Laws peculiar to Deuteronomy.—Bearing in 'Mud the general purpose and characteristics of this book, we are not surprised to find the lawgiver often quoting his laws inexactly ; sometimes ampli fying their original form (as in Deut. xxiv. so-13, comp. with Exod. xxii. 26, 27 ; and ver. 14, of the same chapter, comp. with Lev. xix. 13), almost more rhetorico ; and at other times simply referring to the code itself in the most compressed manner possible (as in Dent. xxiv. 8 comp. with Lev. xiii., xiv.) But in such cases there is no essential change in the matter of the laws ; and these cases are largely increased by other quota tions in which he does not change even the form of the earlier laws ; so that the Deuteronomic ver sion of the law of Israel is, in a genet al sense at least, an express and authoritative corrobora tion of the original constitution. Other cases, however, undoubtedly exist in which the earlier legislation is altered by the later. Yet it can hardly be thought that in even these a real change has taken place. The change of circumstances from the nomade state of the wilderness to the fixed abode in Canaan, is generally enough to account for the modification (for instance, the law of Lev. xvii. 3-5, is peremptory, and admits of no exception, for it was practicable in the camp of the wilderness ; but, as it would be impracticable in Canaan, it is considerably modified in Deut. xii. t5, 20, 21 ; although even here the principle of the original statute is completely reaffirmed ; comp. Deut. xii. 5, 6, I I, 13, 14, with Lev. xvii. 3, 4, 5). Some twelve or fourteen instances of such modification have been pointed out, but they do not affect the authenticity of the legal docu ments in anywise. The same authority under which the lawgiver acted in making these changes, enabled him still further to adapt his code to his people's wants as permanent residents in Palestine, by the addition of certain new laws.
Xing and Prophet.—The two most remarkable additions occur in chapters xvii. and xviii. The former passage (ver. 14-20) provides for the ap pointment in due time of a king ; and the latter (ver. 9-22) provides for the institution of the pro phetic office. Thus the royal and the prophetic offices were a development of the law of Moses— himself king in JeAmrun," the ruler and de liverer' of Israel (Deut. xxiii. 5 ; Acts vii. 35), and the prince and the type of the goodly fellowship of the prophets' (comp. Deut. xxxiv. so, with xviii. 15). These offices, which were thus cognate in origin, began their formal course together in Samuel and Saul. The holders of them were to be vicegerents of the Theocratic King to administer the laws of the Pentateuch ; but not to assume legislative powers by increasing or diminishing the original code.
Miscellaneous Additions.—Peculiar to Deutero nomy also are the following :—I. The levirate law (xxv. 5-In) ; 2. The law of divorce, which our Lord expounded and restricted afterwards (xxiv. 1-4 ; comp. Matt. xix. 3-9) ; 3. The law about fugitive slaves (xxiii. 15, 16) ; 4. The association of priests with the supreme Judge, as commis sioners for determining certain difficult cases [` ad caussas. civiles quod attinet . . . non de rebus ad
religionem pertinentibus.'—Clericus.] (xvii. 8-13); 5. The law of the first-born's inheritance (xxi. 15 17) ; 6. The law which prescribes the number of stripes in flogging culprits (xxv. 2, 3) ; 7. The pro hibition to muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn' (ver. 4) ; 8. Severe punishment pre scribed against individuals and communities for the practice of idolatry (xiii. ; xvii. 2-5) ; 9. The poor to be kindly treated in the year of release—diffe rence in the treatment of the foreigner as to debt (xv. s-s r) ; so. Groves of trees prohibited near the altar of Jehovah (xvi. 21, 22) ; II. Retaliation on false witnesses (xix. 16-21) ; 12. Laws of the usages of war—remarkable for their humane spirit both towards the Israelite soldier and the enemy ; fruit-trees to be spared before a besieged place (xx.) ; 14. Expiation of an uncertain murder pre scribed (xxi. 1-9) ; 15. The privilege of a woman taken captive in war (xxi. 10-14) ; 16. Punishment a rebellious son (xxi. 18-2i) ; 17. Speedy burial of an executed malefactor (xxi. 22, 23) ; s8. Against the promiscuous use of male and female dress (xxii. 5) ; 19. The dam not to be taken from a nest with her young (ver. 6, 7) ; 20. Houses to be furnished with parapets (xxii. 8); 21. Punish. ment of wife-slander (ver. 13-21); 22. Certain cases of unclean persons excluded from the congregation of the Lord (xxiii. 1-8) ; 23. The military camp of Israel is to be regarded as holy with the presence of the Lord of Hosts, and to be kept free from unclean acts and things (xxiii. 9-14) ' • 24. The house of the Lord to be unsullied with the fee of whoredom, or the price of an unclean animal (ver. 17, 18) ; 25. Permitted trespass in the vineyard and the corn-field—the latter being applicable to the act of the disciples of Christ (24, 25 ; comp. Matt. xii. 1, etc.) ; 26. Punishment of the immo dest woman (xxv. II, 12) ; 27. The assertion of the great principle of individual responsibility (Deut. xxiv. 16). This law helps to explain the doubtful meaning of Josh. vii. 24, 25. The law of Moses was not likely to have been so soon dis regarded by his successor. So that it may be con cluded that Achan alone suffered without his children, under the provisions, as it would seem, of Deut. xiii. 9, ro, and xvii. 5. 28, 29. In care fully preparing this list, by a comparison of Deute ronomy with the three preceding books, we found two other statutes peculiar to Deuteronomy, which we have kept until now—one beginning and the other terminating that portion of the book which is specially legal (chap. xii.–xxvi.) The first of these strictly enjoins a unity of place in the pro mised land for common worship, and the idea runs through the legal part of Deuteronomy (comp. xii. 5, II, 14, 18, 21, 26 ; xiv. 23, 24, 25 ; xv. 20; xvi. 2, 6, 7, 15, 16 ; xvii. 8-m; xviii. 6 ; xxvi. 2 ; xxxi. II) ; and the last prescribes the offering of the basket of first-fruits at God's altar, and suggests the form of a beautiful prayer to be observed at the ceremony, ending with these words, Bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou bast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers—a land that floweth with milk and honey' (xxvi. 1-15).