Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Israelites are not to adopt superstitious customs in mourning, 1, 2. The different kinds of clean and unclean animals, 3-20. Nothing to be eaten that dieth of itself, 21. Concerning offerings which, from distance cannot be carried to the altar of God, and lohich may be turned into money, 22-26. The Levite is not to be forsaken, 27. The third year'^s tithe for the Levite, stranger, ividow, c^-c, 28, 29.

TT'E are "■ the children of the Lord your God: ^ ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

2 "^ For thou a7't a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be

A''erse 1. Ye are the children of the Lord] The very highest character that can be conferred on any created beings; ye shall not cut yourselves, i. e., their hair, for it was a custom among idolatrous nations to consecrate their hair to their deities, though they sometimes also made incisions in their flesh.

Verse 4. These are the beasts lohich ye shall eat] On Lev. xi. I have entered into considerable detail

3 ^ Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

4 " These are the beasts which ye shall eat • the ox, the sheep, and the goat.

relative to the clean and unclean animals there mentioned. For the general subject, the reader is referred to the notes on that chapter; but as there are particulars mentioned here which Moses does not introduce in Leviticus, it will be necessary to consider them in this place.

The ox] 'yw shor: bos, fifth order Pecora, of the genus MAMMALIA, specics 4 1. This term includes all clean animals of the beeve kind; not only the ox.

6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

7 Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

The sheep] TW seh: ovis, fifth order Pecora, of the genus mammalia, species 40; including the ram, the wether, the ewe, and the lamb.

The goat] Ij; az: capra, fifth order Pecora, of the genus MAMMALIA, species 39; including the he-goat, she-goat, and kid. The words in the text, U'2'^D rny seh chesabim, signify the lamb or young of sheep; and D'?;^ nty seh izzim, the young or kid of goats: but this is a Hebrew idiom which signifies every creature of the genus, as!2^1JN p ben enosh and DTN 13 ben adam, son of man, signify any human being. See Psa. cxliv. 3; Job xxv. 6.

The flesh of these animals is universally allowed to be the most wholesome and nutritive. They live on the very best vegetables; and having several stomachs, their food is well concocted, and the chyle formed from it the most pure because the best elaborated, as it is well refined before it enters into the blood. On ruminating or chewing the cud, see the note on Lev. xi. 3.

The roebuck] 'Ji* tsebi, generally supposed to be the antelope, belonging to the fifth order Pecora, genus MAMMALIA, and species 38. It has round twisted spiral horns, hairy tufts on the knees, browses on tender shoots, lives in hilly countries, is fond of climbing rocks, and is remarkable for its beautiful black eyes. The flesh is good and well flavoured.

The fallow deer] "non' yachmur, from lon chamar, to be troubled, disturbed, disordered: this is supposed to mean, not the fallow deer, but the bubalus or buffalo, which is represented by Dr. Shaw, and other travellers and naturalists, as a sullen, malevolent, and spiteful animal, capricious, ferocious, and every way brutal. According to the Linnaean classification, the buffalo belongs to the fiifth order Pecora, genus mammalia, species bos. According to 1 Kings iv. 23, this was one of the animals which was daily served up at the table of Solomon. Though the flesh of the buffalo is not considered very delicious, yet in the countries where it abounds it is eaten as frequently by all classes of persons as the ox is in England. The yachmur is not mentioned in the parallel place, Lev. xi.

8 And the swine, because it a.m. 2553. divideth the hoof, yet cheweth An. Ex. isr. 40 not the cud, it is unclean unto ^^^^'^'

you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, ^Mior touch their dead carcass.

9 ' These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat:

1 0 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

12 '^ But these are they of which ye. shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray.

The luild goat] IpX akko. It is not easy to tell what creature is intended by the akko. Dr. Shaw supposed it to be a kind of very timorous goat, known in the East by the mxae fishtail and serwee, and bearing a resemblance both to the goat and the stag, whence the propriety of the name given it by the Septuagint and Vulgate, tragelaphus, the goat-stag; probably the rupicapra or rock- goat. The word is found nowhere else in the Hebrew Bible.

The pygarg] W^^^ dishon. As this word is nowhere else used, we cannot tell what animal is meant by it. The word pygarg nvyapyog, literally signifies luhite buttocks, and is applied to a kind of eagle with a white tail; but here it evidently means a quadruped. It was probably some kind of goat, common and well known in Judea.

The loild ox] lkr\ teo. This is supposed to be the oryx of the Greeks, which is a species of large stag. It may be the same with the bekker el wash, described by Dr. Shaw as " a species of the deer kind, whose horns are exactly in the fashion of our stag, but whose size is only between the red and fallow deer.'''' In Isa. li. 20 a creature of the name of Xin to is mentioned, which we translate wild bull; it may be the same creature intended above, with the interchange of the two last letters.

The chamois] TD? zemer. This was probably a species o( goat or deer, but of what kind we know not: that it cannot mean the chamois is evident from this circumstance, " that the chamois inhabits only the regions of snow and ice, and cannot bear the heat." — ■ Buffon. The Septuagint and Vulgate translate it the Camelopard, but this creature is only found in the torrid zone and probably was never seen in Judea; consequently could never be prescribed as a clean animal, to be used as ordinary food. I must once more be permitted to say, that to ascertain the natural history of the Bible is a hopeless case. Of a k\v of its animals and vegetables we are comparatively certain, but of the great majority we know almost nothing. Guessing and conjecture are endless, and they have on these subjects been already sufficiently employed. What learning, deep, solid, extensive learning, and judgment could do, has already been done by the incomparable Bochart in his Hierozoicon. The learned

15 And the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

16 The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

1 7 And the pelican, and the gier eagle, and the cormorant,

18 And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat,

1 9 And ^ every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: ™ they shall not be eaten.

20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

21 ''Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: ° for thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God. p Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

22 ^ Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

23 ' And thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shalj choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the ^ firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks: that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always.

reader may consult this work, and, while he gains much general information, will have to regret that he can apply so little of it to the main and grand question. As I have consulted every authority within my reach, on the subject of the clean and unclean animals mentioned in the law, and have detailed all the information I could collect in my notes on Lev. xi., I must refer my readers to what I have there laid down.

Verse 13. The vulture after his kind] The word nXT daah is improperly translated i)i<//M?-e Lev. xi. 14, and means a kite or glcdc. The word H'T daiyah in this verse is not only different from that in Leviticus, but means also a different animal, properly enough translated vulture. See the note on Lev. xi. 14.

Verse 2 1. Thou.shnlt not seethe a kid in his motherms milk.] Mr. Calmet thinks that this precept refers to the paschal lamb only, which was not to be offered to God till it was weaned from its mother; but see the note on Exod. xxiii. 19.

24 And if the way be too long A. M. 2553. for thee, so that thou art not able An.Ex. isr. 40. to carry it; or ^ if the place be ^^^^^-

too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:

25 Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:

26 And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul ^ desireth: ^ and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

27 And "^ the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him; for ^ he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

28 y At the end of three years, thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates;

29 ^ And the Levite, (because ^ he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and

be satisfied; that ^ the Lord thy God may << bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

Num. xviii. 24-28; Neh. x. 37, 38. Then of that which remained, the owners separated a second tithe, which they ate before the Lord the first and second year; and in the third year it was given to the Levites and to the poor, Deut. xiv. 28, 29. In the fourth and fifth years it was eaten again by the owners, and in the sixth year was given to the poor. The seventh year was a Sabbath to the land, and then all things were common, Exod. xxiii. 10, 11, where see the notes; and see Ainsworth on this verse.

Verse 26. Or for strong dri7ik] ^\^lat the sikera or strong drink of the Hebrews was, see in the note on Lev. x. 9. This one verse sufficiently shows that the Mosaic law made ample provision for the comfort and happiness of the people.

Verse 29. And the Levite {because he hathno part nor inheritance] And hence much of his support depended on the mere freewill-offerings of the people. God chose to make his ministers thus dependent on the people, that they might be induced (among other motives) to labour for their spiritual profiting, that the people, thus blessed under their ministry, might feel it their duty and privilege to support and render them comfortable.

The Sabbatical year of release, 1. The manner in which this release shall take place, 2—5. Of lending to the poor, and the disposition in ivhich it should be done, 6-11. Of the Hebrew servant loho has served six years, and who shall be dismissed toell furnished, 12—15. The ceremony of boring the ear, when the servant wishes to continue ivith his master, 16—18. Of the firstlings of the flock and herd, 19, 20. Nothing shall be offered that has any blemish, 21. The sacrifice to be eaten both by the clean and unclean, except the blood, which is never to be eaten, but poured out upon the ground, 22, 23.

thee, ' thou shalt not harden thine A. M. 2553. heart, nor shut thine hand from An. Ex. isr. 40. thy poor brother: ^^^^^-

2 And this is the manner of the release: Every ^ creditor that lendeth aught unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release.

3 ° Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother, thine hand shall release:

4 '^ Save when there shall be no poor among you; * for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for an inheritance to possess it:

5 Only ^ if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and ^ thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and ^ thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren, within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth

Jer. xxxiv. 14. "^ Heb. master of the lending of his hand.

Verse 1. At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release] For an explanation of many things in this chapter, see the notes on Exod. xxi. and xxiii., and Lev. xxv.

Verse 8. Thou shatt open thine hand icide] Thy benevolence shall be in proportion to his distress and poverty, and thy ability. Thou shalt have no other rule to regulate thy charity by.

Verse 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy tvicked heart] Sj^'Sj ^dS lebabecha beliyaal, thy belial heart, that is, thy good-for-nothing or unprofitable heart; see on chap, xiv 13.

8 ^ But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

9 Beware that there be not a ^ thought in thy ^ wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine " eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him naught; and ° he cry unto the Lord against thee, and p it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and '^ thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that ^ for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

1 1 For ^ the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying. Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

1 2 And ' if thy brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

And thine eye be evil] An evil eye signifies a covetous disposition. See the same form of expression used by our Lord in the same sense. Matt. vi. 23: If thine eye be evil — if thou be a covetous person. Evil eye is by our Lord opposed to single eye, i. e., a person of a libera], benevolent mind. Covetousness darkens the soul; liberality and benevolence enlighten it.

And he cry unto the Lord against thee] What a consolation to the poor and the oppressed, tliat they have a sure friend in God, who will hear their cry and redress their grievances!

Mark xiv. 7: For ye have the poor tvith you always.

A. M. 2553. 1 3 And when thou sendest him An.Ex. isr. 40. out free from thee, thou shalt not ^^^^^- let him go away empty:

14 Thou shalt furnish him hberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath ^ blessed thee thou shalt give unto

1 5 And " thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to-day.

16 And it shall be, "■" if he say unto thee, I wnll not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee:

17 Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise.

18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for

feelings of compassion, tenderness, mercy, &c. And without occasions afforded to exercise these, man would soon become a Stoic or a brute.

Verse 13. Thou shalt not let him go away empty] Because during the time he served thee, he made no property for himself, having been always honest towards thee; and now when he leaves thee, he has nothing to begin the world with.

Verse 14. Thou shall furnish him — out of thy flock] Thou shalt give him some cattle to breed with; out of thy floor — some corn for seed and for bread; and out of thy luinepress — an adequate provision of wine for present necessity.

he hath been worth "" a double a. M. 2553. hired servant to thee, in serving An. Ex. isif 40. thee six years: and the Lord ^^^^^-

thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

19 y All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

20 ^ Thou shalt eat it before the Lord thy God, year by year, in the place which the Lord shall choose, thou and thy household.

21 ^ And if there be any blemish therein, as if it he lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the Lord thy

22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: ^ the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

23 '^ Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

Verse 20. Thou shalt eat it — in the place ivhich the Lord shall choose] Thus God in his mercy made their duty and interest go hand in hand. And in every case God acts thus with his creatures; well, therefore, might Satan ask, Doth Job serve God for naught! No! nor does God design that any man should.

Verse 21. Jf there be a.ny blemish] Seethe notes on Lev. xxii. 20. God will have both a perfect priest and a perfect offering.

The month of Ahih to be observed, 1. The feast of the passover and 0/ unleavened bread, 2-8. The feast of weeks, 9-12. The feast of tabernacles, 13-15. All the males to appear before the Lord thrice in the year, none to come empty, each to give according to his ability, 16, 17. Judges and officers to be made in all their cities, 18. Strict justice shall be executed, 19, 20. No grove to be planted near the altar of God, nor any image to be set up, 21, 22.

2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice

Egyptians, seeing the blood of the appointed sacrifice sprinkled on the lintels and door-posts of the Israelites' houses, passed over them, and did not destroy

Verse 1. Keep the passover] A feast so called because the angel that destroyed the first-born of the

A. M. 2553. flock and ^ the herd, in the An. Ex. isr. 40. ® place which the Lord shall ^^^^^- choose to place his name there.

3 ^ Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou earnest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt, all the days of thy life.

4 &And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; ^ neither shall there any thing of the flesh which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night unto the morning.

5 Thou mayest not ' sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee:

6 But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at ^ even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

7 And thou shalt ^ roast and eat it ™ in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.

8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and " on the seventh day shall 6e a ° solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

9 P Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God, with i a tribute of a

any of their first-born. See the notes on Exod. xii.

Verse 3. Bread of affliction] Because, being baked without leaven, it was unsavoury, and put them in mind of their afflictive bondage in Egypt.

Verse 1 1. Thou shalt rejoice] The offerings of the Israelites were to be eaten with festivity, communicated to their friends with liberality, and bestowed on the poor with great generosity, that they might partake with them in these sacred repasts ivith joy before the Lord. To answer these views it was necessary to eat the flesh while it was fresh, as in that climate putre-

1 1 And ^ thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name

12 * And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

13^ Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy ^ corn and thy wine:

14 And ^^ thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maid-servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

15^ Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

1 6 y Three times in a.year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and ^ they shall not appear before the Lord empty:

17 Every man shall give ^ as he is able, ^ according to the blessing of the Lord

faction soon took place; therefore they were commanded to let nothing remain until the morning, ver. 4. This consideration is sufficient to account for the command here, without having recourse to those moral and evangelical reasons that are assigned by the learned and devout Mr. Ainsworth for the command. How beneficent and cheerful is the design of this institution! — Harmer, vol. i., p. 396.

Verse 16. Three times in a year] See Exod. xxiii. 14, where all the Jewish feasts are explained. See also Lev. xxiii. 34.

thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

19 ^ Thou shalt not wrest judgment; ^thou shalt not respect persons, ^ neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and

Verse 18. Judges and officers shalt thou make] Judges, D'CDiJiy shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. Officers, D'^Diy shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, &c., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, &c., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, chap. XX. 5. See also Rah. Maimon in Sanhedrin. In China,

shalt thou follow, that thou mayest • live, and inherit the land which theLoRD thy God giveth thee.

21^ Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

22 ^ Neither shalt thou set thee up any ™ image, which the Lord thy God hateth.

for all minor offences, the person when found guilty is punished on the spot, in the presence of the magistrate or mandarin of justice.

Verse 21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove, dfc] We have already seen that groves were planted about idol temples for the purposes of the obscene worship performed in them. (See on chap. xii. 1.) On this account God would have no groves or thickets about his altar, that there might be no room for suspicion that any thing contrary to the strictest purity was transacted there. Every part of the Divine worship was publicly performed, for the purpose of general edification.

All sacrifices to be ivithout blemish, 1. Of persons convicted of idolatry and their punishment, 2—7. Difficult matters in judgment to be laid before the priests and judges, and to be determined by them; and all to submit to their decision, 8-13. The king that may be chosen to be one of their brethren; no stranger to be appointed to that office, 14, 15. He shall not multiply horses to himself nor cause the people to return unto Egypt, 16. Nor multiply wives, money, (Sfc, 17. He shall write a copy of the law for his own use, and read and study it all his days, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, 18—20.

^^' bullock or '' sheep wherein is blemish, or any evil-favouredness: for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

2 "^ If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickcd-

Verse 1. Wherein is blemish] God must not have that offered to him which thou wouldst not use thyself. This not only refers to the perfect sacrifice offered by Christ Jesus, but to that sincerity and uprightness of heart which God requires in all those who approach him in the way of worship.

Verse 4. If it be told thee] In a private way by any confidential person. And thou hast heard of it; so that it appears to be notorious, very likely to be true,

3 And hath gone and served other gods and worshipped them, either * the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, ^ which I have not commanded;

4 ^ And it be told thee, and thou hast heard

and publicly scandalous. And hast inquired diligently — sought to find out the truth of the report by the most careful examination of persons reporting, circumstances of the case, &c. And, behold, it be true — the report is not founded on vague rumour, hearsay, or malice. And the thing certain — substantiated by the fullest evidence. Then shalt thou bring forth that 7nan, ver. 5. As the charge of idolatry was the most solemn and awful that could bo brought against an Israelite, because it affected his life, therefore God required that

5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and ^ shalt stone them with stones, till they die.

6 * At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

7 '' The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So ' thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

8 "* If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, " between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, beitig matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, ° and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall choose:

9 And P thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and i unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; ^ and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment:

10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the Lord

he charge should be substantiated by the most unequivocal facts, and the most competent witnesses. Hence all the precautions mentioned in the fourth verse must be carefully used, in order to arrive at so affecting and so awful a truth.

Verse 6. Tivo ivitnesses] One might be deceived, or be prejudiced or malicious; therefore God required two substantial witnesses for the support of the charge.

Verse 8. If there arise a matter too hard for thee] These directions are given to the common magistrates, who might not be able to judge of or apply the law in all cases that might be brought before them. The priests and Levites, who were lawyers by birth and continual practice, were 'reasonably considered as the best qualified to decide on difficult points.

Verse 12. The man that will do presumptuously] The man who refused to abide by this final determination forfeited his life, as being then in a state of rebellion against the highest authority, and consequently the public could have no pledge for his conduct.

Verse 15. One from among thy brethren shalt thou a shall choose shall show thee; and a. m. 2553. thou shalt observe to do accord- An. Ex. isr. 40. ing to all that they inform thee • ®^''*'-

1 1 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand nor to the left.

1 2 And ^ the man that will do presumptuously, * and will not hearken unto the priest, '^ that standeth to minister there, before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and " thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

13 "^ And all the people shall hear, and feai, and do no more presumptuously.

14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, ^ I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

1 5 Thou shalt in any wise set him king ovei thee y whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one ^ from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

1 6 But he shall not multiply ^horses to him self, nor cause the people ^ to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: for-

set king over thee] It was on the ground of this command that the Jews proposed that insidious question to our Lord, Is it lawful to give tribute to Cccsar, OR NO? Matt. xxii. 17; for they were then under the authority of a foreign power. Had Christ said Yes, then they would have condemned him by this law; had he said No, then they would have accused him to Csesar. See this subject discussed in great detail in the notes on Matt. xxii. 16, &c.

Verse 16. He shall not multiply horses] As horses appear to have been generally furnished by Egypt, God prohibits these, 1. Lest there should be such commerce with Egypt as might lead to idolatry. 2. Lest the people might depend on a well-appointed cavalry as a means of security, and so cease from trusting in the strength and protection of God. And, 3. That they might not be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease, in process of time, to be that distinct and separate people which God intended they should be and without which the

A. M. 2553. asmuch as "^ the Lord hath said An.Ex. isr. 40. unto you, ''Ye shall henceforth '^^^^^- return no more that way.

17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that ^ his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

18 ^ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of ^ that which is before the priests the Levites:

prophecies relative to the Messiah could not be known to have their due and full accomplishment.

Verse 17. Neither shall he multiply wives^ For this would necessarily lead to foreign alliances, and be the means of introducing the manners and customs of other nations, and their idolatry also. Solomon sinned against this precept, and brought ruin on himself and on the land by it; see 1 Kings xi. 4.

Verse 18. He shall ivrite him a copy of this law] nXin rrnnn T\W3 mishneh hattorah hazzoth, an iteration or duplicate of this laiu; translated by the Septuagint, TO devrepovofiLov tovto, this deuteronomy. From this version both the Vulgate Latin and all the modern versions have taken the name of this book; and from the original word the Jews call it Mishneh. See the preface to this book.

Out of thai which is before the priests the Levites] It is likely this means, that the copy which the king was to write out was to be taken from the autograph kept in the tabernacle before the Lord, from which, as

1 9 And '' it shall be with him, a. m. 2553. and he shall read therein all the Ah.Ex. isnV

days of his life: that he may learn

to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words

of this law and these statutes, to do them:

20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he ' turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

a standard, every copy was taken, and with which doubtless every copy was compared; and it is probable that the priests and Levites had the revising of every copy that was taken oif, in order to prevent errors from creeping into the sacred text.

Verse 19. And it shall be ivith him, <^c.] It was the surest way to bring the king to an acquaintance with the Divine law to oblige him to write out a fair copy of it with his own hand, in which he was to read daily. This was essentially necessary, as these laws of God were all permanent, and no Israelitish king could make any new law, the kings of this people being ever con- i sidered as only the vicegerents of Jehovah. ]

Verse 20. He, and his children, in the midst of Is- ' rael.] From this verse it has been inferred that the crown of Israel was designed to be hereditary, and i this is very probable; for long experience has proved i to almost all the nations of the world that hereditary ' succession in the regal government is, on the whole, the '^ safest, and best calculated to secure the public tranquillity.

The priests and Levites to have no inheritance, 1, 2. What is the priesfs due, 3—5. Of the Levites that come from any of the other cities, 6—8. The Israelites must not copy the abominations of the former inhabitants, 9. None to cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or use any kind of divination or enchantment, as the former inhabitants did, 10—14. The great prophet xvhich God promised to raise up, 15-19. Of false prophets, 20; and how to discern them, 21, 22.

^'^'^"'" have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they ^ shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance.

Verse 1. The priests the Levites — shall have no part] That is, says Rab. Maimon, they shall have no part in the spoils taken from an enemy.

Verse 2. The Lord is their inheritance] He is the portion of their souls; and as to their bodies, they shall live by the offerings of the Lord made by fire, i. e., the meat-offering, the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and whatever was the Lord's

2 Therefore shall they have no A. M. 2553.

inheritance among their brethren: An. Ex. isr. 40. the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

3 And this shall be the priest's due from

Verse 3. Offer a sacrifice] xy^m 'X^■^^\ zobechey hazzehach. The word n3t zebach is used to signify, not only an animal sacrificed to the Lord, but also one killed hr common use. See Gen. xliii. 15; Prov. xvii. 1; Ezek. xxv. 6. And in this latter sense it probably should be understood here; and, consequently, the command in this verse relates to what the people

An. Ex. isr. 40. Sacrifice, whether it be ox or ^^^^^- sheep; and " they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw,

4 '^ The first-fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

5 For ^ the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, ^ to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.

6 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he ^ sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind ^ unto the place which the Lord shall choose;

7 Then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, ' as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the Lord.

8 They shall have like ^ portions to eat, beside ^ that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

9 When thou art come into the a. m. 2553. land which the Lord thy God An. Ex. Isr. ■«> giveth thee, "" thou shalt not learn ®^''**-

were to allow the priests and Levites from the animals slain for common use. The parts to be given to the priests were, 1. The shoulder, probably cut off from the beast with the skin on; so Maimonides.

Verse 4. The first-fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, <^c.] AW these first-fruits and firstlings were the Lord's portion, and these he gave to the priests.

Verse 8. The sale of his patritnony.] So we find that, though the Levites might have no part of the land by lot, yet they were permitted to make purchases of houses, goods, and cattle, yea, of fields also. See the case of Abiathar, 1 Kings ii. 26, and of Jeremiah, Jer. xxxii. 7, 8.

Verse 10. To pass through the fire] Probably in the way of consecration to Molech, or some other deity. Tt is not likely that their being burnt to death is here intended. See on Lev. xviii. 21.

Divination] D'ODp DDp kosem kesamim, one who endeavours to find out futurity by auguries, using lots, &c.

Observer of times] pU'?D meonen, one who pretends to foretell future events by present occurrences, and who predicts great political or physical changes from the aspects of the planets, eclipses, motion of the clouds, &c., &c. See on Gen. xii. 8.

Enchanter] tynj"0 menachesh, from V)T\^ nichesh, to view attentively; one who inspected the entrails of beasts, observed the flight of birds, &c., &c., and drew

to do after the abominations of those nations.

10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter " to pass through the fire, ° or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch;

12 For all that do these tilings are an.abomination unto the Lord: and ^ because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

1 3 Thou shalt be ^ perfect with the Lord thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt ^ possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suifered thee so to do.

15 " The Lord thy God will raise up unto

auguries thence. Some think divination by serpents is meant, which was common among the heathen.

A loitch.] f^iyOD mechashshej)h, probably those who by means of drugs, herbs, perfumes, &c., pretended to bring certain celestial influences to their aid. See the note on Lev. xix. 26.

Averse 11. A charmer] "IDH "llin chober chaber, one who uses spells; a peculiar conjunction, as the term implies, of ivords, or things, tying knots, &c., for the purposes of divination. This was a custom among the heathen, as we learn from the following verses: —

" Knit with three knots the fillets, knit them straight; Then say, these knots to love I consecrate."

A consulter tvith familiar spirits] 31N SNiy shoel obj a Pythoness, one who inquires by the means of one spirit to get oracular answers from another of a superior order. See on Lev. xix. 31.

A tvizard] 'J^'T yiddeoni, a ivise one, a knowing one. Wizard was formerly considered as the masculine of ivitch, both practising divination by similar means. See on Exod. xxii. 18, and Lev. xix. 31.

Or a necromancer.] D'iT^n Sx iyn doresh el hammethim, one who seeks from or inquires of the dead. Such as the witch at Endor, who professed to evoke the dead, in order to get them to disclose the secrets of the spiritual world.

the Lord thy God in Horeb " in the day of the

assembly, saying, ^ Let me not hear again the

voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see

this great fire any more, that I die not.

1 7 And the Lord said unto me, '■' They have well spoken that w^hich they have spoken.

18 y I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and ^ will put my words in his mouth; ^ and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

1 9 '^ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he

a Prophet] Instead of diviners, observers of times, &c., God here promises to give them an infallible guide, who should tell them all things that make for their peace, so that his declarations should completely answer the end of all the knowledge that was pretended to be gained by the persons already specified.

Like unto me] Viz., a prophet, a legislator, a king, a mediator, and the head or chief of the people of God. This was the very person of whom Moses was the type, and who should accomplish all the great purposes of the Divine Being. Such a prophet as had never before appeared, and who should have no equal till the consummation of tlie world.

This prophet is the Lord Jesus, who was in the bosom of the Father, and who came to declare him to mankind. Every word spoken by him is a living infallible oracle from God himself; and must be received and obeyed as such, on pain of the eternal displeasure of the Almighty. See ver. 19, and Acts iii. 22, 23; and see the conclusion of this chapter.

Verse 22. If the thing follow not] It is worthy of remark that the prophets in general predicted those things which were shortly to come to pass, that the people might have the fullest proof of their Divine mission, and of the existence of God's providence in the administration of the affairs of men.

The promise contained in the 15th and 1 8th verses of this chapter has long been considered of the first importance in the controversies between the Christians and Jews. " Christ," says Ainsworth, " was to be a man, and of the stock of the Jews, by promise, because the people could not endure to hear the voice of God, ver. 16. And as in respect of his prophecy, so of the priesthood: for every high priest is taken from among men, Ileb. v. 1; and also of his kingdom, as in Deut. xvii. 15: From among thy brethren shall thou set a king over thee like unto me.

" 1. Christ alone was like unto Moses as a prophet; for it is written, There arose not a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in

20 But <= the prophet which.__£!!^!i__' shall presume to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or ^ that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

2 1 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?

22 * When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, *^if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, hut the prophet hath spoken it ^ presumptuously: thou shall not be afraid of him.

all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him. to do, Deut. xxxiv. 10, 11, 12. This therefore cannot be understood of the ordinary prophets v/hich were raised up in Israel, but of Christ only, as the apostles expound it Acts ii. 22-26. 2. Christ was like unto Moses in respect to his office of mediation between God and his people, Deut. v. 5; 1 Tim. ii. 5; but greater than Moses as being the mediator of a better covenant, (or testament,) which was established upon better promises, Heh- \m. 6. 3. Christ was like unto Moses in excellency; for as Moses excelled all the prophets in speaking to God mouth to mouth. Num. xii. 6, 7, 8, so Christ excelled him and all men in that, being in the bosom of the Father, he hath come down from heaven and declared God unto us, John i. 18, iii. 13. 4. Christ was like to Moses in faithfulness, but therein also excelling; for Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, but Christ as the son over his own house, Heb. iii. 2, 5, 6. 5. Christ was like to Moses in signs and ivonders, wherein he also excelled Moses, as the history of the Gospel shows; for he was a prophet mighty in deed and ivord before God and all the people, Luke xxiv. 19. A man approved of God among them, by miracles, signs, and wonders, which God did by him in the midst of them. Acts ii. 22. For he did among them the loorks which no other man did, John xv. 24. Unto him, that is, not unto the diviners, wizards, or any such like, but unto him, and him only; as Him thou shalt seme, Deut. vi. 13, is expounded. Him only. Matt. iv. 10. And though this is principally meant of Christ in person, of whom God said, Hear him, Matt. xvii. 5; yet it implies also his ministers, as himself said, He that heareth you heareth me, Luke x. 16." To these may be added, 6- As Moses was king among his people, in this respect Christ is like to him, but infinitely greater; for he is King of kings and Lord of lords, Rev. xix. 16; 1 Tim. vi. 15. And, 7. He was like to Moses as a legislator. Moses gave laws to Israel by the authority and commandment of God, which the Jews have ever acknowledged as coming from the immediate inspira- tion of the Almighty: these are contained in the Pentateuch. Christ gave a new law, the Gospel contained in the four Evangelists and Acts of the Apostles, on which the Christian Church is founded, and by which all genuine Christians are governed both in heart and life. To all which may be added, 8. That God never commissioned any human beings to give laws to mankind but Moses and Christ; and therefore, as a lawgiver, Christ alone resembles Moses; for to the present hour none but themselves have given laws in the name of God, which he has ratified and confirmed by the most indubitable and infallible signs, proofs, and miracles.

Dr. Jortin, in iiis Remarks on Ecclesiastical History ^ has drawn a parallel between Moses and Christ in a great number of particulars, which he concludes thus: " Let us search all the records of universal history, and see if we can find a man who was so like to Moses as Christ was, and 50 like to Christ as Moses was. If we cannot find such a one, then have we found HIM of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write to be Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God." On this subject see Ainsworth, Calmet, and Dodd, who have all marked this striking correspondence between Moses and Christ.

Three cities of refuge to be appointed in the midst of the promised land; the land being divided into three parts, a city is to be placed in each, a proper way to which is to be prepared, 1—3. In what cases of manslaughter the benefit of those cities may be claimed, 4—6. Three cities more to be added should the Lord enlarge their coasts, and the reasons why, 7—10. The intentional murderer shall have no benefit from these cities, 11-13. The landmark is not to be shifted, 14. One witness shall not be deemed sufficient to convict a man, 15. How a false loitness shall be dealt with — he shall bear the punishment which he designed should have been inflicted on his neighbour, 16—20. Another command to establish the lex talionis, 31.

* hath cut on the nations whose land the Lord thy God

giveth thee, and thou ^ succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2 *^ Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4 And ^ this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not ® in time past;

5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the ^ head slippeth from the ^ helve, and ^ lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6 ' Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the

Verse 3. Thou shalt prepare thee a way] The Jews inform us that the roads to the cities of refuge were made very broad, thirty-two cubits; and even, so that

was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not ^ in time past.

7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8 And if the Lord thy God "" enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; ^ then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

1 1 But " if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him ^ mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

there should be no impediments in the way; and were constantly kept in good repair.

Josh. xxi. 1, &c. In imitation of these cities of

A. M. 2553. 1 2 Then the elders of his city An. Ex. 1st. 40. shall send and fetch him thence, ^^^^^- and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

131 Thine eye shall not pity him, ^ but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with

14 ® Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 ^ One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness " rise up against any

refuge the heathens had their asyla, and the Catholics their privileged altars. See Exod. xxi. 13, 14, and on Num. xxxv. 6, &c.

Verse 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark] Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus the dishonest man enlarged his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. The termini or landmarks among the Romans were held very sacred, and were at last deified.

To these termini Numa Pompilius commanded offerings of broth, cakes, and first-fruits, to be made. And Ovid informs us that it was customary to sacrifice a lamb to them, and sprinkle them with its blood: —

Spargitur et ccbso communis terminus agno.

And from Tibullus it appears that they sometimes adorned them with flowers and garlands: —

Nam veneror, seu stipes habet desertus in agris,

Seu vetus in trivia florida serta lapis.

That bounds the field, or points the doubtful way."

It appears from Juvenal that annual oblations were made to them: —

Convallem ruris aviti

Improbus, aut campum mihi si vicinus ademit,

Aut sacrum efTodit medio de limite sa.vum.

Quod mea cum vetulo coluit puis annua libo.

man to testify against him ^ that which is wrong:

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, ^ before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19^ Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so y shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 ^ And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 ^ And thine eye shall not pity; but ^ life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

" If any rogue vexatious suits advance Against me for my knoivn inheritance, Enter by violence my fruitful grounds. Or take the sacred landmark from my boundi, Those bounds which, with procession and with prayer And offer'' d cakes, have been my annual care.''''

In the digests there is a vague law, de termino moto, Digester, lib. xlvii.. Tit. 21, on which Calmet remarks that though the Romans had no determined punishment for those who removed the ancient landmarks; yet if slaves were found to have done it with an evil design, they were put to death; that persons of quality were sometimes exiled when found guilt)^; and that others were sentenced to pecuniary fines, or corporal punishment.

Verse 19. Then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother] Nothing can be more equitable or proper than this, that if a man endeavour to do any injury to or take away the life of another, on detection he shall be caused to undergo the same evil which he intended for his innocent neighbour.

Some of our excellent English laws have been made on this very ground. In the 37th of Edw. III., chap. 18, it is ordained that all those who make suggestion shall incur the same pain which the other should have had, if he were attainted, in case his suggestions be found evil. A similar law was made in the 38th of the same reign, chap. 9. By a law of the twelve Tables, a false witness was thrown down the Tarpeian rock. In short, false witnesses have been execrated by all nations.

operation of such a law as this must have been very salutary: if a man prized his own members, he would naturally avoid injuring those of others. It is a pity that this law were not still in force: it would certainly prevent many of those savage acts which now both disgrace and injure society. I speak this in reference to law generally, and the provision that should be made to prevent and punish ferocious and malevolent offences. A Christian may always act on the plan of forgiving injuries; and where the public peace and safety may not be affected, he should do so; but if law did not make a provision for the safety of the community by enactment against the profligate, civil society would soon be destroyed.

Directions concerning campaigns, 1. The priest shall encourage the people with the assurance that God will accompany and fight for them, 2—4. The officers shall dismiss from the army all who had just built a new house, but had not dedicated it, 5. All ivho had planted a vineyard, but had not yet eateri of its fruits, 6. All who had betrothed a tuife, but had not brought her home, 7. And all who were timid and faint-hearted, 8. The commanders to be chosen after the timid, dfc, had retired, 9. No city to be attacked till they had proclaimed conditions of peace to it, provided it be a city beyond the bounds of the seven Canaanitish nations; if it submitted, it ivas to become tributary; if not, it was to be besieged, sacked, and all the males put to the sword; the women, children, and cattle to be taken as booty, 10—15. No such offers to be made to the cities of the Canaanites; of them nothing shall be preserved, and the reason, 16-18. In besieging a city no trees to be cut down but those which do not bear fruit, 19, 20.

TX^HEN' thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and

seest " horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is ^ with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

3 And shall say unto them. Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts = faint, fear not, and do not ^ tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

A''erse 1. When thou goest out to battle] This refers chiefly to the battles they were to have with the Canaanites, in order to get possession of the promised land; for it cannot be considered to apply to any wars which they might have with the surrounding nations for political reasons, as the Divine assistance could not be expected in wars which were not undertaken by the Divine command.

Verse 2. The priest shall approach, and speak unto the people] The priest on these occasions was the representative of that God whose servant he was, and whose worship he conducted. It is remarkable that almost all ancient nations took their priests with them to battle, as they did not expect success without having the object of their adoration with them, and they supposed they secured his presence by having that of his representative.

Verse 5. That hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?] From the title of Psa. xxx., — A Psalm or

4 For the Lord your God is he a. m. 2553.

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying. What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not ^ dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet ^ eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

Song at the Dedication of the House of David — it is evident that it was a custom in Israel to dedicate a new house to God with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving; and this was done in order to secure the Divine presence and blessing, for no pious or sensible man could imagine he could dwell safely in a house that was not under the immediate protection of God. Hence it has been a custom in the most barbarous nations to consecrate a part of a new house to the deity they worshipped. The houses of the inhabitants of Bonny, in Africa, are generally divided into three apartments: one is a kind of state room or parlour; another serves for a common room, or kitchen; and the third is dedicated to the Juju, the serpent god, which they worship; for even those savages believe that in every house their god should have his temple! At the times of dedication among the Jews, besides prayer and praise, a feast was made, to which the relatives and neighbours were invited. Something of this custom is observed in some parts of our own country in what is called

8 And the officers shall speak farther unto the people, and they shall say, ' What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren's heart ^ faint as well as his heart.

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies ^ to lead the people.

10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, ™ then proclaim peace unto it.

11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

warming the house; but in these cases the feasting only is kept up — the prayer and praise forgotten! so that the dedication appears to be rather more to Bacchus than to Jehovah, the author of every good and perfect gift.

Verse 7. Betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?] It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse or betroth, and for some considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of their respective parents: when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and thus the marriage was consummated. The provisions in this verse refer to a case of this kind; for it was deemed an excessive hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, where there was a probability of his being slain, who had left a new house unfinished; a newly purchased heritage half tilled; or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage. Homer represents the case of Protesilaus as very afflicting, who was obliged to go to the Trojan war, leaving his wife in the deepest distress, and his house unfinished.

Tot) de KUL afi<pi6pv<l)Tig aXoxog ^vIukti eTi.E^ecrrTo, Kai 60/j.oc TifiLTeTiTjC tov 6' enrave i^ap6avo^ avTjp, N)?Of anodpuoKOVTa noXv izpuTiaTov Axaiuv.

" A wife he left. To rend in Phylace her bleeding cheeks. And an unfi.nisK'd mansion: first he died Of all the Greeks; for as he leap'd to land, Long ere the rest, a Dardan struck him dead."

Verse 3. What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted.?] The original "]") rach, signifies tender or soft-hearted. And a soft heart the man must have

1 2 And if it will make no peace a. m. 2553. with thee, but will make war An.Ex. isr40.

13 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, "^ thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

14 But the women, and the little ones, and ° the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou p take unto thyself; and 1 thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.

15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

1 6 But ^ of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

1 7 But thou shalt utterly destroy them;

who, in such a contest, after such a permission, could turn his back upon his enemies and his brethren. However, such were the troops conmianded by Gideon ' in his war against the Midianites; for after he gave this permission, out of 32,000 men only 10,000 re- \ mained to fight! Judges vii. 3. There could be no deception in a business of this kind; for the departure of the 22,000 was the fullest proof of their dastardliness which they could possibly give.

Verse 10. Proclaim peace unto it.] Interpreters are greatly divided concerning the objects of this law. The text, taken in connection with the context,) see verses 15-18,) appears to state that this proclamation or offer of peace to a city is only to be understood of those cities which were situated beyond the limits of the seven anathematized nations, because these latter are commanded to be totally destroyed. Nothing can be clearer than this from the bare letter of the text, unless some of the words, taken separately, can be shown to have a different meaning. For the common interpretation, the following reasons are given.

God, who knows all things, saw that they were incurable in their idolatry; that the cup of their iniquity was full; and as their Creator, Sovereign, and Judge, he determined to destroy them from off the face of the earth, " lest they should teach the Israelites to do after all their abominations," ver. 18. After all, many plausible arguments have been brought to prove that even these seven Canaanitish nations might be received into mercy, provided they, 1. Renounced their idolatry; 2. Became subject to the Jews; and, 3. Paid annual tribute; and that it was only in case these terms were rejected, that they were not to leave alivy in such a city any thing that breathed, ver. 16.

Verse 17. But thou shalt utterly destroy them] The above reasoning will gain considerable strength,

1 8 That ^ they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye * sin against the

19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou

provided we could translate DO'inn D"\nn O ki hacharem tacharimem, thou shalt utterly subdue them — slaying them if they resist, and thus leaving nothing alive that breathed; or totally expel them from, the land, or reduce them to a state of slavery in it, that they might no longer exist as a people. This certainly made them an anathema as a nation, wholly destroying their political existence. Probably this was so understood by the Gibeonites, viz., that they either must be slain or utterly leave the land, which last was certainly in their power, and therefore, by a stratagem, they got the princes of Israel to make a league with them. When the deceit was discovered, the Israelites, though not bound by their oath, because they were deceived by the Gibeonites, and therefore were under no obligation to fulfil their part of the covenant; yet, though they had this command before their eyes, did not believe that they were bound to put even those deceivers to death; but they destroyed their political existence, by making them hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation; i. e., slaves to the Israelites. (See Josh, ix.) Rahab and her household also were spared. So that it does not appear that the Israelites believed that they were bound to put every Canaanite to death. Their political existence was under the anathema, and this the Hebrews annihilated.

That many of the Canaanites continued in the land even to the days of Solomon, we have the fullest proof; for we read, 2 Chron. viii. 7: "All the people of the land that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were left in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute to this day." Thus Solomon destroyed their political existence, but did not consider himself bound by the law of God to put them to death.

Verse 19. {For the tree of the field is man^s life) to employ them in the siege^ The original is exceedingly obscure, and has been variously translated, ■nVO:] yj30 XnS miyn y; DINH O ki haadam ets hassadeh labo mippaneycha bammatsor. The following are the chief versions: For, O man, the trees of the field are for thee to employ them in the siege — or, For it is man, and the tree of the field, that must go before thee for a bulwark — or, For it is a tree, and not men, to increase the number of those who come shalt not destroy the trees thereof a. m. 2553. by forcing an axe against them: An. Ex. isr. 40 for thou mayest eat of them, and ^^^^''

thou shalt not cut them down (^ for the tree of the field is man's life) ' to employ them in the siege:

20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until ^^ it be subdued.

" Or, for, O man, the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege. * Heb. to go from before thee. " Heb. it come down.

against thee to the siege — or, lastly. The tree of the field (is as) a man, to go before thy face for a bulwark. The sense is sufficiently clear, though the strict grammatical meaning of the words cannot be easily ascertained: it was a merciful provision to spare all fruitbearing trees, because they yielded the fruit which supported man's life; and it was sound policy also, for even the conquerors must perish if the means of life were cut off.

It is diabolic cruelty to add to the miseries of war the horrors of famine; and this is done where the trees of the field are cut down, the dykes broken to drown the land, the villages burnt, and the crops wilfully spoiled. O execrable war! subversive of all the charities of life!

There are several curious particulars in these verses: 1. The people had the most positive assurances from God that their enemies should not be able to prevail against them by strength, numbers, nor stratagem, because God should go with them to lead and direct them, and should fight for them; and against his might none could prevail. 2. All such interferences were standing proofs of the being of God, of his especial providence, and of the truth of their religion. 3. Though God promised them such protection, yet they were to expect it in the diligent use of their own prudence and industry. The priests, the officers, and the people, had their respective parts to act in this business; if they did their duty respectively, God would take care that they should be successful. Those who will not help themselves with the strength which God has already given them, shall not have any farther assistance from him. In all such cases, the parable of the talents affords an accurate rule. 4. Their going to war against their enemies must not deprive them of mercy and tenderness towards their brethren. He who had built a house and had not yet dwelt in it, who had planted a vineyard and had not eaten of its fruits, who had betrothed a wife and had not yet taken her to his house, was not obliged to go to battle, lest he should fall in the war, and the fruits of his industry and affection be enjoyed by others. He who was faint-hearted was also permitted to return, lest he should give way in the heat of battle, and his example have a fatal influence on others.

If a man be found slain m a field, and the cause of his death be unknown, the murder shall be expiated by the sacrifice of a heifer in an uncultivated valley, 1—4. The rites to be used on the occasion, 5-9. The ordinance concerning marriage with a captive, 10—14. The law relative to the children of the hated and beloved ivives: if the son of the hated wife should be the first-born he shall not be disinherited by the son of the beloved wife, but shall have a double portion of all his father^ s goods, 15—18. The law concerninathe stubborn and rebellious son, who, when convicted, is to be stoned to death, 1 9—2 1. Of the person who is to be hanged, 22. His body shall not be left on the tree all night; every one that is hanged on a tree is accursed of God, 23.

TF one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:

2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:

3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer, which hath not been wrouglit with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley:

5 And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near; for ^ them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and ^ by their •= word shall everv controversy and every stroke be tried:

6 And all the elders of that city, that are

Verse 4. Shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley] jH^X /PIJ nachal eythan might be translated a rapid stream, probably passing through a piece of uncultivated ground where the elders of the city were to strike off the head of the heifer, and to wash their hands over her in token of their innocence. The spot of ground on which this sacrifice was made must be uncultivated, because it was considered to be a sacrifice to make atonement for the murder, and consequently would pollute the land. This regulation was calculated to keep murder in abhorrence, and to make the magistrates alert in their office, that delinquents might be discovered and punished, and thus public expense saved.

Verse 6. Shall ivash their hands over the heifer] Washing the hands, in reference to such a subject as this, was a rite anciently used to signify that the persons thus washing were innocent of the crime in question. It was probably from the Jews that Pilate learned this symbolical method of expressing his innocence.

next unto the slain man, ^ shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

7 And they shall answer and say. Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8 Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, * and lay not innocent blood ^ unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven

9 So ^ shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the

10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,

1 1 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

1 2 Then thou shalt brincp her home to thine

Verse 1 1. And seest — a beautiful ivoman] No forcible possession was allowed even in this case, when the woman was taken in war, and was, by the general consent of ancient nations, adjudged as a part of the spoils. The person to whose lot or share such a woman as is here described fell might, if he chose, have her for a wife on certain conditions; but he was not permitted to use her under any inferior character.

Verse 12. She shall shave her head] This was in token of her renouncing her religion, and becoming a proselyte to that of the Jews. This is still a custom in the East; when a Christian turns Mohammedan his head is shaven, and he is carried through the city crying, iJsJl ^y>^ <XjiSV* _3 iJJl ^1 «5d| ^ /a alahila allah we Mohammed resooli Allah; " There is no God but God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God.

Pare her nails] n'JiaV nx nnty^n veasethah eth tsipporneyha, " she shall make her nails." Now whether this signifies paring or letting them grow, is greatly doubted among learned men. Possibly it means neither,

ment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and ^ bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that.thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast ^ humbled her.

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, "* and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated:

1 6 Then it shall be, " when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved.firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the first-born:

17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first-born, ° by giving him a double portion of all p that he hath: for he is *! the beginning of his strength; ^ the right of the first-born is his.

18 If a man have a stubborn A. m. 2553. and rebellious son, which will An. Ex. isr. 40. not obey the voice of his father, ^^^^'^

but colouring the nails, staining them red with the hennah, which is much practised in India to the present day, and which was undoubtedly practised among the ancient Egyptians, as is evident from the nails of mummies which are found thus stained. The hemiah, according to Hassclquist, grows in India, and in Upper and Lower Egypt; it flowers from May to August. The manner of using it is this: the leaves are powdered, and made into a paste with water: they bind this paste on the nails of their fingers and toes, and let it stand on all night; in the morning they are found to be of a beautiful reddish yellow, and this lasts three weeks or a month, after which they renew the application. They often stain the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet in the same way, as appears from many paintings of eastern ladies done in India and Persia, which now lie before me. This staining the soles of the feet with the liennah is probably meant in 2 Sam. xix. 24: Mephibosheth had not dressed (literally made) his feet — they had not been thus coloured.

Verse 15. One beloved, and another hated'] That is, one loved less than the other. This is the true notion of the word hate in Scripture. So Jacob hated Leah, that is, he loved her less than he did Rachel;

or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

2 1 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: ' so shalt thou put evil away from among you; * and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 And if a man have committed a sin " worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23 " His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for ^ he that is hanged is ^ accursed of God;) that >" thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

and Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, that is, I have shown a more particular affection to the posterity of Jacob than I have to the posterity of Esau. See the note on Gen. xxix. 31. From this verse we see that polygamy did exist under the Mosaic laws, and that it was put under certain regulations; but it was not enjoined, Moses merely suffered it, because of the hardness of their hearts, as our Lord justly remarks Matt. xix. 8.

Verses 1 8-2 1. The stubborn, rebellious, gluttonous, and drunken son is to be stoned to death. — This law, severe as it may seem, must have acted as a powerful preventive of crime. If such a law were in force now, and duly executed, how many deaths of disobedient and profligate children would there be in all corners of the land!

Verse 23. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree] Its exposure for the space of one day was judged sufficient. The law which required this answered all the ends of public justice, exposed the shame and infamy of the conduct, but did not put to torture the feelings of humanity by requiring a perpetual exhibition of a human being, a slow prey to the most loathsome process of putrefaction. Did ever the spiking of the heads of state criminals prevent high treason ^ or the gibbeting of a thief or a murderer, prevent either murder or robbery 1 These questions may be safely answered in the negative; and the remains of the ancient barbarism which requires these disgusting and abominable exhibitions, and which are deplored by every feeling heart, should be banished with all possible speed. In the case given in the text, God considers the land as defiled while the body of the executed criminal lay exposed, hence it was enjoined. Thou shall in any wise bury him that day.

he has forfeited his life to the law; for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are loritten in the hook of the law to do them; and on his body, in the execution of the sentence of the law, the curse was considered as alighting; hence the necessity of removing the accursed thing out of sight. How excellent are all these laws! How wondrously well calculated to repress crimes by showing the enor mity of sin! It is worthy of remark that in the infliction of punishment prescribed by the Mosaic law, we ever find that Mercy walks hand in hand yi'ii\i Judgment

Ordinances relative to strayed cattle and lost goods, 1-3. Humanity to oppressed cattle, 4. Men and women shall not tvear each other's apparel, 5. No bird shall be taken with her nest of eggs or youn^ ones, 6, 7. Battlements must be made on the roofs of houses, 8. Improper mixtures to he avoided, 9-11. Fringes on the garments, 12. Case of the hated wife, and the tokens of virginity, and the proceedings thereon, 13-21. The adulterer and adulteress to be put to death, 22. Case of the betrothed damsel corrupted in the city, 23, 24. Cases of rape and the punishment, 25-27; of fornication, 28, 29. No man shall take his father'' s wife, 30.

^^^''^- astray, and ^hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

2 And if thy brother he not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do

Verse 1. Thou shalt not see thy brother'' s ox or his sheep go astray] The same humane, merciful, and wise regulations which we met with before, Exod. xxiii. 4, 5, well calculated to keep in remembrance the second grand branch of the law of God, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. A humane man cannot bear to see even an ass fall under his burden, and not endeavour to relieve him; and a man who loves his neighbour as himself cannot see bis property in danger without endeavouring to preserve it. These comparatively small matters were tests and proofs of matters great in themselves, and in their consequences. See the note on Exod. xxiii. 4.

Verse 3. Thou may est not hide thyself] Thou shalt not keep out of the way of affording help, nor pretend thou didst not see occasion to render thy neighbour any service. The priest and the Levite, when they saw the wounded man, passed by on the other side of the way, Luke x. 31, 32. This was a notorious breach of the merciful law mentioned above.

4 " Thou shalt not see thy bro- ^^^''^- ther's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

6 If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, luhether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs,

Verse 5. The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man] "^21 ''/D keligeber, the instruments or arms of a man. As the word 1DJ geber is here used, which properly signifies a strong man or man of ivar, it is very probable that armour is here intended; especially as we know that in the worship of Venus, to which that of Astarte or Ashtaroth among the Canaanites bore a striking resemblance, the women were accustomed to appear in armour before her. It certainly cannot mean a simple change of dress, whereby the men might pass for women, and vice versa- This would have been impossible in those countries where the dress of the sexes had but little to distinguish it, and where every man wore a long beard. It is, however, a very good general precept understood literally, and applies particularly to those countries where the dress alone distinguishes between the male and the female. The close-shaved gentleman may at any time appear like a woman in the female dress, and the woman appear as a man in the male's attire. Were this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the greatest

let the dam go, and take the young to thee; * that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8 When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

9 '"Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the ^ fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

10^ Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together.

1 1 ' Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

confusion. Clodius, who dressed himself like a woman that he might mingle with the Roman ladies in the feast of the Bona Dca, was universally execrated. Verse 7. Thou shall — let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee^ This passage may be understood literally. If they destroyed both young and old, must not the breed soon fail, and would it not in the end be ill with them; and by thus cutting off the means of their continual support, must not their days be shortened on the land ^ But we may look for a humane precept in this law. The young never knew the sweets of liberty; the dam did: they might be taken and used for any lawful purpose, but the dam must not be brought into a state of captivity. They who can act otherwise must be either very inconsiderate or devoid of feeling; and such persons can never be objects of God's peculiar care and attention, and therefore need not expect that it shall be well with them, or that they shall prolong their days on the earth. Every thing contrary to the spirit of mercy and kindness the ever blessed God has in utter abhorrence. And we should remember a fact, that he who can exercise cruelty towards a sparrow or a wren, will, when circumstances are favourable, be cruel to his fellow creatures. The poet Phocylides has a maxim in his admonitory poem very similar to that in the sacred text: —

Verse 8. A battlement for thy roof] Houses in the East are in general built with flat roofs, and on them men walk to enjoy the fresh air, converse together, sleep, &c.; it was therefore necessary to have a sort of battlement or balustrade to prevent persons from falling off. If a man neglected to make a sufficient defence against such accidents, and the death of an-

1 3 If any man take a wife, and " go in unto her, and hate her,

14 And give occasion of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

1 5 Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:

16 And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;

1 7 And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech

other was occasioned by it, the owner of the house must be considered in the light of a murderer.

Verse 10. Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass] It is generally supposed that mixtures of different sorts in seed, breed, &c., were employed for superstitious purposes, and therefore prohibited in this law. It is more likely, however, that there was a physical reason for this; two beasts of a different species cannot associate comfortably together, and on this ground never pull pleasantly either in cart or plough; and every farmer knows that it is of considerable consequence to the comfort of the cattle to put those together that have an affection for each other. This may be very frequently remarked in certain cattle, which, on this account, are termed true yoke-fellows. After all, it is very probable that the general design was to prevent improper alliances in civil and religious life. And to this St. Paul seems evidently to refer, 2 Cor. vi. 14: Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers; which is simply to be understood as prohibiting all intercourse between Christians and idolaters in social, matrimonial, and religious life. And to teach the Jews the propriety of this, a variety of precepts relative to improper and heterogeneous mixtures were interspersed through their law, so that in civil and do mestic life they might have them ever before their eyes.

Verse 15. Tokens oi the damseVs virginity] This was a perfectly possible case in all places where girls were married at ten, twelve, and fourteen years of age, which is frequent in the East. I have known several instances of persons having had two or three children at separate births before they were fourteen years of age. Such tokens, therefore, as the text speaks of, must be infallibly exhibited by females so very young on the consummation of their marriage.

Verse 17. They shall spread the cloth, <^c.] A usage of this kind argues a roughness of manners which

the cloth before the elders of the city.

18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;

1 9 And they shall amerce him in a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:

21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath ^ wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: ° so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

22 P If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

23 If a damsel that is a virgin be i betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

would ill comport with the refinement of European ideas on so delicate a subject. Attempts have been made to show that the law here is to be understood | metaphorically; but they so perfectly fail to establish any thing like probability, that it would be wasting my own and my reader's time to detail them. A custom similar to that above is observed among the Mohammedans to the present day.

Verse 22. Shall both of them die] Thus we find that in the most ancient of all laws adultery was punished with death in both the parties.

Verse 25. And the man force her] A ra^^e also, by these ancient institutions, was punished with death, because a woman's honour was considered equally as

24 Then shall ye bring them A. M. 2553. both out unto the gate of that a^'e^'. is1?40. city, and ye shall stone them

with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath 'humbled his neighbour's wife: « so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man ^ force her, and lie with her: then the man only that "ky with her shall die:

26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:

27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

28 " If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; '■' because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

30 "^ A man shall not take his father's wife, nor ^ discover his father's skirt.

precious as her life; therefore the same punishment was inflicted on the ravisher as upon the murderer. This offence is considered in the same point of view in the British laws, and by them also it is punished with death.

Verse 30. A man shall not take his father'' s wife] This is to be understood as referring to the case of a stepmother. A man in his old age may have married a young wife, and on his dying, his son by a former wife may desire to espouse her: this the law prohibits. It was probably on pretence of having broken this law, that Solomon put his brother Adonijah to death, because he had desired to have his father's concubine to wife, 1 Kings ii. 13-25