The curses to be pronounced A. M. 2553. Sebat. A. M. 2553. Sebat. 15 Cursed be the man that | wife; because he uncovereth his An. Ex. Isr. 40. maketh any graven or molten father's skirt. And all the people An. Ex. Isr. 40. image, an abomination unto the shall say, Amen. LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. 16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. n 17 Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. 18. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. 19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. 20 Cursed be he that lieth with his father's * Exod. xx. 4, 23; xxxiv. 17; Lev. xix: 4; xxvi. 1; chap. iy. 16, 23; v. 8; Isa. lxiv. 9; Hos. xiii. 2.- See Num. v. 22'; Jer. xi. 5; 1 Cor. xiv. 16.- Exod. xx. 12; xxi. 17; Lev. xix. 3; chap. xxi. 18. Chap. xix. 14; Prov. xxii. 28. Lev. xix. 14.- Exod. xxii. 21, 22; chap. x. 18; xxiv. 17; Mal. iii. 5. was reduced to practice, we find the people did not stand on the mountains, but over against them on the plain. See the observations at the end of this chapter. Verse 15. Cursed be the man, &c.] Other laws, previously made, had prohibited all these things, and penal sanctions were necessarily understood; but here God more openly declares that he who breaks them is cursed-falls under the wrath and indignation of his Maker and Judge. See the note on Exod. xx. 4. Verse 16. Setteth light by his father or his mother.] See the note on Exod. xx. 12. Verse 17. Removeth his neighbour's landmark.] See before on Deut. xix. 14, and on Exod. xx. 17. And for all the rest of these curses, see the notes on Exod. xx., and the observations at the end of it. Verse 18. The blind to wander out of the way.] A sin against the sixth commandment. See on Exod. xx. 13. Verse 26. That confirmeth not all the words of this law] The word col, ALL, is not found in any printed copy of the Hebrew text; but the Samaritan preserves it, and so do six MSS. in the collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, besides several copies of the Chaldee Targum. The Septuagint also, and St. Paul in his quotation of this place, Gal. iii. 10. St. Jerome says that the Jews suppressed the word, that it might not appear that they were bound to fulfil ALL the precepts in the law of Moses." 1. Dr. KENNICOTT, who contends that it was the Decalogue that was written on the stones mentioned in this chapter, says, "If we examine these twelve curses, they will appear to contain a strong enforcement of the ten commands; and it is highly probable 21 Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen. 22 Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. 23 Cursed be he that lieth with his motherin-law. And all the people shall say, Amen. 24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen. 25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. 26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. 4 Lev, xvii. 8; xx. 11; chap. xxii. 30.- Lev. xviii. 23; xx. 15.- Lev. xviii. 9; xx. 17.- Lev. xviii. 17; xx. 14. " Exod. xx. 13; xxi. 12, 14; Lev. xxiv. 17; Num. xxxv. 31; chap. xix. 11.-.Exod. xxiii. 7, 8; chap. x. 17; xvi. 19; Ezek. xxii. 12. Chap. xxviii. 15; Psa. cxix. 21; Jer. xi. 3; Gal, iii. 10. W Remarks on the DEUTERONOMY.. blessings and curses. Many will think this arrangement fanciful; and the | was degraded, and was obliged to pronounce the curse, analogy far from being natural. Cursed is he that lieth with his father's wife. See Gen. xlix. 3, 4, and xxxv. 22, and the notes on both places. 2. In pronouncing these blessings and curses, the Talmud says, six tribes went up towards the top of Mount Gerizim, and six towards the top of Mount Ebal; and the priests and the Levites, and the ark stood beneath in the midst. The priests encompassed the ark, and the Levites stood round about the priests; and all Israel on this side and on that; see Josh. viii. 33. Then they turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and pronounced the blessing, Blessed be the man, &c., and those on each side answered AMEN! then they turned their faces towards Mount Ebal, and pronounced the curse, Cursed be the man, &c., and those on each side answered AMEN! till they had finished the blessings and the curses; and afterwards they brought stones and built an altar. Some suppose that the Levites were divided into two grand bodies, part standing at or on Mount-Gerizim, and part on Mount Ebal, and that with each division were some of the priests. The whole Dr. Parry supposes to have been arranged in the following manner: 3. It is worthy of remark that Moses assigns to the children of Rachel and Leah, the two mothers of the family, the office of blessing the people, as being the most honourable; and these he places on Mount Gerizim. On the contrary, he assigns the office of cursing the people to the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah, as being the least honourable office; but with these he joins Zebulun, the youngest of Leah's sons, and Reuben; the eldest. As there must be six tribes on each mountain, it was necessary that while six of the sons of Rachel and Leah, the legitimate wives, should be employed in blessing, two tribes descending from the same mothers should be joined to the other four who proceeded from the handmaids in order to make up the number six. The question is, which two of the more honourable tribes should be joined to the four least honourable, in order to complete the number six? Zebulun is chosen, because being the sixth and youngest of all Leah's sons, he was the least honourable of those who-proceeded from the free woman; and Reuben is chosen, who, though the eldest of Jacob's sons, and entitled to the birthright, had lost it by his transgression. And hence he, in his posterity, 4. It is strange how long the disgrace consequent on some flagrant transaction of a parent may cleave to his posterity! See this exemplified in the posterity of Reuben. Hence, with great propriety we may pray, "Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins."-Lilany. For the offences of our forefathers may be so remembered against their posterity, that God, in the course of his providence, may still keep up a controversy in secular matters with the descendants (though even pious) of unholy ancestors; for as all men are seminally included in their parents, they come into the world depraved with their depravity, and in some sort liable to their curses, though not so far as to affect their eternal interests without the addition of their own personal offences. Thus God may be said to visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, even unto the third and fourth generation; as he may have a controversy with the land for the evil which has been done in it, and for which no proper atonement has been made. Why is it that at this moment Spain is suffering the most afflictive and cruel desolations? What has she done to merit all this? Is she more wicked than all the European nations because she suffers such things? Here is the mystery: `Nations, as such, can only be punished in this world. Look at the torrents of innocent blood shed by their ancestors in South America 300 years ago; and see now and adore the awful hand of retributive justice! (December, 1811.) We often see persons tried and afflicted, for whose distresses we can give no legitimate reason. We find others who, though they rise early, sit up late, work hard, eat the bread of carefulness, and have a full knowledge of their business, yet never get on in life. Who can account for this? Shall we say that some injustice in their ancestors has brought down the displeasure of God upon the earthly possessions that descended in that line, so that the goods ill gotten shall never be permitted to multiply? I knew an honest man, dead many years since, who by great diligence, punctuality, and integrity in his busi ness, had acquired considerable property. Some time before his death, having by will divided his substance among his sons and his daughters, he expressed himself thus: "Children, you need not fear the curse of God on, this property; every penny of it was honestly earned." Many years have since elapsed, and the blessing of God has been in the basket and in the store of all his children. Parents! leave nothing behind you that you cannot say before your God, with a clear conscience, "This has been honestly earned." If all bequests of a contrary description were to be deducted from last wills and testaments, the quantum of descending property would be, in many cases, small indeed, 806 The blessings that shall come 'CHAP. XXVIII. CHAPTER XXVIII. on them that fear God. The blessings which God pronounces on the obedient, 1–6. Particular privileges which the faithful shall receive, 7-13. The curses pronounced against the ungodly and idolatrous, 14-19. A detailed account of the miseries which should be inflicted on them, should they neglect the commandments of the Lord, 20. They shall be smitten with the pestilence, 21; with consumption, fever, &c., 22; drought and barrenness, 23, 24; they shall be defeated by their enemies, 25, 26; they shall be afflicted with the botch of Egypt, 27; with madness and blindness, 28, 29; they shall be disappointed in all their projects, 30; deprived of all their possessions, and afflicted in all their members, 31–35; they and their king shall go into captivity, 36, and become a by-word among the nations, 37. Their land shall be unfruitful, and they shall be the lowest of all people, 38–44. All these curses shall come on them should they be disobedient, 45--48. Character of the people by whom they should be subdued, 49, 50. Particulars of their dreadful sufferings, 51-57. A recapitulation of their wretchedness, 58–63. The prediction that they shall be scattered among all the nations of the earth, 64–68. A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. An. Ex. Isr. 40. Sebat. AND it shall come to pass, if unto the voice of the LORD thy thou shalt hearken diligently God. unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken a Exod. xv. 26; Lev. xxvi. 3; Isa. lv. 2. Chap. xxvi. 19.- c Ver. 15; Zech. i. 6.- d Psa. cxxviii. 1, 4. Gen, xxxix. 5. NOTES ON CHAP. XXVIII. Verse 2. All these blessings shall come on thee] God shall pour out his blessing from heaven upon thee. And overtake thee. Upright men are represented as going to the kingdom of God, and God's blessings as following and overtaking them in their heavenly journey. There are several things in this verse worthy of the most careful observation : 1. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. The voice of God must be heard; without a Divine revelation how can the Divine will be known? And if not known, it cannot be fulfilled. 2. When God speaks, men must hearken to the words of his mouth. He who does not hearken will not obey. 3. He who hearkens to the words of God must set out for the kingdom of heaven. The curse must fall on him who stands in the way of sinners, and will overtake them who loiter in the way of righteousness. e A. M. 2553. "B. C. 1451. An. Ex. Isr. 40 Sebat. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Ver. 11; Gen. xxii. 17; xlix. 25; chap. vii. 13; Psa. cvii. 38; cxxvii. 3; cxxviii. 3;. Prov. x. 22; 1 Tim. iv. 8.- - Or, dough, or kneading trough. vintage, as the basket was employed to collect those fruits. Store.] mishereth, kneading-trough, or remainder; all that is laid up for future use, as well as what is prepared for present consumption. Some think that by basket all their property abroad may be meant, and by store all that they have at home, i. e., all that is in the fields, and all that is in the houses. The following note of Mr. Harmer is important :— - "Commentators seem to be at a great loss how to explain the basket and the store mentioned Deut. xxviii. 5, 17. Why Moses, who in the other verses mentions things in general, should in this case be so minute as to mention baskets, seems strange; and they that interpret either the first or the second of these words of the repositories of their corn, &c.; forget that their barns or storehouses are spoken of presently after this in ver. 8. Might I be permitted to give my opinion here, I should say that the basket, & tene, in this place means their travelling baskets, and the other word n mishereth, (their store,) signifies their leathern bags, in both which they were wont to carry things in travelling. The first of these words occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures but in the account that is given us of the conveyance in which they were to carry their first-fruits to Jerusalem; the other nowhere but in the description of the hurrying journey of Israel out of Egypt, where it means the utensils in which they then carried their dough, which I have shown elsewhere in these papers means a piece of leather drawn together by rings, and forming a kind of bag. Agreeably to this, Hasselquist informs us that the Eastern people use baskets in travelling; for, Verse 5. Thy basket] Thy olive gathering and speaking of that species of the palm tree which pro 4. Those who run in the way of God's testimonies shall have an abundance of blessing. Blessings shall come upon them, and blessings shall overtake them in every part of their march through life they shall continue to receive the fulfilment of the various promises of God which relate to all circumstances, vicissitudes, trials, stages of life, &c., &c., each overtaking them in the time and place where most needed. Verse 3. In the city]. In all civil employments. In the field-in all agricultural pursuits. Verse 4. Fruit of thy body] All thy children. Increase of thy kine, &c.; every animal employed in domestic and agricultural purposes shall be under the especial protection of Divine Providence. i 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thousettest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. to the faithful. A. M. 2553. ground, in the land which the Sebat. 14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other 10 And all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD;gods to serve them. and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy 15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God; to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this Psa. cxxi. 8. Lev. xxvi. 7, 8; 2 Sam. xxii. 38, 39, 41; P Chap. xi. 25. Ver. 4; chap. xxx. 9; Prov. x. 22. Or, Psa. lxxxix. 23; see ver. 25.- kLey. xxv. 21.- Or, barns; for good.Heb. belly.- Lev. xxvi. 4; chap. xi. 14. Prov. iii. 10. Chap. xv. 10.———n Exod. xix, 5, 6; chap. vii.Chap. xiv. 29.- Chap. xv. 6.- Isa. ix. 14, 15Chap. 6; xxvi. 18, 19; xxix. 13. Num. vi. 27; 2 Chron, vii. 14; v. 32; xi. 16.- - Lev. xxvi. 14; Lam. ii. 17; Dan. ix. 11, 13; Isa. Ixiii. 19; Dan. ix. 18, 19. Mal. ii. 2; Bar. i. 20. duces dates, and its great usefulness to the people of those countries, he tells us that of the leaves of this tree they make baskets, or rather a kind of short bags, which are used in Turkey on journeys and in their houses; pages 261, 262. Hampers and panniers are English terms denoting travelling baskets, as tene seems to be a Hebrew word of the same general import, though their forms might very much differ, as it is certain that of the travelling baskets mentioned by Hasselquist now does. Verse 7. The Lord shall cause thine enemies, &c.] This is a promise of security from foreign invasion, or total discomfiture of the invaders, should they enter the land. They shall come against thee one way—in the firmest and most united manner. And flee seven ways-shall be utterly broken, confounded, and finally routed. Verse 8. The Lord shall command the blessing "In like manner as they now carry meal, figs, and raisins, in a goat's skin in Barbary for a viaticum, | upon thee] they might do the same anciently, and consequently Divine appointment; thou shalt have nothing casually, might carry merchandise after the same manner, par- but every thing, both spiritual and temporal, shall come ticularly their honey, oil, and balm, mentioned Ezek. by the immediate command of God. xvii. 17. They were the proper vessels for such things. So Sir J. Chardin, who was so long in the East, and observed their customs with so much care, supposed, in a manuscript note on Gen. xliii. 11, that the balm and the honey sent by Jacob into Egypt för a present were carried in a goat or kid's skin, in which all sorts of things, both dry and liquid, are wont to be carried in the East. Verse 9. The Lard shall establish thee a holy people unto himself] This is the sum of all blessings,, to be made holy, and be preserved in holiness. If thou shalt keep, &c.] Here is the solemn condition; if they did not keep God's testimonies; taking them for the regulators of their lives, and according to their direction walking in his ways, under the influence and aids of his grace, then the curses, and not the blessings, must be their portion. See ver. 15, &c. Verse 12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure] The clouds, so that a sufficiency of fructifying showers should descend at all requisite times, and-the vegetative principle in the earth should unfold and exert itself, so that their crops should be abundant. Verse 14. Thou shalt not go aside to the right hand or to the left] The way of obedience is a straight way; it goes right forward; he who declines either. Curses that shall fall A. M. 2553. B. C. 1451. A. M, 2553. day; that all these curses shall 22 The LORD shall smite thee An. Ex. Isr. 40, come upon thee, and overtake with a consumption, and with a An. Ex. Isr. 40. fever, and with an inflammation, Sebat. thee: Sebat. 16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and and with an extreme burning, and with the cursed shalt thou be in the field. hsword, and with i blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. 23 And thy heaven that is oyer thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. 18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 21 The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it. z Ver. 2. Ver. 3, &c.- b Mal. ii. 2. c1 Sam. xiv. 20 Zech. xiv. 13.-d Psa. lxxx. 16; Isa. xxx. 17; li. 20; lxvi. 15. • Heb. which thou wouldest do. Lev. xxvi. 25; Jer. xxiv. 10. Lev. xxvi. 16. Or, drought. Amos iv. 9. k 24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. 25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them and m shalt be a removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 And thy carcass shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. Lev. xxvi. 19.- Ver. 7; Lev. xxvi. 17, 37; chap. xxxii. 30; Isa. xxx. 17.- m Jer. xv. 4; xxiv. 9; Ezek. xxiii. 46. " Heb. for a removing.o 1 Sam. xvii. 44, 46; Psa. lxxix. 2; Jer. vii. 33; xvi. 4; xxxiv. 20. to right or left from this path goes astray and misses awful pestilential winds which suffocate both man and heaven." beast wherever they come. These often prevail in different parts of the East, and several examples have already been given. See Gen. xli. 6. Verse 20. Cursing] This shall be thy state; vexation-grief, trouble, and -anguish of heart; rebuke continual judgments, and marks of God's displeasure. Mildew] p yerakon, an exudation of the vegeVerse 21. The pestilence cleave unto thee] Patative juice from different parts of the stalk, by which In yadbek Yehovah becha eth haddaber, the maturity and perfection of the plant are utterly the Lord shall CEMENT the pestilence or plague to thee. prevented. It comes from pr yarak, to throw out Sept., Προσκολλησει Κύριος εις σε τον θάνατον, The moisture. Lord will GLUE-inseparably attach, the death unto thee. How dreadful a plague it must be that ravages without intermission, any person may conceive who has ever heard of the name. Verse 22. Consumption] on shachepheth, atrophy through lack of food; from n shacaph, to be in want. Fever] np kaddachath, from p kadach, to be kindled, burn, sparkle; a burning inflammatory fever. Inflammation] rp dalleketh, from p dalak, to pursue eagerly, to burn after; probably a rapidly consuming cancer. Extreme burning] charchur, burning upon burning, scald upon scald; from char, to be heated, enraged, &c. This probably refers, not only to excruciating inflammations on the body, but also to the irritation and agony of a mind utterly abandoned by God, and lost to hope. What an accumulation of misery! how formidable! and especially in a land where great heat was prevalent and dreadful. Sword] War in general, enemies without, and civil broils within. This was remarkably the case in the last siege of Jerusalem. Blasting] 11 shiddaphon, probably either the blighting east wind that ruined vegetation, or those Of these seven plagues, the five former were to fall on their bodies, the two latter upon their substance. What a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God! Verse 23. Thy heaven-shall be brass, and the earth-iron.] The atmosphere should not be replenished with aqueous vapours, in consequence of which they should have neither the early nor the latter rain; hence the earth-the ground, must be wholly intractable, and, through its hardness, incapable of cultivation. God shows them by this that he is Lord of nature; and that drought and sterility are not casualties, but proceed from the immediate appointment of the Lord. Verse 24. The rain of thy land powder and dust] As their heavens-atmosphere, clouds, &c., were to be as brass-yielding no rain; so the surface of the earth must be reduced to powder; and this, being frequently taken up by the strong winds, would fall down in showers instead of rain. Whole caravans have been buried under showers of sand; and Thevenot, a French traveller, who had observed these showers of dust, &c., says, "They grievously annoy all they fall on, filling their eyes, ears, nostrils, &c."-Travels in the East, part 1, book ii., chap. 80. The ophthalmia in Egypt |