THE SECOND COMStANDHENT.
Against making and worAipping image*,' Verse 4. T^fkm sftofl not make unto thee any grentn imofs] As the word Sea jx*ei signifies to h^, grave, Ac it may here signify any kind of image, either of wood, stone, or metal, on which the axe, the oAtfs^ or the graving tool has been employed. Hue commandment itieludea in Its prohibitions every spsraes^ t(Ma^^ to have been practised among ihe EgyptiaiiB. The raadar will see this the more plainly, by consulting the notea on the ten plague*, particularly those on ch. xii.
Or any uJceneu, &c] To know the fitll spirit and ax* tent of this commandment, this place must be collated with DeuL iv. 15, &C. Take ye th*r^ore good heed unto your' *flve*, leal ye corp^ yowtehe*, and make you agroteon image, the eimilitud* ^ any figure, the likme** ^ mJOM or r-KHAUL All who have even the slightest aoquuoiaaoe with the ancient history of Egypt, know that Oairia, and his wiffe Uia, were supreme diviDities among that people.
The likenee* qf any beiut — nans 6eA«mu, aueh as Uw Of. and the Aei/er. Among the Ekyptiana, lbs (a waa Dot only sacredj but adored, because they supposed that in oaa of these antmals Osaris took up his reoklmea: bauee tbcry alwm had a living ox, which they supposed to be the babitatum of this deity; and thev imagined that on die dsalh of coie, heenterad into the body of another, and ao on ase* cesKvely. tliia &iBoua ut-god they ealtod Apt* and Jt&evia.
TTte Ukeneaa any winged /otri—tha iUo, la aloti, or crane, and AaioA^ may be here iotended; for all theae were objeets of Egyptian idolatry.
Tike liAwttsss any Aing that cuspctb — The eraoodUe, oerpenio, the acoro&eus or beetle, were all ol^octM oS their adoration: and Mr. Bryant faasn»idered itveiy profaa* ble that even the^ro^ itself was a sacred asimaJ, as from ita infiaiion it was emblematic of the prophetic ioduence; for tliey supposed (hat the Rod it\flated, or iotended the body of the pwson, by whom he gave oracular answers.
The likme** of any nsa — ^All fi»h were esteemed sacred animals among the Egrptions. Oae-callcd Oxurunthua, had, according to Stntoo^ lib. xvii. a temple, and divine honours paid to iu Another fish called Pkagruo, was worshipped at Sj/me, occordiiw to Clemen* Ataieandrinua in nis Cohorlatio- And the I/tpidotu* and esl were objects of their adoration, as we find from Htrodotua, lib. ii. chap. 72. In short, ojrcn, h^era, Aeep, goat*, lion*, doga, monkeya, and eat*; the tin*, the cran^ ana the hawK! the eroeoaile, terpenta, frog*, ^iea, and the aearabeuB, or beetle; the Nile, and its Asa; the sun, ffloon, platnti*, aod etara i fire, light, air, darhuaa, and ni^it, were all objects of Egyptian idolatry, and all included in this very ttrcumatantuU prohibition, as detailed in Deuteronomy; and very forcibly in the general terms of tha text, That sftott not nuift«uRtoAssany proven tmagv, or any liken*** qf any thing thai i* in theunAmn t:Am>e,or thatiainlheunrH beneath, or that ia in the WAmmuIer the torth. And the reason of this becomes self-evident, when the various objecu of Egyptian idolatry are considered.
TUa oommandmMtt also prohibits every species of external idolatry, as dtajir««doea all idolauy, thai may ba colled intamaim mmSaL All faloa worah^ may baeoasidered of this kind; together widi all ima^ worahip, and all other supentitioua riteaand eoremomos. See ma note on ver. 23.
Verse 6. Jealou* Ood\ This showa^ in a most ezpfea* sive manner, the love of God to this people. He felt fbr them, as the most afiectiooate husband could do for hia OKiuse; and wasjeo&nu for their fideli^ibecauaebewilkd tneir invariable lu^bieas.
Viaiting th* inimsiiy qf ihe father* upon the cftfUrsnJ This necessarily imphea—tr th* children walk in th* *tep* ih^fath*rt. For no man can be ciRidemned by divine justice for a crime of which he was never gu>It7> see Eiek. xviii. Idolatry is, however, particularly intended; and viaiting sins of this kind, refers prinoipally to nationai judgment*. By widldrawing the divine protection, the idolatrous Israelites were deliverad up into the hands of their enemies, from whom, the nida, m whom dm tad trtiBlad, oeold not deliver them. lUa, Ood did to 255 f-^ I
6 Avi *BhowiBg merer unto thooMUods, of them that love me. and keep my commandin ants.
7 >> Thou dialt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord ' wfli net hold him gniltlees, that taketh hie name in vain.
3 ^Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 ■ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy
10 But the ' Beventh day, i» the 'sahbath of
the LoBD thy OoA: in it thou ahalt net do say work, thou, nor thv bod, nor thy daughter, tlgr man-servant, nor tfay maid-eervant, nor thy cu* tie, ' Dor thy stranger that is within thy;*ateB:
11 For *^in eix days, the Lord laaAc heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them r*. and rested the seventh day: wherefore, the Lord blesaed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 1 1 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be loog upon the land whica tbm Lord thy God giveth thee.
the Hard ami fourth generation, j. e. suec«»»iveh/ 1 u my be Men in ev«ry psrt of the Jewish history, nad puticiuBrly in the book tif Jadgea. And thii, u lut, became the gr«B^ And ihe oaly effectual end luting meana, in hie at their final delivemnce from idotstry; for it ia well haovB, dut after the BaWloniah captivi^ the btwlitee vere wo completely Mved from idol&try, aa never more to have diignced themaelvee bv f t, aa they liad formerly done, l^wse natioul judgmenti, tntis eondnued from generation u> generation, aroMur to be what are designed by the words in the text, Flnnnf A* aftw sfOufaOin upon Aa thUdrtM, Ac
Veree 6. And ikowing mercy unto thamanda] Mark: even thoee who love Qod, and keep hia commandment^ merit nothing from him; and therefore the aalvntion ana bleaaedneas it^ich theae enjoy, oome from the mercy of Gsdi Skewing mercy, Ac. What a diaproportion betwaMI (hs wtma of ^laftee and mercy/ Justice vorka to the Aird or fourih, mercy to thousand* of generatione!
TTuU Una me, and keep my cammandmenU.] It waa dkis that eauaed ChnK to compriae the fulfilment of the whole Law in lave to God and man, aee the note on ver.
1. And as love ia the grand principle of obedience, and the only inemttive to i^ ao there can be no obedMtice without it It would bemoreea^, even in Egyptian bondage, to mi^ Iwiek widuut atnw, than to do uie will of Ood, nnksa bis kve be dwd abroM in the heart br the Holy Spirit. LoM, wmt Oh i^oMl^ it A» fli^tttng ttf the Imh Bxan. zUL 10.
THB THIBD OOHMAIfDmiT.
YsrseT. TTtouAaU not take Aanatna iff Ael^ordOty Ood in vain] Thia precept not only foririda Mfaiae aaOia, but all common awearing when the name of God ia used, or where he is appealed to, aa a witnen of the truth. It also necessarily lorbids all tight and jrreeermf mention God, or any of hia attributes; and tbi% the original word tnorV UtMiave, particularly imports i and we may ■afoly add to all thme, that every prayer, efaculatum, dbe. that IB not accompanied with daifp revarmea, and dta 4fenuine apirit of puiy, ia here oofidemiied also. In now many thouaaods of inatancea is this commandment broken in the »ray«r«, whether read or extempore, of inconsiderate, bold, and preaumptuous wor^ippera t And how few are there who do not break it, both m their public ajid private devotions I How low ia piety, when we are obli^, in order to escape damnation, to pray to Gkkl to " paraoo Ihe aina of mthohfAinga."
Tha Lard wHl net had htm gviltUat, &e.] Whatever tfte pmon himaelf nan dunk cr hope, however he may plmd in hia own behalf and say he intends no evil, &e. if he) in any of the above ways, or in any other way, takea tha noma iff CM in vain, God will not hold him miU- Ua* — he will account bkn gvilty, and puniah him.for it. Ia it neeeaaaiy to si^ to any truly spiritual mind, that all stieliiBlsrjeetiona^asOGFad/n^Gm/ goodChodigood Baavanal dbc &c. are formal, positive breaches of thia lawl Hownany, who paaa fax OMitian^ are hi^y crimiiial here I
Against prtifanation of the aahbath, and idUntaa on the ofJier doi/a of the uaafc. Terae 8. Ramtmher the aabbath-day, to keep it holy.] See ^at has been already said on this precept, Gen. ii.
2. and elsewhere. A* thia was the moat ancient matitution, God calla them to r^meiRAer it; as if he had eaid, do not forget that whet) I had finiahed my creation, I inatitatad tha aabbath, and raman^er why I did ao, Ukd for what purpoaea. The word naw ahabaA, signifies real, or cataanon from loteitr sod the sanetiiBeMion of lbs seventh d^Ti niwnaoded hndnp Bonslhiag r*f»Mm^^ it, and so indeed it haa, for it typifies the real vhieh romaina for Aa people cf Ood, and in this light, it evidouly appears to nave been understood by die apoitl^ iv. Becauae diia comraROdment haa not been particularly mentioned in tlie New Teatament, aa a stonl precept, binding on all; therefne some have presus^cooualy inforred, that there is no aahboA under the Chria' tian diapeiuation. The truth is, the sabbath ia conaidored aa a type — oil types are of fiill force, till the thing signified by them, takes place: but the thing signified by the aabbath, is that reat in g'loryvhidi remain* for the people of God) therefore the moral obligation of d>e aabbath mist continue till time be swallowed up in etemi^.
Verse 9. SlbrdayasftattAouiaeoitr] Thwefue hewbe idles away time on taj of die aix dava, is aa guilty before Ood, as he who works on the sabfaatn. No work alwiuld be done on the aabbath that con be done on the preceding days, or can be deforTcd to the auceeeding tmes. WoHks of abaolute naeeaaity and mercy are alone excepted. Ho who works by hia aervanta or eaitl^ ia equally Ruilty nm if he worked himself. String oui horaea, dte. for p»a«- ure or buaineaa, going on joumeya, paying vordty viaiia, or taking Jaunta on the Lord's day, are breachea of thia law. The whole of it ahouM be devoted to die real t^fthatoc^, and the improvenuat of the mind. God says Jwftos halloaed ft— he has made it Mwrad^ and set U apart for lb» above purpoaea. It ia therefore ma moat proper Aaf te publio religious woniupi,
THi nFTH oOMMainncBn. Against <li«rMp«d; and diaobadianee to pafanta. Verse 12. Honour tAy father and thy mottcrj Tlicre is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parent^ that no person else can properly claim. For a considerable time parents stand, as it were, in the place ot God lo their children: and therefore, rebellion against their lawful commands, haa been considered as rebellion against God. Thia precept, therefore, prohibits not only all inhirious acts, irreverent and unkind speeches to parents; but enioina all neeeaaaiy acta of kindneaa, filial reaped and obeoience. We can scarcdy suppoae dial a man konour* hit paienta, whos When they fiul weak, tdind, or aick, does ikot exert himself to the nttwmoat in their Mi;^>orL In auch eaaea, God aa truly requires the children to propidc for their porenta, aa he required the perenta to feed, nouriah, support, inatruet, and defend the ohildreii, when they were in the loweat atate of helpless infon^. See the noCa cm Gen, xlviii. 12. The rawna aur, ffonotir the Lont viA Ay mMofu^Prov. iii. 9. and Hanour Oa/faOur ai^d moner. Loan ia to be honoorei^ if lEmi have it: thy father and mother, whether thou have it or oot; for if thsu have nothing, ihou art bound to beg for theni- Bee AinatoorA.
That Ay day may he long'\ llda, aa the apostle ob- Bcrres, l^mes. vi. 2. is /Ae Jlrat commandmtnt to lAidt God has annexed a promtM; aiid therefore, we may learn in aome measure, how important the duty ia in the st^t of Ood. In Deut v. 16. it is said. And that it may g» veil toiA thee; we may therefore conclude, that it wiU go iU with the disobedient; and Uiere ia no doubt, that vm untimely deatha of many young persons were the judicial consequence of their djacAedience to their parenta. Host who come to an untimely end, are obliged to confess, thai Aia, with &a breoA ef Aa aabbath, were the principal causes of their ruin. Reader I art thou guilty 1 Humble thyself therefore, before God, and repent. 1. Aa ehUdrtn are bound to succour dwir parenta; so parentf are Ixxmd to edu<Sats and instruct their children in all uaefol and d»- ccasary knowledge; and not lo bring them up either is ignoranea or idlentaa. %. They aliouJd teach their children the fear and knowledga of Ood, far how esn ilwy espect aflbetion or dutifol leqieet from thoae, who have not tba fear af Ood before Aeir eyeal Hmm who an tsK aAisatai; are gensiaUy lbs mosi AiiyU.
14 I Thou shalt not commit apolteiy.
15 " Thou ehalt not Bteal.
16 ■ Thou Shalt not bear falae witnesB against llw neighboar.
17 * Thou shalt not covet thy neighoour'i houBC, P thou ehalt not covet thy neighbour'i wife, nor his man-Bcrvant, nor hie maid-servant, nor his oi, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour
18 T And '> all the peoide ^ saw the thunderjngs, and the li^tninse, and the noise of the
AgainBt murder and cruelty. Vent 13. Utou thaU not kill] This commandment, which ie general, prohibiia murder of every kiud. 1. All atiioM by which the Uvea of our fellow-creatureB may be abridgci. 2. All vara for exteoding empira, commerce, Ac. 3. All sanguinary lam, by the opemtioo of whidi, the livn of men may be taken aw^y, for olfencei of compantively tri^ng ckroeriL 4. All oad diposUumsj which Mad men to wish evil to, or meditate mischief aoaiost one another; for, says tt^ Scripture, He that kattm hia bra- Mtf, in hia heart, u a murktrer. 6. AU want tif diaiHty to the helpleu and distressed; for he who has it in hu power to save the life <^ another, by a timely application of succour, food, raiment, &c. and does not do it; and the lUe of the person either Jail*, or is abridged on this aceoust, be is, in the sight of Ood, a vntrdirar. He who B^ects to save life, is, according to an incontrovertibls maxim in lute, the sabu as he who lakes it awny. 6. All riot and &rceu, all drunkenneaa and gluttony, all inac- HvUy wad alotMultuta, and all mperstitioua mort^ficatUmMund aelf-amiaJM, by which lite may be destroyed or dwrtened; all tfaew are point-blank sins against the rixlh eommaadment.
Against adultery and tmeleannetM. Verse 14. TTum shall not commit adullery-l.Adultery, u defined by our laws, is of two kinds: douoU, when between two married persons: Mingle, when one of the par* ties is married, the other single. One principal part of die crinUnalUu of adultery consists in its injuatice. 1. It robs a man of nis right, by taking from him the t^ffietion of his wife. 2. It does him a ttrong, by fathering on him, and obliging him to maintain, aa hia own, a spurious ofT-
Sring, a rhild which is not his. The act itself, and everv ing leading to the act, is prohibited by this commandment; for our Lord says, even he who looks on a woman to lust after her, haa already committed adutlery with her in Am heart. And not only adtiUtry, (tlie tuUawful commerce between two married persoiu) » forbidden here, but also fomieation, and all kinds of mental and sensual uocleanitesa. All impure books, songs, paintings, &c. which tend to InAame and debauch the mind, are a^inst this law; as well as another species of impuri^, tor the account of which the reader is referred to the notes on Oen. xxjcviii. at the end. AdtiUtr^ often means idolatry in the worship of Qod.
TU BiaRTn OOMMAlfDMBIfT.
Against stealing and dishoneHy. Verw IS. TViou shall not steal\ All rapine and Oiejt mst foriiidden by this precept; as well national and eomifurnat wrongs, as petty larceny, highway robberies, ojid private stealing:— even the taking advantage of a seller's or buyer's ignorancp, to give tlie one lest, and make Iho other pay more, for a commodity than its worth, is a breach of this sacred law. All vithhMding rl^ta, and doin^ qf wrongs, are a^inst the spirit of it. But the word is principally applicable to clandestine stealing, though it may imdoubtodly itulude all polUieat injustice and private wonrt. And consequently all kidnapping, crimping, and uaet-deaiing are pndtibited here, whether praclis^ by individuals or by the state. Crimes are not leffKoed in their demerit by the number or political importance of thoM who commit them. A «faf« that enacts bad laws, is as criminal before Qod, as the individual who breaks goodmes.
It has been supposed, that under the eighth commandmeat, ii^jaries done to eharaeter, the dejntting a man of
trumpet, and the mountain ■ Bmoktng: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off:,,
19 And they said unto Moses, ' Speak then with UB, and we will hear: but "let not God speak with us, lest we die.
30 And Moses said unto the people, * Fear not: for • Grod is come to prove you, and that hia fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
21 And the people etood afar off, and Moses drew near unto y tne thick darkness, where God
his reputaliojt or good name, are included t heaoe those words of one of our poets;
Ooad MMC!■ wmn or waDu.— ti IlK imniBlM* >nrd cf (brit Mia i Wbo •CBff niT pune, Keak tfaA >— BmheiimtJUeitm/romammtgMintm, Bvta at III (tut wlncli uM cuMiM likn, itad uSa u pooiodHd I
THr KINTH COMMAICDMEWT.
Vereeie. 7%ousftaUno<6M«-/absi0fbiM^ Ac] Not only false oaths, to deprive a man of his l^s, or of his right, are here prohibited, but all vhispering, tah-bearing, slander, and calumny; in a word, whMever ie deposed Bs a truth, which is liidBe in bet, and tends to injurs another in his goods, person, or character, ie against the spirit and Utter of tnis law. Suppressing the truth, when known, by which a person may be defrauded of his prmvfy or his goad name, or lis under injmieB or di»- aUuties which a discovery of the truth would have prevented, is also a crime sgtunat this law. He who bears a /alae testimony against, or belies even the devil himself cornea under the curie of this law, because faA testimony is fals*. By the tern •n^^hour, any human beii^f is inunded, whether he rank among our enemsef mfriunia.
Against coiiebnim«fs. Verse 17. Thou ^tali nU covet thy luighbour's house — wife, &c.] Covet signifies to desire, or long after, in order to enjoy as a.prvperty, the person or tiling coveted. He breaks this commai^ who by any meaDs endeavours to deprive a man of hia kouso at farm by taking ihem over his baad, as it is szpressed in some countries— who hurts after his oeisbbours wifii, and endeavours to ineiatiata himself into ner affections, and to lessen her husband, in her esteem — end who endeavours to possess himself of the servants, cattle, &«. of another in any ctandesline or unjustifiable man DOT. "Tliia \a a most excellent moral precept; the observance of u hich will prevent all publie crimes: for he who feels the force of the law, that prohibits the inordinate desire of any thing lliat is the property oS another, can never make a breach in die peace of society, bv an aa (tf wrong to any of even ita feeblest members.
Verse 18. And all the people aaw the Umnderings, SuiJ] Hiey hod witnessed all these awful things before, see chap. xix. 16. but Aers thev seem to have been repeated— probably at the end of each command, there was a peal of thunder, a blast of the trumpet, and « gleam of l^toing,' to impress their hearts the more deeply with a due sense of the divine majesty, of the holiness of the law which was now delivered, and of the fearful consequences of disobedience. This had Uie desired effect; the people w»e impressed wiih a deep retieious fenr, and a terror of God's judgments; acknowledged Uiemselves perfectly satined with the discoveries God had mode of himself; and requested that Moses might be consiilated the mediator between God and them, as they were not able to bear these tremendous discoveries of ilie divine majesty. " Speak ffwuvithua, and we will hear: bulletnot God speak with us lest we die:" ver. 19. This leaches us the absolute necessity of that great Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus; as no man can come un{0 ibe Fadier but by him..
Verse 20. Atid Moses said — Fear not i Jor Ood it come to prove you, and tlnU his fear may be before yvur /acts] The maxim contained in this verse is, /ear not, that ye may fear: do not fear with such a Gear as brings oOHsternaiton into the soul, and produces nothiog but terror and confusion; but fear with that /ear whim r«r* cranes and jVial affection inspire, that ye ftn mrt; that
22 1[ And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou ehalt say unto the children of lerael, Ye liave Been that I have talked with you ■from heaven.
23 Ye shall not make with me, 'gode of silver, neither ehnll ye make unto you ewa of g^ld.
24 IT An alfar of earth thou slialt make unto me, and ahalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peaco-oCTerings, *> thy aheep and
through the love and reverence ye feel to your Mftker and Sovereign, ye may abBlain from every appearance of evil, lest you should forfeit that love which ii lo you better 4han life. He who fears in the ^r»t sense, can neither love nor gbeif! he who/car* nof in the latter sense, is sure to &I1 tuMer the first temptation that may occur. Blessed u the man who thus feareih tUicatfe.
Verse 22. I have talked wUh you /ram heaven] "nioiieh God manifealed himself by the ^re, the Itghinin^, £e earthyuakey the thick darimeee, &c. yet the ten -aortte or eommandmente, were prtriMblv uttered frcnn the higher regions of the air, which would be an additional proof to the people that there was no imposture in this case; for though Btranse appearances and voices might be counterfeited on earth, as was often, no doubt, done by the magicians of E^ypt; jret it would be utterly impossible to represent a voice, in a long-coatinued senes of^ instruction, as proceeding from he«,ven itself, or the higher r^ons of the atmosphere. Tbia, with the eorthquuke an4 repeated thundery §ee on ver. 18. would put the reatUy of this whole procedure beyood all doubt; and this enabled Moses, Deut. V. 16. to unake such ao appeal to the people on a faot incontrovertible, and of infinite impMtance, that Ood had indeed talked with them face to face.
Verse 23. Ye shall not make with me gods qf silver] Tbia «zpresm<»iB here are very reinarksble. Bofbre, it was mad. Ye shall have no other gods bspokb me, ^jb Vjr at pawti, ver. 3. Here they are commanded, Ye ahatl not make gods of silver or gold, '•i^x Hi, with me, as emblems or rtpresaiiatives of God. in order, as might be pretended, to keep these displays of his magnificence in memory; on the contrary, he would have only an aUar iff earth, of plain tittf, on whitdi they ritould ofo dwae sacrifices, by v^tiflh th^ riioiild commemorate iheir own guilt, and ttie aaaessity of an Monement to reconcile themselves to God. See the note oa ver. 4.
Verso 24, Thy burnt-offerings and thy peace-offerings'\ Hie law concerning which, was shortly to be given, Ibouri) sacrifices of this kind were in use from the days of Abei:
in ail places vhert I record my name] Wherever I am worshippod, whether in the open wilderness, at the tabernacle, in the temple, the synagogue, or elsewhere, / will come unto thee and bless thee. These words are precisely the same in signification widi those of our Lord, Hatl. xviii. 20. F\)r wA*re two or three are gathered together i% my name, there am I in the midst ^ them. And it was JBSU9^ who was the angel that spoke to them in the wilderness. Acts vii. 38. from the same mouth this promise in the £>aw, and OuU in the Gospel proceeded.
Verse 26. TTum shalt not build it of hewn stone] Because they were now in a wandering state, and had as yet ao fixed residence; and therefore no time should be wasted ia rear costly altan, which could not be transported with Ann, mA whtdi they must' soon leave. Besidei^ they muBl not lanrish skill or expense on the construction of an altar) the altar, of itself,' whether costly or mean, was nothing In the worship: it was only the place, on which the victim should be laid, and their mind must be attentively fixed on that Ood, to whom ^e sacrifice was offered, and on the sacrifice itself, as that appointed by the Lord lo make an atonement for th«r sins.
Verse 26. Neither shalt ihmt go up by steps unto my aUar\ T^e word aliar, comes from aittus, high or elevated, though the "Hebrew word naiD mizbeadi, from nai zabaeh, to stay, kill, Am. signifies merely a j^aee for saerifiee: see Gen. zviii, 20. But the heathens, who imitaled the rites M the Uue Ood' in their idolatrous worship, made their •Itars very high; whence tbey derived their name altaria, titare, i. e. very high or elevated places; which they built ihus, partly thronpi pride and Vhhi-glmy, and partly that dieir godl mi^t the better hear them. Hence also the high plaees or idolatrous altars, so often and so severely eondeE^ned in the Holy Scriptures. The heathens mode mtOM trf (heir altars excessively high; and some imagine that the pyramids were altars of Oiis kind, and that the 368 -
thine oxen: in all * places, where I record my name, I will come unto thee, and wilt <■ bless thee.
25 And ■ if thon wilt make me an altar oC stone, thou shalt not ''build it of hewn stone; for ifthou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
26 Neither shatt thou go up by steps, onto mine altar, ■ that thy nakedness be not discovered
inspired writer refers to those, in these prohibitions. God therefore ordered his altars to be made, I. Eithar of simple tur£ that there ml^t be no unnecessary expense, u^iok in meir present cvcumstances, the people could not w^ afford; and that they might be no incentives to idolatry from their costly or curious structure: or, 2. Of unhewn stone, that no images of aiiimals or of the celestial bodiea mi<;ht be sculptured on them, as was the case among tlw idolaters, and especially among the Egyptians, as several of their ancient altars which remain to the present day, amply testify; which altars themselves, and the images carvM on them, became, in process of time, incentivea to idotatty, and even objects of worship. In idiort, God formed every i«rt of his worship so, that every thing belongrog to it mi^t be as dissimilar as possible, from that of ihe surrounding heathenish nations, and especially the Gtqrptians, from whose land they had just now deparledL This seems to have been the whole desi^ of those statute^ on whieh many commentators have written sO laniely and learnedly, imagining difficultiea, when probably there are none. 1?he a/tov of the tabunacle were of a diflbeot kind.
hi this and the preceding chapter, we have met vit& some of the most awful displays a[ the Divine majesty ^~ manifestations of justice and holiness, which have bsid bo
E&rallef, and can nave none, till that day arrive, in ^riiidi e shall appear in his gloiy, to indge the quidt and dM dead. The glory was truly terrible, and to the children of Israel insufferable: and yet bow highly privileged to have God himself speaking to them from the midat of the fire, giving them itacutea and judgment^ ao rig^teou^ so pure, BO holy, and so truly excellent in their operatkn and their end, that they have been the admifatMn of iJl the wise and upright, in all countries and mm of die world, where their voice has been heard. Mohammed defied all the poets and literati of Arabia to match the fanguage of the Kor&n: and for purity, el^anco, and dignity, it bore away the palm, and remained unriv&ll«d« Thin indeed, was the only ad%-anta^ which the work d»- rived from its rnilhor; for its other excellencies, it waa indebted to Moses aiid the prophets, to Christ and the apostles t as thore is scarcely a pure, consistent, ibeoUt^ cat notion in it, that has not been borrowed from our saered books. Moses calls the attention of the people not to the language in which these divine laws were giveix though that is all that it should be, and every way worthy of ita author; coniprcseed yet perspicuous; eimpte vetdi^ified; in short, such as Goa should speak if he wished his creatures to comprehend; but he calls their attention to the purity, righteousness, and usefulness of the grsnd revelation which they had just received. For what notion, saya he, is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them om Jehovah our God is, in all Aings that we call upon Urn for? And vhat nation hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all ttus lowtoUcft Isel before you this day? And that which was the sum of all excellency in the present case was this, that the God n ho gave these la.ws dweh among his people; to him they had continual aceen^ and from hira received that po\i'cr, without which, obedience, 80 extensive and so holy, would have been inmoesible: and yet not one of these laws exacted more man etmta] reason, the nature and fimess of things, the promperity of the community, and tlw peu» and Esppineaa of the individual required. Tlie law isholy, ana As ccnf
To show still more clearly the excellence and gnat utility of tlie ten commandments, and to correct some miataken notions concerning them, it may be necessary to make a few additional observations. And, 1. It is worthy of remark, that there is none of these commandmeats^ mv any part of one, which can fairly be considered aa nen^ ceremonttU. At) are moraJ; ana consequently of everlasting obligation. 2. When considered merely as to die Itt-
Iler, there is certainly no difficulty in the moral obedsexkca required to them. Let every reader take them up uka one, and ask hia conscience befiDia Ood, whi^ a ifaem lia
■ wilt H> ■xriLo.k vlin Ub, bMb •haiU (n ow od ibt AismiJt jn but Kinii him ■ wtt. and iht tan Mm cMIdnn, he ndflii I*)
2 ' ir thoa boy a Hebrew Aervant, six years he shall serve: and in the Beventh, he shaQ go out free for nothing.
u nader a fiUat aod iinocnfroUaAI« rueatUv to break? 3. Though by the incarnation tad death of dnrut, nil die tar«iiunual law, which referred to him and him ■ocrifice, ii aecenarily abrogated; yet as none of these ion commandtnents refers to aay thing properly uremoniot, therefore Ihay are not abrogated. 4. Though CtiriaC caioe into the \rorld to redeem Uiem who believe from llie curse of the law, be did not redeem them from the neceaaity of ioalking in that naenettqf life, which these commandments M ■tronKly inculcate. S. liunigh Christ is taid to have JuyUled Oie tav for us, yet it is nowliere inti[iiat«d in the Scripturt, that he haa so fulfilled these tek uwa, aa to exempt us from the tweeanty and yriviUge at being no idoloun, sweaiera^ sabbath -breakers, diadwdient and cruel children, murderers, adulterers, thieves, and cornipt witnesses. Al) these commandments, it is true, he punctually (iilfUled himself; and all these he writes on the heart of every soul redeemed by his blood. 6. Do not tboae wlio acruple not to insinuate^ that the proper observation of theae laws is iamuMt in thU life, and that every man •iTue the fall doa daily brtak Mm in Bwwht, wrd. and dkad, bsar false witneaa against God and nis truth 1 •od do they not greatly err, not knaieing the teripture, which teai»es the necessity of such obedience; nor the pow*r ^ God, by which toe evil principle of the heart is deatroTU, and the law of purity written on tlie soul 1 If even the re^erurate man, as some have unwarily assencd, does daily break that eommanda, diese ten words, in thought, wimt, and dudy he may beaa faad os Salart, for Hgbt we know; for Satan himaelf cannot transgress in ttkonXffrmM than ilifse: for sin con be committed ia no other way, either by bodied or disembodied sjiirits, iJian hy Amtgkt, 01 wtrd, OT (Ited. Such sayings oh these tend to deoUtiy the distinction between good a^a evil, and leare the infidel and (he believer on a par as to their moral sUte. The people of God should be careful how they use them. 7. Il must be granted, and indeed baa sufficiently appeared from the preceding exposition of these commandments, dial tber are not only lo be understood in the tetter, but •lao in the tpirit; and that therefore they may be broken in the Asarf, while outiran^/y kept inviolate: yet this cannotworve, (hat a soul influenced by the graoe and Spirit of <Arist cannot most coiucientiously OMerve them; fbr Ae gmee of the Gospel not only saves a man from outboard, but also from inaard sin; — for, txya the heavenly nessengcr. Aw name ihall be called Jaane, (i. e. Saviour) b^eauMe Ai ^tall tare (i. e. dclives) hi* people pbom tk^r tint, llierefare the weakness or corruption of human nature forma no ai^ument here, becfniaa tlte blood of Cbriat cleanses from all unrighteousneas: and he aaves to the uttermost all who come unto the Father through him. It is dierefbre readily granted, no man, unaetialed and uniHftuenetd by the grace of Clirist, can keep these commandments eiiher in the letter or in the tpirit; Inii he who ia trulr converted to God, and has Chnst dwelling in hia heart by fiiith, eon in the letter and in the sstVt^ do all iheMthinj^aacAiresCaauTaTaayoTHKNBAini. Reader, the fctlowmg ia a good prayer, and ofieatimes thou hast aaid itt now learn to pray it; " Lord, liave mercy upon ua, and in-line our hearts to keep these laws! Loid, have BMrey upon ua, and write all these thy laws in our heart*^ we beaeech thee V Commtinum Serviee,
NOTES ON CfHAPTER XXI. Tarae 1. Sow tkae are tht Judgments} There is so WmIi nod tense, iieeling, humaniiy, eijuity, mkI justice, itt the bllowing htws, that they cannot nit be admired fay
3 If he came in ^ by himself, he flhall go oat bv himself: if he were married, then hia wifo
4 Iihis master have giwnhim a wife, and she have borne him sons or daughters; the wife and her children ehall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.
5 I And if the servant "shall plainlv Bay, t love my maeter, my wife, and my children; I wiU not go out free:
6 Then his master shall bring him unto the ■ jadgea; he shall al»o bring him to the door, or unto the door r^ost; and his master shall 'bore his ear through with an aw!; and he Bhall serve him for ever.
7 ^ And if a man p eetl hia daughter to be a maid-servant, "she ehall not go out vaethe menservant a do.
ever^ intelligent reader; and rhey are so very plain, as t» require very little comment Tlie laws in this chapter are termed poUlieal, those in the succeeding chapter jxididal laws; and are supposed to have been delivered to Moaea. oiott^in consequence of the request of the people, chap. XX. 19. that God should communicate hia will to HoBe% and that Moses should, as mediator, convey it to them.
Verse 2. If tkou buy a Hebrew servant] Calmet enu* meraies six different ways in whidi a Hebrew might lose his liberty: 1. In extreme ponerhf they mig^ht sell their liberty. Leviu xzv. 39. ihy onOher be waxen voar, and oe told unto Oue, &c. 2. AJatker might seu hi* Aitdren, ff aman »M hit daumter to be a moid-eer* vanf, see ver. 7. 3. ljuobtent datort became the slaves of their creditors. Jtfy kutband it dead — and the creditor it come to lake unto him my tuo sons to be bondmen, 2 Kin^ iv. 1. 4. A thief, if he hod not money to pay the fine laid on him by the law, was to be sold far his profit whom he hod robbed. If he have nothing, ihtn he thall be told for hit th0, ehap. xxii. 3,4. 5. A ife&Fst* was liable to be taken prisoner in war, and so sold for a slave. 6. A Hd>rew slav^ who had been ransomed from a Gentile by a Hebrew, mig^t be told by him who ransomed him. to one of his own nation.
Six years thall he serve] It was on excellent provision in these laws, thai no man could finally injure hmself by any ra^ foolisli, or precipitate act. m man could make himself a servant or slave for more than tsvea years ( and if he mortgaged the family inheritance it must return to the fiunQy at Hia jubilee, which raturoed every ^fiftieth year.
It is supposed that the term st:r yeart is to be understood as referring to the tabbatieal yeara; for let a man come into servitude at whatever part of the interim between two s^batical years, he could not be detained in bondage beyond a sabbatical year; so that if be fell into bondage the third year after a sabbatical year, he liad but thru yeara to serve; if the fJVt, but one. See on chap, xxiii. 11, Others suppose that ibis privilege belonged only to the year of jubilee, beyond whirh no man could be detained in bondure, though he hod been sold only one year before.
Verae 3. ^ he came in byhimteif] If he and bis wilb came in together, they were to go out toge'her i in all respects as he entered, so should he go out. Thuconsidenbtion seems to have induced St. Jerom to translate the patsage thus: Cum oiitait vette intraverat, cum.tali exeat. "He sliali have the same coat in going out, as he had when he came in; i. e. if he came in with a new on^ he should eo out with a new one, which was perfectly juat, as the fwmer coat must have been worn out in his moster'a service, and not hia own.
Verse 4. The wf/is and her thildren shall be her ffloster^t] It was a law araou^ the Hebrews, that if a Hebrew had children by a Canaaniiiah woman, tlioee children must be conaidered as Canaamtieh only, and might be wld and bm^ic, and serve for ever. Hie law here refers to aueh a case only.
Verse 6. Shall bring him unto the judret] o^nVKn ht* tl ha Eiohim, literally, to Ood i or, as the Septuagiot have it, wftt " afiTu^i*. Hill., to the judgment qf God; who condescended to dwell among his people, who determined all their dilTerences, till he bod given them laws for bU cases; and who by his omniscience brought to light the hidden things of dishonesty. See chim. xxii. 8. Bore hit tar ArotwA an awl) Thia was a eereony auffieienily signifieant, as it implied, 1. TOiat he was iaonyaumeienilysiniineant,Mitimpnea, i. inati closely oMotAaa to mat houae and fiunily^ That 1
8 If she ' please not bor master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation, he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfull/ with her.
9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her aller the manner of daughters.
10 If he take him aiMther wi/e, her food, her raiment, ■ and her duty of marnage shall he oot diminish.
11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free, without money.
12 If I He that smiteth a man, so that lie die, shall be surely put to death.
13 And " if a man lie not in wait, bat God * deliver him into his hand: then * I mil appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
14 But if a man come ■ pref5ump(uouBly upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; ^thou shalt take him IVom mme attar, that he may die.
15 T\ And he that smiteth hm father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
16 J And * he that Etealeth aman, and 'selleth him, or if he be <> found in his hand, he shall sorely be put to death.
17 If And * he that ^ curseth his fhther, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
bmnd to)uar all his router's orders, and to obej/ ihem Mtnctually. Boring of die ear was an ancient ciutom In the east. It is referred to by Jittaial— Prbr infiilt, ((a oilnm.
Cblmet quotes a saying from Pebmiiua as attesting the •ame thin»; and one fnnn Cieera in which he nUitt a Lybbm viho pretended he did not hear hjnx: "It is noL" said he, "becauu your ears are not nffieiaitfy borad." Alluding to his having been a slave.
Verse 7. ^ a man teil hia daugtUer] This the Jews allowed no man to do but is extreme distress, when he had nogoad% either moveable or immoveable leA, even to the clothes on his back; and lie had this permission only while she was unmarriageabU. It mtty appear at first view strange, that such a law should have been given j but let it be remembered, that this servitude could extend at the utmost only to tix years; and that it was nearly the same as in some cases of appreTttieakip amons us, where the parents bind the child for «even yeart, anohave £rom his master so much per week during tliat period.
Terse 9. BetraOud her to Ais wn, he AtdC tUai vUh her] He i^l give her the eame dowry he would give to one of his own daugtiten. Prom these laws we Iram, that if a man's son married his servant, by his fothar'a consent, the father was obliged to treat her in every respect M a dniighter: and if the son married another woman, as it appears he might do, ver. 10. he was oblieed to make no abatement in the privileges of the Jtret wife, either in her.food raiment, or diuy o/ marriag-e; the wtwd nriip jjnofnoA here, is the some with Sl PouVb if-iz-iMt ffie marriage debt, and with the e^BiMsr of the S^tuagint, which signifies the cohabilaiion qf man and wife.
Versell. 7Tte»e three] 1. Her.food, nittv akearak, htrjlea/i, for she must not, like a common slave, be fea merely on vegefaitu. 2, Her raimeni, her private wardrobe, with lul occasional necessary additions. And, 3. Tbt marriage debt, a due proportion of the fatubond's time and company.
Terse 13. / will appoint thee a jAace Either he Aatl JUe} From the earliest times, the nearest akin hod a right to revenge the murder of his relation; ami as this ri^t was universally acknowledged, no law was ever nude on the subject; but as this mintt be abused, and a person who had killed another aeeldentally, having had BO previous malice c^ainst him, might be put to death by the avenger of blood, am the nearest kinsman was lermea, ^erefbre Ood provided the cities of refuge to which the accidental manslayer mif^t flee, till the aibir was inquired into, and settled by the civil magistrate.
18 1[ And if men strive together, and one smite 'another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
19 If he rise afain, and walk abroad upon hia staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he ehall pay for b the loss of bis time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
20 TT And if a man smite nis servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; be shall be surely punished.
21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for > he m his money.
22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with chtld.Bo that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punched, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; ana he shall pay as the judges rferemune.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shall give life for life,
24 ' Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burniiig for borning, wonixl for woond, stripe for stripe.
26 TF And if a man smite the e^e of his scrvant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free, for bis eye*8 sake.
27 And if he smite out his man-servant's tooth.
fore the cities of refuge were assigned, the attar of Ood was the commtm asjrfifm.
Terse 16. 7^ emitOh hi» fa&er, or kia mtOher] Am audi a case a^ued peculiar depravity, therefore no mercy was to be ^own to the ctilprit.
Terse 16. He thai atealeth a man] By this law, every mon-Btealer, and eveiy receiver of the stolen pMwm, should lose his life.- do matter whether the latter stole Ote man himself or gave mroey to a tlaee-captain, or negrodealer, to steal him fbr him.
Terse 19. Shatl jtay lot the loea of hit time, and ahaO eauae him to be thoroughly healed] This was a wise and excellent institution, and moat courts of matice still regulate their decisions on such caeea by this Mosaic precepL
T«rae 21. If the slave who had been beaten by his master, died under his hand, the master was puniAed with deatlii see Oen. ix. 6, 6. But if he survived the beating a day or two, the master was not puoidied; because It mi^t be preetimed, that the man died dirougfa some odier cause. And all penal laws should be oonsUued aa fiivourably as possible to the accused.
Terae 22. And hurt a woman with child] Am a poatc riiy. among the Jews, was among the peculiar promises of their covenant, and as every man had some reason to think that the Meanah shouM spring from hia &mi)y, therefinre, any injuir done to a woman with chiM, by which die fruit of tier womb mi^t be destrc^^ waa considered a veiy heavy offence: and as the cnme ww committed prineiually asainst the husband, the decree of p<iniiihment was left to hia discretion. But if mxadd^ foilotred, i. e. if the child had been fitlly formed, and wa« Killed by this means, or the woman lost her life in consequence, then the punishment of the person was deadi, in other cases of murder: ver. 23.
Terse 24. Eye for eye] Tliis is the earlieat aceoont we have of llie Lex Tationia or law of like for Kke, which afterward prevailed, among the tSreeks and Bomans. Among the latter, it constituted a part of tfa« twdve tahlea, so famous in antiquity; but tlie punisbmeot was afterward changed to a pecuniary fine, to he levied at the discretion of die prvtor. It prevails less or mom in most civilized countries; and is fully acted upon in the fonon law, in reference to all calumniators: — Colwitnuator, «t in aetniaatione difeeerii, talionem reeipioL "If the calumniator finil in the proof of liis accusation, let him suffer the same pimishment which he wished to have inflicted upon the man whom he fiilsely accused." Nothing however of this kind was left to private rerengi: tb« magistrate awarded fhe punishment, when the fact wu proved. Otherwise the Lex Talionia would have utterH destroyed the peace cX society, and have sown the seetn of hatretl, revenge and all undtaiilableness.
S8 fif an ox gore a man or a woman, that thCT* aie: then " the ox sbaU be surely Btoned, and his Aesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox akall be quit.
29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been teeti^ed to his owner, ana he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall eive for " the ransom of his life whatsoever is mid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son,, or have jrored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If the ox shall push a man-servant or maid-servant; fae shall give unto their master * thirty shekels of silver, and the ' ox shall be stoned.
33 ^ And if aman shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, abd an ox or on ass fall therein;
34, The owner of the pit shall make it good.
3d H And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known, that the ox halh used to push^ in time past, and his owner hath not kept liira m; he ehall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead Bbali be his own.
law that obli^ the annwreiful alaveholder, to set a alave at hTier^, whose eye or tooth he had knocked out. If thid did not tMch ihem humanitu, it taught them caulum, u one ra#h Mow might have defnived them of all right to the famre aervieea of the slave; and thus, aelf-interest oW«d ihera to be cautious and circumjpecL verse 'A ^ ann gon a nan] It.is more likely that a Mi is here intended, as the word signifies bath, eee diap. xxu. I. and the Septimgint translate the •vto ahor, of lite wiginal by a bw, and some are of opinion, that there wwe no caitnied animsJe amoog the Jews. Mischief of (his kind was provided against by most nationa: it appears tiiat the Romans twitted hay about the honu of their dangerous cattle, that people Meiug it migfat ifena them; hence that saying of Horace, SaL lib. L Tcr. 34. Fmtum habtt in eomu. hngi fuge. " He haa hay on his horns: fly for life r' Tlie laws of the lw»bM tabu* otderad, that the owner qf the beast ahouUl payjbr nhai damages He eommitled, or detiver him to the pcrton injured. See on chop. zzii. 1.
Sil* Jieah Aatl not be eaten] This served to keep up a due detestatioiv of murder, whether committed 1^ man or boast ( and at the same time punished the man as far as possible, by the total loss of the beast
TersB 30. If there be laid on him a mm qf Ttimey — tts ran»om of hie life\ So it appears, that though hy the law he forfeited lui life, yet this miritt be commuted far a pecuniary mulct i at which, tbs U& of the deceased mudit be valued \rf the magistTatea.
Terse 32. Thirty thekele] Bach worth about three ■hillings EngUA; see Sen. xx. 16. zxxiii. 15. So, eounting the shekel at its utmoat value, tlie life of a slave was valued at /our poundo, ten. ehitling: And at this price, these samA vile peopl^ valued the life of our blessed Loid; see Zeeh. zi. 12, 13. MaiL xxvi. IS. And io return, tke jnstioe of Qod lias ordered it six that the^/ have btm mtlajbr sbMs into every country of the universe. And yet, slraage to tell, they see not the hand of God in this so visiUe ntribution 1
Verse 3J. Andi/amanehaUoptnapit — ordigapit] thU is, if a man ahull open a well or cistern that tiad been befere closed up, or dig a new one, fen- tliese two eases are ^wnhr intimaledi am) if he did this in some piAlie plaesh where there vas danger that men or cattle might nil into it: for a man might do as he pleased in his Mm ground*, as those were his private right. In the above case if he had neglected to cover the pit, and his neij^boar's ox or aaa was killed by falling into it, be was to pay iu vahte in money. Ttt 33d and 34ih versea aeem to be ODt of their places. They probably should conclude the chapter, as, where they are, tney interrupt (he siatuies eODcemiog the goring ox, whieh begin at vene 28.
nnieee different regolations are aa remarkable fw their jnstiee and prudence, as for their humani^. "nieir great tendency is, to ahow the valu^esess of human life, utd the necessity of having peace and good understanding in vwmj nei^Douritood: am ibe^ possess duU quality which dwud be the object of all good and vbolesocne laws, the Jirrtntlio» ^ eriwut. Most crinUnal codes of jurisnusn mow imBDt on the pmiriiiBant of cfime^ than
five oxen ^or an ox, and ' four sheep for a sheep.
2 If a thief be found *breaking up, and be smitten that he die, tfiere ahalt 'no hlood be shed for him.
on preeenting the commission of tliem. The law of God always ^etuAca and warns, that hia rrcatures may not fall into condemnation; for judgment is his strange work, i. e. one reluctantly and seldom executed, as this text is frequently understood.
Verse \. If a man Aall tteat] This ehtH>ter coaais& chiefly otjudieial laws, as the preceding chapter does of polit%eai; and in it the some good sense, and well-marked attention to the welfare of iIk communitv, and the moral improvement of each individual, are equally evident.
In our tranelatioD of this first verse, hy rendering differ^ ent Hebrew words by the same term in English, we have greatly obscured the sense. I shall produce the verse, with the original words which I think improperly translated, because one Engtuh term is used for two Htbrno words, which, fn tliis place, certainly do not mean the same thing. /T a man shall ileal an ox, ["nv ahor] or a aheep, [nv eAjand kill it, or sell iti he ahalt restore Jtta oxen [j>pa boitarl Jbr an ox, sAor] and/our ane^ [\n laoh]for a miq>, Fnv aehS] I think it must ^ipear evident that the aacrea writer did not intend that these words should be understood as above. A ahor certainly is different from a bakar, and a teh from a Ison. Where the difFerence in every case hea, wherever these words occur, it is diffieuh to say. The <Aor and the bakar are doubtless creanires of the.b««re kind, and are used in different parts of the Sacred WritingBi to signi^ the buU, the or, the heifer. The atesr, the eaif. The sen and the tsoa are used to signify the ram, (he weiher, the twi, the lamb, the hegoat, the Ae-goat, and the kid. And the lauer word p> taon, seems frequently to signify JUxk composed of eiUter of these lesser cattle, or both aoru conjoined.
As fm ahor is used Job xxi. 10. for a buU, probably it may mean ao here. a man steal a auu., he shall give Jlte OXWS for him, which we may presume was no mora than his real value; as very few bulls could be kept in a country destitute of horses, where oxen were so necessary to till the ground. For though some have imagined that ^lere were no casiratid caufe among the Jews, yet this cannot be admitted on the above reason: for as they had no horses, aod bulla would have been unmanageable and dangerous, they must have had oxen fbr the purposes of Bgrifulture. "Paon ps is used for a flock either of sheep or goats; and adi ne for an individual uf either species. For every sih, ibur, taken indifferently from die Ison, or flock, must be given: i. e. a sheep stolen might be recompensed with four out of the,flock, whether of sheep or goats. So that a goat might be compensabd witli four sheep; or a aheep with four goata.
Verse 2. If a thUf be Jaund] If a thief was found breaking into a house in the night season, he might ho killed [ out not if the aun had risen, for then he might be known and taken, and the restitution made which is mentioned in the succeeding verse. So, bv the law of England, it is a burglary to break and enter a house by niglit j and "anciently the day was accounted to begin only from sunriau)(b and to aid imnoediately upon sun-set: rat it is luxw geaenlly sgreed, that if there be day-li|^t enoof^ bi^ S6i
3 If the Bun be risen upon him. there ahall be blood »hed for him; Jbr be should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be ■boW for his theft.
4 If the thelY be certainly ' found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or aes, or sheep; he shall " restore double.
6 IT If a "1^" fiball cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field: of the beat of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, bo that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall Burcly maka restitution.
7 1[ If a maji sluill deliver unto his neighbour money, or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; ■ if the thief be found, let him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the maeter of the house shall be brought unto the ' judges, to tee whether he have put hia hand unto his neighbour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for anv manner of lost thing, which another challengetn to be his, the * cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall
or ]efC, either by the lighl iff tlie Bun or taili^, wheretw ii)fi countenance of a person may be ren«onably diacemca, it ia no burs'lary: but that this daea not extend to moontight; tor then many midnight burglaries would go unpunished. And besides, the maligmh/ of the offence does not to properly arise, as Mr. Justice Blackstone obaerres, from its being done in the dark, as at the diad of nighi; when all die creation, except beasts of prev, are at reet; when sleep has disarmed the owneiv ana rendered his castle defenceleas." £asf « Phot th* Crown, voL ii.
Verse 4. Be thaU restore doubU.] In no case of theft, was the life of the offender taken away: (he utmost that the law says on this point is, (hat, if wnen found breaking into a fiouae, lu ahmdd be miUtn to eu to tUe, no blood Amdd be skeifar kim, ver. % If he had stolen and tiald the property, ilien he was to restorej^ui- or fivejbld, ver. 1.; but if the animal was found afire in hu posses ■ion, he was to restore double.
Verse 6. If a fire break out] Mr. Harraer observes, that it is a eomtnon custom in the east, to set the dry hertiage on fire before the autumnal rains; which fires, for want of care, often do great damage; and in countries ^i4iere great drought prevails, and the herbage is generally parched, great caution was peculiarly necessary; and a law to guard against such evils, and to punish inattention and ri^lect, was highly expedient. See tiarmer'a Observ. vol. iii. p. 310, &c
Verse 7. Deliver tmto hi» neighbour] "Oiis is called fta^ing in die Law of BaUmentt: it ia a deposit of MMMu by a debtor to his creditor, to be knA till the debt be discharged. IVhatever goods were thus left in the hands of another person, that person, according to the Mosaic law, became responsible for them: if they were stolen, and the thief was found, he was to pay double: if he could not be found, the oaOt of the person who hod them in kaeping, amde before the magistrates, that he knew nothing of mem, was considered a full actjuittance. Among the nonuws, if goods were lost which a man had entrusted to his neighbour^ the depositary was obliged to pay their fiill value. But if a man had oeen driven by nfeceesity, as in oase of fire, to lodge his goods with one of his neigliboura, and the goods were tost, the dr^nositair was obligra to pay double their value, because of his unmithfulness in a case of such distress, where hia dishoneaty, connected with the destruction by the fire, had completed the ruin of the sufferer. To this case the following law is applicable: Cum guisfidem elegit, nee depositum rtdditur, cantentuM ease debet tlmplo: cUm verii extante nectstilate deponat, ere»eit perfidite crimen, Slc. Digest lib. xvi. tit. 3. I. 1.
Verse 9. Chalienzeth to be Ai#] It was necesaaiy that mich a matter shoulcl come before the judges, because (he person in whose possession the goods were found, might nave had them by a bir and honest purcliaMi eadfarstft-
10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an aas, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; an« it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing
11 Then shall an 'oath of the Loan be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept theret^f, and he shall not make it
12 And if it be stolen from him, he ehall malw restitution unto the'owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that ^ich was torn.
14 IT And if a man borrow oughl of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
1 5 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
IS 1[ And * if a man entice a'm^d that it not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely eodow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her imto him, he shall ^ pay money, according to the • dowry of virgins.
18 il ' Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
ing the business, the thief oiight be found out, and iS found, be obliged to pay double to his neig^ibour.
Verse il. An oaln of the Lord be betiteen them] So solemn and awfiil were all appeals to Ood considered ia those ancient times, that it was taken for granted (hat tbo man was innocent, who could by an oadi apfioal lo liw omniscient God, tliat he had not put his band to bis neig^ hour's goods. Since oaths ha-ve become muUijAied, and sinc« they have been administered on the moot trifling occaaiont, their solemnity is gone, and their importance little regarded. Should ute oath ever reiu<]aire iu weight and importance, il must i» when lulmioistered ouly m cases of peculiar delicacy aod difficslly; and as i^aringlj OS in the days of Moses.
Verse 13. (fit be lorn in vseces— him bring it for uffness] Rather, Let kim bring nmRi ly ed ha-Urepkah, a tettimvny or eeidmce of the torn thing, such as the ftoms, kocfs, &£. This is still a law in some countrie* among graziers; if a horse, cow, sheep, or goat, entrusted to them oe lost, and the keeper asserts it was devoured by dogs, &c. the law obliges him to produce the ham* and koqfi, because, on (hue the owner's mark is geDenUv fotmd. If rtiese can be produced, the keeper ia acquiiiea by the law. The ear is often the |dace marked, but thiais not absolutely required, because a ravenous beejst may eat the ear as well as any other nart; but }ie cannot eat the lutms or the hoofe. It seems, however, that in after-ttlDe^ tuio of the Ugs and the ear, were required as evidences to acquit the shepherd of all guilL See Amos iiL 12. - Verse 16. if a man entice a maid] thit was an exceedingly wise and hnmane laWi and must have operated powernuly agunst seduction and fornication; because the person who might fe«l inclined to take the advonta^ of a. young woman, knew that he must marry her, and give her a dowry, if her parenis consented; and if they did not consent thai their daughter should wed her seducer, in this case he was obliged to give her the full dowry which could have been demanded, had'she been still a virgin. According to tlie Targumiat here, and to Deul. xxii. 29. (]m dowry was fiftv Atkela of silver, which the seducer waa to pay to her fauier, and he was obliged to take her to wife; nor noA he authority, accordinf^ to the Jcwidi canoes, ever to put her awaif by a biU of diroree. Thim one conaidera tion was a powernil curb on disorderly paasitHM, and nmaa tend greatly to render moniB^ respectable, aad prevent all crimes of this natttre.
Verse 18. 7^ou ahall not suffer a viich lo lise.} If there had been no reiithet!, such a law as this had never been mode. The existence of the lav, given under (be direction of the Spirit of Ood, proves the eiistence thm thing. It has been doubted whether nsvao nteciuhcpKaA, iriiieh we tnnslste vritdt, really means a penoD who praotised divination or sorcery by spiritual or infernal mmatcy. Whether the persona thus denofninated only prdimaeci to have aa art vtticli had no exislwo^ or wheoier (hejr r*a0y
20 ir ^ He that sacrificeth unto any god, eave unto the Lobd only, he shall be utterly de- Btroyed.
21 ^ I Thou shalt neither vex a Btran^er nor oppreeB him: for ye were strangers in tne land of Eg>'i»t.
■ 22^ Ye Bhall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. -
23 if thou ainict them in any wise, and the/ 1 cry at all unto me, I will surely "near their
And my ' wrath shall wax hot, and I will
.posscucd the aoyra commonly attributed to them, on c)uestioi)a which it would be impnqier to diseuae at length in a. work of ihts kind; but (hat wildus, wixartU, Uioae teVj dealt iriik familiar apirits, Ac are represented in the Sacred Writing u actually poneMin; a power to evoke the dead, to perform nipenialural operations, and to discover hidden or aecret thin^ by Bpella, charma, iocaatar tions, &c. in evident to every unprejudiced reader of die Bibte. Of Manaaaeh it is laid, He eauted ftia ehildren to poMM through liufirt in. Uu valUy <{f the 'Sm of Hinnom: alto he obterved Uitut f inr* vednan, he uaed dtvination by clouds] and tutd ertmaiUfnenU, and vaed tcitchcra/l, [fpy vt dshtph] and dealt vith a Jamiliar ' tpiril, [ncp Ml veaatA ob, performed a variety of operatioDa by means of what was afterward called the wrn/m m-SMOf, the woirii of PyOuuL,] and wiA itUareU, [^i^p'p yideoni, the u>ue or knowing one*\ and ht wraiwU mtuA evU in Ou tight qf the Lard, 2 Chrom. zxxiii. 6. It ia very likely that the Hebrew ea*ap&,'aDd the AraUc (JU^ eaahc^fa, had originally ibe same meaiung, to uncover, to remove a veil, to manifest, reveal, make hare or naked; tmd c:>Vi&.V5v« maeath^at, ia uaed to eienify commerce with God. see Wilmit and Oirgau. The mMo^uphak, or jnteh, tiieretart, was probaUy a person who professed to reveal hidden •mto-Ms, by commerce wifft Ood, or the invinble world.
rram the Bererinr of this law against witches, &c. we Biay see in what lignt these were viewed by Divine Justice. They were seducers of the people from their allegiance to God, on whose judgment aJone they should depend; and bv impiously prying into fiiuirity, assumed an attribute of God, Bu JorettUing future eventa, which implied in itself the grossest blasphemy, and leiided to corrupt the minds of the people, by leading them away from God, and the revelation be had made of himself. Many of die Isneliies had, do doubt, learnt these curious arts from their loag residence among the Egyptians; and so much were the Israelites attainted to them, diat we find such arts in repute among diem; and various practice* of ihia Jdnd pnvailed through the whole of die Jewish history, notwiihsMnding iHe offence was capital, and in all cases punished with deoJA.
Verse 19. Lieth with a btaet^ If this most abominable crioie had not been common, it never would have been RteotNned in a sacred code of laws. It is very likely thai tt was an Egyptian pnustice i and it is certain, from an seoount in Scmnini's Travels, that it is piactised in Egypt to die presant day.
Terse 20; Vlierly dealroyed\ The word mn eAsrsm, denotes a thing utterly and ftoally aepaiaud from God, and devoted to deatructien, without the poaaibilitf of rodemp-
Tarse 21. 7%ou ahalt neither vex a atranger nor op~ prim Mml Tliis was ooi <»ily a very humana law, but it wss also the offspring of a sound policy. Do not vex a airamgari rementber, yewero strangers. Do nottmproM aatnacer: remember, ve were oppreaaed. T^terefore do imlo all men as ye would they should do to you. It was tfaeprodueeof a sound policy — Let strangers be well treated ■iiiiODgyou,aiidniany will come to take refuge among you, and tbos the ttrengU) of your country will be increased. If refugees of this kind be treated well, they will become proselytes to your relieion, and thus their souls may be saved. InevM^pointMview, therefore, juaiice, humanity, ■ewtd policy, oina Rhgioo, say — Neither vex nor opprtee • atroMgtr.
Varae 22. Ve ihail not iMiet any widow orfatherteaa cUld.] It ia remarkable^ that offenees against diis law, •n not left to dw discretion of the JudlfFss to be paniriwd: God wsery the pamriimaat to lumself i and qr dit^ be
kill you with the sword: and • your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
25 IT * If thou lend money to any of my people that it poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an ususer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury,
26 ^ ^If thou at all take thy neighbour's ratment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it nnto tdm, by that the Bun goeth down:
27 For that is hie covering only, it ts bis raiment for Ilia skin: wherein shall he sleep 7
It shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that 1 will hear } for I t»n * gracious.
28 1 1 Thou shalt not revile the " gods, nor curse the ruler of thy pec^le.
strongly shows hia aUiorrenee of the crime. It is no common crime, and shall not be punished in a common wi^; the wrath God ehall wax hat against him who in any wiae afflicts or wrongs a widow, or afaiherUaa diild } ana we may rest assured, that he who Aetes either, doca a service highly acceptable in the sight of God.
Verse Neither sAoK thou lay upon him uaury] Tin neahee, from na^tac, to bite, cut, or pterce with the teethbiting usury. So the Latins call i t uaura vorax — devouring usury. "The increase of usury is called i»3 neAec, because it resembles the biting of a serpent; for as this ie so small as scarcely to be perceptible at first, but the venom soon spreads and diS^ises itselCtill it reaches the vitals, so the increase of usury, which at first is not perceived ner felt, at length grows so much, as by degrees to devour another's substance." — I^eigh.
It is evident, diat what ia here said must be understood of accumulated usury, or what wo odl eampoiind intarast only J and accordingly •\mi neahee is mentioned with, and distinguished from n->3-vi terebith, and nu-\e mtrebiih, inUrtit, or simple iiitereat. Lev. xxv. 36, 37. Prov. xJcviiL 8. Ezek. zviii. 8, 13, 17. and xxii. l2.—ParkhuraL
Perhaps usury may be more property define) unlawful iTiiereati receiving more for the loan of money than it is really worth, and mora than die law allows. It t* a wise regulation in the laws of England, dnt if a man be convicted of tisuru of taking umawful interest, the bond or security is rendered void, and he forfeits treble the sum borrowed. Agaipst such an oppressive practice, the wisdom of God saw it eesentially ueceasary to moke a law, to prevent a people, who were naturally what our Lord calls the Pharisees, fXH^^o,, lovers of money, ^Luke xvi. 14.) from oppressing each other; and whi^ notwithstanding the law in the text, practise usury in all |daces of their die* peraion, to die present day.
Verse 26. If thou — take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge] It seemaBtranxe that any pledge should betaken, which must be so ■petmy restored: but it is very likely, that the ]>ledgtt was restored 1^ n£^ only; and that he who pledged it, brought it back to his creditor next morning. The opinion of the rabbins ia, that whatever a man needed fur the support of life, he had the use of it when absolutely necessary, though it was pledged. Thus, he had the uso of his working-tools by day, but he brought them to his credittv in the evening. His hyke, which serves on Arab as a plaid does a Hi^ander, (see it described, ch. xii. 34.) was probably the raiment here referred to: it ia a sort of coarse blanket, about six yards long, and five or six feet brood, which an Arab alwava camcs with him, and on which he sleeps at night; it being his only substitute for a bed. As die stahionB in the east scarcely ever change, it is very likely that the raiment of the Israelites wos precisely the same widi that of the modem Arabs, who live in the very same desert in which the Hebrews were when this law was given. How necessary then to restore the hyke to a poor man before the going down of the sun, that he might have somediing to repose on, will appear evident from the above considerations. At the some time, the returning it dot/y to the creditor, was a continual acknowledgment of the debt, and served instead of a written soknowledgment or bond, ae we may rest assured that writing, if practised at all before the giving of the law, was not common.
Verae 28. Thou shalt not revile the gods] Most commentators believe, that the word gods here, means magiatratea. The original is ett.Vm Elohim, and should be understood of the true God only — Tliou shalt not bUtsphems, or make NgU qf Gad—Vrpn tekaUt, the fountain of justics and power— nor curse Ae ruler t^_tity people, who
SU t Thou Shalt not delay lo offer ■' the * first of thy ripe fruits, and of tliy » liquors: » the first-Dorn of thy sons ahalt thou give unto me.
30 ' Likewise ehalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: 'seven days it shall be with hia dam; on the eighth day thou shall give it me.
31 H And yc ehaU be *>hoIv nien unto me: •neither BhaU ye eat anjf Besh thai is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the doga.
derives bis authori^ from Qod. We shall ever findj that he who dfspuet a nod civil govennwn^ and is diaanecied to diat under vhich he Uvea, ia one who has little fear of God before hia eyea. The apirit of diaafTection and sedition, is ever opposed to the reli^on of the Bible. When those who have been pious, set under this spfrft of misrule, Ihey infellibly get shorn of their spiritual strength, and beoome lilce salt diat has lost its aavour. He who can indulga himself in speakiiu; evil of the civil ruler, will soon learn to blosf^eme Gocl. The highest audiority says, JiW Gcd: honour the king.
Teraa 29. TJU Jlrat qf thy ripe fruita] This offering was a public acknowledgment of the bounty and goodness tk Ooa, wiw had given then their proper setd-time, the Jlrat and the latter rain, and the aj^ntinttd uceka qf hanmt.
From the practice of the people of God, the heathens borrowed a similar one, founded on the same reason. Tha following passage from Cenaorimu Dc Die NataH, ia beautifiil and worthy of the deepest attention:
im enim {majorea noatri) qui alimenia, patriam, lueetn, Medeni^ueipaoedeontmtlonohabebatU; ex omnibus aliquid diia aOBrabarU, magia aded, vt aa gratoe apprcbarent, quam quod deo* arhitrarentur hoc imUgere. Baque dlmpare^}erant/higee,ajiteguamveacereiUttr,Diialihare inatttueruiU i et dim agree atgue uritea, deorum munera poaoiderent, partean qnandam ttmplia taeetUoque, ubi ooa eotarent dicavire.
"Our ancestors, who held their food, their camtry, the light, and all that they possessed, from the bounty of the gods, consecrated to them a part of all their property; rather as a token of their gratitude, than frtnn a conviction that the gods needed any thing. Therefore, as soon as the harveat was got in, befm-e they had tatted <if theJruUa, they appointeo libations to be made to the gods. And as they held their fields and cities as gifts from their gods, (hey consecrated a certain port, in the temples and shrines, where thev worahtpped."
Pliny ia express on the same point, iriio attests, that the Romans never uulsd eilher their new com or win^ dll the priests had offered the FmT-rainTB to tha gods. Ae ne d^uatabant quidem novas fruges aut vtna, antequam aaosroofes raimnAS UBAsesNT. — Hist. Nat. lib. xviii. c. 2.
Honoe bears the same testimony, and shows that his eoontrymen offered not only their firat-fmita, but the tkeieeat of all their fruits, to the Lares, or household gods; ■nd be shows also^ the wickedness of those who sent theae as presents to the rkh, before tha gods had been thus honoured;
2 ' Thou shalt not faUow a roultttode to do
evil: neither shalt thou > apeak in a cause to decline after many to wrest jttdgmeni:
3 Neither shalt thou countenance a pooman in his cause.
4 1!^ If thou meet thine enemy's ox or bis asa goin^ astray, thou shalt surely tiring it back to him again.
5 ■ iTthou see the sea of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, ■ and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
6 U ■ Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
7 " Keep thee far from a ikiee matter; 'and the innocent and righteous elay thou not: for *I will not justity the wicked.
8 ir And ' thou ahalt take no gift: for the gilt blindeth 'the Wise, and perverteth the words of the rigfhteous.
9 TTAIso, t thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the " heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 ][ And ' six /ears thou shalt sow thy land, ajid ahalt rather in the fruits thereof:
11 But the seventh year, thou ahalt let it rest tuid lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat:
The same subject he touches again in the fifth elegy of the same book, where he specifies the different ofiena» made for the produce of Xhe^fieldi, of the Jloafc^ and of t£»
These quotations will naturally recall to our meinoiy tha offerings of Cain and Abel, mentimed Gen. tv. 3. 4.
Hie r^icines at our Aorverf-AoBu^ are distortad remains of that giatitude which our ancestors, with all the primitive inhabitants of the earth, ezpreeeed to God, wiot appropriate signs and ceremonies. Is it not jiOBBible to rs- Btore, in some godly form, a custom so pore, so edifying^ and 80 becoming 1 There is a laudable custom, ohserv^ by some pious people, of dedicating a new house to Ghd, by prayer, &c. which coimot be too highlv comneaded.