite, a consecrated prince to God, from among, and in preference to all his brethren. See the notes on Gen. xlix. 25, &c.
Verse IT. His glory h like the firstling of his hullock] This similitude is very obscure. A bullock was the most excellent of animals among the Jew.s, not only because of its acceptubleness in sacrifice to God; but because of its great usefulness in ao-riculture. There is something peculiarly noble and dignified in the appearance of the ox; and his greatest ornament are his fine horns — these the inspired penman has particularly in view, as the following clause proves; and it is well known, that in Scriiitural language, horns are the emblem of strength, glory, and sovereignly; Psal. Ixxv. 5, 1 1. kxxix. 18, 25. cxii. 9. Dan. viii. 3, &c. Luke i. 69. Rev. xvii. 3, &c.
His horns are like the horns of unicorns] 3N1 Rcem, which we translate unicorn, from the /Jtovonepoi, monokcros, of the Septuagint, signifies, according to Bochart, the mountain goat; and according to others, \.\m^ rhinoceros, a very large quadruped, who has one great horn on his nose, from which circumstance, his name is derived. See the note on Numb, xxiii. 22. xxiv. 8. Recm is in the singular number, and because the horns of a unicorn, a one horned auinuil, would have appeared absurd, our translators, with an unfaithfulness not common to them, put the word in the plural number.
To the ends of the earth] Of the land of Canaan, for Joshua with his armies conquered all this land, and drove the ancient inhabitants out before him.
They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, &c.] That is, the horns signify the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thou-
A.M. am ij) They sliall * call the people un-
Ai..F,xo>i.'i»"r. to the mountain; there '' they shall they shall suck of tlie abundance of the seas, anil o/' treasures hid in the sand.
20 ^ And of Gad he said, IJIesscHl he he that ''enhuj^elh Cnul: he dwelleth as a lion, and tearelii the arm with the crown of tiie hcail.
21 And "he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver,
sand* of Manasseli..Jacob prophesied. Gen. xlvlii. \9. thai tlie i/ou»:jcT.shoulil he grcalcr lliari ihe elder: so liere TKNS of thuusands arc given to Kphraim; and only lliouiunds lo Ma- Tiassel). See llio census, Numb. i. 3.'5 — 35.
Verse 1 8. Rejoice, Zelmlon, in thy going out] That is, Tliou shak be very prosperous in thy cuastiiij^ voyages— for this tribe's situation was favourable for traffic, iiaving many scaports. Sec Gen. xli,\. 13.
ylnd, Issachar, in thy tents.'] That is, as Zebtiloii should bo prosperous in his shipping and truffic, so should Is.sachar be in liis tents, his agricultine and pasturage.
Verse 19. They shall cull the people unto the monntuin] Ky their traflic with the Gentiles, for so I think O'Oy dmniim should be understood here, tlicy shall be the instruments in God's hands of convertin<T many to the true tiiitli; so that instead of sacrificing lo idols, they should ofler sacrijices of rightfoiisjies.t.
T/iey shall suck of the abundance of the seas'] That is, grow wealthy by merchandise.
And of treasures hid in the sand.] Jonathan ben Uzziel has probably hit on the true meaning of this difficult i)assage. " From the sand," says he, " are produced tooHng-gla.'ises and <,'/<;.« in fjcneral; the treasures, the method of finding and working;- this, was revealed to these tribes." Several ancient writers inform lis, that there were havens in the coasts of the Zabulonites, in which the ritreous sand, or sand proper for making glass, was found. See Strabo lib. vvi. see also Pliny Hist. Nat. I. xxxvi. c. 2G. Tacit. Ili.st. I. v. c. 1. 'flie words of Tacitus are remarkable: Et Belus umnis Judaico mart iUabitur, circa ejus os Icctm aren(t admixto nitro, in litrum excoijuuntur. " The river Belus falls into the Jewish sea, about whose month those sands mixed with nitre, are collected; out of which gla.'s is formed;" or which is molted into glass. Some think that the celebrated shell-fish, called murex, wM of which the precious purple dye was extracted, is here intended by the treasure hid in the sand: this also,.Tonathan introdures in this verse. And others think, that it is a general term for the advantages derived from navigation and commerce.
Verse 20. Blessed be he that enUirgeih Gad] As deliverance out of distress is termed enlarging, see Psal. iv. 1. this naay refer to God's deliverance of the tribe of Gad out of that distress mentioned Gen. xhx. 19. and to the enlarcre- wss li£ '.seated; nnd ' he came with f, "•""■ the heads of tin- |)i'oplf, he executed An.y.„^.iw. the justice of the Louu, and his judg- *"-^'''': ments with Israel.
22 % And of Dan ho said, Dan i.$ a lion's wlielp: '• he shall leap lioiii Haslian.
23 ^ And of Naphtali he said, () Xajifitali, '' satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Loud! 'possess thou the west and the south.
ment obtained through meant of.lephtha, Judges xi. 33. and probably also, to die victories obtained by Gad and Reuben over the Hagarencs, 1 Chron. v. IH. — '20.
lie dwelleth as a lion] Probablv ihf. epithet o{ lion, or lionlike, wi.'. applied to this tribe from their fierce and warlike disposition. And on this supposition, I Chron. xii. 8. wit! appear to be a sufTicient comment. And of the Gadiies there litre — men of uiiqhl, men of uar for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces uere LIKE THE FACES OF LIONS, ajtd uere as sivift as the rocs upon the mountains. — Tearing the arm, or shoulder, n-ith the cronn of the head, seems simply to mean, that no force should be able to prevail over them, or stand againsit them — as the arm, or shoulder, signifies dominion, and the croii-n of the head, sovereign princes. V^erse21. He provided the first part] That is, he chose for himself a very excellent portion, viz. tht land of Sihon and Og, in which this tribe had requested to be settled, by the lawgiver, viz. Moses, from whom they requested this portion: Numb, xxxii. 1 — 5.
He came ■d.-ith the heads of the people] Notwithstanding this jwrtion fell unto ihetn on the east side of Jordan, yet they proceeded with the heads of the people, the chiefs of the other tribes.
To execute the justice of the Lord] To extirpate the old inhabitants of the country, according to the decree and purpose of the Lord. See on Numb, xxxii.
Verse 22. Dan is a lion's ichclp: he shall leap from Basilar..] The.lewish interpreters observe, that Bashan was a. place much frequented by lions, who issued thence into all parts to look for prey. By this, probably, Rloses intended to point out the strength and prowess of this tribe; that it should extend its territories, and live a sort of predato.-y life. — It appears from Josh. xix. 47. that the portion originally assigned to this tribe, was not sutlicicnt for llicm; hence we find them going out in war against I^eshem and taking it, adding it to their territories, and calling it by the name of the tribe,.facob, in his prophetic blessing of this tribe, representi it under the notion of a serpent in the path. Gen. xlix. 17. The character there, and that given here, constitute the complete warrior, stratagem and courage. See the note on Gen. xlix. 17.
Verse 23. O Saphtali, satisfied uith favour] Though thts may refer to the very great fcrtilitv of the country that till ta 5.-VI 2
TJie blessings of AsJier. DEUTERONOlVrY.
24 % And of Aslier he said, " Let Ashei" be blessed with children ', let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him " dip his foot in oil. 25 ' Thy shoes shall be " iron and brass j and
}. 6. ' Or, Under thy shoes shall be
The God of Jeshurun^ so shall thy strength
26 % There is "none like unto the
God of '^ Jeshurun, ^ xcho rideth upon the heaven in thy help; and in his excellency on the sky.
this tribe, yet certainly something more is intended. Scarcely any of the tribes was more particularly favoured by the wondrous mercy and kindness of God, than this and the tribe of Zebulun. The light of the glorious gospel of Christ shone brightly here, Man. iv. 1.3, 15, 16. Christ's chief residence was at Capernaum in this tribe. Matt, ix, 1. Mark ii. 1. and this cily, tlirough Christ's constant residence, and the mighty miracles he wrought in it, is represented as being exalted unio heaven, Matt. xi. 23. And it is generally allowed that the apostles were principally of the tribe of Naphtali, who were to possess the west and the south, to dispense the gospel througii all the other tribes. The word 0^ yam, which we liere translate ttes/, literally signifies the sea; and probably refers to tlie sea of Genesareth, whicli was in this tribe.
Verse 24. Let Asher be blessed with children^ Let him have a numerous posterity, continually encreasing.
I^et htm he acceptable to his brethren'] May he be in perfect union and harmony with the other tribes!
Let him dip his foot in oil.] Let him have a fertile soil, and an aijundanLC of all tlie conveniences and comforts of life.
Verse 25. Tlii^ shoes A\z\\\>e. iron and brassi] Some suppose this may refer to the iron and copper mines in their territory; but it is more likely that it relates to thtir warlike disposition, as we know that greaves, boots, shoes, &c. of iron, brass, and tin, were used by ancient warriors. Goliah had gieave> of bra^s on his legs, 1 Sam. xvii. 6. and the brazen booted Greeks, Xa>jiOKvri/Ath; Axixioi, is one of the epithets given by Homer to his heroes; see Iliad. H. ver. 41.
And as thy days, so shall thy strength be.] If we take this clause as it appears here, we have at once an easy sense; and the saying, I have no doubt, has comforted the souls of multitudes. The meaning is obvious; " Whatever thy trials or difficulties may be, 1 shall always give thee grace to support thee under, and bring thee through them." The original is only two words, the latter of which has been translated in a great variety of ways, "^xai "I'D'SI ukeyameyca dabeca. Of the first term there can be no doubt, it literally means and as thy days: the second word, N3T dcba, occurs no where else in the Hebri w Bible: the Scp/uagint have rendered it by tc-x^Ji strength, and most of the veisions have followed them, but others have rendered it affliction, old age, fame, weakness, &c. &o. It would be almost endless to follow interpreters through their conjectures concerning its meaning. It isallowed among learned men, that where a word occurs not as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, its root may be legitimately sought in the Arabic. He who controvci Is this position, known little of the ground on which he stands. In iliis language the root is found: ^-^ (/«/;« signifies he rested, xeas quiet. This gives a very good sense, and a very ajun'opriate one; for as the borders of this tribe lay on the vicinity of the Plicenicians, it was naturally to be expected that they should be constantly exposed to irruptions, pillage, &c. but God, to give them confidence in his protection, says, "according to thy days, all circumstances and vicissitudes, so shall thy rest be;" while faithful to thy God. no evil shall touch thee; thy days shall eucrease, and thy quiet be lengthened out. This is an unfailing promise of God, I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staj'cd upon me, because he trusteth in me; therefore trust in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, Isai. xxvi. 4. Some derive It from tsi^ dubi, he abounded in riches; the interpretatior* then would be. As thy days increase, so shall thy riches. This makes a very good sense also. See Roscnmuller.
Moses having now finished what God gave him to predict concerning the twelve tribes, and what he was led in the fulness of his heart to pray for in their heluilf, addresses all ibe Iribes collectively uniler the names Jts//«)Wrt and /iJYic/; and in an ode of astonisliing energy and elegance, describes this wondrous people, and their still more wonderful privileges. The Reader will observe, that though tlie latter part of this chapter appears in the I'crm of prose in our Bibles, yet it is written in he/instichs, or short metrical lines in the original, which is the form in which all the Hebrew poetry is written: and as in other cases, so in this, it would conlribule much to the easy understanding of tlie author's meaiiinfi-. were the tran.>lation produced in lines corresponding to those of the original.