INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 27 In this chapter the people of Israel are ordered to write the law on plastered stones, and set them on Mount Ebal, Deuteronomy 27:1; where they are bid to erect an altar, and offer sacrifices on it, Deuteronomy 27:5; and are charged by Moses and the priests to obey th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES, WITH THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, COMMANDED THE PEOPLE, SAYING,.... The seventy elders, at the head of whom was Moses, which made the great sanhedrim, or council of the nation; Moses having recited all the laws of God to the people, these joined with him in an exhortation to them to observe and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, ON THE DAY WHEN YOU SHALL PASS OVER JORDAN,.... Not the precise day exactly, but about that time, a little after they passed that river, as soon as they conveniently could; for it was not till after Ai was destroyed that the following order was put in execution; indeed as soon as th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL WRITE UPON THEM ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW,.... Not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some think, at least not the historical part of it, only what concerns the laws of God; and it may be only a summary or abstract of them, and perhaps only the ten commandments. Josephus q is of opinio... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEREFORE IT SHALL BE, WHEN YE BE GONE OVER JORDAN,.... Some time after they had passed that river: [THAT] YE SHALL SET UP THESE STONES, WHICH I COMMAND YOU THIS DAY, IN MOUNT EBAL; a mountain near Shechem in Samaria, and was, as Benjamin of Tudela says r, dry as stones and rocks itself, and pe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE SHALL THOU BUILD AN ALTAR TO THE LORD THY GOD,.... On the same mountain, though not of the same stones. Jarchi's note is, "after that (the setting up of the plastered stones) thou shalt bring from thence (from Jordan) others, and build of them an altar on Mount Ebal;'' but Josephus t pla... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALL BUILD THE ALTAR OF THE LORD THY GOD OF WHOLE STONES,.... And of such Joshua did build it, Joshua 8:31; AND THOU SHALT OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS THEREON UNTO THE LORD THY GOD; and very likely sin offerings too; for these frequently went together, the one to make atonement for sin, and the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL OFFER PEACE OFFERINGS,.... Part of which belonged to God, which was burnt on the altar, and another part to the priest that offered them; and the rest to the owner that brought them, which he eat of with his friends; so it follows: AND SHALL EAT THERE, AND REJOICE BEFORE THE LORD THY... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL WRITE UPON THE STONES ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LAW,.... Not upon the stones of the altar, but upon the first stones brought to Mount Ebal, and set up there before, and on which the words were inscribed before the altar was erected; though according to the Misnah u the altar was built of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES AND THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES SPAKE UNTO ALL ISRAEL,.... The priests who were Levites, as all the priests that were lawful ones were; and there were none but such at this time, who were. Eleazar and Ithamar, and their sons; these joined with Moses in the following exhortations to the people... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT THEREFORE OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD THY GOD,.... In whatsoever he directs in his word, and by his prophets, and especially by his Son, eminently called the Word of the Lord: AND DO HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES, WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY; Deuteronomy 27:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES CHARGED THE PEOPLE THE SAME,.... That he gave the above orders to set up stones, and plaster them, and write the law on them, and build an altar in the same place, and offer sacrifices when come into the land of Canaan: SAYING; as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE SHALL STAND UPON MOUNT GERIZIM TO BLESS THE PEOPLE, WIDEN YE ARE COME OVER JORDAN,.... Which was a mountain in Samaria opposite to Mount Ebal, a valley of a furlong broad lay between them y; and, according to Hillerus z, had its name from being broken off from that, they being, as it should s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THESE SHALL STAND UPON MOUNT EBAL CURSE,.... Which was dry and rocky, barren and fruitful, and like the earth, that bears briers and thorns, is rejected and nigh unto cursing, and so a proper place to curse, and a fit emblem of those to be cursed; see Hebrews 6:8; REUBEN, GAD, AND ASHER, AND ZE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LEVITES SHALL SPEAK, AND SAY UNTO ALL THE MEN OF ISRAEL,.... Rather, "answer e and say"; not the whole tribe of Levi, for that stood on Mount Gerizim to bless, Deuteronomy 27:12; but the priests of that tribe who were placed in the valley, between the two mountains, and pronounced both the b... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] THE MAN THAT MAKETH [ANY] GRAVEN OR MOLTEN IMAGE,.... The blessings and the form of them are not recorded, because they were not to be had from the law, and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them, to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere, and whic... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT SETTETH LIGHT BY HIS FATHER, OR HIS MOTHER,.... That secretly despises them in his heart, and by looks and gestures mocks at them in a private manner, unseen by others, Proverbs 30:17; for if he publicly cursed them, that was cognizable by the civil magistrate, and he was to be p... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT REMOVETH HIS NEIGHBOUR'S LANDMARK,.... Removes it backward, and steals ground, as Jarchi explains it; this is commonly done secretly; see Deuteronomy 19:14; AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY AMEN; Deuteronomy 27:15; Deuteronomy 27:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT MAKETH THE BLIND TO WANDER OUT OF THE WAY,.... By directing him wrong knowingly, or laying a stumbling block in his way, Leviticus 19:14. The Targum of Jonathan is, "that maketh a traveller wander out of the way, who like a blind man;'' who knows his way no more than a blind ma... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT PERVERTETH THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER, FATHERLESS, AND WIDOW,.... Who have none to assist them, and take their part, and therefore judges may be tempted to do an unjust thing; but God is the patron of them, and takes notice of every injury done them, and is the avenger of all... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT LIETH WITH HIS FATHER'S WIFE,.... As Reuben did, and which is forbidden Leviticus 18:8; BECAUSE HE UNCOVERETH HIS FATHER'S SKIRT; see Deuteronomy 22:30; AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY AMEN; the tribe of Reuben said this as well as the rest.... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT LIETH WITH ANY MANNER OF BEAST,.... See Leviticus 18:23; AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY AMEN; as being shocking and abhorrent to human nature.... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT LIETH WITH HIS SISTER,.... Which is forbid, Leviticus 18:9; THE DAUGHTER OF HIS FATHER, OR THE DAUGHTER OF HIS MOTHER; whether his sister by father or mother's side: AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY AMEN; detesting such uncleanness.... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT LIETH WITH HIS MOTHER IN LAW,.... See Leviticus 18:7. All these incestuous or brutal copulations may well be supposed to be done in secret: AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SAY AMEN; as abhorring such incest.... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT SMITETH HIS NEIGHBOUR SECRETLY,.... And kills him, and the murder is not known; the curse of God follows such, and overtakes them sooner or later. Some interpret this of smiting with the tongue, of secret backbiting and slander; so the Targum of Jonathan, "that smiteth with the... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT TAKETH REWARD TO SLAY AN INNOCENT PERSON,.... As an assassin, to murder him privately; or as a judge, that takes a bribe to condemn to death an innocent person: so Aben Ezra observes, that according to the sense of some a judge is meant; but, says he, in my opinion a false witnes... [ Continue Reading ]
CURSED [BE] HE THAT CONFIRMETH NOT [ALL] THE WORDS OF THIS LAW TO DO THEM,.... That is, who does not perfectly perform all that the law requires, and continues to do so; for the law requires obedience, and that perfect and constant, and in failure thereof curses, in proof of which the apostle produc... [ Continue Reading ]