our Lord sprang out of Judah, and (as Dr. Lightfoot says) be- stayed the plague. And indeed, the office of the priests and cause of the dignity of the kingdom above the priesthood. The Levites, which engaged their constant attendance, at least in blessing, v. 7, may refer, either, 1. To the whole tribe in gene- their turns, at God's altar, laid them under a necessity of being ral. Moses prays for, and prophesies, the great prosperity of frequently absent from their families, which they could not take that tribe. That God would hear his prayers, (see an instance, such care of, nor make such provision for, as other Israelites 2 Chr. 13. 14, 15,) settle him in his lot, prosper him in all might. This was the constant self-denial they submitted to, his affairs, and give him victory over his enemies. It is taken that they might observe God's word, and keep the covenant of for granted, that the tribe of Judah would be both a praying tribe priesthood. Note, Those that are called to minister in holy and an active tribe. "Lord," says Moses, "hear his prayers, things, must sit loose to the relations and interests that are and give success to all his undertakings; let his hands be suffi- dearest to them in this world, and prefer the fulfilling of their cient for him, both in husbandry and in war." The voice of pray- ministry before the gratifying of the best friend they have, Acts er should always be attended with the hand of endeavour, and 21. 13.-20. 24. Our Lord Jesus knew not his mother and his then we may expect prosperity. Or, 2. It may refer in particu- brethren, when they would have taken him off from his work, lar to David, as a type of Christ; that God would hear his prayers, Ps. 20. 1, (and Christ was heard always, John 11. 42,) that he would give him victory over his enemies, and success in his great undertakings. See Ps. 89. 20, &c. And that prayer, that God would bring him to his people, seems to refer to Jacob's prophecies concerning Shiloh, That to him should the gathering of the people be, Gen. 49. 10.

be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, 14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, 16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; let the blessing come upon the

head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

17 His rglory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the norms of lunicorns: with them he shall push 'the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. 18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. 19 They "shall call the people unto the mountain;

8 Ps. 92. 10. a unicorn. t Ps. 44. 5. uls. 2. 3.

desires to improve for the good of this tribe. Many a time God had appeared to Moses, but now that he is just dying, he seems to have the most pleasing remembrance of that, which was that time, when his acquaintance with the visions of the Almighty first began, and his correspondence with heaven was first set

p Gen. 27. 28. * or, thrust. † moons. g Ex. 3. 2, 4. r 1 Chr. 5. 1. ders of this tribe. Jerusalem, the holy city, was in the lot of this tribe, Josh. 18. 28, and though Zion, the city of David, is supposed to belong to Judah, yet mount Moriah, on which the temple was built, was in Benjamin's lot. God is therefore said to dwell between his shoulders, because the temple stood on that mount as the head of a man upon his shoulders. And by thistled; that was a time of love never to be forgotten. It was at means Benjamin was covered all his day long under the protection of the sanctuary, (Ps. 125. 2,) which is often spoken of as a place of refuge, Ps. 27. 4, 5. Neh. 6. 10. Benjamin dwelling by the temple of God dwelt in safety by him. Note, It is a happy thing to be in the neighbourhood of the temple. This situation of Benjamin, it is likely, was the only thing that kept that tribe close with Judah to the divine institutions, when the other ten tribes apostatized. Those have corrupt and wicked hearts indeed, who, the nearer they are to the church are so much the further from God.

the bush that God declared himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and so confirmed the promise made to the fathers, that promise which reached as far as the resurrection of the body and eternal life, as appears by our Saviour's argument from it, Luke 20. 37. So that when he prays for the good will of him that dwelt in the bush, he has an eye to the covenant then and there renewed, on which all our hopes of God's favour must be bottomed. Now he concludes this large blessing with a prayer for the favour and good will of God. [1.] Because that is the fountain and spring-head of all these blessings; they are the gifts of God's good will; they are so to his own people, whatever they are to others. Indeed when Ephraim (a descendant from Joseph) slid back from God, as a backsliding heifer, those fruits of his country were so far from being the gifts of God's good will, that they were intended but to fatten [2.] Because that is the comfort and sweetness of all these blessings; then we have joy of them, when we taste God's good will in them. [3.] Because that is better than all these, infinitely better; for if we have but the favour and good will of God, we are happy, and may be easy in the want of all these things; and may rejoice in the God of our salvation, though the fig-tree do not blossom, and there be no fruit in the vine, Hab. 3. 17, 18.

II. The blessing of Joseph, including both Manasseh and Ephraim. In Jacob's blessing, Gen. 49. that of Joseph is the largest, and so it is here; and from thence Moses here borrows the title he gives to Joseph, v. 16, that he was separated from his brethren, or, as it might be read, a Nazarite among them, both in regard of his piety, wherein it appears, by many in-him for the slaughter, as a lamb in a large place, Hos. 4. 16, 17. stances, he excelled them all; and of his dignity in Egypt, where he was both their ruler and benefactor; his brethren separated him from them by making him a slave, but God distinguished him from them by making him a prince.

Now the blessings here prayed for, and prophesied of, for this tribe, are, great plenty, and great power.

1. Great plenty, v. 13-16. In general, Blessed of the Lord be his land. They were very fruitful countries that fell into the lot of Ephraim and Manasseh, yet Moses prays they might be watered with the blessing of God, which makes rich, and on which all fruitfulness depends.

2. Great power Joseph is here blessed with, v. 17. Here are three instances of this power foretold. (1.) His authority among his brethren. His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, Now, (1.) He enumerates many particulars which he prays or a young bull, which is a stately creature, and therefore formay contribute to the wealth and abundance of those two tribes, merly used as an emblem of royal majesty. Joshua, who was looking up to the Creator for the benefit and serviceableness of to succeed Moses, was of the tribe of Ephraim the son of Joseph, all the inferior creatures, for they are all that to us, which he and his glory was indeed illustrious, and he was an honour to makes them to be. He prays, [1.] For seasonable rains, and his tribe. In Ephraim was the royal city of the ten tribes afterdews, the precious things of heaven; and so precious they are, ward. And of Manasseh were Gideon, Jephthah, and Jair, though but pure water, that without them the fruits of the earth who were all ornaments and blessings to their country. Some would all fail and be cut off. [2.] For plentiful springs, which think he is compared to the firstling of the bullock, because the help to make the earth fruitful, called here the deep that coucheth birthright which Reuben lost, devolved upon Joseph, 1 Chr. 5. beneath; both are the rivers of God, Ps. 65, 9, for he is the 1, 2, and to the firstling of his bullock, because Bashan, which Father of the rain, Job 38. 28, and he made particularly the was in the lot of Manasseh, was famous for bulls and cows, fountains of water, Rev. 14. 7. [3.] For the benign influences Ps. 22. 12. Am. 4. 1. (2.) His force against his enemies and of the heavenly bodies; v. 14, for the precious fruits, (the word victory over them; his horns are like the horn of a unicorn, signifies that which is most excellent, and the best in its kind,) that is, "The forces he shall bring into the field shall be very put forth by the quickening heat of the sun, and the cooling strong and formidable, and with them he shall push the people, moisture of the moon. "Let them have the yearly fruits in that is, "He shall overcome all that stand in his way." It their several months, according to the course of nature, in one appears from the Ephraimites' contests both with Gideon, Judg. month olives, in another dates," &c. So some understand it. 8. 1, and with Jephthah, Judg. 12. 1, that they were a warlike [4.] For the fruitfulness even of their hills and mountains, which tribe and fierce. Yet we find the children of Ephraim, when in other countries used to be barren, v. 15, let them have the they had forsaken the covenant of God, though they were armed, chief things of the ancient mountains; and if the mountains be turning back in the day of battle, Ps. 78. 9, 10; for, though here fruitful, the fruits on them will be first and best ripened. They pronounced strong and bold as unicorns, when God was deare called ancient mountains, not because prior in time to other parted from them, they became as weak as other men. (3.) mountains, but because, like the first-born, they were superior The numbers of his people, in which Ephraim, though the in worth and excellency; and lasting hills, not only because as younger house, exceeded, Jacob having, in the foresight of the other mountains they were unmoveable, Hab. 3. 6, but because same thing, crossed hands, Gen. 48. 19, They are the ten thouthe fruitfulness of them should continue. [5.] For the pro- sands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh. Jonathan's ductions of the lower grounds, v. 16, For the precious things Targum applies it to the ten thousands of Canaanites conquered of the earth. Though the earth itself seems a useless, worth- by Joshua, who was of the tribe of Ephraim, and the thouless lump of matter, yet there are precious things produced out sands of Midianites conquered by Gideon, who was of the tribe of it for the support and comfort of human life, Job 28. 5, Out of Manasseh. And the gloss of the Jerusalem Targum upon of it cometh bread, because out of it came our bodies, and to it the former part of this verse is observable; that "as the firstthey must return. But what are the precious things of the earthlings of the bullock were never to be worked, nor could the unito a soul that came from God, and must return to him? Or, corn ever be tamed, so Joseph should ever continue free; they what is its fulness to the fulness that is in Christ, whence we would have continued free, if they had not by sin sold themreceive grace for grace? Some make these precious things selves." here prayed for to be figures of spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ, the gifts, graces, and comforts of the Spirit.

(2.) He crowns all with the good will, or favourable acceptance of him that dwelt in the bush, v. 16; that is, of God, that God who appeared to Moses in the bush that burned and was not consumed, (Ex. 3. 2,) to give him his commission for the bringing of Israel out of Egypt. Though God's glory appeared there but for a while, yet it is said to dwell there, because it continued as long as there was occasion for it: The good will of the Shechinah in the bush; so it might be read, for Shechinah signifies that which dwelleth: and though it was but a little while a dweller in the bush, yet it continued to dwell with the people of Israel. My dweller in the bush; so it should be rendered: that was an appearance of the Divine Majesty to Moses only, in token of the particular interest he had in God, which he

V. 18-21. Here we have,

I. The blessings of Zebulun and Issachar put together, for they were both the sons of Jacob by Leah, and by their lot in Canaan they were neighbours; it is foretold,

1. That they should both have a comfortable settlement and employment, v. 18. Zebulun must rejoice, for he shall have cause to rejoice; and Moses prays that he may have cause in his going out, either to war, for Zebulun jeoparded their lives in the high places of the field, Judg. 5. 18, or rather to sea, for Zebulun was a haven of ships, Gen. 49. 13. And Issachar must rejoice in his tents, that is, in his business at home, his husbandry, to which the men of that tribe generally confined themselves, because they saw that rest was good, and when the sea was rough, the land was pleasant, Gen. 49. 14, 15. Observe here, (1.) That the providence of God, as it variously appoints

III. The blessing of Asher, v. 24, 25. Four things he prays for and prophesies concerning this tribe, which carries blessed-wishers. Who is like unto thee, O people? Behold thou art ness in its name; for Leah called the father of it Asher, saying, Happy am I, Gen. 30. 13. 1. The increase of their numbers. They are now a numerous tribe, Num. 26. 47. Let it be more so; Let Asher be blessed with children. Note, Children, especially children of the covenant, are blessings, not burdens. 2. Their interest in their neighbours; Let him be acceptable to his brethren. Note, It is a very desirable thing to have the love and good will of those we live among: it is what we should pray to God for, who has all hearts in his hand; and what we should endeavour to gain by meekness and humility, and a readiness as we have ability and opportunity, to do good to all 3. The richness of their land. (1.) Above ground; Let him dip his foot in oil, that is, "Let him have such plenty of it in his lot, that he may not only anoint his head with it, but, if he pleases, wash his feet in it," which was not commonly done; yet we find our blessed Saviour so acceptable to his brethren, that his feet were anointed with the most precious ointmen Luke 7. 46. (2.) Under ground; Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, that is, "Thou shalt have great plenty of these metals, (mes of them) in thine own ground, which by an uncommon blessing shall have both its surface and its bowels rich :" or, if they had them not as the productions of their own country, they should have them imported from abroad; for the lot of this tribe lay on the seacoast. The Chaldee paraphrasts understand it figuratily; "Thou shalt be strong and bright, as iron and brass." 4. The continuance of their strength and Your; As thy days so sh thy strength be. Many paraphrase

28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone:* the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

29 Happy 'art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield "of the help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Having read how Moses finished his testimony, we are told here how he immediately after finished his life. This chapter could not be written by Moses himself, but was added by Joshua or Eleazar, or, as Bishop Patrick conjectures, by

Samuel, who was a prophet, and wrote by divine authority what he found in the

i Jer. 23. 6. Num. 23. 9. Ps. 144. 15. m Ps. 115. 9—11. trust in him, in their greatest straits and distresses, and under their heaviest burdens. The everlasting arms shall support, (1.) The interests of the church in general, that they shall not sink, or be run down; underneath the church is that Rock of ages on which it is built, and against which the gates of hell shall never prevail, Matt. 16. 18. (2.) The spirits of particular believers, so that though they may be oppressed, they shall not be overwhelmed by any trouble. How low soever the people of God are at any time brought, everlasting arms are underneath them to keep the spirit from sinking, from fainting, and the faith from failing, even when they are pressed above measure. The everlasting covenant, and the everlasting consolations that flow from it, are indeed everlasting arms, with which believers have been wonderfully sustained, and kept cheerful in the worst of times; divine grace is sufficient for them, 2 Cor. 12.9.

records of Joshua, and his successors the Judges. We have had an account of his dying words, here we have an account of his dying work, and that is work we must all do shortly, and it had need be well done. Here is, 1. The view Moses had of the land of Canaan just before he died, v. 1-4. II. His death and burial, v. 5, 6. III. His age, v. 7. IV. Israel's mourning for him, v. 8. V. His suc cessor, v. 9. VI. His character, v. 10-12.

A unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,

ND Moses went the of

2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,

3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto Zoar.

n Rev. 1. 16. or, subdued. or, the hill.

6. Never was people so well helped; if they were in,. strait, God himself rode upon the heavens for their help,.re And they were a people saved by the Lord, v. 29. If the an in danger of any harm, or in want of any good, theyhing eternal God to go to, an almighty power to trust toe that could hurt those whom God helped, nor was it po They that people should perish which was saved by the Le saved, that are added to the Gospel Israel, are such as sh Acts 2. 47.

Af was the

7. Never was people so well armed; God hnsively, and shield of their help, by whom they were armed, he was the sufficiently guarded against all assailants ed offensively, Sword of their excellency, by whom they wer heir wars. God and made both formidable and successful inse, in fighting for is called the Sword of their excellency, bror, because in all them, he made them to excel other peojetuary among them, he did for them, he had an eye to hiss. 47. 4. Ez. 28. 21. which is called the excellency of Jache excellency of holiAm. 6. 8. Those in whose heartsand sword, are defended ness, have God himself for their shid is their sword, and faith by the whole armour of God; his in it is their shield, Eph. 6. 16, 17sured of victory over their 8. Never was people so wel unto thee; that is," shall be enemies; They shall be found ainst their will, so that it will forced to submit to thee sor; yet the point shall be gained, be but a counterfeit submis necks," (so the LXX,) which we for thou shalt tread upon thou shalt tread down their strong find done, Josh. 10. 24. gh; and trample upon their palaces holds, be they never somed ever so sacred. If thine enemies and temples, though so some read it,) " thou shalt tread upon be found liars to theeey will not be held by the bonds of leagues their high places; all be broken by the force of war." Thus and treaties, thepeace tread Satan under the feet of all beshall the Godd do it shortly, Rom. 16. 20. lievers, and, this together, and then you will say, Happy art Now layael! Who is like unto thee, O people? Thrice thou, people whose God is the Lord. happy

NOTES TO CHAPTER XXXIV.

.1-4. Here is,

3. Never was people so well commanded and led on to battle; "He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee by his almighty power which will make room for thee, and by a commission which will bear thee out, he shall say, Destroy them." They were now entering upon a land that was in the full possession of a strong and formidable people, and who being its first planters, looked upon themselves as its rightful owners; how shall Israel justify, and how shall they accomplish the expulsion of them? (1.) God will give them a commission to destroy the Canaanites, and that will justify them, and bear them out in it, against all the world. He that is sovereign Lord of all lives and all lands, not only allowed and permitted, but expressly commanded and appointed, the children of Israel both to take possession of the land of Canaan, and to put to the sword the people of Canaan, which, being thus authorized, they might not only lawfully but honourably do, without incurring the least stain or imputation of theft by the one, or murder by the other. (2.) God will give them power and ability to destroy them; nay, he will in effect do it to their hands: he will thrust out the enemy from before them; for the very fear of Israel shall put them to flight. God drove out the heathen to plant his people, Ps. 44. 2. Thus believers are more than conquerors over their spiritual enemies, through Christ that loved them. The Captain of our salvation thrust out the enemy from before 1. Moses climbing upward toward heaven, as high as the us, when he overcame the world, and spoiled principalities lop of Pisgah, there to die; for that was the place appointed, and powers on the cross: and the word of command to us is ch. 32. 49, 50. Israel lay encamped upon the flat grounds in "Destroy them; pursue the victory, and you shall divide 1" the plains of Moab, and from thence he went up, according to spoil." 28, order, to the mountain of Nebo; to the highest point or ridge 4. Never was people so well secured and protected.in of that mountain, which was called Pisgah, v. 1. Pisgah is an Israel shall then dwell in safety alone. Those that fety; appellative name for all such eminences. It should seem, God, and make his name their strong tower, dwell y 33. 16. Moses went up alone to the top of Pisgah, alone without help the place of their defence is the munitions of rocks; though a sign that his natural force was not abated, when on the last They shall dwell in safety alone. (1.) Though hor have any day of his life he could walk up to the top of a high hill without they contract no alliances with their neighbourhem, yet they such supporters as once he had when his hands were heavy reason to expect help or succour from any fe, and they shall (Ex. 17. 12,) alone without company; when he had made an end shall dwell in safety; they shall really be think themselves so. (2.) Because ap; they shall dwell in of blessing Israel, we may suppose he solemnly took leave of safety, as long as they continue pure, nunmixed with the hea- Joshua and Eleazar and the rest of his friends, who, probably, then, a singular and peculiar peor Their distinction from brought him to the foot of the hill, but then he gave them such a charge as Abraham gave to his servants, at the foot of another other nations, though it made the like a speckled bird, (Jer. 12. 9,) and exposed them to the ill ill of those about them, yet it was hill; Tarry ye here while I go yonder and die: they must not really their preservation com the mischief their neighbours see him die, because they must not know of his sepulchre. wished them, as it kept nem under the divine protection. All But, whether this were so or not, he went up to the top of that keep close to Gd shall be kept safe by him. It is promised, Pisgah, 1. To show that he was willing to die: when he knew the place of his death, he was so far from avoiding it, that he that, in the kingden of Christ, Israel shall dwell safely, Jer. 23. 6. 5. Never was people so well provided for; the fountain of cheerfully mounted a steep hill to come at it. Note, Those Jacob, that is, the present generation of that people, which is that through grace are well acquainted with another world, and as the fountain to all the streams that shall hereafter descend have been much conversant with it, need not be afraid to leave and be derived from it, shall now presently be fixed upon a good this. 2. To show that he looked upon death as his ascension. land. The eye of Jacob (so it might be read, for the same word The soul of a man, of a good man, when it leaves the body, signifies a fountain and an eye) is upon the land of corn and goes upward, Ec. 3. 21, in conformity to which motion of the wine; that is, where they now lay encamped, they had Canaan soul, the body of Moses shall go along with it as far upward as in their eye, it was just before their faces, on the other side the its earth will carry it. When God's servants are sent for out river, and they would have it in their hands, and under their of the world, the summons runs thus, Go up and die. feet quickly. This land which they had their eye upon, was blessed both with the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven; it was a land of corn and wine, substantial and useful productions: also his heavens (as if the heavens were particularly designed to be blessings to that land) shall drop down dew, without which, though the soil were ever so good, the corn and wine would soon fail. Every Israelite indeed has his eye, the eye of faith, upon the better country, the heavenly Canaan, which is richly replenished with better things than corn and wine.

II. Moses looking downward again toward this earth, to see the earthly Canaan into which he must never enter, but therein by faith looking forward to the heavenly Canaan into which he should now immediately enter. God had threatened that he should not come into the possession of Canaan, and the threatening is fulfilled. But he had also promised that he should have prospect of it, and the promise is here performed; The Lord showed him all that good land, v. 1.

a

1. If he went up alone to the top of Pisgah, yet he was not alone, for the Father was with him, John 16. 32. If a man has