the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai and they had no children and Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the priests office in the sight of Aaron d In the time of Aarons life as this phrase is taken Nâ—…ab â—… 4. See also Psal. 72. 5 17. and under their fathers inspection and direction and as their fathers servants or ministers in the Priests-office for servants are oft described by this phrase of being or standing or 〈◊〉 in the sight or 〈◊〉 of their master their father 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them e Offer them to the Lord for his special service This was promised to them before and now actually conferred upon them before Aaron the priest that they may minister unto him 7 And they shall keep his charge f i. e. Aarons charge or those things which are committed principally to Aarons care and oversight and under him and his direction to the Levites and the charge of the whole congregation g i. e. Of all the sacrifices and services which were due to the Lord from all the people and because all the people could not and might not perform them or at least diverse of them in their own persons therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their name and stead formerly by the first-born Numb 8. 16. and now by the Levites See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 9. before the tabernacle h Emphatically not within the Tabernacle for the care of these things within the holy place was appropriated to the Priests as the care of the most holy place was peculiar to the High-priest of the congregation to do the service of the tabernacle 8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation and the charge of the children of Israel i Those things which all the children of Israel are in their several places and stations obliged to take care of though not in their persons yet by others in their stead to do the service of the tabernacle 9 And * chap. 8. 19. thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons they are †Heb. 〈◊〉 giveâ—… wholly given unto him k To attend upon him and observe his orders and case him of part of his burden in things hereafter mentioned out of the children of Israel 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons and they shall wait on their priests office l In their own persons not by the Levites and the stranger m i. e. Every one who is of another family than Aarons yea though he be a Levite See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 40. that cometh nigh n To wit to execute any part of the Priest office shall be put to death 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 12 And I behold * chap. 8. 16 and 18. 6. I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born n Who were Gods propriety by right of Redemption Exod. 13. 12. and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed which now was taken away from them either because they had forfeited this priviledge by joyning with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the Sanctuaâ—…y Which made it fit that this work should be committed to other hands And God would not commit it to some other persons in each Tribe which might be an occasion of Idolatry confusion division and contempt of sacred things but to one distinct Tribe which might be intirely devoted to that service and particularly to the Tribe of Levi partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron branches of this Tribe partly as a recompence of their zeal for God and against Idolaters See Exod. 32. 25 29. Deut. 33. 9. and partly because it was the smallest of the Tribes and therefore most likely to find both employment in and maintenance for the work that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel therefore the Levites shall be mine 13 Because * Exod. 13. 2. Lev. 27. 26. chap. 8. 16. Luk. 2. 23. all the first-born are mine * Exod. 13. 12 15. for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel both man and beast mine they shall be I am the LORD o Who may appoint whom I please for my service 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai saying 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers by their families every male from a month old p Because at that time the first-born in whose stead the Levites came Numb 8. 16. were offered to God Luk. 2. 22. and to be redeemed Numb 18. 16. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God and were as soon as they were capable to be instructed in their work Elsewhere they are numbred from twenty five years old when they were entred as novices to part of their work Numb 8. 24. and from thirty years old when they were compleatly admitted to their whole office and upward shalt thou number them 16 And Moses numbred them according to the †Heb. mouth word of the LORD as he was commanded 17 * Gen. 46. 11. Exod. 6. 16. chap. 26. 57. 1 Chron. 6. 1 2. and 23. 6. And these were the sons of Levi by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families Libni and Shimei 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families Amram and Izhar Hebron and Uzziel 20 And the sons of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi these are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnite and the family of the Shimite these are the families of the Gershonite 22 Those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward even those that were numbred of them were seven thousand and five hundred 23 The families of the Gershonite shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward 24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonite shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the * Exod. 25. 9. tabernacle q Not the boards which belonged to Merari ver 36. but the ten curtains mentioned Exod. 26. 1. and the * Exod. 26. 1. tent r To wit the curtains of goats hair * Exod. 26. 7. 14. the covering thereof s i. e. The coverings of
house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 33 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Ephraim were fourty thousand and five hundred o Above 8000 more than Manasseh towards the accomplishment of that promise Gen. 48. 20. which the Devil in vam attempted to defeat by stirring up the men of Gath against them i Chron. 7. 21 22. 34 Of the children of Manasseh by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 35 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty and two thousand and two hundred 36 Of the children of Benjamin by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 37 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty and five thousand and four hundred p The smallest number except one though Benjamin had more immediate children than any of his brethren Gen. 46. 21. whereas Dan had but one immediate son Gen. 46. 23. yet now his number is the biggest but one of all the Tribes and is almost double to that of Benjamin Such great and strange changes God easily can and frequently doth make in families 1 Sam 2. 5. And therefore let none boast or please themselves too much in their numerous off-spring 38 Of the children of Dan by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 39 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Dan were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred 40 Of the children of Asher by their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 41 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Asher were forty and one thousand and five hundred 42 Of the children of Naphtali throughout their generations after their families by the house of their fathers according to the number of the names from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war 43 Those that were numbred of them even of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty and three thousand and four hundred 44 These are those that were numbred which Moses and Aaron numbred and the princes of Israel being twelve men each one was for the house of his fathers 45 So were all those that were numbred of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers from twenty years old and upward all that were able to go forth to war in Israel 46 Even all they that were numbred were * Exod. 38 26. See Exod. 12. 37. chap. 26. â—…1 six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty 47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbred among them 48 For the LORD had spoken unto Moses saying 49 Onely thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi q Because they were not generally to go out to war which was the thing principally eyed in this muster ver 3 20 45. but were to attend upon the service of the Tabernacle and therefore are reserved to another distinct muster Numb 3. 15. and 4. 2. c. And least this should be thought to be designed and done through Moses his ambition to give his own Tribe the preeminence he assures them it was done by Gods express command neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel 50 But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony r So called here and Exod. 38. 21. because it was made chiefly for the sake of the Ark of the Testimony 2 Sam. 7. 2. which is oft called the Testimony as hath been observed before and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof and they shall minister unto it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle 51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward the Levites shall take it down and when the tabernacle is to be pitched the Levites shall set it up and the stranger s The stranger elsewhere is one of another Nation here one of another Tribe one no Levite that cometh nigh t So as to do the offices mentioned ver 50. shall be put to death 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard throughout their hosts 53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony that there be no wrath u To wit from God who is very tender of his worship and will not suffer the profaners of it to go unpunished whose wrath is called simply Wrath by way of eminency as the most terrible kind of wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel and the Levites shall keep the charge x i. e. Shall suffer no stranger to approach through curiosity or any other motive of the tabernacle of testimony 54 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so did they CHAP. II. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 2 Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard a Or ensign by that to which he is allotted by the following order It is manifest that there were four great Standards or Ensigns which here follow distinguished by their colours or figures or otherwise also that there were other particular Ensigns belonging to each of their Fathers Houses or Families as is here said with the ensign of their fathers house †Heb. over against far off b Partly out of reverence to God and his Worship and the portion allotted to it and partly for caution least their vicinity to it might tempt them to make too near approaches to it It is supposed they were at 2000 cubits distance from it which was the space between the people and the Ark Ios. 3. 4. and it is not improbable because the Levites encamped round about it between them and the Tabernacle about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch 3 And on the east-side toward the rising of the Sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah 4 And his host and those that were numbred of them were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred 5 And those that do pitch
Or rather 2. As an evidence of Gods gracious answer to Moses his prayers and of his reconciliation to the people notwithstanding their late and great provocation For saith he after this they proceeded by Gods guidance in their journeys some eminent stages whereof he names for all and though Aaron dyed in one of them yet God made up that breach and Eleazar came in his place and ministred as Priest one branch of which office was to intercede for the people Then saith he God brought them from the barren parts of the wilderness to a land of rivers of waters v. 7. a pleasant and fruitful soil Then he adds God separated the Levites c. v. 8. from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to * Num. 33. 3â—… Mosera d Obj. This place seems directly contrary to that Numb 33. 31. where their journey is quite contrary to this even from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan This indeed is a great difficulty and prophane wits take occasion to cavil And if a satisfactory answer be not yet given to it by interpreters it ought not therefore to be concluded unanswerable because many things formerly thought unanswerable have been since fully cleared and therefore the like may be presumed concerning other doubts yet remaining And it were much more reasonable to acknowledge here a transposition of the words through the Scribes mistake than upon such a pretence to reject the divine Authority of those sacred books which hath been confirmed by such irresistable Arguments But there is no need of these general pleas seeing particular answers are and may be given to this difficulty sufficient to satisfie modest and impartial enquirers Ans. 1. The places here mentioned are differing from those Numb 33. it being very frequent in Scripture for divers persons and places to be called by the same names and yet the names are not wholly the same for there it is Bene-jaakan and here Beeroth bene-jaakan or Beeroth of the children of Iaakan there Moseroth here Moserah there Hor-hagidgad here Gudgodah there Iotbathah here Iotbath If the places were the same it may justly seem strange why Moses should so industriously make a change in every one of the names And therefore these may be other stations which being omitted in Numb 33. are supplyed here it being usual in sacred Scripture to supply the defects of one place out of another Answ. 2. Admitting these two places to be the same with those Numb 33. 31. yet the journeys are divers They went from Beeroth of the children of Iaacan to Mosera which is omitted in Numbers and therefore here supplyed and then back again from Moserah or Moseroth to Bene-jaakan as is there said for which return there might then be some sufficient reason though now unknown to us as the reasons of many such like things are or God might order it so for his own pleasure and it is not impossible he might do it for this reason that by this seeming contradiction as well as some others he might in just judgment do what he threatned to the Iews Ier. 6. 21. even lay stumbling blocks before prophane and proud wits and give them that occasion of deceiving and ruining themselves which they so greedily seek and gladly embrace which is the reason given by some of the antients why God hath left so many difficulties in Scripture Ans. 3. The words may be otherwise rendred from Beeroth of the children of Iaakan and from Moserah where the order of the places is not observed as was noted before of the order of time v. 1. because it was nothing to the purpose here and because that might be easily fetched from Numb 33. where those journeys are more particularly and exactly described For the conjunction and that may be here wanting and to be supplyed as it is Exod. 6. 23. 1 Sam. 4. 7. Psal. 133. 3. Isa. 63. 11. Hab. 3. 11. And the preposition from is easily supplyed from the foregoing words as is most usual Nor seems there to be any more reason to render it to Moserah than from Moserah seeing the Hebrew letter He in the end is made a part of the proper name and therefore is not local * Num. 20. â—… there Aaron died e Qu. How it is true when Aaron dyed not in Moserah but in Mount Hor Numb 33. 37. Ans. 1. Moserah may be a differing place from Moseroth and that may be the name of a Town or Region in which Mount Hor was or to which it belonged Or the same mountain in respect of divers parts and opposite sides of it might be called by divers names here Moserah and there Hor. And it is possible they might go several journeys and pass to divers stations and by fetching a compass which they oft did in their Wilderness travels come to the other side of the same Mountain Ans. 2. The Hebrew particle soham may here note the time and not the place of Aarons death and may be rendred then as it is taken Gen. 49. 24. Psal. 14. 5. Eccles. 3. 17. Zephan 1. 14. And then is not to be taken precisely but with some latitude as it is oft used in Scripture that is about that time after a few removes more as the words at that time v. 8. must necessarily be understood and there he was buryed and Eleazar his son ministred in the priests office in his stead 7 * Num. 33. 32 â—… From thence e Either 1. From that place and that either from Moseraâ—… last mentioned or from Bene-jaakan for relatives many times in Scripture belong to the remoter antecedent Or 2. From that time for this particle sometimes notes not place but time as 2 King 2. 21. Isa. 65. 20. So the meaning is At or about that time as it is v. 8. which being considered may serve to clear the great difficulty discoursed upon the last verse concerning the seeming contradiction of this place and Numb 33. 31 32. they journeyed unto Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbath a land of rivers of waters 8 At that time f About that time i. e. when I was come down from the mount as was said v. 5. For these words manifestly look to that verse the 6 and 7. verses being put in by way of parenthesis as was said before Or if it relate to the words immediately foregoing this may be meant of a second separation of them upon Aarons Death and having mentioned the separation of Eleazar to the Office of the high Priest in his Fathers stead v. 6. he now repeats it that the Levites who were his as they had been his Fathers Servants were separated as before or were confirmed in their office * 〈◊〉 3. 6. 〈◊〉 8. 14. the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD g A phrase used concerning the Prophets 1 King 17. 1. and 18. 15. this being the posture of Ministers Hence the Angels are said to
Sacred Treasures for future Occasions there being mention of the great treasures left by David even in other Authors But some Learned Men make these Talents far less than those in Moses his Time and they conceive that as there were two sorts of Shekels both of Gold and Silver the common and the sacred Shekel whereof the latter is commonly thought to be double to the former so also there were Talents of divers kinds and values For the Hebrew word kikkar which is rendred a Talent properly signifies onely a Mass or a Piece as it is used Exod. 29. 23. 1 Sam. 2. 36. Zech. 5. 7. So it may indifferently denote either a greater or a lesser Piece And this is certain and observed by two Ancient and most Learned Writers 〈◊〉 and Pollux and by others that a Talent among the Greeks and Romans sometimes notes but a small quantity and that a Talent of Gold contains onely six Drams And Homer in his Ileads amongst other things of no great value which are propounded as Rewards to the Conqueror at a solemn and publick Exercise a Bondwoman an Horse and a Pot mentions two Talents of Gold which plainly shews that in his Time which was after the building of this Temple Talents of Gold were very far Inferiour in quantity and price to what they had been in former Ages And Iosephus a Iew and therefore the more Competent Judge of these things speaking of this very thing for 100000 Talents of Gold here mentioned he puts 10000 and for 1000000 Talents of Silver he puts 100000 either because the Talents in Moses his time were of ten times more Bulk and Price than in Davids and Solomons time and therefore these Talents reduced to them amounted to no greater Sum or because he read so in his Copy of the Hebrew Bible And certainly it is infinitely more tolerable and reasonable to suppose that there is a mistake here in the generality of the present Copies of the Hebrew Bible through the Errour of the Scribe which being onely in a numeral and historical Passage might happen without Impeachment to the Care of Gods Providence which hath so miraculously preserved all the most Important and Substantial parts of Scripture as hath been formerly said than upon such Pretences to deny the Truth and Divine Original and Authority of the Holy Scriptures Add to this that all the Gold then used was not of equal worth and purity as appears both by the special Commendation given to some sorts of Gold in divers parts of Scripture and particularly by the Difference observed in this very History between the Gold and Gold which David gave for this use whereof one little part being distinctively called pure Gold and refined Gold 1 Chron. 28. 17 18. it is sufficiently implied that all the rest of the Gold was not refined nor pure which might greatly diminish the Worth of it for in what degree it was impure or allayed with other things in those Times and Places we cannot know at this Distance And therefore we cannot make a true Estimate what those Talents of Gold did amount to in our Value and a thousand thousand talents of silver p Just as much in Silver as in Gold for this is known and agreed that the Proportion of Gold to Silver is Ten to One. and of brass and iron without * As 〈◊〉 3. weight for it is in abundance timber also and stone have I prepared and thou mayest add thereto 15 Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance hewers and ‖ That is ma sons and carpenters workers of stone and timber and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work 16 Of the gold the silver and the brass and the iron there is no number Arise therefore and be doing q To wit when thou shalt come to the Throne in my stead and the LORD be with thee 17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son saying 18 Is not the LORD your God with you and hath he not given you rest on every side for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand and the land is subdued before the LORD and before his people r Either 1. It is brought under the Command of God and of you his People all the Enemies of God and of Israel in it or near it being now perfectly subdued Or 2. It is really subdued whereof both God and your own Eyes are Witnesses 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God arise therefore and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD CHAP. XXIII 1 SO when David was old and full of days he made * 1 Kin. 1. 33. 39. Ch. 28. 5. Solomon his son king over Israel a Not that he did resign the Kingdom to him but that he declared his Mind concerning his Succession into the Throne after his death As David himself is called King 1 Sam. 16. 1. because he was appointed and anointed to be King after Sauls death though till then he was onely a Subiect 2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel with the priests and the Levites b Partly to declare Gods Mind and his own Will that Solomon should be his Successor and so to cut off the Claims and Pretences which others of his Sons might make to the Crown and partly to acquaint them with those Directions which he had received from God by the Spirit as appears from ch 28. 11 c. concerning the Establishment of a new Order and Method in the Ministration of the Priests and Levites in the Temple 3 Now the Levites were numbred from the age of * Numb 4. 3. thirty years and upward c Not onely till fifty as it was appointed Num. 4. 2 3. but even till their Death For that was but a Temporary Law grounded upon a special Reason because the Levites were employed in carrying the Tabernacle and Sacred Vessels from place to place and therefore God would have them freed from those Burdens when they came to feel the Infirmities of Age Which Reason wholly ceasing upon the Building of the Temple and their Work being far easier than it had been and their Service being more a Priviledge than a Burden their time of Service is justly and fitly prolonged and their numbers by their polls man by man was thirty and eight thousand 4 Of which twenty and four thousand were ‖ Or or to oversee to set forward the work of the house of the LORD d i. e. To take care that all the Work of the Temple about Sacrifices and other Parts or Means of Gods Service should be punctually and diligently performed either by themselves or others Which they were not to do all at once but by Courses 1000 at a
they have imagined to do 7. Go to let us m i. e. The blessed Trinity See Gen. 1. 26. go down and there confound their Language n By making them forget their former Language and by putting into their minds several Languages not a distinct Language into each person but into each Family or rather into each Nation that they may not †Heb. hear understand one anothers speech o And thereby be disenabled from that mutual commerce which was altogether necessary for the carrying on of that work 8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth p Thus they brought upon themselves the very thing they seared and that more speedily and more mischievously to themselves For now they were not only divided in place but in Language too and so were unfitted for those Consederacies and Correspondencies which they mainly designed and for the mutual Comfort and Help of one another which otherwise they might in good measure have enjoyed And they left off to build the City 9. Therefore is the Name of it called ‖ That is confusion Babel because the LORD did there confound the Language of all the Earth and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the Earth 10. * Chap. 10. 32. 1 Chron. 1. 17. These are the Generations of Shem q Not all of them as appears both from the next verse and from the former Chapter but of those who were the seminary of the Church and the Progenitors of Christ. Shem was an hundred years old and begat Arphaxad two years after the Flood 11. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years r So that he lived almost all the time of Abraham which was a singular blessing both to himself who hereby saw his Children of the tenth Generation and to the Church of God which by this means enjoyed the Counsel and Conduct of so great a Patriarch and begat Sons and Daughters 12. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years and begat Salah 13. And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 14. And Salah lived thirty years and begat Eber. 15. And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 16. * 1 Chro. 1. 19. And Eber lived four and thirty years and begat * called Luk. 3. 35. Phalec Peleg 17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years s So that he was the longest liv'd of all the Patriarchs which were born after the Flood and begat Sons and Daughters 18. And Peleg lived thirty years and begat Reu. 19. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years and begat Sons and Daughters 20. And Reu lived two and thirty years and begat * Luk 3. 35. Saruch Serug 21. And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years and begat Sons and Daughters 22. And Serug lived thirty years and begat Nahor 23. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters 24. And Nahor t The first Patriarch who fell to Idolatry lived nine and twenty years and begat * Luk. 3. 34. Thara Terah 25. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years and begat Sons and Daughters 26. And Terah lived seventy years and * Josh. 24. 2. 1 Chro. 1. 26. begat u i. e. Began to beget as Gen. 5. 32 Abram x Who is first named in order of Dignity for which cause Shem is put before Ham and Iapheth and Moses before Aaron not in order of time which seems to be this Haran probably was the eldest because Nahor married his Daughters Nahor the second and Abram certainly was the youngest because Terah Abrams Father lived two hundred and five years ver 32. and Abram after his Fathers Death Acts 7. 4. went out of Haran when he was seventy five years old Gen. 12. 4 5. therefore he was not begotten in Terahs seventieth year when Terah began to beget his Sons as here is said but in his one hundred and thirtieth year and so there remains seventy five years precisely to Abrams departure And Sarai Harans Daughter was but ten years younger than Abram Gen. 17. 17. and therefore Haran was Abrams Elder Brother Nahor and Haran 27. Now these are the Generations of Terah Terah begat Abram Nahor and Haran And Haran begat Lot 28. And Haran died before his Father Terah y i. e. In the presence and during the Life of his Father in the Land of his Nativity in Ur of the Caldees 29. And Abram and Nahor took them Wives The Name of Abrams Wife was Sarai and the Name of Nahors Wife Milcah the Daughter of Haran z Such Marriages of Uncles and Nieces being permitted then Exod. 6. 20. as in the beginning of the World the Marriages of Brethren and Sisters were though afterwards the Church being very much enlarged they were severely forbidden Levit 18. 12 14. the Father of Milcah and the Father of Iscah a Who is either Sarai as the Jews and many others think or rather another person For 1. Why should Moses express Sarai thus darkly and doubtfully Had he meant her he would have added after Iscah this is Sarai according to his manner in like cases Gen. 14. 2 7. and 35. 6. He elsewhere calleth her the Daughter not of his Brother as he should have done had she been Iscah but of his Father by another Mother 30. But Sarai was barren she had no child b See Gen. 16. 1 2. and 18. 11 12. 31. And Terah took Abram his Son c See Ios. 24. 2. Nehem. 9. 7. 1 Chron. 1. 26. Being informed by his Son of the command of God he did not despise it because it came to him by the hands of his inferiour but chearfully obeyeth it and therefore he is so honourably mentioned as the Head and Governour of the Action and Lot the Son of Haran his sons son and Sarai his daughter in law his Son Abrams wife and they went forth with them †i. e. Terab and Abram went with Lot and Sarâ—…i as their Heads and Guides from * Neh. 9. 7. Act. 7. 4. Ur of the Caldees to go into the Land of Canaan and they came unto Haran d Called Charran Act. 7. 4. and by the Romans Carrae a place in Mesopotamia strictly so called in the way to Canaan and near to it well known by Crassus his defeat there See Gen. 24. 10. and 28. 10. and 29. 4. and dwelt e Or rested or abode being detained there for a season peradventure by Terab's disease which begun there for the next verse tells us of his death there 32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years and Terah died in Haran CHAP. XII 1.
of the sacrifice in their hands as we find Exod. 29. 24. by that right putting them into their office and sanctifie them that they may minister unto me in the priests office 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover †Heb. flesh â—… their nakedness their nakedness from the loins even unto the thighs g Including both Compare Exod. 20. 26. they shall †Heb. â—…e reach 43 And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place that they bear not iniquity and die It shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him CHAP. XXIX 1 AND this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them to minister unto me in the priests office * Lev. 8. 1 â—… Take one young bullock and two rams without blemish a See Exod. 12. 5. Mal. 1. 13 14. 2 And * Lev. 6. 20. unleavened b To shew that the Priests should be and that Christ really was free from all malice and hypocrisie both which are compared to leaven Luk. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 8. and that all the services offered to God by the Priests were to be pure and unmixed bread and cakes unleavened tempered with oyl and wafers unleavened anointed with oil of wheaten flower shalt thou make them 3 And thou shalt put them into one basket and bring them c To the door of the Tabernacle as it follows ver 4. in the basket with the bullock and the two rams 4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and shalt wash them with water d Taken out of that laver Exod. 30. 18. This signified the universal pollution of all men and the absolute need they have of washing especially when they are to draw nigh to God And this outward washing was onely typical of their spiritual washing by the blood and spirit of Christ in order to their acceptance with God 5 And thou shalt take the garments and put upon Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breast-plate and gird him with * chap. 28. the curious girdle of the ephod e Not about the loins but about the paps or breast as Christ and his ministers are represented Rev. 1. 13. The linnen breeches are here omitted because they were put on privately before they came to the door of the Tabernacle where the other things were put on 6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head and put the holy crown f i. e. The plate of gold chap. 28. 36. as appears by comparing Lev. 8. 9. upon the mitre 7 Then shalt thou take the anointing * chap. 〈◊〉 oyl and pour it upon his head and anoint him g Which signified the gifts and graces of the holy ghost wherewith Christ was and the Priests ought to be replenished See Isa. 61. 1. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. But here ariseth a difficulty for this anointing is sometimes spoken of as peculiar to the High-priest as Lev. 21. 10. sometimes as common to all the Priests Exod. 30. 30. and 40. 14 15. which may be thus reconciled The oil was sprinkled upon all the Priests and their right ears thumbs and toes and their garments ver 20 21. Lev. 8. 30. but it was poured out upon the head onely of the High-priest Psa. 133. 2. who herein was a type of Christ who was anointed above his fellows Psal. 45. 7. Heb. 1. 9. 8 And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them 9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles Aaron and his sons and †Heb. bind put the bonnets on them and the priests office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute h So long as the Iewish Pedagogy and Policy lasts and thou shalt †Heb. fill the hand of * chap. 28. 41. consecrate Aaron and his sons 10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation and * Lev. 1. 4. Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock i To signify that they offered it for themselves and for their own sins which the offerer performing this rite was to confess Lev. 16. 21. that they acknowledged themselves to deserve that death which was inflicted upon this innocent creature for their sakes and to testify their faith in the future sacrifice of Christ upon whom their sins were to be laid and by whose blood they were expiated and that they humbly begged Gods mercy in pardoning their sins and accepting them to and in their holy office 11 And thou k Moses who though no Priest yet for this time and occasion was called by God to this work shalt kill the bullock before the LORD by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 12 And thou shalt take of the bloud of the bullock and put it upon * chap. 27. 2. and 30. 2. the horns of the altar l Not of incense as some would have it but of the burnt-offerings as may appear 1. because it was that altar at the bottom whereof the bloud was to be poured as it is here expressed but that was not done at the altar of Incense as is evident and confessed Compare Lev. 16. 18 c. 2. it was that altar upon which the parts of the sacrifices were burnt as it here follows ver 13. for there is no distinction here between the two altars It is true in the following sin-offerings of the Priests the blood was put upon the horns of the altar of incense Lev. 4. 7. But it must be considered 1. that the blood was not poured out at the bottom of that altar 2. because Aaron and his sons were not yet compleat Priests but private persons and therefore did this at the same altar which the people used in their sin offerings Lev. 4. 25 30. with thy finger and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar 13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards and ‖ It seemeth by anatomy and the Hebrew Doctors to be the midriff the caul that is above the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them m The parts which in all sacrifices were burned unto God Lev. 3. 3. and 4. 10. to signify either the mortification of their inward and most beloved lusts or the dedication of the best of all sacrifices and of their inward and best parts to God and his service and burn them upon the altar 14 But the flesh of the bullock and his skin and his dung shalt thou burn with fire without the camp it is a sin-offering n To wit for the high-priest as is plain from the whole context and therefore ought to be burnt by that law Lev.
His family as Gen. 7. 1. to wit the Priests and Levites See Numb 1. 49. 7 And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats one lot for the LORD m For the Lords use and service by way of sacrifice Both this and the other Goat typified Christ this in his death and passion for us that in his Resurrection for our deliverance and the other lot for the †Heb. Azazel scape-goat 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORDS lot †Heb. went up fell n So the lot is said to fall Ionah 1. 7. Act. 1. â—…6 Heb. went up to wit out of the vessel into which the lots were put and out of which they were brought up and offer him foâ—… a sin-offering 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scape-goat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make an atonement with him o In manner hereafter expressed ver 21. 22. and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness 11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock p Mentioned in general ver 6. The ceremonies whereof are here particularly described This was a differing bullock or heifer from that Numb 19. as appears by comparing the places of the sin offering which is for himself and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself 12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar q To wit of burnt-offering where the fire was alwayes burning and whence fire was taken for such uses as these before the LORD and his hands full of sweet incense r Of which see Exod. 30. 34 35 38. beaten small and bring it within the vail s i. e. Into the Holy of holieâ—… ver 2. 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire t Which was in the censer ver 12. before the LORD that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony that he die not u For so gross an errour committed in the highest acts of worship and that by an High-Priest whose knowledge and function was a great aggravation to his sin 14 And * Heb. 9. 13. and 10. 4. he shall take of the blood of the bullock and * chap. 4. 6. sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat x To teach us that God is mercifull to sinners onely through and for the blood of Christ. eastward y i. e. With his face east-ward or upon the eastern part of it towards the people who were in the court which lay east-ward from the Holy of holies which was the most western part of the Tabernacle This signified that the High-priest in this act represented the people and that God accepted it on their behalf and before the mercy-seat z On the ground shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times 15 Then shall he kill a Either this was done before he entred into the Holy of holies though it be mentioned after such trans-placings of passages being not unusual or rather he went out of the Holy of holies and killed it and then returned thither again with its blood and this agrees best with the text nor are transpositions to be allowed without necessity And whereas the High-priest is said to be allowed to enter into that place but once in a year that is to be understood but one day in a year though there seems to have been occasion of going in and coming out more than once upon that day the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people and bring his blood within the vail and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place b Of which see below ver 19 20. and Exod. 29. 36. Lev. 8. 15. Heb. 9. 13. because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel c For though the people did not enter into that place yet their sins entred thither and would hinder the effects of the High-priests mediation on their behalf if God was not reconciled to them and because of their transgressions in all their sins and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that †Heb. dwelleth remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleannesses d Encompassed with their sins being in the midst of a sinfull people who defile not themselves onely but also Gods Sanctuary as God complains Ezek. 23. 38 39. 17 * Luk. 1. 10. And there shall be no man in the tabernacle †Heb. of meeting Exod. 29. 42. of the congregation e i. e. In the holy place where the Priests and Levites were at other times This was commanded for the greater reverence to the Divine Maiesty then in a more special manner appearing and that none of them might cast an eye into the Holy of holies as the High-priest went in or came out when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place untill he come out and have made an atonement for himself and for his houshold and for all the congregation of Israel 18 And he shall go out unto the altar f To wit the altar of incense where the blood of sacrifices was to be put Levit. 4. 4. and particularly the blood of the sin-offerings offered upon this day of atonement Exod. 30. 10. and which is most truly and properly said to be before the Lord i. e before the place where God in special manner dwelt to wit the Holy of holies Some understand it of the altar of burnt-offerings because he is said to go out to it But that going out relates not to the Tabernacle but to the Holy of holieâ—… into which he was said to go in ver 17. Add to this that this 〈◊〉 which is atoned by the High-priest seems to be in that place where he onely might now come and therefore in the Holy place called here the Tabernacle from which all other priests were for this day excluded whereas the altar of burnt-offerings was without the Holy place or Tabernacle to wit at the door of it and in the court of the Priests that is before the LORD and make an atonement for it and shall take of the blood of the bullock and of the blood of the goat and put it upon the horns of the altar round about 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times g To signify its perfect cleansing seven being a number of perfection and our perfect reconciliation by the blood of Christ here represented and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the
devoted which shall be devoted of men y Not by men as some would elude it but of men for it iâ—… manifest both from this and the foregoing verses that men here are not the persons devoting but devoted Quest. Was it then lawful for any man or men thus to devote another person to the Lord and in pursuance of such vow to put him to death Ans. This was unquestionably lawful and a duty in some cases when persons have been devoted to destruction either by Gods sentence as Idolaters Exod. 22. 20. Deut. 23. 15. the Canaanites Deut. 20. 1â—… the Amalekites Deut. 25. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 3 26. Benhadad 1 King 20. 42. or by men in pursuance of such a sentence of God as Numb 21. 2 3. and 31. 17. or for any crime of an high nature as Iudg. 21. 5. Ios. 7. 15. But this is not to be generally understood as some have taken it as if a Iew might by vertue of this Text devote his child or his servant to the Lord and thereby oblige himself to put them to death which peradventure was Iepthe's errour For this is expresly limited to all that a man hath or which is his i. e. which he hath a power over But the Iews had no power over the lives of their children or servants but were directly forbidden to take them away by that great command thou shalt do no murder And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished as is said Exod. 21. 20. it could not be lawful wilfully and intentionally to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this But for the Canaanites Amalekites c. God the undoubted Lord of all mens lives gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives and a command to put them to death And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them And although the general subject of this and the former verse be one and the same yet there are two remarkable differences to this purpose The verb is active ver 28. and the agent there expressed that a man shall devote but it is passive ver 29 and the agent undetermined which shall be devoted to wit by God or men in conformity to Gods revealed will 2. The devored person or thing is onely to be sold or redeemed and said to be most holy ver 28. but here it is to be put to death and this belongs onely to men and those such as either were or should be devoted in manner now expressed shall be redeemed but shall surely be put to death 30 And * Gen. 28. 22. Num. 18. 21 24. Mal. 3. 8. 10. all the tithe of the land z There are divers sorts of Tithes but this seems to be understood onely of the ordinary and yearly tithes belonging to the Levites c. as the very expression intimates and the addition of the fifth part in case of redemption thereof implies whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the LORDS it is holy unto the LORD 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod ‖ Either 1. the tithers rod it being the manner of the Iews in tithing to cause all their cattel to pass through some gate or narrow passage where the tenth was marked by a person appointed for that purpose and reserved for the Priest Or 2. the shepherds rod under which the herds and flocks passed and by which they were governed and numbred See Ier. 33. 13. Ezek. 20. 37. the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it and if he change it at all then both it and the change thereof shall be holy it shall not be redeemed 34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai ANNOTATIONS ON NUMBERS The ARGUMENT THis Book giveth us an History of almost forty years travel of the children of Israel through the Wilderness where we have an account of their journeys and what happened to them therein with their Government and how they were managed thereby Called Numbers by reason of the several Numbrings of the people as at the offerings of the Princes and at their several journeys c. But especially two One Chap. 1. Out of which the Priests and Levites were excepted but numbred by themselves viz. in the second year after they were come out of Egypt in the first month whereof the Passeover was instituted with the order about the Tabernacle both of the Levites and People and their several marches encampings and manner of pitching their Tents the Priest's maintenance and establishment by the miraculous budding of Aarons rod with the several impediments in their marches both among themselves by several murmurings seditions and conspiracies and from their enemies viz. the Edomites Canaanites over whom having obtained a victory and afterwards murmuring they were stung with fiery Serpents and cured by the brazen one Amorites whose Kings Sihon and Og they overcame and slew and Moabites where by the allurements of Balaam who was hired by Balak to curse Israel they joyned themselves to Baal-peor and are plagued for it that openly opposed them The other chief numbring is in Chap. 26. where they are found almost as many as the first though among them were none of the first numbring according to what God had threatned Chap. 14. save Moses Joshua and Caleb by reason of their desire to return back into Egypt upon the discouraging report of ten of those twelve that Moses sent to spy out the Land whereupon they were forced to wander above 38 years in the wilderness where he gave them several Laws Civil Ecclesiastical and Military as also particular directions about women's inheriting occasioned by the case of Zelophehad's daughters and concerning vows And then brings them back to the borders of Canaan where after divers victories obtained against their enemies they were directed how the Land of Canaan was to be divided among the Tribes and what portion the Levites were to have among them together with six cities of Refuge set apart for the Man-slayer At length Aaron being dead and Eleazar placed in his stead and Moses also having received the sentence of Death doth by God's appointment deliver up the people unto the charge and conduct of Joshua CHAP. I. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai a Where now they had been a full year or near it as may be gathered by comparing this place with Exod. 19. 1. and 40. 17. and other places in the tabernacle b From the mercy-seat of the congregation on the first day of the second month in the second year after they
rams-skins and badgers-skins See Numb 4. 25. and the * Exod. 26. 36. hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 26 And the * Exod. 27. 9. hangings of the court and the * Exod. 27. 16. curtain for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about and the cords of it t By which the Tabernacle was fastened to the pins and stretched out Exod. 35. 18. for all the service thereof 27 And of Kohath u This Family had many priviledges above the others Of that were Moses and Aaron and all the Priests They had the chief place about the Tabernacle and the care of the most holy things here below ver 31. and in the Land of Canaan they had twenty three Citieâ—… which were almost as many as both their brethren received See Ios. 21. was the family of the Amramite and the family of the Izharite and the family of the Hebronite and the family of the Uzzielite these are the families of the Kohathite 28 In the number of all the males from a month old and upward were eight thousand and six hundred keeping x Or keepers c. i. e. appointed for that work as soon as they were capable of it the charge of the sanctuary y i. e. Of those holy things contained in or nearly belonging to the sanctuary expressed verse 31. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward 30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathite shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel 31 And their charge shall be the * Exod. 25. 1â—… ark and the * Exod. 25. 2â—… table and the * Exod. 25. 3â—… candlestick and * Exod. 27. 1. and 30. 1. the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister and * Exod. 26. 3â—… the hanging z Which covered the most holy place for all other hangings belonging to the Gershonites and all the service thereof a i. e. All the other furniture belonging to it of which see Numb 4. 7 9 14. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest shall be chief b Next under the High-priest whence he is called the second Priest 2 King 25. 18. and in case of the High-Priests absence by sickness or other necessary occasions he was to perform his work 1 King 4. 4. and he had a superiority over all the rest of the Priests and Levites over the chief of the Levites c i. e. Over those three persons who were each the chief of their several families of whom see here ver 24 31 35. and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary 33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlite and the family of the Mushite these are the families of Merari 34 And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward were six thousand and two hundred 35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward 36 And †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serveth thereto 37 And the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their pins and their cords d Therefore these were for another use than those mentioned verse 26. 38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel e Either in their stead that charge which they were obliged to keep either by themselves or by others appointed by them if God had not committed it to those or for their good and service and benefit for their preservation as the word may be rendred and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death 39 * See chap 62. All that were numbred of the Levites which Moses and Aaron numbred at the commandment of the LORD throughout their families all the males from a month old and upward were twenty and two thousand f Obj. But if the partial numbers mentioned ver 22 28 34. be put together they make exactly 22300. Answ. The odd 300 are omitted here either according to the use of the Holy Scripture where in so great numbers small summes are commonly neglected or because they were the first-born of the Levites and therefore belonged to God already and so could not be given to him again instead of the other first-born See Levit. 27. 29. If this number of first-born seem very small to come from 22000 Levites it must be considered That onely such first-born are here named as were males and such as continued in their parents Families not such as had erected new families of their own Adde to this that God so ordered things by his wiâ—…e providence for divers weighty reasons that this Tribe should be much the least of all the Tribes as is evident by comparing the numbers of the other Tribes from twenty years old Numb 1. with the number of this from a moneth old and therefore it is not strange if the number of their first-born be less than in other Tribes Although if the other Tribes had been computed from a moneth old as this was their number of 600000 had probably been double or treble to that and consequently the number of their first-born being 22273 verse 43. would have been as unproportionable to their whole summe as this of 300 first-born Levites seems to their whole number And some adde that onely those first-born are numbred both in this and in the other Tribes which were born since they came out of Egypt when God challenged all the first-born to be his 40 And the LORD said unto Moses number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel g That they may be compared with the number of the Levites for the reason here following from a month old and upward and take the number of their names 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me I am the LORD in stead of all the first-born among the children of Israel h To wit such as are now alive of them but those which should be born of them hereafter are otherwise disposed and the cattle of the Levites i Not that they were to be taken from the Levites or to be sacrificed to God any more than the Levites themselves were but that they together with the Levites were to be presented before the Lord by way of acknowledgment that the Levites might be set apart for
the day that the LORD commanded Moses and henceforward among your generations 24 Then it shall be if ought be committed by ignorance †Heb from the without the knowledge of the congregation that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering r In Lev. 4. the bullock is for a sin-offering here it is for a burnt-offering either because they are different laws as hath been said or because here is added a new penalty to breed the greater caution and diligence in the Israelites who had given many instances and now a fresh and eminent instance of their heedlesness in observing the commands of God and so besides that bullock for a sin-offering which he leaves to be gathered out of Levit. 4. 14. he now requires another bullock for a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD with his meat-offering and his drink-offering according to the ‖ Or Ordiâ—… manner and one kid of the goats for a sin offering 25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel and it shall be forgiven them for it is ignorance and they shall bring their offering a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD and their sin offering before the LORD for their ignorance 26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger that sojourneth among them seeing all the people were in ignorance 27 * Lev. 4. 〈◊〉 And if any soul sin through ignorance then he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a sin offering 28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD to make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him 29 Ye shall have one law for him that †Heb. dâ—… sinneth through ignorance both for him that is born amongst the children of Israel and for the stranger that sojourneth among them 30 But the soul that doth ought s Understand such things as ought not to be done and things relating to the worship of God †Heb. 〈◊〉 high hand presumptuously t Heb. with an high or lifted up hand i. e. knowingly wilfully boldly resolvedly deliberately designedly So this phrase is elsewhere used See Exod. 14. 8. Lev. 26. 21. Numb 33. 3. Iob 15. 26. Psal. 19. 13. whether he be born in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the LORD u i. e. He sets God at defiance and exposeth him to contempt as if he were unworthy of any regard and unable to punish transgressors and that soul shall be cut off from among his people 31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD and hath broken his commandment that soul shall utterly be cut off his iniquity shall be upon him x i. e. The punishment shall be confined to himself and not fall upon the congregation as it will do if they neglect to cut him off 32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man that gathered sticks on the sabbath day y This seems to be added as an example of a presumptuous sin for as the law of the sabbath was plain and positive so this transgression of it must needs be a known and wilful sin 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation z i. e. To the Rulers of the congregation who as they represented and governed the congregation are called by the name of the congregation 34 And they a i. e. Moses and Aaron and the 70 Rulers last mentioned put him * Lev. 24. 〈◊〉 in ward because it was not declared what should be done unto him b i. e. In what manner he was to be cut off or by what kind of death he was to die which therefore God here particularly determines otherwise it was known in general that sabbath-breakers were to be put to death from Exod. 31. 14. and 35. 2. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses * Exod. 31 〈◊〉 The man shall be surely put to death all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones as the LORD commanded Moses 37 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 38 Speak unto the children of Israel and bid * Deut. 22. 12. Mat. 23. 5. them that they make them fringes b These were certain threds or ends of their garments standing out a little further than the rest of their garments left there for this use in the †Heb. wings borders c i. e. in the four borders or quarters as it is Deut. 22. 12. Heb. wings which is oft used for borders or ends as Ruth 3. 9. 1 Sam. 15. 27. and 24. 5 c. of their garments d i. e. Of their upper garment or that wherewith they covered themselves as is expressed Deut. 22. 12. This was practised by the Pharisees in Christs time who are noted for making their borders larger than ordinary Mat. 23. 5. and by Christ himself as may be gathered from Luk. 8. 44. throughout their generations and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband e To make it more obvious to the sight and consequently more serviceable to the use here mentioned Or of a purple colour as the Iewish writers agree whose opinion is the more considerable because it was matter of constant practise among them of blue f. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe g It i. e. the ribband shall be unto you i. e. shall serve you for the fringe to wit to render it more visible and notorious by its certain and remarkable and distinct colour whereas the fringe without this was of the same piece and colour with the garment and therefore less observable Or it i. e. the ribband shall be in your fringes or put to your fringes fastened to them that ye may look upon it and remember h That by looking upon it you may remember that your eye may affect your mind and heart all the commandments of the LORD and do them and that ye seek not i Or inquire not for other rules or ways of serving me than I have prescribed you after your own heart and your own eyes k i. e. Neither after the devices and inventions of your own minds or hearts as Nadab and Abihu did when they offered strange fire and as you now did when you pretended to serve and please me by going up the hill and towards Canaan without and against my command nor after the examples or inventions of others which your eyes see as you did when you were set upon worshipping a calf after the manner of Egypt after which ye use to go a whoring l i. e. To depart from me and to prefer your
the congregation to minister unto them a i. e. In their stead and for their good So they were the servants both of God and of the Church which was an high dignity though not sufficient for their ambitious minds 10 And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the priesthood also b There being at this time but very few Priests and the profits and priviledges belonging to them being many and great they thought it but fit and reasonable that they or some of the chief of them should be admitted to a share in their work and advantages 11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD c Whose minister and chosen servant Aaron is You strike at God through Aarons sides Compare 1 Sam. 8. 7. Luk. 10. 16. Ioh. 13. 20. and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram d To treat with them and give them as he had done Korah and his company a timely admonition the sons of Eliab which said e Unto the messengers sent to them by Moses We will not come up f To Moses his Tabernacle whither the people used to go up for judgment Men are said in Scripture phrase to go up to places of judgment See Deut. 25. 7. Ruth 4. 1. Ezra 10. 7 8. But because they would not now go up therefore they went down quick into the pit ver 33. 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey g i. e. Out of Egypt a place indeed of great plenty bâ—… to them a place of torment and intolerable slavery They invidiously and scoffingly use the same words wherewith God by Moses commended the land of Canaan to kill us in the wilderness 〈◊〉 make thy self altogether a prince over us 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards wilt thou †Heb. â—…re out put out the eyes of these men h i. e. Of those who are confederate with us and of all the people who are of our mind Whilst thou make them blind or perswade them that they are blind and that they do not see what is visible to all that have eyes to wit that thou hast deceived them and broken thy faith and promise given to them or wilst thou lead them about like blind men whither thou pleasest one time towards Canaan another time toward Egypt again we will not come up i We will not obey thy summons nor own thy authority 15 And Moses was very wroth k Not so much for his own sake for he had learnt to bear indignities Numb 12. as for Gods sake who was highly dishonoured blasphemed and provoked by these speeches and carriages in which case he ought to be angry as Christ was Mark 3. 5. and said unto the LORD * Gen. 4. 4 5. Respect not thou their offering l i. e. Accept not their incense which they are now going to offer but shew some eminent dislike of it He calls it their offering though it was offered by Korah and his companions because it was offered in the name and by the consent of all the conspiratours for the decision of the present controversie between them and Moses I * Acts 20. 33. have not taken one ass m i. e. Not any thing of the smallest value as an ass was See 1 Sam. 12. 3. from them neither have I hurt one of them n I have never injured them nor used my power to defraud or oppress them as I might have done but which is here implied I have done them many good offices but no hurt therefore their crime is inexcusable because without any cause or provocation on my part 16 And Moses said unto Korah Be thou and all thy company before the LORD o Not in the Tabernacle which was not capable of so many person severally offering incense but at the door of the Tabernacle ver 18. which place is oft said to be before the Lord as Exod. 29. 42. Levit. 1. 11. c. where they might now lawfully offer it by Moses his direction upon this extraordinary occasion and necessity because this work could not be done in that place which alone was allowed for the offering up of incense not onely for its smallness but also because none but Priests might enter to do this work Here also the people who were to be instructed by this experiment might see the proof and success of it thou and they and Aaron to morrow 17 And take every man his censer and put incense in them and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer two hundred and fifty censers thou also and Aaron each of you his censer 18 And they took every man his censer p Which they could easily make in a sleight manner which would suffice for the present purpose and put fire in them q Taken from the Altar which stood in that place Levit. 1. 3 5. for Aaron might not use other fire Levit. 10. 1. And it is likely the remembrance of the death of Nadab and Abihu deterred them from offering any strange fire and laid incense thereon and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation r That they might be witnesses of the event and upon their success which they doubted not of might fall upon Moses and Aaron with popular rage and destroy them And it seems by this that the people were generally incensed against Moses and inclined to Korahs side against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and the glory of the LORD appeared s In the cloud which then shone with greater brightness and Majesty as a token of Gods approach and presence See Exod. 16. 7 10. Levit. 9. 6 23. Numb 20. 6. unto all the congregation 20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 21 * Gen. 19. 1â—… 22. Jer. â—… â—… Rev. 18. â—… Separate your selves from among this congregation ‖ To wit Korah and his 250 men and the people whom he â—…athered against Moses and Aaron ver 19. that I may consume them in a moment 22 And they fell upon their faces and said O God * chap. 2â—… â—… Job 12. 2â—… Eccl. 12. â—… Isa. 57. 1â—… Zach. 12. â—… Heb. 12. â—… the God of the spirits t i. e. Of souls as the word spirit in Scripture is oft used as Psal. 31. 5. and 77. 3. Prov. 17. 22. Eccl. 12. 7. Luk. 23. 46. Act. 7. 59. And this is no empty title here but very emphatical and argumentative thus Thou art the maker of spirits Zach. 12. 1. destroy not thy own workmanship
‖ Or of Reâ—… v. o. 14 Thorefore David enquired again of God and God said unto him Go not up after them turn away from them * 2 Sam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and come upon them over against the mulberry trees 15 And it shall be when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulbery-trees that then thou shalt go out to battel for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistins 16 David therefore did as God commanded him and they smote the host of the Philistins from Gibeon even to Gazer 17 And the same of David went out into all lands b i. e. Into all the neighbouring Countries and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations CHAP. XV. 1 ANd David made him houses a A Palace consisting of many Houses or Apartments for his several Wives and Children in the city of David and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched for it a tent b Qu. Why did he not first fetch the tabernacle of Moses from Gibeon where it now was that so he might put the Ark into its proper place Ans. Partly because he had no motion or direction from God concerning the Tabernacle as he had concerning the Ark and partly because he thought the Tabernacle was not so necessary for that end as formerly seing he intended forthwith to set upon the building of the Temple as appears from chap. 17. 2 Then David said †〈…〉 None ought to carry the * 〈…〉 ark of God but the Levites c And that upon their Shoulders of which see Numb 4. 15. 7. 9. and not in a Cart as it was before to our great grief and loss for them the LORD hath chosen to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him for ever d i. e. So long as the Ark is to be removed and as that Worship continues 3 And David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place which he had prepared for it 4 And David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites 5 Of the sons of Kohath e To wit of Amram or Izhar Kohaths Sons Numb 3. 27. Otherwise Elizaphan v. 8. and Hebron v. 9. and Uzziel v. 10. were Kohaths Children of which see Exod. 6. 17 18 22 Uriel the chief and his ‖ Or 〈◊〉 brethren an hundred and twenty 6 Of the sons of Merari Asajah the chief and his brethren two hundred and twenty 7 Of the sons of Gershom Joel the chief and his brethren an hundred and thirty 8 Of the sons of Elizaphan Shemajah the chief and his brethren two hundred 9 Of the sons of Hebron Eliel the chief and his brethren sourscore 10 Of the sons of Uzziel Amminadab the chief and his brethren an hundred and twelve 11 And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests f i. e. The Chief Priests Abiathar the High-Priest and Zadok the second Priest see Numb 3. 32. and for the Levites for Uriel Asajah and Joel Shemajah and Eliel and Amminadab 12 And said unto them Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Levites sanctifie your selves g By solemn Purification and Preparation of your selves both in Soul and Body See on Exod. 19. 10. 15. both ye and your brethren that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it 13 For * 2 Sam. â—… â—… Ch. 13. 7. because ye did it not at the first h Because you did not sanctifie and prepare your selves by solemn Prayer and seeking Counsel from God and by a serious consideration of Gods Will as to the Manner of carrying it which it was your Duty more than others to observe and see it executed the LORD our God made a breach upon us for that we i He takes a part of the guilt to himself because it was his Duty as well as theirs diligently to read the Law and Word of God and to see it executed and their oversight did not excuse his sought him not after the due order k According to the Rules which he appointed 14 So the Priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel 15 And the children of the Levites l To wit the Kohathites Numb 4. 4. bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon as * 〈◊〉 25. 14. 〈◊〉 â—… 15. 〈◊〉 â—… 9. Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD 16 And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick psalteries and harps and cymbals †〈…〉 sounding by lifting up the voice with joy 17 So the Levites appointed * Câ—… 6. 33. Heman the son of Joel and of his brethren * Câ—… â—… 39. and Asaph the son of Berechiah and of the sons of Merari their brethren * 〈◊〉 â—… 44. Elthan the son of Kushajah 18 And with them their brethren of the second degree m The first rank or degree of Sacred Musicians being those three famous Persons named v. 17. next unto whom were these here named Zechariah Ben and Jaaziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni Eliab and Benajah and Maasiah and Mattithlah and Eliphalet and Mikniah and Obed-edom and Jeiel the porters n Who were to keep the Doors of the Tabernacle and Courts but withal were instructed in Musick and singing that when they were free from Attendance upon their proper Office they might not be idle nor unprofitable persons in Gods House 19 So the singers Heman Asaph and Ethan were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass 20 And Zechariah o In this Catalogue Ben is omitted who was mentioned v. 18. Yet others think him to be the same who is called Azariah v. 21. But Ben might be some other person who was indeed appointed for this Work as is related v. 17 18. and yet he might be taken off by death or sickness or some sudden and extraordinary Accident which hindred his Execution of the Place and Work allotted for him which might force the Chief of the Levites to appoint some other in his stead when they came to put their Institution in practise as here they did and Aziel and Shemiramoth and Jehiel and Unni and Eliab and Maasiah and Benajah with Psalteries on Alamoth p Or with as that particle is elsewhere used Alamoth which is thought to be the name of an Instrument of Musick or of a certain Tune or Note or part in Musick The certain signification of it is not now known nor is it necessary for us to know it And the like may be said of Sheminith v. 21. 21 And Mattithiah and Eliphaleh and Mikneiah and Obed-edom and Jeiel and Azaziah with harps ‖ Or 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over on the Sheminith q See on v. 20. to
all but those here following in whom he put most trust But this Chapter is almost all taken out of 2 Kings 11. where it is explained Azariah the son of Jeroham and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan and Azariah the son of Oben and Maasejah the son of Adajah and Elishaphat the son of Zichri into covenant with him 2 And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah b Partly because they could do this without any suspicion upon pretence of some solemn Feast which time it is probable was chosen for this purpose and partly because he knew them to be well affected to the cause of God and the King to which they were obliged by the the two firmest ties Conscience and Interest and the chief of the fathers of Israel c i. e. Both of the two Tribes and of the ten Tribes all which are called Israel and he useth the name of Israel rather than that of Iudah because there were now great numbers of the other Tribes incorporated with Israel and these he estemed more faithful than many of Judah having given better proofe of the truth of their Religion than they and therefore he pick't out of the chief men of the other Tribes as well as of Judah and Benjamin and they came to Jerusalem 3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God and he said unto them Behold the kings son shall reign as the LORD hath * â—… 〈◊〉 12. 1 〈◊〉 â—…4 〈◊〉 said of the sons of David 4 This is the thing that ye shall do A third part of you entring on the sabbath of the priests 〈◊〉 6. 16. 〈◊〉 and of the Levites shall be porters of the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doors d Both that of Shur 2 Kings 11. 6. and other doors adjoyning or leading to it 5 And a third part shall be at the kings house and a third part at the gate of the foundation e At the East-gate thought to be so called because it stood lower than the rest of the doors at the foot of the steps by which they went up from the Kings house to the Temple and all the people shall be in the courts f Either 1. in the two Courts and so by the People he understands as well the generality of the Levites who had no particular stations allotted to them as their Brethren had v. 4 5. which were to be in the Priests Court as the People who were in the Court of the people Or 2. in the Court of the People which may be called Courts the plural number being put for the singular in regard of great amplitude and divers quarters and partitions into which it was or might be divided as the Temple is called Sanctuaries because of its division into divers parts Levit. 26. 31. of the house of the LORD 6 But let none come into the house of the LORD g Strictly so called as it is distinguished from the Courts into which others were permitted to come v. 5. to wit into the Holy place save the priests and they that minister of the Levites h They who are to minister in course or by my present appointment they shall go in for they are †〈◊〉 leliness 〈◊〉 â—…1 6. holy but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD i i. e. Of the House of the Lord as the phrase may be filled up out of this place and 2 Kings 11. 6. The sence is Let them stand in their Court to prevent and oppose any person who shall endeavour violently to break into the house to seize upon the King or to disturb their present work which he expected Athaliah and her complices would do 7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about every man with his weapons in his hand and whosoever else cometh into the house he shall be put to death but be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth our 8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehojada the priest had commanded and took every man his men that were to come in * on the sabbath with them that were to go 〈◊〉 on the sabbath for Jehojada the priest dismissed not the courses 9 Morcover Jehojada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been king Davids which were in thâ—… house of God 10 And he set all the people every man having his weapon in his hand from the right †Heb 〈◊〉 side of the †Heb. â—… temple to the left side of the temple along by the altar and the temple by the king round about 11 Then they brought out the kings Son and put upon him the crown and * Deut. 17. 18. gave him the testimony and made him king and Jehojada and his sons k And Zechariah among the rest whom afterwards he ungratefully slew ch 24. 21. anointed him and said †Heb. Let the King live God save the King 12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king she came to the people into the house of the LORD 13 And the looked and behold the king stood at his pillar at the entring in and the princes and the trumpets by the king and all the people of the land rejoyced and sounded with trumpets also the singers with Instruments of musick and such as taught to sing praise Then Athaliah rent her clothes and said †Heb. Conspiracy Treason treason 14 Then Jehojada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host and said unto them Have her forth of the ranges and whoso solloweth her let him be slain with the sword For the priest said Slay her not in the house of the LORD 15 So they laid hands on her and when she was come to the entring of the horse-gate by the kings house they slew her there 16 And Jehojada made a covenant between him l i. e. The Lord as is sufficiently implied in the end of this 〈◊〉 and plainly expressed 2 Kings 11. 17 Or between himself that the people might see that he brought them under no bond but what he would take upon himself and between all the people and between the king that they should be the LORDS people m i. e. That every one in his place and station would maintain the Law and Worship of God and root out all false Worship which they did in the next verse 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and brake it down and brake his altars and his images in pieces and * Deut. 13. 9. slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars 18 Also Jehojada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand n Or as it is in the Hebrew put the offices of the house of the Lord into
that time when multitudes were made Christs willing people by the preaching of the Apostles as we read Acts 2. 3. 4. 5 c. And for the second clause it is to be understood thus thou hast or as it is in the Hebrew to thee is the dew of thy youth or of thy childhood for the word jeled from which this is derived signifies sometimes a young man and sometimes a child or infant By youth or childhood he here seems to understand those young men or children which shall be born to the Messias who are called his children Heb. 2. 13. and his seed Isa. 53. 10. wherein possibly there might be an allusion to this dew Thus the abstract is here put for the concrete which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Circumcision and Uncircumcision are put for the circumcised and the uncircumcised c. And even in the Latine Tongue this very word youth is oft used for a young man or for a company of young men By the dew of youth he means youth or young men like dew the note of similitude being oft understood And this progeny of Christ is compared to the dew partly because of their great multitude being like drops of dew innumerable and covering the whole face of the earth see 2 Sam. 17. 12. and partly because of the strange manner of their generation which like that of the dew is done suddenly and secretly and not perceived till it be accomplished and to the admiration of those that behold it of which see Isa. 49. 21. Or 2. joyntly as one entire sentence The dew of thy youth i. e. Thy posterity which is like the dew as was noted and explained before is as the dew which may very well be understood out of the foregoing clause as the word feet is understood in like manner Psal. 18. 33. He maketh my feet like hinds feet of or from the womb of the morning it is like the morning dew as it is called both in Scripture as Hos. 6. 4. and in other Authors Not is it strange that a womb is ascribed to the morning seeing we read of the womb of the Sea and of the womb of the â—…oe and frost Job 38. 8 28 29. 4 The LORD hath sworn t Which he did not in the Aaronical Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. but did it here partly because the thing was new and strange and might seem incredible because God had already erected another and that an everlasting Priesthood Numb 25. 13. and given it to Aaron and his posterity for ever and therefore this needed all possible assurance and partly that this Priesthood might be established upon better promises as is said Heb. 8. 6. and made sure and irrevocable and such that God neither could nor would repent of it as it follows and therefore will not repent * Heb. 5. 6. 7. 17 21. Thou art u To wit by my order and constitution thou shalt be so and I do hereby make thee so a priest x As well as a King Those Offices which were divided before between two families are both united and invested in thee both being absolutely necessary for the discharge of thine Office and for the establishment of thy Kingdom which is of another kind than the Kingdoms of the World spiritual and heavenly and therefore needs such a King as is also a Minister of holy things This word plainly discovers that this Psalm cannot be understood of David as some of the Jews would have it but onely of the Messias And although this word Cohen be sometimes used of a Prince or great Person in the State as the Jews object yet it cannot be so understood here partly because it signifies a Priest in Gen. 14. 18. from whence this expression is borrowed partly because that word is never used of a Soveraign Prince or King such as the Jews confess the Messias to be but onely of inferiour Princes or Ministers of State as Gen. 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. ult partly because such an inconsiderable assertion would never have been ushered in by so solemn an oath especially after far greater things had been said of him in the same kind v. 1 2 3. and partly because the Messias is called a Priest Zach. 6. 13. compare Ier. 20. 21. 35. 15 18. for ever y Not to be interrupted or translated to another person as the Priesthood of Aaron was upon the death of the Priest but to be continued to thee for ever after the order of Melchizedek z Or after the manner c. so as he was a Priest and also a King and both without any successor and without end in the sence intended Heb. 7. 3. 5 The Lord a Either 1. God the Father whose words and oath he last mentioned v. 4. So this is an Apostrophe of the Psalmist to Christ Thy God and Father is at thy right hand to wit to defend and assist thee as that phrase is used Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. and elsewhere See the Notes on v. 1. And he to wit God the Father shall strike c. as it follows Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias and as in the former he spake to him so in this he speaketh of him such changes of persons being very frequent in this Book Or 2. God the Son or the Lord who is at thy right hand as was said before v. 1. shall strike c. So this is an Apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son This seems best to agree with the following verses for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes thorow Kings and judgeth among the heathen and filleth c. And so this whole verse and those which follow speak of one person which seems most probable at thy right hand shall strike thorow kings b Shall mortally wound and destroy all those Kings and Potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his Church in the day of his wrath c In the day of battel when he shall contend with them and pour forth the flouds of his wrath upon them 6 He shall judge d Either 1. conquer and govern them or rather 2. condemn and punish them as it is explained in the following clauses and as this word is used Gen. 15. 14. Rom. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 4. 6. and elsewhere among the heathen he shall fill the places d Or the place of battel which is necessarily supposed in the fight and therefore may very well be understood with the dead bodies e Of his enemies slain by his hand and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps and that unburied to their greater infamy he shall wound the heads f Heb. the head Which may be understood either 1. of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ and of his Kingdom either the Devil by comparing this with Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. who was indeed the Head or