D. Chs. 27 30. Closing Enforcements of the Law _First_, directions as to rites on crossing the Jordan and at Shechem, contained in a composite ch., 27, which except in Deuteronomy 27:9 f. provides no link between chs. 26 and 28. _Second_, a discourse attributed to Moses, 28, which continues Deuteron... [ Continue Reading ]
Note the re-appearance of the narrative form. _And Moses and the elders … commanded the people_ The association of the elders with Moses in giving this charge is singular, especially in view of the following, -which _I command you_." The LXX (except in a few cursive MSS) omits _the people_. Therefo... [ Continue Reading ]
Erection of Stones for the Inscription of the Law, and of an Altar Moses and the elders charged the people to keep the commandment (1); when they cross Jordan they shall set up stones and, whitening them, shall thereon write the Law (Torah) (2 f.); they shall do this on Mt -Ebal (4), and build an a... [ Continue Reading ]
_on the day_ ON WHICH _ye shall pass over Jordan_ The Heb. idiom (cp. 2 Samuel 19:20; Esther 9:1) implies the very day on which they were crossing, and not (vaguely) the time when they crossed; and this is confirmed by 3 _b_which indicates that the stones were to be set up when Israel crossed Jordan... [ Continue Reading ]
_which I command you_ LXX B, etc., _thee_; other codd. _you_. _in mount Ebal_ See on Deuteronomy 11:29, and introd. note to this passage. Sam. _Gerizîm_, the sacred mountain of the Samaritans. How far this direction for the site of the erected stones is consistent with that in Deuteronomy 27:2, _on... [ Continue Reading ]
_no iron_ Exodus 20:25, _tool_(_ḥéreb_), which would have _polluted_the altar. The later D's substitution of _iron_is striking. See on Deuteronomy 8:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. E, Exodus 20:24 f. with Driver's notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
_unhewn stones_ See R.V. margin. Exodus 20:25: _thou shalt not build it of hewn stones_. _burnt offerings_ Heb. _-olôth_; see on Deuteronomy 12:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_peace offerings_ Heb. _shelamîm_, rather _offerings in fulfilment_of laws and vows; not elsewhere in Deut. and here representing the _zebaḥîm_, EVV. _sacrifices_, of Deuteronomy 12:6, etc.; as the vb. here conjoined with it shows. _eat … reioice_, etc.] Phrases of D; see on Deuteronomy 12:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the stones_ Not the stones of the altar (6 f.), with which Joshua 8:30 f. has confused them. _this law_ Heb. _Torah_as in Deuteronomy 27:3. _very plainly_ Expressed in Heb. by two infinitives used adverbially. On that one of them which is rendered _plainly, ba'er_, see on Deuteronomy 1:5. The oth... [ Continue Reading ]
_the priests the Levites_ See on Deuteronomy 18:1, and cp. Deuteronomy 10:8 f. The association of the Levites with Moses in the enforcement of the Law is striking; and as only one speaker is implied by the next _v_. (_which I command thee_) the words have been regarded as the addition of the editor... [ Continue Reading ]
Further Enforcement of the Law These _vv_. with their sequel in Deuteronomy 28:1 repeat the substance and, with variations, the phraseology of Deuteronomy 16:6-19. They have been taken as the link between these passages, and as original to D (see above small print of note to chs. 27 30). They are b... [ Continue Reading ]
_obey the voice_ Deuteronomy 26:17: _hearken to his voice_. _do his commandments and his statutes_ Deuteronomy 4:40; Deuteronomy 6:2; Deuteronomy 10:13 (all with _keep_instead of _do_); Deuteronomy 26:16, _do these statutes and judgements_; _id._Deuteronomy 26:17, _keep his statutes, and his comman... [ Continue Reading ]
Appointment of Tribes to Bless and to Curse Ch. Deuteronomy 11:29 (_q.v._) commands that the blessing for obedience be set on Mt Gerizim, the curse for disobedience on Mt -Ebal. _Set_(lit. _give_) implies some solemn rite, and this is now defined. Six tribes shall stand on Gerizim to bless, and six... [ Continue Reading ]
_answer_ As in Deuteronomy 21:7, _solemnly pronounce_. _with a loud voice_ Lit. a _high voice_, not elsewhere in the O.T. Cp. Deuteronomy 5:19, _a great voice_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Appointment of the Levites to Curse According to 11 13 both a blessing and a curse were to be pronounced, here we have only curses, twelve in number. There _Levi_was one of six tribes appointed to bless; here _the Levites_, in religious distinction from all the other tribes, are to pronounce the cu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Amen_ The Heb. _"amen_(lit. _firm_or _assured_) when used as an exclamation means _true, truly_, or _be it assured_. All the instances of _"Amen_which are parallel to this are post-exilic. Cp. Deuteronomy 4:16; Deuteronomy 4:23; Deuteronomy 4:25; Deuteronomy 5:8 (Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 7:25)... [ Continue Reading ]
_Cursed be_ The Heb. for this is simply the passive part. of the vb. -to curse" (the original sense of which may have been -to bind"), and may be rendered either _cursed be or cursed is_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Deuteronomy 5:16; Deuteronomy 21:18 ff.; E, Exodus 20:11; Exodus 21:17; H, Leviticus 20:9. _Setteth light by_or _dishonoureth_, the opposite of _honour_, Deuteronomy 5:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Deuteronomy 29:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
Leviticus 19:14: _thou shall not put a stumbling block before the blind_.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Deuteronomy 24:17; E, Exodus 22:21-24; Exodus 23:9; H, Leviticus 19:33 f.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Deuteronomy 22:30 (Deuteronomy 23:1); H, Leviticus 18:8; Leviticus 20:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. E, Exodus 22:19 (18); H, Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. H, Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 20:17. In earlier times marriage with a half-sister was apparently allowed, Genesis 20:12; 2 Samuel 13:13 _b_; but is condemned in Ezekiel 22:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. H, Leviticus 18:17; Leviticus 20:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Deuteronomy 5:17; E, Exodus 20:13; Exodus 21:12; H, Leviticus 24:17. The addition, _in secret_(Deuteronomy 27:15; Deuteronomy 13:6 (7), Deuteronomy 28:57), is nowhere else attached to murder.... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Deuteronomy 16:19, and E, Exodus 23:8, both against all bribes; Ezekiel 22:1-2, _bribes to shed blood_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_confirmeth_ Lit. _establisheth_, 2 Kings 23:3; 2 Kings 23:24 of Josiah and the Book of the Law, Heb. _Tôrah_, as in Deuteronomy 1:5; Deuteronomy 31:9, which see.... [ Continue Reading ]