Deuteronomy 25

Deuteronomy 25:2

BEaten] When the crime deserveth not death.

Deuteronomy 25:3

vile] As if he were rather a slave then a brother, or rather a beast then a man; and by use of extreme tyranny in this kind mens hearts might be hardened in cruell contempt of those whom they should love and esteeme, hating the sinne, and not hurting the sinner, but so as may tend to his greater good. Or, he might become vile by extremitie of paine falling downe to the ground as halfe dead, or by loosing the ligaments of the retentive facultie.

Deuteronomy 25:4

treadeth out] There were many waies to bring the graine out of the eare of Corn, as threshing Instruments, 2 Sam. 24. ver. 22. beating with a staffe, bringing the wheele over the eare, Isa. 28. vers. 27, 28. and here by treading of the oxe, (which was in use not onely with the Jewes, Hose. 10. 11. but with Romanes, Greeks, and other Nations, Varro de re Rustica, 50: 1. 100: 12. Columella de re Rustica 50: 2. 100: 21.) who while he was laboured was not to have his mouth muzzled, but might feed himselfe while he prepared food for man; and had as much liberty to his meat, as his Master had authoritie over his worke. Saint Paul applies this to the maintenance of the labourers in the Gospel: See 1 Cor. 9. vers. 9.

Deuteronomy 25:5

her husbands brother] Or next kinsman, for the Hebrew word Jabham, signifieth not onely a naturall brother, but also a kinsman; so it may be that it is not meant that the naturall brother should marry his brothers wife, but some other of the kindred, who was in that degree which might marry: yet it may be a naturall brother, as Onan was to Er: See Annot. on Gen. 38. vers. 8. and if there were many brothers, this rule was, when as one died, successively to be observed by the surviving brother; but this was to have place onely where the brother died altogether childlesse; for if he had no sonne, but a daughter, there was another rule to be observed for continuation of the name and family of the deceased, Num. 36. vers. 2, 3. so that besides the case of extreme necessitie when the brother died altogether childlesse, the Negative precept, Leviticus 18:16. & Leviticus 20:21. stood in force.

Deuteronomy 25:6

in the name] That is, in the stead, for it was not necessary that the name of the first husband should be put upon the sonne of the second; for the sonne of Boaz by Ruth was not called Mahlon the name of her first husband, but Obed. See Ruth 4. vers. 10, &c.

Deuteronomy 25:9

loose his shooe] Loosing of the shooe and giving it, Ruth 4. 7, 8. was a ceremonie of alienation of land, whereby the seller resigning up his land to the buyer made tender of his shooe: signyfying that not he but the buyer had the right to tread on that ground from that time forward. In this ase the like ceremony was used but with another intimation, which was to keepe a memoriall of contempt to the unkind brother who was held as worthy to goe barefoot, in that he would not uphold the name of, and raise up seed unto his brother.

spit on his face] Or, on the ground before him, as in contempt and defiance of him.

that will not build up] By raising him issue to uphold his family. See Annot. on Exodus 1. vers. 21.

Deuteronomy 25:12

cut off her hand] Because by such an act she may maime the man, and utterly disable him from being a father; and because she sheweth her selfe to be a very impudent woman, and it is an horrible thing to see a woman past shame.

Deuteronomy 25:13

a great and a small] For deceitfull bargainings to buy by the great weight, and to sell by the small; see Proverbs 20:10.

Deuteronomy 25:18

and smote the hindmost] This belongeth to the story of the warre of the Amalekites against the Israelites, Exod. 17. yet there this particular is not mentioned, the wisdome of the Holy Ghost holding it fittest to be mentioned in this place; the like is observed of other passages before.

Deuteronomy 25:19

blot out the remembrance] This was partly accomplished by Saul about foure hundred and fiftie yeares afterward, 1 Sam. 15. vers. 2, 3. and further pursued by the Simeonites in Hezekiahs dayes, 1 Chron. 4. 42. and yet further when Queen Esther prevailed against Haman and his ten sonnes, Esth. 7. 10. & 9. 12, 13. who were slips of that corrupt and accursed stock of Amalek.