Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27:2

2.—and plaister them &c.] That being plain and smooth, they might write on them what is here commanded; which some suppose to be the whole book of Deuteronomy; others, the ten Commandments, which were the principal “words of the covenant,” as Moses calls his law, chap. xxix. 1. But Josephus is of opinion, that he means the cursings which follow from ver. 15, to the end of the chapter. This is not improbable; as they contain several select precepts, and the last of them seems to respect the whole law of Moses.

Before the use of paper was discovered, the ancients, particularly the Phenicians and Egyptians, were accustomed to write upon stones: and the custom continued long after the invention of paper, especially if they wished any thing to be commonly known and conveyed down to posterity. Bp. Patrick.

Deuteronomy 27:12

12, 13.—mount Gerizim—mount Ebal] These two mountains are situate in the tribe of Ephraim, near Shechem, in the province of Samaria, and are only separated by a valley, of about 200 paces wide: so that the priests, pronouncing blessings and curses, in a very loud and distinct manner, might be heard by the people on the sides of the two hills: especially if they were advanced on pulpits, as Ezra afterwards was, Nehem. viii. 4, and had their pulpits placed at proper distances. Stackhouse.

Deuteronomy 27:15

15.—all the people shall answer and say, Amen.] Amen, in Hebrew, signifies true, faithful, certain. It is understood as expressing a wish, “Amen,” so be it! or an affirmation, “Amen,” yes, I believe it. The Hebrews end the five books of Psalms, according to their distribu-

Deuteronomy 27:16

16. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father &c.] The law of Moses hath secured and enforced paternal authority in many instances: the crimes also against God and man are enumerated in it with sufficient accuracy, and proper punishments are appointed for them: and yet, what hath been observed concerning the laws of Solon and of Romulus, the first an Athenian, the other a Roman lawgiver, is also remarkable in the laws of Moses: namely, that no mention is made of murderers of fathers or mothers; as if it were impossible, that any one could do so execrable a deed. But he who struck, or he who cursed his father or mother, was to be treated as he who cursed God and blasphemed His holy name; he was to be put to death. Afterwards, as iniquity abounded in the world, murderers of fathers and mo-

Before CHRIST 1451. cursing. c Dan. 9. 11. The curses pronounced on mount Ebal.

Deuteronomy 27:18

18. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander &c.] Among several heinous crimes, such as idolatry, contempt of parents, murder, rapine, and the like, is mentioned this of “causing the blind to go out of their way;” a wickedness of a singular nature, and which one would not expect to find in this list of vicious actions. It is a crime, which is seldom committed; there are few opportunities for it; there is little temptation to it; it is doing mischief for mischief’s sake, an enormity to which few can easily bring themselves. Blindness in all languages is put for error, and ignorance; and in the style of the Scriptures, ways and paths, and walking, running, going, wandering astray, stumbling, falling, mean the actions and the behaviour of men. These obvious observations will lead us to the moral, mystical, spiritual, and enlarged sense of the law or communion; and it is this: Cursed is he, who imposeth upon the simple, the credulous, the unwary, the ignorant, and the helpless; and either hurts, or defrauds, or deceives, or seduces, or misinforms, or misleads, or perverts, or corrupts, or spoils them. And if cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of his way, then by the rule of contraries, blessed is he who can say with Job, “I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame,” chap. xxix. 15. Dr. Jortin.

Deuteronomy 27:26

26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not &c.] The severe spirit, which pervades the law, as shewn in the numerous exactions and declaratory curses detailed in this book, was consistently contrived to point out the rigorous character of the Divine justice, which, in a covenant of stipulated observances, necessarily required punctilious and universal obedience. For though the Divine mercy might compassionate the weakness of human nature, and therefore it prescribed stonements not difficult to be paid; yet God could not, in conformity with His relation to the Israelites, overlook even involuntary deficiencies, or casual defilements. Dr. Gray.

After the pattern here set by God Himself, the Church of England in her Commination Service places before her members the curses due to all sin, and puts them in

mind of God’s dreadful tribunal, where the impenitent shall be most certainly condemned. This pious office has been sometimes traduced, as if the saying of “Amen” to these sentences of God’s law were a cursing of ourselves, and a wicked as well as a foolish thing. But probably it is not considered, that God Himself commanded this manner of answering. And the saying of Amen does not here signify wishing, but affirming and declaring the truth of what God hath revealed. Thus Amen is often in the Gospel translated “verily;” and Jesus, who is the Truth, is called “Amen;” so that Amen is no more than a declaration, that he, whom God blesseth, is blessed, and he, whom God curseth, is cursed; and these “curses” are like our Saviour’s “woes” in the Gospel; not procurers of evil, but compassionate predictions of it, in order to prevent it. Christ indeed has purchased forgiveness of sins by His death; yet repentance is necessary to qualify us to receive the benefits of it. Under the Gospel, no less than under the Law, sinners, impenitent sinners, are really accursed. To convince them of this, and to make them own it, is the truest blessing that can be procured for them by the Church. And accordingly, to press all Christians to a true and sincere repentance from the consideration of God’s dreadful wrath against unrepented sin, and so to lead them through His mercy to pardon and peace in this life, and eternal happiness in the next, is the benefit which the Church proposes by setting the curses of God’s law before us. Nelson.

Chap. XXVIII. ver. 1. And it shall come to pass, &c.] The prophecies of Moses may be considered as supplementary to those of Jacob and Balsam: furnishing a more detailed account of the fortunes of the Israelites, and afterwards of the Jews. His predictions of the corruptions of his people after his death; of their subsequent calamities under the judicial and regal states; of the horrors of the Assyrian and Babylonian, and afterwards of the Roman, captivity; are delivered with such plainness and precision, that they seem rather to be historical narratives of past transactions, than prophecies of future. In this respect they differ from all others, excepting those of our Lord Himself; the predictions of the rest being generally delivered in a figurative and

Blessings for obedience. Curses for disobedience. thee on high above all nations of the earth: