Chapter 21:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Numbers Joshua
Deuteronomy 21
The expiation of an uncertain murder, ver. 1-9. The usage of
a captive taken to wife, ver. 10-14. The first-born to not to be
disinherited, ver. 15-17. A stubborn son to be put to death, ver.
18-21. Bodies of malefactors to be buried, ver. 22. 23.
Verse 1. The field - Or, in the city, or any place: only the field is named,
as the place where such murders are most commonly committed.
Verse 2. Thy elders and Judges - Those of thy elders who are Judges: the
Judges or rulers of all the neighbouring cities. Measure - Unless it
be evident which city is nearest; for then measuring was
superfluous.
Verse 3. Which hath not drawn in the yoke - A fit representative of the
murderer, in whose stead it was killed, who would not bear the
yoke of God's laws. A type also of Christ, who was under the
yoke, but what he had voluntarily taken upon himself.
Verse 4. A rough valley - That such a desert and horrid place might
beget an horror of murder and of the murderer. Strike off the neck
- To shew what they would and should have done to the murderer
if they had found him.
Verse 5. Every controversy - Of this kind: every controversy which shall
rise about any stroke, whether such a mortal stroke as is here
spoken of, or any other stroke or wound given by one man to
another.
Verse 7. They shall answer - To the priests who shall examine them.
This blood - This about which the present enquiry is made: or this
which is here present: for it is thought the corps of the slain man
was brought into the same place where the heifer was slain. Nor
have we seen or understood how or by whom this was done.
Verse 8. Forgiven - Though there was no mortal guilt in this people, yet
there was a ceremonial uncleanness in the land, which was to be
expiated and forgiven.
Verse 10. Enemies - Of other nations, but not of the Canaanites.
Verse 11. Hast a desire unto her - Or, hast taken delight in her: which
may be a modest expression for lying with her, and seems
probable, because it is said, ver. 14, that he had humbled her. And
here seem to be two cases supposed, and direction given what to
do in both of them,
1. that he did desire to marry her, of which he speaks, ver. 11-13.
2. that he did not desire this, of which he speaks, ver. 14.
Verse 12. She shall shave her head - In token of her renouncing her
heathenish idolatry and superstition, and of her becoming a new
woman, and embracing the true religion.
Verse 13. Raiment of captivity - Those sordid raiments which were put
upon her when she was taken captive. Bewail her father and
mother - Either their death, or which was in effect the same, her
final separation from them.
Verse 14. If thou have no delight in her - If thou dost not chuse to marry
her. Thou shalt not make merchandise of her - Make gain of her,
either by using her to thy own servile works, or by prostituting her
to the lusts or to the service of others.
Verse 15. Two wives - This practice, though tolerated, is not hereby
made lawful; but only provision is made for the children in this
case. Hated - Comparatively, that is, less loved.
Verse 19. His father and mother - The consent of both is required to
prevent the abuse of this law to cruelty. And it cannot reasonably
be supposed that both would agree without the son's abominable
and incorrigible wickedness, in which case it seems a righteous
law, because the crime of rebellion against his own parents did so
fully signify what a pernicious member he would be in the
commonwealth of Israel, who had dissolved all his natural
obligations. Unto the elders - Which was a sufficient caution to
preserve children from the malice of any hard-hearted parents,
because these elders were first to examine the cause with all
exactness, and then to pronounce the sentence.
Verse 20. A glutton and a drunkard - Under which two offenses others
of a like or worse nature are comprehended.
Verse 22. On a tree - Which was done after the malefactor was put to
death some other way, this publick shame being added to his
former punishment.
Verse 23. He is accursed of God - He is in a singular manner cursed and
punished by God's appointment with a most shameful kind of
punishment, as this was held among the Jews and all nations; and
therefore this punishment may suffice for him, and there shall not
be added to it that of lying unburied. And this curse is here
appropriated to those that are hanged, to so signify that Christ
should undergo this execrable punishment, and be made a curse
for us, Gal. iii, 13, which though it was to come in respect to men,
yet was present unto God. Defiled - Either by inhumanity towards
the dead: or by suffering the monument of the man's wickedness,
and of God's curse, to remain publick a longer time than God
would have it, whereas it should be put out of sight, and buried in
oblivion.
Chapter 21:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Numbers Joshua
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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