Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28:1

What man - This and the following exceptions are to be understood only of a war allowed by God, not in a war commanded by God, not in the approaching war with the Canaanites, from which even the bridegroom was not exempted, as the Jewish writers note.

Deuteronomy 28:2

A vineyard - This and the former dispensation were generally convenient, but more necessary in the beginning of their settlement in Canaan, for the encouragement of those who should build houses or plant vineyards, which was chargeable to them, and beneficial to the common - wealth. Eaten of it - Heb. made it common, namely, for the use of himself and family and friends, which it was not, ’till the fifth year.

Deuteronomy 28:5

Make captains - Or rather, as the Hebrew hath it, they shall set or place the captains of the armies in the head or front of the people under their charge, that they may conduct them, and by their example encourage their soldiers. It is not likely they had their captains to make when they were just going to battle.

Deuteronomy 28:12

Nothing - No man. For the beasts, some few excepted, were given them for a prey.

Deuteronomy 28:15

Thou shalt not destroy - Which is to be understood of a general destruction of them, not of the cutting down some few of them, as the conveniency of the siege might require. Man’s life - The sustenance or support of his life.

Deuteronomy 28:18

The field - Or, in the city, or any place: only the field is named, as the place where such murders are most commonly committed.

Deuteronomy 28:19

Thy elders and judges - Those of thy elders who are judges: the judges or rulers of all the neighbouring cities. Measure - Unless it be evident which city is nearest; for then measuring was superfluous.

Deuteronomy 28:20

Which hath not drawn in the yoke - A fit representative of the murderer, in whose stead it was killed, who would not bear the yoke of God’s laws. A type also of Christ, who was under the yoke, but what he had voluntarily taken upon himself.

Deuteronomy 28:21

A rough valley - That such a desert and horrid place might beget an horror of murder and of the murderer. Strike off the neck - To shew what they would and should have done to the murderer if they had found him.

Deuteronomy 28:22

Every controversy - Of this kind: every controversy which shall rise about any stroke, whether such a mortal stroke as is here spoken of, or any other stroke or wound given by one man to another.

Deuteronomy 28:24

They shall answer - To the priests who shall examine them. This blood - This about which the present enquiry is made: or this which is here present: for it is thought the corps of the slain man was brought into the same place where the heifer was slain. Nor have we seen or understood how or by whom this was done.

Deuteronomy 28:25

Forgiven - Though there was no mortal guilt in this people, yet there was a ceremonial uncleanness in the land, which was to be expiated and forgiven.

Deuteronomy 28:27

Enemies - Of other nations, but not of the Canaanites.

Deuteronomy 28:28

Hast a desire unto her - Or, hast taken delight in her: which may be a modest expression for lying with her, and seems probable, because it is said, Deuteronomy 21:14, that he had humbled her. And here seem to be two cases supposed, and direction given what to do in both of them, that he did desire to marry her, of which he speaks, Deuteronomy 21:11 - 13. that he did not desire this, of which he speaks, Deuteronomy 21:14.

Deuteronomy 28:29

She shall shave her head - In token of her renouncing her heathenish idolatry and superstition, and of her becoming a new woman, and embracing the true religion.

Deuteronomy 28:30

Raiment of captivity - Those sordid raiments which were put upon her when she was taken captive. Bewail her father and mother - Either their death, or which was in effect the same, her final separation from them.

Deuteronomy 28:31

If thou have no delight in her - If thou dost not chuse to marry her. Thou shalt not make merchandise of her - Make gain of her, either by using her to thy own servile works, or by prostituting her to the lusts or to the service of others.

Deuteronomy 28:32

Two wives - This practice, though tolerated, is not hereby made lawful; but only provision is made for the children in this case. Hated - Comparatively, that is, less loved.

Deuteronomy 28:36

His father and mother - The consent of both is required to prevent the abuse of this law to cruelty. And it cannot reasonably be supposed that both would agree without the son’s abominable and incorrigible wickedness, in which case it seems a righteous law, because the crime of rebellion against his own parents did so fully signify what a pernicious member he would be in the commonwealth of Israel, who had dissolved all his natural obligations. Unto the elders - Which was a sufficient caution to preserve children from the malice of any hard - hearted parents, because these elders were first to examine the cause with all exactness, and then to pronounce the sentence.

Deuteronomy 28:37

A glutton and a drunkard - Under which two offences others of a like or worse nature are comprehended.

Deuteronomy 28:39

On a tree - Which was done after the malefactor was put to death some other way, this publick shame being added to his former punishment.

Deuteronomy 28:40

He is accursed of God - He is in a singular manner cursed and punished by God’s appointment with a most shameful kind of punishment, as this was held among the Jews and all nations; and therefore this punishment may suffice for him, and there shall not be added to it that of lying unburied. And this curse is here appropriated to those that are hanged, to so signify that Christ should undergo this execrable punishment, and be made a curse for us, Galatians 3:13, which though it was to come in respect to men, yet was present unto God. Defiled - Either by inhumanity towards the dead: or by suffering the monument of the man’s wickedness, and of God’s curse, to remain publick a longer time than God would have it, whereas it should he put out of sight, and buried in oblivion.

Deuteronomy 28:42

Thy brother’s - Any man’s. Thou shalt not hide thyself - Dissemble or pretend that thou dost not see them; or pass them by as if thou hadst not seen them.

Deuteronomy 28:43

To thine own house - To be used like thine own cattle.

Deuteronomy 28:44

Hide thyself - Dissemble that thou hast found it. Or, hide it, that is, conceal the thing lost.

Deuteronomy 28:46

Shall not wear - Namely, ordinarily or unnecessarily, for in some cases this may be lawful, as to make an escape for one’s life. Now this is forbidden, both for decency sake, that men might not confound those sexes which God hath distinguished, that all appearance of evil might be avoided, such change of garments carrying a manifest sign of effeminacy in the man, of arrogance in the woman, of lightness and petulancy in both; and also to cut off all suspicions and occasions of evil, which this practice opens a wide door to.

Deuteronomy 28:48

Let the dam go - Partly for the bird’s sake, which suffered enough by the loss of its young; for God would not have cruelty exercised towards the brute creatures: and partly for mens sake, to refrain their greediness, that, they should not monopolize all to themselves, but leave the hopes of a future seed for others.

Deuteronomy 28:49

A battlement - A fence or breastwork, because the roofs of their houses were made flat, that men might walk on them. Blood - The guilt of blood, by a man’s fall from the top of thy house, thro’ thy neglect of this necessary provision. The Jew’s say, that by the equity of this law, they are obliged, and so are we, to fence or remove every thing, whereby life may he endangered, as wells, or bridges, lest if any perish thro’ our omission, their blood be required at our hand.

Deuteronomy 28:50

Divers seeds - Either With divers kinds of seed mixed and sowed together between the rows of vines in thy vineyard: which was forbidden to be done in the field, Leviticus 19:19, and here, in the vineyard. Or, With any kind of seed differing from that of the vine, which would produce either herbs, or corn, or fruit - bearing trees, whose fruit might be mingled with the fruit of the vines. Now this and the following precepts, tho’ in themselves small and trivial, are given, according to that time and state of the church, for instructions in greater matters, and particularly to commend to them simplicity in all their carriage towards God and man, and to forbid all mixture of their inventions with God’s institutions in doctrine or worship. Defiled - Legally and morally, as being prohibited by God’s law, and therefore made unclean; as on the contrary, things are sanctified by God’s word, allowing and approving them, 1 Timothy 4:5.

Deuteronomy 28:51

An ox and an ass - Because the one was a clean beast, the other unclean whereby God would teach men to avoid polluting themselves by the touch of unclean persons or things.

Deuteronomy 28:53

Fringes - Or laces, or strings, partly to bring the commands of God to their remembrance, as it is expressed, Numbers 15:38, and partly is a public profession of their nation and religion, whereby they might be distinguished from strangers, that so they might be more circumspect to behave as became the people of God, and that they should own their religion before all the world. Thou coverest thyself - These words seem restrictive to the upper garment wherewith the rest were covered.

Deuteronomy 28:54

If any man take a wife - And afterward falsely accuse her - What the meaning of that evidence is, by which the accusation was proved false, the learned are not agreed. Nor is it necessary for us to know: they for whom this law was intended, undoubtedly understood it.

Deuteronomy 28:60

The father - Because this was a reproach to his family, and to himself, as such a miscarriage of his daughter would have been ascribed to his evil education.

Deuteronomy 28:65

She cried not - And therefore is justly presumed to have consented to it.

Deuteronomy 28:67

Even so - Not an act of choice, but of force and constraint.

Deuteronomy 28:68

The damsel cried - Which is in that case to be presumed; charity obliging us to believe the best, ’till the contrary be manifest.