Deuteronomy 17:1--20:20
sacrifice <02076> [Thou shalt.]
[See on]
sheep <07716> [sheep. or, goat. any evil favouredness.]
offensive <08441> [for that.]
one .... villages <08179 0259> [within any of thy gates.]
The expression, "within any of thy gates," denoted all residing in the cities, and all who went in and came out at the gates of them; so that it included the inhabitants of the whole land.
man <0376> [man.]
breaks <05674> [in transgressing.]
sun <08121> [the sun.]
permitted <06680> [which.]
must <01875> [enquired.]
stone <05619 068> [stone them.]
witnesses <05707> [of the witnesses.]
purge <01197> [So thou.]
matter .............. matters <01697 06965> [arise.]
bloodshed <01818> [between blood.]
go up <05927> [get thee up.]
priests <03548> [the priests.]
<05046> [they shall.]
instructed <06310 04941> [According to.]
right <03225> [to the right.]
pays <06213> [will do.]
attention <08085> [and will not hearken. Heb. not to hearken.]
priest <03548> [the priest.]
person ..................... person <0376> [that man.]
purge <01197> [thou shalt.]
hear <08085> [shall hear.]
presumptuous <02102> [presumptuously.]
come <0935> [When thou.]
select <07760> [I will set.]
Lord <03068> [whom.]
among <07130> [from among.]
designate <05414> [not set.]
accumulate horses <05483 07235> [multiply horses.]
Multiplying horses for chariots of war and cavalry, or for luxury, would increase the splendour of a monarch, and form a ground of confidence distinct from a proper confidence in God, and inconsistent with it, and with considering him as the glory of Israel. Egypt abounded in horses; and the desire of multiplying these would induce the prince to encourage a trade with that kingdom; and this might make way for the Israelites being again subjugated by the Egyptians, or at least corrupted by their idolatries and vices. Whereas, it was the command of God that they should no more return thither, but be totally detached from them. Besides, they might be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease to be that distinct, separate people, which God intended they should be.
people <05971> [cause.]
again <03254> [Ye shall henceforth.]
many wives ........... accumulate <0802 07235> [multiply wives.]
many ............ accumulate <07235 03966> [neither shall he.]
<03789> [that he shall.]
copy <04932> [a copy.]
{Mishneh hattorah hazzoth,} "a duplicate of this law." translated by the Septuagint, [to deuteronomion touto,] this Deuteronomy. From this version, both the Vulgate and all the modern versions have taken the name of this book; and from it the original word, the Jews call it {Mishneh.}
<06440> [out of that which.]
himself <03824> [his heart.]
turn <05493> [he turn.]
right <03225> [right hand.]
turn ................ enjoy <05493 0748> [that he.]
allotment <02506> [shall have.]
eat <0398> [they shall.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
offer sacrifices <02077 02076> [offer a sacrifice.]
best .............. best <07225> [first-fruit.]
shear <01488> [the fleece.]
comes <0935> [come.]
comes ...... will <0935 0185> [and come with.]
place <04725> [unto the place.]
fellow <0251> [as all his brethren.]
same share <02506> [like portions.]
sale .... family's inheritance <01 04465> [that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony. Heb. his sales by the fathers.]
son <01121> [maketh.]
or ......... divination .... reader <07081 07080> [that useth divination.]
The precise import of the terms here used to express these unhallowed practices cannot be clearly ascertained: he that useth divination, {kosaim, kesamim,} seems a general term for the various species after specified; observer of times, {meonain,} one who pretends to foretell by the clouds, planets, etc.; enchanter {menachesh,} a diviner, either by means of serpents, or by inspecting the entrails of beasts, the flight of birds, etc.; a witch, {mecashsheph,} one who used magical fumigations, etc.; a charmer, {chover chaver,} one who uses spells, or a peculiar conjunction of words, or tying knots, etc.; a consulter with familiar spirits, {shoel ov,} a pythoness; a wizard, {yidoni,} a cunning man; necromancer, {doresh el hammaithim} one who seeks enquiries of the dead.
necromancer <01875> [or a necromancer.]
blameless <08549> [Thou shalt.]
blameless <08549> [perfect. or, upright, or, sincere.]
about ... dispossess <03423> [possess. or, inherit. hath not suffered.]
prophet <05030> [a Prophet.]
listen <08085> [like unto me.]
listen <08085> [unto him.]
Horeb <02722> [in Horeb.]
hear <08085> [Let me not hear.]
raise <06965> [raise them.]
put <05414> [like unto.]
put <05414> [will put.]
speak <01696> [he shall.]
prophet .......................... prophet <05030> [the prophet.]
name .............. name <08034> [in the name.]
speaks ............... spoken ........ speak <01696> [speaketh.]
prediction <01697> [if the thing.]
presumed <02087> [presumptuously.]
fear <01481> [shalt not.]
destroys <03772> [hath cut.]
dispossess <03423> [succeedest. Heb. inheritest, or possessest.]
apart .... three cities <07969 05892 0914> [separate three cities.]
Unquestionably in imitation of these cities, the heathen had their {asyla,} and the Roman Catholics their privileged altars: and similar traditions seem to obtain in many barbarous nations, for "the North American Indian nations have most of them either a house or town of refuge, which is a sure asylum to protect a manslayer, or the unfortunate captive, if he once enter it. In almost every Indian nation, there are several towns, which are called old beloved, ancient, holy, or white towns, (white being their fixed emblem of peace, friendship, prosperity, happiness, purity, etc.) They seem to have been formerly towns of refuge; for it is not in the memory of the oldest people that human blood was shed in them."
pertaining <07523> [the slayer.]
<08032 08543> [in time past. Heb. from yesterday the third day.]
ax head <01270> [head. Heb. iron.]
wood ........... tree ......... handle <06086> [helve. Heb. wood. lighteth. Heb. findeth. he shall flee.]
avenger <01350> [the avenger.]
kill <05315 05221> [slay him. Heb. smite him in life. not worthy.]
accident <08032 08543> [in time past. Heb. from yesterday the third day.]
careful <08104> [If thou shalt.]
add <03254> [then shalt thou.]
person <0376> [But if any.]
him <05315> [mortally. Heb. in life.]
<05869> [Thine eye.]
purge <01197> [but thou.]
encroach <05253> [shalt not remove.]
Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus a dishonest man might enlarge his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. Hence it was a matter of considerable importance to prevent this crime among the Israelites; among whom, removing them would be equivalent to forging, altering, destroying, or concealing the title-deeds of an estate among us. Accordingly, by the Mosaic law, it was not only prohibited in the commandment against covetousness, but we find a particular curse expressly annexed to it in ch. 27:17. Josephus considers this law a general prohibition, intended not only to protect private property, but also to preserve the boundaries of kingdoms and countries inviolable.
<06310> [at the mouth.]
false witness <05707 02555> [a false witness.]
crime <05627> [that which is wrong. or, falling away.]
thoroughly <03190> [diligent.]
do ......... do <06213> [Then shall.]
purge <01197> [so shalt.]
principle .......... eye .... eye <05869> [thine eye.]
life .... life <05315> [life shall.]
go <03318> [goest out.]
chariotry <05483> [horses.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
fainthearted <03824> [let not.]
fainthearted <07401> [faint. Heb. be tender. tremble. Heb. make haste.]
terrified <06206> [be ye terrified.]
fight <03898> [to fight.]
officers <07860> [the officers.]
dedicated ............... dedicate <02596> [dedicated.]
benefited ................ benefit <02490 03212> [eaten of it. Heb. made it common.]
die <04191> [lest he die.]
engaged .... woman <0802 0781> [betrothed a wife.]
It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse, or betroth, and for a considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of the respective parents; and when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and the marriage consummated. The provisions in this verse refer to a case of this kind; though the Jews extend it to him who had newly consummated his marriage, and even to him who had married his brother's wife. It was deemed a peculiar hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, who had left a house unfinished, newly purchased land half tilled, or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage.
die <04191> [lest he die.]
afraid <03373> [fearful.]
fellow <0251> [lest his brethren's.]
make ....... fearful <04549> [faint. Heb. melt.]
lead ... troops <07218 05971> [to lead the people. Heb. to be in the head of the people.]
offer it ... of <07121> [then proclaim.]
slaves <04522> [tributaries.]
kill <05221> [thou shalt smite.]
women <0802> [the women.]
spoil .... take <0962 0398> [take unto thyself. Heb. spoil. thou shalt eat.]
utterly annihilate them <02763> [thou shalt.]
Hittites <02850> [the Hittites.]
chop down .............. cut ... down <07843 03772> [thou shalt not.]
trees ................ tree <06086> [for the tree, etc. or, for, O man, the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege.]
The original is exceedingly difficult. The LXX. has it, "Is the tree in the field a man, to enter the trench before thee?" The Latin Vulgate: "For it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of those who war against thee;" Onkelos, "For the tree of the field is not as a man, that it should come against thee in the siege;" and to the same purpose the Arabic, Philo, and Josephus who say, "If trees could speak, they would cry out, that it is unjust that they, who were no cause of the war, should suffer the miseries of it." However rendered, the sense is sufficiently clear: and it is a merciful provision to spare all the fruit trees for the support of both the besieged and besiegers.
<0935> [to employ, etc. Heb. to go from before thee.]
build <01129> [thou shalt build.]
falls <03381> [be subdued. Heb. come down.]
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