and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: 28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his pos session. 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 31 ¶ Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. 32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. t Josh. 20. 6.-u Exod. 29. 7. Lev. 4. 3. & 21. 10.-v Heb. no blood shall be to him. Exoi 22 2-w Ch. 27. 11.-x Deut. 17. 6. & 19. 15. Matt. 18. 16. 2 Cor. 13. 1. Hebr. 10. 28-y Heb. faulty to die.-z Psa. 106. 38. Mic. 4. 11. from the privileged altars, among the Roman Catholics. Those among the Hebrews were for the protection of such only as had slain a person involuntarily. The temples and altars among the latter, often served for the protection of the most profligate characters. Cities of refuge among the Hebrews were necessary, because the old patriarchal law still remained in force: viz. that the nearest akin had a right to avenge the death of his relation, by slaying the murderer; for the original law enacted, that whosoever shed man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, Gen. ix. 6. and none was judged so proper to execute this law as the man who was nearest akin to the deceased. As many rash executions of this law might take place, from the very nature of the thing, it was deemed necessary to qualify its claims, and prevent injustice; and the cities of refuge were judged proper for this purpose. Nor do we ever read that they were ever found inefficient; or, that they were ever abused. Verse 12. Until he stand before the congregation in judgment.] So, one of these cities was not a perpetual asylum; it was only a pro tempore refuge, till the case could be fairly examined by the magistrates, in the presence of the people, or the elders their representatives: and this was done in the city or place where he had done the murder, Josh. xx. 4, 6. If he was found worthy of death, they delivered him to the avenger, that he might be slain; if not, they sent him back to the city of refuge, where he remained till the death of the high priest, Deut. xix. 12. Before the cities of refuge were appointed, the altar appears to have been a sanctuary for those who had killed a person unwittingly: see the notes on Exod. xxi. 13, 14. Verse 19. The revenger of blood] goel haddam, the redeemer of blood, the next in blood to him who was slain. See on the preceding verse. Verse 20. But one witness shall not testify against any] This was a just and necessary provision. One man may be mistaken, or so violently prejudiced, as to impose even on his own judgment; or so wicked as to endeavour, through malice, to compass the life of his neighbour: but it is not likely that two or more should be of this kind: and even were they, their separate examination would lead to a discovery of the truth, and to their conviction. Verse 31. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer] No atonement could be made for him, nor any commutation so as to save him from death. All the laws of the civilized world have either adjudged the murderer to death, or to a punishment equivalent to it; such as perpetual imprisonment-in a dungeon-under ground-on a stone floor-without light, and to be fed on a small portion of bread and water. In such circumstances, a man could live but a short time: and though it is not called the punishment of death, yet from its inevitable consequences, it only differed from it by being a little longer respite than 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. CHAPTER XXXVI. The inconveniences which might be produced by daughters, inheritrixes, marrying out of their own tribe, remedied, on the recommendation of certain chiefs of the tribe of Joseph, who stated the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, 1-4. The daughters of Zelophehad are commanded to marry in their own tribe, 5, 6. which is to be an ordinance in all similar circumstances, 7-9. The danghters of Zela phehad marry their father's brothers' sons, and thus their inheritance is preserved in their own tribe, 10-12 The conclusion of the commandments given by the Lord to the Israelites in the plains of Moab, 13. AND the chief fathers of the families An Exod. Isr. of the children of Gilead, the son 40. of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel: 2 And they said, f The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are a Heb. there can be no expiation for the land-b Gen. 9. 6-c Lev. 18. 25. Deut. 21. 23-d Exod. 29. 45, 46-e Ch. 26. 29-f Ch. 26. 55. & 33, 54. Josh. 17. 3-ga 27.1, 7. Josh. 17. 3, 4.-Heb. unto whom they shall be. was usual, where the punishment of death was awarded. See the note on Gen. ix. 6. Verse 32. Until the death of the priest.] Probably intended to typify, that no sinner can be delivered from his banishment from God, or recover his forfeited inheritance, till Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, had died for his offences, and risen again for his justification. Verse 33. For blood it defileth the land] The very land was considered as guilty, till the blood of the murderer was shed in it. No wonder God is so particularly strict in his laws against murderers. 1. Because he is the Author of life, and none has any right to dispose of it but himself. 2. Because life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on it the salvation of the soul accordingly depends; therefore it is of infinite consequence to the man that his life be lengthened out to the utmost limits assigned by the divine Providence. He who takes a man's life away before his time, may be the murderer of his soul as well as of his body. Therefore the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to punish and prevent the crime. The Mosaic cities of refuge have, in general, been considered not merely as civil institutions; but as types or representations of infinitely better things; and in this light St. Paul seems to have considered them and the altar of God, which was a place of general refuge, as it is pretty evident that he had them in view when writing the following words; "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath; that by two immutable things, (his oath and promise,) in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have FLED FOR REFUGE to lay HоLD upon the HOPE set before us.' Heb. vi. 17, 18. Independently of this, it was a very wise political. institute; and while the patriarchal law on this point continued in force, this law had a direct tendency to cool and moderate the spirit of revenge, to secure the proper accomplishment of the ends of justice, and to make way for every claim of mercy and equity. But this is not peculiar to the ordinance of the citics of refuge: every institution of God is distinguished in the same way; having his own glory, in the present and eternal welfare of man, immediately in view. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXXVI. 33 Verse 2. To give the inheritance of Zelophchad-unto his daughters] See this case spoken of at large on chap. xxvii. Either the first eleven verses of chap. xxvii. should come in before this chapter or this chapter should come in immediately after those eleven verses; they certainly both make parts of the same subject. Here Moses determines that heiresses should marry in their own tribe, that no part of the ancient inheritance might be alienated from the original family. A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. CHAP. XXXVI. received; so shall it be taken from the lot of our | inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe inheritance. of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Verse 13. These are the commandments, &c.] See these different terms analyzed and explained, Lev. xxv. 5. THUS ends the book of Numbers, containing a series of The FORTY-THIRD, called yon masey, begins chap. astonishing providences and events. Scarcely any piece MASORETIC Notes on NUMBERS. of history in the Sacred Writings is better calculated to xxxiii. 1. and ends chap. xxxvi. 13. Hail impress the mind of a serious reader with a sense of the The number of verses in this book is 1,288, of which goodness and severity of God. In every transaction, his holiness and justice appear, in closest union with his be-DN is the symbol: for Naleph stands for 1000, resh nevolence and mercy. From such a Being, what have for 200, D phe, for 80, and n cheth for 8.ra The middle verse is the 20th of chap. xvii. And the the wicked not to fear!-from such a Father and Friend, what have the upright not to hope! His justice requires man's rod whom I shall choose, shall blossom.-(N. B. him to punish iniquity; but his mercy inclines him to par- In our English Bibles this is ver. 5. of chap. xvii.) don all who truly repent and believe in the Son of his love. The journeyings of this people, from the time they left Egypt, exhibit a series of providential wonders. Every where, and in every circumstance, God appears; and yet there is no circumstance or occasion, that does not justify those signal displays of his GRACE and his JUSTICE. The genuine history of God's providence must be sought for in this book alone: and as every occurrence happened as an example; we have authority to conclude, that in every case, where his own glory and the salvation of man are interested, he will interfere and give the fullest proofs that he is the same to-day that he was yesterday; and will continue unchangeable for ever and ever. Reader, are these matters ensamples to thee? Art thou, like the Israelites, come into the plains of Moab, on the very verge of the Promised Land? Jordan alone separates thee from the promised inheritance. O watch and pray, that thou come not short of the glory of God. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death-see, then, that the sting of death, which is sin, be extracted from thy soul, that being justified by his blood, thou mayest be made an heir according to the hope of an eternal life. Amen. Amen. Its sedarim, or Masoretic sections, are 32, expressed by the word 25 leb, heart, Psal. li. 12. Create in me a clean HEART, O God: in which word, a beth stands for 2, and > lamed for 30. Its chapters are 36, expressed by the word lu, O! Deut. xxxii. 29. O that they were wise! in which word,> lamed stands for 30, and vau for 6. The number of its open sections is 92; its close or shut sections, 66; together 158; expressed in the memorial word pn chelekeca, I am thy PORTION; in which word, p koph stands for 100, lamed for 30, caph for 20, and r cheth for 8. Though this sort of notations may appear trifling to some; yet to an upright Jew they were of much consequence. The very technical words used in such cases, put him always in mind of something in which the glory of God, and the happiness and salvation of his own soul, were concerned. See the note at the end of Genesis, and see the concluding notes on the Book of Deuteronomy. PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. E have borrowed the name of this book, as in former cases, from the Vulgate Latin, Deuteronomium, as the We have borrowed from the Greek version of the Septuagint our green, which is a compound term 'erally signifying, the second law, because it seems to contain a repetition of the preceding laws, from which circumstance it has been termed by the rabbins en mishneh, the iteration or doubling. It appears that both these names are borrowed from chap. xvii. 18. where the king is commanded to write him a copy of this law, the original is no mishneh ha-torah, a repetition, or doubling of the law; which the Septuagint have translated To SUTOVOMIO, this second law; which we, properly enough, translate a copy of the law; but in Hebrew, like the preceding books, it takes its name from its commencement 177 ELLEH HA-DEBAREEM, these are the words; and in the best rabbinical Bibles, its running title is 700 SEPHER DEBABEEM, the book of debareem, or the book of the words. Our Saxon ancestors termed it deo ærter æ, the after law. The book of Deuteronomy contains an account of what passed in the wilderness from the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year after the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, to the seventh day of the twelfth month of the same; making, in the whole, a history of the transactions of exactly five weeks, the months of the Jews being lunar. The history is continued about seven days after the death of Moses; for he began to deliver his first discourse to the people in the plains of Moab, the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year, chap. i. 3. and died on the first day of the twelfth month of the same year, aged 120 years. As the Israelites were now about to enter into the promised land, and many of them had not witnessed the different transactions in the wilderness, the former generation having been all destroyed, except Joshua and Caleb; to impress their hearts with a deep sense of their obligation to God, and to prepare them for the inheritance which God had prepared for them, Moses here repeats the principal occurrences of the forty years, now almost elapsed-shows them the absolute necessity of fearing, loving, and obeying God-repeats the ten commandments, and particularly explains each, and the ordinances belonging to them, adding others which he had not delivered before-confirms the whole law in a most solemn manner, with exceeding great and precious promises to them that keep it; and a denunciation of the most awful judgments against those who should break it-renews the covenant between God and the people-prophesies of things which should come to pass in the latter days-blesses each of the tribes, prophetically, with the choicest spiritual and temporal blessings; and then, having viewed the whole extent of the land, from the top of mount Nebo, or Pisgah, he yielded up the ghost, and was privately buried by God, leaving Joshua the son of Nun, for his successor. The book of Deuteronomy and the Epistle to the Hebrews contain the best comment on the nature, design, and use of the law the former may be considered as an evangelical commentary on the four preceding books, in which the spiritual reference and signification of the different parts of the law are given, and given in such a manner, as none could give, who had not a clear discovery of the glory which was to be revealed. It may be safely asserted, that very few parts of the Old Testament Scriptures can be read with greater profit by the genuine Christian than the book of Deuteronomy. The contents of the different chapters may be thus briefly summed up. On the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year, after the departure from Egypt, the Israelites being then on the east side of Jordan, in the land of the Moabites, Moses gives them a brief recapitulation of what took place in the wilderness, from their leaving mount Horeb, till they came to Kadesh.-Chap. 1. Their travels from Kadesh till they came to the country of the Amorites, with the defeat of Sihon their king.-Chap. ii. The war with Og king of Bashan, with the dividing his land and that of Sihon, among the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.-Chap. iii. Moses exhorts them to observe the divine precepts-threatens those who should violate them-and appoints Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan, to be the cities of refuge on the east side of Jordan.-Chap. iv. Repeats the decalogue, and tells the people what effect the publication of it had on their fathers, when God spoke to them from the mount.-Chap. v. Exhorts them to love God with all their heart, and promises them an abundance of good things.-Chap. vi. Recites the many interpositions of God's kindness, which they had received during their forty years travel in the wilderness, and strongly exhorts them to remember those mercies, and not to forfeit a continuance of his favours, by ingratitude and disobedience.--Chap. viii. Shows them that they were to pass Jordan in a short time; and that God was about to bring them in, not on account of their goodness, but of his mercy.-Chap. ix. Gives an account of the second tables of the law, which he made at the command of God-mentions their journey from Beeroth to Jotbath, the choosing of the Levites, and the necessity of having the heart circumcised.-Chap. x. Continues an account of God's mighty acts in their behalf, and shows the blessings which should come on them who kept his law, and the curse on those who were disobedient.-The blessings to be pronounced on mount Gerizzim, and the curses on mount Ebal.-Chap. xi. Commands them to destroy all monuments of idolatry in the land-to offer the different offerings and sacrifices, and to avoid eating of blood.-Chap. xii. Ordinances against false prophets, idolatrous cities, &c.-Chap. xiii. Forbids their cutting themselves at funerals; recapitulates the law concerning clean and unclean animals, and exhorts them to remember the Levites.-Chap. xiv. Every seventh year shall be a year of release for the poor-of usury-first-born, &c.-Chap. xv. Concerning the annual feasts, pass-over, pentecost, and tabernacles,-the establishment of judges and officers-no groves to be planted near the altar of God.-Chap. xvi. Idolaters are to be put to death-difficult cases in equity to be referred to the superior judges-of a king and his duties. Chap. xvii. All divination is prohibited.—The grand promise of an EXTRAORDINARY PROPHET.-How false prophets are to be distinguished.-Chap. xviii. The laws relative to the cities of refuge; and how the intentional murderer is to be treated.-Chap. xix. How to make expiation for an uncertain murder-marriages with captives-rights of the first-born, &c.-Chap. xxi. Things lost or strayed are to be restored to their right owners-men and women must not interchange apparelimproper mixtures to be avoided-of the tokens of virginity-adulterers and adulteresses to be put to death.-Chap. xxii. Eunuchs, bastards, Moabites and Ammonites, are not to be permitted to enter into the congregation of the Lord.— Harlots not to be tolerated.-Chap. xxiii. Laws relative to divorce-privileges of the newly married man-concerning pledges, wages, gleanings, &c.— Chap. xxiv. More than forty stripes shall not be given-if a man die childless, his brother shall take his wife—of weights, measures, &c.-Chap. xxv. Different ceremonies to be used in offering the first-fruits-tithes: of full self-consecration to God.-Chap. xxvi. The words of the law to be written on stones, and to be set up on mount Ebal.-The tribes which stand on mount Gerizzim to bless the obedient; and those which should stand on mount Ebal to curse the disobedient.-Who they are that are to be cursed.-Chap. xxvii. The blessings of those who are faithful-curses against the disobedient.-Chap. xxviii. A recital of the covenant of God, made not only with them, but for their posterity.-Chap. xxix. Moses being now 120 years old, delivers a copy of the law, which he had written, into the hands of the priests, to be laid up in the ark, and to be publicly read every seventh year-a charge is given to Joshua.-Chap. xxxi. The prophetical and historical song of Moses-he is commanded to go up to mount Nebo that he may see the Promised Land. Chap. xxxii. The prophetical blessing of the twelve tribes.-The indescribable happiness of Israel.-Chap. xxxiii. Moses views the promised land from the top of mount Nebo, dies, and is privately buried by the Lord.-The Israelites mourn for him thirty days.-Joshua takes the command of the people.-The character of Moses.-Chap. xxxiv. 451 THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED DEUTERONOMY. Year before the common Year of Christ, 1451.-Julian Period, 3263.-Cycle of the Sun, 10.-Dominical Letter, B.-Cycle of the Moon, 10.--Indiction, 15.-Creation from Tisri or September, 2553. CHAPTER I. Introduction to the book, 1, 2 Moses addresses the people in the fortieth year after the Exodus from Egypt, 3-5; and shows how God had spoken to them in Horeb, and the directions he gave them, 7, 8. How, at the commandment of the Lord, he had appointed officers, pulges, &c. to share the government with hun, 9-18 of their travels in the terrible wilderness, 19-21. The people's request to have spies sent to search out the land, 22-25. Of their murmuring and rebellion when they heard the report of the spies, 26-23. How Moses encouraged them, 29-33. The displeasure of the Lord against them because of their murmurings, and his purpose to exclude them from the good land, and give it to their children only, 34-40. How they repented, and yet without the authority of God, went against the Amorites, by whom they were defeated, 41--44. Their return to Kadesh, where they abode many days, 45, 46. A. M. 2553. B. 1451. Sebat b &C. THESE be the words which Moses spake unto Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 (There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; e 4 After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the a Joshua 9. 1. 10. & 22 4, 7 --b Or, Zuph.-c Numb. 11. 35. & 33. 17, 18. d Namb. 13. 26. Ch. 9. 23-e Numb. 33. 38-f Numb. 21. 21. 33.--g Numb. 21. 33. Josh. 13. 12-h Exod. 3. 1. NOTES ON CHAPTER I. Verse 1. These be the words which Moses spake] The five first verses of this chapter contain the introduction to the rest of the book: they do not appear to be the work of Moses, but were added probably either by Joshua or Ezra. On this side Jordan] ay be-êber, at the passage of Jordan, i. e. near or opposite to the place where the Israelites passed over after the death of Moses. Though y aber, is used to signify both on this side and on the other side, and the connexion in which it stands can only determine the meaning; yet here it signifies neither, but simply the place or ford where the Israelites passed over Jordan. In the plain] i. e. of Moab-over against the Red seanot the Red sea, for they were now farther from it than they had yet been-the word sea, is not in the text, and the word o Suph, which we render red, does not signify the Red sea, unless joined with Yam, sea; here it must necessarily signify a place, in or adjoining to the plains of Moab. Ptolemy mentions a people named Sophonites, that dwelt in Arabia Petrea, and it is probable that they took their name from this place; but see the note from Lightfoot, Num. xx. at the end. Paran] This could not have been the Paran which was contiguous to the Red sea, and not far from mount Horeb; for the place here mentioned lay on the very borders of the Promised Land, at a vast distance from the former. Dizahab] The word should be separated, as it is in the Hebrew, an Di Zahab. As Zahab signifies gold; the Septuagint have translated it ra xevoix, the gold mines, and the Vulgate, ubi aurum est plurimum, where there is much gold. It is more likely to be the name of a place. Verse 2.] There are eleven days' journey] The Israelites were eleven days in going from Horeb to KadeshBarnea, where they were near the verge of the Promised Land: after which they were thirty-eight years, wandering up and down in the vicinity of this place, not being permitted, because of their rebellions, to enter into the promised rest, though they were, the whole of that time, within a few miles of the land of Canaan! Verse 3. The fortieth_year] This was a melancholy year to the Hebrews in different respects; in the first month of this year Miriam died, Num. xx. on the first day of the fifth month Aaron died, Num. xxxiii. 38. and about the conclusion of it, Moses himself died. Verse 5. Moses began to declare this law] Began >wn hoheel, willingly undertook-to declare a be-er, to make bare, clear, &c. fully to explain this law; see the conclusion of the Preface. Verse 6. Ye have dwelt long enough, &c.] They came to Sinai in the third month after their departure from Egypt, Exod. xix. 1, 2. and left it in the twentieth of the second month of the second year, so it appears they had continued there nearly a whole year. Verse 7. Go to the mount of the Amorites] On the south of the land of Canaan towards the Dead sea. Land of the Canaanites] That is, Phoenicia, the country of Sidon and the coasts of the Mediterranean sea, from the country of the Philistines to mount Libanus. The Canaanites and Phænicians are often confounded. The river Euphrates] Thus Moses fixes the bounds of the land, to which on all quarters, the territories of the Israelites might be extended, should the land of Canaan, properly so called, be found insufficient for them. Their SOUTH border might extend to the mount of the Amorites. Their WEST to the borders of the Mediterranean sea. Their NORTH to Lebanon; and their EAST border to the river Euphrates. And to this extent Solomon reigned; see 1 Kings iv. 21. So that, in his time at least, the promise to Abraham was literally fulfilled; see below. Verse 10. Ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude] This was the promise God made to Abraham, Gen. xv. 5, 6. and Moses considers it now as amply fulfilled. But was it really so? Many suppose the expression to be hyberbolical; and others, no friends to revelation, think it a vain empty boast, because the stars, in their apprehension, amount to innumerable millions. Let us consider this subject. How many in number are the stars which appear to the naked eye? for it is by what appears to the naked eye, we are to be governed in this business, for God brought Abraham forth abroad, i. e. out of doors, and bade him look towards heaven-not with a telescope, but with his naked eyes, Gen. xv. 5. Now I shall beg the objector to come forth abroad, and look up in the brightest and most favourable night, and count the stars-he need |
