Deuteronomy 16:11
Deuteronomy 16:1
month ............... month <02320> [the month.]
Passover <06453> [the passover.]
This word comes from the Hebrew verb {pasach,} to pass, to leap or skip over. The destroying angel passed over the houses marked with the blood of the Paschal Lamb, so the wrath of God passes over those whose souls sprinkled with the blood of Christ. 1Co 5:7. As the paschal lamb was killed before Israel was delivered, so by the death of Christ, we have redemption through his blood. It was killed before the tables of the law were delivered to Moses, or Aaron's sacrifices were enjoined; thus deliverance comes to men, not by the works of the law, but by the only true passover, the Lamb of God. Ro 3:25. Heb 9:14. It was killed the first month of the year, which prefigured that Christ should suffer death in that month. Joh 18:28. it was killed in the evening. Ex 12:6. Christ suffered at that time of the day. Mt 27:46. Heb 1:2. At even the sun sets; at Christ's passion, universal darkness was upon the whole earth. The passover was roasted with fire, denoting the sharp and dreadful pains that Christ should suffer, not only from men, but God also. It was to be eaten with bitter herbs, Ex 12:8; not only to put them in remembrance of their bitter bondage in Egypt, but also to testify our mortification to sin, and readiness to undergo afflictions for Christ, Col 1:24; and likewise to teach us the absolute necessity of true repentance in all that would profitably feed by faith on Christ, the true paschal lamb.
month ............... month <02320> [for in.]
Deuteronomy 19:1--20:20
destroys <03772> [hath cut.]
dispossess <03423> [succeedest. Heb. inheritest, or possessest.]
apart .... three cities <07969 05892 0914> [separate three cities.]
Unquestionably in imitation of these cities, the heathen had their {asyla,} and the Roman Catholics their privileged altars: and similar traditions seem to obtain in many barbarous nations, for "the North American Indian nations have most of them either a house or town of refuge, which is a sure asylum to protect a manslayer, or the unfortunate captive, if he once enter it. In almost every Indian nation, there are several towns, which are called old beloved, ancient, holy, or white towns, (white being their fixed emblem of peace, friendship, prosperity, happiness, purity, etc.) They seem to have been formerly towns of refuge; for it is not in the memory of the oldest people that human blood was shed in them."
pertaining <07523> [the slayer.]
<08032 08543> [in time past. Heb. from yesterday the third day.]
ax head <01270> [head. Heb. iron.]
wood ........... tree ......... handle <06086> [helve. Heb. wood. lighteth. Heb. findeth. he shall flee.]
avenger <01350> [the avenger.]
kill <05315 05221> [slay him. Heb. smite him in life. not worthy.]
accident <08032 08543> [in time past. Heb. from yesterday the third day.]
careful <08104> [If thou shalt.]
add <03254> [then shalt thou.]
person <0376> [But if any.]
him <05315> [mortally. Heb. in life.]
<05869> [Thine eye.]
purge <01197> [but thou.]
encroach <05253> [shalt not remove.]
Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus a dishonest man might enlarge his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. Hence it was a matter of considerable importance to prevent this crime among the Israelites; among whom, removing them would be equivalent to forging, altering, destroying, or concealing the title-deeds of an estate among us. Accordingly, by the Mosaic law, it was not only prohibited in the commandment against covetousness, but we find a particular curse expressly annexed to it in ch. 27:17. Josephus considers this law a general prohibition, intended not only to protect private property, but also to preserve the boundaries of kingdoms and countries inviolable.
<06310> [at the mouth.]
false witness <05707 02555> [a false witness.]
crime <05627> [that which is wrong. or, falling away.]
thoroughly <03190> [diligent.]
do ......... do <06213> [Then shall.]
purge <01197> [so shalt.]
principle .......... eye .... eye <05869> [thine eye.]
life .... life <05315> [life shall.]
go <03318> [goest out.]
chariotry <05483> [horses.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
fainthearted <03824> [let not.]
fainthearted <07401> [faint. Heb. be tender. tremble. Heb. make haste.]
terrified <06206> [be ye terrified.]
fight <03898> [to fight.]
officers <07860> [the officers.]
dedicated ............... dedicate <02596> [dedicated.]
benefited ................ benefit <02490 03212> [eaten of it. Heb. made it common.]
die <04191> [lest he die.]
engaged .... woman <0802 0781> [betrothed a wife.]
It was customary among the Jews to contract matrimony, espouse, or betroth, and for a considerable time to leave the parties in the houses of the respective parents; and when the bridegroom had made proper preparations, then the bride was brought home to his house, and the marriage consummated. The provisions in this verse refer to a case of this kind; though the Jews extend it to him who had newly consummated his marriage, and even to him who had married his brother's wife. It was deemed a peculiar hardship for a person to be obliged to go to battle, who had left a house unfinished, newly purchased land half tilled, or a wife with whom he had just contracted marriage.
die <04191> [lest he die.]
afraid <03373> [fearful.]
fellow <0251> [lest his brethren's.]
make ....... fearful <04549> [faint. Heb. melt.]
lead ... troops <07218 05971> [to lead the people. Heb. to be in the head of the people.]
offer it ... of <07121> [then proclaim.]
slaves <04522> [tributaries.]
kill <05221> [thou shalt smite.]
women <0802> [the women.]
spoil .... take <0962 0398> [take unto thyself. Heb. spoil. thou shalt eat.]
utterly annihilate them <02763> [thou shalt.]
Hittites <02850> [the Hittites.]
chop down .............. cut ... down <07843 03772> [thou shalt not.]
trees ................ tree <06086> [for the tree, etc. or, for, O man, the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege.]
The original is exceedingly difficult. The LXX. has it, "Is the tree in the field a man, to enter the trench before thee?" The Latin Vulgate: "For it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of those who war against thee;" Onkelos, "For the tree of the field is not as a man, that it should come against thee in the siege;" and to the same purpose the Arabic, Philo, and Josephus who say, "If trees could speak, they would cry out, that it is unjust that they, who were no cause of the war, should suffer the miseries of it." However rendered, the sense is sufficiently clear: and it is a merciful provision to spare all the fruit trees for the support of both the besieged and besiegers.
<0935> [to employ, etc. Heb. to go from before thee.]
build <01129> [thou shalt build.]
falls <03381> [be subdued. Heb. come down.]
