《Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary – Deuteronomy (Vol. 1)》(Various Authors)
Commentator
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary, by Joseph Exell, William Jones, George Barlow, W. Frank Scott, and others, was published in 37 volumes as a sermon preparation and study resource. It is a commentary "written by preachers for preachers" and offers thousands of pages of:
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· Suggestive and explanatory comments on verses
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Although originally purposed as a minister's preparation tool, the Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary is also a fine personal study supplement.
00 Introduction
The Preacher's Complete Homiletic
COMMENTARY
ON THE FIFTH BOOK OF MOSES CALLED
Deuteronomy
By the REV. JAMES WOLFENDALE
Author of the Commentaries on the Chronicles and Minor Prophets
NEW YORK
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY
LONDON AND TORONTO
1892
THE PREACHER'S COMPLETE HOMILETIC
COMMENTARY
ON THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
WITH CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, INDEXES, ETC., BY VARIOUS AUTHORS
HOMILETICAL COMMENTARY
DEUTERONOMY
INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON THE BOOK
I. The Name. The Books of the Pentateuch are called by their first word, e.g., Genesis בְרֵשִׁית B'rçshîth = "In beginning:" Exodus וְאֵלֶּֽה שְׁמֶוֹת V'çl'leh Sh'môth = "And these the names." So Deuteronomy has been called אֵלֶּֽה הַדְּבָרִים Çl'lĕh Hădd'bhârim = "These the words." The Rabbins, however, sometimes named the Book סֵפָר תוֹכָחוֹת Sçphĕr Thôchâhôth = "Book of Rebukes." But by the Jewish people it was frequently called מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה Mĭshçh Hăttörâh = recapitulation or repetition of the law, from Deu , which name was adopted by the LXX. Who christened the Book δευτερόνομιον, and the Vulgate, following, Deuteronomium; English, Deuteronomy.
II Author. "One of the first questions connected with the Pentateuch" (and of course Deuteronomy) "is that of authorship" (Davidson). "Moses was the originally received author of the Book of Deuteronomy. In early times no one, Jew, Christian, or heathen, denied the Mosaic authorship till Aben Ezra, in the twelfth century, raised some doubts" (Patrick). "In the seventeenth century Richard Simon, in his ‘Critical History of the Old Testament,' denied that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch" (Kitto's Dict., s. v. Simon). "Since the middle of the eighteenth century, the authorship of the Pentateuch has given rise to much discussion" (Horne's Introduction). But the whole controversy may be summarised under two heads: (a.) The Supplementary (Horne) or Fragmentary Hypothesis (llävernick); and (b.) The Mosaic authorship. In our limited space we refrain from adding one word to the controversy, but would rather refer the reader to two or three works where the question is stated and literature on the subject is given, e.g., Articles "Pentateuch," "Deuteronomy," in Kitto's Cyc. Bib. Lit. and Smith's Dictionary; Horne's Introduction, vol. ii. 593; Davidson's Introduction to Old Testament, vol. i.; Keil and Delitzsch on Pentateuch, vol. i. 17-28; Hengstenberg's Egypt and Books of Moses; Hävernick's Introduction to Old Testament; Colenso's Pentateuch; Speaker's Commentary. We would, however, quote a word from two writers on this matter before leaving it: "If the Pentateuch is not the work of him who names himself in it as its author, it is the work of deception. The history is then an untrue history: the laws are falsely ascribed to Moses: the predictions have been invented post eventum" (Hävernick). "The genius and disposition in other words, the character of the author; the contents of the Books themselves, or what they treat of in relation to historical, political, and geographical topics; the nature of the style and language, and the arrangement and form of these Books, all show Moses to be the author" (Jahn).
III. Contents. The Book is divided into two parts: the first, from Deuteronomy 1-30; the second, from Deuteronomy 31-34
I. Consists of three addresses which Moses delivered to all the people according to the head of Deu
(a.) Deu to Deu 4:40. First address, to prepare the way for exposition and enforcement of the law.
(b.) Deuteronomy 5-26. Second address, is the law itself, which Moses set before the people, and consists of two parts—
(1) Deuteronomy 5-11. General.
(2) Deuteronomy 12-26. Special.
(c.) Deuteronomy 27-30. Third address, has reference to the renewal of the covenant.
II. The second part of the Book contains the close of Moses' life and labours.
(a.) Appointment of Joshua to be the leader of Israel into Canaan (31.)
(b.) Song of Moses (Deu ).
(c.) Announcement of Moses' death (Deu ).
(d.) Blessing of Moses (33)
(e.) Account of Moses' death (34)
Vide Keil and Delitzsch, Angus' Handbook to Bible, Davidson's Introduction, Smith's Dictionary, Speaker's Commentary, and Kitto's Cyc. Bib. Lit.
IV. Date. If the Mosaic authorship be accepted, then the date of the Book is easily fixed, and may be determined by Deu , which implies that the Book was composed during the last two months of the life of Moses. (Cf. Keil and Delitzsch, Horne, Hvernick, Speaker's Commentary.) On the other hand, if the Mosaic authorship be rejected, then the date is fixed variously by different critics, e.g., De Wette, time of Solomon; Ewald, of Manasseh; and so on, and so on, quot homines tot senteni. But see the authorities already named, with the addition of Jahn, from whom a word: "The language of the Pentateuch is very ancient Hebrew, and differs considerably from the Psalms and other more modern books. There are no foreign words to be found in the Pentateuch, except some of old Egyptian origin. Archaisms occur, and forms less frequent in the modern books."
V. Purpose of the Book. Exodus depicts the inauguration of the kingdom of God on Sinai. Leviticus and Numbers, the former narrates the spiritual, the latter the political organisation of the kingdom, by facts and legal precepts. Deuteronomy recapitulates the whole in a hortatory strain, embracing both history and legislation, and impresses it upon the hearts of the people, for the purpose of arousing true fidelity to the covenant, and securing its lasting duration. The economy of the old covenant having been thus established, the revelation of the law closes with the death of its Mediator (Keil and Delitzsch).
VI. Relation of Deuteronomy to the other Books of the Pentateuch. It is not quite accurate to speak of Deuteronomy as merely a recapitulation of things commanded and done in the preceding books, nor yet as a compendium and summary of the law. Large portions of the Mosaic code are omitted. Still less is it a manual for the ignorant … Deuteronomy is an authoritative and inspired commentary on the law, serving in some respects also as a supplement and codicil to it. The preceding books displayed Moses principally in the capacity of the legislator or annalist. Deuteronomy sets him before us in the light of the prophet (cf. Speaker's Commentary, Keil and Delitzsch).
VII. Genuineness. "A very strong proof of the genuineness of the Book lies in its relation to the later writings of the prophets. Of all the books of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy has been made most use of by the prophets, simply because it is best calculated to serve as a model for prophetic declarations, as also because of the inward harmony that exists between the prophecies and the law upon which they are built" (Hvernick).
VIII. Style. "The speeches exhibit a unity of style and character which is strikingly consistent with such circumstances. They are pervaded by the same vein of thought, the same tone and tenor of feeling, the same peculiarities of conception and expression. They exhibit matter which is neither documentary nor traditional, but conveyed in the speaker's own words. Their aim is strictly hortatory; their style earnest, heart-stirring, impressive, in passages sublime, but throughout rhetorical" (Speaker's Commentary). "The style throughout is changed" (from that of the other books of the Pentateuch). "The manner of representation is somewhat rhetorical, verbose, and not unlike the prophetic. The tone is no longer that of the narrator or a lawgiver, but that of a moral preacher who expatiates in long exhortations. Moreover, the style has some peculiar turns, which appear not in the other books, but in the prophets, especially Jeremiah" (Schumann). "In Deuteronomy the speaker is evidently an old man, whose age has rendered him somewhat verbose, captious, and querulous, and disposed to censure the errors of his juniors" (Jahn).
IX. Deuteronomy in the Synagogue. The Jews divided the Pentateuch into fifty-four parts. The division into fifty-four sections was to provide a lesson for each Sabbath, from the Pentateuch, of those years which, according to Jewish chronology, have fifty-four Sabbaths. In those years which have only fifty-two Sabbaths, four shorter sections are read on two Sabbaths. The first section, Gen to Gen 6:8, is read on the first Sabbath after the Feast of Tabernacles. Deuteronomy embraces sections 44 to
54. For a full account see Dr. Ginsburg's article "Haphtara," in Kitto's "Cyclopdia of Biblical Literature."
X. Estimates of Deuteronomy. "The Book is superior to all the other books of the Pentateuch, for it is the summing up … Its contents are a Divine revelation in words and deed, or, rather, the fundamental revelation through which Jehovah selected Israel to be His people, and gave to them their rule of life ( νομος) or theocratical constitution as a people and kingdom" (Keil and Delitzsch)."Moses delivered this address to Israel a short time before his death … The address of Moses is in perfect harmony with his situation. He speaks like a dying father to his children. The words are earnest, inspired, impressive. He looks back over the whole forty years of their wanderings, reminds of blessings received, ingratitude returned, God's judgments and His love, explains laws, adds what is necessary, &c." (Hengstenberg). "The Book of Deuteronomy contains, not so much a recapitulation of the things commanded and done, as related in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, as a compendium and summary of the whole law and wisdom of the people of Israel, wherein those things which related to the priests are omitted, and only such things included as the people generally required to know" (Luther). "With respect to the prophetic parts of Deuteronomy, it should be remarked that Messiah is here more explicitly foretold than in the preceding books, and described as the completion of the Jewish economy. The prophecies of Moses increase in number and clearness toward the end of his writings. As he approached the end of his life he appears to have discerned futurity with more exactness" (Clapham).
01 Chapter 1
Verses 1-46
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—
I. Biographical. Sihon. סִיחן (Slkhôn). LXX. σηών. Joseph. σιχών. King of the Amorites when the Israelites reached the borders of Canaan,—a man of courage and audacity. Shortly before the appearance of Israel, he had dispossessed Moab of a splendid territory. He did not temporise, like Balak, but fought at once … Og. עוֹנ. ὤγ. The Amoritish king of Bashan, who ruled sixty cities (cf. Jos ). One of the last of the Rephaim. According to tradition, he escaped from the flood by wading beside the Ark (Sale's Koran, Note, Deuteronomy 5.) He was supposed to be the largest of the sons of Anak, and descended from Ad: said to have lived 3000 years, and refused the warning of Jethro, sent to him and his people as a prophet … Caleb. כָּלֵב (Câlçbh). LXX. χάλεβ. Son of Jephunneh, a Kenezite (cf. Num 32:12; Jos 14:6; Jos 14:14). He was a ruler or prince, and a head in the tribe of Judah. Apparently he was brave, conscientious, outspoken … Jephunneh. יְפֻנֶּה phŭnnĕh. LXX. ἰεφοννὴ. Father of Caleb, probably of an Edomite tribe, called Kenezites, from Kenaz, their founder, who was a son of Eliphuz, the son of Esau (cf. Gen 36:15; Gen 36:42; 1Ch 1:53; Jos 14:14 … Joshua. יהוֹשֻעַ Y'hoshua. LXX. ιησοῦς = whose help is in Jehovah (Gesenius): God the Saviour (Pearson). Son of Nun, tribe of Ephraim (1Ch 7:27). Born about the time Moses fled to Midian. The future captain was at first a slave. Mentioned first in the fight against Amalek at Rephidim, where he led Israel. When Moses ascended Sinai, Joshua accompanied him. He was one of the twelve chiefs sent to spy out the land. He evidently was one of the natural leaders of Israel, and therefore a man of character, force, and energy … Nun. נוּן Nun. In Syriac and Arabic = a fish. LXX. ναυή. Nothing is known of him.
II. Historical Allusions and Contemporary History. "Amorite." אֱמֹרֹי Emôrî. The dwellers on the summits—mountaineers; one of the chief nations who possessed the land of Canaan before its conquest by the Israelites. As "Highlanders" they contrast with the "Canaanites," who were "Lowlanders." As children of the hills they were a bold, hardy race. From the days of Abram to the time of Joshua this people fully maintained their character of the "warrior." After the conquest of Canaan, nothing is heard of them in the Bible, except in the usual formula where the early inhabitants are occasionally referred to … Anakim. עְנָקִים Anâkîm. A race of giants, so called either from their stature or strength. They were descendants of Arba, and dwelt in the southern part of Canaan. The race appears to have been divided into three families. Their chief city was Hebron … Of contemporary history it is impossible to speak definitely,—it is one vast chaos, where the mind is lost in the wild confusion of conflicting theories. In our limited space we dare not venture on more than, Egypt was; Assyria was possibly throwing out the rootlets of the future tree of her empire; Greece was the habitation of scattered tribes; Phonecia probably was sending forth her fleets to plough the ocean; but so uncertain are the records, silence is esteemed better than what might be shown a baseless theory.
III. Natural History. Deu . Red Sea. Heb. Suph, lit. "reeds," seaweed, sedge, river-grass, rushes: specially of the thick and strong rushes on the banks of the Nile, and of the sedges of the Red Sea, from which this latter receives its name of Yam Suph. The word in this verse gives name to some place in the district of the wanderings. Deu 1:25. "Fruit of the land." "The Hebrews had three generic terms, designating three great classes of the fruits of the land, closely corresponding to what may be expressed in English as
(1.) Corn-fruit or field produce;
(2.) Vintage fruit;