Country And another Law punished this Ingratitude with Death See J. Meursius in his Themis Attica Lib. I. Cap. 2 3. where he shews That by Parents they understood not only Father and Mother but Grand-father and Grand-mother nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Great Grand-mother and Great Grand-father if they were yet alive as Isaeus tells us Orat. VII And the Ground of all these Laws was a Sence they had as Aeschines tells us That Men ought to honour their Parents as they did the Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Sam. Petitus in Leges Atticas Lib. III. Tit. 3. Whence Hierocles calls Parents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earthly Gods And Philo upon the Decalogue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Visible Gods who imitate him that is unbegotten by giving Life And accordingly next to the Precepts concerning the Worship of God Moses here places immediately the Duty owing unto Parents That thy Days may be prolonged and that it may go well with thee c. These last Words are added to what God spake XX Exod. 12. as an Explication of the foregoing Whereby they are excited to Obedience by the Promise not only of a long Life but of an happy I say Obedience for that 's included in Honour as the Apostle explains it III Coloss 20. Children obey your Parents in all things Where God that is hath not commanded the contrary and where it is not inconsistent with the Publick Good which is alway to be preferred ever before the Duty that is owing to Natural Parents Insomuch that common Reason taught the Heathen that for the Good of the Society the Son is to lay aside the Reverence he should pay to his Father and the Father to pay it unto the Son that is when he is in Publick Office Thus the famous Fabius Cunctator commended his Son for making him light off from his Horse when he met him in his Consulship as Plutarch tells us And see A. Gellius L. XI Noct. Attic. Cap. I. Lib. XIII Cap. ult Lib. XIV in the beginning Ver. 17. Thou shalt not kill If a Man killed another involuntarily he was banished by the Laws of Athens from his Country for a Year But if he kill'd Verse 17 another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Demosthenes speaks out of forethought and designedly he was put to Death See Sam. Petitus Lib. VII in Leges Atticas Tit. 1. p. 508 512. Yea so detestable was this Sin accounted that even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liveless Things such as Wood or Stone or Iron wherewith a Man was killed Draco ordered to be thrown out of their Coasts Ib. p. 523. Ver. 18. Thou shalt not commit Adultery This Verse 18 Crime was also punished with Death by the Laws of Draco Solon indeed left it to the Liberty of the Husband who caught another Man in Bed with his Wife either to kill him if he pleased or to let him redeem his Life with a Sum of Money But if after this he lived with his Wife he was infamous as Demosthenes tells us who saith she might not come publickly into their Temples If she did any Man might treat her as he pleased only not kill her So that she was so odious as to be thrown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both out of the House of her Husband and out of Holy Places of the City Nor might she go abroad with any Ornaments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Law of Solon If she did any Body might take them away from her and tear her Clothes in pieces and beat her only not maim her in any part of her Body See the same Petitus Lib. VI. Tit. 4. Ver. 19. Neither shalt thou steal The Laws of Verse 19 Draco punished all Theft with Death Which Solon thought too severe and therefore chang'd that Punishment into making Satisfaction by restoring double yet still making it Death if any Man stole above such a Value or took any thing out of the Publick Baths and such-like places tho' of never so little Value See in the same Author Lib. VII Tit. 5. Verse 20 Ver. 20. Neither shalt thou bear false Witness against thy Neighbour There was an Action at Athens lay both against false Witnesses and him that produced them Who had a Fine set upon them and were made infamous And if they were found thrice in the same Fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both they themselves and all their Posterity were made infamous As Andocides speaks See Ib. page 559. Verse 21 Ver. 21. Neither shalt thou desire thy Neighbour's Wife neither shalt thou covet thy Neighbour's House c. It is observed by some that an exact Order is observed in the delivery of these Precepts For first he places such Offences as are consummate and then those that are but begun and not perfected And in the former he proceeds from those that are most heinous unto those that are less grievous For those Offences are the greatest which disturb the Publick Order and consequently do mischief unto a great many Such are those that are committed against Governors and Rulers who are comprehended under the Name of Parents by whose Authority Humane Society is preserved And then among those which are against particular Persons those are the greatest which touch a Man's Life Next those that wrong his Family the Foundation of which is Matrimony Then those that wrong him in his Goods either directly by Stealth or more craftily by bearing False-witness Then in the last place those Sins are mentioned which are not consummate being gone no further than desire which in Exodus XX. 17. are expressed by one and the same word but here by two which we translate desire and covet Between which I know no difference unless they express higher and lower degrees of the same Sin The contrary to which is contentedness with our Portion and thankfulness to God for it which will not let us covet any thing belonging to another Man with his loss and damage Ver. 22. These Words the LORD spake unto all the Verse 22 Assembly in the Mount out of the midst of the Fire of the Clouds and of the thick Darkness XIX Exod. 16. XX. 18. This confutes the foolish Fancy of the Jewish Doctors that the People heard only the first Words of God I am the LORD thy c. thou shalt have no other Gods but me i. e. They heard him declare his Existence and his Unity but all the rest were reported to them by Moses Nothing can be more contrary to what he here saith that all these Words that is the Ten Words before mentioned were spoken to their whole Assembly See More Nevochim P. II. Cap. XXXIII With a great Voice That is so loud that it might be heard by the whole Camp And he added no more All the rest of the Commandments which follow in the XXI XXII and XXIII of Exodus were delivered to Moses alone and by him to the People according to their own desire XX Exod. 19. XXI 1.
which is called going a whoring from him as hath been often noted notwithstanding all the Means he had prescribed to prevent it And therefore he adds one more which was the learning them the following Song notwithstanding which he foresaw that after the death of Joshua and the Elders who survived him they would forsake him and worship other gods See CVI Psal 36 38. After the gods of the strangers of the land This is an unusual Phrase signifying no more than what he calls in other places strange gods Though some think it imports peculiarly the gods of the Canaanites who were the former Inhabitants but being expelled became Strangers of the Land And thus Onkelos seems to have understood it who translates it After the Idols of the People of the Land Which was an high aggravation of their sin that they should worship such gods as had not been able to protect their Servants Whither they go to be among them This seems to countenance the foregoing Exposition And God charges them in future Ages with this as a very great guilt that they worshipped the gods of the Amorites in whose Land they dwelt VI Judges 10. And will forsake me For he lookt upon himself as forsaken that is not worshipped if they worshipped any other god with him XX Exod. 3. And break my Covenant which I have made with them This being the principal thing in the Covenant as I have often observed that they should worship him alone XX Exod. 22 23. XXIII 32 33. V Deut. 3 4 c. VI. 3 4 c. Verse 17 Ver. 17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day So we read it was upon their very first Apostasy to Idolatry II Judges 14. and continued so in all Ages as we read frequently in that and the following Books See there v. 20. and III. 8 c. And I will forsake them Go no longer before them against their Enemies but deliver them up into their hands v. 8. And will hide my face from them Withdraw my favour and protection So that they were devoured as it follows by their Enemies and wild Beasts and many evils and troubles beset them or as the Hebrew phrase signifies came upon them on a sudden The Prophet Ezekiel expresses this in these words My face will I turn from them VII 22. The effect of which was the Divine Presence departed out of the Sanctury and he left it as he there speaks to be polluted and defiled by Robbers And so it here follows So that they will say on that day are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us For whithersoever they went out the hand of the LORD was against them for evil as we read II Judges 15. Which was so remarkable a change that it could not but at last make them reflect upon the Cause of it as we find it did and moved them to cry unto the LORD for help III. 9 15. IV. 3 c. Ver. 18. And I will surely hide my face from them c. He repeats it again because they were a People dull of hearing Or the former words may relate to their first Captivity and these to the last as they Verse 18 call it wherein they now are For they themselves take notice that these words have been fulfilled by the many Calamities which have befaln them since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans This appears from Schebet Jehuda where Solomon Virgoe quotes this very Verse to prove that their present Sufferings proceed not from Nature but from an angry God more powerful than Nature as he speaks Sect. XIII Ver. 19. Now therefore write ye This shows these Verse 19 words were directed both to Moses and to Joshua who was to take care after Moses his death to see this Command observed This song for you Which follows in the XXXIIth Chapter And teach it the Children of Israel Make them get it by heart as we now speak Put it in their mouths That they might sing it and thereby preserve it in their memory For it hath been always thought the most profitable way of instructing People and communicating things to Posterity by putting them into Verse and especially Children and young People are best taught in this way And the greater moment any thing is of the more carefully it ought to be preserved which Plato himself thought could be done by no better means than this And therefore having spoken of the Songs which he would have composed for the use of the People he would have it enacted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That all Men and Children whether bond or free male or female should be bound through the whole City to sing such Songs and never cease so to do c. See Eusebius Lib. XII Praepar Evang. Cap. XXXII And Plato himself Lib. II. de Legibus where he gives a great many Cautions about this Matter and concludes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 657. this must be the work of a God or some God-like Man As if he had been acquainted with what Moses the Man of God or rather God himself here ordained that every one should have this Song in their mouths as a means to preserve them in the Worship of God alone However this justifies the admirable discipline of the Hebrews in those ancient times who were taught by such Hymns as the wisest Men among the Heathen in future times thought the best way of Instruction For which reason as Aristotle reports in his Problems Sect. XIX Probl. 28. People anciently sung their Laws as the Agathyrsi he saith continued to do in his days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not be forgotten Particularly the Laws of Charondas as Athenaeus informs us out of Hermippus were wont to be sung at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over a Glass of Wine And were therefore written in some sort of Verse or tunable Measure as our incomparable Dr. Bentley hath made it probable in his late Dissertation on the Epistles of Phalaris p. 373. Tully also to add no more tells us that Cato in his Book de Originibus reports That it was the Custom among the old Romans to have the Vertues and Praises of famous Men sung to a Pipe at their Feasts Which he thinks they learnt from the ancient Pythagoroeans in Italy who were wont carminibus praecepta quaedam occultiùs tradere to deliver in Verses certain Precepts which were the greatest Secrets in their Philosophy and composed the Minds of the Scholars to Tranquillity by Songs and Instruments of Musick See upon XXI Numb 30. concerning this way of Instruction That this song may be a witness for me against the Children of Israel Testifying that they were sufficiently warned and could not complain that they were not taught their duty and told their danger and reproving also their ingratitude and putting them in mind how ill they requited their God v. 21. Ver. 20. For when I have brought them unto the
set up his Tabernacle with Men and dwell with them and they shall be his People and he will be their God XX Revel 3. which I mention because this part of the Prophecy reaches unto the last times and is not yet all fulfilled Thus this famous Song concludes which as the Jews reckon consists of Seventy Verses each of which contains two distinct and entire Sentences and as they fancy are a Compendium of the whole Law of Moses Nay some of them such are the idle Conceits of this Nation think this Hymn is so perfect a Prophecy that it contains in it the Names of all the Men in the World which they undertake to find and by that Versicle where it is to tell what Fortune he whose Name they seek shall have in the World Thus instead of observing seriously what Moses foretold would certainly befal themselves their Superstition and hardness of heart have led them to vain Conjectures concerning other Men. See Jo. Wagenseil upon Sota p. 164 c. where he saith a Jew undertook to show him his Name in this Song which fell out in a Verse that signified Prosperity to him And since him Martinus Mauritius in his Book de Sortitione Hebraeorum Cap. XVI Sect. 3 4 5. Ver. 44. And Moses came and spake all the words of Verse 44 this Song in the ears of the people The very same that is said before he spake this Song XXXI 30. and is now repeated at the Conclusion of it to express his Fidelity in his Office to the very last He and Hoshea the Son of Nun. Who was now his Assistant in this Work as he was designed to be his Successor after his death He is commonly called Joshua but Oshea was his Name at the first XIII Numb 8. Ver. 45. And Moses made an end of speaking all Verse 45 these words to all Israel When he had made an end of speaking them then he added what follows Ver. 46. And he said unto them set your hearts unto Verse 46 all the words which I testifie among you this day Apply your Minds to press upon your selves the observation of all these things For this Expression is a little more than letting them be in their heart VI. 6. or laying them up in their heart XI 18. For they were so to retain the remembrance of them as to attend unto them and consider them Which ye shall command your Children to observe to do This necessary duty of instructing their Children is often pressed IV. 10. VI. 7. XI 19. because without this care their Religion would soon be lost but by this means might be preserved and propagated to all Generations All the words of this Law Which they might be certain was delivered by God to Moses there being as many Witnesses of God's Presence with him as there were Men in their Nation But he had seen so many instances of their unbelief that he uses all the ways manners and forms as Pellicanus observes that he could think of to urge them to obedience By delivering them Tables of their Laws written by God himself by Books by Pillars by Blessings Cursings Obtestations Threatnings long Exhortations Songs Phylacteries and other Ceremonies c. which he continued to do as long as he had breath and was able to speak that they and their Posterity might be happy Verse 47 Ver. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you You shall not imploy your diligence in this matter unprofitably The Jews upon these words have founded a Maxim which Maimonides often mentions That every Precept hath its end and use which though they do not appear to us are grounded upon strong Causes and Reasons More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XXVI and L. The design for instance of many Ceremonial Laws cannot now be fully discerned because they were instituted directly contrary to the idolatrous Rites of the Zabij which are long since utterly abolished and but imperfectly recorded in those ancient Authors that speak of them Because it is your life The means to make you an happy People Here are two benefits saith R. Isaac which are promised by the observation of this Law a Spiritual and a Corporal The Spiritual in these words and the Corporal in the next ye shall prolong your days c. And he puts the Spiritual first though among all Corporal Blessings this of long Life be the chief Chissuk Emuna P. I. Cap. XVIII And through this thing By teaching your Children to observe to do all that is commanded in this Law You shall prolong your days in the Land whither you go over Jordan to possess it Have the great Blessing of a long Life in all manner of Happiness which your Posterity shall enjoy for many Generations in the Land of Canaan By which it appears that nothing else but Contempt of this Law could have ejected them out of this Country Ver. 48. And the LORD spake unto Moses that self Verse 48 same day Immediately after he had ended the foregoing Song and given them this Admonition at the Conclusion of it Vre 49. Get thee up into this Mountains Abarim Verse 49 Which he had pointed him unto before and told him what he doth now XXVII Numb 12. Vnto Mount Nebo Abarim was a ridge of Hills whereof Nebo was one See there upon XXVII Numb 2. Which is in the Land of Moab that is over against Jericho This is a more particular Description of the Site of this Mountain than he gave before in the Book of Numbers Behold the Land of Canaan which I give unto the Children of Israel for a possession Which he might easily do from the highest part of the Mountain called Pisgah III Deut. 27. Ver. 50. And die in the Mount whither thou goest up Verse 50 After he had taken a view of the Land every way And be gathered unto thy People To Abraham Isaac and Jacob. This signifies saith R. Isaac that he should be associated and joyned to the Souls of the just who are called his People For the People of Moses were not buried in Mount Abarim and therefore he doth not speak of gathering his Body to their Bodies but of his Soul to their Souls Chissuk Emuna P. I. Cap. XI Chapter XXXIII As Aaron thy brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered unto his People See Numb 24 28. XXXIII 38. Ver. 51. Because ye trespassed against me among the Verse 51 Children of Israel c. Rebelled against his Commandment as he speaks XXVII Numb 14. Because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel XX Numb 12. XXVII 14. Ver. 52. Yet thou shalt see the Land before thee He had earnestly begg'd of God that he might go over Verse 52 Jordan but he denied him that favour I Deut. 37. III. 25 27. yet he was pleased to mitigate his punishment by letting him enjoy a sight of that good Country into which he might not enter But thou shalt not go thither unto the Land which I give the Children