And the Hangings of the Court See Verse 26 XXVII Exod. 9. And the Curtain for the Door of the Court XXVI Exod 16. Which is by the Tabernacle and by the Altar round about Or as the Hebrew particle al may be translated is over or upon the Tabernacle c. That is this Curtain at the Door and the Hangings of the Court compassed the Tabernacle and the Altar of Burnt-offerings which stood at the Door of it XL Exod. 19. round about so that they were not exposed to common fight For these Gershonites had nothing to do with the Altar it self which was the Charge of the Kohathites v. 31. And the Cords of it This seems to refer not merely to the Curtain for the Door of the Court but to all that went before viz. the Cords whereby those Hangings were stretched out and fastned by Pins to the Wood-work of the Tabernacle For the Cords of that belonged to the Custody of the Sons of Merari v. 37. and we find Pins and Cords as well for the Tabernacle that is the Hangings as for the Court i. e. the Boards c. XXXV Exod. 18. For all the Service thereof Of this part of the House of God as appears from v. 31 and 36. where this is repeated with respect to the other parts of it Verse 27 Ver. 27. And of Kohath was the Family of the Amramites c. He was the second Son of Levi and had as many more Families sprung from him as from the Eldest among which was the Family of the Amramites of which were Moses and Aaron Verse 28 Ver. 28. In the number of all the Males c. Though there were four Families of the Kohathites and but two of the Gershonites yet the latter were as numerous as they within Eleven hundred Keeping the Charge of the Sanctuary Of what belonged to the holy Place which was committed to their Charge as it follows afterward and they were instructed in it betimes Verse 29 Ver. 29. The Families of the Sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle southward Between the Tabernacle ond the Standard of Reuben II. 10. Verse 30 Ver. 30. And the Chief of the House of the Father of the Families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the Son of Vzziel There was a Commander in Chief appointed over this Body of the Levites who was chosen out of the youngest Family of the Kohathites But it is observable there were no Standards belonging to any of these Bodies they being designed for other Service and not for War Ver. 31. And their Charge shall be the Ark and the Verse 31 Table and the Candlestick The Sanctuary as was said before v. 28. being committed to their Custody the Particulars are here mentioned which were the most precious of all the holy Things With which the Kohathites had the honour to be intrusted though a younger Family than those descended from Gershon because Moses and Aaron were of it being of the Family of the Amramites Which is the reason why the Kohathites are reckoned first in the next Chapter v. 2. and that of the XLVIII Cities given to the Levites by Joshua almost half of them fell to their Families XXI Josh 4 5. The Altars Both the Altar of Burnt-offerings and the Altar of Incense And the Vessels of the Sanctuary wherewith they i. e. the Priests minister See XXV Exod. 29. XXXVII 16. And the hanging That is the Vail before the most Holy Place for all other Hangings were under the care of the Gershonites v. 25 26. wherein the Ark was wrapt when they carried it IV. 5. And all the Service thereof Whatsoever belonged to this part of God's House See v. 26. and the Particulars are mentioned in the next Chapter v. 7 9 14. Ver. 32. And Eleazar the Son of Aaron shall be chief Verse 32 over the Chief of the Levites There was one Officer in chief set over each of these great Families of the Gershonites v. 24. of the Kohathites v. 30. and the Merarites v. 35. And over all these Chiefs there is now appointed a supreme Chief who was to govern them as they governed those under them and that was Eleazar who was more than a Levite being the eldest Son of Aaron the High Priest And have the over-sight of them that keep the charge of the Sanctuary But more particularly Eleazar was to super-vise those that had the Sanctuary under their care That is all the Rohathites and Elizaphan their chief v. 20. Verse 33 34. Ver. 33 34. Of Merari was the Family of the Mahlites and the Family of the Mushites c. Nothing is observable of these but that they were the fewest in number being thirteen hundred less than the Children of Gershon v. 22. Verse 35 Ver. 35. These shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Northward Opposite to the Kohathites between the Standard of Dan and the Sanctuary II. 25. Verse 36 Ver. 36. And under the Custody and Charge of the Sons of Merari shall be the Boards of the Tabernacle c. Concerning all the things mentioned in this and in the next Verse See XXVI Exod. 15 16 c. XXVII 10 11 12 c. and the next Chapter of this Book v. 31 32. Verse 37 Ver. 37. And their Cords These are different from those before mentioned v. 27. as I noted there Verse 38 Ver. 38. But those that encamp before the Tabernacle towards the East Where the Entrance into it was Even before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Eastward He would have this Station observed as much excelling the rest Shall be Moses and Aaron and his Sons There were but three Bodies of the Levites descended from the three Sons of Levi v. 1. and therefore none left to guard this side of the Tabernacle but Moses and Aaron and their Families who lay between the Standard of Judah and the Tabernacle see Chap. II. v. 3. which was the most honourable Post as I there noted Where the Priests were with great reason placed together with the chief Governor of all Moses because they were to guard the Holy Place that none might go into it but themselves Keeping the charge of the Sanctuary Of the Entrance into it For the charge of the Children of Israel Which it concerned every one of the Children of Israel should be kept sacred See v. 7. And the Stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to Death No Man that was not of the House of Aaron though a Levite was upon the peril of his life to enter into the Sanctuary Of which they had the charge See v. 10. Ver. 39. All that were numbred of the Levites which Verse 39 Moses and Aaron numbred at the Commandment of the LORD This looks like a Contradiction to the Observation I made v. 14.16 But Aaron's numbring here in all Probability is only his agreeing that this was a true Account which Moses took of the Tribe of Levi. For Moses still continues to be alone concerned in numbring the
their Inheritance in the Land of Canaan Verse 30 Ver. 30. But if they will not pass over before you armed Perform their Promise v. 17. They shall have possession among you in the Land of Canaan Take what falls to their share there and this Country be disposed of as God shall order Verse 31 Ver. 31. And the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben said as the LORD hath said unto thy Servants so will we do They confirm what they had promised to Moses v. 25. and here take all that he had said as spoken by the order of God who bestowed this Land upon them on the Condition often mentioned Ver. 32. We will pass over armed before the LORD into the Land of Canaan This they offered at first of themselves v. 17. and solemnly promised when Moses accepted their Proposal v. 27. and again here Verse 32 ratifie and confirm it before Eleazar and Joshua and all the Princes v. 28. That the possession of our Inheritance Which we have desired to have for our Inheritance On this side Jordan They were now in the Land of Gilead and so might properly call it on this side Jordan but when they were in the Land of Canaan it was said to be on that side Jordan May be ours Settled upon us and our Posterity Ver. 33. And Moses gave unto them Not an absolute Verse 33 Grant but a conditional if they did as they engaged v. 29 30 31 c. Even to the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben and half the Tribe of Manasseh the Son of Joseph This half Tribe is not mentioned before because they did not put in any Claim till they saw how those of Gad and Reuben would succeed in their Petition Which being granted it is likely that thereupon they represented also what store of Cattle they had and that the Country would be more than enough for those who had desired it This being found to be true Moses thought fit to give them a Portion in it rather than any other because the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh had by their Valour subdued part of this Country v. 39. XVII Josh 1. The Kingdom of Sihon King of the Amorites and the Kingdom of Og King of Bashan XXI 24 29. Which were the first Countries that the Israelites possessed and were the first that were carried Captive out of their Land 2 Kings XV. 29. The Land with the Cities thereof in the Coasts even the Cities of the Country round about The Land with the Cities within such a Compass or Limits and all the Towns within that Circuit Verse 34 Ver. 34. And the Children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth Repaired and fortified these Towns which are mentioned before v. 3. For they were not destroyed but only their Inhabitants 2 Deut. 34 35. and if they had there was not time now to rebuild them Thus Jeroboam is said to have built Schechem 1 Kings XII 25. which was a City before but gone to decay And Azariah to have built Elah 2 Kings XIV 22. which he restored to Judah as a City formerly belonging to them And Aroer A City of the Amorites upon the brink of the River Arnon as Moses tells us II Deut. 36. III. 11. IV. 48. It formerly belonged to the Moabites but was taken from them by Sihon Verse 35 Ver. 35. And Atroth and Shophan and Jaazer and Jogbehak We do not read of any of these Towns elsewhere but only of Jaazer which seems to be that called Jazer v. 3. Verse 36 Ver. 36. And Beth-Nimrah Called v. 3. Nimrah for shortness sake as it may be further observed Jemini is put for Benjemini II Esther 5. Sheba for Beer-sheba XIX Josh 2. where we find these two mentioned but they do not signifie two several Cities but are two Names for one and the same City as if he had said Beersheba which is also called Sheba This is clear to a demonstration for otherwise there would be more than thirteen Cities in the Tribe of Simeon contrary to v. 6. of that Chapter And Beth-haran A place some say between Dibon and Jordan Fenced Cities and Folds for Sheep All these Cities the Children of Gad fortified and built Folds for Sheep in the Pastures near to them Ver. 37. And the Children of Reuben built Repaired Verse 37 and fortified as I said v. 34. Heshbon and Elealah Mentioned above v. 3. And Kirjathaim A place where a Giant-like People formerly dwelt called Emims XIV Gen. 5. who were expelled by the Moabites as they were by the Amorites Ver. 38. And Nebo This City is mentioned in Verse 38 XLVIII Jerem. 1. when it was faln again into the possession of the Moabites as was also Kirjathaim It seems to have been near Dibon being mentioned together with it XV Isa 2. At least there were in these places two famous Temples for the destruction of which the Prophet represents the People making Lamentation So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nebo is destroyed where your Altar is And Hesychius saith of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Dibon that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place where a Temple of the Moabites was built And St. Hierom suspects that there was an Oracle at this place the word Nebo importing Prophecy or Divination as he speaks And Baal-Meon Another place where it is likely Baal was worshipped which made them change the names of these places as it here follows Their names being changed For Nebo as well as Baal was the name of a God as we learn from XLVI Isaiah 1. and seems to have been an Assyrian Deity there being footsteps of it in the names of several great Men there such as Nebuchadnezzar Nebuzaradan and many others And it is not unlikely that they therefore changed the names of these Cities into some other because they would abolish all Remainders of Idolatry in this Country according to the Precept XXIII Exod. 13. that they should not take the name of their Gods into their Mouth But notwithstanding this they still retained their ancient Names as appears from XIII Josh 17. XXV Ezek. 9. so hard it is to alter any thing for the better And Sibmah See v. 3. And gave other Names unto the Cities which they builded If this refer to all the Cities here mentioned it is manifest they either retained or recovered their former Names For we read of them all in future times particularly in the XVth and XVIIth of Isaiah And Kirjathaim is mentioned in the place I now quoted out of Ezekiel Verse 39 Ver. 39. And the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it Here Gilead is used in a strict sence not so largely as before v. 1 26 29. where it is taken for all the Country on that side Jordan where Gilead was but here for a part of it about Mount Gilead This is plain from the next verse and Gilead the Son of Machir one would think was the Person that took it
that care was not taken for places to lay them in Verse 5 Ver. 5. And ye shall measure from without the City It is not said as in the foregoing verse from the wall of the City therefore I take it to signifie from the outside of the Suburbs before mentioned On the East side two thousand Cubits and on the South side two thousand Cubits c. So there was in the whole three thousand Cubits round about the City a thousand for the Suburbs properly so called and two thousand more for their Pasture called properly the Fields of the Suburbs XXV Lev. 34. This is the most natural and easie Explication of this place And the City shall be in the midst So that there was exactly every way such a Circuit of Ground about it This shall be the Suburbs of the Cities Here the word Suburbs comprehends the Fields also And Maimonides saith that by the Constitution of the Elders they set forth also a Burying place for every City beyond these Limits For they might not bury their Dead within the Suburbs or Fields which they ground upon the foregoing verse which appoints them for other uses Schemita ve jobel cap. 13. Ver. 6. And among the Cities which ye shall give unto Verse 6 the Levites there shall be six Cities for Refuge Three in the Land of Canaan and three on the other side Jordan v. 14. The names of which are set down XX Josh 7 8. And those on the other side Jordan were set apart by Moses himself before he died IV Deut. 43. The reason of their being called Cities of Refuge is given in the next words Which ye shall appoint for the Man-slayer Such a Man-slayer as is afterward described who killed another against his will That he may flee thither And there be preserved and kept in safety if he was not found guilty of wilful Murder The Cities of the Levites were appointed for this purpose rather than any other because they were a kind of Sacred Places inhabited by Sacred Persons And here Men might spend their time better than in other Cities being among God's Ministers who might make them sensible of the negligence which Men were commonly guilty of in such Cases and of such Sins as they might have otherwise committed And to them ye shall add forty two Cities Which had all the same Priviledge if we may believe the Hebrew Doctors but not equally with the six For in the six a Man-slayer was to have an House to dwell in for nothing but in the other forty two he was to pay for it And the Levites could not refuse him entrance into the six but as for the rest it was in their choice whether they would receive him or no. Thus Maimonides out of their ancient Authors See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. juxta Discipl Hebr. cap. 2. where he observes that the Altar also was a place of Refuge according to XXI Exod. 14. but with many Exceptions both with relation to the parts of the Altar and to the Persons who fled thither and to the quality of the offence and their stay there which very much lessened the Priviledge of this Refuge Verse 7 Ver. 7. So all the Cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty eight Cities c. Accordingly we read Joshua gave them so many XXI Josh 41. Thirteen of which the Priests had and the rest the Levites And in the days of the Messiah whom they vainly still expect other Cities shall be added to them saith Maimonides which shall belong to the Levites Verse 8 Ver. 8. And the Cities which ye shall give them shall be of the possession of the Children of Israel And so it is said XXI Josh 3. that the Children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their Inheritance these Cities and their Suburbs Where we read also they were given them by Lot as the Children of Israel had their Inheritance given them From them which have many ye shall give many and from them that have few ye shall give few According to the Rule in distributing their Inheritances to the Israelites XXXIII 54. Every one shall give of his Cities unto the Levites according to the Inheritance which he shall inherit Thus they gave Nine Cities out of the two Tribes of Judah and Simeon XXI Josh 16. and but Four out of Benjamin which was a small Tribe v. 18. out of the Tribes of Issachar and Asher Four apiece v. 28 31. and out of Naphtali no more than three vers 32. Ver. 9. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying This being a matter of great importance that guiltless Men should not suffer nor the guilty escape Punishment Verse 9 the LORD gives Moses further direction about it as he promised he would in XXI Exod. 13. Ver. 10. Speak unto the Children of Israel and say Verse 10 unto them Repeat this Command to them which God himself repeated to Joshua XX. 1 2. When ye be come over Jordan into the Land of Canaan When they had possession of it and divided it and were settled in it So it is explained XIX Deut. 1 2. Ver. 11. Then shall ye appoint you Cities to be Cities Verse 11 of Refuge for you This seems to signifie that all the Cities of the Levites were in some sort a protection to the Man-slayer as I said upon v. 6. Such places the Temples were among the Athenians as Sam. Petitus observes in Leges Atticas p. 12 13. yet not all of them for he can find only six that of Mercy and that of the Eumenides and Minerva and those dedicated to Theseus one of them within the City the other without the Walls and that in Munychia That the Man-slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at unawares Or as it is XX Josh 3. unwittingly XIX Deut. 4. ignorantly that is besides his intention having no such design nor hatred to him as is there expresly said and here below v. 22. This is repeated v. 15. And the Instances of it are such as these mentioned by Georg. Ritterhusius de Jure Asylorum cap. 4. If a Man cutting Wood the Hatchet flying from the Helve should hit a Man and kill him or a Huntsman shooting at a Deer in a Thicket should kill a Man whom he did not see lying there An Example of which we have in Adrastus mentioned by Herodotus Lib. I. Ver. 12. And they shall be unto you Cities for Refuge Verse 12 from the Avenger From him who had a right to call a Murderer to account for the Blood he had shed and is therefore called the Avenger of Blood v. 19. who being stimulated with Anger and Grief for the Death of a near Relation might in a heat of Rage hastily kill him who was not guilty of Murder And therefore this provision is made for the preservation of an innocent Person against the violent Prosecution of the Avenger In the Hebrew the word for Avenger is Goel which signifying a Redeemer