SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:14
¶ No reducirás el término de tu prójimo, el cual señalaron los antiguos en tu heredad, la que poseyeres en la tierra que el SEÑOR tu Dios te da para que la heredes.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 19:14
Verse 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark] Before the extensive use of fences, landed property was marked out by stones or posts, set up so as to ascertain the divisions of family estates. It was easy to remove one of these landmarks, and set it in a different place; and thus the dishonest man enlarged his own estate by contracting that of his neighbour. The termini or landmarks among the Romans were held very sacred, and were at last deified. To these termini Numa Pompillus commanded offerings of broth, cakes, and firstfruits, to be made. And Ovid informs us that it was customary to sacrifice a lamb to them, and sprinkle them with its blood:-Spargitur et caeso communis terminus agno.FAST. lib. ii., ver. 655.
And from Tibullus it appears that they sometimes adorned them with flowers and garlands: - Nam veneror, seu stipes habet desertus inagris, Seu vetus in trivio florida serta lap is.ELEG. lib. i., E. i., ver. 11.
"Revere each antique stone bedeck'd with flowers, That bounds the field, or points the doubtful way." GRAINGER.
It appears from Juvenal that annual oblations were made to them:-- Convallem ruris aviti Improbus, aut campum mihi si vicinus ademit, Aut sacrum effodit medio de limite saxum, Quod mea cum vetulo colult puls annua libo.SAT. xvi., ver. 36.
"If any rogue vexatious suits advance Against me for my known inheritance, Enter by violence my fruitful grounds, Or take the sacred landmark from my bounds, Those bounds which, with procession and with prayer And offer'd cakes, have been my annual care." DRYDEN.
In the digests there is a vague law, de termino moto, Digestor. lib. xlvii., Tit. 21, on which Calmet remarks that though the Romans had no determined punishment for those who removed the ancient landmarks; yet if slaves were found to have done it with an evil design, they were put to death; that persons of quality were sometimes exiled when found guilty; and that others were sentenced to pecuniary fines, or corporal punishment.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark , etc.] 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”)).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14 - Direction is given to fix landmarks in Canaan. It is the will of God that every one should know his own; and that means should be used to hinder the doing and suffering of wrong. This, without doubt, is moral precept, and still binding. Let every man be content with his ow lot, and be just to his neighbours in all things.
Original Hebrew
לא 3808 תסיג 5253 גבול 1366 רעך 7453 אשׁר 834 גבלו 1379 ראשׁנים 7223 בנחלתך 5159 אשׁר 834 תנחל 5157 בארץ 776 אשׁר 834 יהוה 3068 אלהיך 430 נתן 5414 לך לרשׁתה׃ 3423
