A COMMENTARY UPON THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCVIII A COMMENTARY UPON LEVITICUS THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS CHAP. I. THE Greeks and Latins give it this Name of LEVITICUS not because it Treats of the Ministry of the Levites properly so called of which the Book of NUMBERS gives a fuller account than this Book doth but because it contains the Laws about the Religion of the Jews consisting principally in various Sacrifices the charge of which was committed to Aaron the LEVITE as he is called IV Exod. 14. and to his Sons who alone had the Office of Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi Which the Apostle therefore calls a Levitical Priesthood VII Hebr. 11. Verse 1. Verse 1 And the LORD called unto Moses That is bad him draw near and not be afraid because of the Glory of that Light which was in the Tabernacle XL Exod. 35. For this is a word of love as the Hebrew Doctors speak who observe that God is not said to call the Prophets of the Gentiles but we only read that God jikar met Balaam not jikra called to him as he did here to Moses Who as Procopius Gazaeus hath well observed upon this word appointed no Service of God in his House which he had lately erected without his order whereas the Worship performed in the honour of Daemons was without any Authority from him Nay there were Magical Operations in it and Invocation of Daemons and certain tacit Obligations which their Priests contracted with them For which he produces Porphyry as a Witness And spake unto him but of the Tabernacle Hitherto he had spoken to him out of Heaven or out of the Cloud but now out of his own House Into which it is not here said he bad him come as he did afterwards when the Glory of the LORD dwelt only in the inner part of the House over the Ark but he stood it is likely without the Door of the Tabernacle till the Sacrifices were appointed as it here follows and the High Priest entred into it with the Blood of Expiation I can find no time in which this can so probably be supposed to have been done as immediately after the Consecration of the Tabernacle as soon as the Glory of the LORD entred into it And so I find Hesychius understood it who observing this Book to begin with the word And which is a Conjunction used to joyn what follows with that which goes before thence concludes that the beginning of this Book is knit to the conclusion of the last and consequently what is here related was spoken to Moses on the same day he had set up the Tabernacle and the Glory of the LORD filled it When Moses might well think as the Hierusalem Targum explains it that if Mount Sinai was so exalted by the Divine Presence there for a short space that it was not safe for him to approach it much less come up into it till God commanded him he had much more reason not to go into the Tabernacle which was sanctified to be God's dwelling place for ever till God called to him by a Voice from his Presence nay he durst not so much as come near the Door where I suppose he now stood without a particular Direction from the Divine Majesty Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them The Tabernacle being erected it was fit in the next place to appoint the Service that should be performed in it which consisted in such Sacrifices as are here mentioned in the beginning of this Book There could not be a more Natural order in setting down the Laws delivered by Moses than this which is here observed If any man of you bring It is the Observation of Kimchi that in the very beginning of the Laws about Sacrifices God doth not require them to offer any but only supposes they would having been long accustomed to it as all the World then was To this he applys the words of Jeremiah VII 21. and takes it for an Indication that otherwise God would not have given so many Laws concerning Sacrifices but only in compliance with the usage of the World which could not then have been quite broken without the hazard of a Revolt from him And therefore they are directed to the right Object the Eternal God and limited to such things as were most agreeable to Humane Nature An offering unto the LORD The Hebrew word Korban which we translate an Offering and the Greeks translate a Gift is larger than Zebach which we translate a Sacrifice For as Abarbinel observes in his Preface to this Book though every Sacrifice was an Offering yet every Offering was not a Sacrifice A Sacrifice being an Offering that was slain but there were several Offerings of inanimate things as those mentioned in the beginning of the second Chapter of this Book which therefore were not properly Sacrifices but were accepted of God as much as the Offering of Beasts when they had nothing better to give And therefore the same Abarbinel will have the Name of Korban to be given to these Offerings because thereby Men approached to God For it is derived from a word which signifies to draw near from whence he thinks those words in Deuteronomy IV. 7. What Nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them c. Ye shall bring He speaks in the Plural Number say some of the Hebrew Doctors who have accurately considered these things to show that two Men might joyn together to offer one thing Your offering of the Cattle I do not know what ground Maimonides had to assert in his More Nevochim Pars III. cap. 46. that the Heathen in those days had brute Beasts in great veneration and would not kill them for it is no Argument there was such a Superstition in Moses his time because there were People in the days of Maimonides as there are now who were possessed with such Opinions But he thinks God intended to destroy this false Perswasion by requiring the Jews to offer such Beasts as are here mentioned that what the Heathen thought it a great sin to kill might be offered to God and thereby Mens sins be expiated By this means saith he Mens evil Opinions which are the Diseases and Ulcers of the Mind were cured as Bodily Diseases are by their contraries Yet in the XXXII Chapter of that Book he saith God ordered Sacrifices to be offered that he might not wholly alter the Customs of Mankind who built Temples and offered Sacrifices every where taking care it may be added at the same time that they should be offered only to himself at one certain place and after such a manner as to preserve his People from all Idolatrous Rites Which if they had considered who contemned this Book of LEVITICUS as Procopius Gazaeus tells us some did
XL Exod. 34 35. openly showed it self to them all v. 23. and declared his Grace and Favour towards them by consuming their Sacrifice as an acceptable Oblation to him v. 24. Whereby a particular Honour also was done unto Aaron who was hereby most illustriously owned to be God's High-Priest and all other Persons deterred from pretending to his Office Ver. 7. Verse 7 And Moses said unto Aaron Go unto the Altar and offer thy sin-offering and thy burnt-offering One of them after the other in the order wherein they were directed viz. his Sin-offering first to make his Burnt-offering accepted Make an atonement for thy self and for the people First for himself as the Apostle observes VII Hebr. 27. that then he might be capable to offer for the Sins of the People This was the great imperfection of the Aaronical Priests that they were Sinners like other Men by reason whereof they were bound as for the people so also for themselves to offer for sins V Hebr. 3. And offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them After he had offered both the Sin-offering v. 8. and the Burnt-offering v. 13. for himself then he was to begin to offer for the People For his own Sins being expiated and his Burnt-offering being accepted he was fit to procure Remission and Acceptance for them Ver. 8. Verse 8 Aaron therefore went unto the Altar That he might be ready to perform his part of the Service which was to sprinkle the Blood after he had first of all offered the Morning Sacrifice See v. 17. And slew the Calf of the sin-offering which was for himself Ordered it to be slain for this was no part of the Priests work as I showed upon the first Chapter v. 5. Ver. 9. Verse 9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him They received it in Basons as it run from the Calf when it was killed See I. 5. and brought it unto him who stood at the Altar to receive it and do what follows And he dipt his finger in the blood The fore-finger of the right hand which had been sanctified to this Ministry by putting the Blood of the Sacrifice of Consecration upon the thumb of the right hand VIII 23 24. whereby we grasp all things and cannot hold them strongly nor perform any thing well if that be wanting And put it upon the horns of the Altar c. See IV. 25. Ver. 10. Verse 10 But the fat and the kidneys and the caul above the liver See IV. 8 9. He burnt upon the Altar as the LORD commanded Moses Laid or disposed them upon the Altar to be burnt by the heavenly fire v. 24. as most understand it And the LXX justifie this Opinion who though they here translate it He offered it on the Altar yet v. 13. where there is the same phrase they expresly translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he laid the Burnt-offering upon the Altar and again v. 17. in the same manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he laid it upon the Altar besides the burnt-sacrifice of the morning For common fire it is supposed was no longer to be used when Aaron's Sacrifice began as it had been all along before But there is no certainty in this and we may as well take the words in their proper sense that Aaron burnt this and the following Sacrifice as Moses had done before VIII 14 21 28. until the Burnt-offering for the People came to be offered which God consumed by fire from himself and then followed those other Sacrifices mentioned v. 17 18. For all these Sacrifices for Aaron and for the People could not be laid upon the Altar at once but one after another in the order here directed and consequently this Sacrifice here mentioned was actually burnt upon the Altar to make way for those which followed it Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp See VIII 17. Ver. 12. Verse 12 And he slew the burnt-offering and Aaron's sons presented to him the blood c. See I. 5. Ver. 13 14. Verse 13 14. And they presented the burnt-offering unto him with the pieces thereof c. All that is contained in these two Verses is explained in the first Chapter v. 8 9. where the Law about burnt-offerings is delivered Ver. 15. Verse 15 And he brought the peoples sin-offering c. Having offered all that was necessary for himself now he became fit to make Supplication for the People And offered it for sin as the first In the same manner as he offered the foregoing Sin-offering for himself v. 8 c. Ver. 16. Verse 16 And he brought the burnt-offering Here being no express mention of burning it some from thence conclude that this was the Offering which alone was consumed by fire from the LORD See v. 24. And offered it according to the manner Laid it upon the Altar as Moses had directed in the first Chapter of this Book Ver. 17. And he brought the meat-offering c. Which attended upon Burnt-offerings XV Numb 2 3 4 c. Beside the burnt-offering of the morning This shows that Aaron began his Priestly Function with the Morning Sacrifice which preceded all other and was never omitted for the sake of any other Sacrifice that was to follow it and it had always a Meat-offering waiting upon it XXIX Exod. 39 40. Ver. 18 19. Verse 18 19. He slew also the Bullock and the Ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings These two Verses are explained in the third Chapter which treats of such kind of Offerings Ver. 20. Verse 20 And he put the fat upon the beasts c. That it might by elevation and waving be presented unto the LORD and then burnt upon the Altar See VII 30. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave-offering before the LORD The Fat being burnt upon the Altar as God's portion these were the portion of the Priests who feasted upon God's Meat for they were solemnly presented unto him before they had them See VII 34. Ver. 22. Verse 22 And Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people Imploring the Divine Blessing upon the People which he afterwards pronounced At this day they that are of the Family of Aaron going up the steps which lead to the place where the Book of the Law is kept lift up their hands as high as their heads and pronounce a Blessing in their Synagogues upon the Assembly And they say the ancient Custom was which is still observed not only to lift up and spread their hands but then to joyn them together by the thumbs and the two fore-fingers dividing the other from them in that Figure which is represented by an eminently learned Person J. Wagenseil in his Commentary upon Sota cap. 7. p. 672. and 1132. And blessed them We read of no order for this but natural Reason taught them from the beginning that the Priestly Office consisted in praying
there But the Expiation of the High-Priest himself who was to make the Expiation of the Sanctuary preceded all the rest as is apparent from v. 11. Ver. 34. Verse 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute The repetition of this the third time See v. 29 31. shows of how great importance it was that this annual Solemnity should be observed Vnto you The High-Priests before-mentioned of whom he speaks in the Plural Number because none of them could continue always as I observed v. 32. but enjoyed the Office successively upon the death of their Predecessors To make an atonement for the Children of Israel for all their sins once a year This is only a repetition of what was said v. 30. that it should be incumbent on the High-Priest by a perpetual Obligation to make an Atonement for the Peoples sins on this day as it was incumbent on the People v. 29. to afflict their Souls upon this day And he did as the LORD commanded Moses The Service of this day was immediately performed by Aaron according to the fore-named order CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying After he had ordered the great Anniversary Sacrifice in the foregoing Chapter he gives some Directions about other Sacrifices for which there would be occasion every day Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto Aaron and his Sons and all the Children of Israel Who were all concerned in what follows and therefore this Command is directed to the whole house of Israel v. 3. to whom this was delivered it is likely by their Elders or else Moses himself went from Tribe to Tribe and spake to their several Families And say unto them This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded Enjoyned by a Special Law Ver. 3. Verse 3 Whatsoever man there be of the House of Israel that killeth an Ox or Lamb or Goat viz. For a Sacrifice or Offering as it follows v. 4. these being the only Creatures of the Herd and the Flock that were permitted to be brought to God's Altar There are those indeed who think Moses speaks of killing these Creatures for common use which it was lawful for them to do any where after they came to the Land of Canaan XII Deut. 15. but now they were not to kill them for their food unless they brought them to the door of the Tabernacle and there first sacrificed some part of them to the LORD before they tasted of them themselves By which their sacrificing to Daemons was prevented to which they were prone v. 7. and they also constantly feasted with God while they dwelt in the Wilderness But this is better founded upon XII Deut. 20 21. where it is supposed that they had thus done while they remained in the Wilderness and were so near to the House of God that they might easily bring thither every Beast they killed for ordinary use But they were dispensed withal as to this when they came into Canaan and could not possibly when they had a mind to eat Flesh go so far as to the Tabernacle or Temple which was many Miles from some of them Instead whereof they were bound to come at the three great Festivals and appear before God at his House wheresoever they dwelt In the Camp or that killeth it out of the Camp This seems to show that he doth not speak of killing these Beasts ad usum vescendi as St. Austin's words are for the use of eating for that they did not do out of the Camp but in their Tents but de Sacrificiis he speaks concerning Sacrifices For he prohibits as he goes on private Sacrifices lest every Man should take upon him to be a Priest c. Ver. 4. Verse 4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation to offer an offering unto the LORD In ancient time every Man had performed the Office of a Priest in his own Family But now that liberty is taken away because they had abused it to Idolatry and every Man was bound to bring his Sacrifice to the House of God where none but the Sons of Aaron could officiate and had the most sacred Obligations on them to offer only to the LORD The very Heathens themselves in future times found it necessary to enact the very same as appears by Plato in the latter end of his Tenth Book of Laws where he hath these memorable words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let this be a Law imposed absolutely upon all that no Man whatsoever have a sacred place in private Houses but when he hath a mind to offer Sacrifice let him go to the publick Temples and deliver his Sacrifice to the Priests whether Men or Women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose business it is to take care that these things be performed in an holy manner By which it appears that these were two established Principles of Religion in wise Mens minds to Sacrifice publickly and to bring their Sacrifices to the Priests who were to take care to offer them purely Unto which Moses adds one thing more that their publick Sacrifices should be offered only at one place which was a most efficacious preservative from all strange Worship nothing being done but under the Eye of the Ministers of Religion and the Governours of the People Insomuch that St. Chrysostom as our learned Dr. Spencer observes Lib. I. de Rit Leg. Hebr. L. I. cap. 4. sect 1. calls Jerusalem which was afterwards established to be this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of bond or knot whereby the whole Nation were tied fast to the Judaical Religion Before the Tabernacle of the LORD Before the Divine Majesty which dwelt in the Tabernacle round about which they all inhabited and were so near it while they travelled in the Wilderness that as there was no trouble in bringing all their Sacrifices thither so they knew certainly whether to go And thus the Hebrew Doctors observe it was when they came into Canaan where while the Tabernacle was fixed in Shilo none might Sacrifice any where else But when it wandred uncertainly after Shilo was destroyed being sometimes in Mispeh sometimes at Gilgal and at Nob and Gibeon and the House of Obed-Edom they fancy it was lawful to Sacrifice in other places For so we find Samuel did 1. Sam. VII 9. IX 13. where he sacrificed in an high place XI 15. XVI 2. and David 2 Sam. XXIV 18. and Elias 1 Kings XVIII 23. But these may be thought extraordinary acts done by an immediate warrant from God for none of these Persons were Priests but Prophets guided by Divine Inspirations See Dr. Owtram Lib. I. de Sacrific cap. 2. Blood shall be imputed unto that man he hath shed blood He was to be punished as a Murderer that is die for it For to have Blood imputed to a Man in the Hebrew phrase or to be guilty of Blood is to be liable to have his Blood shed or to lose his Life Which as of old it was
sorts before they were two He shall offer it of his own voluntary will In this Translation we follow the Opinion of the Jews who refer this to the Persons that brought this Offering which they might do when they pleased The like expressions we read XIX 5. XXII 19. But the LXX thought it hath respect to God and so the Phrase may be interpreted he shall bring it for his acceptation i. e. that he may find a favourable acceptance with God At the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where the Altar of Burnt-offering was placed XL Exod 6 29. And this was so necessary that it is required upon pain of death to be brought hither and offered in no other place XVII 3 4 c. For which cause it is likely the Door of the Tabernacle is here mentioned rather than the Altar that it might be understood to be unlawful to offer at any other Altar but that which stood at the door of the Tabernacle Before the LORD With their Faces towards that holy place where the Divine Majesty dwelt unto whom the Sacrifice was brought and at the door of the Tabernacle received by the Priest from the hand of the Offerer Ver. 4. Verse 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the Burnt-offering Both his hands as some gather from XVI 21. and as Maimonides saith he was to do it with all his might This was a Rite belonging to Peace-offerings as well as to Burnt-offerings III. 2. and to Sin-offerings also IV. 4. The meaning of which in this sort of Offerings seems to have been that he who brought the Sacrifice renounced all his Interest in it and transferred it wholly to God unto whose Service he intirely devoted it It being like to the old Ceremony among the Romans who laid their hands upon their Servants when they gave them their Liberty and abdicated their own Right in them saying Hunc hominem liberum esse volo I will that this Man be free which was called Manumission In other Offerings it had another meaning as I shall observe in due place and it was imitated by the Gentiles though not without the addition of impious Superstitions For they wreathed back the Head of the Beast upward when they sacrificed to the Gods above and thrust down its Head towards the Ground when they sacrificed to their Infernal Deities as J. Brentius hath observed in his Preface to this Book And it shall be accepted for him to make an atonement for him It shall be so acceptable as to recommend him to the favour of the Divine Majesty For so the Hebrew word Capher seems here to signifie not properly to make an Atonement which was the business of a Sin-offering but to own him to be in a state of Reconciliation with God unto whom he was supposed to give up himself wholly as he did this Beast The Jews indeed who stick to the literal signification of the word fancy that these Burnt-offerings expiated evil Thoughts and Desires but there is no ground for this in Scripture and the most that can be made of it is that God accepted his Prayers which he made in general for the forgiveness of all his sins when he laid his Hand upon the Head of this Sacrifice For it must be here observed that Laying on of Hands was always accompanied with Prayer as appears by Jacob's laying them on the Head of Manasseh and Ephraim XLVIII Gen. 14 16 20. and the High-Priest laying them on the Scape-goat XVIth of this Book 21. Insomuch that laying on of hands signifies sometimes in the New Testament to pray XIX Matth. 15. V Mark 23. and other places But if a Man had committed any sin there are other Sacrifices peculiarly appointed by the Law for their Expiation which he was bound to offer with confession of sin and prayer to God for pardon Ver. 5. Verse 5 And he shall kill the Bullock That is the Man himself who brought it as Rasi interprets it or one of the Levites as others understand it For they killed the Paschal Lamb at that great Passover mentioned 2 Chron. XXX 17. as Bochart observes But he should have added the reason of it which Rasi there gives that a great many of the Congregation having not sanctified themselves as we read in that place therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passover for every one that was not clean to sanctifie them unto the LORD Otherwise every Man might kill his own Passover XII Exod. 6. as they might do all their other Sacrifices For certain it is this was none of the works of Priests as Maimonides shows in a passage mentioned by Dr. Cudworth in his Book concerning the Lord's Supper p. 27. out of Biath Hammik-dath Where he quotes this very place to prove That the killing of the holy things might lawfully be done by a Stranger yea of the most holy things whether they were the holy things of private Persons or of the whole Congregation The common Objection to this is That none might come into the Court where the Altar was but the Priests To which the Answer is plain That upon this occasion other Persons might come so far within the Court be cause it was indispensably necessary that the Man who brought the Sacrifice should lay his hand upon the Head of it which was to be done at the Altar when it was to be slain Before the LORD See v. 3. And the Priests Aarons sons shall bring the blood Now begins the work of the Priests the receiving of the Blood and that which immediately followed belonging to their Office They received it in a Bason XXIV Exod. 6. as the manner also was among the Heathen which our learned Sheringham observes upon Codex Joma p. 85. out of Homer's Odyss L. III. where Thrasymedes is represented as cutting the Ox asunder with a Cleaver and Perseus as receiving the Blood in a Bason which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word used in Crete as Eustathius notes for such kind of Vessels which some think was originally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the receiving of the Blood And sprinkle the blood round about upon the Altar c. That this might be done readily one Priest received the Blood and another took it from him and sprinkled it about the Altar or as the Jews understand it on every side of the Altar which they performed by two sprinklings at the opposite Corners of it Which was a Rite also used in Peace-offerings and Trespass-offerings but in Sin-offerings the Blood was poured out at the foot of the Altar See VII 2. Thus the Heathen also themselves took care the Blood of their Sacrifices should not run upon the ground but be received as I said in Vessels prepared for that purpose and then poured upon their Altars and so offered and consecrated to their Gods So Lucian in his Book of Sacrifices represents the Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as pouring the Blood upon the
for Sin offered v. 14. before they could be worthy to have any Gift or Present which they made to God received by him But upon their Expiation an whole Burnt-offering was accepted v. 18. and after that followed this Sacrifice which was a Peace-offering as appears from v. 31. part of which was burnt upon the Altar part given to the Priest and the rest they themselves ate for whom it was offered that it might appear they were so far in the favour of God as to eat with him of his Meat from his Table Abarbanel hath the same observation Ver. 25. Verse 25 And he took the fat and the rump c. All this Verse likewise is there explained XXIX Exod. 22. Ver. 26 27 28. Verse 26 27 28. And out of the basket of unleavened bread c. These three Verses show that Moses exactly followed the Orders he had received XXIX Exod 23 24 25. where they have been explained Ver. 28. Verse 28 Burnt them upon the burnt-offering This shows that they were not a burnt-offering properly as I there observed but an Appendix to it They were consecrations for a sweet savour Because they were offered to consecrate and sanctifie them as this is explained XXIX Exod. 33. See there Ver. 29. Verse 29 And Moses took the breast and waved it c. According to the direction given XXIX Exod. 26. where it is also ordered that this should be Moses his part Ver. 30. Verse 30 And he took of the anointing oil and of the blood that was upon the Altar and sprinkled it on Aaron c. See XXIX Exod. 21. where it appears plainly this blood that was mixed with the Oil was the Blood of the Ram of Consecration Ver. 31. Verse 31 And Moses said unto Aaron and his sons Boil the flesh at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and there eat it c. God having had his part v. 28. and Moses who performed the Office of a Priest at this time having had that which belonged to him on that account v. 29. the rest was given as the manner was in Peace-offerings to those for whom the Sacrifice was offered that is all but the right shoulder which was burnt upon the Altar and the Wave-breast which was given to Moses as Priest See XXIX Exod. 31 32. Ver. 32. Verse 32 That which remains of the flesh and the blood shall ye burn with fire See XXIX Exod. 34. This shows it was of the nature of a Peace-offering VII 15 17. Ver. 33. Verse 33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the Tabernacle in seven days c. For till then their Consecration was not perfected as the following words signifie no more than the Consecration of the Altar was till a Bullock had been offered to cleanse it and make an atonement for it seven days together See XXIX Exod. 35 36 37. This was to make them more sensible of the great weight as well as dignity of their Office Ver. 34. Verse 34 As he hath done this day so the LORD hath commanded to do to make an atonement for you Every day of these seven those Sacrifices were to be repeated the Sin-offering the Burnt-offering and the Peace-offering and their Garments were to be sprinkled with the Blood and the Anointing Oil as the LORD required when Moses was with him in the Mount XXIX Exod. 35. This shows the imperfection of all the Legal Sacrifices which would not have been so often repeated if they had been of greater efficacy Yet the continuance of them seven days doth signifie the compleat Consecration of these Priests according to the Rites of those times In conformity to which our great High-Priest the LORD Christ who was perfected by one Sacrifice of himself spent seven days in his Consecration to his Office For as Aaron is commanded to attend at the Tabernacle so many days together in like manner our LORD Christ as Dr. Jackson observes in the forenamed Book Chapt. XXV did attend the Temple five days one after another before his death See XII John 1 12 c. XXI Matth. 8 9 c. and having purged it on the first or second of those days from the prophaneness that was exercised in it by Merchandizing and afterward hallowed it by his Doctrine and by his Divine Presence which appeared in several miraculous Cures he went the sixth day into his heavenly Sanctuary into Paradise it self to puririsie and sanctifie it with his own Blood as Moses at Aaron's Consecration did the material Sanctuary and Altar with the Blood of Beasts And having rested the seventh day finished all by his Resurrection early the next day in the morning Ver. 35. Verse 35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where all things mentioned in this Chapter had been done and were still to be repeated v. 3 4. for they could not go into the Sanctuary till they were compleated Day and night This was to make their Consecration more solemn and taken notice of by all the People Seven days By which means a Sabbath as the Jews observe passed over their heads without which they conceive Aaron and his Sons could not have been compleated But the Sabbath of the LORD did never so exactly pass over any High-Priest in his Consecration as it did over the High-Priest of the New Testament For however it were of Aaron's it was to our blessed Saviour as the fore-named Dr. Jackson notes a Day of Rest indeed after six days of Labour Watching Praying and Fasting which concluded in his bloody Death and Passion And keep the charge of the LORD That which he had now enjoyned Or rather watch the Tabernacle and his Vessels c. as they were to do in time to come The Hebrew Doctors have here raised a difficulty about the necessary Easements of Nature for which they had no convenience if they might not stir for seven days from the door of the Tabernacle and therefore they fancy there was a hole digged in the Ground for such occasions But it is more likely they were not so confined as not to be allowed this liberty and one cannot well doubt of it who considers the word Mismoroth here used which we translate keep the charge of the LORD which is a military phrase signifying the Stations and Watches kept in their turns for certain hours after which they were at liberty to attend their own Affairs Such was the charge here one may reasonably think of not departing from the door of the Tabernacle while they were upon the guard as we speak which some or other of them kept night and day in such order that while some watched others might sleep or step out about the necessary occasions of Nature That ye die not It may seem hard that they should be in peril of their Life if they omitted any of these Rites But this was necessary to make those serious and intent upon their business who were to save the Lives of
others by making Expiation for them when they deserved to perish For so I am commanded These Orders as hath been already observed he received in the holy Mount So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses This was necessary to be added that all Generations might be assured whatsoever was performed by their Ministry would be effectual to the end for which it was appointed they being exactly Consecrated to God's Service without the least omission of any thing that he had required In like manner our great High-Priest was Consecrated to his Eternal Priesthood by fulfilling all the Will of God and that in a far more Solemn and Publick way than Aaron's was it being performed by Suffering such things as nothing but a perfect Filial Obedience to his heavenly Father could have moved him to admit because it was accomplished by shedding his own Blood in a lingring Death CHAP. IX Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND it came to pass on the eighth day He doth not mean on the eighth day of the Month but on the next day after their Consecration which was seven days in doing VIII 33 35. Then it was that the Fire fell down from Heaven and consumed the Sacrifice which Aaron offered and this seems also to have been the first day of unleavened Bread which fell upon the fifteenth day of this Month for on the fourteenth in the Even which was the last day of the Consecration of the Priests the Passover was kept IX Numb 2 5. That Moses called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel Just as he had done before VIII 2 3. that the Rulers and as many of the People as could meet together to behold what was done might see the Glory of the LORD which appeared at this time v. 6. Ver. 2. Verse 2 And he said unto Aaron take thee a young Calf This is the first Sacrifice that was offered to God by the Priests of the Order of Aaron It differed from that which was offered by Moses for Aaron and his Sons as Egel a young Calf doth from Par a young Bullock by which his Sin was expiated at his Consecration And Maimonides saith that the former signifies a Calf of one year old the latter one of two Others say a Calf was called Egel till his Horns budded and then it was called Par. For a sin-offering For his sins in general not for any determinate Offence like that IV. 3. which therefore was something different from this The Jews fancy that a young Calf was appointed for the first Sin-offering to put Aaron and the People in mind of the Golden Calf which they worshipped So Maimonides reports the Opinion of their Wise men in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. Where he also hath this conceit that it was to expiate that Sin And a Ram for a burnt-offering For none but Males were accepted for Burnt-offerings I. 10. There is no Peace-offering ordered for him as there is afterward for the People v. 4. because it was not fit he should have all the Sacrifice as he must have had according to the Law of such Sacrifices being both the Priest and the Offerer between whom and the Priest after the Fat was burnt all was to be shared Ver. 3. Verse 3 And unto the Children of Israel thou shalt speak saying Unto all the Elders v. 1. who were to bring the following Offerings in the Name of all the People of Israel and that by Aaron's direction who was now to act as God's High-Priest and gave out this Order Take ye a Kid of the Goats for a sin-offering The Hebrew word Seir signifies a He-goat Concerning which Maimonides in his Book concerning Sacrifices delivers this opinion That all Sacrifices for sin whether of private Persons or the whole Congregation at their three principal Feasts New Moons and the Day of Expiation were He-goats For this reason because the greatest Sin and Rebellion of those times was that they sacrificed to Daemons who were wont to appear in that form For which he quotes XVII 7. They shall no more offer their Sacrifices lasseirim which we translate unto Devils but the word Seirim is but the Plural Number of the word Seir which signifies a Goat And further he adds That their Wise men think the Sin of the whole Congregation was therefore expiated by this Kid of a Goat because all the Family of Israel sinned about a Goat when they fold Joseph into Egypt XXXVII Gen. 31. And such reasons saith he as these should not seem trifles for the end and scope of all these Actions was to imprint and ingrave on the Mind of Sinners the Offences they had committed that they might never forget them According to that of David LI Psal 5. My sin is ever before me This Sin-offering was different from that IV. 14. being not for any particular Sin as that was but in general for all the Offences that the High-Priest might have committed A Calf and a Lamb both of the first year c. When they were in their prime Ver. 4. Verse 4 Also a Bullock and a Ram. These also were no doubt to be without blemish as is prescribed in the two foregoing Offerings And the Hebrew word Sor which we translate a Bullock often signifies a well grown Ox as in XXI Exod. 28. XXV Deut. 8. As Ajil a Ram the Hebrews say signifies a Sheep of above a year old These made very large Peace-offerings and consequently a liberal Feast upon them For peace-offerings The very same order is here observed that was at Aaron's Consecration First Sin-offerings then a Burnt-offering and then a Peace-offering was offered to the LORD VIII 14 18 22. And a meat-offering mingled with oil Which was to compleat the Peace-offerings on which they were to feast that Meat might not be without Bread to it For to day the LORD will appear to you Give you an illustrious Token of his Presence by sending Fire from Heaven or from the Brightness of his GLORY to consume the Sacrifice v. 23 24. Whereby they were all assured that both the Institution of this Priesthood and the Sacrifices offered by it were acceptable to the Divine Majesty Ver. 5. Verse 5 And they brought that which Moses commanded Both Aaron v. 2. and all the Congregation v. 3. brought all the Offerings which Moses required Before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where these Sacrifices were to be offered And all the Congregation drew near and stood before the LORD Approached to the door of the Tabernacle and stood there by their Sacrifices looking towards the Holy Place and worshipped the LORD Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses said Unto the Congregation This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do I require this of you by the commandment of God who will demonstrate by a visible Token his Presence among you And the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you That Glory which filled the Tabernacle when it was erected
one Lamb but on this day was two Rams one for himself and another for the People unto which there was an additional offering of seven Lambs of the first year as they tell us in Joma cap. 7. sect 3. But before this they there say he went and read to the People out of the Book of the Law which was with great Ceremony delivered to him And he might read either in his Pontifical Habit or in his own Robes which he pleased for Reading was no Ministry as the Gemara there observes This pleading began at XXIX Numb 7. c. where the Sacrifice of seven Lambs is ordered upon this day And make an atonement for himself and the people Rather having made an atonement which was already done by other Sacrifices not by these Ver. 25. Verse 25 And the fat of the sin-offering shall be burnt upon the Altar This also I think should be translated in the same manner having burnt the fat of the sin-offering which was done I suppose in the Morning when both the Bullock and the Goat were offered for Sin v. 11 14. but was not mentioned till now to show that their Sacrifices were not perfected till both Aaron and the People were reconciled to God after which their burnt Sacrifices were acceptable to him This burning of the Fat was ordered in all Sin-offerings IV. 8 10 26. and therefore was not now to be omitted And perhaps it was reserved to be burnt when the Flesh of the Bullock and the Goat was burnt without the Camp v. 27. which was in the conclusion of all the Services of this Day Ver. 26. Verse 26 And he that let go the Goat for the Scape-goat After the Man had dismissed the Goat it was not lawful for him to return further back than one Mile to the last Tabernacle where he was permitted to rest himself after his labour and not remain all Night in the Wilderness So they tell us in Joma cap. 6. sect 6. Shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water This Goat being a publick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Purgation upon whom all their sins were thrown was extreamly impure and therefore could not be touched without rendring the Person who led him away unclean in the highest degree Which was the reason that he was bound to wash both his Clothes and also his whole Body in water before he could so much as come into the Camp Porphyry observes the same custom among the Heathen who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words are in such kind of Sacrifices as those for the averting Evils permitted no Man who had meddled with them to come into the City or to go to his own House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who had not first washt his Clothes and his Body in some River or in Spring-water L. II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sect 44. For nothing is more known than that such a kind of Purification for washing themselves was a Custom all the World over and continues to this day in the Eastern or other hot Countries not only among the Mahometans but the Pagans who plunge themselves frequently three times one after another into their Rivers rising up with their faces to the East as all Travellers into those parts tell us And afterward come into the Camp Have free Conversation with his Brethren and I suppose without any further Ceremony be admitted to the Sanctuary Ver. 27. Verse 27 And the Bullock for the sin-offering and the Goat for the sin-offering Mentioned v. 11 15. Whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place Of which we read in the same place v. 14 15. Shall one carry forth But first they were ript up and the Imurim as they call them mentioned IV. 8 9. taken out to be burnt upon the Altar And then the Priest dissected them as the Misna saith in Joma cap. 6. sect 7. not into pieces as was wont to be done in Burnt-offerings but made only deep Incisions letting the parts hang still together Which being done four Men saith R. Solomon carried them forth upon two Staves or Bars one being not able to do it and accordingly the LXX translate these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall carry forth But one Person it 's likely had the principal care to see them burnt which is the reason he only is mentioned Without the Camp Into a clean place where the Ashes were wont to be poured out IV. 12. There were three Camps as I noted before XIII 46. the Camp of the People unto which Jerusalem answered in after times the Camp of the Levites unto which answered the Mountain of the House as they called it the whole Circuit about the Temple and the Camp of God or the Sanctuary with all its Courts unto which answered the Temple and its Courts So Maimonides in his Treatise called Beth Habbechira cap. 7. Now as these Sacrifices were carried to be burnt without the Camp of the People when they were in the Wilderness so they were burnt without the City of Jerusalem after the Temple was built there Which illustrates the words of the Apostle XIII Hebr. 10 11 c. where he takes it for granted as a thing they all knew that Jerusalem answered to the Camp of Israel And from thence shows that the Mystery prefigured by this Goat whose Blood was brought into the holy place to make atonement as he speaks in this Verse was accomplished in our blessed LORD and Saviour who that he might sanctifie the People with his own blood suffered without the Gate as the Apostle there observes that is without the City yet near the Suburbs of Jerusalem whose Type or Figure was the Camp of the Israelites in the Wilderness And the intent of the Apostle in this and other such like Observations was to show that our Saviour's Sufferings on the Cross were a most true and proper Sacrifice a Sacrifice fully satisfactory for the Sins of the World or rather more satisfactory for all the Sins of Men against the Moral Law of God than the Sacrifices on the Day of Atonement the Passover or other Anniversary Solemnities were for sins meerly against the Law of Ceremonies As the Apostle shows in the foregoing part of that Epistle IX Hebr. 13 14. And they shall burn in the fire their skins and their flesh and their dung Here it is plain there was more than one who carried the Bodies of these Beasts without the Camp they being too heavy for any single Person to bear And they burnt them intirely See IV. 11 12. except what was offered upon the Altar Yet Josephus is pleased to except 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which he seems to mean their Rumps Lib. III. cap. 30. In which he forgot himself for though these were comprehended under the Imurim of some Sacrifices See VII 3. yet neither here nor in the fourth Chapter v. 8 9. is there any mention of this Fat nor is it comprehended under the Fat mentioned above v.
us Lib. VII p. 802. that at Mendes where they worshipped Pan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goats which were there also worshipped lay with Women For which he quotes Pindar as do also Priscianus and Aelian Lib. VII de Animal cap. 19. as Casaubon there notes And Herodotus vouches this upon his own knowledge and saith they did it openly so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies when he was in Egypt His words are these in his second Book called Euterpe cap. 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This prodigy hapned in this part of Egypt i. e. among the Mendesians when I was there a Goat had to do with a Woman in the view of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How long this beastly Custom had been among them none can tell but these words import that then it was notorious and so far from being kept secret that they rather made an ostentation of it Which I look upon as an argument that this had been a very old practice otherwise they would have blushed at it Ver. 24. Verse 24 Defile not your selves in any of these things This seems to relate particularly to the sins before-mentioned v. 20 21 22 23. See v. 26. For in all these the Nations are defiled which I cast out before you The seven Nations that inhabited the Land of Canaan mentioned in many places particularly VII Deut. 1. were so over-run with these filthy Vices that God could not bear with them but ordered them to be destroyed for this very reason Which was a sufficient Caution to the Israelites who came in their room to keep themselves from such Impurities Ver. 25. Verse 25 And the Land is defiled To make the Israelites the more abominate such doings he represents the very Land in which they dwelt as sensible of the foul wickedness of the Inhabitants who were a loathsome burden to it which it could not digest Therefore do I visit the iniquity thereof upon it I am about to punish them upon that account And the Land it self vomiteth out its inhabitants A most eloquent figure expressing the excessive loathsomness of their wickedness which made their own Country nauseate them and throw them out as our Stomack doth Meat that offends it The same expression is used v. 28. XX. 22. III Rev. 16. Theodoret expounds this word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies their Expulsion as an execrable People And indeed the word vomit in Scripture is used for that which is most detestable and abominable XXVIII Isa 8. XLVIII Jer. 26. II Habakk 10. Ver. 26. Verse 26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments These Laws I have given you See v. 4 5. And shall not commit any of these abominations From this word abominations which the Nations God cast out to make room for them are said to have committed v. 27. some conclude that every one of the foregoing Marriages mentioned in this Chapter are in their own nature sinful the Nations who had no positive Law to forbid them being cast out for such Pollutions But the meer force of this word will not warrant such a conclusion because several things are called in this Book an abomination which have no moral turpitude in them but were made so by God's positive Laws as Mr. Selden observes Lib. V. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 11. p. 598. from XI Lev. 10.20 41 42. where several sorts of Creatures are forbidden to be eaten as abominable And the Sacrifice of a Bullock or a Sheep that had a blemish is said to be an abomination XVII Deut. 1. not from the very nature of the thing but from the Prohibition which God had made against such Offerings It is most reasonable therefore to refer the abominations here spoken of to those foul things mentioned in the latter end of this List v. 20 21 22 23. and to those in the beginning v. 7 8 9 c. For lying with ones Mother or Mother-in-law or Sister was always an abomination But we cannot say the same of every one of the rest the Law it self following or rather requiring in one case the marriage of a brother's wife which were made an abomination by the Law now given to the Israelites Neither any of your own Nation nor any Stranger that sojourneth among you That is any Proselyte who had embraced their Religion See XVII 8. Ver. 27. Verse 27 For all these abominations have the men of the Land done which were before you c. He admonishes them to beware of these Abominations by the example of those who were utterly undone by them For God is no respecter of Persons but would punish them in the same manner if they did the same things Ver. 28. Verse 28 That the Land spue not you out also c. As it did at last IX Jer. 19. XXXVI Ezek. 17. Ver. 29. Verse 29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people The multitude of the Offenders shall not keep off the Punishment but they shall suffer by the hand of the Judges or by the Hand of God if they neglect their Duty See XVII Gen. 14. Ver. 30. Verse 30 Therefore shall ye keep mine Ordinances Live by all these Rules which I have now given you That ye commit not any of these abominable Customs which were committed before you By observing every one of these Laws they were kept at a distance from those greater Abominations mentioned in the beginning and in the latter end of these Prohibitions The positive Laws or Ordinances now added being in the nature of an antemurale or an out-work to stop their proceeding to the higher Crimes which were against the Law of Nature I am the LORD your God As their LORD he had Authority to make these Laws and as their God they had particular Obligations to observe them Nay it was a singular token of his Love to them that he prescribed these Laws of Chastity and Modesty that thereby he might preserve them an holy People to him pure and free from those abominable filthinesses and those indecent Conjunctions that were practised in the World For as the ancient Rule was Semper in omnibus conjunctionibus non solum quod liceat considerandum est sed quod honestum est In all Marriages it is always to be considered not meerly what is lawful but what is honest and seemly Which is more true in the Christian Religion than in any other For thereby Marriage is advanced to represent the Unity that is between Christ and his Church And besides in contracting Marriage we are not only to have regard to our own Conscience as Joh. Brentius wisely observes upon the fore-named Rule of the ancient Law but to Succession also and to Inheritances And therefore id agendum quod boni viri honestum judicant a legitimo Magistratu permittitur that is to be done both which good Men judge to be honest and is allowed by lawful
that the Poor might know where to come for it as R. Levi Barcelonita explains it Praecept CCXIII. And this whether they were in the Land of Israel or out of it as Mr. Selden observes out of the Talmudists Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 6. p. 692. where he shows it was the custom to add something to the sixtieth part proportionable to the largeness of the Field or the multitude of the Poor or the greatness of the Crop Neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest That is if an ear or two of Corn fell as they cut it or bound it up out of the Sheaves or from under their Sickle they were not to gather them up from the ground but leave them for the Poor as oft as they fell But not if there fell three ears at a time as the Talmudists determine See Mr. Selden in the place above-named and the same R. Levi Praecept CCXIV. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard When they had cut off the great Bunches they were not to examine the Vine over again for the scattered Grapes or small Clusters Neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy Vineyard If any fell to the ground as they gathered them they were not to take them up That is if one or two Clusters fell but not if three much less if more for they construe this as they do the Precept about Ears of Corn v. 9. They also say they were bound to leave the Corners of the Vineyard uncut as well as the Corners of the Field R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCXXX and CCXXXI and Mr. Selden Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 6. in the place before-named And these Precepts obliged such Strangers as sojourned among them mentioned XVII 8. XVIII 26. who before they were admitted to embrace the Jewish Religion were examined whether they understood that they must observe such and such Precepts particularly these here mentioned which were propounded to them plainly and distinctly and after they had promised to keep them they were Circumcised c. As G. Schickard observes out of the Talmud the custom was after the destruction of Jerusalem in Mishpal Hamelek cap. 5. Theorem XVII Thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger Though by Stranger the Jews think is understood a Proselyte of Righteousness as they call him who had embraced their Religion by receiving Circumcision yet they did not hinder any poor Gentile from partaking of this Charity as the same R. Levi says And if any one transgressed any of the Precepts contained in these two Verses he was beaten as Mr. Selden shows Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. 13. n. 8. I am the LORD your God I give you the Country to which you go with these reserves for the Poor and have been so bountful to you that I require you to be so them Ver. 11. Verse 11 Ye shall not steal Here are several Moral Precepts put briefly together for the maintaining Justice and Truth without which Societies cannot be preserved And first he forbids Theft the coveting of other Mens Goods being the Source of the other Sins that follow And whether they were the Goods of an Israelite or of a Gentile Idolater that any Man stole he was bound to make Restitution as R. Levi observes Praecept CCXXXII See XXII Exod. 1. Neither deal falsly This is a Divine Caution as the Hebrew Doctors observe against denying a thing that was deposited with them or which they had found c. which they would never pretend they had not if they were disposed to be sincere and upright in their Dealing Neither lie one to another Words being intended to declare the Mind and for no other end he that hears us speak hath a right in Justice to be done him that what we speak be true For otherwise he doth not know our mind by our words and then we had better be dumb But though all kind of lying be contrary to the intention of God in giving us Speech yet this relates particularly to such lies whereby a Man's Neighbour was injured defrauded for instance of his Goods which he had deposited with another or of the just Debts which were owing him c. But though the simple denying of such things was not punished with beating as Mr. Selden represents the opinion of the Talmudists Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 11. yet he that denied a thing deposited with him was not admitted to be a Witness in any case though he had not forsworn himself unto which this lying disposed him So R. Levi Praecept CCXXXIII Ver. 12. Verse 12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsly Much less was it lawful for them to confirm the lies fore-mentioned with an Oath So the Jewish Doctors interpret it as Mr. Selden observes in the same place If any Man did and was found guilty he was adjudged to restore the principal and a fifth part more VI. 5. And whether he forswore himself knowingly or ignorantly he was to expiate his Crime with a Sacrifice But if he was ignorant of that Command concerning a Sacrifice or if though he had the thing which he denied in his keeping yet he had really forgot it when he swore he had it not he was freed both from the fifth part and from the Sacrifice See V. 4. Neither shalt thou profane the Name of thy God By calling God to witness unto a frivolous thing or to a rash Resolution As if a Man swore in his anger he would not speak to such a Person but afterwards did or he would not eat of such Meat c. In such cases the Jews say when a Man's heart was touched with Repentance for his rashness and incogitancy he was to go to some wise Man or to three Neighbours and desire them to absolve him from his Oath of which he truly repented Which they did when they found him truly penitent saying Be thou loosed or It is remitted to thee or the like So Selden observes out of Maimonides Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 11. n. 9. Plato hath said some remarkable thing concerning Forswearing and also of Lying and Deceit For which I refer the learned Reader to his eleventh Book of Laws p. 916 917. Edit Serrani I am the LORD And therefore expect the greatest Reverence to my Name and that you should deal honestly one with another Ver. 13. Verse 13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour neither rob him c. Here are several Precepts almost coincident in their sense but have some peculiar Negations belonging to them For as R. Levi Barcelonita observes in all things from which God would have them carefully abstain he multiplies admonitions Praecept CXXXVI Accordingly here to defraud is to keep in ones hand that which belongs to another and such a Person he saith is called an Oppressor in Scripture The Vulgar Latine refers it to that which Men get from others by Calumny as the next words relate to that which is wrested
CCLII against Gluttony and Drunkenness such as the rebellious Son was guilty of XXI Deut. 18 c. which made Men prone to shed blood for so he understands this Precept Thou shalt not eat upon blood i. e. eat till thou art excited to shed blood unto which he applied XXXII Deut. 15. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked But this is a very forced Interpretation and our Translation is not exact for he doth not say Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood but ye shall not eat upon the blood or at the blood Which Oleaster very sagaciously suspected to be a piece of Superstition unknown to him And so did the LXX when they translated it Ye shall not eat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Mountains which was an Idolatrous Custom mentioned in IV Hosea 13. and here forbidden as Procopius and Hesychius imagine But the Hebrew word haddam no where signifies a Mountain but Blood as the Vulgar here truly translates it There is a Greek Scholion which renders these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall not eat on the house top Which in all likelyhood as some have conjectured was a mistake of the Transcriber for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the blood which is the litteral Translation of the Hebrew phrase and imports something more than is prohibited XVII 12. where he simply saith No soul of you shall eat blood But here warns them against an Idolatrous Practise of the Zabij who to enter into the Society of Daemons and obtain their favour were wont to gather the blood of their Sacrifices into a Vessel or a little Hole digg'd in the Earth and then sitting about it to eat the Flesh of the Sacrifices imagining that by eating as it were of the same food for they thought the Daemons fed upon the blood as their Worshippers did upon the flesh they contracted a Friendship and Familiarity with them So Maimonides relates in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. For the prevention of which Idolatrous Custom God ordered their Sacrifices to be offered only at one place where his own House was and there the Priests sprinkling the blood and they eating the flesh of their Peace-offerings God and they feasted together upon them Nachmanides is wont to oppose Maimonides in his Notions yet this was so plain that he confesses as Dr. Cudworth hath observed in his Treatise of the Right Notion of the Lord's Supper Chap. ult that blood it self was forbidden in the Law upon the account of the Heathens performing their Superstitious Worship in this manner by gathering together blood for their Daemons and then coming themselves and eating of it with them whereby they were their Daemon's guests and by this kind of Communion with them were enabled to prophesie and foretel things to come And this Interpretation is the more probable that they hoped by eating of the blood of the Sacrifices or the flesh or both to have such familiarity with them as to receive Revelations from them and be inspired with the Knowledge of secret things if we consider the two other Prohibitions in this Verse that are joyned with this of not eating upon blood which show that it was a Rite of Divination Neither shall ye use inchantment In the Hebrew the words are lo tenakashu which all agree signifie some Superstitious observation or other whereby they made omens and guessed what should happen to them either from Men's sneezing or the breaking of a Shoes Latchet or the name of a Man they met withal or some Creatures crossing their way or passing upon their right hand or their left And most following the LXX and the Vulgar Latin take it for Divination by the flying or crying or pecking of Birds But the word Nachash signifying a Serpent and having no relation at all to Birds the famous Bochartus thinks tenachashu which seems to be derived from thence to relate rather to the ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divination by Serpents than to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divination by Birds For it was very much in use among the Gentiles in old time as appears from Homer in his VIIth Iliad where Chalcas seeing a Serpent devour eight Sparrows with their Dam divined how long the Trojan War would last And many such instances he heaps up together in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. I. cap. 3. R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCLIII refers this to any kind of Divination by their Staff falling out of their hand by a Serpent creeping on their right hand or a Fox going by their left c. which made them forbear any work they were about but he thinks withal it may signifie as we translate it Inchantment to cure Wounds for instance by reading a Verse of the Law or laying the Book of the Law or a Phylactery upon a Child's head to procure sleep which are such Superstitions as are now in use among some Christians who hang the first Verse of St. John's Gospel about Peoples Necks to cure an Ague But such things could not be meant by Moses who had not yet delivered them a Copy of his Laws nor can we certainly fix upon any other in particular which were then in use See J. Coch upon the Title Sanhedrim cap. 7. n. 18. and Maimonides de Idololatria cap. 11. sect 4 5 6 c. where he gives a great number of instances of such Superstitious Observations as were in use among the Heathen some of which are mentioned by Theophrastus in his Characters of Superstition and by Plutarch in his Book on the same subject and are derided by Terence in his Phormio Act. IV. Scen. 4. With which Superstitions the greatest Persons were anciently very much infected and they were so settled in Mens minds that when they became Christians they could not presently shake them off as appears by the frequent Reprehensions which St. Chrysostom and others give to those who continued to be governed by them Particularly in his VIII Homily upon the Colossians he chides his People severely for contemning the Cross of Christ and calling in old drunken Women with their Salt their Ashes and Soot to free those that were bewitcht And more especially in his VI Hom. against the Jews he sharply rebukes those that used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charms and things hung about the Neck to cure Agues whereby they got a worse disease in their Souls and wounded their Consciences c. And in other places he Reprehends their observing of Omens good and bad some of which which were very strange See Tom. VI. p. 610 611. Edit Savil. Nor observe times Take no notice of days according to the Precepts of Astrologers who made some to be lucky others unlucky For the Jews generally think something of this nature is here forbidden the Hebrew word teonenu being derived they imagine from Onah which signifies time as R. Levi before-mentioned saith Praecept CCLIV such an hour being thought by Superstitious People to be fit for business but another very cross to it Which
great wickedness to be punished with death if a young Man did not rise up to an old Credebant hoc grande nefas morte piandum Si juvenis vetulo non assurrexerat And such a Law there was established among the Lacedaemonians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That aged Persons should be reverenced no less than if they were their Fathers And so Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every one reverence him that is elder than himself in deed and in word Lib. IX de Legibus p. 875. Where he requires that a Youth should honour a Stranger that was his ancient and hath this memorable saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That Youth should glory more in obeying well than in ruling well And first of all in obeying the Laws for this is all one with serving God and next in giving honour to old Men and to those especially who have passed their days honourably and with glory See more to this purpose in Henricus Stephanus de juris civilis font rivis And there was the greater reason for this Reverence toward old Men in this Nation there being nothing else among them but Age and Experience that could distinguish them for they were all equally noble and equally rich of the same Profession and brought up in the same manner And honour the face of the old Man Or of the Elder that is of those who were skilful in the Law as the Jews interpret it and I see no reason to contradict it as some have done since he speaks of aged Persons before See Mr. Selden Lib. I. de Synedr cap. 14. where he deduces this at large and another excellent Writer of our own Mr. Thorndike in his Rights of the Church in a Christian State p. 214 c. For if such as taught the Law had not been honoured before Men no body would have minded their words nor received what they propounded about things to be known or to be done as Maimonides words are in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 36. And it made no difference of what Age he was whether an old Man or a young for some Elders it appears by Daniel were not aged but the same honour was given to him even by wise Men as R. Levi Barcelonita shows Praecept CCXXII And fear thy God This is the fountain of all Vertue particularly of the fore-mentioned God having imprinted a venerable Character upon those who are grown aged especially on such as are wise and instruct others in Vertue But some of the Hebrews think that in this Verse there are three Degrees of Honour enjoyned to three Ranks of Men one to the Aged the next to the Wise and Learned and the third to the Judges who they imagine are here meant by Elohim God whom they are commanded to fear or reverence I am the LORD Most high above all and therefore greatly to be feared Ver. 33. Verse 33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your Land ye shall not vex him Not so much as by upbraiding him with his being a Stranger or his having worshipped Idols heretofore For of such a Stranger they understand this as was become a Proselyte to their Religion See XVII 8 12 13. and XXII Exod. 21. But common Humanity teaches every Body to be kind to all manner of Stangers and not meerly to refrain from oppressing them or giving them vexation Plato hath most excellent Discourses about this in several places particularly Lib. V. de Legibus where he shows that God is the Avenger of all Wrongs done to Strangers more than of those that are done to our fellow Citizens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For a Stranger being destitute of Friends and Kindred is the greater object of pity both of Men and of God And therefore he that can hurt most should be most ready to help him c. See p. 729 730. Edit Serrani Upon which account he makes it lawful for a Stranger to pluck any of the best Fruit as he is upon his way whether Grapes Figs or Apples c. Lib. VIII p. 845. And the Corn being divided as he would have it into twelve parts and a twelfth part divided into three he orders one of those third parts to be given to Strangers p. 847 848. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Stranger or Sojourner ought to be comforted in a most friendly manner c. See Lib. XII p. 952 953. Ver. 34. Verse 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with thee shall be as one born among you They understand this only of such a Stranger who by Circumcision was become a perfect Proselyte whom they were to be so far from oppressing that they were to treat him as if he had been a Native Jew and love him as a Brother And thou shalt love him as thy self He had commanded them v. 18. to love their Neighbour i. e. an Israelite they expound it as themselves and now he commands them to love a Stranger with the same Affection which demonstrates they think he was become an Israelite and therefore was to have the same Priviledges with themselves both in all Civil and Sacred things And this no doubt was true that they were bound to treat such a Proselyte with a tender Affection and to make no difference between him and an Israelite For he was to be admitted to eat of the Paschal Lamb and of the Peace-offerings and he might marry with an Israelite insomuch that Moses saith One Ordinance shall be for both XV Numb 15. All the difference I can find was That they never admitted any Stranger to be a Member of the great Sanhedrim But notwithstanding all this I cannot think it reasonable to exclude all other Strangers from their Affection but they were bound to love them and to be kind to them though not to embrace them with such a strict Friendship as the other And to confirm this it may be observed That in the fourth Commandment the Stranger within their Gate signifies as they confess not him that was a perfect Proselyte but only one that had renounced Idolatry And so they understand the word Stranger in the XXVth Chapter of this Book v. 47. and I see no reason why such a Stranger should not be admitted here to have a share in their Affection who was become a Worshipper of the true God though he had not taken upon him to observe the whole Law For ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt This Reason is little less than a Demonstration that such Strangers as I now mentioned are comprehended in the foregoing Precept For the remembrance of what their Condition was in Egypt is that whereby they are moved to have pity on those whom they found among themselves in the same and they and the Egyptians were not of the same Religion but found such kind entertainment there a long time as they were to give to those who were of their Religion This Argument indeed became stronger when any Persons were incorporated with them
to be burnt XXI 9. and the Adulterer to be strangled as the Jews understand it If a man lay with a Virgin espoused to another man but not yet married they were both to be stoned by the express words of the Law XXII Deut. 23. But Adultery with a married Woman if we may credit the Jewish Doctors was punished with strangling See Selden Lib. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 2. For when we meet with this phrase they shall surely die it is always meant of Death by the Sentence of the House of Judgment as they speak and if the Law add no more they resolve it to be by strangling If these words be added their blood shall be upon them then they say they were to be stoned This I observed before and shall add now that strangling as they describe it was not such a punishment as our hanging men by the neck but the Criminal being stuck up to the knees in dung they tied a Napkin about his Neck and drawing it hard at both ends choaked him There was such a thing as hanging men on a Gallows as we speak but it was after they were dead and only such as had been stoned and not all them neither but such alone as had been stoned for Blasphemy or Adultery See Joh. Carpzovius upon Schickard's Jus Regium cap. 4. Theorem XIV The greatest thing that can be objected against this account of the punishment of Adultery is that which St. John tells us the Jews said concerning the Woman taken in the very act of it Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned VIII Joh. 5. But it may be answered that this Woman was espoused only and not yet married and so by the Law as I observed before was to be stoned XXII Deut. 23 24. If this seem absurd that the Adultery of one espoused should be accounted a greater Crime than of one married for stoning was an heavier punishment than strangling it ought to be considered that the love of those who were newly espoused was commonly more fervent than theirs who were married especially among the Jews who for light causes were wont to be divorced from their Wives And therefore no wonder if the Adultery of the former was judged a greater Crime than of the latter Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the man that lieth with his fathers wife c. This was condemned before as an heinous sin XVIII 8. and now the penalty of Death is inflicted upon the Offenders Their blood shall be upon them All the Hebrew Doctors agree that wheresoever we meet with this phrase it is meant of stoning as I before observed Ver. 12. Verse 12 If a man lie with his daughter-in-law both of them shall surely be put to death This was forbidden XVIII 15. and the same penalty is here enacted as against the former Crime They have wrought confusion By perverting the order which God hath appointed and making great disturbance in the Family c. It is the same word that is used for a more foul sin XVIII 23. and therefore shows this to be an abominable mixture Ver. 13. Verse 13 If a man also lie with mankind c. This also was condemned before XVIII 22. but the penalty not declared till now They shall surely be put to death c. By stoning unless one of them was under a force and then that Law took place which we find XXII Deut. 25 26. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And if a man take a wife and her mother it is wickedness See XVIII 17. They shall be burnt with fire Which was an higher punishment than stoning as that was higher than strangling R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCXXIV. describes the manner of it to have been thus They set the Malefactor in dung up to the knees and then tied a Cloath about his Neck which was drawn by the two Witnesses till they made his Mouth gape into which they poured hot melted Lead down his Throat which burnt his bowels And thus the rest of the Talmudists expound it But I see no good Authority they have for it the word for burning being the same that is used when mention is made of burning with Fire and Faggots as we speak And R. Elieser ben Zadock saith he saw a Priest's Daughter thus burnt for Fornication But the Doctors commonly say the Judges were ignorant of the Law or that they were Sadducees who then had got into the Seat of Judgment who followed the very Letter of the Scripture Both he and they That is both the Mother and Daughter if the Mother were consenting to it Otherwise only the Woman that offended From whence the Karaites formed this Rule after the same manner that men were obliged by a Precept in Scripture the Women were obliged also Selden Lib. Uxor Hebr. cap. 5. That there be no wickedness among you That others may be deterred from the commission of such enormous Crimes For the Hebrew word imports more than ordinary wickedness See XVIII 17. Ver. 15. Verse 15 And if a man lie with a beast he shall surely be put to death See XVIII 23. This Death was by stoning as appears from the next Verse And ye shall slay the beast Just as they were to destroy not only the Inhabitants of an Apostate City but their Cattel also c. XIII Deut. 15 16. to terrifie others from committing the like sin And as the Talmudists observe that there might be no Memorial left of so foul a Crime by Mens pointing at the Beast and saying There goes the Beast that such a Man lay with They might have added to prevent monstrous Births See Selden Lib. I. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. Maimonides gives a good reason why a Beast that killed a Man should be slain as a punishment to the Owner for looking no better after it but his application of it to this matter seems impertinent More Nevoch P. III. cap. 40. Bochartus his Gloss is far better The Beast was killed as an Instrument in the Crime just as a Forger of Deeds is hanged with his Pen and Counterfeit Seals and a Conjurer with his Magical Books and Characters And this also is useful for an Example though not to other Beasts yet to Men whose concern it is to consider that if Beasts were not spared who were not capable of sinning what would become of them who committed such Crimes against the known Law of God and the impressions of Nature it self Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. 2. cap. 16. Ver. 16. Verse 16 Their blood shall be upon them This relates to the Man and the Woman mentioned in these two Verses who committed this foul Crime for a Beast is not capable of punishment But as the Canon Law speaks Pecora inde credendum est jussa interfici quia tali flagitio contaminata refricant facti memoriam it is to be believed that the Beasts which were polluted with such a flagitious wickedness were therefore commanded to be slain because they rub'd up the memory of
between Crown and anointing Oil and so make two reasons why he should distinguish himself from all other Men. First because the holy Crown as it is called XXIX Exod. 6. which had holiness to the LORD ingraven on it XXVIII Exod. 36. was set upon his Head and his Head also was anointed with the holy Oil XXX Exod. 25 30. whereby he was in a special manner consecrated to the Service of the most High But there is no need of this for the anointing Oil it self was that which sanctified him to his Office and was poured on him after the holy Crown was set on his head VIII Lev. 9 12. And so these words may be translated The Consecration for so the Hebrew word Nezer signifies of the anointing Oil of his God is upon him That is he must remember he is solemnly devoted unto my Ministry by that anointing and therefore must not leave it to attend any other I am the LORD Whose Servant he is by a peculiar Obligation Ver. 13. Verse 13 And he shall take a Wife From the word Wife in the singular number the Talmudists generally conclude that Polygamy was not allowed to the High-Priest who was to have but one Wife at a time though other Men were permitted to have more See Selden Lib. II. de Successione in Pontif. cap. 2. p. 207. and Vxor Hebraica Lib. I. cap. 8. If he did take another he was to give a Bill of Divorce to one of them before the great Day of Expiation or else he was uncapable to perform the Offices of it as P. Cunaeus observes in the place fore-named out of Joma But if his Wife died it was not unlawful for him to marry again as Tertullian fancied from this very place Lib. de de Monogam cap. 7. and Exhort ad Cast cap. 7. In her virginity And not so much as espoused to any other Person Nor was any sort of Virgin thought fit for his Wife but only one that was newly come out of her minority and had not yet attained to her full puberty as Maimonides explains the sense of their ancient Doctors See Selden Lib. I. Vxor Hebr. cap. 7. where he observes also that this is to be understood of the High-Priest after he was in his Office for if he had married a Widow before he was High-Priest he was to keep her and not put her away when he was advanced to it But there are those who imagine this Law obliged all the common Priests who were to marry none but Virgins as they are perswaded from XLIV Ezek. 22. And no less Man than Hugo Grotius seems to be of this opinion both here and in his Book de Jure Belli Pacis Lib. II. cap. 5. n. 9. in his Annotata to that Section But the Hebrew Doctors are all of a contrary mind and so are Josephus and Philo as Mr. Selden observes in his Addenda to the seventh Chapter of his first Book Vxor Hebr. and Lib. II. de Success in Pontif. cap. 2. p. 208. And so Cunaeus also in the place fore-named speaking of this very Law Non enim Sacerdotibus posita eadem Lex fuit Quippe viduam illi rite duxerunt c. But above all a later most learned Writer Joh. Wagenseil hath largely confuted this opinion in which he hath shown Grotius was singular For besides that Ezekiel there supposes they might marry the Widow of a Priest it is evident both from Jewish and Christian Interpreters that the state of things under the Law is not to be measured by what the Prophet Ezekiel saith concerning the future Temple and Priests But as Kimchi himself saith upon this place If this Verse must be expounded of every Priest it relates to the greater sanctity of the future Temple for the Law at first undoubtedly was that none but the High-Priest was confined to marry a Virgin What Grotius alledges out of Josephus to prove his affection he hath shown with due respect to so great a Man doth him no Service See his Annotata ad Mischna Sota cap. 4. p. 557 c. Ver. 14. Verse 14 A Widow This was peculiar to the High-Priest that besides other Women which no Priest might marry he alone is forbidden to marry a Widow as the same learned Person there shows is the sense of all the Hebrew Writers And Moses Kotzensis observes that by a Widow is to be understood not only a Woman that had been married but if she had been meerly espoused it was unlawful for the High-Priest to take her for his Wife And by the High-Priest he saith is to be understood not only the Successor of Aaron but he also that was anointed to the War Which seems to be a stretching of the word beyond its meaning though the word Widow may be allowed to comprehend one only espoused whom he might not marry though she had been espoused to his Predecessor Or a divorced woman No nor the Wife of his Brother that died without Issue which others were bound to marry but he was not Or profane The word Chalalah was explained before v. 7. which according to the Jews signifies a Woman born of such a Person as a Priest is prohibited to marry As if the High-Priest had taken a Widow and had a Daughter by her that Child was profane and might not be married though a Virgin by a succeeding High-Priest And so of the rest See Buxtorf de Sponsal Divort. p. 37 38. Or a harlot See v. 7. But he shall take a virgin of his own people He was commanded before to marry none but a Virgin and now he is further limited to a Virgin of Israel For he doth not mean one of his own Tribe there being instances to the contrary of a High-Priest marrying into the Royal Tribe 2 Chron. XXII 11. Ver. 15. Verse 15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people Many think this refers to what goes before that he should not debase his Family by such mixtures as have been mentioned But I rather think it to be a new Precept as the Vulgar Latin takes it that as he might marry none but of his own People i. e. an Israelite so among his People he should not match with a vulgar Person but with one nobly born For that was the way to preserve the dignity of the Priestly Office at which all these Precepts aim For I the LORD do sanctifie him I have separated him to my self for a special and most holy Service For which reason he was to distinguish himself from other Men even in his marriage to make them the more reverence the LORD whom he served Upon this account it was that many Constitutions were made by the Elders forbidding him what was allowed to other People whereby they intended to advance his honour For instance he was forbidden to go into the Publick Baths or to Feasts If he would visit any that mourned he was to be attended by other Priests He was obliged to cut his hair every Week but
See Selden Lib. VII de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 3. p. 799. Ver. 25. Verse 25 Neither from a strangers hand By bennechar the Son of a Stranger as it is in the Hebrew who is called XXV 47. a Stranger and Sojourner viz. a Gentile that dwelt among them is meant a pious Man of another Nation who had renounced Idolatry and abstained from Blood and observed the rest of the Precepts of the Sons of Noah as they called them but was not Circumcised which would have obliged him to the whole Law of Moses Such Persons being worshippers of the true God were permitted to bring him Sacrifices to be offered at his Altar See Grotius Lib. I. de Jure Belli Pacis cap. 1. sect 16. n. 3. Shall ye offer the bread of your God from any of these Some have taken these words as if no Sacrifice was to be accepted from a Gentile but only Money with which the Priest might buy a Sacrifice and offer it for him But this is confuted by v. 18. and here it is evident he only forbids them to accept of any Sacrifice which had the fore-named blemishes from a Gentile Who might think them not unacceptable because the Gentiles made no scruple to offer such as these last mentioned to their Gods though their Laws in some places were against it The Bread of your God The Hebrews understand hereby to be meant only Burnt-offerings which Maimonides saith were accepted from a Gentile even Burnt-offerings of Birds though he had not yet renounced Idolatry But they were not to accept from him Peace-offerings or Meat-offerings or Sacrifices for Sins of Ignorance IV. 27. or Trespass-offerings mentioned VI. 6. nor was a Burnt-offering to be accepted unless it was a Free-will-offering or a Vow as Mr Selden observes Lib. III. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. But if he brought such spontaneous Offerings as had the fore mentioned blemishes the Priest was to reject them though the Gentiles might say they were such as had been accepted by his Gods or else he was to be scourged So this Law is briefly expounded by the Jews when they reckon it up among their Precepts that a defective Sacrifice is not to be accepted no not from the hand of a Gentile as he observes in the same Book cap. 7. where he discourses at large on this Subject And it need not seem strange a Gentile should bring any such Sacrifices when their Laws as I observed before required a choice to be made for they were not so curious in their choice as the Hebrews but as Tertullian upbraids them sacrificed enecta tabidosa scabiosa Apolog. adv Gentes cap. 13. Which the better sort of People perhaps did not offer but the Vulgar did and the Priests made no scruple to accept them Because their corruption is in them and blemishes be in them The word corruption seems particularly to relate unto the fore-mentioned castration for it signifies such a Corruption as is the destruction of any Member See Bochart in his Hierozoicon p. 2. Lib. V. cap. 4. And blemishes relate to other defects which made them unacceptable Twelve of which as I said are here mentioned but the Hebrews look upon them only as Examples and Specimens of other the like defects which they make in all to be fifty as I observed before out of Selden Lib. II. de Success ad Pontific cap. 5. Maimonides gives us a Catalogue of them in his Treatise of Entrance into the Sanctuary cap. 7. but to make up that full number he is constrained to add these three which have no example among the XII here mentioned viz. such as tremble by age or by some disease or are torn by wild Beasts Ver. 26. Verse 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying These Laws following being of the same nature were in all likelyhood delivered at the same time with the foregoing Ver. 27. Verse 27 And when a Bullock or Sheep or Goat is brought forth These were the only Beasts that were allowed to be sacrificed v. 19. Then it shall be seven days under the dam and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering c. They were not fit for Food when they were not seven days old and therefore not for Sacrifice which was the Bread or Food of God as it is called v. 25. But this hath been sufficiently explained before XXII Exod. 30. I shall only add that I have since observed that P. Cunaeus hath briefly expressed the sense of Maimonides which I there represented Lib. III. de Republ. Hebraeor cap. 5. and that the Gentiles were so far from offering Creatures so young that they thought them fittest for Sacrifice when they were two years old as appears from the words of Virgil before-mentioned Mactant lactas de more bidentes where Servius saith that bidentes were so called because they were biennes two years of age for it was not lawful to Sacrifice those that were younger nor those that were older Ver. 28. Verse 28 And whether it be Cow or Ewe ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day Lest the young one saith Maimonides should happen to be killed before the Dam which would have given the greatest grief to her More Nevoch P. III. cap. 48. Any thing that lookt like Cruelty therefore was by this Law banished from among them for they might not so much as kill both the Young and the Dam on the same day to offer them to God himself of which he is here speaking Ver. 29. Verse 29 And when ye will offer a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving unto the LORD He had mentioned Free-will-offerings and Vows before v. 21. and now briefly touches upon the third sort of Peace-offerings See VII 15 16. Offer it at your own will Male or Female of the Herd or of the Flock III. 1 7 12. Or the meaning may be as hath been often said He shall offer it in such a manner as that it be accepted See I. 3. Ver. 30. Verse 30 On the same day it shall be eaten c. See VII 15. Ver. 31. Verse 31 Therefore shall ye keep my Commandments and do them c. Because he had said before v. 30. and now repeats it again in the conclusion of this Verse I am the LORD To whom they owed obedience especially when he required they should reverently use all holy things Ver. 32. Verse 32 Neither shall ye profane my holy Name This may refer either to what goes before that they should not make him and his Service contemptible by offering such things as were defective c. or be taken as a Precept by it self And then the Name of God was profaned three ways as Mr. Selden observes besides the most grievous of all by Blasphemy Either when a Man for fear of death violated the Divine Law or when he contemptuously and wantonly broke any Precept or when a Man of great note for Knowledge and Piety gave a Scandal to others
who were not of the Hebrew Nation and could have no Fields or Vineyards might yet have something of their own stable and certain and not be forced always to want a perpetual possession It shall not go out in the Jubile They say in the Gâ—mara of Bava kama that the Houses in Jerusalem were not subject to this Law because that City as they pretend did not belong to any certain Tribe See L'Empereur upon that Book cap. 7. p. 172. Ver. 31. Verse 31 But the houses in the Villages which have no walls round about them shall be counted as the fields of the Country c. The quite contrary Law is made for Country-houses which might be redeemed at any time and if they were not returned to their first Owners at the Jubile The reason of this difference is very plain for the Houses in walled Cities were their own proper Goods but in the Country they were accounted part of the Land which was God's And so these words are to be understood they shall be counted as the fields in the Country that is fall under the same Law with the Lands v. 23. Ver. 32. Verse 32 Notwithstanding the Cities of the Levites Of which we have an account XXXV Numb 2. These are accepted from the foregoing Law concerning Houses in walled Cities as it here follows And the Houses of the Cities of their possession may the Levites redeem at any time Not any of their Houses but only those which they possessed in the XLVIII Cities assigned to them for their Habitations If they purchased Houses in any other places they were subject to the same Law with other Men v. 29. Insomuch that a Levite who was Heir to his Mother who was an Israelite was to redeem as other Israelites did and not after the manner of the Levites for the Levites had a Right different from other Men only in the Cities of their Possessions as Maimonides observes in the forecited Book cap. 13. But if an Israelite was Heir to his Mother a Levite he redeemed as the Levites did though he were not of that Tribe because the Right of their Redemption was tied to the places and not to the persons as he there speaks Ver. 33. Verse 33 And if a man purchase of the Levites then the House that was sold and the City of his possession i.e. in the City of his possession shall go out in the year of Jubile If he did not redeem it before it was to come back to him for nothing in this year But there is another Translation in the Margin which the first words will bear viz. If one of the Levites redeem them Though he was not near of kin v. 25. yet any Levite might redeem any of these Houses However they were to be restored to that Tribe at the Jubile For the Houses of the Cities of the Levites It is plain by this that in the foregoing words he speaks of the Houses and not of the Cities themselves Are their possession among the Children of Israel They were of the same nature of the Land that other Tribes had which could not be alienated for ever For they having no other Possessions that could be sold but Houses it was reason these Houses should return to their Owners at the Jubile as other Mens Possessions did v. 10. Ver. 34. Verse 34 But the field of the Suburbs of their Cities See XXXV Numb 4 5. May not be sold As their Houses might be but if any Man bought them the Bargain was immediately void The Tradition among the Jews as Maimonides says in the same place that not be sold in this place signifies not be changed so as to turn a Suburb into a Field or a Field into a Suburb but Fields Suburbs and Cities were to continue perpetually in the same state For it is their perpetual possession Their Fields were to be always in their own hands And the reason why Houses may be sold when the Fields could not seems to be this because the Houses belonged to particular Levites who might alienate them for a time and not suffer much by it but the Fields of the Suburbs were common to the whole Body of the Levites who would have been undone if they had wanted Pasture for their Flocks which were all their Substance Some indeed fancy that these Suburbs were enclosed and every Family of them had its several Portion but as there is no proof of this so had it been thus such Families could not without great inconvenience have wanted their Lands for the feeding of their Flocks Ver. 35. Verse 35 And if thy brother be waxen poor and fallen to decay with thee In the Hebrew it is When his hand faileth so that he is not able by his Labour to support himself and his Family Then shalt thou relieve him By bestowing Alms upon him as the Jews interpret it not by lending him Money though the following words seem to incline this way See Selden Lib. VI. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 6. Yea though he be a stranger or a sojourner By a Stranger they understand a Proselyte of Righteousness and by a Sojourner a Proselyte of the Gate as Mr. Selden there observes out of Jarchi and Abarbanel p. 694. They say Hyrcanus was the first that began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to entertain Strangers of other Countries by building Hospitals for their Reception That he may live with thee Have a comfortable Subsistance by the Relief of Charitable People for every Jew they say was bound to contribute something towards it and this was to prevent their selling themselves as some did through extream Poverty v. 39. Ver. 36. Verse 36 Take thou no usury of him or increase Though these are promiscuously used yet the next Verse seems here to expound Vsury to signifie that which is taken for Money and Increase that which is taken for Corn Fruits or Goods They that would see more of these two words Nesek and Tarbith may consult Salmasius de Vsuris where he hath largely discoursed of them I shall only further observe that this Precept follows the other of Relieving poor People by Alms very fitly because it is as great a Charity unto some to lend them Money without Usury as it is to give freely unto others See Notes on XXII Exod. 25. XXIII Deut. 19. But fear thy God Lest he that is so good to thee should punish thee for thy inhumanity towards the Poor of whom he hath a care as well as thee That thy brother may live with thee This is repeated to show that by these Laws God intended to provide for the Poor such a comfortable Subsistance in their own Country that they might not be tempted to forsake it and therewith perhaps forsake their Religion Ver. 37. Verse 37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury nor lend him thy victuals for increase Some thought if they lent Money freely they might receive more than they lent of other things therefore the latter Clause of
are no greater Blessings in this World than those which God's Promises gave them hope to enjoy nor greater Evils than those of which his Threatnings put them in fear But such is the Divine Goodness he always offers Mercy before he proceeds to Judgment and mingles Judgment with Mercy before he proceeds in rigour of Justice Which will appear in the following Threatnings Ver. 15. Verse 15 And if ye despise my Statutes or if your soul abhor my Judgments They were not thus wicked at the first but disobedience to God's Commands mentioned in the foregoing Verse proceeded to a contemptuous neglect of them and that in time to an abhorrence of them So that ye will not do all my Commandments Though often admonished by his Prophets whose Messages they not only rejected but slighted and despised But that ye break my Covenant By forsaking him and falling to Idolatry For that was the principal thing in the Covenant That they should have no oter God but him alone Ver. 16. Verse 16 I also will do this unto you I will alter the method of my Providence towards you I will even appoint over you Or as it is in the Hebrew upon you causing the following Diseases to seize upon them as the Phrase signifies and arrest them That they might feel the heavy displeasure of him whose Laws they set at naught Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague It is not certain what Diseases are comprehended under these words especially the first Behalah which we translate terrour But coming from a word importing haste and precipitancy I take it to signifie the falling sickness whereby People are so suddenly surprized that they sometimes fall into the fire by which they sit The other two words probably are rightly translated For the next Sachepheth is by Kimchi and a great many others understood to signifie a Consumption or an Hectick Fever though R. Solomon and some others seem to take it for a Dropsie for he says it is a Disease that puffs up the flesh or as David de Pomis makes it to break out in Blotches See Bochart in his Hierozoic P. II. Lib. II. cap. 18. As for the last word Chaddachat it coming from a word denoting great heat may well be translated a burning Fever That shall consume the eyes Make you look ghastly And cause sorrow of heart Take away all the comfort of Life And ye shall sow your seed but your Enemies shall eat it Next to Bodily Sickness he threatens them with the Incursions of their Enemies which was an higher punishment than the former according to that of David it is better to fall into the hands of the LORD then into the hands of Men. Here also it is observable he doth not threaten the worst that their Enemies might do to them but first that they should carry away their Harvest and make a Scarcity among them and in the next Verse speaks of delivering them to be slain by them Ver. 17. Verse 17 And I will set my face against you Be extreamly angry with you See XVII 10. And ye shall be slain before your Enemies The neighbouring Nations oftimes made great slaughter of them and conquered them as we find in the Book of Judges and in the beginning of the first Book of Samuel They that hate you shall reign over you And grievously oppressed them IV Judges 3. VI. 2 c. This made them very contemptible and was a just punishment of their contempt of God's Laws And ye shall flee when none pursueth you Lose all your Courage directly opposite to the promise v. 7 8. Ver. 18. Verse 18 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me If by these sore punishments they were not reclaimed from their Idolatrous Practises he threatens to send greater Then will I punish you seven times more for your sins The number seven is used for any indefinite multitude and therefore here signifies a great increase of their Plagues which by their continued Provocations became more and more grievous then in former Ages Ver. 19. Verse 19 And I will break the pride of your power That Power wherein you glory Which some understand of the Sanctuary which in the days of Eli was forsaken of the Ark of God's strength as the Psalmist calls it 1 Sam. IV. 10 11. But it seems rather to relate to their numerous Forces which at the first were every where victorious but after sundry Defeats in foregoing times were in the days of Saul reduced to such straits they hid themselves in Caves and Pits and Thickets c. and there was not a Sword or a Spear to be found in any of their hands save Saul's and Jonathan's when they should have fought with their Enemies 1 Sam. XIII 6 7. 22. And I will make your Heaven as iron and your Earth as brass The one he means should afford no Rain and the other for want of moisture bring forth no Fruit which must needs make a sore Famine among them Ver. 20. Verse 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain c This is a further description of that Calamity when after all their labour in ploughing and sowing their Land or digging and dunging their Trees they brought forth nothing for their Sustenance We read in Scripture of such Famines wherein Man and Beast were ready to perish particularly 1 Kings XVII 1 12. XVIII 15. 2 Kings VIII 1. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And if ye walk contrary unto me Go on in your Idolatrous Courses directly contrary to my Commands v. 1. And will not hearken unto me Be obedient to the Admonitions of his Prophets whom he sent to call them to Repentance I will bring seven times mo plagues upon you according to your sins As their Sins increased so did their Plagues for these that follow are more dreadful than the foregoing And it was a high aggravation of their sins that they would take no warning by the severe Punishments which God inflicted upon their Forefathers This augmented his Plagues upon succeeding Generations which as Dr. Jackson speaks usually run by the scale of sevens So that if we call the litteral meaning to a strict Arithmetical Account these later Plagues were Nine and forty times heavier than the former But it is most likely a certain number is put for an uncertain yet denoting a very great increase of their Punishments beyond what had been in preceding times It ought to be observed that there is in the Margin another rendring of the first words of this Verse If ye walk contrary to me which some follow If ye walk at all adventures with me That is live carelesly as if you had no regard at all to me I will have as little regard to you or concern for you But the ancient Translations go the other way Ver. 22. Verse 22 I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children c. If the terrible famine would not work upon their stubborn hearts no more than the
crucifying Christ the LORD and accept the Punishment of their Iniquity acknowledging that so horrid a Crime deserved so long and so heavy a Punishment For every Child as he observes in another place Book XI p. 3750. is born as it were heir to his fathers sins and to their Plagues unless he renounce them by taking their Guilt upon him and such hearty Confession as this Law prescribes and patient Submission of himself to God's Correction Ver. 46. Verse 46 These are the Statutes and Judgments and Laws which the LORD made between him and the Children of Israel This may be thought to refer either to all the foregoing Book of Laws or to what is said in this Chapter Menochius thus expounds it these are the Punishments which God threathed to the breakers of his Laws But it is more reasonable to take in the whole in this manner these are the Statutes and Judgments and Laws together with the Promises and Threatnings annexed to them which the LORD made between him and Israel In Mount Sinai See XXV 1. By the hand of Moses By the Ministry of Moses who delivered these Laws from God's own Mouth It is obvious to observe that instead of these are the Laws which the LORD made between him and the Children of Israel Onkelos the famous Chaldee Interpreter hath between his WORD and the Children of Israel Which Theodorick Hackspan produces among other places to prove that in those Paraphrasts the WORD of the LORD signifies no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself Which though it be true in some places yet in others as I have observed before it cannot have that signification particularly in CX Psal 1. where the Hebrew words are The LORD said unto my Lord which are thus expounded by Jonathan The LORD said unto his WORD Where it can signifie nothing but another Divine Person And so Onkelos might intend it here that the LORD made all these Laws between his Eternal WORD and them CHAP. XXVII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying Some Religious People it is possible were touched with such a sense of what Moseshad now delivered in the foregoing Promises and Threats that they thought of giving themselves wholly unto God or of vowing some of their Goods to him and therefore he gives Moses further Directions for the regulating of such Vows Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them when a Man shall make a singular Vow And first If any Man vowed himself or his Children wholly to the Service of God in the Tabernacle he directs what was to be done in that case Which he calls a singular or extraordinary Vow and by Philo is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Vow it being a wonderful piece of Devotion as the word japhli in the Hebrew imports because Men were desirous to help God's Priests in the meanest Ministry such as bringing in Wood carrying out Ashes sweeping away the Dust and such like The person shall be for the LORD by thy estimation The meaning would have been more plain if the words had been translated just as they lie in the Hebrew According to thy estimation the person shall be for the LORD For this immediately suggests to ones thoughts That the Service of the Persons themselves thus devoted was to be employed in the Tabernacle but a value set upon them by the Priest and that to be employed for the LORD i. e. for holy uses for repairing the Sanctuary suppose or any thing belonging to it The reason why God would not accept the Persons themselves as they desired but the value of them for his Service seems to be because there was a sufficient number of Persons peculiarly designed for all the Work of the Tabernacle which he would not have incumbered by more Attendants there than were needful Ver. 3. Verse 3 And thy estimation shall be That the Priest might not either overvalue or undervalue any Person the Rates are here set down which he should demand for their Redemption Of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old For at Twenty years of Age saith Procopius Gazaeus Men begin to be fit for business and continue so till sixty when it is time to leave it off Thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver That this one Rule should serve for all Men though of different qualities Philo thinks was fit for several reasons which he gives in his Book of Special Laws The principal is because God regarded only the Vow the value of which was equal whosoever made it whether a great Man or a poor After the shekel of the Sanctuary See XXX Exod. 13. Ver. 4. Verse 4 And if it be a female then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels Women could not be so serviceable as Men and therefore were valued at a less rate For all that they could do was to spin or weave or make Garments or wash for the Priests and Levites Ver. 5. Verse 5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old It appears by this that though a Child of five years old could not make a Vow yet his Parents might solemnly devote one of that Age to God and it did oblige them to pay what is here required for the use of the Sanctuary Thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels Less is required than for those above twenty because their Life was more uncertain and they were less capable to do any Service before they came to their full growth Ver. 6. Verse 6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old c. Before a Child was a Month old it seems it was not capable to be devoted to God but then it might And still less was still demanded as the value of them because Children so small were very weak and imperfect and the price therefore set accordingly But the words may be understood not of Children that were a Month old but that were in the first Month of their Life And Samuel we find was devoted to God before he was born Ver. 7. Verse 7 And from sixty years old and above if it be a male then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels c. They are valued much less after sixty than before v. 3. because their Service then was little worth and their Life likely to be short And for a female ten shekels The Hebrews think it observable that in their youth v. 3 4. Males were valued almost double to Females but now in old Age they are made almost of equal value For old Women continue very serviceable in many things when old Men are not whence they have a saying An old Woman in an House is a Treasure in an House Ver. 8. Verse 8 And if he be poorer then thy estimation If he be not able to pay according to the forenamed Rates Then he shall present himself before the Priest Who was then
Priests and Sacred Uses See Selden in that Book cap. 9. p. 518 c. But though they might not devote their Servants to death yet they might their Enemies before they went out to war with them and such of their own People also as did not observe the Military Laws An Example of which we have XXI Numb 2. Upon which account also the Inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were slain XXI Judg. 9 10. for violating the solemn publick Cherem pronounced against those that came not up to Mizpeh v. 5. And this is the Cherem spoken of in this Verse See Selden cap. 10. For as for the Cherem whereby a Man was Excommunicated it only loaded him with many Curses and made him execrable so that no Man might come near him but did not touch his Life as he there shows p. 520. Ver. 30. Verse 30 All the tithe of the Land c. is the LORD's By an ancient right before the Law of Moses was delivered For this is the first time we find any mention of a Law about Tithes for which he giving no reason it is a sign this was a pious Usage all the World over and therefore being no new thing but what all Nations practised the Jews could not think it burdensome to them unless they would be wholly irreligious and not acknowledge God to be the Author and Fountain of all the plenty and happiness they enjoyed Which was the intention of paying Tithes as the Gentiles anciently did and the Jews themselves after Victory over their Enemies For which there being no Precept that appears what can we think but that natural Reason and the common Custom of Mankind founded perhaps upon some direction given to our first Parents from above taught them to make this Acknowledgment to God as the Author of their Successes and Safety as well as of all Plenty and Prosperity See XIV Gen. 19. and XXVIII 22. Whether of the seed of the Land or of the fruit of the Trees By the seed of the Land is meant Corn as Rasi expounds it and by the fruit of the Trees Wine and Oil. For thus they are reckoned up in other places XVIII Numb 12. where he gives the Priests the First-fruits of the Wine and Oil and Wheat And the like we read in XVIII Deut. 3 4. and in XIV Deut. 23. they are commanded to eat before God the tithe of their Corn of their Wine and their Oil. Under which last is comprehended the Fruit of all other Trees as under the word Seed in this place seems to be comprehended all manner of Herbs as well as Corn. For so the Pharisees understood it and our Saviour doth not disallow it It is holy unto the LORD God having declared his right in the Tithe in the beginning of the Verse here commands that it be reserved to him as his portion Which he afterward conferred and settled upon the Levites by a special Donation XVIII Numb 21. Ver. 31. Verse 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof Mr. Selden in his History of Tithes Chap. 2. speaking of the second Tithe mentioned XIV Deut. 23. which was to be spent at Jerusalem either in kind or else if it were too far thither by turning it into Money and therewith to buy Provision to make Feasts saith that to this Tithe do the Jews apply that of XXVII Lev. 30 31. But for this he quotes only R. S. Jarchi who though he were a great Talmudist yet must not be thought to understand the sense of all their Doctors Aben-Ezra it is plain to name no more takes it otherwise making Moses to speak of such a Tithe as Abraham gave Melchisedeck and Jacob vowed to God Lyra I might add a converted Jew agrees with him And there is great reason for it no such thing as a second Tithe being as yet ordained and when they were commanded and the changing of them into Money allowed there is not a word said of adding a fifth part See XIV Deut. 24 25. which is sufficient to show that Moses in these two Verses speaks of the first Tithe which was paid to the Levites by a Law made some time after this which transferred the right that God had in the Tithe of the Land unto them Which if any Man had a mind to redeem and not pay it in kind God allows him so to do because the Tithe was not more holy than things vowed to God spoken of before but then he was to do as in the case of such things v. 13. add a fifth part over and above to what such a portion of Tithe was esteemed to be worth The reason of which was as Mr. Calvin well observes not that the Priest should get more than his due by the Man who desired to redeem his Tithe but that the Man might not make a gain of the Priest For it is seldom seen that a Husbandman desires to pay Money rather than his Tithe unless he propound some considerable advantage to himself Ver. 32. Verse 32 And concerning the tithe of the Herd and of the Flock Every one knows that by the Tithe of the Herd here is meant Calves and by the Flock is to be understood Lambs and Kids I Lev. 2. For this was the Tithe of those young ones that were brought forth that year the same Cattle not being again tithed every year And he speaks of clean Beasts which were allowed in Sacrifice for Tithe was not paid of other Beasts but their first-born only was the LORD's This Tithe was paid to God every year as an Eucharistical Sacrifice for all the Benefits they received from God by their Cattle Even of whatsoever passeth under the rod. This expresses the manner of this Tithing which if we will believe the Jews was thus They were all brought into a Sheep-cote saith Maimonides in his Treatise of Firstborn cap. 7. in the beginning in which there was but one Gate or Door and that so narrow as to suffer no more than one to come out at once Their Dams being placed without and the Gate opened the young ones were invited by their Bleatings to press to get out to them and as they passed by one by one a Man who stood at the Gate with a Rod coloured with Oker told them in order and when the Tenth came out whether it was Male or Female sound or not he markt it with his Rod and said Let this be holy in the name of the Tenth And this account R. Solomon and others give of this matter of which Notion they are so fond that R. Bechai upon XVII Numb makes Jacob who vowed Tithe of all that God should give him to have decimated his Children on this manner beginning at Benjamin and stopping at Levi who was the Tenth according to that reckoning and hath some pretty conceits about it But Bochartus thinks Moses doth not speak here of the Rod of the Tithes but of the Shepherd's Crook and
so doth Aben-Ezra the Syriack and the Vulgar For the Flock passed under his Rod as oft as he numbred them which was every Morning and Evening if he was a good Shepherd especially in the Evening See Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 44. p. 499. Of this Jeremiah speaks XXXIII 13. and Ezekiel alludes to it when he saith XX. 37. I will cause you to pass under the Rod. Where Kimchi notes it is the same Phrase with this in Leviticus and as much as to say As he that telleth his Sheep holdeth a Rod in his hand and telleth them one by one and brings out the Tenth for the Tithe so will I number you and the sinners shall perish c. The tenth shall be holy unto the LORD That is saith Maimonides in his forenamed Treatise called Bechoroth the Fat and the Blood of them was offered at the Altar and then the Owners eat the Flesh any where in Jerusalem as they did the lesser holy things For the Priests had no portion of them but all belonged to the Owner as did the Paschal Lamb. If there was any Blemish in them whether before or after the Tithing then they might be eaten in any place And so Bartenora as Dr. Owtram observes Lib. I. de Sacrificiis cap. 11. we do not find in the whole Law that any part of these Tenths was given to the Priests So a great many other of their Doctors who observe that Moses doth not reckon these among the XXIV Gifts for so many they make the whole number of them which were bestowed upon the Priesthood But as there is nothing else in Scripture to warrant this which no where prescribes how these Tenths should be imployed but only declares that they are holy to the LORD so this very Phrase I should think sufficiently signifies that they belonged to the LORD's Ministers And if not intirely to the Priests much less intirely to the Owners of them before they were the LORD's but if they were to eat them at Jerusalem as the Jews imagine the Levites sure were to have their share and the Stranger and other poor People as they were to have in their second Tithe of Corn wherewith they made Feasts there XIV Deut. 27 28 29. Ver. 33. Verse 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it It is not easie to give an account why God required so punctually the tenth Calf Goat or Lamb that though it were never so lean or blemished he would not suffer it to be exchanged for a better unless it were to avoid all Disputes Strife and Contention There are those indeed that think the reason was because in those Ages this was lookt upon as so Sacred a Number that it mystically denoted God whose Divine Perfections Providence and Bounty they were thought to acknowledge who gave the Tenth to him which was not to be altered and changed no more than he himself can be If he change it at all then both shall be holy As it was in Beasts vowed to God v. 9 10. It shall not be redeemed Nor might they sell it no more than suffer it to be redeemed If they did he that sold it or bought it got nothing as Maimonides speaks and besides the seller was to be scourged as he that sold the Cherems given to the Priest v. 28. Bechoroth cap. 6. sect 5. Ver. 34. Verse 34 These are the Commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the Children of Israel in Mount Sinai That is these moreover were added to the foregoing Commandments before they removed from the Wilderness of Mount Sinai See XXV 1. XXVI ult For having said before in the Conclusion of the foregoing Chapter These are the Statutes and Judgments and Laws which the LORD made c. which respect all that proceeded in this Book the Commandments here spoken of can relate to nothing more but the Laws delivered in this Chapter about Vows and devoted Things and Tithes Which Laws ought not to be passed over without serious consideration how far we may be concerned in them And therefore to make what I have noted about them more useful to us in these days I desire the Reader to observe That the very same pious Inclinations have ever been in all good Christians which Moses here supposes in the former part of this Chapter would be in the Jews to devote some part of their Goods their Houses or Lands to the Service of God which became sacred things and were to be imployed to no other use but that The very first Christians had so much of this Spirit in them that they sold all their Possessions and Goods and let every one that needed have a share of them II Acts 45. IV. 35. because the whole number of Believers attended to nothing else but the Service of Christ and the Apostles also were to be furnished with means to go and propagate the Gospel in all the World Where as soon as the Christian Religion prevailed in any place immediately there were the like voluntary Oblations made in such a proportion as served not only for the support of the Service of God in that Church but helpt to maintain the Christians at Jerusalem who had been brought low by parting with their Estates to further the first preaching of the Gospel This we find in a great number of places but it may suffice to say that the Feasts of Charity were maintained out of these Oblations By which it is apparent that they took themselves to have the very same Obligations upon them in this matter which the Jews formerly had and therefore it is no wonder that Tithes came in time to be devoted for the maintenance of God's Ministers For it is sensless to imagine that the Gospel which constrained them to give up themselves to God should not constrain them with the same freedom of mind to give some of their Goods as Moses here supposes the Jews would do for the maintenance of his Service And it is as unreasonable to think it did not move them to give the Ministers of God as honourable a maintenance as had been allowed under the Law of Moses Which required besides the Tenth here mentioned another Tithe of the remainder to be spent in Sacrifices at Jerusalem of which the Levites had their share as I observed from XIV Deut. 22 28. To which if we add the First-born with all Sin-offerings and the Priests share of Peace-offerings and the Skins of the Sacrifices which alone made a good Revenue as Philo observes and likewise all such Consecrations as are mentioned in this Chapter the Levites Cities and Suburbs it will easily appear it could not be so little as a fifth part of the Fruit of the Land which came to their share Now the reason we find no such certain Rate determined by the Gospel as was by this Law is because there was no need of it And for the same reason there was none for a good while settled by