Deuteronomy 19:14

Boundary Markers

14 "You must not move your neighbor's boundary marker,[a] established at the start in the inheritance you will receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Deuteronomy 19:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:14

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark
By which one man's land is distinguished from another; for so to do is to injure a man's property, and alienate his lands to the use of another, which must be a very great evil, and render those that do it obnoxious to a curse, ( Deuteronomy 27:17 )

which they of old have set in thine inheritance, which thou shall
inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it;
the land of Canaan: this is thought to refer to the bounds and limits set in the land by Eleazar and Joshua, and those concerned with them at the division of it; when not only the tribes were bounded; and distinguished by certain marks, but every man's estate, and the possession of every family in every tribe which though not as yet done when this law was made, yet, as it respects future times, might be said to be done of old, whenever there was any transgression of it, which it cannot be supposed would be very quickly done; and it is a law not only binding on the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, but all others, it being agreeably to the light and law of nature, and which was regarded among the Heathens, ( Proverbs 22:28 ) ( 23:10 ) (See Gill on Hosea 5:10).

Deuteronomy 19:14 In-Context

12 the elders of his city must send [for him], take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.
13 You must not look on him with pity but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and you will prosper.
14 "You must not move your neighbor's boundary marker, established at the start in the inheritance you will receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.
15 "One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16 "If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing him of a crime,

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Dt 27:17; Pr 22:28; Hs 5:10
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