If the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to put his name be too far from thee,.... Or rather "for" (h), or "seeing" the place will be too far from thee; for it is allowed before that they might kill and eat flesh for common food in their gates, Deuteronomy 12:15 then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock; of thy oxen and of thy...
Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten,.... Which were not only clean creatures, as before observed, but were commonly and frequently eaten, there being plenty of them in those parts: so thou shalt eat them; their oxen and calves, their sheep and lambs, their goats and their kids: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike; no difference...
Only be sure that thou eat not the blood,.... This is repeated again, that they might be careful to observe the law concerning that: for the blood is the life: which is the reason given for the prohibition of it, [See comments on Leviticus 17:11], and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh: by which it seems that the meaning of the law was,...
Thou shalt not eat it,.... Neither with the flesh, nor separately: thou shall pour it upon the earth as water; as the blood of sacrifices was poured upon the altar, the blood of common flesh was to be poured upon the earth, signifying it was not to be used, and no account to be made of it; [See comments on Deuteronomy 12:16]
Thou shall not eat it, that it may be well with thee, and with thy children after thee,.... That they and their posterity might be spared, and continue long, and enjoy much prosperity; for those that eat blood, contrary to this command of God, it is threatened that he would set his face against them, and they should be cut off, Leviticus 7:27,...
Only thy holy things which thou hast,.... Which the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret of the tithe of their holy things, and Aben Ezra of their burnt offerings and peace offerings; they seem to include all in Deuteronomy 12:17 and thy vows thou shalt take, and go unto the place which the Lord shall choose; so often referred to, but not...
And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the Lord thy God,.... And on that only, even the altar of burnt offering: and the blood of thy sacrifices; one as well as another, not only of the burnt offerings, but of the sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings: shall be poured out upon the...
Observe and hear all these words which I command thee,.... Respecting the demolition of all monuments of idolatry, and bringing all holy things to the place the Lord should choose to dwell in; and eating common flesh in their own houses, only to be careful not to eat blood: that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever;...
When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee,.... The seven nations of the land of Canaan, Deuteronomy 7:1, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; or to inherit them, and thou dost inherit them, by dwelling in their land.
Take heed to thyself, that thou be not snared by following them,.... Their examples and customs, and so be drawn into the same idolatrous practices; see Psalms 106:35, after that they be destroyed from before thee; for their idolatries and other sins: and that thou inquire not after their gods; what they were, their names, forms, and figures:...
Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God,.... Not serve and worship him after the manner of the Gentiles, nor introduce their rites and customs into his service, used by them in the worship of their gods: for every abomination which he hateth have they done unto their gods; as murder, adultery, c. which God has expressed his aversion to, and...
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it,.... In the manner it is commanded and directed to; the laws of God, both as to matter and manner, were to be obeyed just as they were delivered: thou shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it; neither add any customs and rites of the Heathens to them, nor neglect anything enjoined on them, see...
INTRODUCTION TO Deuteronomy 13 In this chapter the Israelites are taught how to discern a false prophet, shun and punish him, Deuteronomy 13:1, what to do with enticers to idolatry, not only not to consent to them, but, without favour and affection to them, endeavour to bring them to just punishment, and be the first that should inflict it on...
If there arise among you a prophet,.... A false prophet, a lying prophet, as the Targum of Jonathan; one that pretends to be a true prophet, and to be sent of God, and to come from him with a message from him, a new revelation or doctrine, or in his name, to foretell things to come; the former is chiefly meant. Such prophets did arise in Israel...
And the sign and wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee,.... The sign he promised to give, or the miracle he proposed to do, to show the reality of his mission, and the truth of his doctrine, which is performed, or seemingly performed, by legerdemain, by magic art, or by the help of the devil; which the Lord sometimes suffered for the...
Thou shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams,.... Even though he does give the sign, and work the wonder; for it might be reasonably concluded there must be fallacy in him, and that neither he nor his miraculous sign could come from God, who would never send a person to enable him to do signs and wonders, to...
Ye shall walk after the Lord your God,.... As he has directed, according to the laws and rules which he has given, both with respect to their moral and civil conduct, and their religious worship of him; and so the Targum of Jonathan, "ye shall walk after the worship of the Lord your God:'' and fear him, and keep his commandments; fear to offend...
And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death,.... Which death, according to the Targum of Jonathan, was to be killed with the sword: because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God; or "spoken revolt against the Lord" (l), high treason against him, delivering out doctrine that tends to cause his subjects to...
If thy brother, the son of thy mother,.... A brother by mother's side, which is generally supposed to be the nearest relation, at least most out of question, so more liable to be regarded as being beloved: or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom; most dearly beloved by him, as indeed each of these relations are by a man, there being...
Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you,.... As of the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Phoenicians: nigh unto thee; as the above were, being on the borders of their land: the Targum of Jonathan interprets this of the idols of the seven nations, that is, of the land of Canaan: or far off from thee; as the Babylonians,...