Chapter commentary
Deuteronomy Chapter 16
서론
Untitled
繁體中文
English original
In this chapter we have, I. A repetition of the laws concerning the three yearly feasts; in particular, that of the passover, De 16:1-8. That of pentecost, De 16:9-12. That of tabernacles, De 16:13-15. And the general law concerning the people's attendance on them, De 16:16,17. II. The institution of an inferior magistracy, and general rules of justice given to those that were called into office, De 16:18-20. III. A caveat against groves and images, De 16:21,22.
1-22
Yearly Release (1451 BC)
繁體中文
每年的節期（主前1451年）
¹ 你要注意亞筆月，向耶和華─你的神守逾越節；因為耶和華─你的神在亞筆月夜間領你出了埃及。 ² 你當在耶和華所選擇要立為他名的居所，從牛群羊群中，將逾越節的祭牲獻給耶和華─你的神。 ³ 你吃這祭牲，七日不可吃有酵的餅；與之同吃的，就是困苦餅——你本是急忙出了埃及地——好叫你一生一世記念你從埃及地出來的日子。 ⁴ 在你四境之內，七日不可見有酵的餅；頭一日晚上所獻的肉，一點也不可留到早晨。 ⁵ 在耶和華─你神所賜你的各城中，你不可獻逾越節的祭； ⁶ 只當在耶和華─你神所選擇要立為他名的居所，到了晚上日落的時候——你出埃及的時候——獻逾越節的祭牲。 ⁷ 當在耶和華─你神所選擇的地方，把肉烤了吃；到了早晨，你要回到自己的帳棚去。 ⁸ 你要吃無酵餅六日，第七日要向耶和華─你的神守嚴肅會；其中不可作甚麼工。 ⁹ 你要為自己數算七七的數目：從你開始收割莊稼、把鐮刀放在穀上的時候起，算起這七七。 ¹⁰ 你要照耶和華─你神所賜你的福，手裏拿著甘心祭，向耶和華─你的神守七七節。 ¹¹ 你和你的兒女、僕婢、並你城裏寄居的利未人，以及在你們中間的孤兒寡婦，都要在耶和華─你神所選擇立為他名的居所，在耶和華─你的神面前歡樂。 ¹² 你也要記念你在埃及作過奴僕；你要謹守遵行這些律例。 ¹³ 你收藏了禾場的穀、酒醡的酒之後，要守棚節七日。 ¹⁴ 守節的時候，你和你的兒女、僕婢、並你城裏寄居的利未人，以及孤兒寡婦，都要歡樂。 ¹⁵ 在耶和華所選擇的地方，你當向耶和華─你的神守節七日；因為耶和華─你的神在你一切的出產上和你手裏所辦的事上，要賜福與你，你就非常地歡樂。 ¹⁶ 你一切的男丁，要在除酵節、七七節、住棚節，一年三次，在耶和華所選擇的地方朝見他；卻不可空手朝見耶和華。 ¹⁷ 各人要按自己的力量，照耶和華─你神所賜的福，奉獻禮物。
神與他百姓以色列之間許多的相交，是藉著一年三次的節期來維持的；國中信仰的表象也藉此得以保存。關於這些節期的設立和有關的律例，我們已多次遇見；此處再次重述。
一、逾越節的律法。這是一項極大的盛典，使它所在的那個月份的中旬也成為重要：要注意亞筆月（申 16:1）。雖然這月只有一個星期當作節期守，但他們之前的預備必須如此鄭重，之後對它的回想和從中所得的教訓又必須如此認真，以致可算為守全月。亞筆月，或如亞蘭文意譯所稱的新果之月，相當於我們的三月（或部分三月和部分四月），因神特別的命令，為記念以色列人出埃及，成了他們年的起頭（出 12:2）——從前是從九月起算的。他們要在這月守逾越節，為記念他們夜間被領出埃及（申 16:1）。亞蘭文意譯者解為「因為他們是在白日出埃及的」，因為有明確的命令他們不可在天亮之前出門（出 12:22）。其中一位如此解：「他領你出埃及，並在夜間行了奇事。」另一位則說：「你要在夜間吃逾越節的祭。」關於逾越節的律例是：1. 他們務要在神所揀選的地方獻逾越節祭（申 16:2），不可在別處獻（申 16:5–7）。逾越節本身就是祭；所以基督作我們的逾越節，被說成為我們被殺獻祭了（林前 5:7），並且在七日的節期內還獻上許多別的祭（民 28:19 等），這些都包含在此處，因為經上說是從牛群羊群中獻的，而逾越節本身只用羊群中的——或是羊羔，或是山羊羔：如今除了使祭物成聖的壇之外，沒有別的祭蒙悅納；所以他們必須上到壇的所在，因為雖然逾越節的羊羔全歸主人吃，卻必須在院內宰殺，灑血，並把內臟在壇上焚燒。把他們局限於所定的規矩之內，是因為若許他們在各城門內獻這些祭，他們便容易偏離，引入自己愚蠢的發明，又脫離了祭司的監督。他們也藉此被引導，在盛典之中舉目仰望神，並心中記念他名的渴望——因為他們被指定到他所揀選立他名的地方去朝見（申 16:2、6）。但盛典結束之後，他們可以轉身回到自己的帳棚（申 16:7）。有人以為他們若願意，可以在逾越節羊羔被殺被吃的次日清早便回去，因為祭司和利未人足以擔當那一週餘下的事；但七日的頭一日絕非他們散去之日，反而明確被指定為聖會（利 23:7，民 28:18）；所以我們必須照約拿單的意譯所解：在節期結束後的清早，你可以回自己的城邑去。 而守全週在一起，乃是當時的實行（代下 35:17）。2. 他們要吃無酵餅七日，四境之內不可見有酵的餅（申 16:3–4、8）。他們被限制所當吃的餅，此處稱為困苦餅，因為既不合口味，又不易消化，所以適合表明他們在為奴之時心靈的沉重，並記念他們出來時的匆忙——當時情形如此緊急，連所帶的餅等不及發酵便得起行。猶太作者告訴我們，逾越節晚餐的慣例是：家主擘開這無酵餅，分給各人一片，說：這是（即這表明、代表或記念——這就解釋了我們救主所說的：這是我的身體）你們列祖在埃及地所吃的困苦餅。 使徒把這無酵餅之節的福音意義告訴我們（林前 5:7）。基督我們的逾越節既已為我們被殺獻祭了，我們既已在他這祭物中有分、得著安慰，就當守這節——過聖潔的生活，脫離對弟兄的惡毒的酵和對神的假冒為善之酵，並以真誠和愛心的無酵餅來守。末了，關於逾越節當注意其設立的目的：「好叫你一生一世記念你從埃及出來的日子」——不僅在逾越節那日，或在七日節期之內，而是在你一生的日子（申 16:3），作為常常促使你順服的動力。萬有都是為你們的——我們也是這樣在某定時候記念基督的死，好使我們在一切時候都記念它，作為我們向那為我們死而復活者活著的理由。
二、逾越節之後七週，要守七七節（五旬節）。關於這節，此處指示他們：1. 從何時算七七——從你開始把鐮刀放在穀上的時候起（申 16:9），就是從除酵節頭一日次日起算；因為那日（雖然百姓大概要到節期結束纔開始收割）要差人割一把大麥，獻給神作為初熟之物（利 23:10）。有人以為這暗示神對他們的地在氣候方面所有特別的看顧，使他們的收割常常成熟，及時可割。2. 如何守這節。（1）他們必須向神獻供物（申 16:10）。此處稱為甘心祭。這是作為他們的主權主和業主——他們一切所有的都在他之下持守——所當納的貢物而要求的；但又因為律法並未定數額，而是任各人隨意奉獻，凡他所獻的必須甘心，所以稱為甘心祭。這是為著如今已完畢的五穀收割之恩慈向神感恩的承認，所以必須照神所賜的福而獻。神在何處厚賜，也期望在何處厚收。（2）他們必須在神面前歡樂（申 16:11）。聖潔的喜樂乃是感恩頌讚的心與靈魂，而頌讚就是聖潔喜樂的言語和表達。他們必須在從神所領受的恩中歡樂，也在他們事奉和獻祭的回報中歡樂；我們的本分必須成為我們的喜樂，正如我們的享受一般。他們必須連僕人也與他們同樂，「因為要記念（申 16:12）你曾作過奴僕，若你的督工肯給你一些時間和歡樂的理由，你便十分感恩了；你的神既領你出來守節歡樂，所以你待僕人要和悅，使他們安逸。」而看來那句通用的話——你要謹守遵行這些律例——在此特別加上的緣故，是因為這節是為記念他們出埃及後五十日、在西奈山頒賜律法而守的；我們向神表示感恩，感謝他賜律法給我們的恩，最好的方式莫過於照著律法的誡命謹守遵行。
三、他們要守住棚節（申 16:13–15）。此處沒有重複論到這節所當獻的大量祭物的律法（這在民 29:12 等已詳述），因為這些祭物的事屬於祭司和利未人，他們不如百姓那樣需要重述；又因為這事奉中屬靈的部分——即聖潔的喜樂——最蒙神喜悅，且是福音生活當長久盡的本分，而這節正是其預表。當注意此處對此的重視：守節的時候你要歡樂（申 16:14），因為耶和華要賜福與你，你就非常地歡樂（申 16:15）。注意：1. 神的旨意是要他的百姓作喜樂的百姓。在律法之下的人既要在神面前歡樂，何況我們在福音恩典之下的人，更是如此——恩典不但使我們在節期中歡樂成為本分，更使我們常常喜樂，靠主常常喜樂。2. 當我們自己在神裏歡樂之時，我們當盡力幫助別人也在他裏面歡樂——藉著安慰哀哭的人、供給缺乏的人，使寄居的、孤兒和寡婦也能與我們同樂。參伯 29:13。3. 我們當在神裏歡樂，不僅因我們已從他那裏領受並每日仍領受的，更因他所應許、我們盼望將來再從他那裏領受的：因為他要賜福與你，所以你們要歡樂。以神為樂的人可以在指望中喜樂，因為那應許我們的是信實的。
四、關於這三個嚴肅節期的律例在此總結（申 16:16–17），如從前一樣（出 23:16，34:23）。關於這些的總命令是：1. 一切男丁那時必須親自到神面前朝見，藉著他們常常聚集、在同一地點、按同一規矩敬拜神，得以保持對那在他們中間設立之聖潔信仰的忠誠和恒久。2. 誰也不可空手朝見神，每人必須帶這樣或那樣的供物，作為倚靠神和向神感恩的記號。神的要求並非不合理；只要各人按著力量奉獻，不再多求。這仍是今日施捨的法則（林前 16:2）。盡力奉獻的必蒙悅納，而奉獻過於力量的，倒算為配受雙倍的尊榮（林後 8:3），正如那窮寡婦獻上一切養生的（路 21:4）。
¹⁸ 你要在耶和華─你神所賜你的各城、各支派中，設立審判官和官長；他們必按公義的審判審判百姓。 ¹⁹ 不可屈枉正直；不可看人的外貌；也不可受賄賂；因為賄賂能叫智慧人的眼變瞎，又能顛倒義人的話。 ²⁰ 你要追求至公至義，好叫你存活，得以承受耶和華─你神所賜你的地。 ²¹ 你為耶和華─你的神築壇，不可在壇旁栽種各樣的樹木作為木偶。 ²² 也不可為自己設立柱像，這是耶和華─你神所恨惡的。
此處記的是：一、關心在他們中間公正地施行審判，使爭端得以斷定、糾紛得以調解、受屈的得著伸冤、害人的受懲罰。他們在曠野紮營之時，是按著人數有審判官和官長的——千夫長、百夫長（出 18:25 [譯註：原文作 Ex 17:25 乃筆誤]）。到了迦南，就要按著他們的城邑設立——在各城門口，因為審判的法庭是坐在城門口的。如今：1. 此處給這些下級官長一項委任：「你要設立審判官——為審問和宣判，並官長——為執行他們的判語。」無論這些人如何被選出——或由君王提名，或由百姓選舉——權柄都是出於神的（羅 13:1）。神這樣把公義帶到他們家門口，對百姓乃是極大的恩惠，使審判更迅速、更省費，這福分是我們這國家的人理當大大感恩的。按照這條律法，除了在聖所坐堂的大公會——由七十位長老和一位主席組成——之外，在較大的城邑，凡有一百二十家以上的，設有二十三位法官的法庭，較小的城邑則設三位法官的法庭。這條律法後來被約沙法恢復（代下 19:5、8）。2. 此處命令這些官長在執行所託之事時要行公義。與其不按公義的審判來審判，倒不如完全不審判——當照律法的指引和事實的證據。（1）此處警戒審判官不可向任何人行不義（申 16:19），也不可受任何賄賂，因為賄賂會引誘他們行不義。這條律法從前已頒佈過（出 23:8）。（2）又囑咐他們要向眾人行公義：「你要追求至公至義」（申 16:20）。當持守公義的原則，照公義的法則而行，支持公義的要求，效法公義的榜樣，並決心追求那顯為公義的事。公義、公義，你要追求。 這正是審判官當注目之處，他必須專心致志，為此而犧牲一切私情——向眾人行義，不向任何人行惡。
二、關心防止一切效法異邦拜偶像之風俗的事（申 16:21–22）。他們不但不可與拜偶像的人在他們的敬拜上有分——不可到他們的樹叢去，也不可在他們所立的像前下拜——而且：1. 他們不可在神的壇旁栽種樹叢，連一棵樹也不可，免得使那壇看起來像假神的壇。他們以樹叢作為敬拜之處，或是為使敬拜隱秘（但真實良善的事倒是情願顯明出來），或是為使敬拜莊嚴；但敬拜真神這件事本身已有足夠使之莊嚴的內涵，不需要這樣的妝飾。2. 他們不可為尊榮神而立任何形像、雕像或柱像，因為這是耶和華所恨惡的事；再沒有甚麼比用形像來代表並敬拜那位無限永遠之靈的神，更與他相背、更誣衊他，也更敗壞並腐化人心的事了。
English original
Yearly Release (1451 BC)
¹ Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
² Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.
³ Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
⁴ And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.
⁵ Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
⁶ But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
⁷ And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
⁸ Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.
⁹ Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.
¹⁰ And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
¹¹ And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.
¹² And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.
¹³ Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
¹⁴ And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
¹⁵ Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.
¹⁶ Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
¹⁷ Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
Much of the communion between God and his people Israel was kept up, and a face of religion preserved in the nation, by the three yearly feasts, the institution of which, and the laws concerning them, we have several times met with already; and here they are repeated.
I. The law of the passover, so great a solemnity that it made the whole month, in the midst of which it was placed, considerable: Observe the month Abib, De 16:1. Though one week only of this month was to be kept as a festival, yet their preparations before must be so solemn, and their reflections upon it and improvements of it afterwards so serious, as to amount to an observance of the whole month. The month of Abib, or of new fruits, as the Chaldee translates it, answers to our March (or part of March and part of April), and was by a special order from God, in remembrance of the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, made the beginning of their year (Ex 12:2), which before was reckoned to begin in September. This month they were to keep the passover, in remembrance of their being brought out of Egypt by night, De 16:1. The Chaldee paraphrasts expound it, "Because they came out of Egypt by daylight," there being an express order that they should not stir out of their doors till morning, Ex 12:22. One of them expounds it thus: "He brought thee out of Egypt, and did wonders by night." The other, "and thou shalt eat the passover by night." The laws concerning it are, 1. That they must be sure to sacrifice the passover in the place that God should choose (De 16:2), and in no other place, De 16:5-7. The passover was itself a sacrifice; hence Christ, as our passover, is said to be sacrificed for us (1Co 5:7), and many other sacrifices were offered during the seven days of the feast (Nu 28:19, etc.), which are included here, for they are said to be sacrificed of the flock and the herd, whereas the passover itself was only of the flock, either a lamb or a kid: now no sacrifice was accepted but from the altar that sanctified it; it was therefore necessary that they should go up to the place of the altar, for, though the paschal lamb was entirely eaten by the owners, yet it must be killed in the court, the blood sprinkled, and the inwards burned upon the altar. By confining them to the appointed rule, from which they would have been apt to vary, and to introduce foolish inventions of their own, had they been permitted to offer these sacrifices within their own gates, from under the inspection of the priests. They were also hereby directed to have their eye up unto God in the solemnity, and the desire of their hearts towards the remembrance of his name, being appointed to attend where he had chosen to place his name, De 16:2,6. But, when the solemnity was over, they might turn and go unto their tents, De 16:7. Some think that they might, if they pleased, return the very morning after the paschal lamb was killed and eaten, the priests and Levites being sufficient to carry on the rest of the week's work; but the first day of the seven is so far from being the day of their dispersion that it is expressly appointed for a holy convocation (Le 23:7, Nu 28:18); therefore we must take it as Jonathan's paraphrase expounds it, in the morning after the end of the feast thou shalt go to thy cities. And it was the practice to keep together the whole week, 2Ch 35:17. 2. That they must eat unleavened bread for seven days, and no leavened bread must be seen in all their coasts, De 16:3,4,8. The bread they were confined to is here called bread of affliction, because neither grateful to the taste nor easy of digestion, and therefore proper to signify the heaviness of their spirits in their bondage and to keep in remembrance the haste in which they came out, the case being so urgent that they could not stay for the leavening of the bread they took with them for their march. The Jewish writers tell us that the custom at the passover supper was that the master of the family broke this unleavened bread, and gave to every one a piece of it, saying, This is (that is, this signifies, represents, or commemorates, which explains that saying of our Saviour, This is my body) the bread of affliction which your fathers did eat in the land of Egypt. The gospel meaning of this feast of unleavened bread the apostle gives us, 1Co 5:7. Christ our passover being sacrificed for us, and we having participated in the blessed fruits of that sacrifice to our comfort, let us keep the feast in a holy conversation, free from the leaven of malice towards our brethren and hypocrisy towards God, and with the unleavened bread of sincerity and love. Lastly, Observe, concerning the passover, for what end it was instituted: "That thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of Egypt, not only on the day of the passover, or during the seven days of the feast, but all the days of thy life (De 16:3), as a constant inducement to obedience." Thus we celebrate the memorial of Christ's death at certain times, that we may remember it at all times, as a reason why we should live to him that died for us and rose again.
II. Seven weeks after the passover the feast of pentecost was to be observed, concerning which they are here directed, 1. Whence to number their seven weeks, from the time thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn (De 16:9), that is, from the morrow after the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, for on that day (though it is probable the people did not begin their harvest till the feast was ended) messengers were sent to reap a sheaf of barley, which was to be offered to God as the first-fruits, Le 23:10. Some think it implies a particular care which Providence would take of their land with respect to the weather, that their harvest should be always ripe and ready for the sickle just at the same time. 2. How they were to keep this feast. (1.) They must bring an offering unto God, De 16:10. It is here called a tribute of a free-will-offering. It was required of them as a tribute to their Sovereign Lord and owner, under whom they held all they had; and yet because the law did not determine the quantum, but it was left to every man's generosity to bring what he chose, and whatever he brought he must give cheerfully, it is therefore called a free-will offering. It was a grateful acknowledgment of the goodness of God to them in the mercies of these corn-harvests now finished, and therefore must be according as God had blessed them. Where God sows plentifully he expects to reap accordingly. (2.) They must rejoice before God, De 16:11. Holy joy is the heart and soul of thankful praises, which are as the language and expression of holy joy. They must rejoice in their receivings from God, and in their returns of service and sacrifice to him; our duty must be our delight as well as our enjoyments. They must have their very servants to rejoice with them, "for remember (De 16:12) that thou wast a bond-man, and wouldest have been very thankful if thy taskmasters would have given thee some time and cause for rejoicing; and thy God did bring thee out to keep a feast with gladness; therefore be pleasant with thy servants, and make them easy." And, it should seem, those general words, thou shalt observe and do these statutes, are added here for a particular reason, because this feast was kept in remembrance of the giving of the law upon Mount Sinai, fifty days after they came out of Egypt; now the best way of expressing our thankfulness to God for his favour to us in giving us his law is to observe and do according to the precepts of it.
III. They must keep the feast of tabernacles, De 16:13-15. Here is no repetition of the law concerning the sacrifices that were to be offered in great abundance at this feast (which we had at large, Nu 29:12, etc.), because the care of these belonged to the priests and Levites, who had not so much need of a repetition as the people had, and because the spiritual part of the service, which consisted in holy joy, was most pleasing to God, and was to be the perpetual duty of a gospel conversation, of which this feast was typical. Observe what stress is laid upon it here: Thou shalt rejoice in thy feast (De 16:14), and, because the Lord shall bless thee, thou shalt surely rejoice, De 16:15. Note, 1. It is the will of God that his people should be a cheerful people. If those that were under the law must rejoice before God, much more must we that are under the grace of the gospel, which makes it our duty, not only as here to rejoice in our feasts, but to rejoice evermore, to rejoice in the Lord always. 2. When we rejoice in God ourselves we should do what we can to assist others also to rejoice in him, by comforting the mourners and supplying the necessitous, that even the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow may rejoice with us. See Job 29:13. 3. We must rejoice in God, not only because of what we have received and are receiving from him daily, but because of what he has promised, and we expect to receive yet further from him: because he shall bless thee, therefore thou shalt rejoice. Those that make God their joy may rejoice in hope, for he is faithful that has promised.
IV. The laws concerning the three solemn feasts are summed up (De 16:16,17), as often before, Ex 23:16,34:23. The general commands concerning them are, 1. That all the males must then make their personal appearance before God, that by their frequent meeting to worship God, at the same place, and by the same rule, they might be kept faithful and constant to that holy religion which was established among them. 2. That none must appear before God empty, but every man must bring some offering or other, in token of a dependence upon God and gratitude to him. And God was not unreasonable in his demands; let every man but give as he was able, and no more was expected. The same is still the rule of charity, 1Co 16:2. Those that give to their power shall be accepted, but those that give beyond their power are accounted worthy of double honour (2Co 8:3), as the poor widow that gave all she had, Lu 21:4.
¹⁸ Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
¹⁹ Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
²⁰ That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
²¹ Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
²² Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
Here is, I. Care taken for the due administration of justice among them, that controversies might be determined, matters in variance adjusted, the injured redressed, and the injurious punished. While they were encamped in the wilderness, they had judges and officers according to their numbers, rulers of thousands and hundreds, Ex 17:25. When they came to Canaan, they must have them according to their towns and cities, in all their gates; for the courts of judgment sat in the gates. Now, 1. Here is a commission given to these inferior magistrates: "Judges to try and pass sentence, and officers to execute their sentences, shalt thou make thee." However the persons were pitched upon, whether by the nomination of their sovereign or by the election of the people, the power were ordained of God, Ro 13:1. And it was a great mercy to the people thus to have justice brought to their doors, that it might be more expeditious and less expensive, a blessing which we of this nation ought to be very thankful for. Pursuant to this law, besides the great sanhedrim that sat at the sanctuary, consisting of seventy elders and a president, there was in the larger cities, such as had in them above 120 families, a court of twenty-three judges, in the smaller cities a court of three judges. See this law revived by Jehoshaphat, 2Ch 19:5,8. 2. Here is a command given to these magistrates to do justice in the execution of the trust reposed in them. Better not judge at all than not judge with just judgment, according to the direction of the law and the evidence of the fact. (1.) The judges are here cautioned not to do wrong to any (De 16:19), nor to take any gifts, which would tempt them to do wrong. This law had been given before, Ex 23:8. (2.) They are charged to do justice to all: "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, De 16:20. Adhere to the principles of justice, act by the rules of justice, countenance the demands of justice, imitate the patterns of justice, and pursue with resolution that which appears to be just. Justice, justice, shalt thou follow." This is that which the magistrate is to have in his eye, on this he must be intent, and to this all personal regards must be sacrificed, to do right to all and wrong to none.
II. Care taken for the preventing of all conformity to the idolatrous customs of the heathen, De 16:21,22. They must not only not join with the idolaters in their worships, not visit their groves, nor bow before the images which they had set up, but, 1. They must not plant a grove, nor so much as a tree, near God's altar lest they should make it look like the altars of the false gods. They made groves the places of their worship either to make it secret (but that which is true and good desires the light rather), or to make it solemn, but the worship of the true God has enough in itself to make it so and needs not the advantage of such a circumstance. 2. They must not set up any image, statue, or pillar, to the honour of God, for it is a thing which the Lord hates; nothing belies or reproaches him more, or tends more to corrupt and debauch the minds of men, than representing and worshipping by an image that God who is an infinite and eternal Spirit.
本章包含以下內容：一、重申關於一年三次節期的律法；特別是逾越節（申十六1–8）、五旬節（申十六9–12）、住棚節（申十六13–15）；以及百姓當前來守節的一般律法（申十六16–17）。二、設立下級審判官，並向受召任職的人頒賜公正的一般準則（申十六18–20）。三、警告不可設立樹叢和柱像（申十六21–22）。