Annotations upon the five bookes of Moses, the booke of the Psalmes, and the Song of Songs, or, Canticles VVherein the Hebrevv vvords and sentences, are compared with, and explained by the ancient Greeke and Chaldee versions, and other records and monuments of the Hebrewes: but chiefly by conference with the holy Scriptures, Moses his words, lawes and ordinances, the sacrifices, and other legall ceremonies heretofore commanded by God to the Church of Israel, are explained. With an advertisement touching some objections made against the sinceritie of the Hebrew text, and allegation of the Rabbines in these annotations. As also tables directing unto such principall things as are observed in the annotations upon each severall booke. By Henry Ainsworth.

CHAP. XXIIII.

1 Of divorce. 5 A new married man goeth not to warre. 6 10 Of pledges. 7 Of man-stealers. 8 Of leprosie. 14 The hire to bee given in due time. 16 Of justice. 19 The forgotten sheafe is for the poore. 20 And the gleanings of the fruits to bee left for them.

WHen a man hath taken a wife, [unspec 1] and beene her husband, and it shall be that she finde not grace in his eies, because hee hath found in her mat∣ter of nakednesse: and he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her away out of his house: And shee [unspec 2] depart out of his house, and goe and bee ano∣ther mans: And the latter man hate her, and [unspec 3] write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her away out of his house; or if the latter man die, which tooke her to him to wife: Her first husband which sent [unspec 4] her away, may not returne to take her to bee unto him to wife, after that shee is caused to be defiled, for that is abomination before Ie∣hovah; and thou shalt not cause the land to sinne, which Iehovah thy God giveth unto thee for an inheritance.

When a man hath taken a new wife, hee [unspec 5] shall not goe out in the Armie, neither shall any thing passe upon him: hee shall be free in his house one yeare, and rejoyce with his wife which hee hath taken.

(A man) shall not take to pledge the nea∣ther [unspec 6] mill-stone, or the upper mill-stone; for hee taketh to pledge, the soule.

If a man bee taken stealing a soule of his [unspec 7] brethren, of the sonnes of Israel, and maketh gaine to himselfe by him, and selleth him; then that theefe shall die, and thou shalt put away evill from the middest of thee.

Take thou heed in the plague of leprofie, [unspec 8] to observe diligently and to doe according to all that the Priests the Levites shall teach you; as I commanded them yee shall observe to doe. Remember what Iehovah thy God [unspec 9] did unto Marie, in the way, after yee were come forth out of Egypt.

When thou lendest thy neighbour the loane [unspec 10] of any thing, thou shalt not goe in into his house, to fetch his pawne. Thou shalt stand [unspec 11] without, and the man to whom thou doest lend, shall bring forth unto thee the pawne without. And if hee be a poore man, thou [unspec 12] [unspec 13] shalt not lie downe with his pawne. Resto∣ring

thou shalt restore the pawne unto him when the Sunne goeth downe, that hee may lie downe in his raiment and blesse thee, and unto thee it shall bee justice before Iehovah thy God.

Thou shalt not fraudulently oppresse an [unspec 14] hired servant that is poore and needy, of thy brethren, or of thy stranger which is in thy land, within thy gates. In his day thou shalt [unspec 15] give his hire, and the Sun shall not goe downe upon it, for hee is poore, and unto it hee lif∣teth up his soule, that hee cry not against thee unto Iehovah, and it bee in thee a sinne.

The father shall not be put to death for the [unspec 16] children, and the children shall not bee put to death for the fathers: they shall bee put to death every man in his owne sin. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the stranger, nor [unspec 17] of the fatherlesse: thou shalt not take to pledge the garment of the widow. But thou shalt [unspec 18] remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt, and Iehovah thy God redeemed thee thence, therefore I command thee to doe this thing. When thou reapest thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheafe in the field, thou shalt [unspec 19] not returne to take it; it shall bee for the stran∣ger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow, that Iehovah thy God may blesse thee in all the worke of thine hands. When thou bea∣test thine Olive-tree, thou shalt not goe over [unspec 20] the boughes after thee; it shall be for the stran∣ger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vine-yard, [unspec 21] thou shalt not gather the single grapes after thee; it shall bee for the stranger, for the fatherlesse, and for the widow. And thou [unspec 22] shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, therefore I command thee to doe this thing.

Annotations.

BEene her husband] that is, done an husbands [unspec] duty, lien with her: as the Greeke translateth, dwelt together with her. So Deut. 21. 13. For his mariage is signified by the former phrase, taken a wife, as is noted on Deut. 22. 13. grace] o••, favour in his eies; in Greeke, grace before him. that is, if he like her not. matter of nakednesse] or, the nakednesse of any thing, that is, the discove∣ry of some uncleane thing: or, by transplacing the words, any thing of nakednesse, that is, of shame and ignominy; as the Greeke translateth, a shame∣full (or uncomely) thing. This is thought of some not to be meant of adultery, for which shee was to die if it were proved, Deut. 22. 22. but of some evill thing in her conditions or actions, which dis∣pleased her husband. So the phrase was used in Deut. 23. 14. for that which was uncleanly and unseemely. and he shall write] understand from the former sentence, and if hee shall write: for this is not a commandement, but a permission, as our Saviour saith, Moses because of the hardnesse of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so, Matt. 19. 8. So after in vers. 3. And the latter man shall hate her, that is, if hee shall hate her; for all is supposition, and permission, untill v. 4. where she is forbidden to her first husband. But the Hebrewes mistooke this for a commandement, Matt. 19. 7. and so doe to this day, as is to be seene in their writings, wher∣in good and bad are mixed together thus; A man may not take a wife, and have a purpose in him to di∣vorce her, &c. She may not remaine under him, and minister unto him, if hee be purposed to divorce her. A man may not put away his first wife, except he hath found in her the nakednesse of some thing: and it be∣comes him not to be hasty to send away his first wife; but the second, if he hate her, let him send her away. A woman that is of evill conditions, and is not mo∣dest, as are the honest daughters of Israel, it is com∣manded to put her away. Maimony tom. 2. treat. of Divorces, chap. 10. sect. 21, 22. But the Lord, the God of Israel saith, that hee hateth putting away, Mal. 2. 16. And, What God hath joyned together, let no man put asunder, Matt. 19. 6. bill of di∣vorcement] or, libell (booke) of cutting off; which the Greeke version (approved by the Evangelists, Matth. 19. 7.) calleth, a libell of divorcement, or, of departing away, because by it the woman was cut off from her husband, and departed from him and his house. Of this the Hebrewes have many canons; and the forme of this bill is in the Thal∣mud in Gittin, chap. 9. and by Maimony in treat. of Divorces, chap. 4. sect. 12. set downe in these words:

IN such a day of the weeke, in such or such a day of the moneth N. in such or such a yeere from the creation (of the world,) or from the supputation (of Alexander) after the account which wee are wont to count by, here in the place N. IN. the sonne of N. of the place N. (or if there be any other name or surname which I have, or my fathers have had, or (which) my place hath, or my fathers place have had) have voluntarily, with the willingnesse of my soule, without con∣straint, both dismissed, and left, and put away thee, even thee N. the daughter of N. of the city N. (or if thou hast any other name or surname, thou, or thy fathers, or thy place, or thy fa∣thers place) which hast beene my wife here∣tofore, but now I dismisse thee, and leave thee, and put thee away, that thou maiest be free, and have power over thine owne soule, to goe away, to bee married to any man whom thou wilt; and that no man be refused of thine hand, for my name, from this day and for ever. And thus thou art lawfull for any man; and this is unto thee from mee a

writing of divorcement, and bill of dismission, and an epistle of putting (thee) away, according to the Law of Moses and Israel.

N. sonne of N. Witnesse. N. sonne of N. Witnesse.

give it] or, deliver it into her hand, and this al∣so before witnesses. The Hebrewes observe ten things, which they say are requisite by the Law, and are the root (or foundation) of the divorce; 1 That a man put her not away, but of his owne will: gathe∣red from these words, If shee finde not grace in his eies; but the woman may bee put away, whether shee be willing or not. 2 That hee put her away by a writing, not by any other thing. 3 That the matter of the writing be to divorce her and put her away out of his possession. 4 That the matter of that divorce∣ment bee betweene him and her. 5 That it bee writ∣ten by her name. 6 That there bee no action wanting after the writing thereof, save the delivery of it unto her. 7 That hee give it unto her. 8 That hee give it her before witnesses. 9 That hee give it her by the Law of Divorces, 10 And that it be the husband, or his deputy that delivereth it unto her. Maimony treat. of Divorces, chap. 1. sect. 1. Vnto these they adde also sundry other cautions, as, Where it is said in the Law, AND HE SHALL WRITE HER A BILL, &c. Whether hee write it with his owne hand, or speake to another to write it for him; and whether he deliver it with his owne hand, or speak to another to deliver it, (it is all one) it is not said, HE SHALL WRITE, but to signifie, that she may not be put away but by a writing; and, HEE SHALL GIVE (to signifie) that shee may not take it of her selfe. But it is necessary, that the hus∣band speake himselfe unto the Scrivener to write it, and to the witnesses to subscribe it. Every bill that is not written by the name of the man that divorceth, and by the name of the woman divorced, is no bill. Who so writeth (a bill) to put away his wife, and be∣thinketh him, and doth not put her away, but uniteth himselfe with her after it is written, hee may not put her away by that bill at another time when hee would put her away. Whereas the Law saith, AND GIVE it IN HER HAND; the Scripture meaneth no more, but that it come unto her; and whe∣ther it be in her hand, or in her bosome, or to her de∣puty (or atturney) whose hand she hath made as her hand, it is all one. But it is necessary that he be made her atturney before two witnesses, and that there be two witnesses to testifie, that the bill came to the hand of her atturney. The husband cannot make an at∣tourney to receive the bill for his wife, but hee may make one to carry it to his wife. If the atturney have received the bill, and before it commeth to the womans hand, the husband changeth his minde, and saith un∣to him, the bill which I sent by thee, be of none effect; or if he say before unto his wife, the bill which I have sent unto thee, be of none effect; or if hee send another messenger to make it of none effect; or if hee say unto others, the bill which I have sent to my wife be of none effect, loe it is of none effect, though it come (after) to his wives hand. But if (he speake it) after it become to her hand, or to the hand of her atturney, which was to receive it for her, he cannot make it of none ef∣fect. Hee that divorceth upon condition, if the condi∣tion be confirmed she is divorced; if not, shee is not di∣vorced. As if he say, loe here is thy bill, upon condi∣tion that thou give me 200 pence, within these thirty daies; if she give them with his consent within thirty daies, shee is divorced, if after thirty daies shee is not divorced. If she give them to him by force, so that he is not willing to receive them, the bill is of none effect, till shee give them with his consent &c. Maimony treat. of Divorces, chap. 2. sect. 1. 5. and c. 3. s. 1. 5. and c. 6. s. 1, 3, 16. and c. 8. s. 1. 21.

Vers. 2. be another mans] or, be to another man: [unspec 2] either by full mariage, or by espousals onely; for a betrothed woman is a mans wife, Deut. 22. 23, 24. So the Hebrewes say; Hee that putteth away his wife, and she is betrothed to another, although she bee not married to him, shee is unlawfull for the first (husband.) And if the first doe returne and marry her, he is to be beaten, and to bee compelled to put her out, Deut. 24. 4. Maimony in Divorces, chap. 11. sect. 12. Shee might also become another mans by fornication, though she married not, Ier. 3. 1. yet the phrase often implieth the state of mariage, Rom. 7. 3, 4. unto which sense the Hebrewes restraine it here.

Vers. 3. And the latter] understand from the [unspec 3] last clause, And if the latter man hate, and if hee write her a bill, &c. for these are but suppositions, and bare permissions, not commandements which God would have done, as is before noted.

Vers. 4. may not returne] or, cannot, it is not [unspec 4] lawfull for him to take her againe: and this is the Law which God commandeth, whereby hee shew∣eth a dislike of the former divorcements; as after he plainly confirmeth by the Prophet, Mal. 2 16. For, Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, [and if he marry another, he committeth adultery,] and whosoever shall marrie her that is divorced, com∣mitteth adulterie, Matt. 5. 32. and 19. 9. she is caused to be defiled] or, is caused to defile herselfe: The Greeke and Chaldee translate, shee is defiled: but the Hebrew word Huttaraaah is of such a composition, as implieth both the defiling of her selfe, and the cause thereof by her husband, who put her away first. It was therefore an errour in the Iewes, to take this for a commandement of God, which he tolerated onely for the hardnesse of their hearts; and shewed the woman to be defiled by her second mariage, after her first unjust divorce. not cause the land to sinne] or, not suffer the land to sinne: which may be understood, that by their ex∣ample others should not bee occasioned to doe the like; or, that by the Magistrates neglect of punish∣ing this evill, others bee not emboldened. Or ra∣ther, that the land be not in sinne, that is, punisha∣ble for this sin, which extendeth not onely to the persons that doe it, but to all the people that suffer it: as there bee examples of the like in other cases, as Ios. 7. and 22. 17, 20. Therefore the Prophet alleaging this Law, saith, that the land should bee

greatly polluted, Ier. 3. 1. and so the Greeke version here, in stead of sin saith, & ye shall not defile the lād. This Law is figuratively applyed in the practise of it unto God and his Church, unto whom he was an husband, Ier. 31. 32. and unto whom in time he did give a bill of divorcement, but for her adulte∣ry, Ier. 3. 8. not upon displeasure, without her due merit, as the Israelites often did to their wives, (for such a bill of divorce they could not shew,) but for her transgressions she was put away, Esay 50. 1. And though by this Law, a woman put away, and be∣comming another mans, might not returne to her first husband againe, yet God (who is above his Law) offereth his Church, after her many adulte∣ries, to returne againe unto him by repentance and faith, Ier. 3. 1. Hos. 2. 2. 1. 9. and 3. 1, 5. The A∣postle also applieth this Allegory to the Churches estate under the Law, and under the Gospel of Christ, Rom. 7. 1, 2, 3, &c.

Vers. 5. in the armie] unto the war, as the Greeke [unspec 5] translateth. In Deut. 20. a law was given for such as were betrothed and not married, had planted vineyards, or built houses, and not eaten of, or dwelt in them; the Hebrewes understand those two also in this law, saying, Hee that hath builded a house, and dedicated it, and he that maried his be∣trothed wife, or his brothers wife (Deut. 25. 6.) and hee that hath made his vineyard common, these goe not out to war till the yeare be ended. Maimony tom. 4. treat of Kings, chap. 7. sect. 10. any thing] or, ought of any thing, that is, of any charge or busi∣nesse concerning warres, or the like. Therefore whereas such as had not maried their spouses, nor dedicated their houses, nor made common their vineyards, when they were sent backe from the ar∣mie, were to provide victuals, and prepare the waies for the army, as is noted on Deut. 20. 7. they were all this first yeare free from these & other the like charges, as the Hebrewes say, These goe not out to the warre, neither are they charged with any thing in the world, Deut. 24. 5. By word of mouth wee have beene taught, that he shall be free a yeare, both for the house that he hath dedicated, and for the wife that he hath maried, and for the vineyard whose fruit he hath begun to eat of. All the yeare long hee neither provideth victualls, nor prepareth the way, nor watcheth on the walls, nor giveth to the tributes of the citie, neither may any thing in the world passe upon him. Maim. treat. of Kings, ch. 7. s. 10, 11. passe upon him] that is, as the Greeke explaineth it, he laid upon him. free] that is, exempted from all publike labours and charges. In the wars that King Asa made with Baasa, none was free, 1 King. 15. 22. where may be understood, none save such as Gods Law did exempt: or, not they neither, be∣cause of the great necessity of helpe. rejoyce with his wife] By this Law God shewed how much hee approved of holy wedlocke, (as by the former he shewed his hatred of unjust divorces) when to encourage the newly maried, against the cumbran∣ces which that estate bringeth with it, and to set∣tle their love each to other, he exempted those men from all wars, cares, and expences, that they might the more comfortably provide for their own estate.

Vers. 6. (A man) shall not take] Hebr. He shall not [unspec 6] take: this is to be understood of any man: there∣fore the Greeke and Chaldee change the person, to make the sense plainer, Thou shalt not take, speaking to every man, as after Moses also speaketh in vers. 17. nether milstone] elsewhere this word Re∣chajim signifieth both milstones, or the mill in ge∣nerall, Exod. 11. 5. Here, by reason the upper milstone is after mentioned, the nether stone is specially meant. And under these particulars, all other of like necessary use for mans life are forbid∣den to be taken to pledge. The Hebrewes say, Hee that lendeth to his neighbour, &c. may not take to pledge vessells (or instruments) wherewith they make ready (meat) for the life; as milstones, or the wood∣den mill, or pots which they boyle meat in, or butchers knives, or the like things, Deut. 24. 6. and if hee take such to pledge, he must be forced to restore; and if the pawne be lost, or burnt before hee doe restore it, he is to be beaten. Maimony tom. 4. treat. of the Lender and Borrower, chap. 3. sect. 2. the upper mil∣stone] called Recheb, a charret, because of the run∣ning thereof upon the nether stone: From hence they say, He that taketh to pledge many instruments which are for food, &c. is guilty for every instrument (or vessell) by it selfe, though they be two instruments wherewith they doe one worke, [as the nether mil∣stone and the upper] he is guilty for them by the name of two instruments, and for them twaine hee is to bee twise beaten. Maimony ibid. chap. 3. sect. 3. See after in v. 11. 12. 17. the soule] that is, the life of the soule (or body) meaning the instruments of his livelihood: and as Thargum Ierusalemy ex∣pounds it, the necessities of the soule (or life) The Chaldee paraphraseth thus, for by them is made (ready) meat for every soule. Thus the milstones are named but for an instance, forbidding all other of like sort.

Vers. 7. a soule] that is, any person, man, wo∣man, [unspec 7] or childe. of Israel] This the Hebrewes take as a limitation to Israel and the Proselytes thereof: and for stealing Infidels, they hold hee was but to make restitution. Maim. tom. 4. treat. of Theft, chap. 2. sect. 1. and chap. 9. sect. 6. maketh gaine or, serveth himselfe; the Greeke trans∣lateth, and bringing him under his power, selleth him. See this word used in Deut. 21. 14. and selleth him] The Hebrewes joyne this to the former, without which they thinke the theefe was not to dye. A theefe is not guilty of death, untill hee steale an Israelite, and get him into his power, and serveth himselfe of him, and selleth him to others, Deut. 24. 7. If he steale him, and serve himselfe with him, and doe not sell him, or doe sell him before he hath served himselfe by him, he is free (from death) Maim. treat. of Theft, ch. 9. sect. 2, 3. Others thinke that if he either served himselfe with him, or sold him, hee was to dye: and this may well bee the meaning of the Law; for and often signifieth or, as is noted on Gen. 13. 8. and 19. 12. shall dye] as the He∣brewes say, he was to be strangled to death. Maim. ibid. ch. 9. sect. 1.

Vers. 8. plague of leprosie] which might bee on [unspec 8] mens bodies, or on garments, or in houses. The

Law of all these is given at large, in Levit. 13 and 14 Chapters. all that the Priests] the Greeke translateth, all the Law that the Priests the Levites shall shew unto you. This is a warning to Israel, that if any man had the Leprosie, or a sore like the Le∣prosie, he should not dissemble or hide it, or pluck off, or cut away the signes thereof, or labour by medicines to cure it, or doe any thing thereto, but as the Priest directed him according to the Law; because this plague was usually by the hand of God for mens sinnes, and did pollute both the per∣son himselfe, and all that touched him; so that for the discerning and curing of this plague, they should seeke unto God, by the meanes which hee appointed. Therefore from this Law, the Hebrews teach; Hee that plucketh off the signes of unclean∣nesse, either all or some of them, or seareth the living (raw) flesh, all, or some of it, or cutteth all the sor•• out of his flesh, or out of a garment, or house, ••ither before he come to the Priest, or whiles he is shut up, or after, &c. hee transgresseth against this prohibition, TAKE THOV HEED IN THE PLAGVE OF LEPROSIE, &c. (Deut. 25. 8.) Maimony tom. 3. treat. of Leprosie, chap. 10. sect. 1. See the Annotations on Levit. 13. as I commanded them] If then the Priest spake or did otherwise than God prescribed, it was not to stand. A Priest that pronounceth him uncleane that is cleane, or him cleane that is uncleane, he doth nothing at all, for it is written (in Lev. 13. v. 14, 15.) he is uncleane, and the Priest shall pronounce him un∣cleane, &c. Maim. in Leprosie, ch. 9. sect. 3.

Vers. 9. unto Marie] in Hebrew Mirjam, in [unspec 9] Greeke Mariam; shee was the sister of Moses and Aaron, a Prophetesse in Israel, who for speaking against Moses, was smitten of God with Leprosie, Numb. 12. whose example is for a warning to all, that they should not sinne as shee did, lest God plague them also: and that the justice of the Law should bee executed upon all Lepers, without re∣spect of persons. So all other examples in Scrip∣ture are examples unto us, 1 Cor. 10. 6,—11. and so Christ saith, Remember Lots wife, Luk. 17. 32.

Vers. 10. when thou lendest] or, when thou shalt [unspec 10] exact of thy neighbour the exaction of any thing, that is, any debt: which if it were with rigour, or of a poore man that had not to pay, was unlawfull. See the notes on Exod. 22. 25. The Greeke trans∣lateth, If there be a debt in thy neighbour, (that is, if he be indebted to thee) what debt soever. See the notes on Deut. 15. 2. thou shalt not goe in] This is spoken to the creditor, and (as the Hebrews say) to the messenger of the Magistrate sent to take a pawne. He that lendeth to his neighbour poore or rich, may not take a pawne of him, but by the Synedrion, [that is, by authority of the Magistrate:] and though it bee the messenger of the Synedrion that commeth for a pawne, he may not come into his house and take his pawne, but must stand without, and the borrower is to bring out a pawne unto him, Deut. 24. 10. If it be so, what (difference) is there betweene the credi∣ter, and the messenger of the Synedrion? The messen∣ger of the court, he may take the pawne out of the hand of the borrower by force, and give it the lender: but the creditor may not take the pawne, till the borrow∣er give it him with consent. If the creditor trans∣gresse, and goe into the borrowers house for his pawne, or snatcheth a pawne cut of his hand by force, hee is not to bee beaten, because the act is broken off, for he must restore the pawne, Deut. 24. 13. If he keepe not this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to restore it, as if the pawne be lost or burnt, he is to be beaten, and to restore the price of the pawne. Maimon. ••om. 4. treat. of the Lender and Borrower, ch. 3. sect. 4.

Vers. 12. not lie downe] to sleepe; not goe to [unspec 12] bed. For breach of this Law, the Lord reproveth Israel; They lay themselves downe upon clothes laid to pledge, by every altar, Amos 2. 8. But hereby not onely the use of the poore mans pawne, but the kee∣ping of it is forbidden; with his pawne, that is, and his pawne by thee (or in thy custody) Maimony in Lender and Borrower, c. 3. s. 5.

Vers. 13. when the Sun] or, as the Greeke trans∣lateth, [unspec 13] about the going downe of the Sunne: in Exod. 22. 26. it is said, before the Sunne goeth downe; see the Annotations there, where is shewed, that every pawne is to bee restored when the poore man hath need of it, by night or by day. If the pawne must thus be restored when he hath need, what booteth it to take the pawne? The Hebrewes answer, that by this meanes the debt is not released in the seventh yeere, (which the Law biddeth, Deut. 15. 1, 2, 3.) and if the borrower die, his moveables are not made his childrens, but paiment is made by the pawne after his death. Maimony ibid. chap. 3. sect. 5. ju∣stice] in Greeke, almes, a worke of mercy, which God will reward: as on the contrary in v. 15. he saith, it bee in thee a sinne, that is, an iniquity which God will punish.

Vers. 14. not fraudulently oppresse] or, not defraud: [unspec 14] the Greeke translateth, Thou shalt not fraudulently keepe backe the hire of the poore, &c. which word the Apostle useth in like ••ase, saying, Behold the hire of the labourers, &c. which is by you fraudulently kept backe, crieth, &c. Iam. 5. 4. and among the o∣ther weighty lawes, our Saviour nameth this for one, in Mark. 10. 19. See also Levit. 19. 13. thy gates] that is, as the Greeke and Chaldee trans∣late, thy cities.

Vers. 15. In his day] in Greeke, The same day, [unspec 15] Day, is used for all time. his hire] or, his wages, whether for his owne labour, or for his beasts, or other things. So the Hebrewes explaine it, Whe∣ther it bee the hire of man, or the hire of beasts, or the hire of instruments, hee is bound to give it in his time: and if hee keepe it after the time, he transgres∣seth against a prohibition. Maimony tom. 4. treat. of Hiring; chap. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. sect. 1. not goe downe upon it] in Lev. 19. 13. it is said, it shall not abide all night with thee; which two the Hebrewes unfold thus; What is the time (or day) of him that is hired? He that is hired for a day, (his hire) is due all that nights & of him it is said (in Lev. 19. 13.) it shall not abide all night with thee untill the morning: & he that is hi∣red for a night, it is due all the day; and of him it is said, In his day thou shalt give his hire, (Deut. 24. 15.) And he that is hired for houres of the day, it is due all the day; if for houres of the night, it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all

the night. He that is hired for a week, or for a moneth, or for a yeere, or for seven, if (the terme) goe out by day, it is due all that day; if it goe out by night, it is due all that night. Maimony ibidem, chap. 11. sect. 2. lifteth up his soule] that is, hopeth for and de∣sireth it for the maintenance of his life. So the Greeke here translateth, hee hath hope; and in Ier. 22. 27. and 44. 14. the lifting up of the soule sig∣nifieth a desire: and the soule is often put for the life. Hereupon the Hebrewes say; Whosoever with-holdeth: the hirelings wage, is as if hee tooke away his soule (or life) from him; for it is written, unto it hee lifteth up his soule: and he transgresseth against foure prohibitions, and one commandement; against, Thou shalt not fraudulently oppresse; and against, Thou shalt not rob; and against, The hirelings worke (or wage) shall not abide all night with thee; and against, The sunne shall not goe downe upon it; and, In his day thou shalt give his hire. Maimony treat. of Hiring, ch. 11. sect. 2. a sinne] that is, a great iniquity which God will punish: for though he cry not, yet is it a sinne; but the cry of the poore hasteth Gods judgement; as on the contrary, the blessing of the poore procureth a good reward from the Lord, vers. 13. According to this phrase it is said, The wicked thought of foolishnesse (that is, of the foole) is sinne, Prov. 24. 9. that is, damnable, and to be pu∣nished of God. So in Iam. 4. 17. Ioh. 15. 22, 24. and 9. 41. And in 1 King. 1. 21. I and my sonne So∣lomon shall be sinners, that is, punished as malefa∣ctors. Accordingly God threatneth to come neere to them in judgment, and to bee a swift witnesse a∣gainst those that fraudulently oppresse the hireling in his wages, Mal. 3. 5.

Vers. 16. for the children] Hebr. for the sonnes. [unspec 16] This law concerneth the Magistrates, who should not kill the children for the parents, or parents for the children, no not in case of treason, as K. Ama∣ziah slew his servants which had slaine the king his father, but the sonnes of them that slew him he put not to death, according to this law of Moses, 2 Kin. 14. 5, 6. 2 Chron. 25. 4. And God himselfe pro∣fesseth so to deale, saying, The sonne shall not beare the iniquity (that is, the punishment) of the father, neither shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne, &c. the wickednesse of the wicked shall bee upon him, Ezek. 18. 20. The Chaldee Paraphrast here trans∣lateth, by the mouth of the sons; and so after, by the mouth of the fathers; meaning that they should not die by their testimony. And so the Hebrewes ga∣ther from this Law, saying, Neere kinsfolke are not fit to be witnesses by the Law, as it is written, The fa∣thers shall not be put to death for the sonnes, &c. Wee have beene taught, that in this generall prohibition is comprised, that the fathers be not put to death by the 〈…〉〈…〉th of the sonnes, nor the sonnes by the mouth of the fathers; and the same right is for other neere a kin. Maimony tom. 4. treat. of witnesses. c. 13. s. 1. But the first interpretation is most proper and certaine. not be put to death] so it is also alleaged in 2 Kin. 14. 6. but in 2 Chron. 25. 4. it is, they shall not die. The one openeth the other; and to die, is often u∣sed for, to be put to death, as Num. 35. 12. 30. Deut. 17. 1••. and 18. 20. and 22. 22. 25. in his sin] and for his sinne; for so the Hebrew in often noteth the cause: see Deut. 9. 4.

Vers. 17. not wrest] or, not pervent, decline, or [unspec 17] turne a side. This is forbidden in all judgment gene∣rally, Exod. 23. 2. Deut. 16. 19. specially concer∣ning the posre, Exod. 23. 6. more specially here concerning the stranger and fatherlesse: against such as thus wrest judgment, the Lord will come neere to judgment, and be a swift witnesse against them, Mal. 3. 5. The Hebrewes say, Whosoever wresteth the judgment of any one of Israel, transgresseth a∣gainst one prohibition, viz. Yee shall not doe unrigh∣teousnesse in judgment, Levit. 19. 15. And if it bee of a stranger, hee transgresseth against two prohibiti∣ons, Deut. 24. 17. and if it be of the fatherlesse, hee transgresseth against three prohibitions, Deut. 24. 17. Maimony in Sanhedrin, chap. 20. sect. 12. nor of the fatherlesse] the word nor, or and, is suppli∣ed also by the Greeke version, and so is often to be understood, as two three Eunuchs, 2 King. 9. 32. for two or three, so, to morrow, the third day, for, or the third day, 1 Sam. 20. 12. Like a Crane, a Swallow, that is, or a Swallow, Esay 38. 14. and sundry the like. The holy Ghost sometime suppli∣eth the defect, as is noted on Exod. 22. 30. In the Greeke here is added, and of the widow: so in Deut. 27. 19. Cursed be hee that wresteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherlesse, and widow; and all the peo∣ple shall say, Amen. garment of the widow] or any other thing of hers that she hath need of: the gar∣ment is named but for an instance; as in Iob 24. 3. there is mentioned the widows ox••. The Hebrews have this generall canon; A widow, whether she bee poore or rich, they may take no pawne of her, neither at the time when they lend unto her, nor at any other time, neither by the commandement of the Synedrion, Deut. 24. 17. and if any take her pledge, they force him to restore it. If the pawne be lost or burnt before he restore it, he is to be beaten. Maimony treat. of the Lender and Borrower, chap. 3. sect. 1.

Vers. 19. reapest thine harvest] This is an addition [unspec 19] to the Law in Lev. 19. 9. there, a corner of the field, and the gleanings were commanded to be left for the poore; and here the forgotten sheafe. These three were due to the poore out of every corne-field in Israel. And the Hebrewes say, this law of the for∣gotten sheafe extended also to the vineyard, and other fruit trees, where whatsoever was forgotten, might not bee taken againe by the owner: see the Annotations on Levit. 19. 10. hast forgot] This the Hebrewes understand as spoken both to the owner, and to his labourers; that it is not a for∣gotten sheafe till all have forgotten it. But so as that ••hey all be in the field; for if the owner bee in the citie, and speaketh of the sheafe in the field, which hee thinketh his workmen will forget, and they doe forget it, this (notwithstanding his remem∣brance of it) is a forgotten sheafe. Two sheafes a∣sunder one from another are (counted as) forgot∣ten; but three (or moe) are not. So for other things; as two vines, or other trees, standing asunder one from another, are as forgotten, but not moe. A tree that is forgotten among the trees, though it have many peckes of fruit upon it, yet is counted as

forgotten. Finally, among many other like cau∣tions, they say; What is forgotten among the sheaves? All that hee cannot stretch out his hand and take it: [that is, if it bee further than hee can reach from the place where hee standeth.] Maimony tom. 3. in Mattanoth gnanijim, chap. 5. And as it is for the sheaves, so for the stan∣ding corne: if a man forget-some of the standing corne, and reape it not, it is for the poore. Maimony ibid. chap. 1. sect. 6. for the stranger] in Greeke, the proselyte, one joyned to the Church of Israel: to such these gifts peculiarly belonged, and to o∣ther poore: see the Annotations on Levit. 19. 10. And as forgetting often signifieth a neglect, or pas∣sing over of a thing, so in this case: and a man might purposely passe over a sheafe and leave it as forgotten, for the poore, as Boaz did for the stran∣ger Ruth, saying to his harvest-men, Let fall some of the sheaves for her, and let it lie that shee may ga∣ther it up, Ruth 2. 16. Or, if a man did it not purposely, but unawares, yet was hee to consider herein the providence of God, which caused him to forget or passe over a sheafe, for the poores sake: for as the Ostrich is said to forget her egges which shee leaveth in the earth, because God hath depri∣ved her of wisdome, &c. Iob 39. 15, 17. so in this case of the sheafe, that the poore also might have occasion to minde the providence and love of God towards them, in this releefe. in all the worke] or, in every worke; the Greeke saith, in all the workes. This promise of blessing is to encourage them in well doing, for which they should not lose their reward: for that which is done unto poore Christians, is done unto Christ himselfe, Matth. 25. 40. and, Hee that is grati∣ous unto the poore, lendeth unto the LORD; and that which hee hath given will bee pay him againe, Prov. 19. 17. So Boaz for his kindnesse unto Ruth, (whom afterwards hee tooke to wife) had a sonne of her (as a blessing of God) Obed, the grandfather of David the King, Ruth 4.

Vers. 20. beatest] that is, as the Greeke transla∣teth, [unspec 20] gatherest the olives. The same is to be under∣stood of all other trees of fruit which they gathe∣red. not goe over the boughs] in Greeke, thou shalt not returne to gather the (olives) after thee: in Chaldee, thou shalt not take away after thee. It is the same law for trees, which was before for corne, that what was forgotten or past over at first, should not after be gathered, but left for the poore. As that which is forgotten in the revenues of the field, and the like, so that which is forgotten in all trees (is for the poore) as Deut. 24. 20. When thou beatest thine olive tree, &c. And the same law is for other trees. So there are two gifts for the poore from the trees, that which is forgotten, and the corner, Levit. 19. Maimony in Mattanoth gnanijim, chap. 1. sect. 6, 7.

Vers. 21. not gather the single grapes] or, not gleane, and properly the grapes which grow not [unspec 21] in clusters, as is noted on Levit. 19. 10. which law is here repeated: and by saying, after thee, hee seemeth to teach the same for the vine, which hee taught for the corne and other trees, that all forgot∣ten grapes should bee for the poore. So the He∣brewes observe, that there are foure gifts for the poore in the vineyard; the grapes that are broken off, and the single grapes, and the corner, and that which is forgotten. Maim. in Mattanoth gnan. ch. 1. s. 7.