Exodus 23:29

_I WILL NOT DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE THEE IN ONE YEAR; LEST THE LAND BECOME DESOLATE, AND THE BEAST OF THE FIELD MULTIPLY AGAINST THEE._ I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, ... Many reasons recommended a gradual extirpation of the pagan inhabitants of Canaan. But one only is here specified-the danger lest in the unoccupied grounds wild beasts should inconveniently multiply-a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to contain the actual population of the Israelites. It is observable, however, that the particular parts of the land most liable, if neglected or left waste, to be endangered by the multiplication of wild beasts are specified. These were the territories of the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites; and hence, as these deserted localities would have been pre-eminently exposed to the incursion of various predatory animals, it was dis...

20-33 It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for t...

BEAST OF THE FIELD - i. e. destructive animals....

THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT.—_Continued_. EXPOSITION EXODUS 23:1 MISCELLANEOUS LAWS—_continued_. The same want of logical arrangement appears in this chapter as in the preceding one. The first nine verses contain some twelve laws, of which not more than two that are consecutive can be said to be on the same subject. There is perhaps in the section a predominant idea of warning against sins and errors connected with the trial of causes before a court, but Exodus 23:4 and Exodus 23:5, at any rate, lie quite outside this idea. From...

I WILL NOT DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE THEE IN ONE YEAR,.... This is observed before hand, lest the Israelites should be discouraged, and fear they should never be rid of them; and it was so ordered in Providence for the following reason: LEST THE LAND BECOME DESOLATE; there being not a sufficient number of Israelites to replace in their stead, to repeople the land, and to cultivate it; and yet their number was very large, being, when they came out of Egypt, as is generally computed, about two millions and a half, besides the mixed multitude of Egyptians and others, and during their forty years in the wilderness must be greatly increased: AND THE BEAST OF THE FIELD MULTIPLY AGAINST THEE; there being so much waste ground for them to prowl about in, they would so increase as to make head against them, and be too many for them; or, however, it would be difficult to keep them under control:...

CHAPTER 23 FURTHER JUDGMENTS AND DIRECTIONS _ 1. Concerning unrighteous dealings of various kinds (Exodus 23:1)_ 2. Concerning the seventh year (Exodus 23:10) 3. Concerning the three feasts (Exodus 23:14) 4. Promises concerning the possession of the land (Exodus 23:20) We call attention to the words concerning the seventh year. The seventh day was the day of rest. The seventh year was to give the land rest; it was to rest and lie still. Besides this there was the jubilee year, which occurred every seven times seven years, that is, the fiftieth year was the year of jubilee, in which liberty was pro

EXODUS 23:20 E. CLOSING DISCOURSE (Exodus 23:23 a, Exodus 23:27, and Exodus 23:31 b - Exodus 23:33 Rd). This passage is highly complex. The verses just noted bear marks of the school of D; they condemn pillare, which E approves (Exodus 24:4 and elsewhere); their warning tone is inconsistent with the dominant tone of promise; and they reflect the view of the Conquest as a clean sweep, which Rd expresses throughout Jos. E's Covenant Book has its epilogue (cf

Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 _The Book of the Covenant_ The -Book of the Covenant" (see Exodus 24:7 in explanation of the name) is the oldest piece of Hebrew legislation that we possess. The laws contained in it are spoken of in Exodus 24:3 as consisting of two elements, the WORDS (or commands) and the JUDGEMENTS: the JUDGEMENTS (see on Exodus 21:1) are the provisions relating to civil and criminal law, prescribing what is to be done when particular cases arise, and comprised in...

DISCOURSE: 95 THE VICTORIES OF ISRAEL GRADUAL AND PROGRESSIVE Exodus 23:29. _I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little will I drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land._ THE more we investigate the dispensations of Providence, the more we shall see, that “God’s ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts.” If we had been left to form conjectures respecting man in his first creation, who would have conceived that God should suffer the work of his hands to be so marred as Adam was by the fall, and so large a portion of his creatures to perish in everlasting misery? Nor, if we were told that God would take to himself, from amongst the fallen sons of Adam, a peculiar people, and rescue them by so many signs an

I WILL NOT DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE THEE IN ONE YEAR— The reasons for this are subjoined: to which may be added others, deduced from Judges 3:1....