INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 18 This chapter gives an account of the provision made for the priests and Levites, with the reason of it, Deuteronomy 18:1, of allowance of a country Levite to minister at Jerusalem, and take his portion with the rest, Deuteronomy 18:6, and of several persons of bad pra... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIESTS, THE LEVITES, AND ALL THE TRIBE OF LEVI, SHALL HAVE NO PART NOR INHERITANCE WITH ISRAEL,.... That is, in the land of Canaan, in the division of it among the tribes: THEY SHALL EAT THE OFFERINGS OF THE LORD MADE BY FIRE, AND HIS INHERITANCE; the meat offerings, see Leviticus 2:2, and wha... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE SHALL THEY HAVE NONE INHERITANCE AMONG THEIR BRETHREN,.... Neither of the field, nor of the vineyard, as the above Targum, because provision was made for them otherwise, and especially because THE LORD IS THEIR INHERITANCE, AS HE HATH SAID UNTO THEM, Numbers 18:20, which as it may be und... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS SHALL BE THE PRIEST'S DUE FROM THE PEOPLE, FROM THEM THAT OFFER SACRIFICE,.... Not from the priests, as Jarchi observes, but from those that bring the sacrifices to the priests, particularly the peace offerings: WHETHER IT BE OX OR SHEEP; the one of the herd, the other of the flock, creatu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRSTFRUIT ALSO OF THY CORN, AND OF THY WINE, AND OF THY OIL,.... This is the "terumah", or heave offering, the offering of the firstfruits; what the measure or quantity was is not declared, but is fixed by the Jews; Exodus 22:29, AND THE FIRST OF THE FLEECE OF THY SHEEP SHALL THOU GIVE HIM: co... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD THY GOD HATH CHOSEN HIM OUT OF ALL THY TRIBES,.... That is, has chosen the tribe of Levi out of all the other tribes of Israel: TO STAND TO MINISTER IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; the priests to minister to the Lord by offering sacrifices, and the Levites to minister to the priests in assist... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A LEVITE COME FROM ANY OF THY GATES OUT OF ISRAEL, WHERE HE SOJOURNED,.... In any of the cities through the land, for they were dispersed all over the country, and employed in instructing and teaching the people; and, excepting the cities which were given them to dwell in out of the various t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL MINISTER IN THE NAME OF THE LORD HIS GOD,.... The Targum of Jonathan is, "he shall minister in the name of the Word of the Lord his God;'' in the name of Christ, as a type of him, as every priest and every sacrifice were: he was to be allowed to officiate, though it was not his course... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL HAVE LIKE PORTIONS TO EAT,.... Equal parts of the sacrifices with the priests that usually ministered there; hence we learn, says Jarchi, that they divided the skins and flesh of the sin offerings; perhaps even such as did not come by virtue of the feast, as the daily sacrifices, and the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU ART COME INTO THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE,.... The land of Canaan, often thus described, to express the goodness of God in bestowing it on them, as a mere favour of his, without any desert of theirs; and so typical of the heavenly Canaan, or eternal life, which is the free... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE SHALL NOT BE FOUND AMONG YOU ANYONE THAT MAKETH HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE,.... To Moloch, which was a sort of lustration by fire, two fires being made, and the child led by a priest between them, and which was an initiation of him into the religion of that deity, and dev... [ Continue Reading ]
OR A CHARMER,.... That pretends to cure diseases by charms, or a charmer of serpents; according to Jarchi, one that gathers together serpents and scorpions, and other animals, into one place; with which agree the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, "which bind serpents and scorpions, and all kind of... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL THAT DO THESE THINGS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD,.... Not that do all these things, but whoever does any of them, as Jarchi notes; all such persons that use such unlawful methods, or any of them, to gain knowledge; and likewise all those that consult them, and make use of them; and especi... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT BE PERFECT WITH THE LORD THY GOD. Sincerely serve and worship him, faithfully adhere to his word, laws, statutes, and ordinances, and walk uprightly before him.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THOSE NATIONS WHICH THOU SHALL POSSESS HEARKENED UNTO OBSERVERS OF TIMES, AND UNTO DIVINERS,.... Such as are before mentioned, and did as they directed them: BUT AS FOR THEE, THE LORD THY GOD HATH NOT SUFFERED THEE SO TO DO; or, "but thou not so" m thou shouldest not do so, not hearken to such... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD THY GOD WILL RAISE UP UNTO THEE A PROPHET,.... Not Joshua, as Aben Ezra, not Jeremiah, as Baal Haturim, nor David o, as others; nor a succession of prophets, as Jarchi; for a single person is only spoken of; and there is a dissimilitude between Moses and anyone of the prophets, and all of t... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO ALL THAT THOU DESIREDST OF THE LORD THY GOD AT HOREB,.... This was promised them, in answer to their request at Horeb or Mount Sinai, when the law was delivered to them in the terrible manner it was: in the day of the assembly; in which the tribes were gathered together to receive the l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME,.... Unto Moses, who carried the above request to the Lord: THEY HAVE WELL SPOKEN THAT WHICH THEY HAVE SPOKEN; see Deuteronomy 5:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL RAISE THEM UP A PROPHET FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN LIKE UNTO THEE,.... So that it seems this promise or prophecy was first made at Mount Sinai, but now renewed and repeated, and which is nowhere else recorded; see Deuteronomy 18:15 when they were not only made easy for the present by appointin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT WHOSOEVER WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO MY WORDS,.... To the doctrines of the Gospel, but slight and despise them: WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME; in whose name he came, and whose words or doctrines he declared them to be; not as his own, but his Father's, John 5:43. I WIL... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE PROPHET WHICH SHALL PRESUME TO SPEAK IN MY NAME,.... Pretending a mission and commission from God, and yet was never sent by him, like the prophets in Jeremiah 23:21, WHICH I HAVE NOT COMMANDED HIM TO SPEAK; which though true was not to be spoken in a public manner, by assuming a public off... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF THOU SAY IN THINE HEART, c] Such a thought arises in the mind, and it appears to be a difficulty, and a query is made upon it, HOW SHALL WE KNOW THE WORD WHICH THE LORD HATH NOT SPOKEN? What marks, signs, and criterions are those by which it may be known that it is not a word that comes from... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN A PROPHET SPEAKETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD,.... Says he comes from God, is sent by him, and has a commission from him to say so: IF THE THING FOLLOW NOT, NOR COME TO PASS; as the prophecy of Hananiah, Jeremiah 28:3 that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken; or otherwise it would have co... [ Continue Reading ]