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A56633
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A commentary upon the second book of Moses, called Exodus by the Right Reverend Father in God, Symon, Lord Bishop of Ely.
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing P775; ESTC R21660
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441,938
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734
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this was and have been pleased to fancy that some Book which Moses wrote is lost When this plainly refers to what is said v. 4. where we read that Moses wrote all the words of the LORD that is the Commandments and Judgments mentioned in the four foregoing Chapters Which though they made no great Volume yet might be called a Book in their Language for even the Bill of Divorcement which they gave their Wives and was very short is called by this Name of Sepher a Book XXIV Deut. 1. Of the Covenant That they might remember upon what terms he would bestow upon them the fore-named Blessings he engages them in a Solemn Covenant to observe the Commandments and Judgments contained in this Book Ver. 8. And Moses took the blood That half of it which was in the Basons v. 6. And sprinkled it on the people As he had sprinkled one half on the Altar in token God was a Party in the Covenant so he sprinkled the other half on the XII Pillars which represented the Children of Israel in token that they were the other Party engaged in the same Covenant Thus our fore-named Primate and several others understand it and it carries some show of probability in it Yet I cannot think it unlikely that it was sprinkled upon the LXX Elders by whom the People consented if not upon all the People who stood next to the Altar and are here expresly mentioned The Apostle to the Hebrews IX 19. saith he sprinkled the Book as well as the People which is not here mentioned but supposed For when he went to sprinkle the Blood we must conceive he laid down the Book that he might be at more liberty for this other action And perhaps he laid it on one of the Pillars where it was sprinkled as they were together with the People whom they represented And said Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words Look upon your selves as obliged by this Blood to observe all the Commands which I have delivered to you in the words you have heard For there were two ways of making Covenants anciently both which were here used The first was after a Sacrifice had been offered to sprinkle the Blood of it upon both Parties who were to be Confederates which was done here v. 6 8. And secondly the Confederates thereupon proceeded to eat together some part of the Sacrifice which follows v. 11. where we find the Elders of Israel who represented the People did eat and drink in the Presence of God Ver. 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and LXX of the Elders of Israel These things being done they went up into the Mount as they were ordered v. 1. i. e. they went up to that part of the Mount where Aaron and his Sons and the Elders were appointed to come but no further Ver. 10. And they saw the God of Israel When Moses is commanded to come near unto the LORD v. 2. Maimonides acknowledges it may be understood of his local approach to the place where the Light or Glory of God then appeared More Nevoch P. I. c. 18. And therefore it is something strange that he expounds the Elders seeing God of their apprehension of him by their Understanding and not rather of their beholding some glimpse of that visible Majesty which was on the Top of the Mount For that I doubt not is the meaning as appears by what follows And so the Chaldee expounds it They saw the Glory of the God of Israel surrounded we may well suppose with an heavenly Host of Angels attending upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty as it was also called And there was under his feet This hath made some conceive that this visible Glory appeared in the form of a Man with his Back towards them standing upon a shining Pavement But this is contrary to IV Deut. 15. For though that be spoken of another time and place viz. the Giving of the Law which all the People heard but saw no Similitude yet if the Elders had afterward seen a Similitude it would have spoiled Moses his Argument they being the Representatives of the People This glorious Light therefore far surpassing all other had no form nor could be described by any Art and consequently by its feet is meant only the lower part of it which rested as it were upon a most glorious Pavement And thus the Divine Majesty is said to have had a Foot-stool which was the cover of the Ark though it had no Human shape As it were a paved work of Saphire stone The glorious Majesty of God was represented as having under it a Pavement sutable to it self very bright and shineing For there is a sort of Saphire called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spotted with little points or pricks of Gold which shine like Stars interspersed in the Body of it See Salmasius in Solinum p. 131 203. Such was this Pavement as we may gather from the following words And as it were the body of Heaven in its clearness As clear as the purest and serenest Sky when it is all spangled with Stars All which signifies as I take it that the Glory of the LORD appeared far above the Glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness upon a Pavement sparkling like the Stars in the Heaven when it is most clear The LXX instead of the words saw the God of Israel have saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the God of Israel As if they saw a Throne upon which there was a visible Majesty beyond all description And if this be admitted then this Throne may well be said to have feet standing upon such a glorious Pavement And so they translate it in the next Verse where this is repeated Ver. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel i. e. The Elders before-mentioned v. 1 9. called here Atzilim to signifie that they were the prime and choicest Persons among the Israelites For Atzal signisies to separate and consequently atzilim imports Men distinguished from others either by their Birth Office or some excellent qualities He laid not his hand Did not hurt them Whereas it was the common Opinion That they who saw God though it was by one of his Angels should presently die The splendour of that glorious Light was so dazling that it was a singular favour it did not put out their Eyes as the Light wherein St. Paul saw our Saviour did his We are told v. 17. The sight of the Glory of the LORD was like devouring fire Which might put them in fear perhaps they had been scorched by it when it flasht out upon them but they found not the least hurt by it Thus Jonathan saith in his Paraphrase upon the XXXII Chapter that when Moses delayed to come down from the Mount the People fancied him to be burnt up by the fire which shone from the Presence of God which there appeared This sight of God which he vouchsafed to
Solomon was 1 Kings I. 39. though we may doubt of David when he was anointed King of Judah 2 Sam. II. 4. which was I suppose by a special direction of the Prophets that the People might look upon them as sacred Persons and special Ministers of God for their good The Jews also will have it that he whom they call the anointed of War that is say the Jews the Priest mentioned XX Deut. 2. but I should rather think the General who commanded their Forces in any sudden danger was anointed also with this Oyl that he might be inspired with Courage when he fought as a sacred Person So that they interpret the first words of the foreging Verse upon mans flesh shall it not be poured in this sense None shall be anointed with it but the High Priest the anointed of War and the Kings of the House of David For the Kings of Israel were not anointed with it but with simple Balsom as they also tell us Ver. 34. And the LORD said unto Moses take unto thee sweet Spices There are the same words here in the Hebrew that we had before v. 23. save only that there he saith Take to the Besammim with the addition of Rosch principal or most excellent and here take to the Samim which we translate sweet Spices How these two differ Interpreters of all sorts extreamly vary But they both seem to be general words which contain the following Species under them and Samim to signifie Spices of less value than Besamim The latter of which denotes such Spices as were either liquid or most proper to mix with Oyl and other liquid things to give them a fragrancy as Fort. Scacchus thinks who hath discussed these two words with great diligence in his Elaeochrism Myroth P. II. c. 7. Stacte The Hebrew word signifies something that drops which some have taken for Balsom but the LXX translate it as we do and Salmasius hath shown that it is the liquid part of Myrrhe not which slows of it self which drops from it when it is pressed out by Art See Plin. Exercit. p. 520. The same Fort. Scacchus c. 8. observes out of Dioscorides who calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the most unctuous part of fresh Myrrhe pressed out with a little Water c. 74. This was used in their Perfumes which the Heathen burnt upon their Altars as appears by that of Euripides in Troad where he mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onycha The Hebrew word Secheleth is translated by Jonathan Ceseth which the famous Bochartus proves by many Arguments to be ladanum which was one of the principal Aromaticks among the Arabians The Stream of Interpreters indeed carry it for Onycha but are not agreed what that is For some take it for the Hoof or Claw of an Animal as Maimonides others as Jarchi for the Root of a Plant which is smooth and transparent as the Nail of a Man's Hand which the Greeks call Onyx But there are others and more numerous who take it for the shell of a Fish in the Fens of India that are full of Spikenard upon which this Fish feeding it makes the very Shell odoriferous See Hierozoic P. II. Lib. V. cap. ult He observes also P. I. L. III. c. 1. that there was such a Shell-fish in Babylonia which was nearer to the Jews than the Indian The Greeks called it Onyx from the form of it and the Hebrews Secheleth from its colour which was black And Galbanum That which is sold in our Shops is of an offensive smell but there was another in Syria in the Mount Amanus which had an excellent Scent And therefore to distinguish it from ordinary Galbanum there is a word added to it as the Vulgar Latin takes it in which it is called Galbanum boni odoris For that Translation joyns the next word which we translate sweet Spices unto Galbanum as if he had said Aromatick Galbanum With pure Frankincense It was gathered twice in the year in the Spring and in the Autumn and Pliny tells us that gathered in the Autumn was the purest and whitest with which the other that was reddish was not to be compared L. XII c. 14. Every one knows that this was very much used by the Gentiles upon their Altars Of each shall there be a like weight This is the common Interpretation of the Hebrew words and I will not trouble the Reader with any other But we have no certain knowledge what weight this was for I see no Authority for what the Hebrew Doctors say that there was LXX pound of each of these four Spices And they add which makes all they say of this matter questionable that there were also several pounds of Cinamon and Cassia and Crocus in short of XIII several Spices which Josephus L. VI. Haloseos c. 6. assirms were in this Composition Of which Moses they say made in the whole CCCLXVIII pound that is one pound for every day in the year and three for the day of Expiation And accordingly R. Levi Barzelonita saith the Priests made every year as much as would suffice for every day of it and that the ordinary Priests might make it as well as the High Priest Praecept CI. Ver. 35. And thou shalt make it a perfume Some think the last words of the foregoing Verse signifie that each sort of Spices was to be pounded one by one and then they are all ordered here to be put together A Confection after the art of the Apothecary Made with great care and according to this Divine Prescription Thus Plutarch speaking of the Aromatick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Egyptians which was burnt Morning and Evening on their Altars saith it was not put together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on any fashion or as it hapned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. but the Sacred Books were read to those who compounded it when it was mixed L. de Isid Osiride Tempered together Both the Chaldee and the LXX render this mingled just as Salt is with any thing upon which it is sprinkled Pure Without any other mixture And holy To be used only in the Divine Service For this was one of the most ancient ways of worshipping God the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Sacrifice as Porphyry saith L. II. being derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Men making a Fume by burning parts of Trees and Shrubs and Seeds and Fruits And the sweeter their scent was the more grateful they fancied the Fume was unto their Gods So that though at first they contented themselves with simple Herbs and Plants and Moses here prescribes only some few Spices fetcht from Foreign Countries yet in after-times they increased them to a greater number for that Aromatick Mixture I mentioned before among the Egyptians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was a Composition of sixteen things which Plutarch reckons up in the forenamed Book And Sophocles brings in Clytemnestra in his Electr. v. 637. calling for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉