Brook Zered as it is in II Deut. 13 14. And then to the River Arnon v. 13. and thence to Beer where they digged a famous Well XXI 16 17 18. which perhaps they might have done before in other places if they had made Experiment for Kadesh where they now were was in the Border of a Country inhabited And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron Just as their Fathers had many times done particularly upon such an occasion as this XVII Exod. 2 3. Ver. 3. And the People chode with Moses Instead Verse 3 of condoling with him and comforting him for the Death of his Sister and their Prophetess as Abarbinel observes they came in a rude manner to scold at him And spake saying Would God that we had died when our Brethren died before the LORD By a sudden Death rather than linger away by Thirst They allude to the strokes of God upon their Brethren XI 1 33. XIV 37. XVI 32 35 46. Which one would have thought should have affrighted them from uttering such very discontented Language XIX 2. But nothing will alter those who will not lay to heart and preserve in mind God's Mercies and Judgments Verse 4 Ver. 4. And why have ye brought the Congregation of the LORD into this Wildernoss that we and our Cattle should die there The very words of their Fathers presently after they came out of Egypt XVII Exod 3. Verse 5 Ver. 5. And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt They speak as if it had not been their own desire but that they were perswaded to it by Moses to leave Egypt who was sent to tell them God heard their sighing groans and crys and would deliver them II Exod. 23 24. III. 17. But in a discontented fit nothing of this was remembred To bring us unto this evil place They do not speak of returning to Egypt as their Fathers did XIV 3 4. but they repented that they were come out of it So shamefully forgetful they were of all God's benefits who had in a wonderful manner redeemed them from the heaviest Slavery and hitherto provided for them miraculously in the Wilderness which was a better place than such an ungrateful People deserved It is no place of Seed i. e. of Corn. Or of Figs or of Vines or Pomegranates c. Now they complain for want of other things as well as Water wherein they still imitate their unbelieving Fathers XVI 14. Ver. 6. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence Verse 6 of the Assembly unto the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation To pray to God to pardon their Sin and to supply their Wants And they fell upon their Faces As they had often done before on other such like occasions particularly XIV 5. And the Glory of the LORD appeared unto them Unto all the People it is likely as it had done several times to silence their Murmurings See XIV 10. XVI 19 42. Ver. 7. And the LORD spake unto Moses From Verse 7 that Glory which appeared upon the Tabernacle Ver. 8. Take the Rod. That famous Rod wherewith Moses had wrought so many Miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea c. And gather thou the Assembly together This word Edah signifying sometimes only the Assembly of the Elders not of the whole People it would be uncertain which of them he is bid to gather together for it is a different word from that which we translate Assembly v. 6. if the tenth verse had not determined that it was the Kahal or Congregation of the People as the word Edah also signifies just before v. 8. Thou and Aaron thy Brother For the People were gathered together against Aaron in a mutinous manner as well as against Moses v. 2. And speak ye unto the Rock before their eyes To the first Rock you meet withal saith Nachmanides and that is within their sight For this is not the same Verse 9 Rock out of which the former Water flowed as the Jews fancy but quite different Their very Names are different that being called Tzur this Selah That was in Rephidim this is Kadesh two very distant places Thus Chaskuni some think this the same with that in Exodus but it is not the same History For the former was in Horeb this in Kadesh which is in the Extremity of the Land of Edom. But whether God pointed him to a Rock which was then in their sight as he did at Horeb XVII Exod. 5 6. or left him to chuse any stony place is not certain But it is a mere fancy of some of the Jews that because God here bad them speak to the Rock Moses offended God in smiting it For to what purpose should he take the Rod if he was not to smite the Rock with it as he had done formerly Just such another conceit there is in Schalschelet Hakkabala where R. Gedaliah saith That he had given an account of this Sin in another Book which he gathered out of various Writers and found there were XXVIII different Opinions about it But he preferred this before any of them that whereas God bad Moses gather the Edah together that is the Assembly of the People v. 8. he gathered the Kahal i. e. the Congregation of the Princes and Elders as he will have it whose Faith needed no Confirmation See Hottinger in his Smegma Orientale cap. 8. p. 451. And it shall give forth his Water The Jews puzzle themselves about this Expression which sounds they think as if the Water was contained in the Rock and Moses only made a Gap for it to gush out But it seems to be spoken in opposition to the Waters issuing out of the former Rock which had supplyed them hitherto but now ceased to flow It being as much as if he had said This shall give forth Water as that did before now it shall be called the Water of this Rock not that of Horeb. And thou shalt bring forth to them Water out of the Rock Renew the former Miracle So thou shalt give the Congregation and their Beasts drink So that they and their Cattle which they fear will perish v. 4. shall be as plentifully provided for as ever Ver. 9. And Moses took the Rod from before the Verse 9 LORD as he commanded him From hence some conclude that this was the Rod of Aaron which blossomed because he is said to take it from before the LORD where Aaron's Rod was laid up XVII 10. But this Rod is so expresly called Moses his Rod V. 11. which was the Instrument of bringing the former Water out of the Rock in Horeb that I cannot but think this was the very same Rod. Which being there called the Rod of God XVII Exod. 9. as it is at the first mention of it IV Exod. 20. it is very probable that by God's order it was laid up somewhere before him in the Sanctuary though not before the Ark of the Testimony For having been imployed in doing
them So this word bring near signifies to offer them unto God As they were VIII 10 11. Before Aaron the Priest In his presence That they may minister unto him Unto Aaron and the rest of the Priests who were the immediate Ministers of God and the Levites were given to minister unto them Which they did many ways especially while they remain'd in the Wilderness where they had a peculiar Charge which otherwise would have been incumbent on the Priests not only to guard the Tabernacle and keep a Watch night and day about it but also to take it down and to carry it when they removed and to set it up again when they rested as we read in the following part of this Chapter and in the next When they came into the Land of Canaan and were settled there they had less to do of this kind But as the Charge of the Tabernacle still lay upon them as it had done before so did other Works in the Courts of the LORD'S House and in the Chambers where they waited on the Priests which are particularly mentioned in 1 Chron. XXIII 28 29 c. And in David's time their Work was still more increased for he appointed them to be Singers in the House of the LORD and to play upon several sorts of Instruments 1 Chron. XXV which they did Morning and Evening 1 Chron. XXIII 30. Porters perhaps there were before who stood at the several Gates of the Tabernacle as afterward of the Temple and are said therein to minister in the House of the LORD 1 Chron. XXVI 12. as also Guards of the Treasury of God's House and of things dedicated to him v. 20. But as he increased the number of them so he settled them in their Courses that there might be a constant Attendance with greater ease As for those of them that were made Judges and Officers not only in Matters concerning the LORD but in the Service of the King as we read there 1 Chron. XXVI 29 30. it no more belongs to what is said of them here than what follows there v. 31. that there were found among them mighty Men of Valour See upon v. 10. Verse 7 Ver. 7. And they shall keep his Charge and the charge of the whole Congregation It highly concerned Aaron in particular and the whole Congregation in general that the Tabernacle should be well guarded And this was the Levites great business at present who took this Charge from off their hands by attending that Service which all of them were bound to perform Before the Tabernacle of the Congregation This exactly expresses in what their Ministry consisted which was not performed in the Tabernacle where the Priests only officiated in the Holy Place as the High Priest in the most Holy but before it in the External Part of it where they assisted the Priests in their Service To do the Service of the Tabernacle Such Service as I have mentioned before v. 6. Ver. 8. And they shall keep By guarding them and keeping a continual Watch about them Verse 8 All the Instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Every thing belonging to it And the charge of the Children of Israel to do the Service of the Tabernacle By which Service at the Tabernacle they took upon them the Charge which otherwise was incumbent on the whole Congregation who were to take care that the holy Things were kept both safe and secure and also separate to the Sacred Uses to which they were appointed These words which are often repeated to do the Service of the Tabernacle are to be carefully noted because the Levites did not serve in the Tabernacle which belonged only to the Priests but served the Tabernacle by guarding it and taking it down and carrying it c. as was said before Ver. 9. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron Verse 9 and to his Sons They were first presented unto God v. 6. and God bestowed them as a Gift upon the Priests See VIII 19. They are wholly given unto him out of the Children of Israel To attend upon the Priests and to obey their Orders for which they paid them nothing but they were to do it freely being given to them to be their Servants by God who paid them their Wages Ver. 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his Sons Verse 10 and they shall wait on their Priests Office Or thou shalt appoint them to wait on their Priesthood Which he had shown before was very different from the Levitical Office but to make them more mindful of their Dignity he repeats it again that Aaron and his Sons alone should officiate as Priests viz. in offering Sacrifice in setting the Bread upon the Holy Table looking after the Lights and burning Incense Which they were to perform in their own Persons and not appoint any others as their Deputies to do them for none of these things could be performed by the Levites Whose business it was to look after the fine Flour of which the Bread was made to prepare it and the Frankincense which was to be burnt and abundance of such like things which are particularly mentioned 1 Chron. IX 27 28 29 31 32. But they could not make the Anointing Oyl or the sweet Perfume mentioned XXX Exod. 23 34. for they were most holy and therefore the Priests only could compound them And the Stranger that cometh nigh By Stranger is meant any one though a Levite that was not of the Sons of Aaron who alone had the priviledge to approach unto God Shall be put to death God himself sent out a Fire to consume Korah and his Company who presumed to offer Incense being but bare Levites and not Priests Chap. XVI Verse 11 Ver. 11. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying To make the Matter more clear he further tells Moses the reason why he took the Levites from among the the Children of Israel to be his after a peculiar manner Verse 12 Ver. 12. And I behold I have taken the Levites from among the Children of Israel Take notice of the Reason why I have taken the Levites from among the rest of the Israelites v. 9. for it is by my Order and Appointment Instead of all the First-born that openeth the Matrix c. To make an exchange with them for all their First-born which I have heretofore challenged as my own and now take the Levites in their stead Therefore the Levites shall be mine As all the First-born were which now shall be theirs and the Levites be mine Ver. 13. Because all the First-born are mine By Verse 13 a special Right which is mentioned in the next words For on the day that I smote all the First-born in the Land of Egypt The Title whereby he laid a Claim to all the First-born was that great Miracle as R. Levi of Barcelona calls it which he wrought when he destroyed all the First-born of their Neighbours in Egypt and touched not one of theirs By which sparing Mercy he acquired
kindled greatly Which brake forth shortly after in a great plague upon them v. 34. And Moses also was displeased The same Phrase with that v. 1. It was evil in the Eyes of Moses i. e. Grieved him so that it made him wish himself rid of the burden of their Government Ver. 11. And Moses said unto the LORD I suppose Verse 11 he went into the Sanctuary to bewail himself and pray God to relieve him See v. 24. Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy Servant By committing this People to his charge And wherefore have I not sound favour in thy sight By granting the Prayer which he made at his first Call to this Office III Exod. 2. IV. 10. That thou layest the burden of this People upon me i. e. The principal Care of such an untractable Multitude upon one Man to whom they resorted in all difficulties XVIII Exod. 22 26. Ver. 12. Have I conceived all this People have I begotten Verse 12 them Are they my Children that I should make provision for the Satisfaction of all their desires That thou hast said unto me carry them in thy Bosom as a nursing Father beareth the sucking Child unto the Land c. Take a tender Care of them as a Parent doth of a little Infant and conduct them into Canaan c. Nothing can more lively express the Affection that Princes ought to have for their People if they have any regard to the Will of God than this Divine Command to Moses Verse 13 Ver. 13. Whence should I have Flesh to give unto all this People It is impossible for me to do what they desire For they weep unto me saying Give us Flesh that we may eat And yet they will not be satisfied without it He seems to be affected with their weeping as the most loving Parents are with the Tears of a sucking Child when it cries for that which they have not for it Verse 14 Ver. 14. I am not able to bear all this People alone because it is too heavy for me Let me have some joined to me to take part of this trouble with me and help to manage them in such Mutinies For it is beyond my strength to undergo the toil of hearing all their Complaints and appeasing their Tumults Some may imagine there was no reason for this request he having several Persons already appointed to assist him by the advice of Jethro XVIII Exod. But Rasi thinks those Men were burnt in the late fire because they did not suppress the beginning of this Mutiny v. 1. but perhaps join in it And so Bechai But the true account is rather this that they were set only to hear and judge smaller Causes all the weighty and difficult Causes being still brought before Moses to whom also the last Appeal was made in every Cause Which was so great a burden that he complained for want of help in those great things which lay wholly upon him See XVIII Exod. 22. Ver. 15. And if thou deal thus with me If thou leavest me still alone in this Office Kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favour in thy sight I shall take it for the greatest Verse 15 kindness to be taken immediately out of the World And let me not see my wretchedness Live to be a most miserable Creature For to see wretchedness is to be wretched as to see death is to dye LXXXIX Psal 48. And what could make such a tender Parent as he was more miserable than their perpetual untowardness together with the intolerable trouble it would give him to see heavy Punishments continually befal them for their Wickedness and the Enemies of God rejoyce in their Ruin Ver. 16. And the LORD said unto Moses Here Verse 16 is not the least sign of God's dislike of this Expostulation of Moses with God which seems not very dutiful because the Vexation this stubborn People gave him was really so great that he had reason to desire to be eased of it Which though he begged with much earnestness yet no doubt with no less submission to God's holy Will and Pleasure Gather unto me These words are interpreted by the Talmudists as if the meaning was that they may be a Sanhedrim to my Land i. e. a holy perpetual standing Council to endure throughout all Generations For wheresoever we meet with this word li unto me they think it signifies a thing to be established by God to all Generations The Examples they alledge of it are these of Aaron and his Sons he saith they shall Minister unto me in the Priests Office XXVIII Exod. 41. and of the Levites he saith III Numb 12. they shall be mine or unto me and of the Israelites XXV Lev. 55. unto me the Children of Israel are Servants The like is said of the First-born III Numb 13. of the Sanctuary XXV Exod. 18. of the Altar XX Exod. 24. of the holy Oyntment XXX Exod. 31. of the Kingdom of David 1 Sam. XVI 1. and of the Sacrifices XXVIII Numb 2. See Mr. Selden Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 4. n. 2. Seventy Men of the Elders of Israel This Number is generally thought both by the Jewish and Christian Writers to be derived from the number of Persons that came down into Egypt with Jacob XLVI Gen. 27. Who saith R. Bechai were a kind of Prototype of this Number in future Ages For hence they were governed by so many Elders when they were in Egypt III Exod. 16. where there is no mention indeed made of Seventy but he gathers it from what followed and those were the Seventy whom we find at the giving of the Law a little after they came out of Egypt XXIV Exod. 1 9. who are called Nobles or Great Men v. 11. So that this number was not now first constituted but rather continued and confirmed Whom thou knowest to be the Elders of the People For there were many Elders out of whom Seventy were chosen See XXIV Exod. 1. And Officers over them That is saith R. Bechai whom thou knowest to be of the number of those who when they were Officers in Egypt over the People were beaten by Pharaoh's Task-masters V Exod. 14. Which word Officers doth not signifie Men that had any Judicial Authority but only such as had an inspection over others to see they did their Work and to give an account of them But it is very likely they were Persons of note who had more than ordinary Understanding and Breeding which advanced them to be Inspectors of others And therefore the Talmudists rightly observe that the Elders and Officers here mentioned were no doubt Men of Wisdom and Judgment who knew how to use the Authority that was committed to them And it is not improbable as some of them affirm that they were chosen out of those lesser Courts which were erected by the Advice of Jethro See Selden in the same place sect 5. who at large confutes Baronius and others who say that the number of the great Sanhedrim which
observes Lib. II. de Jure Belli Pacis cap. 13. sect 3. The Land was promised by Oath non personis sed populo nor to Persons but to the People viz. to the Posterity of those unto whom God sware to give it v. 23. Now such a Promise as he observes may be performed at any time because it is not tied to certain Persons Save Caleb the Son of Jephunneh and Joshua the Son of Nun. They are excepted because they had distinguished themselves from the rest by their eminent Faith and Courage in the midst of a perverse Generation Ver. 31. But your little Ones All under twenty Verse 31 Years old Which ye said should be a prey He upbraids them with their discontented and distrustful Language v. 3. Them will I bring in and they shall know the Land That is enjoy it Which ye have despised XIII 32. Ver. 32. But as for you your Carcases they shall fall Verse 32 in this Wilderness He repeats it again to make them sensible of the certainty of it and in their own words v. 2. to humble and put them to confusion Ver. 33. And your Children shall wander So the Verse 33 Chaldee interpret what in the Hebrew is shall feed or graze as Sheep do in the Desarts Or rather after the manner of the Arabian Shepherds who could not stay long in one place but were forced to remove their Tents to another that they might find Pasture for their Flocks So R. Solomon interprets it Forty Years Reckoning from their first coming out of Egypt from whence they were brought into the Wilderness a Year and a half ago and now are condemned to make up their time of wandering in it full forty Years And bear your Whoredoms That is the Punishment of their Whoredoms as Idolatry is peculiarly called XV. 39. XXXIV Exod. 15. III Jerem. 14. Of which they had been guilty presently after they came out of Egypt when they made the golden Calf and worshipped it and continued other Idolatrous Practices XVII Lev. 5 7. Which God punishes now that he visits their present Rebellion For it was not that alone to which he threatens this Punishment but he reckons with them for all the rest of their Iniquities IX Deut. 18 24. especially for the greatest of them all which he declared he would not forget to punish upon any new occasion See XXXII Exod. 34. which they now gave him It must be acknowledged also that other heinous Sins are called by this Name of Whoredoms in Scripture as well as Idolatry LXXIII Psalm 26. See Mr. Selden L. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 23. p. 489. Vntil your Carcases be wasted in the Wilderness This is the third time he reflects upon their foolish wish v. 29 32. Verse 34 Ver. 34. After the number of the days in which ye searched the Land even forty days XIII 25. Each day for a year shall ye bear your Iniquities even forty years Reckoning the time past since they came into the Wilderness which was a Year and an half So that the meaning is they should wander forty Years in the Wilderness before they got out of it Which is not to be understood so precisely as to want nothing at all of it For they came out of Egypt on the fifteenth Day of the first Month on the morrow after the Passover XXXIII 3. and they came into Canaan and pitched in Gilgal upon the tenth Day of the first Month of the one and fortieth Year after their departure from Egypt IV Josh 19. and consequently there wanted five Days of full forty Years And ye shall know my breach of Promise In the Hebrew the words are no more then these Ye shall know my breach Which the Ancients understand of Gods breaking in upon them to take vengeance of them for their Sin So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye shall know the fury of my Anger and the Vulgar translates it ultionem meam my Vengeance That is you shall find that I am the Avenger of Iniquity And it is the same if we understand my breach to signifie God's departure from them who had so shamefully departed from him Or according to our Translation it signifies a Revocation of the Blessing promised to them Which was so nullified that they were left without any hope of having the like Promise of entring into Canaan renewed to them Ver. 35. I the LORD have said Decreed and Verse 35 pronounced this Sentence I will surely do it to all this evil Congregation Break from them or break in upon them to consume them and utterly disinherit this untoward Generation That are gathered together against me Whom they accused as well as Moses and Aaron v. 2 3. In this Wilderness they shall be consumed and there shall they die The repetition of this so frequently v. 29 32 33. was to convince them the Decree was peremptory and irreversible Ver. 36. And the Men which Moses sent to search the Verse 36 Land That is Ten of them Who returned XIII 25 26. And made all the Congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the Land XIII 31 32. XIV 2. Ver. 37. Even those Men c. died by the Plague Either by the Pestilence threatned v. 12. or by Lightning or some other sudden Death About Verse 37 which there is a dispute among the Hebrew Doctors in the Gemara on Sota cap. 7. sect 11. where some of them say they died of a Quinsey which choaked them or as others their Tongues swelled and hung out of their Mouths down to their Navels and were full of Worms c. So that their Punishment was suitable to their Sin as they conclude with their Tongues they offended and in their Tongues they suffered Before the LORD Whose Glory appeared upon the Tabernacle before them all v. 10. unto which I take these words to relate signifying that they died in his Presence and perhaps by a flash of Fire from thence on that very Day upon which this Murmuring was raised by their false Report Verse 38 Ver. 38. But Joshua the Son of Nun and Caleb the Son of Jephunneh which were of the Men that went to search the Land Here Joshua is mentioned with Caleb and placed first as in the 6th verse as Caleb was in verse 30. Which shows there was no difference made between them Lived still This is set down to show God's faithfulness in his promise to them Who I suppose were now in the Company of the rest of the Searchers of the Land before the LORD and had no hurt when all the other Ten fell down dead on a sudden which made their Preservation the more remarkable Verse 39 Ver. 39. And Moses told all these sayings unto all the Children of Israel Acquainted them with the Doom which God had passed upon them And the People mourned greatly Were extreamly afflicted at the news but did not beseech him to pray for them as at other times XI 2. because he had told them
Jews also say of the unlawfulness of it and wisht him to desist But he would not hearken to them and therefore as it here follows they brought him unto Moses c. as one that contemptuously and with an high hand had offended God For they make this an instance of such a presumptuous Sin as is mentioned before v. 30 31. which is not improbable And it appears from hence that they observed the Sabbath while they were in the Wilderness and therefore did not bring him before Moses on that day but the next after or at least he was not judged till the next day Brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the Congregation Who were now they fancy hearing a Sacred Lecture when they brought the Man before Moses For he was the chief Judge who was to determine such Cases though we may conceive the LXX Elders who were constituted before this hapned XI 24 c. to have been now sitting and Moses at the Head of them But he being not deprived of any Authority by their Creation who were added only to give him ease it is more likely this Man was set before Moses as the sole Judge of this Case For God speaks to him alone v. 35. when he directs what should be done with him Yet Aaron and the Elders it appears by these words were present and called here all the Congregation when this Offender was brought before him Ver. 34. And they put him in ward By the order Verse 34 of Moses as they did the Man that blasphemed XXIV Lev. 12. to secure him till the Mind of God was known how he should be punished Because it was not declared what should be done to him They knew very well that he was to dye for it had been declared XXXI Exod. 14. XXXV 2. but they questioned what kind of death he should suffer as the Jews interpret it For they observe this difference between that Case of the Blasphemer in Leviticus and this here of the Sabbath-breaker that there they doubted whether he should be punished by them or by the Hand of Heaven but here what kind of Death they should inflict upon him Though there are some as Mr. Selden there observes n. 8. who imagine the question here also was Whether the sence of the Law was that they should expect his Punishment from God or he be put to Death by the Court of Judgment Ver. 35. And the LORD said unto Moses Who Verse 35 went I suppose into the Sanctuary to enquire what the Pleasure of God was in this Matter as he did in another Difficulty IX Numb 8. The Man be surely put to death By this Answer it seems to me the question was not at first What Death he should dye but whether he should be put to Death or no That is Whether the gathering and binding up Sticks into a Faggot was such a work as is forbidden in the Law XX Exod. unto which Death was afterwards threatned in the places before-mentioned And the Resolution was that he should be put to Death as a Man that denied God the Creator of the World though not in words yet in fact For he who did any Work on the Sabbath as Aben-Ezra notes upon XX Exod. denied the Work of Creation though he did not in down-right terms deny God himself For the Sabbath being a Sign as God calls it that they were the Worshippers of him who made all things the Contempt of that was a renouncing of their Religion and therefore deserved to be punished with Death the Belief of the Creation of the World being the very Foundation of the Jewish Religion as the belief of its Eternity was the Foundation of the Pagan This made the breach of this Precept of keeping the Sabbath strictly which is more frequently repeated than any other for the reason fore-mentioned so heinous a Crime and so severely punished for by this a true Worshipper of God was distinguished from a profane Person and an Idolater All the Congregation shall stone him with stones without the Camp This was a Punishment inflicted for very enormous Crimes See XX Lev. 2. XXIV 12. And this Man was condemned to suffer it because he was the first breaker of this Sacred Law And he doing it presumptuously as is supposed from the connection of this Story with v. 30 31. in contempt of the Law and not desisting from his Impiety when he was admonished to forbear as I said v. 33. it highly aggravated his guilt being no less than a reproaching of the LORD and a despising of his Word Whence the Vulgar saying of the Talmudists He that denies the Sabbath is like to him that denies the whole Law Ver. 36. And all the Congregation brought him without Verse 36 the Camp and stoned him c. Not on the Sabbath-day as I said before for that was unlawful as Philo observes but the next day after or as soon as Moses had passed Sentence upon him Ver. 37. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Verse 37 This was spoken it is most likely about the same time that the foregoing Passage hapned and the Commands mentioned in the beginning of this Chapter were delivered For this that follows is a direction for the better observance of all the rest of God's Commandments Ver. 38. Speak unto the Children of Israel and bid Verse 38 them that they make them Fringes This is the best word we have in our Language to express the Hebrew word Tzitzith which imports something of an Ornament resembling a Flower as the word tzitz signifies Of how many threds they consist and after what fashion they are made by the Jews at this day see Buxtorf's Synagoga Judaica cap. 9. In the Borders of their Garments Or as it is in the Hebrew in the Wings of their Garments which had four Skirts it appears by XXII Deut. 12. At the bottom of each of which they were to have a Fringe Which seem to have been only Threds left at the end of the Web unwoven at the top whereof they put a Lace as it here follows Throughout their Generations To be a perpetual Mark of their Religion and put them in mind of their Duty And that they put upon the Fringe of the Borders a Riband Or a Lace which both bound the Fringe fast at the top and also made it more conspicuous and observable which was the intention of it For by this they were distinguished from all other People who were not Jews as well as put in mind of the Precepts of God as it follows in the next verse Of blue Or as some would have it translated of Purple But the Hebrew Writers say Theceleth signifies that colour which we now call Vltramarine as Braunius hath observed Lib. I. de Vestitu Sacerd. Hebr. cap. 13. and Bochart Hierozoic P. II. Lib. V. cap. 10 11. There is another very learned Person also who hath more lately shown out of an excellent MS. in his possession what the Jews deliver concerning
over the Ark of the Testimony IX 15. not in the Door of the Tabernacle for there Korah and his Company stood See XVI Exod. 10. And the end of the LORD 's appearing was to to give Sentence in this case and to declare by a visible Token whom he accepted as his Priests Thus the Glory of the LORD appeared the first time that Aaron and his Sons offered Sacrifice IX Lev. 6 23. Ver. 20. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Verse 20 Aaron saying A little before they put Fire in their Censers Ver. 21. Separate your selves from this Congregation Verse 21 Viz. From Korah and his Company and the People they brought along with them who seemed to favour them v. 19. That I may consume them in a moment As he did Korah and his Companions Ver. 22. And they fell on their faces To pray to Verse 22 God as they had done before v. 4. O God The most mighty The God of the Spirits of all Flesh Who hast created the Souls of all Mankind so Flesh often signifies all Men VI Gen. 13. and therefore searchest into their most secret Thoughts and Inclinations So these words signifie XXVII 16. Shall one Man sin Korah who was the chief Incendiary and Contriver of this Sedition And wilt thou be wroth with all the Congregation Many of which he thought might through weakness be seduced into this Faction having no Malice at all in their hearts Which God knew perfectly and therefore he begs of him that he would make a distinction between such as these and the Men that misled them Verse 23 Ver. 23. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying He bad him rise up having granted his Petition Verse 24 Ver. 24. Speak unto the Congregation Whom Korah had gathered together and brought along with him to the Door of the Tabernacle v. 19. Get ye up from about the Tabernacle of Korah Dathan and Abiram Which it seems was not far off or wheresoever it was there a great number of People was gathered together to see what would be the Conclusion of this Contest The word Tabernacle is in the Singular Number but includes all the Tents belonging to these Men as appears from v. 26. Or perhaps they had set up one great Tabernacle for the word here is Mischean which may be thought to signifie more than Ohel a Tent v. 26. unto which abundance of People resorted as the place that Korah and the rest had appointed for the general Rendevouz as we now speak of all their Party For here Dathan and Abiram it is evident v. 27. were with him but there is no mention at all of On which makes it probable he had forsaken them as Moses wisht all the People to do on which Condition God promised to pardon them Ver. 25. And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Verse 25 Abiram To try I suppose if he could reduce them to their Obedience and prevent their ruine He seems to have had no hopes of Korah but lookt upon him as incorrigible And the Elders of Israel followed him Either the LXX Elders who were lately chosen out of the rest XI 16. or the whole Body of those who were called by that Name and were Men of Authority attended upon him to make this Action more solemn and to let Dathan and Abiram see how much Moses was reverenced by better Men than themselves who refused to come to him v. 12 14. Ver. 20. And spake unto the Congregation saying Verse 26 It seems Dathan and Abiram refused to hear him as they did to come to him for here is no mention of any thing he spake to them but only to the Congregation who were gathered about their Tents Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked Men. I suppose now they were gone to their own Tents where their Families were from which he beseeches the People to remove with all speed And he doth not mean merely that they should remove their Persons from them but their Tents and their Goods and Cattle And touch nothing of theirs Because all belonging unto them was under an Anathema which God had passed upon them That is was devoted to destruction and therefore not to be touched XIII Deut. 17. Lest ye be consumed in all their sins Destroyed with them who had sinned so grievously as to fall under the Curse before-mentioned Verse 27 Ver. 27. So they gat up from the Tabernacle of Korah Dathan and Abiram Where the greatest number of People were gathered together as I observed v. 24. For here is the same word Mischean again in the Singular Number denoting some spacious Habitation where perhaps they held their Consultations and unto which there was the greatest resort On every side From which we may conclude that the People had come from all quarters of the Camp to these Rebels either to joyn with them or out of Curiosity to see how things would go And Dathan and Abiram With Korah also it may be thought because he is mentioned in the beginning of the Verse Yet this Conclusion cannot be drawn from thence for it is not said he was now there but that it was the Tabernacle of Korah Dathan and Abiram where they used I suppose to meet Came out From the Tabernacle before-mentioned And stood in the door of their Tents Of their own Tents where they commonly dwelt And their Wives and their Sons and their Children With their whole Families This was the highest degree of audacious and hardned Infidelity whereby they declared that they feared not what Moses who had given the greatest proof he was a Man of God could do unto them Ver. 28. And Moses said Unto all the People of Israel or to the Elders and as many as could Verse 28 hear him Hereby you shall know I will now give you an evident Demonstration That the LORD hath sent me to do all these works That I have been commissioned by God to do all the things with which those Men find fault particularly to take upon me the Government of them and to put Aaron and his Family into the Priesthood and make the Levites only their Ministers c. See v. 2 3 13 14. For I have not done them of my own mind In the Hebrew the words are And that not out of my heart It was none of my own device or contrivance I did it not out of an ambitious desire to be great myself or out of private affection to my Brother Ver. 29. If these Men die the common death of all Verse 29 Men. In the Hebrew it is As die all Mankind that is a Natural Death as we now speak Or they be visited after the visitation of all Men. i. e. Such Judgments of God come upon them as are usual and common in the World viz. a Pestilence the Sword or Famine The LORD hath not sent me Then look upon me as an Impostor Ver. 30. But if the LORD make a new thing Verse 30 In the Hebrew the words are If
Lightning and perhaps scorched as they likewise sometimes are The latter seems most probable from what follows v. 37. and from the like punishment by Fire from the LORD which is said to devour Nadab and Abihu and yet their Bodies remained intire X Lev. 2 4. This was the more astonishing because Moses and Aaron who stood with them at the Door of the Tabernacle v. 18. had no hurt Verse 36 Ver. 36. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Immediately after the Death of those Men. Ver. 37. Speak unto Eleazar the Son of Aaron the Priest Who it is likely stood by them as next Successor to Aaron in the Office which was disputed And therefore perhaps imployed in what follows rather than Aaron that his Succession might be confirmed Though others will have it that it was below the Dignity of Aaron to perform such a mean Office and besides he might have been in danger to be polluted by the dead Bodies of the Men that were burnt That he take the Censers out of the Burning Out of the place where the Men were burnt as some understand it Or which differs not much from among the dead Bodies which were burnt Burning being put for Bodies burnt as Captivity XXI 1. for those that were carried Captive or made Prisoners as we there translate it But there is no need of either of these Additions burning signifying the Fire which burnt in them which he orders Eleazar to throw out that the Censers might be brought away And scatter thou the Fire yonder The Men were burnt as soon as ever they put fire to the Incense in their Censers v. 18. which flaming at the Door of the Tabernacle where they stood near the Altar from whence they took the Fire God commanded to be thrown away without the Camp into that place I suppose where they were wont to throw the Ashes VI Lev. 11. or rather into some unclean place where they threw the Dust scraped from the Walls of Leprous Houses XIV Lev. 41. For it was to show that God abhorred their Offering For they are hollowed Or had Fire from the Altar put into them which some think sanctified them But the plain reason is given in the next verse because they offered them before the LORD i. e. they had been employed to an holy use and that by God's command v. 6 17. and therefore God would not have them hereafter serve for any other Ver. 39. The Censers of these Sinners against their Verse 39 own Souls Who have brought destruction upon themselves by their Presumption Let them make of them Either Aaron or Eleazar were to cause them to be beaten into such Plates as here follow Broad Plates for a covering of the Altar Of Burnt-offering which was covered with Brass XXVII Exod 12. but these Plates were to be laid upon that Covering which it had already for the end mentioned in the Conclusion of this verse And hereby also the proper Covering of the Altar lasted the longer For they offered them before the LORD Presented them before the LORD when they offered Incense in them v. 35. Therefore they are hallowed Or holy That is I will have them separated for this reason to my use alone and no other It is a thing worthy to be taken special notice of that the Impiety of the Men that offered Incense did not discharge their Censers of the discriminative Respect as our famous Mr. Mede speaks due unto things sacred As these in some sort were by being presented to the LORD which made it unlawful to imploy them to common uses For as the LORD himself is that singular incommunicable and absolutely Holy One and his Service and Worship therefore incommunicable to any other so should that also which is consecrated to his Service be in some proportion incommunicably used and not promiscuously and commonly as other things are See Book I. Discourse 2. p. 18. And they shall be a Sign unto the Children of Israel That God accepts no Sacrifice which is not presented by the Hands of the Sons of Aaron This the Levites were to remember who attended upon the Priest when they saw these Plates laid upon the Altar of Burnt-offering every day Verse 39 Ver. 39. And Eleazar the Priest took the brazen Censers c. By this it appears these Censers were made of the same Metal though it was not said before that Aaron's Censer was of and wherewith the Altar was overlaid He took them up out of the burning no doubt immediately upon the foregoing Commands and as soon as the Mutiny was quite quelled they were employed as Moses had directed Ver. 40. To be a Memorial unto the Children of Israel This explains what is meant by a Sign v. 38. viz. to put them in mind or rather to keep in their memory That no Stranger Though he were an Israelite nay a Levite if he were not as it here follows of the Seed of Aaron he was reputed a Stranger to this Office Come near to offer Incense before the LORD Presume to execute the Office of a Priest in the Sanctuary That he be not as Korah and his Company Destroyed in a dreadful manner By this it appears that Korah perished as well as the Two hundred and fifty Men and it is likely as they did by Fire from the LORD As the LORD said unto him i. e. To Eleazar By the hand of Moses Ver. 36 37. Ver. 41. But on the morrow An astonishing Instance Verse 41 of the incurable hardness and insensibility of some Mens hearts which were not in the least altered by God's terrible Judgments and singular Mercies but instantly forgat both All the Congregation of the Children of Israel Not merely the Rulers of the People as this Phrase sometimes signifies but all the People in general v. 47. who were incited it is probable by that lewd Rout which Korah had gathered together against Moses and Aaron v. 19. Some of which were swallowed up but most of them remained still alive to do more Mischief Murmured against Moses and against Aaron In such a mutinous and threatning manner as demonstrated the contagious Nature of a Seditious Humour beyond all example For from a discontented Party who grumbled that they were not preferred suitably to the opinion they had of themselves it spread it self into the whole Body of the People And so infected them as to kindle a new Flame as soon as the former had been extinguished by such a terrible Vengeance as one would have expected should not have left the smallest Spark of this mutinous Humour in them Saying Ye have killed the People of the LORD So they impudently call those Men whom God himself had declared by a visible Token to be presumptuous Sinners against their own Souls Some imagine they quarrelled with Moses and Aaron because they had not prevailed with God to pardon them which they could as well have done as procured this Judgment upon them But the displeasure which God here expresses against this
Hammikdash cap. 9. are appointed and none other to lay things in order for Sacrifice I Lev. 5. and to burn the Fat of the Peace-offerings upon the Altar III Lev. 8. His Daughters were uncapable of it and so were all those that descended from them The same may be said of the Levites Ver. 5. And ye shall keep That is the Priests were bound to do what follows The charge of the Sanctuary Whereas they alone Verse 5 were to minister so they were to take care of all the holy Things therein contained the Shew-bread Lamps c. and to cover them when they were to be removed IV. 5 6 c. And the charge of the Altar Of Burnt-offering where they only were to offer Sacrifice and to take care of every thing belonging to it IV. 3 14. That there be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel That you may by your care and constant Admonitions prevent the Children of Israel from running into such Prophanations much more from such Intrusions into the Sacred Offices as may bring God's most high Displeasure again upon them Verse 6 Ver. 6. And I behold I have taken your Brethren the Levites from among the Children of Israel III. 12 41 45. VIII 6 16 18. The Levites are again called their Brethren that the Priests might not despise them because they served in a lower Condition but treat them with Kindness and Brotherly Affection To you are they given as a gift See III. 9. but especially VIII 19. For the LORD To assist you in your ministry to the LORD To do the Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation This hath been repeated very often III. 7 8. IV. 3 4 23 c. VIII 19 22 24. and here is mentioned again that the Levites might be possessed with this opinion that they were but Ministers to the Priests and therefore ought not to presume hereafter to aspire as Korah did to the Office of Priesthood Ver. 7. Therefore thou and thy Sons with thee shall keep your Priests Office Preserve it to your selves and suffer no other Person to invade it For every thing of the Altar These words and Verse 7 the following briefly declare what is meant by the Priests Office First To offer Sacrifice at the Altar of Burnt-offering and sprinkle the Blood c. And within the Veil Next to perform all the Service of God within the Sanctuary For in the Hebrew the words are and for within the Veil which is a short form of Speech importing both all that was to be done in the Sanctuary by the Sons of Aaron as burning Incense putting on the Shrew-bread and lighting the Lamps and likewise all that was to be done in the most Holy Place by Aaron himself on the Day of Atonement For the word Paroceth always signifies the inner Veil before the most Holy Place the outward Veil being constantly called Masack And therefore the exactest Translation of the Hebrew words lemibbeth laparoceth is this for within the House i. e. the Holy Place for the Veil i. e. with the Veil in the most Holy Place And ye shall serve In these Places ye alone shall serve and imploy no Body else I have given your Priests Office unto you as a Service of gift He would have the Levites to know that Aaron and his Sons had not arrogantly usurped this Office of ministring alone at both the Altars but he had freely bestowed it upon them and appropriated it unto them And the Stranger Though a Levite if he be not of the Family of Aaron That cometh nigh Presumes to offer Sacrifices at the Altar of Burnt-offering or Incense at the golden Altar Shall be put to death This is repeated by reason of the late Rebellion of Korah and his Complices who aspiring to the Priesthood came to a fearful end See III. 10. Verse 8 Ver. 8. And the LORD spake unto Aaron saying Having told him in the foregoing part of the Chapter particularly in the foregoing verse what should be the Work of him and his Sons he proceeds to tell him what recompence he should have for his Service at the Altar of Burnt-offerings and in the Sanctuary Of which he gives him a large account from this verse to the 20th that he might want no incouragement to Care and Diligence in his Employment Behold I also I have given thee the charge He bids him observe the large Grant which he now makes him as well as the Work he had laid upon him For by giving him the charge of what follows he means bestowing them upon him for his own use with a Charge to let none have them but himself Of my Heave-offerings of all the hallowed things of the Children of Israel See VII Lev. 34. and below v. 11. of this Chapter Vnto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing Because thou art Consecrated by being anointed with the Holy Oyl to the Office of a Priest VIII Lev. 12. And to thy Sons by an Ordinance for ever See VII Lev. 34. Ver. 9. This shall be thine of the most holy things He begins with those things which might be eaten only by the Priests themselves Reserved from the fire From the Altar of Burnt-offering Verse 9 for there were some things called most holy which were their Portion that came not from thence but out of the Sanctuary viz. the twelve Cakes which were taken off the Table and given to Aaron and his Sons every Sabbath Day XXIV Lev. 5 6 7 8 9. Every Oblation of theirs In the Hebrew all their Korbans which is a larger word than Sebach comprehending not only such Sacrifices as were killed at the Altar which are properly called Zebachim but all the Mincha's or Meat-offerings as we translate it which were of things inanimate And the Sacrifices of Birds also whose Blood was never poured out at the Altar And therefore Korban seems here to be a general word comprehending all the Particulars which follow especially if all be translated exactly as the words are in the Hebrew Every Meat-offering of theirs c. In the Hebrew the words are For all their Meat-offerings Which makes the sence plainer if the whole be thus translated All their Korbans or Oblations for all their Meat-offerings and for all their Sin-offerings and for all their Trespass-offerings of all which the Priest had a part Concerning the Meat-offerings or rather the Bread-offerings for so Mincha may most fitly be translated the Sacrifices being Flesh which were not eaten without Bread and Drink that were their Concomitants See II Lev. 3 10. VI. 15 16. Whâ—â—e the Flesh of the Sin-offerings except those 〈…〉 was brought into the most Holy Place is 〈…〉 unto them v. 26. And so are the Trespass 〈…〉 so in the next Chapter VII Lev. 6 7. As for Burnt-offerings they were wholly the LORD's and Peace-offerings were not accounted things most holy but reckoned among the less holy as appears from v. 11. of this present Chapter Which they shall render unto me
20. But the Man that shall be unclean By a dead Body a Bone or a Grave c. And shall not purifie himself By the Water of Separation appointed for that purpose Verse 20 That Soul shall be cut off from among the Congregation As a Contemner of this Law of God Because he hath defiled the Sanctuary of the LORD c. This and the following words are only a Repetition of what was said v. 13. for the greater confirmation of it Ver. 21. And it shall be a perpetual Statute unto them Verse 21 that he that sprinkleth the Water of Separation shall wash his Clothes Be reputed unclean until he hath washed his Clothes which I suppose comprehends his Body also v. 19. And he that toucheth the Water of Separation As a Man might chance to do when he mingled the Water and Ashes together v. 17. Shall be unclean until Even And wash his Clothes it must be supposed from the foregoing words For mere staying till Even purified no Body without some Rite of Cleansing And there was more reason for him that touched the Water immediately to wash his Clothes than for him who only sprinkled with it Ver. 22. And whatsoever Or whomsoever Verse 22 The unclean person toucheth shall be unclean He doth not mean by the unclean Person him who was made unclean by touching the Water of Separation for his Uncleanness was so slight that any one would think he should make no Body unclean by his touch but the unclean Person spoken of all along in this Chapter who was defiled by touching a dead Body He whom such a Person touched was made unclean and therefore was to wash his Clothes and not be thought clean until the Even And the Soul that toucheth it Or toucheth him Shall be unclean until Even Not only he whom the unclean Person touched but he who touched the unclean Person or any unclean thing was to be unclean till the Even and wash his Clothes as I said before for his Cleansing No other Cleansing was necessary for such kinds of Uncleanness as these For Sacrifices were required only for the uncleanness of Lepers and of a Childbed-woman and of a Flux of Blood or Seed all others were purged without Sacrifice By this nice care which is here taken about the smallest bodily Defilements God intended I make no doubt to make them sensible how necessary it was to preserve inward Purity without which they could not be acceptable to God though they approached to his Sanctuary For these Laws extending to what was done at home as well as abroad were a plain Instruction both that it was not sufficient to be pure in the Eyes of Men and that nothing could be concealed from the Divine Majesty who sees what passeth in secret CHAP. XX. Chapter XX Ver. 1. THEN came the Children of Israel even Verse 1 the whole Congregation into the Wilderness of Zin From Rithmah or Kadesh-barnea they came at last into this Wilderness after many Removals to other Stations of which Moses gives an account in the XXXIIId Chapter from v. 19. to v. 36. For God led them by the Cloud quite back again to the Red Sea XIV 25. and from thence brought them into this Wilderness of Tzin Which is quite different from that mentioned XVI Exod. call'd Sin for this lay on the Confines of Idumaea as appears from v. 14 15. In the first Month. Of the fortieth Year after they came out of the Land of Egypt For Moses gives an account of the Transactions only of the two first Years after they came from thence and of the last the rest he passeth over in silence being spent in tiresome Journeys whereby all above Twenty years old were consumed by one Disease or other In those Travels he shows how at several Removals mentioned Chapter XXXIII they were led back from Kadesh-barnea unto Ezion-Geber that is from the North to the South of the Shore of the Red Sea in which Journey they compassed the Land of Edom many Days II Deut. 1. that is many Years For from the time they left Kadesh-barnea till they returned back again was thirty eight Years II Deut. 14. And the People abode in Kadesh Not in Kadesh-barnea which was their fifteenth Station and in the Confines of the South part of Canaan XXXIV 4. XV Josh 3. But another Kadesh on the Confines of the Land of Edom towards the Red Sea XXXIII 36. II Deut. 3. XI Judges 17. And Miriam died there Four Months before her Brother Aaron XXXIII 38. and eleven Months before Moses being elder than either of them For she was near an Hundred and thirty Years old as may be gathered from II Exod. 4 7. where it appears she was not a Child when Moses was born And was buried there In Kadesh where she died But we read of no mourning for her as there was for Aaron a little after v. 29. Verse 2 Ver. 2. And there was no Water for the Congregation The Water that hitherto followed them from the Rock in Horeb now failed Which hapning just at the Death of Miriam the Jews have a foolish conceit that as her Piety procured it for them so she being dead it was taken from them and was restored again for the Piety of Moses and Aaron It is more reasonable to think that God suffered the Water to be discontinued for a time that he might try the Faith of this new Generation whether they were any better than their rebellious Fathers and withal to convince them that the Water out of the former Rock was not contained in it if he had not produced it who could bring forth Water out of any other place as well as that Or they being now going towards Canaan and near a Country where Water might be had for Money or they might have found it by digging for it God thought fit to let the Miracle cease that they might see he would shortly provide for them otherways For it is very likely that in their last Station where they were before this at Ezion-Geber XXXIII 36. the Water that had followed them in all their Journeys thither fell there into the Red Sea and so was swallowed up they being as I said to return towards Canaan by places where Water might be procured without a Miracle For being upon the edge of the Land of Edom when Aaron died in their next Removal v. 28. XXXIII 37. we read expresly that they presently after came to a Land of Rivers of Water X Deut. 7. And indeed not long after they removed from Mount Hor where Aaron died we find in the next Chapter to this that they came to Oboth XXI 10. which signifying Bottles it is no unreasonable Conjecture that here they met with Water with which they filled their empty Bottles And next to that Station they came to Jie-Abarim v. 11. heaps of Fords or as the Chaldee expounds it The Ford of those that pass over And then to the Valley of Zared v. 12. or to the
Deut. 12. or had its name from him cannot be determined But Hori we are sure was the first Possessor of whom there is any memory of this Mountain Hor which was afterward called Seir from one descended from him and afterward Edom. Verse 23 Ver. 23. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor. At the foot of the Mount as appears from v. 25. By the Coast of the Land of Edom. XXXIII 37. Verse 24 Ver. 24. Aaron shall be gathered unto his People Shall die v. 26. For he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the Children of Israel v. 12. A manifest Token that the earthly Canaan was not the utmost Felicity at which God's Promises aimed because the best Men among them were shut out of it Because ye rebelled against my Word at the Water of Meribah By this word rebelled it appears there was something of Obstinacy in their Unbelief mentioned v. 12. Verse 25 Ver. 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his Son Speak to them in my Name For it is expresly said XXXIII 38. that they went up at the Commandment of the LORD And bring them up unto Mount Hor. This shows that they pitched their Tents at the bottom of it in a place called Mosera See X Deut. 6. where this seems also to have been the Name of the whole Hill as well as Hor. Ver. 26. And strip Aaron of his Garments i. e. Of Verse 26 his Priestly Robes as Josephus rightly expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned XXVIII Exod. 2 3 c. wherewith he was clothed when he was anointed to the Office of High-Priest VIII Lev. 7 8 9. which he put on I suppose in the Camp and went up in them to Mount Hor that he might die gloriously not in his Robes but immediately after he put them off to be put upon his Son For this stripping him of his Robes was in effect the divesting Aaron of his Office that it might be conferred upon his Son which was done as follows And put them upon Eleazar his Son Which was the investing him with the Office of High-Priest into which he now succeeded in his Fathers stead and was by this Ceremony admitted to it The Talmudists say the manner was first to put on the Breeches then the Coat which being bound about with the Girdle then the Robe upon which was the Ephod and then the Miter and golden Crown See Selden de Succession in Pontif. Lib. II. cap. 8. And Aaron shall be gathered unto his People and die there This was said before in short v. 24. but now the time of his Death is expresly declared immediately after he laid down his Office and had the satisfaction to see his Son inaugurated in his Room and the place of it upon Mount Hor. Of this Phrase Gathered to his People see XXV Gen. 8 17. Ver. 27. And Moses did as the LORD commanded and they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the Congregation That they might all be Witnesses Verse 27 of the Succession of Eleazar to the Office of his Father Verse 28 Ver. 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his Garments and put them upon Eleazar his Son This Moses did as the Minister of God who now translated the Priesthood to another And Aaron died there in the top of the Mount And was buried also there X Deut. 6. For great and heroick Persons were in ancient days usually buried in high Places So Joshua was XXIV 30 33. and Eleazar II Judges 9. and Cadmus and Harmonia who lived near the time of Joshua as Bochartus observes in his Canaan Lib. I. cap 23. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the Mount After they had seen him laid in his Grave by those that attended them This fell out in the fortieth Year after they came out of Egypt on the first day of the fifth Month when Aaron was an Hundred and three and twenty Years old as we read XXXIII 38 39. In the new Moon of the Month which the Athenians called Hecatombaeon the Macedonians I ous and the Hebrews called Sabba as Josephus glosses But that last word should be Ab not Sabba as Jacobus Capellus observes in his Histor Sacra Exotica ad An. 2542. which answers he thinks to the nineteenth of our July And so the Hebrews say in Seder Olam Aaron died on the first day of the Month Ab upon which there is a Fast in their Rituals in memory of it Ver. 29. And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead i. e. Understood as the word See is used XLII Gen. 1. that God had taken him out of the World as Moses and Eleazar told them who Verse 29 also came down from the Mount with him They mourned for Aaron thirty days Till the end of the Month. For so long their Mourning seems in those days to have been continued for great Persons as it was for Moses XXXIV Deut. 8. though a Week sufficed for private Persons Even all the House of Israel Both Men and Women CHAP. XXI Chapter XXI Ver. 1. AND when King Arad the Canaanite In Verse 1 the Hebrew the words are thus placed When the Canaanite King Arad And so they are in the LXX and the Vulgar And Arad may as well signifie a Place as a Person nay there seems more reason to translate the words thus The Canaanitish King of Arad because there was such a City in Canaan mentioned XII Josh 14. and I Judges 16. One of the Sons of Canaan being called Arad as both the LXX and the Vulgar translate the Hebrew word Arvad X Gen. 18. who it is likely gave his Name to this part of the Country the chief City of which was also called after him Which dwelt in the South In the South part of the Land of Canaan towards the Eastern Angle of it near the Dead Sea See XXXIII 40. Heard that Israel came by the way of the Spies Which were sent by the King Arad as many suppose to bring him Intelligence which way the Israelites marched For it being Eight and thirty Years since the Spies sent by Moses went that way or rather they going so secretly that it was not known which way they went it is thought not probable that Moses speaks of them in this place But there is no necessity of taking the Hebrew word Atharim to signifie Spies but it may as well be the Name of a Place as the LXX understood it by whom it is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if the situation would agree to it one might probably conjecture the place was so called from the Spies that went from thence by Moses his order to survey the Country For that was a thing so memorable that as it could not well slip out of the Minds of the People of Canaan so they found I make no question after they were gone which way they came into their Country though for the present they passed unobserved and everafter called it the way of
he spake these words I see him As Balak desired he might XXII 41. though for another purpose that he might curse them And from the Hills I behold him The same thing again in other words according to the manner of the Eastern People And both these may relate not only to the present view he had of the Camp of Israel but to their future Settlement in their own Land wherein they were represented to him as dwelling securely under the special Protection of the Almighty Lo the People shall dwell In the Land of Canaan Alone Not mingled with other Nations but separated from them by different Laws Religion and Manners It seems also to import their Security and Safety by the Situation of their Country and God's care of them And shall not be reckoned among the Nations Be a peculiar People by themselves and therefore not liable to the power of my Curses like other Nations All this came to pass partly by the natural situation of their Country which was surrounded with high Mountains and rocky Precipices so that the coming to it was very difficult but more especially by their Rites and Customs and particularly by their Diet which restrained them from common Conversation with other Nations because they could not eat of their Food Swines flesh for instance which was a delicate Dish among the Gentiles was an Abomination to the Israelites By which means they were the better secured from learning the Religion of the Gentiles having so little Communication with them that they were called by Diodorus Siculus and others an unsociable People and thought to have an Enmity to the rest of the World Ver. 10. Who can count the dust of Jacob This may refer either to their present or their future Increase which was so great that they might be compared to the Dust of the Earth or the Sand on the Verse 10 Sea-shore which is without number Hereby he confirmed the Promise made by God to Abraham XIII Gen. 16. and to Israel XXVIII 14. where he saith expresly Thy Seed shall be as the dust of the Earth And the number of the fourth part of Israel Any one of their Camps every one of which was grown to a vast number For the whole Host of Israel was divided into four Camps under the Standards of Judah Reuben Ephraim and Dan as we read in the second Chapter of this Book one of which Camps lay more plainly before him than the rest viz. that on the West under the Standard of Ephraim Let me die the death of the righteous By the Righteous he means Israel who were now a People free from Idolatry which was the great Crime of those days And he desires either to be as happy as they in the other World or that he might not die an immature and violent Death but enjoy such a long Life here as was promised to them The Author of Sephar Cosri takes it in the former sence alledging this place as a proof that a future state was believed in ancient Times though not so clearly expressed in the Prophetical Writings as other things are for there is a certain Prayer saith he of one that prophecied by the Holy Ghost who desired that he might die the death of the righteous Pars I. sect 115. And my last end be like his Or Let my Posterity for so the word we here translate last end often signifies CIX Psal 13. XI Dan. 4. or those that come after me be like unto his Descendants Ver. 11. And Balak said unto Balaam what hast thou done unto me This is very surprising I took thee to curse mine Enemies and behold thou Verse 11 hast blessed them altogether Thou hast not only frustrated my desires in not cursing them but quite contrary hast pronounced great Blessings upon them For so the Hebrew words signifie Blessed them with blessings Verse 12 Ver. 12. And he answered and said Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth He had told him so before more than once XXII 23. XXIII 3. and now makes him Judge Whether it was safe for him to disobey the LORD to comply with his Desires Verse 13 Ver. 13. And Balak said unto him come I pray thee with me to another place He thought Balaam gave him a reasonable Answer and therefore gently intreats him to make a trial whether God would be pleased to be more favourable to his desires if he sought him in some other place For whatsoever Balaam thought of this matter Balak was possessed with a Superstitious Fancy that the very Place or Prospect had been a Cause concurrent to produce the contrary Effect to what he desired and therefore intreated he would come with him to another where he might not see too many of them at once From whence thou maist see them It seems this was thought necessary to make their Curses effectual that they should have a sight of those whom they cursed and that they should look upon them Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them The Skirts of their Camps And shalt not see them all He imagined perhaps that Balaam was affrighted at the sight of their Multitude and therefore durst not meddle with them And curse me them from thence He seems to desire him to curse only that small parcel of the Israelites whom he saw in the utmost part of the Camp hoping he might by degrees get them all in like manner destroyed Ver. 14. And he brought him unto the field of Zophim Verse 14 Or as some translate it unto Sedâ— Zophim a place by the very name apt to enchant a Superstitious Mind with expectation of Success as Dr. Jackson speaks It is thought by some to be so called from the Watchers that were placed here which the word Zophim imports To the top of Pisgah A very high Mountain in the Country of Moab from whence one might see a great way and take a view of all the Parts of Canaan III Deut. 27. XXXIV 1 2 c. but on that side of it whether Balak brought him Balaam could not see much of the Camp of Israel It is likely he thought by bringing him to a place so exceeding high he should be nearer Heaven and so procure a more favourable Audience than before And built seven Altars and offered a Bullock and a Ram on every Altar As he had done before at Balaam's desire in another High-place v. 1 2. for there only he imagined their Sacrifices would be acceptable From hence Conradus Pellicanus concludes Balaam to have been a Worshipper of the true God as Jethro was because he still continues to offer only such clean Creatures as were wont to be sacrificed to him by his own People Ver. 15. And he said unto Balak stand here by thy Burnt-offering The same Direction which he had given before v. 3. Verse 15 While I meet the LORD yonder In a place to which he pointed Balaam made a peradventure of it before whether the
plainly denotes that the next of Kin to him that was slain is here meant For to that Person belonged the right of Redemption of Estates XXV Lev. 25. and of marrying the Wife of a Kinsman deceased without Issue III Ruth 12 13. And consequently such a Person that is the nearest of Kin is here intended to be the Revenger of Blood And therefore no Man might undertake this Office but he alone who was the next Heir to him that was slain as Mr. Selden observes Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 1. p. 469. Grotius observes the like Custom among the ancient Greeks of private Men taking Revenge for the Death of their Relations or Friends Lib. II. de Jure Belli Pacis cap. 20. sect 8. n. 6. That the Man-slayer die not By a sudden heat of Passion This was a merciful provision as Maimonides observes both for the Man-slayer that he might be preserved and for the Avenger that his Blood might be cool'd by the removal of the Man-slayer out of his sight by his flight to another place More Nevochim P. III. cap. 40. Vntil he stand before the Congregation The City of Refuge protected him that fled thither Salvo tamen juris justitiae examine as the Lawyers speak yet so that the Matter should be brought to a fair Trial before proper Judges They of the City of Refuge examined him before his admittance into the place XX Josh 4. But they were not Judges nor could they examine Witnesses And therefore he was delivered upon demand to the Senate or Court of Judgment of that City where the Fact was committed that they might try whether he were guilty or no of wilful Murder So the Hebrews understand the word Edah Congregation in this place as in many others to signifie the Sanhedrim of XXIII as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 5. n. 2. and Lib. III. cap. 8. n. 3. And as by Congregation is meant the Court where Causes were tried so it is reasonable to interpret it of that Court which sat in the City where the Fact was committed and not that in the City of Refuge because there the Witnesses were and it is expresly said v. 25. that if the Congregation found him to be innocent he should be restored to the City of Refuge Which evidently supposes he was not judged there but in another place and none so proper as that before mentioned Ver. 13. And of these Cities which ye shall give six Verse 13 Cities ye shall have for refuge They might flee unto any other Cities of the Levites but in these six they were most certain to find Protection See v. 6. And the best provision was made for the Man-slayers easie and safe flying thither For the ways that led thither were to be made very plain and broad thirty two Cubits wide and to be kept in good repair for which they alledge in the Title Maccoth cap. 2. sect 5. those words XIX Deut. 3. Thou shalt prepare the way c. And two Students in the Law were to accompany him that if the Avenger of Blood should overtake him before he got into the City they might indeavour to pacifie him by wise perswasions And that he might not miss his way to the place whether he intended to flee there were Posts erected where two or three ways met with this Inscription MIKLAT i. e. the City of Refuge to direct him into that Rode which led to it A certain day also was appointed which was the fifteenth of February for the repairing of the High-ways and of the Bridges which might have been broken by the Winter Rains and Floods Verse 14 Ver. 14. And ye shall give three Cities on this side Jordan and three Cities in the Land of Canaan This seems not to be an equal Partition the Land of Canaan being far bigger than the Territory beyond Jordan for it contained above three parts of four of the Tribes of Israel But it is to be considered that the Country beyond Jordan was as long as the Land of Canaan though not so broad and that they also beyond Jordan might flee to any of the Cities in Canaan if they were nearer to them And besides God commanded those in Canaan if he enlarged their Coast to add three Cities more besides these XIX Deut. 8 9. Why six Cities are appointed for this purpose and no more and why three on one side of Jordan and three on the other Philo alledges some mystical Reasons but so far fetcht that I do not think fit to mention them Verse 15 Ver. 15. These six Cities shall be a Refuge They all began to be so at the same time according to the Talmudists For till those three in Canaan were set out these three on the other side Jordan though set out by Moses before they went into Canaan IV Deut. 43. did not receive any Man-slayer Which they prove in the forenamed Title Maccoth cap. 2. sect 4. from these very words these six shall be cities of Refuge that is when the other three were appointed then they all received those that fled to them Both for the Children of Israel and for the Stranger and for the Sojourner among them Both Strangers and Sojourners had renounced Idolatry but had not equally embraced the Jewish Religion yet both of them had the same share in this Benefit with the native Israelites it being a natural right that every Man who was innocent should be protected The difference between a Stranger and a Sojourner hath been often observed particularly upon XIX Lev. 33 34. XV Numb 15 16. That every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither That is every one before-mentioned whether Israelites Strangers or Sojourners But as for such as were mere Gentiles and not so much as Proselytes of the Gate if they killed another though a Gentile they had not the benefit of this Law because they were not suffered to dwell among them though they traffickt in the Country And if a Proselyte of the Gate killed an Israelite or one that was Circumcised he also if we may believe the Jewish Doctors was denied protection in these Cities But if he killed one like himself i. e. a Proselite of the Gate then he had the same Priviledge with the Israelites as they explain it See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 2. p. 477. Ver. 16. And if he smite him Or rather but if Verse 16 he smite him With an Instrument of Iron so that he die he is a murderer For it was to be presumed that he who run at a Man with a Sword or any such Weapon intended to do him a Mischief though perhaps he had no Malice to him before-hand but did it in a Passion So that he die He never going abroad after he was wounded XXI Exod. 19 20. The Murderer shall surely be put to death Be taken away by the Judges though he were in a City of Refuge and the Fact being proved condemned
to die for it Verse 17 Ver. 17. And if he smite him with throwing a stone In the Hebrew it is with a stone of the hand That is say the Jews with a great Stone that fills the hand not with a small Stone with which he could not be presumed to intend to kill him though he chanced to do it by hitting him in the Eye or some other very tender part Wherewith he may die With a Stone big enough to kill him And he die So that it appears he died of that blow He is a Murderer the Murderer shall surely be put to death He is as guilty as the forenamed Person who smote with an Instrument of Iron and his fleeing to the City of Refuge shall not protect him from Death Verse 18 Ver. 18. If he smite him with an hand weapon of wood Such as a Battoon as we now speak or a Club or any such kind of Instrument as is likely to kill him Wherewith he may die c. It made no difference with what kind of Weapon or Instrument he was killed whether it were of Iron Wood or Stone if he were killed wittingly and knowingly it was Murder and the guilty Person was to suffer for it Aul. Gellius hath collected the Names of the several Weapons which are mentioned in ancient History of which there are near thirty Lib. X. Noct. Attic. c. 25. one of which called Lingula he is pleased to explain being then not common and saith it was a little Sword in the form of a Tongue like our Poniard I suppose or Dagger or long Knife which was a dangerous Weapon because Men might hide it under their Clothes and kill others while they were in familiar discourse with them Ver. 19. The avenger of blood himself See v. 12. Verse 19 Shall slay the Murderer This is thought by many to be a mere permission not a Precept But the Jews think otherwise that the next of Kin i. e. the Heir of him that was slain stood bound to do his indeavour to avenge his Blood If he would not saith Maimonides or if he was not able or if no such Avenger was to be found i. e. the Murderer himself was the next Heir or the Man slain was a Proselyte of Justice without Issue he was to be prosecuted and put to Death by the Court of Judgment and that by the Sword See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 1. When he meeteth him he shall slay him He was not bound to stay for the Sentence of the Court but might kill him wheresoever he found him See v. 31. Ver. 20. But if he thrust him of hatred c. Or rather for if he thrust him c. That is if by any other means besides those mentioned v. 16 17 18. he kill'd Verse 20 a Man wittingly either by pushing him down violently from an high or steep place or throwing him into the Water or hurling a Stone at him or letting any thing fall down upon his Head though never so slily if Death followed and it appeared he bare a hatred to him he was to suffer Death as in the former Cases See XIX Deut. 11. Now this was a sufficient proof of hatred to him if being a Neighbour and they having some difference he had not spoken to him for three whole days together Verse 21 Ver. 21. Or in enmity smote him with his hand that he die he that smote him shall surely be put to death If he gave him only a blow with his fist of which he died and it was proved he had Enmity to him it was sufficient to make him a Murderer and it warranted the Avenger of Blood to kill him or obliged him to prosecute him so that the City of Refuge should not save him The revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him The Civil Law declared him to be unworthy to enjoy the Inheritance of one that was murdered if he neglected to prosecute the Person that killed him in some Court of Justice But the Jewish Law allowed or rather required a great deal more that the next of Kin should kill the Murderer with his own hands if he met him And thus the Abyssines at this day as Ritterhusius observes out of Alvarez deliver the Murderer into the hand of the next Kinsman to torture him The reason of which Law among the Jews was as the same Ritterhusius observes de Jure Asylorum cap. 4. because they being all descended from one and the same Stock and equally partaking of the same right they were all concerned in the shedding of the Blood of any one of them especially they who were nearest to him in Blood who seemed to be all struck at and injured in him So that the Law with great reason allowed them to avenge the Blood of him that was slain With which these Verses of Ovid he thinks agrees Cum tibi sint fratres fratres ulciscere laesos Cumque pater tibi sit jura tuere patris Ver. 22. But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity Verse 22 Killed him after the manner fore-mentioned v. 20. in a violent Passion having no such Intention and being perhaps highly provoked by him or by chance as we speak and unawares it being proved that there was no Enmity between them no signs of hatred before this Fact Or cast upon him any thing without laying in wait Happen to hit him with any thing without design to hurt him See XXI Exod. 13. XIX Deut. 5. Ver. 23. Or with any Stone wherewith he may die Verse 23 See v. 17. Seeing him not and casting it upon him that he die Throwing it at something else or playing with it and having no thought of him because he did not see him And was not his enemy neither sought his harm Not having any quarrel with him nor threatning him or any other way discovering that he sought to do him mischief Ver. 24. Then the Congregation That is the Judges to whom the Trial of such Causes belonged See v. 12. Where I observed that the Elders of the City Verse 24 of Refuge judged whether the Man-slayer who fled thither should be received or not upon a summary hearing of the Cause and such Examination as they could make at present But the full Examination of it was reserved to the Judges of the place where the Fact was committed Shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood They sent for him out of the City of Refuge to be brought before them who heard what could be alledged against him and what he could say for himself According to these judgments Upon Trial they proceeded to give Judgment according to the foregoing Rules which in brief are these If a Man had no intention to kill another but it was purely involuntary he was to be acquitted If there appeared any design upon his Life or such hatred and enmity as might move them to conclude he had an intention to kill him he was to be put
to death But here the Hebrew Doctors as Mr. Selden observes distinguish the killing of a Man into three kinds The first was when though it was from pure Ignorance and Error yet there was some Negligence in it which a prudent Man might have avoided The second when a Man kills another ignorantly and cannot be blamed for any negligence because such a thing seldom happens An Example of the first they make to be when a Man coming down a Ladder falls upon another and kills him An Example of the second when going up a Ladder a Man happens to do the same The former is more frequent and therefore they say hath some kind of blame in it the other seldomer and therefore hath none A third kind when any Man kills another out of ignorance and error also but it approaches nearer to voluntary Murder As when a Man intending to kill one Man happens to kill another with a Stone or otherwise In none of these cases they say the Court of Judgment could put any Man to Death And the Cities of Refuge were not provided for the second or third sort but only for the first and that when the Man died presently and did not lye and languish of the Wound for if he did it might be supposed he died by his own negligence or other ways as well as by the Wound In which case there was no need that the Man who wounded him should flee to the City of Refuge nor could the Avenger of Blood meddle with him No more than he could with a Father when he gave his Son or a Master when he gave his Scholar Correction and hapned to kill him The same was the case of him whose Office it was to Arrest Men by Publick Authority and bring them before the Judges if he struck a Man that refused to go along with him and killed him See Selden Lib. IV. de Jure Nat. Gent. juxta Disciplin Hebr. cap. 2. Ver. 25. And the Congregation shall deliver the slayer Verse 25 out of the hands of the avenger of blood If the Court found the Man was killed casually as the Person accused pretended XX Josh 4. then they charged the Avenger of Blood not to prosecute any further Both here and in the foregoing verse and in the next words to these by Congregation is meant the Judges of the City as I observed v. 12. who were to determine in the presence and in the behalf of the People whether the Manslayer was capable of the Priviledge of the City of Refuge or not as we read XX Josh 4 6. Now these things as a very Learned Person of our own argues which were done by the Elders or Judges being said to be done by the Congregation or Assembly of the People in whose behalf they were done it is no wrong to the Holy Scriptures when we say that which they report to have been done by the Church was acted by the chief Power of the Apostles and Elders with the consent of the People For it is manifest in the New Testament that in the Apostles time all the Publick Acts of the Church were passed at the Publick Assemblies of the same As Ordinations I Acts 23. V. 36. Excommunications XVIII Matth. 18 19 20. 1 Corinth V. 4. 2 Cor. II. 10. Councils XV Acts 4 22. other Acts 2 Corinth VII 19. And herewith agrees the Primitive Custom of the Church for divers Ages whereby they gave Satisfaction to the People of the Integrity of their Proceedings and by the same means obliged Superiours to that Integrity by making the Proceedings so manifest and so to preserve the Unity of the Church And from this Interest of the People in such Acts it is at this day that the People of the Church of England are demanded what they have to say against Ordinations and Marriages to be made See Mr. Thorndike in his Rights of the Church in a Christian State Chap. 3. p. 159 c. And the Congregation shall restore him to the City of his Refuge whether he was fled They were to send him back again from the place where he was tried to the City where he had taken Refuge there to remain till the time prescribed in the next words This was more merciful than the punishment inflicted by the Attick Laws which plainly show they were borrowed in great part from Moses for he who slew a Man involuntarily was forced to fly his Country So the Scoliast upon the last of Homer's Iliads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It was the manner in ancient times for a Man that had killed another involuntarily to flee his Country and betaking himself to some neighbouring place to sit with his Face covered begging to be expiated But this was only for a certain time as Demosthenes tells us in his Oration in Aristocratem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Law requires him that is condemned of killing a Man involuntarily for some limited time to go away and keep at an appointed distance till he can make his peace with the Kindred of him that was slain after which he may return again c. And he shall abide in it Not stir out of the Limits of the City that is beyond the Suburbs and the two thousand Cubits which incompassed them v. 4 5. within which Bounds he was to keep Vnto the death of the High-Priest which was anointed with oyl This looks like a Punishment to the Man-slayer whereby others were taught to be very watchful over themselves lest by negligence they chanced to kill any body and so be forced to leave their own home But Maimonides takes it for a prudent Charity to the Man-slayer and to the Relations of him that was slain For by this means the Man-slayer was kept out of the sight of the Avenger of Blood who might have been tempted some time or other to fall upon him if he had come in his way but by long absence his Anger might be mitigated at least by the Death of the High-Priest the most excellent of all other Persons and most dear to every one in the Nation Which made the Publick Grief so great when he died that Men forgot their private Resentments For nothing could fall out more grievous to all People saith he then the Death of the High-Priest which swallowed up all other Grief More Nevoch P. III. c. 40. And in the mean time the Jews say that the Citizens of the place were bound to teach him some Trade whereby he might provide himself with Necessaries And he had this comfort also during his absence from his own Family that the Mother of the High-Priest sent him many Gifts that he might remain there more contentedly and not pray for the Death of the High-Priest So they tell us in the place fore mentioned Maccoth cap. 2. sect 6. Where they also observe that if a Man killed the High-Priest or the High-Priest himself hapned to kill a Man involuntarily they were to stay in the City of Refuge