The Usage of Bondmen.

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man.

ceives back three, this is usury. If one buys wheat for delivery at the market price of 25 denarii a measure, and when it rises to 30 denarii he says to the vendor, "Deliver me the wheat, for I want to sell it and buy wine," and the vendor replies, "I will take the wheat at 30 denarii and give thee wine for it," though he has no wine, this is increase. The "increase" lies in the fact that the vendor has no wine at the time, and that he may possibly lose again by the rise in wine. Accordingly the former is a charge upon money, whilst the latter is on products.

(37) Thou shalt not give him.-This is simply an emphatic repetition of the declaration in the foregoing verse, and favours the ancient distinction between the two terms.

(38) Which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt.-For this appeal to the signal act of redemption from Egypt, see chap. xii. 45.

(39) And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor.- Better, And if thy brother be waxen poor by thee, that is, after supporting his tottering hand, as prescribed in verses 35-38, and making all the charitable efforts to help him, they fail, and he still finds himself in extreme poverty, and unable to obtain a livelihood.

And be sold unto thee.-The voluntary disposal of his own liberty for a money consideration the Israelite could only effect by stress of poverty.

The

Thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.-Under these circumstances he is not to be treated like heathen slaves who are either purchased or captured, and made to do the menial service which these Gentile slaves have to perform. authorities during the second Temple adduce the following as degrading work which the Israelite bondman is not to be put to: He must not attend his master at his bath, nor tie up or undo the latchets of his sandals, &c., &c.

(40) But as an hired servant.-The master is in all respects to treat him as one who disposes of his service for wages for a certain time, and will then be his own master again.

Shall serve thee unto the year of jubile. -Nor could he be kept beyond the year of jubile. This terminated the sale of his services just as it cancelled all the sales of landed property.

(41) And then shall he depart from thee.At the same time that he regains his liberty, and takes

reverts to him.

(42) For they are my servants.-This is a clue to the whole system of Hebrew servitude. These poverty-stricken men, who are driven to sell themselves to their fellow-Israelites, God claims as His servants. God is their Lord as well as their master's Lord. He delivered them both alike from bondage to serve Him. There is, therefore, no difference between bond and free.

They shall not be sold as bondmen-That is, as personal property or chattels. The authorities during the second Temple, however, interpreted this clause to mean that an Israelite is not to be sold by proclamation or in public places, but privately, and in an honourable manner, with all possible consideration for his feelings.

(43) Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour.—The master is forbidden to tyrannise over him as if he were a slave without any rights.

(44) Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen.-Rather, As for thy bondmen and bondmaids which thou must have of the heathen, &c. As the Law forbids the Israelites to have their brethren as bondmen, or employ them in menial work which belongs to the slaves, the Lawgiver anticipates a difficulty which the Hebrews might raise against these enactments. If they are not to be engaged in this work, who then is to do it? Hence the reply in the verse before us.

Of the heathen that are round about you. -These are to be purchased to do the necessary work. The Israelites, however, were restricted to the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Edomites, and the Syrians, who were their neighbours, but were not permitted to buy any slaves from the seven nations who were in the midst of them, and whom they were ordered to destroy (Deut. xx. 16-18).

(45) Moreover of the children of the strangers. -Besides the surrounding nations, the Hebrews are also permitted to obtain their slaves from those strangers who have taken up their abode in the Holy Land. By these strangers the ancient authorities understand

The Usage of Bondmen.

session.

that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your pos(46) And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another

with rigour.

Of Servants.

those who have been permitted to settle down among the Jews on condition that they submit to the seven commandments given to Noah, but have not embraced Judaism. Hence the Chaldee Version translates this

phrase, "the children of uncircumcised strangers."

And they shall be your possession.-These, but not the Hebrews, the masters may hold as their absolute property.

(46) And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children.-That is, they may appropriate them to themselves, as their personal property, which is transmissible as inheritance to posterity with the family land.

They

They shall be your bondmen for ever.— These are not subject to the laws of jubile. remain in perpetual serfdom unless they or their friends redeem them, or their master has maimed any one of them. In case of injury the master is obliged to manumit him (Exod. xxi. 26, 27). The authorities during the second Temple enacted that the master's right, even with regard to this kind of bondmen, is restricted to their labour, but that he has no right to barter with them, to misuse them, or to put them to shame.

Over your brethren ye shall not rule. with_rigour.-In contrast to these heathen bondmen the Jewish bondmen are here designated "brethren." They are co-religionists, who have been reduced to temporary servitude, but who are, nevertheless, fellow-heirs with them in the land of their possession. Hence the greatest consideration was to be shown to them in these adverse circumstances. The authorities during the second Temple have therefore enacted that there must be no difference between the daily food, raiment, and dwelling of the master and his Hebrew slave, and that the master and the servant are alike in these respects.

(47) And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee.-Better, And if the hand of a stranger, and that a sojourner, attain riches by thee, that is, a stranger who has become a sojourner, or who has taken up his abode among the Israelites, and become prosperous by trading. Such a one had only to submit to the seven commandments given to Noah, and hence had not joined the Jewish religion. For this reason the Chaldee Version translates it, And if the hand of an uncircumcised sojourner with thee wax strong."

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And thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor.-Better, and thy brother by him wax poor, that is, the Israelite who traded with him is unfortunate in business, and is reduced to poverty.

And sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee.-Better, and sells himself unto the stranger-sojourner by thee. The two terms as before describe the same person-the stranger who has become a sojourner. Hence the Chaldee Version translates it, "and sells himself to the uncircumcised stranger who is with thee.”

Or to the stock of the stranger's family.That is, the offshoot or descendant of a foreign family. (49) He may be redeemed again. — The law which applies to a heathen who sold himself to a Hebrew is reversed in this case. Whilst the heathen cannot be redeemed, and is to remain a bondman for ever, the Israelite who sells himself to a heathen may be redeemed. Indeed, according to the interpretation which obtained during the second Temple, this passage enjoins it upon his relations and the congregation to redeem him as soon as possible. Hence the ancient Chaldee Version translates it, "his redemption must be effected forthwith."

(49) Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him. That is, any of his relatives are to redeem him, which is not the case when an Israelite sells himself to one of his own nation. Hence the Jewish canons enacted that "if a Hebrew is sold to a stranger, and is unable to redeem himself, his kinsmen must redeem, nay, the Sanhedrin are to compel his kinsmen to redeem him lest he should be lost among the heathen. If his kindred do not redeem him, and if he cannot redeem himself, every man of Israel is commanded to redeem him. But if he is sold to an Israelite his kindred may not redeem him, nor may he borrow money to redeem himself, nor redeem himself by instalments." In accordance with this injunction we find the Jews declare "we after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews which were sold unto the heathen, and will ye even sell your brethren, or shall they be sold unto us?" (Neh. v. 8).

(50-52) And he shall reckon with him.-That is, either the man himself when he is able to redeem himself, or his kindred. The authorities during the second Temple rightly point out that this passage enjoins the Hebrew to treat the heathen master fairly

1

years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. (53) And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and a the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. (54) And if he be not redeemed 1in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. (55) For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

4

picture.

by duly compensating and compounding for the number of years he has still to serve till jubile, and to take no advantage of the idolater.

(53) And as a yearly hired servant shall he be.-Better, As a yearly servant, &c., without the "and," which is not in the original, and is not wanted. That is, as long as he is in service his master must not treat him like a slave, but is to behave to him as if he were simply one who hires out his services from year to year, and who, after a short time, will be his own master again.

And the other shall not rule with rigour over him.-Better, he shall not rule, &c., that is, the heathen master. The words "and the other" are not in the original, and the sense of the passage is quite plain without them.

In thy sight.-The Israelite is here admonished not to be a tacit spectator of the cruel treatment of his brother Israelite by a heathen master, and though he is not to resent in the same way in which the Lawgiver himself resented it (Exod. ii. 11, 12), still he is to remonstrate with the cruel Gentile, and invoke the protection of the powers that be.

(54) If he be not redeemed in these years.— Better, If he be not redeemed by these, that is, by the relations or the means indicated in verses 48 and 49, he is to go out free in the year of jubile. (See verse 41.) The heathen is to submit to the laws of jubile as much as the Hebrew.

(55) For unto me the children of Israel are servants.-See verses 38, 42.

XXVI.

(1) Ye shall make you no idols.-The first two verses of this chapter are still a part of the previous section in the Hebrew original. By separating them from their proper position, and making them begin a new chapter, both the logical sequence and the import of these two verses are greatly obscured. As verses 47-55 legislated for cases where Israelites are driven by extreme poverty to sell themselves to a heathen, and when they may be compelled to continue in this service to the year of jubile, and thus be obliged to witness idolatrous practices, the Lawgiver solemnly repeats the two fundamental precepts of Judaism, which they might be in danger of neglecting, viz., to abstain from idol-worship and to keep the Sabbath, which are two essential commandments of the Decalogue. The same two commandments, but in reverse order, are also joined together in chap. xix. 3, 4.

Idols. For this expression see chap. xix. 4. Nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image.-Better, nor shall ye rear you up

a

Of Idolatry.

CHAPTER XXVI. (1) Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any 34 image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your

God.

(2) Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

(3) If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

a graven image or pillar. Graven image is not only a plastic image of a heathen deity, but a visible or sensuous representation of the God of Israel (Exod. xx. 19, 20; Deut. iv. 15, 16).

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A standing image.-This expression, which only occurs once more in the text of the Authorised Version (Micah v. 13), and four times in the Margin (1 Kings xiv. 23; Jer. xliii. 13; Hosea iii. 4, x. 1), is the rendering of a Hebrew word (matzebah), which is usually and more correctly translated "pillar," or statue " (Gen. xxviii. 18, 22. xxxi. 13, &c.). This was a plain and rude stone without any image engraved on it, and was not unfrequently erected to God himself, but in after-time more especially as a memorial to false deities. (Gen. xxviii. 18, 22, xxxi. 13, xxxv. 14, with Exod. xxiii. 24, xxxiv. 13, &c.)

Neither shall ye set up any image of stone. -The authorities during the second Temple interpreted the words here rendered "images of stone" to denote beholding, or worshipping stones-i.e., stones set in the ground in places of worship upon which the worshippers prostrated themselves to perform their devotions. The stone was therefore a kind of signal, calling the attention of the worshipper to itself, so that he may fall down upon it. With such stones, these authorities assure us, the Temple was paved, since they were perfectly lawful in the sanctuary, but must not be used in worship out of the Temple, or rather, out of the land, as these authorities understood the words "in your land" here to denote. Hence the Chaldee Version paraphrases it, "and a painted stone ye shall not place in your land to prostrate yourselves upon it, but a pavement adorned with figures and pictures ye may put in the floor of your sanctuary, but not to bow down upon it," i.e., in an idolatrous manner. Hence, too, the ancient canon, "in your own land" (i.e., in all other lands) "ye must not prostrate yourselves upon stones, but ye may prostrate yourselves upon the stones in the sanctuary." (2) Ye shall keep my sabbaths. . .-This is exactly the same precept laid down in chap xix. 30, and is here repeated because of the danger of desecrating the Sabbath to which the Israelite is exposed who sells himself to a heathen. The Israelite will effectually guard against idol-worship, by keeping the Sabbath holy, and reverencing God's sanctuary.

(3) If ye walk in my statutes.-We have already remarked that this verse begins the section in the Hebrew and ought to have begun the chapter in English. Having set forth the ceremonial and moral injunctions which are necessary for the development and maintenance of holiness and purity in the commonwealth, the legislator now concludes by showing the happiness which will accrue to the Israelites from a faithful observance of these laws, and the punishments

A Blessing on those

cease.

which await them if they transgress these Divine ordi

nances.

(4) Then I will give you rain in due season. -Better, then I will give you your rains in due season, that is, the former and latter rains (Deut. xi. 14). In Palestine the proper season for the early rain is from about the middle of October until December, thus preparing the ground for receiving the seed, whilst that of the latter or vernal rain is in the months of March and April, just before the harvest. Thus, also, in the covenant which God is to make with His people, a similar promise is made, "I will cause the showers to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing" (Ezek. xxxiv. 26).

(5) And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage. That is, the corn crop shall be so plentiful that those who shall be employed in threshing about the month of March will not complete it before the vintage, which was about the month of July.

The vintage shall reach unto the sowing time. The wine, again, is to be so abundant that those who shall be engaged in gathering and pressing the grapes will not be able to finish before the sowing time again arrives, which is about the month of October. A similar promise is made by Amos: "the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sowed seed" (Amos ix. 13).

(6) And I will give peace.-Not only are they to have rich harvests, but the Lord will grant them peace among themselves, so that they shall be able to retire at night without any anxiety, or fear of robbers (Pss. iii. 5, iv. 8).

I will rid evil beasts out of the land.-The promise to destroy the beasts of prey, which endanger life, and which abounded in Palestine, is also to be found in Ezekiel, where exactly the same words are rendered in the Authorised Version, "And will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land" (Ezek. xxxiv. 25). The two passages should be uniform in the translation.

(7) And ye shall chase your enemies.—If, covetous of their prosperity, the enemies should dare to attack them, God will inspire His people with mar. vellous courage, so that they will not only pursue them, but put them to the sword.

(8) And five of you shall chase an hundred. -This is a proverbial saying, corresponding to our

phrase "A very small number, or a mere handful, shall be more than a match for a whole regiment." The same phrase, with different proportions to the numbers, occurs in other parts of the Bible (Deut. xxxii. 30; Josh. xxiii. 10; Isa. xxx. 17).

(9) For I will have respect unto you.-Better, And I will turn unto you, as it is rendered in the Authorised Version in Ezek. xlvi. 9, the only other passage where this phrase occurs; that is, be merciful to them and bless them. (Comp. 2 Kings xiii. 23; Ps. xxv. 16, lxix. 17, &c.)

And multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.-That is, by multiplying them as the stars of heaven and the sand of the sea, God fulfils the covenant which He made with their fathers (Gen. xii. 2, xiii. 16, xv. 5, xxii. 17; Exod. xxiii. 26).

(10) And ye shall eat old store.-Better, old store which hath become old. Though they will thus multiply, there shall be abundant stores for them, which become old because it will take them so long to consume them.

And bring forth the old because of the new. -Better, and remove the old on account of the new, that is, they will always have such abundant harvests that they will be obliged to remove from the barns and garners the old stock of corn, in order to make room for the new.

(11) And I will set my tabernacle among you.-Better, And I will set my dwelling-place among you. (See chap. xv. 31.) Not only will God bless them with these material blessings, but will permanently abide with them in the sanctuary erected in their midst.

My soul shall not abhor you.-That is, God has no aversion to them; does not regard it below His dignity to sojourn amongst them, and to show them His favour.

(12) And I will walk among you.-This promise is quoted by St. Paul (2 Cor. vi. 16).

(13) I have broken the bands of your yoke. -The promises thus made to the Israelites of the extraordinary fertility of their land, of peace within and immunity from war without, and of the Divine presence constantly sojourning amongst them, if they will faithfully obey the commandments of the Lord, now conclude with the oft-repeated solemn appeal to the obligation they are under to the God who had so marvellously

A Curse on those

who Break the Commandments.

delivered them from cruel bondage and made them His servants. To remind them of the abject state from which they were rescued, the illustration is taken from the way in which oxen are still harnessed in the East. The bands or the rods are straight pieces of wood, which are inserted in the yoke, or laid across the necks of the animals, to fasten together their heads and keep them level with each other. These bands, which are then attached to the pole of the waggon, are not only oppressive, but exhibit the beasts as perfectly helpless to resist the cruel treatment of the driver. This phrase is often used to denote oppression and tyranny (Deut. xxviii. 48; Isa. ix. 3, x. 27, xiv. 25, &c.), but nowhere are the words as like those in the passage before us as in Ezek. xxxiv. 27.

(14) But if ye will not hearken unto me.The glowing promises of blessings for obedience are now followed by a catalogue of calamities of the most appalling nature, which will overtake the Israelites if they disobey the Divine commandments. The first degree of punishment with which this verse begins extends to verse 17.

(15) And if ye shall despise my statutes.From passive indifference to the Divine statutes mentioned in the preceding verse, their falling away is sure to follow. Hence what was at first mere listlessness now develops itself into a contemptuous rejection of God's ordinances.

Or if your soul abhor my judgments.Better, and if your soul, &c., as the picture of their apostasy goes on developing itself.

But that ye break my covenant.-Better, that ye break, &c., without the "but," which is not in the original, and obscures the sense of the passage, since it is the fact of their abhorrence of God's law which breaks the Divine covenant with them. (See Gen. xvii. 14.) The sense is more correctly given by rendering this clause Thus breaking my covenant," or "Thereby breaking my covenant.

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(16) I also will do this unto you.-That is, He will do the same unto them; He will requite them in the same way, and abhor them.

I will even appoint over you terror.—Better, and I will appoint, &c., that is, God will visit them with terrible things, consisting of consumption and burning ague. These two diseases also occur together in Deut. xxviii. 22, the only passage in the Bible where they occur again. The second of the two, however, which is here translated "burning ague" in the Autho rised Version, is, in the Deuteronomy passage, rendered simply by "fever." The two passages ought to be uniformly rendered.

That shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart.-Better, that shall extinguish the eyes, and cause life to waste away. The rendering of

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eat it. (17) And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and 'ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

(18) And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. (19) And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron,

the Authorised Version, 66 consume the eyes," though giving the sense, is misleading, inasmuch as it suggests that the verb "consume "is the same as the disease, consumption " mentioned in the preceding clause. For the phrase "extinguish the eye"-the eye failing see Job xi. 20, xvii. 5, xxxi. 16, &c., and for the whole phrase, comp. Deut. xxviii. 65; 1 Sam. ii. 23.

And ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.-Besides these terrible diseases, the production of the soil, which is necessary for the sustenance of life, and which is to be so abundant and secure against enemies when the Israelites obey the Divine commandments (see verses 4-6), will be carried off by strangers. Similar threatenings in case of disobedience are to be found both in the Pentateuch (Deut. xxviii, 33, 51) and in the prophets (Jer. v. 17). The most striking parallel is the one in Micah, "Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil" (Micah vi. 15). For the reverse state of things, see Isa. lxii. 8, lxv. 22, 23.

(17) And I will set my face against you.That is, make them feel his anger. (See Note on chap. xvii. 10.)

Be slain before your enemies. - Better, be smitten before your enemies, as this phrase is rendered in the Authorised Version (Num. xiv. 42; Deut. i. 42, xxviii. 25).

Shall reign over you.- Better, shall rule over you, as the Authorised Version renders it in Isa. xiv. 2; Ezek. xxix. 15, xxxiv. 4, &c.

(18) And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me.-Better, and if up to these ye will not hearken unto me, that is, if they should persist in their disobedience to the very end of those punishments mentioned in verses 16 and 17. This verse, therefore, introduces the second degree of punishments, which ends with verse 20.

I will punish you seven times more.—That is, indefinitely or unceasingly; many more times. Seven being a complete number is often used to denote thoroughness (see Note on chap. iv. 6), a large or indefinite number. Hence the declaration "He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee" (Job v. 19), and "if he trespass against thee seven times in a day" (Luke xvii. 4), that is, an indefinite number of times. (Comp. also Ps. cxix. 164; Prov. xxiv. 16, &c.)

(19) And I will break the pride of your power. That is, the strength which is the cause of your pride, the wealth which they derive from the abundant harvests mentioned in verses 4 and 5, as is evident from what follows immediately, where the punishment is threatened against the resources of this power or wealth. Comp. Ezek. xxx. 6, xxxiii. 28.) The authorities