of the
priests, the teachers of the law (compare xvii. 10, 11, 18; xxxiv. 10),
as their corrective, as a thorn in their flesh, to make up for their
inability. It is true that this wider connection is also against those
who would here _exclude_ Christ. If it be certain that Moses already
knew the Messianic promises (compare the remarks on Gen. xlix.), then,
just in this context, the reference [Pg 113] to Christ, the head of the
authorities of the future, could not be wanting.

2. An exclusive reference to Christ is opposed by the more immediate
context. This connection is twofold. In ver. 15, Moses first utters the
promise in his own name, and here it stands connected with what
precedes. Moses had forbidden to the people the use of all the means by
which those who were given to idolatry endeavoured to penetrate the
boundaries of human knowledge: "Thou shalt not do so," is his language;
for that which these are vainly seeking after in this sinful manner,
shall, in reality, be granted to thee by thy God. Here, it was not only
appropriate to remind them of the Messiah, inasmuch as His appearance,
as being the most perfect revelation of God, satisfies most perfectly
the desire after higher communications; but it would have been very
strange if here, where so suitable an opportunity presented itself, the
founder of the Old Economy had omitted all reference to the founder of
the New Economy, and had limited himself to the intervening, more
imperfect divine communications. But, on the other hand, it would have
been as strange if Moses had taken no notice of them at all,--if,
supposing that a series of false prophets would appear, he had been
satisfied to lay down in chap. xiii. 2 sqq. the distinctive marks of
true and false prophets, and had then, in the passage under review,
referred to the divine revelations to be expected in the distant
future, without noticing those to be expected in the more immediate
future,--thus neglecting to employ means peculiarly fitted for gaining
admission for his exhortations. The word [Hebrew: ntN] in ver. 14 is
especially opposed to such a view. "And thou (shalt) not (do) so,
Jehovah thy God gave thee." _J. D. Michaelis_ says: "What He gave to
the Israelites is specified in vers. 15 and 18." The past tense
suggests the idea of a gift which had already taken its beginning in
the present.--The promise stands in a different connection in ver. 18.
Moses had already given it in his own name in ver. 1