‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 26. In the. The Sam. Septuagint and Saint Paul (Galatians 3:10) read, in all the words, and so forth which must probably be understood of the principal points of the law, specified in the preceding verses. Calmet. See verse 4.—The Jews could derive no advantage from the omission of the word all, as the general proposition would be equivalent. Capellus.—Some are of opinion, that the blessings which Moses ordered to be proclaimed, were the reverse of these curses, verse 12. But, is that man truly blessed who observes one point of the law, while he perhaps is transgressing the rest? At this rate, the same man might be blessed and cursed at the same time. Kennicott.—They are more probably, therefore, expressed in the following chapter, where the observance of all the commandments is previously required. The curses are denounced indefinitely, to imply that those who transgress the law, must stand before an unerring Judge, to receive an adequate punishment in eternity for their crying sins against the law, which was given on Mount Horeb. Calmet. 29:1. Against such criminals the preceding curses are levelled. But those recorded in the ensuing chapter, are of a temporary nature, and to be publicly inflicted without delay upon those who refuse to adhere to the service of the Lord. “God had made such a covenant with the Israelites, says Houbigant, that he would so long uphold their republic as they should worship the true God.” Bible.—The foregoing curses may thus refer to the ten commandments; verse 15, denounces vengeance against all who transgress the first table of the law, which relates to God; verse 16, sanctions the honour due to parents; verse 18, 24, and 25, condemn those who injure or kill; as verse 20–1–2–3, do those who are guilty of impurity; verse 17, curseth those who steal; and verse 19, those who bear false witness; verse 26, is intended as a general sanction of the law, as the two last commandments secure the observance of it most effectually, by forbidding even the thought or desire of doing evil. See Kennicott, Dis. ii. p. 86. Bible.