Deuteronomy 28 - Introduction
_THE BLESSINGS FOR OBEDIENCE: THE CURSES FOR DISOBEDIENCE._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE BLESSINGS FOR OBEDIENCE: THE CURSES FOR DISOBEDIENCE._ _Before Christ 1451._... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 1. _IF THOU SHALT HEARKEN DILIGENTLY_— It is observable, that the prophesies of Moses abound most in the latter part of his writings. As he drew nearer his end, it pleased God to open to him larger prospects of things. As he was about to take leave of the people, he was enabled to disclose to... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 2. _ALL THESE BLESSINGS SHALL—OVERTAKE THEE_— "They shall be thy portion without thy pursuit of them, by the care and good providence of God;" Matthew 6:33. We may just observe, respecting these blessings and curses, that they refer to temporal good or evil.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 7. _THE LORD SHALL CAUSE THINE ENEMIES—TO BE SMITTEN BEFORE THY FACE_— "Upon any invasion from foreign enemies, be their numbers and valour ever so great, God himself will undertake your cause; and so order it, that you shall always come off at last with entire victory:" for, _fleeing seven w... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 10. _AND ALL PEOPLE—SHALL SEE THAT THOU ART CALLED BY THE NAME OF THE LORD_— i.e. Shall be convinced that you are, after a peculiar manner, the Lord's people; for _to be called by God's name,_ and _to be His,_ are all one. Jeremiah 25:29. 1 Chronicles 13:6. Acts 15:17. So, when Jacob says, th... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 12. _THE LORD SHALL OPEN UNTO THEE HIS GOOD TREASURE_— The heaven, or clouds, are here called God's _good treasure,_ Those collections of water, which are there treasured up to serve the purposes of watering and fructifying the earth, are called God's _good_ treasure, because rain is so benef... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 13. _THE LORD SHALL MAKE THEE THE HEAD, AND NOT THE TAIL,_— A proverbial method of speaking, which the following words explain: "You shall rule over other nations, but other nations shall not rule over you." Such was the happy lot of the people of Israel under the reigns of David and Solomon.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 15-20. _BUT—IF THOU WILT NOT HEARKEN_— To these promises of prosperity if they obeyed the laws, the most dreadful menaces of adversity are opposed in case they disobeyed them; a general disappointment, misery, and calamity, reaching to all ranks of people, and affecting all affairs, public an... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 21. _THE LORD SHALL MAKE THE PESTILENCE CLEAVE UNTO THEE_— That is, infect thee in an incurable manner. It is not without design that Moses makes use of the word _cleave:_ experience has fully proved, that the corpuscles of the pestilence cleave very closely to wool, linen, skins, hair, feath... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 22. _WITH THE SWORD, AND WITH BLASTING, AND WITH MILDEW_— Le Clerc thinks, that the first five expressions in this verse denote certain inflammatory diseases, which some have thought to be attendant on the pestilence. See Scheuchzer, as above. The two latter expressions, _blasting_ and _milde... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 23. _THE HEAVEN—SHALL BE BRASS, AND THE EARTH—IRON_— A proverbial mode of speech, importing a grievous and general famine: that the _heavens_ should yield no more rain than if they were _brass,_ and the _earth_ no more _fruit_ than if it were _iron._ Maimonides observes, that the ancient Zabi... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 24. _THE LORD SHALL MAKE THE RAIN OF THY LAND POWDER AND DUST_— Houbigant renders this, _the Lord shall give to thy land, instead of rain, dust and sand, which shall fall from heaven upon thee,_ &c. That is, by reason of the long drought, dust, blown up into the air by the wind, shall fall do... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 25. _AND SHALT BE REMOVED,_ &C.— See the note on ver. 64.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 26. _THY CARCASE SHALL BE MEAT UNTO ALL FOWLS OF THE AIR_— "Your conquerors shall not only transplant you into distant countries, but shall make such terrible slaughter of you, that the carcases of vast numbers shall be exposed in the streets, and lie, like those of beasts, without burial." N... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 27. _THE LORD WILL SMITE THEE WITH THE BOTCH OF EGYPT,_ &C.— שׁחין _shechin,_ rendered _the botch,_ signifies an _inflammatory swelling,_ a _burning boil,_ a _morbid tumour_ attended with a sense of heat. In Job 2:7 one of the versions of the Hexapla renders it the _elephantiasis,_ a kind of... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 28. _WITH MADNESS, AND BLINDNESS, AND ASTONISHMENT OF HEART_— These calamities at home will in time throw you into distraction, stupidity, and infatuation: quite astonish and confound your undertakings, and put you upon methods opposite to common sense, whereby you shall run into the very jaw... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 29-31. _THOU SHALT BE ONLY OPPRESSED AND SPOILED EVERMORE,_ &C.— See ver. 33. How often has this threatening been verified! What frequent seizures have been made of their effects in almost all countries! How often have they been fined and fleeced by almost all governments! Instances are innum... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 32. _THY SONS AND THY DAUGHTERS SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO ANOTHER PEOPLE,_ &C.— In several countries, Spain and Portugal particularly, the children of the Jews have been taken from them by order of the government, to be educated in the popish religion. The fourth council of Toledo ordered, that all... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 33. _THE FRUIT OF THY LAND AND ALL THY LABOURS,_ &C.— This was remarkably verified when Salmaneser came and dispossessed the ten tribes; and when Nebuchadnezzar carried the other two tribes away, and placed other people in their room. To this may be added, the destruction of their republic by... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 34. _SO THAT THOU SHALT BE MAD, FOR THE SIGHT OF THINE EYES WHICH THOU SHALT SEE_— Into what madness, fury, and desperation, have they been pushed by the cruel usage, extortions, and oppressions which they have undergone! We will adduce only two familiar instances, one from ancient, and one f... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 35. _THE LORD SHALL SMITE THEE IN THE KNEES, AND IN THE LEGS, WITH A SORE BOTCH_— With a grievous breaking-out, which began in the lower parts, and so spread from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head. This is mentioned also by Thevenot, as one of the diseases of Egypt.... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 36, 37. _THE LORD SHALL BRING THEE, AND THY KING,_ &C.— This was partly fulfilled when Jehoiachim was carried captive to Babylon, Exodus 24:15 and afterwards, Zedekiah, Deuteronomy 25:7. Jeremiah 39:7; Jeremiah 52:11. For the Assyrians were a people, though not quite unknown to the Jews in Mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 38-42. _THOU SHALT CARRY MUCH SEED OUT INTO THE FIELD,_ &C.— The plagues wherewith the nation is threatened in these verses, fell upon it successively. A great famine laid waste the country in the time of Elisha; the _locusts_ made havoc of it; and the olive-trees yielded no fruit. 2 Kings 8:... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 43. _THE STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THEE,_ &C.— "Not only the pagan nations which live near them, but those strangers who live among them, shall rise upon their ruin, and grow great by their distress. What a threatening, for a nation so haughty as the Jews! What a desolation for them to become t... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 45-48. _MOREOVER, ALL THESE CURSES SHALL COME UPON THEE_— "These instances of divine vengeance will fall upon you, one after another; ever keeping pace with, and bearing proportion to, your obstinacy and disobedience; till at last, the miseries you undergo, in your own and in foreign countrie... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 49. _THE LORD SHALL BRING A NATION AGAINST THEE FROM FAR—SWIFT AS THE EAGLE—WHOSE TONGUE THOU SHALT NOT UNDERSTAND_— "The Chaldeans might be said to come _from far,_ in comparison with the Moabites, Philistines, and other neighbours, who used to infest Judea. Much the same description is give... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 50. _A NATION OF FIERCE COUNTENANCE, WHICH SHALL NOT REGARD,_ &C.— Such were the Chaldeans. The sacred historian, 2 Chronicles 36:17 expressly declares, that, for the wickedness of the Jews, God _brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men—and had no compassion upon y... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 52. _AND HE SHALL BESIEGE THEE IN ALL THY GATES_— For the literal completion of this prophesy, see 2 Kings 18:9; 2 Kings 10:13. Nebuchadnezzar and his captains took and spoiled Jerusalem, burnt the city and temple, _and brake down the walls round about._ 2 Kings 25:10. In like manner the Roma... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 53-56. _IN THE STRAITNESS WHEREWITH THINE ENEMIES SHALL DISTRESS THEE_— In the sieges before mentioned, they were to suffer much especially from famine. Accordingly we find, that when the king of Syria came against Samaria, _there was a great famine_ there; _and behold they besieged it, until... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 57. _AND TOWARDS HER YOUNG ONE,_ &C.— For a critical discussion of this passage, we refer to Houbigant's note on the place, and to his Prolegomena, p. 35. He renders it, _and she shall boil that which cometh,_ &c. _even her infants, whom she shall spare that she may eat them secretly for want... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 59. _THE LORD WILL MAKE THY PLAGUES WONDERFUL—GREAT PLAGUES, AND OF LONG CONTINUANCE_— Have not their plagues continued now these seventeen hundred years? Their former captivities were very short in comparison. Ezekiel and Daniel prophesied in the land of the Chaldeans: but now they have no t... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 62. _YE SHALL BE LEFT FEW IN NUMBER, WHEREAS YE WERE AS THE STARS,_ &C.— To mention no other of the calamities and slaughters which they have undergone, there was in the last siege of Jerusalem by Titus, an infinite multitude, who, according to Josephus, perished by famine: he computes that,... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 63. _AND YE SHALL BE PLUCKED FROM OFF THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST TO POSSESS IT_— They were, indeed, _plucked from off their own land,_ when the ten tribes were carried into captivity by the king of Assyria, and other nations were planted in their stead; when the two other tribes were carried... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 64. _AND THE LORD SHALL SCATTER THEE AMONG ALL PEOPLE_— They were not only to be plucked from their own land, but also to be dispersed into all nations. Nehemiah, ch. Deuteronomy 1:8, confesseth that these words were fulfilled in the Babylonish captivity; but they have more amply been fulfill... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 65. _AMONG THESE NATIONS SHALT THOU FIND NO EASE_— _Shalt thou find no plenty, neither shalt thou have where to rest the sole of thy foot._ Schult. 306. They have been so far from finding rest, that they have been banished from city to city, from country to country. In many places they have b... [ Continue Reading ]
_VER._ 68. _THE LORD SHALL BRING THEE INTO EGYPT AGAIN WITH SHIPS;—AND THERE YE SHALL BE SOLD UNTO YOUR ENEMIES—AND NO MAN SHALL BUY YOU_— They were to be carried into Egypt, and sold for slaves at a very low price. They had come out of Egypt triumphant; but now they should return thither as slaves.... [ Continue Reading ]