should presume to do it in their Uncleanness Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons that they separate themselves Viz. When they were in their Uncleanness v. 3. From the holy things of the Children of Israel Abstain from eating v. 3 4 12. of that part of the Sacrifices which belonged to the Priests but was to be eaten only by such of them as were free from Legal Impurities VII 20 21. Nor were they to eat of the First-fruits which were also their portion XVIII Numb 12 13. but they might eat of the Tythes which were allowed for their constant Sustenance And that they profane not my holy Name This is the very ground of this Prohibition that they might preserve in their minds a due reverence to the Divine Majesty unto whom as they might not approach so they might not meddle with any thing Consecrated to him in a state of Legal Impurity All great Persons are to be approached with a great deal of Ceremony especially when any are invited to their Table otherwise they might fall into contempt And therefore much more was this reverence to be shown to the Divine Majesty that they might entertain high Apprehensions of him by abstaining from all things belonging to him when they were under any pollution In those things which they hallow unto me Which the Children of Israel devoted unto God For so the foregoing words and the next Verse explain it I am the LORD The greatest regard is to be paid to my Majesty Ver. 3. Verse 3 Say unto them whosoever he be of your seed Of the Priests Among your generations In succeeding times That goeth unto the holy things To eat of them as appears from v. 4 6 12. Which the Children of Israel hallow unto the LORD Offer to him at his Altar Having his uncleanness upon him For which they were to separate themselves v. 2. That soul shall be cut off from my presence Thrust out of the Priests Office no more to minister at the Altar and then it was the act of a Judge or cut off from the Land of the Living which was done by the Hand of Heaven I am the LORD Who will vindicate my own Honour Ver. 4. Verse 4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron These words of the seed of Aaron include his Daughters as well as his Sons who might eat of some holy things XVIII Numb 11 19. but not in their Uncleanness Is a leper or hath a running issue There are eleven Fountains of Uncleanness as the Hebrews speak two of which are these here mentioned as appears from XIII 3. XV. 2. He shall not eat of the holy things until he be clean See XIV 2. XV. 13. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead or a man whose seed goes from him These were two other Fountains of Uncleanness XI 31 32 c. XV. 16. Ver. 5. Verse 5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing whereby he may be made unclean See XI 24 c. Or a man of whom he may take uncleanness XV. 7. Whatsoever uncleanness he hath Suppose the Leprosie XIII 45. These are two such Fountains of Uncleanness as the former Ver. 6. Verse 6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even and shall not eat c. So the Law was in the forenamed Cases as appears by the places above-mentioned Ver. 7. Verse 7 And when the Sun is down he shall be clean Having washed his flesh with water And shall afterward eat of the holy things because it is his food God was so gracious as not to keep a Priest any longer in a state wherein he should want his necessary or comfortable Sustenance Ver. 8. Verse 8 That which dieth of it self or is torn with beasts he shall not eat to defile himself therewith This was forbidden before to all the Israelites XVII 15. but made a Priest no longer unclean than an ordinary Man because of the foregoing reason I am the LORD Who will have my Ministers pure from all such pollutions The remainder of which were the uncleanness of the Water of Separation as Maimonides speaks XIX 21. and of the great Sacrifice of Expiation XVI 28. and of a menstruous Woman XV. 9. and of a Woman in Child-bed XII 2. But nothing made Men so unclean as the dead Body of a Man which defiled not only him that touched it for seven days but all that came into the House and every thing that was in the House where he died XIX Numb 11.14 which was the reason of the foregoing Law that the High-Priest should not go in to the dead Body of his Father or Mother nor any inferiour Priest be defiled for any but their near Relations XXI 1 2 11. Ver. 9. Verse 9 They shall therefore keep mine Ordinance Observe this Constitution because I who am their LORD make it Lest they bear sin for it Be punished if they break it And die therefore As Nadab and Abihu did who presumed to break another Law about holy things If they profane it By eating of the holy things in their Uncleanness I the LORD do sanctifie them Separate them to my Service and by such Constitutions teach them carefully to avoid all pollutions Ver. 10. Verse 10 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing The holy thing here mentioned is that before-named X. 14. and by a Stranger he doth not mean one of another Nation but one that is not of the Seed of Aaron or is not one of his Family For the word in the Hebrew is not Nechar which properly signifies such a Stranger as is not an Israelite but Zar which signifies any one to whom a thing doth not belong as holy things did not to those who were not at least part of the Priests Family though not of his Race For that such might eat of them who were not of their Race provided they belonged to them as a part of their Family appears from the next Verse A sojourner of the Priest Who boards with him as we now speak or dwells in a part of his House as some understand it but hath a distinct Family Or an hired servant Such were those who served by the day XIX 13. or for a certain time and after that might dispose of themselves as they pleased Shall not eat of the holy thing None of these might eat of the Priests portion X. 14. XVIII Numb 11. because they were not Members of his Family Ver. 11. Verse 11 But if the Priest buy any soul i.e. Person with his money There were those of their own Nation who by their Poverty were compelled to sell themselves or their Children XXV 39. and others they bought of other Nations v. 44 45 c. who becoming Proselytes to the Jews Religion were permitted to eat of the Priest's Meat because they became part of his Family And he that is born in his house c. They that were born of such purchased Servants were their Masters Goods and
such a part of their Family that they left them to their Children who succeeded them And therefore they also were allowed to eat of the Meat of the Priest Ver. 12. Verse 12 If a Priests daughter also be married unto a stranger Unto one that is not of the Family of the Priests She may not eat of an offering of the holy things She lost her right to eat of those holy things which she did partake of while she remained a part of her Father's Family For that intitled Persons to this Priviledge insomuch that a Priest taking a Wife out of another Family she might eat of them because she was one with him and therefore had more right than a Servant But for the same reason a Priest's Daughter married to a Stranger might not eat of them because she was gone out of his into another Family Ver. 13. Verse 13 But if the Priests daughter be a widow or divorced and have no child If she had any Children they and she made another Family and they being begotten by a Father who was not a Priest had no right to eat of the Priest's meat But if she was left without Children then she was accounted still one of her Father's Family provided she returned as it follows to live with him And is returned to her fathers house as in her youth To be a part of his Family as she was before she married X. 14. She shall eat of her fathers meat Have the same priviledge she had when she was a Virgin But there shall no stranger eat thereof This seems as I said particularly to relate unto her Children if she had any who being begotten by one of another Family were lookt upon as Strangers See v. 10. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And if a man Who hath no right to them Eat of the holy thing unwittingly Not knowing it to be an holy thing Then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it Besides his Sacrifice which he was bound to offer for his Trespass See V. 15. And shall give it unto the Priest with the holy thing He could not give the Priest the holy thing which he had eaten but the meaning is that he should make satisfaction to the Priest for the Damage done to him by paying him the true worth of the thing and the fifth part more of its value See V. 16. Ver. 15. Verse 15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the Children of Israel which they offer unto the LORD This seems to refer to the Persons before-named none of which should presume to profane Sacred things by eating them when they did not belong to them The Priests seem also to be concerned in it who were not to suffer them to eat such holy things as it follows in the next Verse Or if it intirely relate to the Priests the meaning is they should not profane holy things by eating them in their uncleanness v. 9. And one reason was because the Children of Israel whose Offerings these were might be discouraged from bringing them to the LORD when they saw them so prophaned Ver. 16. Verse 16 Or suffer them i.e. The People To bear the iniquity of trespass c. To fall under the punishment which God will inflict for their Trespass in eating things which do not appertain to them The Marginal Translation refers this also wholly to the Priests in this manner Or lade themselves with the iniquity of Trespass in their eating holy things viz. in their Uncleanness and with such Persons it may be added as ought not to eat of them For I the LORD do sanctifie them These words seem to justifie this last Interpretation See v. 9. Ver. 17. Verse 17 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The following Laws no doubt were delivered at the same time with the former because they still concern the same matter Ver. 18. Verse 18 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons and unto all the Children of Israel For they were all concerned in the perfection of the Sacrifices as they were in the perfection of the Priests that offered them See XXI 24. And say unto them whosoever he be The Hebrew Doctors say that the phrase isch isch Man Man i. e. any Man is here used as it was XVIII 6. to show that Gentiles are comprehended under this Law as well as Jews as Mr. Selden observes out of the Gemara Babylon Tit. Cholin See Lib. III. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. p. 289. Of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel They understand by strangers in Israel such as they called Proselytes of the Gate who were not Circumcised but had renounced Idolatry and joyned themselves to the God of Israel R. Levi ben Gersom takes perfect Proselytes to be here meant whom they called Proselytes of Righteousness yet not excluding the other That will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his free-will-offerings See VII 16. Which they will offer unto the LORD for a Burnt-offering If a Gentile brought a Peace-offering to the LORD it was offered as a Burnt-offering and no Meat-offering was permitted to be offered with it as Maimonides observes See Selden in the place before-named and v. 25. of this Chapter And Dr. Lightfoot gives a large account of it in his Temple Service chap. 8. sect 4. Ver. 19. Verse 19 Ye shall offer at your own will So these words are commonly understood that the Sacrifices both of Jew and Gentile should be spontaneous as well as without blemish though they will bear another sense as I observed Chap. I. v. 3. A male without blemish of the beeves and of the sheep and of the goats See Chap. I. v. 3 10. All Burnt-offerings were to be Males though Peace-offerings might be Females III. 1 6. and so might Sin-offerings also IV. 32. but all without blemish For as God accepted only some kind of Creatures viz. Beeves Sheep and Goats and no other of the Herd so he would have a choice to be made out of them of the very best as had been often before directed Ver. 20. Verse 20 But whatsoever hath a blemish that shall ye not offer This general Rule is here repeated because he is going to specifie what Creatures they should account blemished For it shall not be acceptable for you This seems to justifie the Exposition which I said might be given of that phrase in the foregoing Verse at your own will or for your acceptation See upon I. 3. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And whosoever offereth a Sacrifice of Peace-offerings unto the LORD Which were either to obtain blessings or to give thanks for them when they were obtained To accomplish his vow It was usual to make such Vows for procuring from God what they desired when they undertook a Journey or went to Sea or were sick or in any danger c. An example of which we have in I Jonah 16. where we read the Mariners in a Storm offered a Sacrifice to the LORD and made
compensate the loss which the right Owner might have sustained by wanting the use of his Goods so long as the other had detained them in his hand by adding a full fifth part of the Principal as an amends for the wrong Yet if he had really forgotten that he had found such a thing as he was charg'd withal at the time he denied it upon Oath he was not bound to pay the fifth part more nor to offer the Expiatory Sacrifice though he really was possessed of the thing as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. 11. p. 506. And give it unto him to whom it appertaineth If he had stolen from a Man the smallest piece of Money which the Jews call Peruta and had forsworn it they fancy he was bound to restore it to the Owner himself though he lived as far off as Media and it would not suffice to give it to his Son or his Attorney whom he had left to act for him Yet they are something humorsom in these Absurdities for they do not tye a Man to go so far to pay the fifth part though in a case where it was more than a Peruta See Bava kama cap. 9. sect 5 6. In the day of his trespass-offering Or in the day of his trespass that is as soon as he acknowledgeth his guilt as this word I showed v. 4. is to be interpreted And this agrees with what our blessed Saviour requires V Matth. 23. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto the LORD a Ram without a blemish This the Hebrews call an Offering for a certain guilt as that V. 15. was for a dubious With thy estimation c. R. Levi Barzelon interprets it a Ram worth two Shekels Praecept CXXIV Ver. 7. Verse 7 And the Priest shall make an atonement for him c. The Offender was not to think he was cleared by making Restitution and adding the fifth part whereby his Neighbour might well be satisfied but withal this Sacrifice was necessary for his Expiation without which no Satisfaction was made to the Divine Majesty The Jews themselves also think that this was prescribed to make them more sensible of their Sin and to render it more odious unto them as the same Author observes Ver. 8. Verse 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Here the Hebrews begin a new Section of the Law as well as a new Chapter as we call it for the first seven Verses plainly belong to the Matter of the foregoing Chapter And it is reasonable to think that the following Precepts were given at a distinct time from the former See IV. 1. being about a different Matter For having declared what Offerings the People should bring to the LORD he now gives instructions to the Priests how they should manage the several Offerings that were brought Ver. 9. Verse 9 Command Aaron and his sons saying As before he bad Moses speak unto the Children of Israel I Lev. 2. IV. 2. because the Laws he then gave concerned them So now he bids him command Aaron and his sons what to do and acquaints them with the Laws that is the Rites they should observe in offering the several Sacrifices before directed to be made This is the Law of the burnt-offering He mentions that first which was first delivered and was the principal Offering being purely in honour of God whereas the other was occasioned by Mens sins or the Benefits he had bestowed on them It is the burnt-offering He explains what Burnt-offering he chiefly means viz. the daily Sacrifice which was the principal Burnt-offering according to which all other Offerings of that kind were to be regulated Because of the burning upon the Altar all night unto the morning Or for the burning upon the Altar c. This was the reason of its name because it was burning on the Altar from the Evening at which the Jews began their day till the Morning For which purpose the Priests watched all Night and put the Sacrifice upon the Altar piece by piece that it might be consumed by a slow and gentle fire As for the Morning Sacrifice it is not here mentioned because it was consumed with a quicker fire that there might be room for other Sacrifices that were commonly offered after it as appears from v. 12. and were only offered in the Morning not at Night But if there were no other Sacrifices to succeed it in the Morning then it is very likely that it was also kept burning till the Evening Sacrifice that God's Altar might always have Meat upon it And the fire of the Altar shall be burning in it Or For the fire of the Altar c. So it should be translated unless we translate the last word not in it but by it And the fire of the Altar shall be burning i.e. be fed or maintained by it Ver. 10. Verse 10 And the Priest shall put on his linen garment Mentioned XXVIII Exod. 40. And his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh To cover his Secret Parts as appears from XXVIII Exod 42. And take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering c. Or rather When the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the Altar For the word ascher which we here translate which signifies also when and is so translated by us IV. 22. Or else the sense must be The ashes into which the fire hath consumed the Burnt-offering Or to make good our present translation a few words must be added in this manner The ashes of the Wood which the fire hath consumed with the Burnt-offering And he shall put them besides the Altar On the East-part of it as far as might be from the most holy place See I. 16. For this was most sutable to the Glory of the House of God saith R. Levi of Barcelona and the fire would burn better when the Altar was cleared from the Ashes Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he shall put off his garments Those before-named and put on other garments It is a question among the Jews whether he mean his common Raiment or some other Garments not holy and yet not quite common but of a middle nature It is most likely that the carrying the Ashes out of the Tabernacle being not an holy action as they were not to perform it in their Priestly i. e. Sacred Garments wherein they took them from the Altar so they did it in the common Habit which they wore when they did not minister Yet Rasi thinks this was not absolutely necessary but only fitting and seemly it being indecent to do this Work in the same Garments wherein they served at the Altar And the Ashes having been upon the Altar there are those as I said who fancy this was not a Work fit to be performed in their common Garments and therefore have devised an Habit of less dignity than those Garments wherein they Ministred which they used when they carried out the Ashes Thus Maimonides himself and others mentioned by
the meaning is he shall present it to the LORD before the Altar and then afterward as is directed in the next Verse burn an handful of it upon the Altar And so the Rule is Chapter second v. 8 9. When it is presented to the Priest he shall bring it to the Altar c. Ver. 15. Verse 15 And he shall take of it his handful of the flour of the meat-offering c. According to the prescription in the second Chapter v. 2. where all this Verse is explained Ver. 16. Verse 16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat If they had no pollution upon them XXII 6. See Chapt. II. 3. The reason of the Precept was as R. Levi Barcel observes Praecept CXXXIII that it preserved the dignity of the Sacrifice to have it eaten only by the Priests and by them I may add only in the holy place and not carried out from thence as it here follows With unleavened bread shall it be eaten There is nothing in the Hebrew Text to answer unto the word with which makes the sense unaccountable that otherwise is easie and natural If we translate it as the Hebrew words plainly signifie unleavened it shall be eaten See X. 12. In the holy place There was a room in the Court of the Priests where they ate these holy things as Kimchi observes upon XLII Ezek. Which may be confirmed out of XVIII Numb 10. where the most holy place can signifie nothing but the Court of the Priests as L'Empereur rightly understands it in his Annot. upon Middoth cap. 2. sect 6. In the Court of the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall eat it As the Priests did eat it in their own Court so their Male-children had a place in the Court of the Israelites wherein to eat it X. 12 13. And they are all said to eat before the LORD because this was a part of the Tabernacle as was also the Court of the Women where there was a place for the Priest's Daughters to eat as well as their Sons of the Firstlings that were offered to the LORD XVIII Numb 19. Ver. 17. Verse 17 It shall not be baken with leaven There were two little rooms at the East-gate of the Court of the Temple called The Gate of Nicanor one of which was a Vestry for the Priests to put on their Garments when they went to Minister and the other was for baking this flour and that mentioned v. 21. So they tell us in Middoth cap. 1. sect 4. And therefore it is ordered to be baken without leaven because it was a part of the LORD's Sacrifice which being offered unleavened Chapt. second v. 11. the remainder must needs be unleavened also because the whole was God's and the Priests could have it no other ways than it was offered unto him I have given it to them for their portion of my offerings made by fire That is of the Meat-offerings before-mentioned It is most holy c. This is the reason why it was not to be carried to be eaten out of the holy place See Chapt. second v. 10. As is the sin-offering and as the trespass-offering See v. 26. and VII 6. Ver. 18. Verse 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it And none but they because it was a thing most holy It shall be a statute for ever in your generations That is as long as the Law about Sacrifices shall last Every one that toucheth them shall be holy According to this translation of these words the meaning is That it was not sufficient to be descended of Priests and to be Males but they were also to be free from any legal defilement who were admitted to eat of this Offering XXII 6. But these very words which we here translate every one in the 27th Verse we translate whatsoever and then the meaning is Every thing that toucheth them shall be made holy by them That is the very Dishes into which such holy things were put or the Spoons or Knives wherewith they were eaten were never to be imployed to any other use See XXIX Exod. 37. Ver. 19. Verse 19 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying At the same time the LORD gave direction about another Offering near of kin to the former but not yet mentioned Ver. 20. Verse 20 This is the offering of Aaron and his sons which they shall offer unto the LORD The Jews call this a Mincah of imitation which every High-Priest and every other Priest as they understand it were bound to offer when they were Consecrated and the High-Priest to continue every day as long as he lived So Abarbanel in his Preface to this Book Section 2. reckoning the various sorts of Meat-offerings makes this the fourth kind which the High-Priest offered every day and every other Priest once in his Life viz. when he first was admitted to Minister at the Altar at the Age of twenty years For both these Meat-offerings saith he are comprehended in this Verse But it may as well be understood only of Aaron and his Successors in the Priesthood of whom the following words seem to speak and not of the common Priests In the day when he is anointed The Hebrew word bejom may be translated from the day and so the Jews understand it that he was to make this Oblation not only upon the day of his Consecration but ever after as I said every day as long as he continued in the Priesthood And so the next words seem to explain it The tenth part of an Ephah of fine flour for a meat-offering perpetual half thereof in the morning and half at night The High-Priest saith Josephus L. III. Antiq. cap. 10. sacrificed twice every day at his own charges and then he describes this very Offering which was distinct from that which attended the daily Burnt-offering as appears by the quantity of this Meat-offering and by the manner of ordering it For that seems to have been raw Flower mixed with Oil but this baken as it follows in the next Verse See XXIX Exod 40 41. The reason why it is here mentioned is because it was a Mincah or Meat-offering of whose Rites Moses is treating and this is an Exception from the rest Ver. 21. Verse 21 In a pan shall it be made with Oil. With three logs of Oil as the Jews determine And when it is baken See v. 17. Thou shalt bring it in Unto the Altar And the baken pieces shalt thou offer c. If it was a Meat-offering of the High-Priest it was divided into XII pieces as Maimonides saith if of a common Priest for they will have both to be included in this Law then into X pieces which were so exactly divided that half of them were offered in the Morning and the other half in the Evening And the handful of Frankincense which they say was offered with them was in like manner divided and burnt on the Altar Maase Korban cap. 13. Ver. 22. Verse 22 And the Priest of
or a voluntary offering These two other sorts of Peace-offerings were in the nature of Prayers for the obtaining such Blessings as they desired and hoped for And they were either the performance of a Vow which they made to God of offering him such a Sacrifice when they received the benefit which was called Neder or they were freely made before hand in hope God would bestow the benefit which Sacrifice was called Nedebah a voluntary offering Now these were not so holy as the former and therefore might be eaten on the morrow as well as on the same day they were offered So it here follows It shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his Sacrifice Then they were immediately to begin to feast upon the Sacrifice And on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten But if they could not conveniently eat it all the same day or had a mind to lay up some of it till the next they had that liberty allowed them For which Philo gives this reason in the same Book that these being for Mercies not yet received or offered by vertue of an obligation they might take more time to feast upon them with their Friends and be more sparing but the former being a thankful Acknowledgment of Blessings already bestowed their hearts were to be inlarged in greater bounty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they upon whom God readily bestowed his benefits might make a quick and speedy return by doing good to others without delay And what is here said of the Flesh of the Sacrifice the Jews also understand of the Meat-offerings mentioned v. 12 13. None of which were to be kept longer than two days at the most There is no place here assigned where these Sacrifices should be eaten at the Sanctuary as there is for the other VI. 16. 26. and here in this Chapter v. 6. The reason is because there was such a multitude of them that it might have made too great a crowd in the Court of the Israelites if they had been confined to it Where they might eat them if they pleased as I showed before VI. 16. but were not determined to that place but left at liberty to eat them in any part of the City where the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple stood See XII Deut. 6 7. And consequently while they dwelt in the Wilderness they might eat them any where in the Camp which was pitched round about the Tabernacle only it was to be in a clean place where the Priests might eat them as well as the People X. 14. Ver. 17. Verse 17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire If there were such plenty or they and their Friends were too sew or they were so niggardly as not to call Poor enow to eat all in two days time they were to have no further benefit of the Flesh of this Sacrifice but what remained of it on the third day was to be burnt Which was to preserve the dignity of the Sacrifice as the Jews speak in preventing its stinking And there was no nobler way of consuming it than by sire which consumed the Sacrifice on the Altar So R. Levi Barcel observes Praecept CXXXVIII where he also adds that God taught them hereby not to be solicitous for the future nor careful to hoard up more than needed when they saw him command the holy Flesh to be destroyed after the time allotted for its use was past The Heathens themselves thought this a decent Rite for there was a Sacrifice at Rome which they called Protervia as Bochart observes out of Macrobius L. II. Saturnal cap. 2. in which the Custom was ut si quid ex epulis superfuisset igne consumeretur that if any thing of the Feast remained it was consumed in the fire See his Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 50. Ver. 18. Verse 18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering be eaten at all on the third day it shall not be accepted c. He lost the fruit of his Sacrifice which he had offered to God by this profanation which destroyed the Grace and Favour which it had procured him with God Neither shall it be imputed to him that offered it He shall not be thought to have made any offering at all It shall be an abomination c. And more than that it rendered him abominable being abominable it self and made him liable to be scourged as the Jews here understand the last words of this Verse he shall bear his iniquity Which I think also signifies that he should die under a great guilt till it was purged by a Trespass-offering Ver. 19. Verse 19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten That is the Flesh of the Peace-offerings before-mentioned which might happen as they carried it from the Altar to the place where they intended to make a Feast upon it to touch any unclean thing might not be eaten by any body But burnt with fire As that which remained to the third day was v. 17. This made them very careful to preserve it pure And as for the flesh That is all the Flesh which was not defiled by touching any unclean thing All that be clean shall eat thereof Whether the Priest or other Persons For the Priest had the right Shoulder and the Breast as we read expresly v. 33 34. and he that brought the Sacrifice had the rest Of the former the whole Family of the Priest might eat not only his Sons but his Wife and Daughters who were not married or being Widows were come back to their Father again if they had no Children or if those they had were begotten by Priests Yea his Servants born in his House or bought with his Money See XXII 11 12 13. XVIII Numb 11. And of the rest of the Sacrifice he that offered it might eat it with all his Family and his Friends excepting those who had any uncleanness upon them There are frequent mention of these Feasts in the following Books of the Bible As that made by Elkanah 1 Sam. I. 4. and by Samuel when he entertained Saul 1 Sam. IX 13 24. And when the Kingdom was renewed to Saul at Gilgal there was a Publick Feast made on these Offerings with great rejoycing 1 Sam. XI 15. And the like was made for Jesse and his Sons XVI 3 5. And by David when he entertained the People 1 Chron. XVI 3. and by Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings VIII 65. And all the Children of Israel made such a Feast at their return from Babylon VIII Nehem. 19. There are many Examples also of the like Feasts among the Heathens particularly in Homer where Agamemnon Iliad I. offered an Hecatomb and made a Feast upon it And Nestor Odyss III. offered a Sacrifice of LXXXII Oxen and made the like Entertainment Ver. 20. Verse 20 But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of the
peace-offerings that pertain unto the LORD By these last words it appears that the whole Offering was the LORD's whose Bounty entertained him and his Friends to whom he gave the greatest part of it Having his uncleanness upon him c. In this Verse and in the next every one that had any legal defilement upon him is prohibited under a severe Penalty to eat of the Peace-offerings And they might be made unclean either by impurity in their own Body or by the contact of unclean things of the former of which he speaks in this Verse and of the other in the next Both were to be punished with cutting off which hath been explained elsewhere XVII Gen. 14. From whence it was that the Jews were so very careful not to go into the Judgment-Hall when our Saviour was condemned lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover XVIII John 28. at which Feast Peace-offerings were offered together with the Paschal Lamb. See more of this XXII 2 3 4. Ver. 21. Verse 21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing as the uncleanness of man or any unclean beast or any abominable unclean thing All these several sorts of Uncleanness contracted by touching things unclean we shall find in the following Chapters XI c. And shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings which pertain unto the LORD even that soul shall be cut off c. The intention of such Precepts was that the greater Reverence as Maimonides speaks P. III. More Nevoch cap. 41. might be maintained towards the Sacrifices which were offered unto God Upon which account Julian highly commends Moses who he saith as St. Cyril quotes his words Lib. IX contra Julian was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly religious about the eating of holy things which he proves from these very words of Moses But his conclusion from thence was very frigid as St. Cyril calls it That Christians were therefore to blame because they would not partake of such Sacrifices for we abstain not from them saith that Father as unclean things but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we rather make a progress as from Types unto the Truth Ver. 22. Verse 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying At the same time that all these Precepts were ordered to be delivered to the Priests he takes occasion to repeat several Precepts he had before given which concern all the People because it was of great moment to have them observed Ver. 23. Verse 32 Speak unto the children of Israel saying ye shall eat no manner of fat Because this was God's part and therefore not to be eaten by any one but burnt on his Altar See III. 16 17. And the reason Maimonides gives why it was reserved for him alone was because it was very delicious to the Taste More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. Of Ox or of Sheep or of Goat The Jews restrain this Precept to these three sorts of Creatures which were the only Beasts that were offered at the Altar taking the Fat of all other Beasts to be lawful So R. Levi before-mentioned Praecept CXLIX Ver. 24. Verse 24 And the fat of the beast Of any of the fore-named Beasts which alone were allowed in Sacrifices That dieth of it self and the fat of that which is torn with Beasts may be used in any other use c. Though the Flesh of such Beasts was unclean yet they might apply the Fat when separated from the Body to any use only they might not eat it Ver. 25. Verse 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD This seems to justifie the Opinion of those Jews who restrain the eating of Fat only to the three sorts of Creatures mentioned v. 23. as was there observed Even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people If he did it presumptuously but if through inanimadvertence he was to be scourged as the Jewish Doctors affirm Yet if he did it a third time scourging did not suffice but they shut him up in a little Cave where he could not stand upright nor had room to sit down and there fed him with the Bread and Water of Affliction till his Bowels were sorely pinched c. as Maimonides describes this punishment See Schickard's Mischpat Hammeleck and Carpzovius his Annot. on him cap. 2. Theorer VII Ver. 26. Verse 26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood whether it be of fowl or of beast See III. 17. Men were very prone to this in those times as Maimonides thinks whereby they ran into Idolatrous Worship Which was the reason God restrained them from it by threatning cutting off v. 27. to those who were guilty of it More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. In any of your dwellings This is added to signifie that they might no more eat of the Blood of those Beasts which they killed at home than of those slain at the Altar Ver. 27. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood even that soul shall be cut off c. The reason of it is given XVII 10 11. But the Jews here distinguish particularly R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CXLVIII between the Blood of the Soul or the Life as they speak and the Blood of a Member The former which run out freely when the Beast was killed in which was the Life of the Beast is that which is here meant as Moses more fully explains it in the place before-mentioned The other which remained in the several parts of the Beast they lookt upon as belonging to the Flesh and therefore might be eaten with it Ver. 28. Verse 28 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying He delivered at the same time some other Rules to be observed by the People in these Matters See v. 22. Ver. 29. Verse 29 Speak unto the children of Israel saying He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings The meaning may be no more than this that before he and his Friends feasted together as is directed v. 15 c. he was to take care to bring his Oblation unto the LORD that is to see that God had his part of the Peace-offering for till that was offered none could meddle with the rest But if the import of the Hebrew words be well observed they seem to have a further meaning which is that whensoever any Man brought the Sacrifice which in the Hebrew is here called Zebach of his Peace-offerings he should also bring his Oblation which in distinction from the other is called Korban that is a Mincha or Meat-offering together with it that the Feast which was to be made might be compleatly furnished with Bread and Wine as well as the Flesh of the Sacrifice Ver. 30. Verse 30 His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire the fat with the breast it shall he bring The Sacrifice being
slain and divided the Priest was to put what belonged unto the LORD into the Man 's own hands viz. the Fat with the Breast and the Shoulder that he might present it himself unto the Divine Majesty That the breast may be waved for a wave-offering before the LORD This is the manner wherein it was to be presented the Man was to lift it up over his head and wave it to and fro his hands being supported and guided by the Priest See XXIX Exod. 24. and VI Numb 19 20. Maimonides describes the order of it in this manner first the Priest put into the Man's hands the Fat and then laid upon it the Breast and the Shoulder and after that one of the pieces of the Cakes for the Meat-offering upon them all which he waved about Ver. 31. Verse 31 And the Priest shall burn the fat upon the Altar but the breast shall be Aarons and his sons When that part which belonged to God's Altar viz. the Fat had been burnt there the Priests had the Breast and the Shoulder to their own use as Servants have what comes from their Master's Table For it was all offered unto God v. 29 30. who taking only the Fat for himself bad them take the rest viz. the Breast and the Shoulder which had been presented unto God by waving them to and fro as a Sacrifice to the LORD of the World but by him bestowed upon his Ministers for their maintenance in his Service This is more fully expressed in the three next Verses in which there is no difficulty and therefore I shall but lightly touch them Ver. 32. Verse 32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the Priests c. This is only a more particular declaration what belonged to the Priest who was to have not only the Breast before-mentioned but also the right Shoulder Ver. 33. Verse 33 He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings and the fat shall have the right shoulder for his part This is still a more special direction providing for the incouragement of that Priest who on that day ministred at the Altar unto whom the right Shoulder was appropriated as a reward of his pains in offering the Sacrifice Ver. 34. Verse 34 For the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifice of their peace-offerings and have given them to Aaron and his sons c. This doth not contradict what I observed just before for when he saith he hath given these to Aaron the Priest and his Sons the meaning must be to those of his Sons who at the time when these were offered sprinkled the Blood and burnt the fat Ver. 35. Verse 35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron and of the anointing of his sons c. In the Hebrew the words are This is the anointing of Aaron c. That is this they have in right of their Unction to the Priest's Office which intitles them to all before-mentioned In the day The Hebrew word Bejom may both here and in the next Verse be translated as I observed before VI. 20. from the day and ever after When he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the Priests office Made them draw near to attend upon him at his Altar Ver. 36. Verse 36 Which the LORD commanded to be given them in the day that he anointed them c. By virtue of a Grant from God when they were made Priests to enjoy this benefit in all future Ages By a statute for ever c. As long as this Law of Sacrifices and this Priesthood shall last See VI. 22. Ver. 37. Verse 37 This is the law of the burnt-offering of the meat-offering and of the sin-offering and of the trespass-offering c. This Verse contains a Summary of what he had commanded Aaron and his Sons from the ninth Verse of the sixth Chapter unto this place And of the Consecrations The whole order of their Consecration is not here directed but in XXIX Exod. only something belonging to that matter VI. 20 c. Ver. 38. Verse 38 Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai In that mountainous Country which lay near to Mount Sinai as Maimonides truly expounds it For he was come down from Mount Sinai and had delivered to them all that he received there XXXIV Exod. 29 32. before these Commands were given but they still continued near unto it and so the word behar may be translated by mount Sinai For as the last words of this Verse tells us they were still in the Wilderness of Sinai that is in that part of the Wilderness which took its name from its nearness to Mount Sinai In the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD c. This doth not precisely signifie that he commanded Aaron and his Sons VI. 9 c. all these things on the very same day that he commanded the Children of Israel what Oblations to bring Chapt. I. 2 c. but they were delivered all at the same time immediately after the other without any other Commandments intervening CHAP. VIII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying See IV. 1. Ver. 2. Verse 2 Take Aaron and his sons with him Having delivered the Laws and Rules about Sacrifices and the Rites belonging to them he now prepares the Priests to offer them as had been commanded And there is not much said in this Chapter but what hath been explained in XXIâ— Exod. and other neighbouring Chapters where he relates the Orders he received in Mount Sinai about those things which were now performed And the garments XXVIII Exod. 2 4. And the anointing oil XXX Exod. 24 c. And a bullock for the sin-offering and two rams and a basket of unleavened bread See XXIX Exod. 1 2 3 c. These were in their kind the very best of the legal Sacrifices as appears in part from that Expression of the Psalmist LXIX Psalm 30 31. where he prefers Thanksgiving and Praise before a Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs a young Bullock which began to spread its Horns and Hoofs that is before the very best of all their bloody Sacrifices Ver. 3. Verse 3 And gather thou all the Congregation together c. All the Elders of the People with the great Officers who were set over Thousands and Hundreds c. For these are frequently called by the Name of Col ha Edah which we translate all the Congregation particularly in XXV Numb 7. XXXV 12. XX Josh 6. XXI Judg. 10 13 16. where the Elders of the Congregation and the Congregation and all the Congregation are plainly the same thing Which is further confirmed from the next Chapter of this Book v. 1. where it is said expresly Moses called Aaron and his Sons and the Elders of Israel Ver. 4. Verse 4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded Summoned them to appear before the LORD And the assembly
offend against this Precept if before they went into the Sanctuary they drank no more than the fourth part of a Log which contained an Egg-shell and an half If they exceeded this measure then their Ministry they say was profaned and they were liable to death by the hand of Heaven See R. Levi of Barcelona Praecept CLVIII who hath many Niceties about this matter as hath also Maimonides mentioned by the learned Dr. Outram in his Book de Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 6. n. 9. Lest ye die As their Brethren did See upon v. 1. where I observed it to be very probable that they were burnt with Fire from the LORD upon this account They that think it worth their while may see after what manner the Cabbalists make out this and what Reflections they make upon it in Theod. Hackspan's Cabala Judaica n. 144 145. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your Generations And such a Law there was in some Heathen Countries that no Magistrate all the year he was in Office nor any Judge while he was in Action and Employment should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so much as taste a drop of Wine So Plato tells us with which Eusebius compares this Law of Moses Lib. XII Praepar Evang. cap. 25. And Chaeremon the Stoick describing in Porphery's Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. IV. the Diet of the Egyptian Priests tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them drunk no Wine at all and others very little Ver. 10. Verse 10 That ye may put a difference between holy and unholy between clean and unclean Here is the ground and reason of this Precept that they might have their Wits about them as we speak and preserve their Minds from being clouded as Nabad's and Abihu's were who put no difference between holy Fire and common and so be able both to put a difference as the first words may be translated between holy and unholy c. and also to teach the People all the Statutes which God had delivered to them as it follows in the next Verse And here it must be observed that as some days and places were more holy than others so were some parts of the Sacrifices also which they might not eat themselves but were reserved for the Altar Some Beasts also were clean and others so unclean that they might neither be offered in Sacrifice nor eaten at their common Tables XI 47. Some Men and Women also were so unclean that they were not to be admitted into their ordinary Conversation much less into the Sanctuary Chap. XII XIII Of all which the Priests were the Judges and therefore had need to be perfectly sober that they might make an accurate difference between one thing and another And for such a like reason it was the Egyptian Priests were so abstemious in drinking Wine because they looked upon it as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an impediment to the finding out of Truth So Chaeremon speaks in the forementioned Book Ver. 11. Verse 11 And that ye may teach the Children of Israel all the Statutes c. Which concern the Rites and Ceremonies of God's Worship Ver. 12. Verse 12 And Moses spake unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons that were left This was still spoken on the same day a little after what he had said to them v. 6 7. Take the meat-offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire c. He seems to have been afraid that Aaron's grief for the loss of his Sons might have so disturbed his Mind as to have made him negligent in some part of his duty or that Eleazar and Ithamar through mistake or forgetfulness might have offended against some of the Laws lately delivered about Sacrifices which therefore he here repeats that they might be exactly observed And in the first place that they should eat what remained of the meat-offering as was commanded VI. 16. Where it is required also as it is here to be eaten without leaven and beside the Altar in the Court of the Tabernacle of the Congregation as it is there expressed For it is most holy See there VI. 17. Ver. 13. Verse 13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place This he repeats because they might possibly have forgotten it or not sufficiently attended to the difference between things most holy and things only holy The former of which the Priests alone might eat and that only in the holy place the other all their Family might eat as he saith in the next Verse in any place that was clean Because it is thy due and thy sons due c. No body might eat it but holy Persons for so God directed Chapt. II. 3. VI. 16 17 18. VII 9 10. Ver. 14. Verse 14 The wave-breast and the heave-shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place They were not bound to eat these in the Court of the Tabernacle as in the former case v. 13. but in any part of the Camp that was not defiled Thou and thy sons and thy daughters with thee These being those which the Jews call lighter holy things might be eaten by the whole Family as was before observed For they be thy due and thy sons due which are given you out of the sacrifice of peace-offerings of the Children of Israel They were bestowed upon them by an express Grant VII 34. where though only his Sons be mentioned as they are here yet it is plain all of their Family who were clean might eat of these things See upon VII 19. Ver. 15. Verse 15 The heave-shoulder and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat to wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD This also he inculcates again which had been said before VII 29 30. that they must take care first to wave these things before the LORD and to burn the Fat upon the Altar for till this was done they had no right to eat these things And it shall be thine and thy sons with thee When they had been presented to the LORD of the whole Earth and he had received his part these became theirs by an express Grant from him VII 32 33 34. By a statute for ever As long as such kind of Sacrifices should last Ver. 16. Verse 16 And Moses diligently sought the Goat of the sin-offering Which had been offered for the People IX 15. And behold it was burnt This justified Moses his suspicion and fear that some mistake might have been committed in other matters because he found upon a diligent inquisition that they had burnt upon the Altar those parts of the sin-offering which they ought to have eaten themselves VI. 26 29. In which it was the easier for them to mistake without diligent observation of Moses his directions because the sin-offering which had been offered for Aaron himself was just before wholly burnt without the Camp IX 11. and so were all the Sin-offerings for the High-Priest and for the whole Congregation
Marriages And after a Repetion of several Laws Chapt. XIX of some greater Uncleannesses and Chapt. XXI of Priests that were unclean and lastly of Sacrifices not fit to be offered Chap. XXII Ver. 1. Verse 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron saying unto them The Consecration of Aaron being now compleatly finished God spake to him as well as unto Moses he being also highly concerned to teach the People the difference that is here made between several sorts of Meats X. 11. which Moses assures them was enacted by Divine Authority Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel saying They were all to take special notice of what follows because by the Diet here prescribed they were discriminated from all other People in the World These are the beasts that ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth God having bestowed upon Mankind after the Flood every living thing to be their Food IX Gen. 3. it hath raised a question among learned Men why God should limit and restrain his own People from the benefit of this general Grant And some have thought this so unaccountable that they have said it is in vain to enquire into the reason of the difference that is made here of Meats concerning which P. Cunaeus declares as Plutarch doth of the Laws of Solon and Lycurgus that no doubt they were enacted with wise Counsel but the reason of the Authors cannot be known Lib. II. de Republ. Hebraeorum cap. 24. But others think the reason is plain enough and the Jews are of opinion that the Creatures here called unclean were forbidden to be eaten because they were unwholsome Food So Maimonides discourses at large in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 48. where he saith there can be no doubt that every thing here prohibited yields a bad Nourishment except it be Swines-flesh and fat and yet he endeavours to show that there is no reason to think otherwise of those two R. Levi of Barcelona is of the same mind but pretends not to be able to demonstrate it as Maimonides doth For the Sum of a long and pious Discourse which he hath upon this Subject Praecept LXXIX where he treats of that Flesh which was torn by wild Beasts amounts to this That the Body being the Seat of the Soul where it doth its business God would have it fitted to the Desires and Imployments of the Soul And therefore the Law saith he removes from us all those things which may hinder the Soul in its operations For which reason such and such Meats are forbidden as breed ill Blood among which if there be some whose hurtfulness is neither visible to us nor to Physicians do not wonder at it for the faithful Physician who forbids them is wiser than any of us This opinion I cannot think to be wholly groundless for though there be some Creatures here prohibited which seem to us of as good Nourishment as those which are allowed yet considering that Climate wherein the Jews lived and the temper of their Blood which was very hot and apt to be extreamly corrupted as appears by the unusual Leprosie to which they were obnoxious more than other Nations it is reasonable to conclude that God had some respect to this in the ordering of their Diet. See J. Wagenseil Confut. Carminis R. Lipmanni p. 556. Yet I cannot think this to have been the chief reason of this Law though it be very agreeable to the peculiar care God had of this People that he should not only give them Civil and Sacred Laws but direct them in the smallest Matters as he did in their Apparel Building c. but the main drift and scope of it was that the Israelites might be separated from all other Nations in the World by a Diet peculiar to themselves which kept them from such a familiar Conversation as otherwise they might have had with the Gentiles and consequently from learning their idolatrous Customs And I do not see why I should not add most of the Creatures which are reckoned unclean were such as were in high esteem and sacred among the Heathen As a Swine was to Venus the Owl to Minerva the Hawk to Apollo the Eagle to Jupiter and even the Dog to Hecate c. Whence Origen justly falls into an high admiration of Moses his wisdom who so perfectly understood all Animals and what relation they had to Daemons that he pronounced all those to be unclean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which were esteemed by the Egyptians and other Nations to be the Instruments of Divination and those to be clean which were not so Lib. IV. contra Celsum p. 225. And if in Moses his time such Creatures were not sacred to Daemons it is a greater wonder that he should mark those out for impure which proved to be so sacred in after Ages As a great number of Birds mentioned by Porphyry Lib. III. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who saith the Gods used them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to declare their mind to Men and several other Creatures mentioned by other Authors as peculiarly appropriated to other Deities Many have discoursed largely of the Moral Reasons of these Precepts particularly a very learned Man now living Joh. Wagenseil in his Annotations on that Title in the Misna called Sota fol. 1171 c. Ver. 3. Verse 3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof and is cloven-footed There are some Creatures which Porphyry in the Book fore-mentioned Lib. IV. calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose Hoofs are solid and not at all divided such as Horses Asses and Mules Others that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divided into several parts like Toes as Lions Wolves and Dogs But a third sort that are only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle calls them divided into two parts as Oxen Deer Sheep Goats c. And these are of two kinds for some divide the Hoof into two parts but it is not cloven quite through as the Camel whose Hoof is parted above but joyned by a thick Skin below and therefore reckoned among the unclean Beasts Others both divided and cloven which are those allowed by this Law to be clean Creatures And cheweth the end among beasts c. As all those Beasts do which are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle calls them Lib. X. cap. 50. that is have not a Set of Teeth both above and below Such are Oxen Sheep and Goats which want upper Teeth and therefore bring their Meat up again into their Mouths after it hath been some time in the Stomach that it may by a new chewing of it be better prepared for digestion So the Author of Porta Coeli who explains this very exactly when he saith For want of upper Teeth they cannot chew their Food perfectly at one time nor can the Stomach make a perfect digestion till it be ground a second time And therefore such Creatures are provided with a a double Stomach an upper into which the Meat goes down
were not so to other People See XXII Exod. ult Neither shall ye defile your selves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth Here being a different word used in the last Clause from that in the foregoing both which signifie creeping things Maimonides here distinguishes between them and saith that the first word Scheretz signifies such creeping things as are produced by Male and Female and Romesch which is the other word such as arise out of Putrefaction Which is now discovered to be an Error there being no such Animals as are produced meerly by the power of the Sun out of putrified matter but all out of some Seed or other which comes from Male and Female This therefore is only a Repetition of what was delivered before and now confirmed by an unanswerable reason Ver. 45. For I am the LORD your God that bringeth you up out of the Land of Egypt This was a benefit so fresh in their minds that he speaks of it as if it were now a doing and being the first and greatest benefit the very foundation of the rest there could not be a higher aggravation of Guilt than to be insensible of this Obligation XXXII Exod. 8. To be your God He having redeemed them out of Slavery made them thereby his own People over whom he had a peculiar Dominion in the right of this Redemption See XX Exod. 2. Ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy They being his peculiar People he separated them from all other Nations by peculiar Laws which made them different from all other People as he himself was from all other Beings Ver. 46. Verse 46 This is the law of the beasts and of the fowl c. That is this is the Rule you are to observe in eating of Beasts and Fowl and Fishes and things that creep on the Earth Of which four sorts of living Creatures Moses had treated in this Chapter though not in that very order wherein they are set down in this Verse but first of Beasts v. 2 3 c. then of Fishes v. 9 c. then of Birds v. 13 c. and lastly of creeping things v. 20 c. Some of all which kinds he forbad them to eat for such reasons as I have already mentioned unto which this may be added that by not allowing them an intire liberty to eat every thing but rather laying many Restraints upon them he intended to prevent that Gluttony and Luxury which is the ruin of a State unto which nothing administers more than too great variety of Meats the desire of which is insatiable Ver. 47. Verse 47 To make a difference To direct you how to make a difference Between the unclean and the clean and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten There was no uncleanness in any of these things but what was made by this prohibition of them But there being great reason to prohibit them it was very necessary that both Priests and People should observe and be well skilled in the Marks whereby what was lawful to be eaten might be known from what was unlawful Upon which account this is so oft repeated and the same here expressed twice in different words CHAP. XII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying The Directions in this Chapter are given to Moses alone whereas those in the foregoing were delivered unto Aaron also as those are in like manner which follow about the Leprosie XIII 1. because Aaron and his Sons were peculiarly concerned in those matters to make an exact difference between clean and unclean X. 10 11. XIV 57. in which there was some difficulty and therefore they are charged by God himself to attend carefully to the Laws he gave about them But there was no such difficulty in what belong'd to the Purification of Women and therefore it was sufficient that they received Admonitions from Moses concerning it Ver. 2. Verse 2 If a woman have conceived seed and born a man-child Whether it were born alive or dead were an Abortive or come to its full time this made no difference as the Hebrew Doctors understand it She shall be unclean seven days For the first seven days after the Birth of the Child she was neither to partake of any holy thing nor to have common Conversation with others her Husband not being permitted to eat and drink with her all that time for they that attended her became unclean also And so they were accounted among the Heathen as Dilherrus observes out of Plautus in his Dissert Special de Cacozelia Gentilium cap. 3. where he saith the Women that assisted at the Labour solemnly washed their hands and had a Sacrifice offered for them on the fifth day after the Delivery Plautus his words indeed will not warrant all this which I find in his Truculentus Act. 2. Scen. 4. where the Harlot says she will Sacrifice for the Child on the fifth day according to the Custom Quin Diis Sacrificare hodie pro puero volo Quinto die quod fieri oportet Where Scaliger observes that the Greeks were wont to purifie their Children on the fifth day but the Latines on the eighth if they were Daughters and on the ninth if they were Sons which was called Dies lustricus According to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean That is her Case shall be the same with that of a Menstruous Woman who was in a state of the highest Uncleanness XV. 19 20. For every thing she touched was unclean and made those so who touched that thing Ver. 3. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised This is here mentioned to show that one reason for not Circumcising the Child till the eighth day was its Mothers Uncleanness the first seven days of her lying in which made the Child unclean also Ver. 4. Verse 4 And she shall then continue From the seven days end In the blood of her purifying In the Purification of her Blood For all the following days were days of Purification not of entire Separation Three and thirty days All the days of her Uncleanness were forty And for the first seven days she was to be separated from all Conversation with her Neighbours but the following three and thirty she had free Conversation with them and was only excluded from the Sanctuary and from eating of the Peace-offerings or the Paschal Lamb and if she were the Wife of a Priest of the Tithes and other lesser holy things of which otherwise she might have eaten She shall touch no hallowed thing nor come into the Sanctuary until the days of her purification be fulfilled If Maimonides may be credited the Zabij an ancient sort of Idolaters in those Eastern parts had a great number of tedious and tiresom Customs about the Purisication of their Childbed-women from all which God freed his People by restraining them only from coming into his Sanctuary or partaking of
And he shall take the cedar-wood and the hysop c. This whole Verse is explained before v. 6. which differs not from this in any thing but only that the living Bird is there mentioned in the first place and here in the last and in this Verse is more distinctly declared that all these things should be dipped in the blood of the slain Bird and in the running water Ver. 52. Verse 52 And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird c. There is nothing to be observed here more than before but only this That the House is said to be cleansed by the living Bird as well as by the blood of that which was slain its flying away being a declaration the House was free for any Man's Habitation Thus the Scape-goat which was let run into the Wilderness took away the Sins of the People as well as the Goat offered at the Altar See XVI 5. Ver. 53. Verse 53 And he shall let go the living bird out of the City into the open field This justifies what the Jewish Doctors say upon v. 7. See there And make an atonement for the house An Atonement was made for the House no otherways than for the Altar See upon v. 18. by cleansing it so as to make it fit for any Man to dwell in it And it shall be clean The Owner who was commanded to forsake the House v. 36. or any one else might return to it and inhabit it as before it was suspected to have the Plague in it Ver. 54. Verse 54 This is the law for all manner plague and leprosie and scall The Rule whereby to judge and to cleanse all Leprosies in the Bodies of Men and that Leprosie in the Head or the Beard called a Scall XIII 30 31 32 to v. 38. Ver. 55 56. Verse 55 56 And for the Leprosie of a garment and of an house and for a rising c. The foregoing Verse and these two are a recapitulation of the Laws delivered in the XIIIth Chapter and in this Ver. 57. Verse 57 To teach when it is unclean and when it is clean To guide the Priest in judgment when to pronounce a Man a Garment or an House infected with the Leprosie or when to declare them free from it This is the Law of Leprosie Here is a Conclusion of what belongs to this Matter Which prophane Minds who love to disparage the Holy Scripture and admire no ancient Authors but such as Homer Virgil and Plautus to use the words of Pellicanus upon v. 39. may deride as unworthy to be made a part of a Divine Law But Men better disposed may discern herein the great goodness of God to the Israelites whom he had adopted for his peculiar People in taking care to give them Precepts about all manner of things which were many ways profitable both for the regulating their Manners and preserving their Health and accustoming them to an exact Obedience to him in every thing And who doth not see that by these external Rites and Ceremonies he admonishes us to keep pure Consciences void of Offence both towards God and Men in a strict observance of all the Rules of our most holy Religion CHAP. XV. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron saying For Aaron was particularly concerned to see these Laws observed as well as the foregoing Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them Moses it is likely first delivered these Laws to them in the presence of Aaron who afterward instructed and exhorted them to the observance of them When any man hath a running issue He speaks of that Disease which Physicians call a Gonorrhaea which commonly proceeded from an ill course of Life and had in those Countries a great virulency in it If it proceeded meerly from some strain in the back by carrying too great a Burden or by violent leaping and several other natural Causes which Maimonides enumerates in his Mechuss Kapparah cap. 2. the Man was not defiled with it nor concerned in this Law And therefore the Causes from whence it proceeded were diligently to be considered as Maimonides there admonishes which might be discerned by such effects as made it a very nasty and offensive Disease in those hot Countries as it is sometimes here in these colder Climates Out of his flesh The word Flesh signifies the Secret Parts as it doth VI. 10. XVII Gen. 13. XVI Ezek 26. and other places Because of his issue he is unclean Upon that account alone he was to be kept from the Sanctuary and separated from Company See v. 31. Ver. 3. Verse 3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue The Rule whereby to judge of it Whether the flesh run with his issue or his flesh be stopped from his issue it is his uncleanness Whether there were a continued distillation of the corrupt Matter or it was so coagulated as to stop in the passage either way it made the Man unclean Be stopped from his issue Rather with his issue as the Hebrew words will bear Ver. 4. Verse 4 Every bed whereon he lyeth that bath the issue is unclean and every thing whereon he sitteth c. This and the following Verses unto v. 13. are a demonstration that this Disease made a Man legally Unclean to a very high degree being so offensive that not only every thing he touched became unclean but whosoever touched such things was made unclean also There is little in them that needs any Explication the only difficulty was to know whether a Man laboured under this Disease Which was not wholly left unto his Conscience to determine but his Countenance discovered it the continual Flux making a great alteration in the whole habit of his Body For virulent Gonorrhaea's sometimes last several years as Th. Bartholinus saith he knew one that had it ten years and was reduced to skin and bone being frequently accompanied with Inflamations and Ulcers in the neighbouring parts from which the filthy Humor flows Bartholin Histor Artatom Cent. II. Hist XXXVI Ver. 5. Verse 5 And whosoever toucheth his bed Upon which he hath lain Shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the even Which was the Law in other Cases when Men bad touched an unclean thing XI 28. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the issue Though he did but just sit down and did it ignorantly presently rising up a-again as soon as he knew his Error he became defiled and might not go to the Sanctuary till he was purified by washing his Clothes and himself in water Ver. 7. Verse 7 And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue That is any part of his Body Ver. 8. Verse 8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean c. By the same reason if he blowed his Nose upon him it defiled him Then he shall wash his
Verse 5 And he shall take of the Congregation of the Children of Israel The former Sacrifices v. 3. were for himself these for all the People Two Kids of the Goats for a Sin-offering These two Goats made but one Sin-offering which is described more largely and particularly v. 8 9 10. The former perhaps which was sacrificed to the LORD was to procure those good things which they had forfeited by their sins and the other the Scape-goat as we translate it to avert those Evils which they had deserved For the name that is commonly given it by the Greeks signifies its power to turn away Punishments Or the simple reason of it might be that the Israelites by this double Sacrifice for both were presented before the LORD might be the more fully satisfied of the Expiation of their Sins There is the like example before of two Birds appointed for the cleansing of a Leper's House one of which only was killed the other let fly away but both of them are said to cleanse the House and to be for atonement XIV 49 52 53. In which some of the ancient Fathers thought they saw a notable Type of our LORD Christ Whose Sacrifice as it was prefigured by all the Legal Sacrifices for the Paschal Lamb it self was a Type of him sacrificed for us 1 Corinth V. 7. so by this more especially on the Day of Expiation Which was of greater and more universal efficacy than all the rest and therefore represented him more fully than the other did Insomuch that these two Goats joyned in one Sacrifice may be thought to represent one Christ consisting of two Natures For since it was not possible as Theodoret expresses it to adumbrate both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which was mortal and that which was immortal in Christ he commanded two to be brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Goat which was offered in Sacrifice might prefigure the passible Nature of his Flesh and that which was let go might show the impassible Nature of his Divinity Quaest XXII in Levit. And St. Cyril Discourses to the same purpose in his ninth Book against Julian And one Ram for a Burnt-offering Which was no more than was appointed for Aaron himself v. 3. who herein is equalled with all the Princes of the People in whose name this Ram seems to have been offered Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Aaron shall offer his Bullock of the Sin-offering which is for himself Not by killing it which was done afterwards v. 11. but only by presenting it before God to be sacrificed which was done with a solemn Prayer wherein he beseeched God to be propitious unto him and his The form of it is set down in Massechet Joma cap. 3. sect 8. He laid his hand upon the head of the Bullock and said I have done amiss and been rebellious and sinned before thee I and my House I beseech thee now O LORD remit my Rebellion and my Sin which I have committed and my House c. And make an atonement for himself and for his house For his Family as I said v. 3. and for all the Priests who are called the House of Aaron CXV Psal 10 12. CXXXV 9. And I do not see why all the House of Levi should not also be understood For they are not comprehended under the name of the Congregation of the Children of Israel mentioned in the Verse before and therefore must be contained here under the name of the House of Aaron See I Numb 49. Ver. 7. Verse 7 And he shall take the two Goats Mentioned v. 5. which were to be of equal stature of the same colour and the same price as the Hebrew Doctors say in Joma cap. 6. both designed to the same end the Expiation of their Sins And present them before the LORD at the door of the Tabernacle c. All the Sin-offerings which were made for the Congregation were presented either by the High-Priest or by the Elders IV. 15. and by them devoted to God to be sacrificed on his Altar For this presenting of the Goat is the same with his offering of the Bullock in the Verse foregoing in which was nothing else but his solemn Consecration of them as I said to be sacrificed According to which pattern our blessed LORD and Saviour a little before he suffered upon the Cross and made himself a Sacrifice for us voluntarily offered himself to die for our sins Which is the meaning of those words of his XVII John 19. where praying for his Apostles he saith For their sakes I sanctifie my self that is offer my self to die as an Expiatory Sacrifice for them For that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dr. Owtram hath demonstrated Lib. II. de Sacrificiis cap. 3. And so St. Chrysostom here expounds these words I sanctifie my self by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I offer thee a Sacrifice or consecrate and devote my self to be sanctified And it is not an improbable Conjecture of another very learned Friend of mine now also with God Dr. Spencer that the appointing of two Goats to be both presented to God at the same time and with the same Rites was to preserve the Jews in a belief that there is but one principle of all things who both bestows good things and inflicts evil Contrary to the opinion of the Gentiles who made two Principles one good and the other bad which was the ancient belief of the Chaldaeans and other Eastern People and from them propagated to the Greeks and Romans Most of whose Sacrifices as another very learned Man of our own Country hath observed had respect to these two Principles to one of which they offered in the Morning and to the other at Night See Dr. Windet de Vita Functorum statu sect 3. where he observes that there are plain footsteps of this old Error at this day through all the East as far as China for there was an endeavour to infect Christianity with it by Manes the Persian in the Reign of the Emperor Aurelian nor was there any Heresie that spread so far as this Dotage did Ver. 8. Verse 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two Goats The manner of it is described in the same Treatise Massechet Joma cap. 3. sect 9. The High-Priest went to the East-part of the Court on the North-side of the Altar having the Sagan his Vicar on his right hand and the head of the House of the Fathers on his left There stood two Goats with an Vrn or Box which they call CALPI the very same name which Lucian and the Scholiast upon Aristophanes give to the same thing as our learned Sheringham upon that Book and Bochart in his Hierozoicon have observed Into this Urn the two Lots were cast which were made of Box-wood as the Misna here says and in after times came to be of Gold But Maimonides in his Treatise on this Subject saith they might be made either of Wood or Stone
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
are threatned to be cut off if they did not observe this Law Ver. 10. Verse 10 And what man soever he be of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you See v. 8. That eateth any manner of blood This is forbidden before III. 17. and repeated again VII 26. See both those places where it is explained what Blood he means either of Birds or Beasts Nothing is said of Fishes because they were not offered at the Altar and have little Blood in them nor is there any direction given any where how they should be killed It is said indeed in this place that they should not eat any manner of Blood but the meaning seems to be neither of Blood offered at the Altar nor of Beasts killed for their own use Or else it is to be limited as before to the Blood of Beasts and Birds v. 13. for Fishes were not at all considered And here the reason is added why they should not eat Blood which was not mentioned in the fore-named places because it was the Life of the Beast and was therefore reserved to make Atonement for their Souls I will even set my face against that soul c. That is be extreamly angry with him and severely punish him by cutting him off as it here follows from the Body of the Nation Maimonides observes in the fore-named place More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. that this is the same Expression which is used against him that offered his Children to Moloch XX. 3. and that this phrase is never used in Scripture concerning any other sin but only these two Idolatry and eating Blood For the eating of Blood gave occasion he shows to one kind of Idolatry in the worshipping of Daemons whose Food the ancient Idolaters imagined the Blood was by eating of which their Worshippers had Communion with them See XVI Psal 4. and Grotius there Ver. 11. Verse 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your souls c. Some think here are two distinct Reasons against eating of Blood but the words as they lie in the Hebrew may well be translated Because the life of the flesh of any Beast that is is in the blood therefore I have given it to you or appointed it for you upon the Altar to make an atonement c. Which is as much as to say The Life of the Beast lying in the Blood I have ordained it to expiate your sins that by its death in your stead your life may be preserved and therefore I require you not to eat that which is appointed for so holy an end For it would have been very unseemly if they had vulgarly used that to which they owed the favour of God and their very Lives Nothing could be more rational than this Precept viz. That a thing so sacred as to be peculiarly appointed for them upon the Altar should not lose that honour and esteem that was due to it As the Blood would have done if it had been allowed to be commonly eaten for that is very contemptible which goes into the Draught as our Saviour speaks and at last becomes Ordure For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul The Blood that is of the Sacrifices which by God's appointment are offered to expiate your sins that is to preserve you from perishing For to make an Atonement and to be a Ransom are the very same thing as appears from XXX Exod. 12. compared with v. 15 16. And to be a Ransom is to deliver from Death as appears from the words in that place they shall every Man give a Ransom for his Soul unto the LORD that there be no Plague among them For the sins of the Sacrificer being laid upon the Beast which he offered by imposition of his hand on its Head and confessing them there they were taken away by the Blood of that Beast unto which they were translated And that not meerly by the Obedience of him that offered the Sacrifice which the followers of Socinus say God accepted but by the Blood of the Sacrifice it self as these words expresly declare which was offered in his stead Thus Theodoret upon these words God commanded the Soul of the Irrational Creature with its Blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. to be offered instead of thy Rational and Immortal Soul And thus the Jews themselves understand it particularly Aben-Ezra upon these words saith the Soul instead of the Soul i.e. the Soul of the Beast was offered instead of the Soul of the Man And R. Solomon Jarchi to the same purpose One Soul comes and makes Expiation for another Soul And Maimonides more largely I have spared the Soul of the Man and given this Blood upon the Altar that the Soul of the Beast may make Expiation for the Soul of the Man And so Abarbanel and many more which may be seen in Dr. Owtram's most learned Book De Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 22. n. 11. Ver. 12. Verse 12 Therefore I said unto the Children of Israel No soul of you shall eat blood neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood What other reason soever there was before for not eating Blood See IX Gen. 4. this is the reason why God forbad it to the children of Israel and to all that joyned themselves unto their Religion Ver. 13. Verse 13 And whatsoever man there be of the Children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among you which hunteth and catcheth any Beast or Fowl that may be eaten Though no other Beasts or Fowls be mentioned but those that were taken in Hunting that being a very common thing in those days yet the Precept extends to all those that were bred at home and were allowed by the Law for their Food So a MS. Author mentioned by J. Wagenseil in his Annotations upon Sota cap. 2. excerpt Gemarae n. 6. where he puts abundance of Cases upon this Subject He shall even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust Though it was not the Blood of a Sacrifice offered at the Altar but of a Beast or Bird killed for their own use they might not eat it but bury it in the Ground lest any Beast should lick it up as it is commonly interpreted Maimonides hath found a deeper reason for this which is That no Body might meet and feast about it By which means Moses broke their Society and Fellowship with Daemons who in those times were thought to feed upon the Blood in a Bowl or Hole whilst their Worshippers sate about it eating of the Flesh So he writes in the place often before-mentioned More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. And this was the more necessary while they remained in the Wilderness because Daemons were wont to haunt such places and there appear but not in Cities or habitable Places See Mr. Selden Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 4. p. 201. If a Man
therefore saw his Neighbour kill a Beast and neglect to cover its Blood with Dust he was bound to go and do it himself because God speaks here unto the Children of Israel i. e. to all of them v. 12. as R. Levi Barcelonita glosses Praecept CLXXXV And the forenamed MS. mentioned by Wagenseil saith they covered the Blood with this form of Benediction Blessed be the LORD our God the King of the World who hath sanctified us with his Precepts and commanded us to cover Blood Which shows they thought this a Precept of great weight Ver. 14. Verse 14 For it is the life of all flesh c. Whether of Beasts or Fowl before-mentioned and therefore prohibited to be eaten by them as was before observed because it was offered to God and accepted by him for their Life when they had forfeited it by their sins Therefore I said unto the Children of Israel ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh See v. 12. Where the same thing is said but not so fully as here for he only saith in that Verse No soul of you shall eat blood but in this Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh For the life of all flesh is the blood thereof This is so often repeated no less than three times in this Verse the more to deter them from eating Blood which was the Life of the Beast and therefore offered to God as the LORD and Giver of Life and consequently belong'd to no Body else Ver. 15. Verse 15 And every soul that eateth that which dieth of it self And consequently had the Blood remaining in it as all things also which were not rightly killed had the Hebrews think and therefore here forbidden Or that which was torn with Beasts Which was nothing else as Maimonides speaks but the beginning to be a dead Carcase More Nevochim P. III. cap. 48. Whether it be one of your own Country or a stranger By a Stranger is meant one that had embraced the Jewish Religion for other Gentiles might eat such things Nay the Israelites themselves as Maimonides observes when they went to War and entred the Countries of the Gentiles and subdued them might eat that which died of it self or was torn of Beasts nay Swines-flesh and such like Food when they were hungry and could find no other Meat See Schickardi Mishpat Hamelek cap. 5. Theor. 18. He shall both wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water c. When he had eaten these things unwittingly and came to know it he was thus to purifie himself If he did it knowingly it was an high Crime against an express Law repeated more fully XIV Deut. 21. and punished as some think with Death But I suppose they mean he was obnoxious to the Divine Displeasure and in danger to be cut off by him if he did not offer a Sacrifice to expiate his Offence which seems to be allowed in such Cases as it was for greater Offences VI. 1 2 c. And the Jewish Doctors say he who violated this Law was only to be beaten for cutting off either by the hand of God or the Court of Judgment was not threatned to sins of so light a Nature as this So Maimonides observes in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. Ver. 16. Verse 16 But if he wash them not nor bathe his flesh he shall bear his iniquity Be liable to be punished by God for the neglect of the means of his Purification And if while he continued thus unclean he adventured to eat of the Peace-offerings he was in danger to be cut off from his People VII 20. CHAP. XVIII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying It is not said when the LORD delivered these Laws to Moses but it is likely after the other and before those that follow Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them They were all concerned in these Laws about Marriage and therefore they are directed to the whole Body of the People who received them I suppose by their Elders and Heads of the Tribes to whom Moses delivered them and charged they should be communicated to every Family and Houshold See XVII 2. I am the LORD your God I have a right to give you Laws being your Soveraign upon more Titles than one to which all Human Customs must yield though long practised and spread every where in the World This reason is mentioned six times in this Chapter and oftner in the next See v. 4. Ver. 3. Verse 3 After the doings of the Land of Egypt wherein ye dwell shall ye not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan whither I bring you shall ye not do The Manners of these two Countries of Egypt wherein they had dwelt a long time and of Canaan wherein they were going to settle they were in the greatest danger to imitate Especially in taking the liberty of making such Marriages as they saw practised among them against which they are here severely cautioned But though these words seem to have a particular respect to those Marriages yet Maimonides extends them to all their other Practices for which they could see no reason Magick being in much use among them in dressing their Trees and ploughing their Ground and such like common things in which they had a respect also to the disposition of the Stars of Heaven which led them to the Worship of them as he shows at large in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 37. R. Levi Barcelonita also extends these words to the Customs of all other Nations Praecept CCLXII which he that observed was to be beaten But the Doings or Customs which Moses here speaks of seem to be those that follow v. 6 7 c. as appears from v. 24 c. And the other Customs of those Nations about their Clothes and cutting their Hair which the forenamed Author mentions are forbidden in other places Neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances The Hebrew word Chukkoth which we commonly translate Statutes and here Ordinances seems to import that the incestuous Marriages here mentioned were allowed by the Laws and Constitutions of those Countries which made their Wickedness the more intolerable v. 24. Ver. 4. Verse 4 Ye shall do my Judgments and keep my Ordinances to walk therein Frame your Lives according to the Laws and Rules which I give you to observe and not according to their wicked Practises which were grown into Customs and Precedents The Gemara Babylonica mentioning these words saith it is a Tradition of their Doctors that by Mishpatim which we translate Judgments are to be understood such Natural Laws as all Mankind are bound to observe though there were no written Commands for them such as those against Idolatry and those about uncovering the Nakedness of such near Relations as are here mentioned and Murder c. And by Chukkim Ordinances or Statutes such Laws are meant as depended only on the Pleasure of God and obliged none but
freedom given her Not intirely but in part redeemed and consequently her Freedom not absolutely granted to her She shall be scourged If she had been perfectly free both he that lay with her and she her self should have been put to death XXII Deut. 23 24. But being not fully free and consequently not fully his Wife who had espoused her it was not reckoned Adultery and therefore punished only with scourging See Selden Lib. V. de Jure N. G. cap. 12. p. 613. And Maimonides I observe thus expounds it of a Woman that was not a meer Servant and yet not compleatly free but between both More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. But whereas we mention here in the Text the Scourging only of the Woman in the Margin it is rightly noted that the Hebrew words are There shall be scourging viz. of them both as the Vulgar Latine with great reason understands it And the Hebrew word Bikkoreth properly signifies scourging with Thongs made of a Bulls or Oxes Hide as Bochartus observes in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 28. cap. 33. n. 8. They shall not be put to death because she was not free Her Master not having set her quite at Liberty her Marriage was not compleat which freed her from suffering Death though some Punishment she deserved because it was begun Ver. 21. Verse 21 And he shall bring his Trespass-offering unto the LORD unto the door c. Which was not enjoyned her because she had not wherewithal to offer for her Expiation all she had being her Masters and not her own A Ram for a Trespass-offering Which was the proper Sacrifice in such a case V. 17 18. Ver. 22. Verse 22 And the Priest shall make an atonement for him with the Ram of the trespass-offering She needed an Atonement as well as he being equally guilty in consenting to the Fact and being espoused to another seems to have had a greater guilt upon her and therefore was left in a lamentable condition without any publick assurance of God's pardon For his sin which he hath done Which had so much guilt in it that besides the punishment he suffered in being Scourged this Satisfaction was to be made to God And the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him By virtue of the Sacrifice which would not have been accepted if she had been perfectly a Free-woman but the sin would have cost his own life and hers also XXII Deut. 23 24. Ver. 23. Verse 23 And when ye shall come into the Land and shall have planted all manner of Trees for food The Precept is so general that the boldness of R. Zerika is unaccountable who would have it understood only of the Vine which if it be not cut its Grapes are not so large nor the Wine so good nor fit to be offered at the Altar c. as his opinion is represented in Pirke Elieser cap. 29. But Moses expresly mentioning all manner of Trees for food there is no colour for this limitation and a very good account may be given of this Prohibition if we have respect only to natural reason For young Trees grow better if they be stript of their Fruit the Juice of which is waterish and unconcocted having neither pleasant smell nor taste as Nachmonides observes and therefore not fit for Food and upon that score not fit to be offered as the First-fruits to God But besides all this Maimonides affirms there was an Idolatrous custom among the Zabij to which this Law of Moses may reasonably be thought to be opposed For they imagined all Trees would be blasted or their Fruit fall off whose First-fruit was not part of it offered in their Idol Temples and the other part eaten there as their Children they thought would not thrive unless some of them passed through the fire And therefore God commanded his People to forbear to eat the Fruit of any Tree till the fourth year and not doubt of the fruitfulness of their Plantations though they did not Consecrate the Fruit of the years foregoing after the manner that the Gentiles did More Nevoch P. III. cap. 37. where he observes some Trees brought forth Fruit in one year some not till the second and others not till the third according to the different ways wherein they were planted Ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised That is as unclean and therefore to be cast away as the Foreskin was Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you it shall not be eaten of And therefore they pluckt off the Buds when they put forth that they might not grow into Fruit or if any by chance did they threw it away as unfit for food But this is meant only of such Fruit-trees as they planted after they came to Canaan not of such as they found already planted there And it was the same thing whether he planted them himself or bought an Orchard or Vineyard c. of another Israelite or had it left him as an Inheritance or bestowed on him as a Gift the three first years the Fruit was not to be used Ver. 24. Verse 24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal It was to be offered as the First-fruit to God and eaten by the Priests which as Maimonides saith in the Book forenamed cap. 49. was to excite them to Liberality and give a check to their Appetites as well as to Covetousness Yet there are those who say this Fruit of the fourth year was to be eaten by the Owners before the LORD at Jerusalem when his dwelling was settled there as they eat the second Tythe So R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCXX shows at large And they observe many Benefits which the Israelites received by this means not only in exciting their Thankfulness to God but their Love to that Holy Place unto which some of their Family might conceive such an affection as to settle there and learn the Law Ver. 25. Verse 25 In the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof that it may yield unto you the increase thereof He would not have them think that they should lose any thing by staying till the fifth year for the Fruit of their Trees but promises them here that by forbearing so long their Trees should be the more exceeding fruitful I am the LORD Who bestowed this Land upon them to hold of him by what Tenure he pleased by whose Blessing they might expect to receive the Increase thereof abundantly without the help of such wicked Arts as Maimonides says the Zabij used Who letting certain things lie till they were putrified and when the Sun was in such or such a degree sprinkling them about the Trees which they had planted with certain Magical Ceremonies they fancied Flowers and Fruits would be produced sooner than they could have been without these practises Ver. 26. Verse 26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood This is an admonition as R. Levi Barcelonita fancies Praecept
Hierozoicon P. II. Lib. V. cap. 9. But this spot did not make a Priest uncapable to minister as Selden observes in the place above-mentioned unless it was a little prominent which made the blemish more apparent Or be scurvy or scabbed One of these words signifies a dry scurf or scab the other a purulent Or hath his stones broken Is bursten or hath a rupture as some expound it The LXX translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which Procopius Gazaeus understands an Hermophrodite Ver. 21. Verse 21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh c. This seems to confirm what was observed before v. 17. that any other blemish besides these here particularly mentioned made a Man uncapable to officiate at the Altar And in the first place the Hebrew Doctors reckon five in the Ears besides the want of them An Example of which Josephus gives in the Story of Hyrcanus the High-Priest whose Ears Antigonus cut off that if he should return again he might not resume his Office Lib. I. de Bello Jud. cap. 11. He hath a blemish This general repetition is a farther confirmation that all apparent Blemishes of the same kind with these here particularly named excluded them from ministring at the Altar And there being some of them that were permanent or perpetual as they speak and others that were transient which remained but for a time no Man that had a Blemish though only of the latter sort was to minister at the Altar till it was gone He shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God i. e. The Offerings made by Fire before-mentioned which are here plainly represented as the Meat that was served up to his Table See v. 6. If any of them did presume to offer at the Altar there were different Effects of their Contumacy according to the different sorts of their Blemishes which the Hebrew Doctors divide into three Classes as I observed v. 17. If any Man having a Blemish of the first sort ministred it profaned the very Sacrifice which he offered and he was to be scourged The second sort did not vitiate the Sacrifice but the Priest was to undergo the forenamed punishment The third sort was so inconsiderable that neither of these Effects followed upon his ministring who was blemished by them as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Success in Pontif. cap. 5. p. 234. Ver. 22. Verse 22 He shall eat of the bread of his God But though such a Priest might not offer any Sacrifice yet he might eat with his Brethren of that part of the Sacrifices which was given to them for their portion which no Man in his Uncleanness might do Therefore these natural Infirmities were not Legal Impurities but only Incapacities as we speak which disabled them for their Office Here again the Sacrifices are represented as the Provision made for the Divine Majesty See v. 6 21. Both of the most holy Such were the Meat-offerings II. 3. VI. 17. the Sin-offerings VI. 25 26. and the Trespass-offerings VII 1. See XIV 13. The Shew-bread also was a most holy thing and all such were to be eaten only by the Males of the Priests Family in the holy place XVIII Numb 9 10 11 c. And of the holy Such were the Wave-breast and the Heave-shoulder of the Peace-offerings VII 35. X. 14. and the First-fruits and the Tythes But though the Peace-offerings of particular Persons were among the less holy things yet the Peace-offerings of the whole Congregation were most holy See XXIII 20. Ver. 23. Verse 23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail He was not to enter into the Sanctuary to burn Incense or to trim the Lamps c. Nor come nigh unto the Altar No nor go to the Altar of Burnt-offering which was in the Court of the LORD's House but he was to sit in the Wood-room where he was imployed in picking out all the Wood which had any Worms in it that it might be laid aside and not carried to the Altar as Maimonides and others relate He had also another imployment See XIII 2. If any Man were so presumptuous or so forgetful as to minister notwithstanding the manifest Blemish which was upon him he fell under Censure and was punished according to the degree of his Fault as I observed before v. 21. out of Mr. Selden who hath in the place there mentioned handled this more accurately than I thought it needful for me to do That he profane not my Sanctuary That he might not make others think meanly of the Service of God and consequently of God himself who would have Men in their greatest perfection minister unto him to preserve in Peoples minds a sense of his most excellent Being unto whom they ministred For which reason all the foregoing Prohibitions were given against marrying such Persons as had been vitiated c. and against mourning for the dead that they might not profane the name of their God v. 6. by doing as vulgar People did or making themselves uncapable to minister unto God as they were when they were defiled And thus Maimonides discourses upon this Subject More Nevoch P. III. cap. 45. God commanded his Ministers should wear precious Apparel and that none should be admitted to the Ministry who had any defect in his Body nay they who were deformed and ill-favoured were excluded because the Vulgar do not judge according to Mens true worth or beauty which lies in the Soul but according to their outward appearance in the comliness of their Bodies and the richness of their Garments And therefore the end of all these things was that God's House might be had in due honour and reverence My Sanctuaries This word in the Plural Number relates to the two parts of the Sanctuary the Court where the Altar of Burnt-offering stood which was an holy place and that which was properly called the Sanctuary wherein the Altar of Incense was Into neither of which a Priest that had any Blemish might enter as was said before For I the LORD do sanctifie them I have set apart both those places for my Service and therefore no Man with a blemish shall be admitted into them to perform any holy Office there Yet they might come into the Court to eat with their Brethren of holy things but not in their Priestly Garments which it was not lawful for them to use Ver. 24. Verse 24 And Moses told it unto Aaron and to his Sons and unto all the Children of Israel They were all acquainted with these Laws because they were all concerned the Service of God should be administred acceptably unto him CHAP. XXII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying These Commands that follow were delivered at the same time with the foregoing belonging to the same matter For though the Priests who had a blemish might eat of the holy things yet he would have them know that neither they nor such as were unblemished