DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 17 They are not to offer blemished sacrifices, DEUTERONOMY 17:1. Idolaters are to be put to death, DEUTERONOMY 17:2. Doubts in difficult matters to be resolved by priests and judges, DEUTERONOMY 17:8. To choose a king of their own brethren, and not a stranger, DEUTERONOMY 17:14,1... [ Continue Reading ]
MAN OR WOMAN; the weakness and tenderness of that sex shall not excuse her sin, nor prevent her punishment. IN TRANSGRESSING HIS COVENANT, i.e. in idolatry, as it is explained DEUTERONOMY 17:3, which is called _a transgression of God's covenant_ made with Israel, partly because it is a breach of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God, but not to be set up in God's stead, nor worshipped as gods: see JOB 31:26. By condemning the most specious and reasonable of all idolaters, he intimates how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones, the works... [ Continue Reading ]
TOLD THEE by any person, thou shalt not slight so much as a rumour or flying report of so gross a crime. INQUIRED DILIGENTLY, by sending messengers, examining witnesses, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THE MOUTH, i.e. upon the testimony delivered upon oath before the magistrates. THREE WITNESSES, to wit, credible and competent witnesses. The Jews rejected the testimonies of madmen. children, women, servants, familiar friends, or enemies, persons of dissolute lives and evil fame.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL BE FIRST UPON HIM; either laid upon his head to design the person, or stretched out to throw the first stone at him. God thus ordered it, partly for the caution of witnesses, that if they had through malice or wrath accused him falsely, they might now be afraid to imbrue their hands in innocen... [ Continue Reading ]
TOO HARD FOR THEE; he speaks to the inferior magistrates, who were erected in several cities, as appears by the opposition of these to them at Jerusalem. If, saith he, thou hast not skill or confidence to determine so weighty and difficult a cause. BETWEEN BLOOD AND BLOOD, i.e. in capital causes in... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, i.e. unto the great council, which it is here denominated from, because it consisted chiefly of the priests and Levites, as being the best expositors of the laws of God, by which all those controversies mentioned DEUTERONOMY 17:8 were to be decided. And the high priest... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT, i.e. thou shalt pass sentence; for he speaks to the inferior magistrates, as was before noted, who were to give sentence, and came hither to be advised about it. THOU SHALT OBSERVE TO DO. It is very observable that this place doth not speak of all controversies of faith, as if they were... [ Continue Reading ]
ACCORDING TO THE SENTENCE OF THE LAW WHICH THEY SHALL TEACH THEE: these words are a manifest limitation of the foregoing assertion, that they were to do according to all that the judge or judges informed him. And they seem to limit and regulate, 1. The judges in their sentence, that they shall not,... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT WILL DO PRESUMPTUOUSLY, i.e. that will proudly and obstinately oppose the sentence given against him. This is opposite to ignorance and error, EXODUS 21:13,14. THE EVIL; either, 1. The evil thing, that scandal, that pernicious example. Or, 2. That evil, refractory, pernicious person, whose pr... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
He only foresees and foretells what they would do, but doth not seem to approve of it, because when they did this thing for this very reason here alleged, he declares his utter dislike of it, 1 SAMUEL 8:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT SET HIM, i.e. appoint, or install. If you will choose a king, which I shall suffer you to do, I command you to mind this in your choice. WHOM THE LORD SHALL CHOOSE, approve of, or appoint. So it was in Saul, and in David. God reserved to himself the nomination both of the family and of th... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL NOT MULTIPLY HORSES TO HIMSELF, to wit, excessively, beyond what the state and majesty of his place required. Hereby God would prevent many sins and mischiefs, as, 1. Pride of heart, and contempt of his people. 2. Oppression and tyranny, and the imposition of unnecessary burdens upon his... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL HE MULTIPLY WIVES, as the manner of other kings was. THAT HIS HEART TURN NOT AWAY, to wit, from God and his law; either, 1. To idolatry and superstition, to which women are ofttimes prone, and especially such women as he was likely to choose, even the daughters of neighbouring and ido... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL WRITE; either with his own hand, as the Jews say; or, at least, by his command and procurement. OUT OF THAT WHICH IS BEFORE THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, i.e. out of the original, which was carefully kept by the priests in the sanctuary, DEUTERONOMY 31:26 2 KINGS 22:8, partly that it might be a... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE, i.e. diligently and constantly; neither the greatness of his place, nor the weight and multitude, of his business, shall excuse or hinder him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HIS HEART BE NOT LIFTED UP; he intimates, that the Scriptures, diligently read and studied, are a powerful and probable means to keep him humble, because they show him that, though a king, he is subject to a higher Monarch, to whom he must give an account of all his administrations and actions,... [ Continue Reading ]