18 He doth execute the judgment of the fa

p 1 Kings 8 27. Pa. 115. 16. & 148. 4. Gen. 14. 19. Exod. 19. 5. Ps. 21. 1. r Ch 4.37- See Lev. 2. 41. Ch. 30. 6. Jer. 4. 4. Rom. 2. 28, 29. Col. 2. 11-t Ch. 9. 6, 13-u Josh. 2! 22. Psa. 136. 2. Dan. 2 47. & 11. 36-v Rev. 17. 14. & 19. 16. w Ch. 7. 21.-x 2Chron. 19. 7. Job 34. 19. Acta 10. 34. Roin. 2. 11. Gal. 2. 6, Eph. 6.

he requires; performing it with all thy heart, the whole of thy affections; and with all thy soul, thy will, understanding, and judgment, In a word, putting forth thy whole strength and energy of body and soul in the sacred work. Verse 14. Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens] All these words in the original, are in the plural number: no open in hen hashshamayim, ushemey hashshamayim; behold, the heavens and the heavens of heavens; but what do they mean? To say that the first means the atmosphere, the second the planetary system, and the third the region of the blessed, is saying but very little in the way of explanation. The words were probably intended to point out the immensity of God's creation, in which we may readily conceive one system of heavenly bodies, and others beyond them, and others still in endless progression, through the whole vortex of space! Every star in the vast abyss of nature being a sun, with its peculiar and numerous attendant worlds. Thus there may be systems of systems, in endless gradation, up to the throne of God.

Verse 16. Circumcise-the foreskin of your heart] A plain proof from God himself, that this precept pointed out spiritual things; and that it was not the cutting away a part of the flesh, that was the object of the divine commandment, but the purification of the soul; without which all forms and ceremonies are of no avail. Loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, the heart being circumcised to enable them to do it; was, from the beginning, the end, design, and fulfilment of the whole law. Verse 17. God of gods, and Lord of lords] That is, he is the source whence all being and power proceed: every agent is finite but himself; and he can counteract, suspend, or destroy all the actions of all creatures, whensoever he pleases. If he determine to save, none can destroy; if he purpose to destroy, none can save. How absolutely necessary to have such a God for our friend!

A great God-mighty] bn ha-el ha-gibbor, the mighty God; this is the very title that is given to our blessed Lord and Saviour, Isai. ix. 6.

Verse 21. He is thy praise] It is an eternal honour to any soul to be in the friendship of God. Why are people nshamed of being thought religious? Because they know nothing of religion. He who knows his Maker may glory in his God-for without him, what has any soul but disgrace, pain, shame, and perdition! How strange is it that those who fear God should be ashamed to own it; while sinners boldly proclaim their relationship to Satan!

Verse 22. With threescore and ten persons] And now, from so small a beginning they were multiplied to more than 600,000 souls; and this indeed in the space of 40 years; for the 603,000 which came out of Egypt, were at this time all dead, but Moses, Joshua, and Caleb. How easily can God increase and multiply, and how easily diminish and bring low! In all things, because of his unlimited power, he can do whatsoever he will. And he will do whatsoever is right.

On a very important subject in this chapter, Dr. Kennicott has the following judicious observations.

"The book of Deuteronomy contains the several speeches made to the Israelites by Moses, just before his death; recapitulating the chief circumstances of their history, from their deliverance out of Egypt, to their arrival on the banks of Jordan. What in this book he has recorded, as spoken, will be best understood by comparing it with what he has recorded, as done, in the previous history; and this, which is very useful as to the other parts of this book, is absolutely necessary, as to the part of the tenth chapter here to be considered.

"The previous circumstances of the history necessary to be here attended to, are these: In Exod. chap. xx. God speaks the ten commandments. In chap. xxiv. Moses, on

therless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

19 Love ye therefore the stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.

21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

22 Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of the heaven for multitude.

9. Col. 3, 25. 1 Pet. 1. 17-y Psa. 68. 5. & 146. 9. Lev. 19. 33, 31.--a Ch. 6. 13. Matt. 4. 10. Luke 4. 8.-b Ch. 11. 22. & 13. 4.-e Psa. 63. 11.- Exod. 15. 2. Ps. 22.3. Jer. 17. 14-e 1 Sam. 12. 21. 2 Sam. 7. 23. Ps. 106, 21, 22-f Gen. 46. 27. Exod. 1. 5. Acts 7. 11-g Gen. 15, 5. Ch. 1. 10. & 23. 62.

mount Sinai, receives the two tables; and is there 40 days and nights. In chaps. xxv. xxvi. xxvii. God appoints the service of the tabernacle. In xxviii. separates Aaron and his sons, for the priest's office; by a statute for ever, to him and his seed after him. In xxxii. Moses, incensed at the golden calf, breaks the tables; yet he prays for the people; and God orders him to lead them toward Canaan. In xxxiv. Moses carries up two other tables, and stays again 40 days and nights. In Numb. chap. iii. the tribe of Levi selected; viii. consecrated; x. and xi. the Israelites march from Sinai, on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year. In xiii. spies sent. In xiv. the men are sentenced to die in the wilderness during the 40 years. In xviii. the Levites are to have no lot nor large district, in Canaan; but to be the Lord's inheritance. In xx. Aaron dies on mount Hor. Lastly, in the complete catalogue of the whole march (chap. xxxiii.) we are told, that they went from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan; thence to Hor-hagidgad; to Jotbathah; to Ebronah; to Eziongeber; to Zin, (which is Kadesh) and thence to mount Hor; where Aaron died, in the fortieth and last year. In Deut. ix. Moses tells the Israelites (ver. 7.) that they had been rebels, from Egypt even to Jordan; particularly at Horeb (ver. 8-29.) whilst he was with God, and received the tables at the end of 40 days and nights-and that, after breaking the tables, he fasted and interceded for his brethren, during a second period of 40 days and nights-and this ninth chapter ends with the prayer which he then made. Chapter the tenth begins thus: At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone, like unto the first, and come up, &c. And from ver. 1. to the end of ver. 5. he describes the second copy of the ten commandments; as written also by God, and deposited by himself in the ark. After this we have now four verses (6, 7, 8, and 9,) which not only have no kind of connexion with the verses before and after them; but also, as they stand in the present Hebrew text, directly contradict that very text: and the two first of these verses have not, in our Hebrew Text, the least connexion with the two last of them. Our Hebrew text (ver. 6.) says, that Israel journeyed from Bene-jaakan to Moserah. Whereas that very text, in the complete catalogue (Numb. xxxiii. 31.) says, they journeyed from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan. Again: Aaron is here said to have died at Moserah; whereas he died on mount Hor, the seventh station afterward: see Numb. xxxiii. 38. And again, they are here said to go from Bene-jaakan to Moserah; thence to Gudgodah; and thence to Jotbath; whereas the complete catalogue says, Moseroth to Bene-jaakan; thence to Hor-hagidgad; and thence to Jotbathah. But, if the marches could possibly be true, as they now stand in these two verses; yet what connexion can there be between JOTBATH, and the SEPARATION OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI! It is very happy that these several difficulties in the Hebrew text, are removed by the SAMARITAN Pentateuch. For that text tells us here rightly, that the march was from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan; to Hagidgad, to Jotbathah, to Ebronah, to Eziongeber, to Zin, (which is Kadesh) and thence to mount Hor, where Aaron died. Again: as the regular deduction of these stations ends with mount Hor, and Aaron's death; we have then, what we had not before, a regular connexion with the two next verses; and the connexion is this-That when Aaron, the son of Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of LEVI died: neither the tribe of Levi, nor the priesthood, was deserted. But God still supported the latter, by maintaining the former: and this, not by allotting that tribe any one large part of Canaan, but separate cities among the other tribes; and by allowing them to live upon those offerings, which were made by the other tribes to God himself. These four verses therefore, (6, 7, 8, and 9.) in the same text, stand thus: (ver. 6.)

CHAPTER XI.

m

3" And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;

h Ch. 10. 12. & 30. 16, 20-i Zech. 3. 7.-k Ch. 8. 5.-1 Ch. 5. 24.-m Ch. 7. 19.-n Pan 78. 12. & 135.9.—o Exod. 11. 27, 29, & 15. 9, 10. Psa. 106, 11.-p Numb. 16. 1, 31. & 27.

WHEN the children of Israel journeyed from Moseroth, and encamped in Bene-jaakan; from thence they journeyed and encamped at Hagidgad; from thence they journeyed and encamped in Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water: (7.) from thence they journeyed and encamped in Ebronah; in Ezion-geber; in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh; and then at mount Hor: And AARON DIED THERE, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son, ministered as priest in his stead. (8.) At that time, the Lord HAD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name unto this day. (9.) Wherefore Levi hath no part, nor inheritance, with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him. But however consistent these four verses are now with themselves, it will be still demanded, what connexion have they with the fifth verse before them; and with the tenth verse after them? I confess, I cannot discover their least pertinency here: because AARON'S DEATH, and LEVI'S SEPARATION, seem totally foreign to the speech of Moses in this place. And this speech without these four verses is a regularly connected admonition from Moses, to this purpose-that his brethren were for ever to consider themselves as indebted to him, under God, for the renewal of the two tables; and also to his intercession, for rescuing them from destruction. The words are these: (x. 4.) The Lord wrote again the ten commandments, and gave them unto me. (5.) And I came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark, which I HAD made. (10.) Thus 1 staid in the mount according to the first time, 40 days and 40 nights: and the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also; the Lord would not destroy thee. (11.) And the Lord said unto me, arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land, &c.

But then, if these four verses were not, at first, a part of this chapter, but are evidently interpolated: there arises another inquiry. Whether they are an insertion entirely spurious; or a genuine part of the Sacred Text, though removed hither out of some other chapter. As they contain nothing singular or peculiar, are of no particular importance, and relate to no subject of disputation, they are not likely to have arisen from fraud or design; but perfectly coinciding in sense with other passages, they may safely be considered as another instance of a large transposition [86 words] in the present text, arising from accident and want of care. And the only remaining question therefore is, Whether we can discover, though not to demonstration, yet with any considerable degree of probability, the original place of these four verses: that so they may be at last restored to that neighbourhood and connexion, from which they have been, for so many ages, separated.

"It was natural for Moses, in the course of these several speeches to his brethren, in Deuteronomy, to embrace the first opportunity of impressing on their memories, a matter of such particular importance, as the continuation of the priesthood among the Levites, after Aaron's death. And the first proper place seems to be in the second chapter, after the first verse. At chap. i. 19. he speaks of their march from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea, whence they sent the spies into Canaan. He then sets forth their murmurings, and God's sentence, that they should die in the wilderness; and he ends the first chapter with their being defeated by the Amorites, their weeping before the Lord, and abiding many days in KADESH, which is KADESH-BARNEA, near Canaan.

4 And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

5 And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came unto this place;

6 And P what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession in the midst of all Israel:

7 But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.

8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments, which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;

9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD Sware unto your fathers

V

3. Psa. 106. 17.-q Or, living substance which followed them-r Heb. was at ther feet. Ch. 5 3. & 7. 19-t Josh. 1. 6,7.-u Ch. 4. 40. & 5. 16. Prov. 10. 27.—Ch. £ 5.

"Chap. 2d begins thus:- Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the Lord spake unto me: and wE COMPASSED MOUNT SEIR MANY DAYS. Now, the many days, or long time, which they spent in compassing mount Seir, that is, going round on the southwest coasts of Edom, in order to proceed northeast from Edom, through Moab to Arnon, must include several of their stations; besides that eminent one at mount Hor, where Aaron died. And as part of their road, during this long compass, lay through Ezion-geber, (which was on the eastern tongue of the Red sea, and the south boundary of Edom;) thence to Zin, (which is KADESH, that is, MERIBAH KADESH) and thence to mount Hor, as they marched to the northeast: so it is probable, that the five stations preceding that of Ezion-geber, were on the extremity of mount Seir, to the southwest. And if their first station at entering the southwest borders of Edom, and beginning to compass mount Seir, was Moseroth, this gives the reason wanted, why Moses begins this passage at Moseroth, and ends it with Aaron's death at mount Hor. And this will discover a proper connexion between the four dislocated verses, and the context here.— Deut. i. 46. So ye abode in Kadesh (Barnea) many days. ii. 1. Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea; as the Lord spake unto me: and we COMPASSED MOUNT SEIR MANY DAYS, "For the children of Israel journeyed from Moseroth, and pitched in Bene-jaakan: from thence they journeyed and pitched in Hagidgad: from thence they journeyed and pitched in Jotbathath, a land of rivers of water: from thence they journeyed and pitched in Ebronah: from thence they journeyed and pitched in Ezion-geber: from thence they journeyed and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh: from thence they jour neyed and pitched in mount Hor, and Aaron died there, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his stead. At that time the Lord had separated the tribe of Levi; to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unlo him, and to bless in his name unto this day. Wherefore, Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, according as the Lord thy God promised him.

"And this paragraph being thus finished, at the end of the first verse, the second verse begins a new paragraph, thus: And the Lord spake unto me, saying, Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward-through the east side of Seir (or Edom) towards Moab on the north.-See verses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.”—Kennicott's Remarks, p. 74.

These remarks should not be hastily rejected. NOTES ON CHAPTER XI. Verse 1. Thou shalt love the Lord] Because without this there could be no obedience to the divine testimonies, and no happiness in the soul; for the heart that is destitute of the love of God, is empty of all good, and consequently miserable.-See the note on chap. x. 12,

Verse 6. What he did unto Dathan, &c.] See the notes on Numb. xvi.

Verse 8. Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments] Because God can execute such terrible judgments; and because he has given such proofs of his power and justice; and because, in similar provocations, he may be expected to act in a similar way, therefore keep his charge, that he may keep you unto everlasting life.

h

31 For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therin. 22 And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments, which I set before you this day. CHAPTER XII.

All monuments of idolatry in the promised land to be destroyed, 1-3. And God's service to be duly performal, 4-7 The difference between the performance of that service in the wilderness, and in the promised land, 8-11. The people are to be happy in all their religious observances, 12 The offerings must be brought to the place which God appoints, and no blood is to be eaten, 13-16. The tithe of corn, wine, oil, &c. to be outen in the place that God shall choose, 17, 18. The Levite must

W

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8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

9 For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you.

10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to

out before the Lord, and be eaten on no pretence whatever, 20-25. Of vows, burntofferings, &e 26, 27. These precepts are to be carefully obeyed, 28. Cautions against the abominations of the heathen, -31. Nothing to be added to, or dininished from, the word of God, 32. An. Exol Isr. 40. Sebat

THER HESE are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

n

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, Pupon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: 3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.

4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

5 But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose, out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye şeek, and thither thou shalt come:

6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and

h Gen. 12. 8 Judges 7. 1.-i Ch. 9. 1. Josh. 1. 11.-k Ch. 5. 32 & 12 32-1 Ch. 6. 1.-m Ch. 4. 10. 1 Kings 8, 40.-n Exod. 34. 13. Ch. 7. 5-0 Or, inherit.-p 2 Kings 16. 4. & 17. 10. 11. Jer. 3. 6.-q Numb. 33. 52. Judg. 2. 2-r Heb. break down-s Ver. 31-t Ver. 11. Ch. 26. 2. Josh 9. 27. 1 Kings 8. 29. 2 Chron. 7. 12. Paa. 78. 68. u Lev. 17. 3. 4.-y Ver. 17. Ch. 14. 22, 23. & 15. 19, 20.

cut off-cut down-hence gerizim, the cutters down, fellers, and reapers or harvest-men-this mountain being supposed to have its name from its great fertility, or the abundance of the crops it yielded, which is a possible case. Say ebal, or eybal, the root is not found in Hebrew; but in Arabic cabala, signifies rough, rugged, curled, &c. and cabalo, from the same root, signifies white stones; and a mountain in which such stones are found, alabalo, the mountain of white stones.-See Giggius and Golius. And as it is supposed that the mountain had this name because of its barrenness, on this metaphorical interpretation, the sense of the passage would appear to be the following:-God will so superintend the land, and have it continually under the eye of his watchful providence, that no change can happen in it, but according to his divine counsel; so that its fertility shall ever he the consequence of the faithful obedience of its inhabitants; and a proof of the blessing of God upon it. On the contrary, its barrenness shall be a proof that the people have departed from their God: and that his curse has, in consequence, fallen upon the land.-See the manner of placing these blessings and curses, chap. xxvii. 12, &c. Gerizim is very fruitful; and that Ebal is very barren, is the united testimony of all who have travelled in those parts: see Ludolf, Reland, Rab. Benjamin, and Mr. Maundrel. Sychem lies in the valley between these two mountains. THAT the land of Judea was naturally very fertile, can scarcely be supposed by any who considers the accounts given of it by travellers: with the exception of a few districts, the whole land is dry, stony, and barren, and particularly all the southern parts of Judea, and all the environs of Jerusalem: most of which is represented as absolutely incapable of cultivation. How then could it ever support its vast number of inhabitants? By the especial providence of God. While God kept that people under his continual protection, their land was a paradise-they lent to all nations and borrowed from none: what has it been since? a demi solitude-because that especial blessing no longer descends upon it. No land, says Calmet, was more fertile while under the benediction of God; none more barren when under his curse. Its present state is a

That

enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; 11 Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt-offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes and the heave-offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:

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12 And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite that is within your gates: forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you. 13 Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest: 14 But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt-offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, according to whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

i

w Ch. 14. 256.x Ver. 12, 18. Lev. 23. 40. Ch. 16. 11, 14. 15 & 26 11 & 27. 7. y Judg. 17. 6. & 21. 25.-z Ch. 11. 31-a Ver. 5, 14, 19, 21, 25. & Ch. 14. 2 & 15 20. & 16 2, &c & 17. 8 & 19 6. & 23. 16. & 3 2 & 31. 11. Josh. 18. 1. 1 Kings 1. * Psa. 78, 68-b Heb. the choice of your vows.-c Ver. 7.-d Ch. 10 9 & 112. e Lev. 17. 4.- Ver. 11-g Ver. 21-h Ver. 22. —¡ Ch. 14. 5. & 15. 22.

proof of the declaration of Moses, chap. xxviii. 23. The heaven over their head is brass; the earth under their feet, iron. The land itself, in its present state, is an ample proof of the authenticity of the Pentateuch. Should facts of this kind be lost sight of, by any one who reads the Sacred Writings?

NOTES ON CHAPTER XII. Verse 3. Ye shall overthrow their altars] Where unholy sacrifices have been offered. Ye shall break their pillarsprobably meaning statues and representations of their gods cut out of stone.-Ye shall burn their groves-such as those about the temple of Ashtaroth, the Canaanitish Ve nus, whose impure rites were practised in different parts of the enclosures or groves round her temples.-- Ye shall hew down the graven images-probably implying all images carved out of wood. And shall destroy the names of them-which were no doubt at first graven on the stones, and carved on the trees, and then applied to the surrounding districts. In various instances, the names of whole mountains, valleys, and districts, were borrowed from the gods worshipped there.

Verse 14. The place which the Lord shall choose] To prevent idolatry, and bring about a perfect uniformity in the divine worship, which at that time was essentially necessary; because every rite and ceremony had a determinate meaning, and pointed out the good things which were to come; therefore one place must be established, where those rites and ceremonies should be carefully and punctually observed. Had it not been so, every man would have formed his worship according to his own mind, and the whole beauty and importance of the grand representatire system would have been destroyed; and the Messiah and the glories of his kingdom could not have been seen through the medium of the Jewish ritual. For uniformity in every part of the divine worship, the same necessity does not now exist; because that which was typified is come, and the shadows have all fled away. Yet when it can be obtained, how desirable is it, that all sincere Christians should, with one mouth, as well as with one heart, glorify their common Lord and Saviour!

Verse 15. Thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy