This week, we shall continue with
the study of the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament.
vv. 1-15—Specific Legislations—Rules of Wars with nations “at a distance”
(1) War is obviously a normal part of a nation’s life: Why then should Israel not be afraid, even if the enemies are obviously stronger than they are? (v. 1)
(2) Why then should the battle be preceded by an address of the (high) priest? (v. 2)
(3) What is the message the priest should deliver? (vv. 3-4)
(4) Exemptions of military services (vv. 5-8: see Note below)
a. Who belong to the first two types of exemption? (vv. 5-6)
b. Given that the very purpose of the gift of the land by God to them was an inheritance to enjoy, what might be the reason behind the exemption?
c. Who belonged to the third type? (v. 7)
d. What is the reason behind this exemption?
e. Who belonged to the 4th type of exemption? (v. 8)
f. Should such people be exempt from fighting for their nation? Why or why not?
g. Although these provisions have not made it clear, what do you think happens if the person who qualifies under one of these exemptions still volunteers to go to battle?
(5) What might be the spiritual application to us today, as our Christian lives are often likened to a war? (2 Cor. 10:3-4; Eph. 6:12)
(6) Why should they offer peace as the first resort? (vv. 10-11)
(7) How should they treat the women, children, livestock and other things they plunder? (v. 14)
vv. 16-20—Specific Legislations—Rules of War with nations of the six neighboring peoples
(8) What is the main difference in the rules of war when they are against the six neighboring peoples in the Promised Land and when they are against those from nations far away? (vv. 16-17)
(9) What is the reason for the difference? (v. 18)
(10) How are they to deal with trees in the land they capture? (v. 19)
(11) What is the reasoning behind the sparing of fruit trees? (v. 20)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“According to Josephus (Ant. iv. 8, 41) the enjoyment of them (consecrated houses) was to last a year…when fruit trees were planted (Lev. 19:23ff. )…the fruit was not to be eaten for the first three years, and that of the fourth year was to be consecrated to the Lord; and it was only the fruit that was gathered in the fifth year which could be applied by the owner to own use… (The exemption to the newly wed) is extended still further in ch. 24:5…for a whole year from military service and other public burdens.”
(K&D, 939)
However, the provision of Lev. 19:23 might be intended to apply only to the time they entered into the Promised Land and planted fruit trees for the first time.
“Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” (Deut. 20:8)
Upon reading the various exemptions to military service in Deuteronomy 20, one might wonder why such provisions were given, if they would they be abused, and whether they were fair at all?
However, these exemptions serve to highlight how different the people of God are to be from the nations around them. Just as with all the preceding legislations, these seek to highlight the following as well:
- These exemptions serve to highlight that the battle of God’s people ultimately belongs to the Lord: As a result, victory does not depend on “horse and chariots” (20:1) or even the number of people. In order words, even when most people abuse these provisions (especially the fourth exemption that basically exempts everyone who does not want to fight), God can still give them victory with the smallest of army—Gideon’s victory over the mighty Midian army with only three hundred men is a prime example as he exempted anyone who “trembles with fear” (Jdg. 7:3).
- Whether it be the exemption of the new house-owners, the new vineyard-owners or the newlywed, the aim is to recruit only those whose hearts are undivided and are able to devote themselves singularly to the cause of the Lord.
These military exemptions speak volumes about God’s desire for us. As Christians soldiers today who are not engaged in the physical warfare of the world, “we do not wage war as the world does” (2 Cor. 10:3). It is important for us to be reminded that “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph. 6:12) As a result, our “battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam. 17:47); we can never win on our own; and God only can use those whose hearts are devoted to Him singularly without being entangled by civilian or worldly affairs (2 Tim. 2:4; 1 Cor. 7:33-34).
Specific Legislations—The Sacredness of Life
(1) Atoning for unsolved murder (21:1-9)
a. Why should the town nearest to the body be deemed responsible for the crime?
b. “A life for a life” (19:21): What is being used to atone for the sin of the city?
c. What might the choice of a heifer that has never been used and a valley that has never been plowed or planted signify? (see Note below)
d. Apart from washing their hands over the heifer, what should the elders do? (vv. 7-8)
e. What if the elders of the city do not perform such a ritual? (v. 9)
f. What impact do you think this legislation would have on the elders and the people of the city concerned?
(2) Treatment of wives taken captive (vv. 10-14)
a. What do you think of how women taken captive in ancient times were normally treated? Do you think there were rules governing their treatment?
b. Why does the Lord mandate that such captive women be given a month to mourn her parents (likely killed in the war) before being taken as wives?
c. What then is the purpose of prohibiting her sale as a slave?
d. How different does the Lord want His people to be from the nations around them in this respect?
(3) No favoritism regarding the right of the firstborn (vv. 15-17)
a. What does this legislation seek to protect?
b. Without such legislation, how might they play favorites, using Abraham as their precedent in his treatment of Ishmael (Gen. 21:10)?
(4) Violation of the 5th Commandment (vv. 18-21)
a. What does the 5th Commandment state? (Exod. 20:12)
b. Are all “rebellious” sons to be treated as such? Why or why not?
c. Do you think it would be hard for any parent to do as told by this legislation?
d. What is the purpose of this legislation? (v. 21)
(5) Death on a pole (vv. 22-23)
a. Of all of the kinds of methods of execution of criminals, what does the execution by the hanging on a (wooden) pole represent?
b. Why is leaving the body overnight prohibited?
c. Since “anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curses”, what does this say about Jesus then? (see Gal. 3:13)
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
“This regulation as to the locality in which the act of expiation was to be performed was probably founded upon the idea, that the water of the brook-valley would suck in the blood and clean it way, and that the blood sucked in by the earth would not be brought to light again by the ploughing and working of the soil.”
(K&D, 942)
“You must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse.” (Deut. 21:23)
Of all methods of execution, the hanging of a criminal on a pole or tree has to be one of the most painful and gruesome methods. William Barclay says that there was no more horrible death than that and he quotes the Roman historian Cicero’s words who declared it as “the most cruel and horrifying death.” Indeed, apart from the pain inflicted likely by the nailing of the hands and feet, the criminal would suffer a slow death through hunger and thirst and all that would even push the criminal “to the point of madness” (Barclay, John, 250).
Fortunately, for those who were hanged on the tree in Israel, there is a provision in Law of Moses that the body is not to be left on the pole overnight (Deut. 21:23), which implies putting the criminal to death somehow before sunset. However the reason given in Deuteronomy is that the body would not be exposed publicly and would not desecrate the land the Lord has given them.
Nonetheless, the very act of hanging signifies that the person hanged is guilty of such heinous crime that he has to be under the curse of God (21:23). This is perhaps one of the greatest hurdles for the Jews to believe that Jesus is really the Son of God as He claims Himself to be: “(I)f He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One” (Lk. 23:35), why would He be hanged on a cross—a sure sign that He was cursed by God?
Indeed, our Lord Jesus had to be hanged on a cross because He was truly cursed by God, not for His sin but ours, and so the Apostle Paul says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’” (Gal. 3:13) This shows how great the Love of Christ is for us!
Specific Legislations—Various Laws and Regulations: We shall try to group these regulations into several headings for consideration:
Be a responsible neighbor (22:1-4, 6-8)
Respect God’s distinction in creation (22:5, 9-11)
Remember God’s laws all the time (22:12)
(1) Be a responsible neighbor (I) (22:1-4)
a. What is the reason behind the stipulations in vv. 1-3?
b. What might be the most common reason for not doing so?
c. A donkey or an ox will most likely fall under heavy burdens or due to an injury and often it is hard for just one person to help the animal back on its feet: Do you think the stipulation in v. 4 is easier to comply with than the previous one?
d. What might be the most common reason for not complying with the stipulation in v. 4?
(2) Being a responsible neighbor (II) (22:6-8)
a. Do you think this stipulation is given based on humanitarian grounds? Why or why not?
b. The young or eggs are likely taken for food: What practical purpose might it serve to let the mother go?
c. The reason behind the stipulation in v.8 is obvious: How may we apply it in today’s world? Can you think of any applicable example?
(3) Respect God’s distinction in creation (22:5, 9-11)
a. Why does Moses say that wearing clothing of the opposite sex is detested by God? (v. 5)
b. What does this say about today’s “transgender” issue?
c. What does Genesis 1:12 say about the way God created vegetation on the 3rd day?
d. What might be the reason for the prohibition in v. 9? Why does it say that the planting of two kinds of seed in the same vineyard will defile both the crop and the fruit?
e. Apart from the practical problem associated with yoking an ox with a donkey, what do you understand as the difference between the two according to the law of cleanness? (Lev. 14:1-8)
f. Perhaps, the reason for the prohibition in v. 11 was obvious to the Israelites at the time, but it is no longer known today. The best guess is proposed by some commentators who think such was the fashion of nations like Egypt at the time which the Lord does not want Israel to copy. In any case, what might be the core teaching revealed by the sum of the above stipulations?
(4) Remember God’s laws all the time (22:12)—It is a brief reiteration of Numbers 15: 37-41.
a. Even if we do not fully understand the reasons behind each of the above stipulations, what does 22:12 serve to remind us of?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.” (Deut. 22:5)
The “transgender” issue is a very controversial topic today. Allow me to quote the comment of Peter Craigie on the captioned verse (22:5) as follows:
“This short verse does not refer simply to fashions or styles of dressing, as the warning contained in the final clause makes clears. It refers at first reading to the practice of transvestism, a deviant form of sexual behavior, thought [sic] his definition must be qualified, as below. Man’s things—the Hebrew does not refer specifically to male clothing, but to things pertaining to the male. The words would thus include not only clothing, but ornaments, weapons, etc., normally associated with men. In the second clause, women’s clothing is specified explicitly.
“While transvestism may appear to be a relatively harmless deviation, either or both of two aspects may underlie the present legislation. First, transvestism tends to be associated with certain forms of homosexuality; second, in the ancient world, it is probably that transvestite practices were associated with the cult of certain deities. In either or both of these instances, the practice of transvestism would be an abomination to the Lord your God. In Lev. 18:22 and 20:13, homosexual behavior is described as an abomination. There is less evidence to establish the association of transvestism with foreign cults in the external sources, though a collection of Assyrian Wisdom texts may provide indirect evidence. If transvestism was indeed associated with foreign religious practices, it should be noted that things associated with foreign religions are described as an abomination in Deuteronomy (see 7:25 and 18:12).”
(NICOT, Deuteronomy, 287-8)
Specific Legislations—Sexual Purity
(1) Virginity of a bride (vv. 13-21)
a. What might be the motive(s) of a husband who accused his wife of pre-marital infidelity (instead of simply divorcing her according to 24:1ff)?
b. What recourse does the wife or her family have? (vv. 15-17)
c. Do you think 2½ lbs. of silver is an adequate punishment on top of “chastisement” (likely referring to flogging) for such a false accusation? Why or why not?
d. What if the accusation is proved to be true? (v. 21)
e. Why does the Lord put such emphasis on sexual purity?
(2) Adultery with the wife of one’s neighbor (v. 22)
a. What is the punishment in this respect?
b. What is the reason behind such a harsh punishment?
c. What is the message for us today?
(3) Dealing with rape (vv. 23-29)
a. Rape of a woman pledged to be married not in the country-side, i.e. within the city (vv. 23-24)
- What is the punishment for both the man and the woman involved?
- Why should the woman die too?
b. Rape of a woman pledged to be married in the country-side (vv. 25-27)
- What is the punishment for the man?
- What is the punishment for the woman?
- Comparing the treatment in the two different situations above, do you think the legislation is fair? Why or why not?
c. Rape of an unmarried woman (vv. 28-29)
- What is the punishment for the man?
- What other obligations does the man have?
- Do you think it is fair? Why or why not?
(4) Incest (v. 30)
a. What kind of incest does Moses reiterate with this legislation?
b. What is the punishment already pronounced in Leviticus? (see Lev. 18:8, 29)
(5) How do all of the above stipulations reveal the desire of the Lord?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.” (Deut. 22:22)
These days we like to blame the sexual revolution of the sixties for the breakdown of our families. However upon reading Calvin’s comments on the subject of marital fidelity, it appears that “the good old days” were not really any better:
“It appears how greatly God abominates adultery, since He denounces capital punishment against it. And assuredly, since marriage is a covenant consecrated by God, its profanation is in no wise tolerable; and conjugal faith should be held too sacred to be violated with impunity, whilst it is an act of horrible perfidiousness to snatch from a man’s bosom the wife who is as his very life, or at any rate half of himself. Wherefore, also, the Prophet ignominiously compares adulterers to neighing horses, (Jer. 5:8;) for where such lasciviousness prevails, men degenerate, as it were, into beasts.
"Another reason is, however, here referred to; for, if a man had broken faith with his wife by having connexion with a harlot, it was not a capital offence; but if any man, though a bachelor, had committed adultery with the wife of another, (he was to die) because both the husband is grossly injured, and the dishonour descends to the offspring, and an adulterine race is substituted in place of the legitimate one, whilst the inheritance is transferred to strangers, and thus bastards unlawfully possess themselves of the family name. This cause impelled the Gentiles, even before the Law, to punish adultery with severity, as clearly appears from the history of Judah and Tamar. (Gen. xxxviii.14.) Nay, by the universal law of the Gentiles, the punishment of death was always awarded to adultery; wherefore it is all the baser and more shameful in Christians not to imitate at least the heathen. Adultery is punished no less severely by the Julian law (i.e. Roman Law) than by that of God; whilst those who boast themselves of the Christian name are so tender and remiss, that they visit this execrable offence with a very light reproof. And lest they should abrogate God’s law without a pretext, they allege the example of Christ, who dismissed the woman taken in adultery, whereas she ought to have been stoned; just as He withdrew Himself into a mountain that He might not be made a king by the multitude. (John viii, 11, and vi.15.)
"For if we consider what the office was which the Father delegated to His only-begotten Son, we shall not be surprised that, He was content with the limits of His vocation, and did not discharge the duties of a Judge. But those who have been invested with the sword for the correction of crime, have absurdly imitated His example, and thus their relaxation of the penalty has flowed from gross ignorance. Although the disloyalty of husband and wife are not punished alike by human tribunals, still, since they are under mutual obligation to each other, God will take vengeance on them both; and hence the declaration of Paul takes effect before the judgment-seat of God, Let not married persons defraud one another; for the wife hath not power of her own body, nor the husband of his. (1 Cor. vii. 4, 5.)
(Calvin’s Commentaries III, 77-78)
23:1-8—Specific Legislations—Exclusion from the Assembly
(1) What is the first category of people excluded from the assembly of the Lord? (v. 1)
(2) What might be the reason for it?
(3) What is the second category? (v. 2)
(4) What might be the reason for it?
(5) What is the third category? (v. 3, the incident is recorded in Num. 22-24)
(6) What is the reason given? (vv. 4-6; you may want to read Num. 22-24 as well)
(7) What is the fourth category? (vv. 7-8)
(8) Who in the fourth category will be exempt from the exclusion and why?
(9) What are the purposes for these legislations of exclusion?
23:9-14—Specific Legislations—Maintaining Holiness of the Military Camp
(10) Why is “nocturnal emission” considered unclean? (v. 9; see Num. 5:2)
(11) How should “contamination” by such uncleanness be prevented? (vv. 10-11)
(12) How should excrement at the camp be dealt with? (vv. 12-13)
(13) What is the reason given for these legislations? (v. 14; Note: K&D translate “anything indecent” as “nakedness of a thing”)
23:15-25—Specific Legislations—Miscellaneous Laws
(14) What is the purpose behind the dealing with run-away slaves from a foreign nation? (v. 15)
(15) What is the difference between a prostitute and a shrine prostitute? (v. 17)
(16) What exclusion is imposed on prostitutes in general and why? (v. 18)
(17) Why does the Lord prohibit charging of interest among the Israelites and not on loans to foreigners? (see Lev. 25:36-37)
(18) How might this apply to us today?
(19) What is the purpose behind the legislation about the vow? (vv. 21-23; see Matt. 5:33-37 as well)
(20) What is the purpose of the legislation in vv. 24-25?
(21) How may we apply it to us today?
(22) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Do not charge your brother interest whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest.” (Deut. 23:19)
At first glance, the miscellaneous laws laid down or reiterated by Moses seem to be unrelated, but if we consider the purposes behind these legislations, we can see that the main purposes are basically the same—the maintaining of holiness among the people of God, whether it is the holy assembly before the Lord (vv. 1-8), when engaged in a holy war (vv. 9-14), the treating of the needy among them who have come to their midst (vv. 15-16, 19-20, 24-25), the honoring of vows (vv. 21-23) or the prohibition against prostitutes, especially shrine prostitutes (vv. 17-18).
We may find the exclusion of “eunuchs” and “bastards” from the assembly of the Lord unfair, but the Lord is using them as an important reminder to the people of God’s absolute holiness, with the former representing the “mutilation of the nature of man as created by God” and the latter a product of “incest or adultery” (K&D, 947-48). While the exclusion seems harsh, it does not mean that they are totally deprived of the opportunity to worship God and hear His words, because they could still do so, though at a distance, as was the case with the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8.
Personally, I greatly benefited from the reading of the prohibition against charging interest on loans made to “brothers” which I came across only quite late in my Christian life. This has taught me not only to refrain from making money on personal loans to those in need, but also in preventing the church from accepting loans from members, no matter how low the interest rate might be. If we cannot earn interest from our brothers, how dare we earn interest from the house of God!
24:1-4—Specific Legislations—Laws of Divorce and Remarriage
(1) Is it right for a husband to divorce his wife simply because she is displeasing to him?
(2) What does Jesus say about this matter and the reason why Moses instituted this law? (Mk. 10:2-12)
(3) What protection does this legislation grant to the divorced woman?
(4) Why can’t the first husband remarry the same wife after she had also remarried? (v. 4)
24:5-22 (except vv. 7-9, 16)—Specific Legislations—Laws of Compassion
(5) To the newly wed (v. 5): Apart from the exemption of military service, what else is he exempt from? Why?
(6) About pledges (vv. 6, 10-13)
a. Whether it is a millstone (v. 6), or one's cloak (v. 12), what is the rationale behind these laws?
b. Can you think of any other similar applications?
c. Why shouldn’t one go in to get his pledge? (vv. 10-11)
(7) About hired workers (vv. 14-15)
a. What is the legislation in this regard?
b. Why does it apply to both fellow Israelites and foreigners?
c. How should we apply this principle today?
(8) Treatment of the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows (vv. 17-22)
a. In terms of a security or pledge for debts: How does the legislation in v. 17 supersede the above rules for pledges?
b. Why? (v. 18)
c. What is the purpose for the rules in vv. 19-22?
d. What is the reason given? (v. 22)
e. How might we apply this principle today?
24:7-9, 16—Specific Legislations—Miscellaneous Laws
(9) Why is kidnapping among Israelites such a severe sin that deserves capital punishment? (v. 7)
(10) Skin diseases were addressed earlier in Leviticus 13 in detail (see Note below):
a. Why is it reiterated here? (v. 8)
b. Why does Moses use Miriam’s leprosy as an example? What is his point? (v. 9; see Num. 12:10-15)
(11) How important is the legislation in v. 16?
(12) What is its implication concerning eternal life and death?
(13) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
It appears that the law concerning leprosy or skin diseases is repeated by Moses with the single emphasis that they should follow the instructions of the priest strictly so that it would not spread to others in the community; even Miriam had to follow strict instructions with her leprosy (Num. 12:14-15).
“When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.” (Deut. 24:21-22)
As a people of God, Israel is to reflect the character of God to whom they belong. One of the most important characters of God is His compassion. This was fully revealed in His deliverance of Israel from their slavery in Egypt as the Bible vividly depicts the compassion of the Lord with these words:
“I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” (Exod. 3:7; italics mine)
For this very reason, Israel has to have compassion on the most needy and vulnerable among them who, by themselves could not survive, let alone reverse their fortune. While many of the laws are given to protect only the Israelites and not foreigners (like the charging of interest on loans in 23:19), when it comes to the marginalized, the most needy and the most helpless, the foreigners are included along with the fatherless and the widows.
This clearly shows that the Lord is not a tribal God, but the God of all mankind who cares for those whom He has created in His own image. It is in this sense that the Apostle Paul agrees with the Greek poets that, “We are (all) His offspring” (Acts 17:28). However, when it comes to belonging to Him as His children and inheriting eternal life, it has to be by faith in His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:12)
Specific Legislations—Various Laws
(1) Limits on corporal punishment (vv. 1-3)
a. What safeguards are being put in place to ensure proper court proceedings, limits to punishment, and its execution?
b. What is the purpose of limiting punishment to forty lashes?
c. What in your opinion was the reason why the Jews ended up imposing only “forty lashes minus one”? (2 Cor. 11:24)
(2) Ethical treatment of animals (v. 4)
a. What is the rationale behind the law regarding an ox (which is used for threshing)?
b. How does the Apostle Paul see its application? (1 Cor. 9:9-11; 1 Tim. 5:17-18)
c. How may owners of businesses apply this principle?
(3) Levirate marriage (vv. 5-10)
a. How did this “custom” play out in the family of Judah? (Gen. 38)
b. What is the reason given by Moses to make this custom into a law? (v. 6)
c. What might be the motive or reason for the brother-in-law to refuse to marry his sister-in-law? (see Gen. 38:9)
d. Does this law force the “brother-in-law” to comply with this obligation? (see Note 1 below)
e. What will be the result of his refusal? (vv. 7-10)
(4) The sanctity of man’s private part (vv. 11-12)
a. What is the motive of the action by the wife in this example?
b. What does such an unusually harsh punishment point to?
(5) Dishonest scale (vv. 13-16)
a. How does the Lord view dishonesty, especially in business? (v. 16)
b. What might be the equivalent of the dishonest scale in today’s business world?
(6) Eradication of the Amalekites (vv. 17-19)
a. The Israelites have faced many enemies. What makes the Amalekites so hated by the Lord? (v. 18; see the full story in Exod. 17:8-16)
b. How seriously does the Lord take this particular command that He gives to Israel? (1 Sam. 15:11)
c. What might be the reason that this instruction is placed in this section of laws? (see Note 2 below)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
“Brother-in-law — the Hebrew term (yabam) has a more specific sense than the English equivalent implies, for it refers specifically to that brother-in-law who was liable to levirate marriage under the conditions specified above.”
(NICOT, Deuteronomy, 315)
Note
2:
“(I)t was presented again to the Israelites as a reminder that there was unfinished business to perform once they had settled in the promised land.”
(NICOT, Deuteronomy, 318)
“You shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Deut. 25:19)
As we read the instruction given to Israel to totally exterminate the Amalekites, we cannot help but doubt if God is such a God of vengeance. Allow me to share the insights of John Calvin with you in this respect, because he says it much better than I do:
“We have elsewhere seen how the Amalekites were the first who made a hostile attack upon the people, and endeavoured to interrupt their journey; and Moses also related the sentence of God against them, the execution of which He now enjoins upon the people. God then swore that there should be perpetual war against them throughout all ages; and, that His threatening might not be frustrated, He appoints His people to take vengeance upon their great cruelty and impiety. For when the Israelites were inflicting no injury nor loss upon them, it was an act of injustice to make war upon peaceful persons proceeding, without doing any wrong, to another land.
“But humanity was still more grossly violated by them, inasmuch as they did not spare their own kindred, and thus cast away the feelings of nature. It is plain from Genesis xxxvi.12, that the Amalekites were the descendants of Esau; and hence it follows that they were both sprung from the same ancestor, Isaac. It is true that this command seems but little in accordance with religion, that the people should retaliate an injury done to them. I reply, that they are not stimulated to vindictive feelings in these words, but that they are commanded to punish the sins of Amalek with the same severity as those of the other nations. God appears, indeed, to influence them by private motives when He recounts the cruelty shown by the Amalekites; but we must judge of the intention of the Legislator with reference to His nature, for we know that no angry or hateful passions can be approved by God; and hence it is easy to conclude that the command was such as the people might obey with well-regulated zeal.
“The first origin of the crime is specified, viz., because they ‘feared not God,’ for this must not be taken in its ordinary meaning, but as expressing that they rebelled against God as it were deliberately. For the promise given to Abraham and Isaac could not be unknown to them; but, since Esau, the founder of their race, had fallen from the right of primogeniture (firstborn right), it came to pass that they attempted to bring God’s covenant to nought out of wicked and sacrilegious jealousy; and this is the reason why He unites them with the reprobate nations unto the same destruction.”
(Calvin’s Commentaries, II, 400-1)