If a man be found sixin in a fiel!, and the canse of his death be unknown, the murder shall be expiatel by the sacrifice of a heifer, in an uncultivated valley, 1-4. The rites to be used on the occasion, 5-9. The ordinance concerning marriage with a captive, 10-14 The law relative to the children of the hated and be loved wives; if the son of the hatel wife should be the first-born, he shall not be disinherited by the son of the beloved wife, but shall have a double portion of all his father's gools, 15-18. The law concerning the stubborn and rebellions son, who, when convicted, is to be stoned to death, 19-21. Of the person who is to be hanged, 22. His boly shall not be left on the tree all night-Every one that is hanged on a tree, is accursed of God, 23.

An Exod. Isr. 40.-Sebat

Ithe Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:

F one be found slain in the land which

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

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

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

t Heb. it come down-a Ch. 18. 8. 1 Chron. 23. 13. Ecclus 15. 15.- Ch. 17. 8, 9. w Heb. mouth-x See Ps. 19. 12. & 25. 6. Matt. 27. 24.

pay tribute to this day." Thus Solomon destroyed their political existence, but did not consider himself bound by the law of God to put them to death.

Verse 19. (For the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege.] The original is exceedingly obscure, and has been variously translated, a yy Dana is Do Nab ki haadam ets hassadeh labo mipaneyca bamatsor. The following are the chief versions;-For, O man, the trees of the field are for thee to employ THEM in the siege-or, For it is man, and the tree of the field that must go before thee, for a bulwark—or, For it is a tree, and not men, to increase the number of those who come against thee to the seige-or, lastly, The tree of the field (is as) a man, to go before thy face for a bulwark. The sense is sufficiently clear, though the strict grammatical meaning of the words cannot be easily ascertained. It was a merciful provision to spare all fruit-bearing trees, because they yielded the fruit which supported man's life. And it was sound policy also, for even the conquerors must perish if the means of life were cut off. It is diabolic cruelty to add to the miseries of war the horrors of famine; and this is done where the trees of the field are cut down, the dykes broken to drown the land, the villages burnt, and the crops wilfully spoiled. O, execrable war! Subversive of all the charities of life!

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

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXI. Verse 4. Shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley] pro Sno nachal itan, might be translated a rapid

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

V

6 And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

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

8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge.

and the blood shall be forgiven them.

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

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

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

b

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare ⚫ her nails;

y Jonah 1. 14.-z Heb. in the midst.-a Ch. 19. 13.-b Or, suffer to grow. Heb. make, or, dress.

stream, probably passing through a piece of uncultivated ground, where the elders of the city were to strike off the head of the heifer, and to wash their hands over her in token of their innocence. The spot of ground, on which the sacrifice was made, must be uncultivated, because it was considered to be a sacrifice to make atonement for the murder, and consequently would pollute the land. This regulation was calculated to keep murder in abhorrence, and to make the magistrates alert in their office, that delinquents might be discovered and punished, and thus public expense saved.

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

Verse 11. And seest-a beautiful woman] No forcible possession was allowed even in this case; when the woman was taken in war, and was, by the general consent of ancient nations, adjudged as a part of the spoils. If the person to whose lot or share such a woman fell, as is here described, chose, he might have her for a wife, on certain conditions; but he was not permitted to use her under any inferior character.

Verse 12. She shall shave her head] This was in token of her renouncing her religion, and becoming a proselyte to that of the Jews. This is still a custom in the east: when a Christian turns Mohammedan his head is shaven, and he is carried through the city, crying, all x Jew, JEVO, & la alahila allah we Mohammed resool i Allah. "There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the prophet of God."

Pare her nails] mes n nnwys reâsetah et tsipareniah:-She shall make her nails. Now, whether this signifies paring or letting them grow, is greatly doubted among learned men. Possibly it means neither, but colouring the nails, staining them red with the hennah, which is much practised in India to the present day; and which was undoubtedly practised among the ancient Egyptians, as is evident from the nails of mummies which are found thus stained. The hennah, according to Hasselquist, grows in India, and in Upper and Lower Egypt; it flowers from May to August. The manner of using it is this: the leaves are powdered, and made into a paste with water: they bind this paste on the nails of their fingers and toes, and let it stand on all night; in the morning they are found to be of a beautiful reddish yellow, and this lasts three weeks or a month; after which, they renew the application. They often stain the palins of their hands and the soles of their feet in the same way, as appears from many paintings of eastern ladies, done in India and Persia, which now lie before me. This staining the soles of the feet with the hennah is probably meant in 2 Sam. xix. 24. Mephibosheth had not dressed, (literally, made) his feet-they had not been thus coloured.

13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

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

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

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

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them :

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

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

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

d See Psa. 45. 10. Gen. 31. 2. Ch. 22. 29. Judg. 19. 24.- Gen. 29. 33. —g 1 Chron. 5. 2 & 26. 10. 2 Chron. 11. 19, 22-h See 1 Chron. 5. 1- Heb. that is found with kim-k Gen. 49. 3.—1 Gen. 25. 31, 33-m Ch. 13. 5. & 19. 19, 20. & 22. 21, 24.

Ch. 13. 11.

Verse 15. One beloved, and another hated] That is, one be loved less than the other. This is the true notion of the word hate in Scripture. So Jacob HATED Leah, that is, he loved her less than he did Rachel; and Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED-that is, I have shown a more particular affection to the posterity of Jacob than I have to the posterity of Esau. See the note on Gen. xxix. 31. From this verse we see that polygamy did exist under the Mosaic laws, and that it was put under certain regulations; but it was not enjoined: Moses merely suffered it, because of the hardness of their hearts, as our Lord justly remarks. See Matt. xix. 8. Verse 18-21. The stubborn, rebellious, gluttonous, and drunken son is to be stoned to death.] This law, severe as it may seem, must have acted as a powerful preventative of crimes. If such a law were in force now, and duly executed, how many deaths of disobedient and profligate children would there be in all corners of the land!

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

For he that is hanged is accursed of God] That is, he has forfeited his life to the law-for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them; and on his body, in the execution of the sentence of the law, the curse was considered as alighting; hence the necessity of removing the accursed thing out of sight. How excellent

Ordinances relative to strayed cattle and lost goods, 1-3. Humanity to oppressed cattle, 4. Men and wonen shall not wear each other's apparel, 5. No bird shall be taken with her nest of eggs or young ones, 6, 7. Batdeinents must be made oɑ the rools of houses, 8. Improper mixtures to be avoided, 9-11. Fringes on the garments, 12 Case of the hated wife, and tokens of virginity, and proceedings thereon, 13-21. The adulterer and adulteress to be put to death, 2 Case of the betrothed damsel corrupted in the city, 23, 24. Cases of rape, and the panasment, 25-27. of fornication, 28, 29. No man shall take his father's wife, 38.

40-Sebat

This sheep go astray, and "hide
HOU shalt not see thy brother's ox An Exo Is.

thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

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

3 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

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

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

6 If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whe

o Ch. 19. 6. & 22. 26. Acts 23. 29. & 25. 11, 25. & 26 31.-p Josh. 8. 29. & 10. 25. 27. John 19. 31-q Gal. 3. 13-r Hebrew, the curse of God. See Numb 25 4 2 Sam 21. 6. Lev. 18. 25. Numb. 35. 34. Isai. 24. 5. Jer. 16. 18 - Exod. 2. 4. Lake 15 46 James 5. 19, 20.--u Lev. 20. 4. Prov. 24. 11, 12. & 28. 27.—v Exod. 2. 5.

are all these laws! How wondrously well calculated to repress crimes by showing the enormity of sin! It is worthy of remark, that in the infliction of punishment prescribed by the Mosaic law, we ever find that Mercy walks hand in hand with Judgment.

NOTES ON CHAPTER XXII.

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

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

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

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

Neither Eunuchs, Bastards, Ammonites, nor Moabites, shall be incorporated with the genuine Israelites, 1-3. The reason why the Ammonites and Moabites were excluded, 4-6 Edomitea and Egyptians to be respected, 7. Their descendants in the third generation may be incorporated with the Israelites, 8. Cautions against wickedness when they go forth against their enemies, 9. To keep the camp free from every defilement, and the reason why, 10-14. The slave who had taken refuge among then, is not to be delivered up to his former master, 15, 16. shall be no prostitutes nor Sodomites in the land, 17. The hire of a prostitute, or

There

the price of a dog, is not to be brought into the house of God, 18. The Israelites Vows must be diligently pail, 21-23 In passing through a vineyard or field

shall not lend on usury to each other, 19. but they may take usury from strangers, 20.

a man may eat of the grapes or corn, but must carry away none with him, 21, 25. An. Exo. 1st. 40.---Sebat.

НЕ

E that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation, shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

8

3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation, shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor, of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity, all thy days for ever.

7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; * for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because y thou wast a stranger in his land. 8 The children that are begotten of them,

n Exod. 22. 16, 17.-0 Ver. 24-p Lev. 19. 8. & 20. 11. Ch. 27. 20. 1 Cor. 5. 1. 9 See Ruth 3. 9. Ezek 16. 8-r Lev. 21. 17-21. & 22 22 21. — Neh 13. 1, 2-t See Ch. 2 29-u Numb 22 5, 6.- Ezra 9 12-w Heb. good.-x Gen. 25 2, 25, Æ. Obad. 10. 12-y Exod 22 21. & 23. 9. Lev. 19. 34 Ch 10. 19.-2 Lev. 15. 16.-a Heb. turneth towards.-b Lev. 15. 5. Ruth 3. 3. 2 Sam. 11. 8.

Verse 30. A man shall not take his father's wife] This is to be understood as referring to the case of a stepmother. A man, in his old age, may have married a young wife, and on his dying, his son, by a former wife, may desire to espouse her this the law prohibits. It was probably on pretence of his having broken this law that Solomon put his brother Adonijah to death, because he had desired to have his father's concubine to wife, 1 Kings ii. 13-25. NOTES ON CHAPTER XXIII. Verse 1. Shall not enter into the congregation, &c.] If by entering into the congregation, be meant the bearing a civil office among the people, such as magistrate, judge, &c. then the reason of the law is very plain-no man with any such personal defect as might render him contemptible in the sight of others, should bear rule among the people, lest the contempt felt for his personal defects might be transferred to his important office; and thus his authority be disregarded. The general meaning of these words is simply, that the persons here designated should not be so incorporated with the Jews as to partake of their civil privileges.

Verse 2. A bastard shall not enter] mamzer, which is here rendered bastard, should be understood as implying the offspring of an illegitimate or incestuous

mixture.

Verse 3. An Ammonite or Moabite] These nations were subjected for their impiety and wickedness, see ver.

9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

10 T If there be among you any man that is not clean, by reason of uncleanness that chaneeth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp: 11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.

12 T Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:

13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:

14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:

16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.

17 There shall be no i whore of the daughters of Israel, nor la Sodomite of the sons of Israel.

18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother: usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:

20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee, in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee: and it would be sin in thee.

22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

e Heb. eittest down-d Lev. 26. 12-e Heb. nakedness of any thing –{ 1 Sam. 30. 15-g Heb, is good for him. -h Exod. 22 21.—¡ Or, Sodomites - Lev. 19.31 See Prov. 2. 16-1 Gen. 19. 5. 2 Kings 23. 7.-m Exod. 22. 2. Lev. B. 36, 37. Neh 5. 2, 7. Psa. 15. 5. Luke 5, 31, 35- See Lev. 19. 31. & Ch. 15 3-0 Ch. 15 # p Numb. 30. 2. Eccles. 5. 4, 5.

4. and 5. to peculiar disgrace; and, on this account, were not permitted to hold any office among the Israelites. But this did not disqualify them from being proselytes.— Ruth, who was a Moabitess, was married to Boaz, and she became one of the progenitors of our Lord.

Even to their tenth generation] That is, for ever, as the next clause explains; see Neh. xiii. 1.

Verse 12, &c.] These directions may appear trifling to some, but they were essentially necessary to this people in their present circumstances. Decency and cleanliness promote health, and prevent many diseases.

Verse 15. Thou shalt not deliver-the servant which is escaped-unto thee] i. e. A servant who left an idolatrous master that he might join himself to God and to his people. In any other case, it would have been injustice to have harboured the runaway.

Verse 17. There shall be no whore] See on Gen. xxxviii. 15, 21.

Verse 18. The hire of a whore, or the price of a dog] Many public prostitutes dedicated to their gods a part of their impure earnings; and some of these prostitutes were publicly kept in the temple of Venus Melytta, whose gains were applied to the support of her abominable worship.

Verse 19. Usury] See on Lev. xxv. 36.

Verse 21. When thou shait vou, &c.] See on Numb xxx. 1, &c.