John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 27
John Calvin Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
John Calvin Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
"And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I command you this day." — Deuteronomy 27:1 (ASV)
And Moses, with the elders. This precept is of the same character as those that have preceded it. For, just as God would have His precepts written on the door-posts and on the borders of their garments, so that they might constantly meet their eyes, so also would He have a monument existing at the very entrance of their land, from which the people might learn that they lived in it, so that they might worship God purely.
Therefore, so that the knowledge of the Law would not be obscured or in any way obliterated by the people’s carelessness, God would have its summary inscribed in a conspicuous place. From this, we can understand the similarity I have referred to between the private houses of individuals and the whole land.
When the precepts were written on the doors, everyone was admonished that his house was sacred to God. The same was true for the whole land, so that whoever entered it might know that it was, as it were, the sanctuary of heavenly doctrine. In this way, their zeal might be stirred up to the pure worship of God.
The purpose of the plain and distinct writing of the Scripture, referred to in verse 8, was to remove (the excuse of237) ignorance.
237 Added from the French.
"And there shalt thou build an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt lift up no iron [tool] upon them." — Deuteronomy 27:5 (ASV)
And there shalt thou build an altar. At their first entrance into the land, God commands that a sacrifice of thanksgiving should be offered to Him; and this Joshua performed, as is related in Joshua 8:30-31.
Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal;
as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel,
an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron.
First of all, then, this testimony of their gratitude is required, so that the children of Israel, as soon as they have begun to set foot in the land of Canaan, might celebrate the praises of the Lord.
Secondly, he forbids all artificial work because if the altar had been permanent, it would have been an occasion of superstition, and this exceptional instance would have been more regarded than the perpetual Law of God.
Consequently, the nine and a half tribes were so greatly angered against the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, on account of the altar which was built on the bank of the Jordan (Joshua 22), to such an extent that they determined to utterly destroy their brothers, until they had cleared themselves by alleging that they had only built it as a memorial of their brotherly union, and not for sacrifice.
Surely, they were good interpreters of the Law who considered it an unpardonable crime that an altar should be left for future generations to draw the people away from the one sanctuary, and thus to destroy the unity of faith.
"And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Keep silence, and hearken, O Israel: this day thou art become the people of Jehovah thy God." — Deuteronomy 27:9 (ASV)
The ground of his exhortation is again taken from the special favor of adoption, with which the God of Abraham had honored them. For there was nothing which should have more effectually stimulated them to obedience than that more-than-paternal love and the gratuitous kindness with which He had shown them favor beforehand. Although, at the same time, they were admonished in these words about the purpose for which they were separated from other nations.
For the conclusion he draws is that because they were received by God as His people, they, therefore, were under an obligation to keep His statutes. As Paul more plainly teaches, we are redeemed from all iniquity so that Christ might purify for Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).
Moreover, since the priests were now appointed, from whose lips the doctrine of the law was to be sought, they now come forward in God’s own name. They engage the people not only to respond to His generous calls upon them but also to obey His ministers.
"And Moses charged the people the same day, saying," — Deuteronomy 27:11 (ASV)
And Moses charged the people the same day. So that both the promises and threats might have a greater impact on everyone's minds, God commanded not only that they should be proclaimed in a solemn ceremony, but also that they should be approved by the people aloud, and sealed, so to speak, by their consent.
It is recorded elsewhere that this was faithfully performed by Joshua (Joshua 8:33). For now, it is enough to say that they were all summoned and brought before God to agree to them, so that from then on, all evasion might be prevented.
The tribes of Israel were divided into two parties, so that they might stand opposite each other, and that the blessings might resound from one side, and the curses from the other,196 like ἀντίστροφοι. I confess I do not know why the descendants of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin were chosen by God to proclaim the blessings, rather than the others;197
for the opinion of the Hebrew writers that those who descended from free mothers were placed in the position of highest honor carries no weight, since the tribe of the firstborn, Reuben, was grouped with some who were born of servant women. Perhaps we might say that the descendants of Reuben were demoted to the second class as a mark of disgrace.
However, since both the blessings and curses were offered in the name of the whole people, this is not a point of much importance. For, if this division198 was made to testify to their common agreement, it was equivalent to all of them confessing alike that those who transgressed the Law were accursed, and those who kept it were blessed. Consequently, I am not very curious to know why, in their common office, God preferred some to the others.
Moses will relate elsewhere that the tribes, which are here separated, were then united together. It would perhaps be a plausible conjecture that God, who well knew what the future inheritance of every tribe would be, placed them individually in the position that would correspond to their future allotment.
To give the sanction greater solemnity, God chose for the Levites to dictate the words as if He Himself spoke from heaven. For, since they were appointed as interpreters of the Law, and as it was their duty to faithfully repeat what God had dictated from His own mouth, they were heard with greater attention and reverence.
196 “Comme correspondantes.” — Fr. “It was also customary on some occasions to dance round the altars whilst they sung the sacred hymns, which consisted of three stanzas or parts; the first of which, called . “It was also customary on some occasions to dance round the altars whilst they sung the sacred hymns, which consisted of three stanzas or parts; the first of which, called strophe, was sung in turning from east to west; the other, named , was sung in turning from east to west; the other, named antistrophe, in returning from west to east: then they stood before the altar and sung the , in returning from west to east: then they stood before the altar and sung the epode, which was the last part of the song.” — Potter’s Antiq. of Greece, Book II. chap. 4., which was the last part of the song.” — Potter’s Antiq. of Greece, Book II. chap. 4.
197 “The six nobler tribes answered amen to the blessings; the six more ignoble to the curses, viz., four who descended from the children of the hand-maids, i..e., Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali, to whom Reuben is added, because he had defiled his father’s bed incestuously; and Zebulun, because he was the youngest son of Leah. So Raban and Theod., q. 34.” — Corn. a Lapide, ., Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali, to whom Reuben is added, because he had defiled his father’s bed incestuously; and Zebulun, because he was the youngest son of Leah. So Raban and Theod., q. 34.” — Corn. a Lapide, in loco..
198 “De six a six.” — Fr..
"Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen." — Deuteronomy 27:15 (ASV)
Cursed be the man that makes any graven. From this it appears that Moses is silent about half (of what he had spoken of before; 199) because no mention is made of the blessings200 that previously held the first place. Perhaps the Spirit intended to indirectly rebuke the wickedness of the people, which is why He was not free to proclaim the praises conveyed in the blessings. For when they should have cheerfully embraced the reward promised to them, their ungodliness deprived them of this honor, and nothing remained except for them to submit to the just punishment of their iniquities.
Meanwhile, it cannot be doubted that they were taught by the forms of cursing that we read here what course should be followed in blessing. For when God pronounces His condemnation of transgressors, from this we may infer that the hope of blessedness is laid up for His true servants, if any fulfill His law. Besides, in the list of curses recorded here, a synecdoche is to be observed, since no special curse is separately denounced against blasphemers, perjurers, Sabbath-breakers, slanderers, and adulterers.
It is clear, therefore, that some kinds of crime, worthy of the greatest abomination, were selected so that the people might learn from this that transgression against any specific part of the Law would not go unpunished. For by speaking of graven images, God undoubtedly defends His worship from all pollutions, and thus this curse extends to every breach of the First Table. Moreover, when He threatens to punish secret sins, we may readily infer that, although offenders might be hidden from earthly judges and escape from their hands a hundred times, God would still be the avenger of His polluted worship.
If anyone had put an idol in a secret place, or had struck his neighbor secretly, he will not suffer the punishment that cannot be inflicted unless his crime is detected and he is convicted of the offense. However, so that impunity would not encourage anyone to become hardened in sin, the people are summoned before God's heavenly tribunal, that they may be kept in the path of duty not only by the fear of punishment but also for conscience's sake. From this, again, it is clear that God did not deliver only a political Law, which would merely direct their outward morals, but one that would require true sincerity of heart.
199 Added from Fr..
200 “Howbeit, though Moses appointed these to bless, yet he expresseth not the blessings; by such silence leading his prudent reader to look for them by another, which is Christ. John 1:17, , Acts 3:26. For silence in the holy story often implieth great mysteries, as the Apostle (in . For silence in the holy story often implieth great mysteries, as the Apostle (in Hebrews 7.) teacheth from the narration of Melchisedek, in .) teacheth from the narration of Melchisedek, in Genesis 14.” — Ainsworth..” — Ainsworth.
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