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
LXX translate the first Words of this Verse thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. they that encamp first towards the East shall be c. Throughout their Armies They being as we read before and as the next Verse tells us again Threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred Men were divided into several bodies such as we now call Companies and Regiments and Brigades under their several Officers for which the Hebrews have no name but that of Army or Host And Nahshon the Son of Amminadab He who was imployed as the principal Person in that Tribe to help to take the number of them I. 7. Shall be the Captain of the Children of Judah Their Commander in Chief or General as we now speak Ver. 4. And his Host and those that were numbred of Verse 4 them were threescore and fourteen thousand c. Hitherto Moses had set down the Words that God spake to him But these are his own Words which he intermixes all along with those of God's Ver. 5. And those that do pitch next unto him These Verse 5 now are the Words of God ordering what Tribes should pitch under the Standard of Judah Shall be the Tribe of Issachar He and Zebulun were two of the Sons of Leah as well as Judah And therefore their Tribes are fitly placed under the Standard of the Tribe of Judah as likely to agree well together And Nethaneel the Son of Zur shall be Captain of the Children of Issachar It may be noted once for all that the Commanders in Chief of the several Tribes were those very Persons who were chosen to take the number of them Which shows they were Men of Eminence among them as I observed I. 4. Ver. 6. And his Host and those that were numbred Verse 6 thereof were c. These are the Words of Moses which to the end of the Chapter as I noted before are interspersed with the Orders that God gave for the forming of their Camp Ver. 9. And all that were numbred in the Camp of Verse 9 Judah were an hundred thousand c. This was the greatest Body of all other which had the Honour to be placed just before the Oracle as the strongest Guard to it The Tribe of Judah lying in the midst and the Tribes of Issachar and Zebulun on each side of his Standard unto which all their Ensigns were in some sort of Subjection Throughout their Armies This great Body was divided into several smaller Companies for which they had no other name as I observed before but that of Armies These shall first set forth When they removed from one Station to another this Camp marched first For they commonly went Eastward in which Quarter this Camp was pitch'd v. 3. Verse 10 Ver. 10. And on the South side shall be the Standard of the Camp of Reuben according to their Armies c. There is nothing to be observed concerning this Camp but that the Tribe of Reuben had the honour to pitch in the midst of it and the Tribes of Simeon and Gad lay on either side of him under his Standard or Banner just as Issachar and Zebulun did on either side of Judah And there was an evident congruity in it Simeon being his next Brother and Gad the eldest Son of Zilpah the Hand-maid of their Mother Leah XXX Gen. 10 11. Verse 14 Ver. 14. Eliasaph the Son of Reuel See Note upon I. 14. Verse 16 Ver. 16. And they shall set forth in the second rank That is when they removed the Three Tribes that were pitch'd on the East marched first under the Banner of Judah as was said before v. 9. and then followed these Three that lay on the South under the Banner of Reuben Verse 17 Ver. 17. Then the Tabernacle of the Congregation shall set forward with the Camp of the Levites After the fore-named Camps the Tabernacle was to follow between those two that went before and the Camp of Ephraim and the Camp of Dan that came after So they did not march as they lay pitch'd for then there was a Camp on each side of the Tabernacle Whereas when they marched there was none on the sides but two Camps went before it and two followed it In the midst of the Camp Not intirely in the midst for it appears by the tenth Chapter of this Book v. 17. that after the first Camp under the Standard of Judah was gone forward the Tabernacle was taken down and carried by the Sons of Gershom and Merari between the Camp of Judah and that of Reuben which next followed And then the Sanctuary set forward born by the Kohathites v. 21. who marched exactly in the midst between the Standards of Judah and Reuben and the Standards of Ephraim and Dan. As they encamp so shall they set forward This may refer either to the Levites the Sons of Kohath that as they lay encamped on the same side of the Tabernacle that the Standard of Reuben did so they should immediately march after them Compare v. 10. of this Chapter with III. 29. Or to the two Camps forenamed that they should march in the same order wherein they lay encamped Judah for instance in the midst of Issachar and Zebulun before and behind him or on each side of him Every Man in his place by their Standards Every Man keeping his place which was assigned him under the Standard to which he belong'd that there might be no disorder among them Ver. 18. And on the West side shall be the Standard of the Camp of Ephraim c. There is little to be noted here but that Ephraim is plainly preferred before Verse 18 his Brother as he was in Jacob's Blessing XLVIII Gen. 19 20. and that the two Tribes which encamped under his Standard viz. Manasseh v. 20. and Benjamin v. 22. are fitly joyned with him they being all descended from Rachel Verse 24 Ver. 24. All that were numbred of the Camp of Ephraim were an hundred and eight thousand c. This was the smallest Body of all the Four And they shall go forward in the third rank And therefore though they lay on the West side in their Encampment yet when they marched they did not go in the Rear of all but immediately behind the Tabernacle Verse 25 Ver. 25. The Standard of the Camp of Dan shall be on the North side c. This Tribe we may reasonably think was advanced to this Dignity of bearing one of the four Standards though they descended from an Hand-maid because Dan was the eldest of Jacob's Sons of that sort XXX Gen. 6. and this Tribe was the most numerous of all others except Judah as the fore-going Chapter shows v. 39. With whom the Tribes of Asher and Naphtali are fitly joyned being descended from Hand-maids also Verse 31 Ver. 31. All that were numbred in the Camp of Dan were an hundred and fifty seven thousand c. This was the greatest Body of Men except that under the Standard of Judah who marched in the Front and
one of the First-born to come and put in his Hand and draw out a Schedule And to him that drew out one of the former sort he said a Levite hath redeemed thee but to him that drew out one of the latter he said pay thy Price And thus they tell the Story also in the Gemara Babylon Tit. Sanhedrin Which is probable enough unless we suppose the Congregation to have redeemed the Two hundred seventy three First-born out of a common Stock which was a shorter way but not so Divine as the other Verse 48 Ver. 48. And thou shalt give the Money wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed unto Aaron and to his Sons Which was but reasonable because the Levites being given to them by God v. 6 7. the Money that was paid to make up what was wanting in their proportion to the First-born belonged to them likewise Verse 49 Ver. 49. And Moses took the Redemption-Money of them that were over and above To whom the Lot fell having five Shekels written upon it Them that were redeemed by the Levites The First-born were redeemed by the Levites as far as their number would reach the rest who were more than the Levites were redeemed by Money Verse 50 Ver. 50. Of the First-born of the Children of Israel took he the Money a thousand three hundred and threescore and five Shekels Five times two hundred seventy and three make just this number Ver. 51. And Moses gave the Money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his Sons Which was a Rule observed in future Generations XVIII 15 c. According to the Word of the LORD as the LORD commanded Moses This is so oft repeated to show how faithful a Servant Moses was who did nothing but by the Divine order and omitted nothing that was commanded him CHAP. IV. Chapter IV Ver. 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Verse 1 unto Aaron saying They being both of them concerned to see this carefully executed he speaks to both and they took others to their Assistance v. 34 46. Ver. 2. Take the sum of the Sons of Kohath c. Verse 2 They are first mentioned being employed in the most honourable Work as I observed before III. 31. Ver. 3. From thirty years old and upward In this Verse 3 Work to which they are appointed they were not employed till they came to Thirty years of Age But they were admitted to attend at the Tabernacle and do other Service at the Age of Five and twenty as we read VIII 25. Which place the Jews in the Gemara Babylonica upon the Title Cholin reconcile with this after this manner They were admitted to learn their Duty at Five and twenty and to minister at Thirty And so Aben Ezra upon VIII Numb They were probationers and might do some service at Five and twenty years old but not do all For they might wait upon the Tabernacle but not bear the Ark. And that 's the exact truth they were admitted to minister to the Priests at Five and twenty but were not put upon this laborious work here mentioned till they had sufficient strength for it which was at Thirty years of Age when they were able to carry Burdens for by that word their work is described v. 15 19 24 31 47. For though some things which they were charged withal might be put into Waggons yet the Ark and the most holy Things were to be carried upon their Shoulders though they march'd never so far v. 15. and VII 9. When the Ark indeed was settled in the Temple which was a fixed place and therefore was no longer to be carried up and down then as D. Kimchi observes upon 1 Chron. XXIII King David appointed them to enter upon their Office at Twenty years old there being also other great Work to be performed in his time for which they were fit at that Age. And so it continued even after their return from the Captivity of Babylon III Ezra 8. See Selden de Success in Pontificat L. II. cap. 4. and Lightfoot in his Temple Service Chap. VI. Sect. 1. Even until fifty years old Beyond which Age they were not bound to do any Service but only to minister with their Brethren at the Tabernacle VIII 25 26. All that enter into the Host. Or into the Warfare For their watching continually as a Guard about the Tabernacle III. 7 c. made them a sort of Militia who were encamped as appears by the foregoing Chapter about the Tabernacle for its Security Besides which there was other Work which might make their Service as laborious as a Soldier 's Life is and give it the name of entring into the Host which manner of speaking St. Paul uses unto Timothy I. 1 18. where he exhorts him to war a good warfare To do the work of the Tabernacle of the Congregation They did not perform any Work in it but about it such as here follows unless we understand by the Tabernacle the outward Court into which they went to minister unto the Priests Ver. 4. This shall be the Service of the Sons of Kohath Verse 4 in the Tabernacle of the Congregation about the most holy things The next Verses explain what this Service was Or if the word about in the latter end of the Verse were quite left out the sence would be more clear This shall be the Service of the Sons of Kohath c. the most holy Things that is the Ark as Aben Ezra expounds it And his Interpretation may be justified from v. 19 and 20. in the latter of which it is called the holy and in the former the holy of holies as it is here in the Hebrew For it was the most holy of all other holy things in the Tabernacle and gave the Name to the place where it stood of holy of holies or the most holy place And this made the Service of the Kohathites the most honourable of all other and is the reason they are mentioned first Ver. 5. When the Camp setteth forward Which it Verse 5 did not do till the Cloud was taken up and removed from off the Tabernacle XL Exod. 36 37. X Numb 11. Aaron shall come and his Sons While the Cloud rested upon the Tabernacle and the Glory of the LORD filled the House none but Aaron might come into the most Holy Place where the Ark was and that but on one day in the year and then after he had filled it with Incense which made a Cloud before the Mercy Seat which was the Covering of the Ark over which the SCHECHINAH was But that being removed in the Cloud when it was taken up from the Tabernacle not only Aaron but his Sons also might come into the most Holy Place without any Irreverence that which made it so holy viz. the Glory of the LORD being gone out of it for the present so that there was no danger in approaching to the Ark where it was wont to rest And they shall take down
was interrupted by this Defilement so that it could not proceed further but after the usual Purification was to be begun anew by shaving off this polluted Hair and letting new Hair grow instead of it By this it appears that Moses here speaks only of such as made this Vow for a limited time for perpetual Nazarites who were consecrated to God for all their life were never shaven whatsoever Defilement they contracted On the seventh day shall he shave it For so many days Uncleanness by the dead lasted XIX 11. and the seventh day was the day of Cleansing from that Uncleanness v. 12. All other legal Uncleannesses polluted a Nazarite so as to make him stand in need of such Purifications as other Men used in those cases but this alone polluted him so as utterly to put him out of that state which as it here follows was to be begun again Verse 10 Ver. 10. And on the eighth day he shall bring two Turtles or two young Pigeons to the Priest c. The very same Sacrifice which was offered for one that had been defiled by a running-Issue XV Levit 14. Verse 11 Ver. 11. And the Priest shall offer the one for a Sin-offering and the other for a Burnt-offering As in the fore-named case XV Levit. 15. To make an Atonement for him Which was to be done before the Burnt-offering would be accepted For that he sinned by the dead He had not properly sinned but contracted a legal Uncleanness by touching a dead Body or being where it was Which though it was against his Will yet was a Defilement in the account of the Law and a kind of Sin because it was a breach of a Ceremonial Law and therefore thus to be purged The reason of which and such like Precepts Abarbinel observes in his Preface to the Book of Leviticus Cap. IV. was only this to make Men very cautious how they contracted any Defilement as the Nazarite might do in the time of his Separation and put himself to much trouble Which is the foundation of a famous Saying among their wise Men Diligence begets Caution and Caution Purity and Purity Holiness and Sanctity And shall hallow his Head the same day Consecrate his Hair afresh to the LORD after his Head hath been shaved Ver. 12. And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the Verse 12 days of his Separation This is a further Explication of what was said just before in the end of the foregoing Verse That from the eighth day he shall begin to compute the time of his Nazariteship for so many days as he at first vowed unto the LORD And shall bring a Lamb of the first year for a Trespass-offering Which was to be offered even for ignorant Offences by the Law made before V Levit 15. But the days that were before his Defilement by the dead Shall be lost Shall not be reckoned as the LXX hath it but go for nothing as we speak though they were so many that he had almost fulfilled his Vow If for instance he had vowed to be a Nazarite for a whole Year and in the twelfth Month hapned upon a dead Carcass all the foregoing eleven Months were lost and he was to begin his Year's Vow again And this as often as such an Accident hapned if it were before the time that his Vow was compleated Which may seem very hard if we do not seriously consider the Intention of it Which was to oblige them to the strictest care to preserve themselves holy and pure in all things as they were plainly taught to be by the watchful Diligence they were bound to use to avoid this legal Defilement here mentioned For none could absolve them from this Vow till it was fulfilled in the Exactness that is here required For as they tell the Story in the Talmud Queen Hellen having taken a Vow upon her for seven Years by coming into the Holy Land was engaged for seven Years more and being defiled toward the later end of them was obliged for another seven Years which was Twenty and one Years in all See Dr. Lightfoot of the Temple Chap. XVIII Because his Separation was defiled His first Separation was defiled by a dead Body which made it necessary he should begin a new one It might happen also that he might die before he had fulfilled the time he vowed to be a Nazarite In which case Maimonides saith any of his Sons might go on where he left and at the end of the days which his Father had vowed offer the Sacrifices here appointed and be shaved in his stead So the Mischna Sotae Cap. III. Sect. VIII But Maimonides acknowledges there is no foundation for this in Scripture but it relyes wholly upon Tradition See Wagenseil on that place Annot. 4. Verse 13 Ver. 13. And this is the Law of the Nazarite Of putting an end to his Nazariteship When the days of his Separation are fulfilled At the end of the time he vowed to continue in this state He shall be brought By the Priest Vnto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation That the Sacrifices here prescribed might be offered for him Ver. 14. And he shall offer his Offering unto the Verse 14 LORD i. e. The Nazarite was to present these following Offerings unto the LORD For the Priests offering them is not mentioned till v. 16. One He-lamb of the first Year without blemish for a Burnt-offering and one Ewe-Lamb c. Here are all sorts of Offerings which he was obliged to make in the conclusion of his Nazariteship A Burnt-offering as an Acknowledgment of God's Sovereign Dominion A Sin-offering imploring Pardon for any Omissions of which he might have been guilty during this Vow And a Peace-offering in Thankfulness to God who had given him Grace both to make and to keep and to fulfil this Vow Ver. 15. And a Basket of unleavened Bread Cakes Verse 15 of fine Flour mingled with Oyl and Wafers of unleavened Bread anointed with Oyl Besides the fore-mentioned Sacrifices here are three Oblations more prescribed to compleate his Thankfulness Of which see XXIX Exod. 2. And their Meats-offering and their Drink-offerings This seems to relate to the Burnt-offering and Peace-offering before-mentioned v. 14. which were to have their proper Meat-offering and Drink-offering besides the Basket of unleavened Bread with the Cakes and the Wafers See VII Levit. 12. XV Numb 2 3 c. Where these accessory Offerings are ordered to accompany the Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings though Sin-offerings had none Verse 16 Ver. 16. And the Priest shall bring them before the LORD Unto the Altar of Burnt-Offerings as the Nazarite had already brought them to the Door of the Tabernacle v. 14. And shall offer his Sin-offering and his Burnt-offering Though the Burnt-offering be first named v. 14. as the principal Sacrifice of all other yet the Sin-offering was first offered by which his Peace being made with God the two other Offerings which followed were acceptable to him Verse 17 Ver.
and let Blood And whosoever suffered a Rasor to pass upon his Flesh was required to wash himself in pure Fountain-water as he shows More Nevochim P. III. cap. 47. Verse 19 Ver. 19. And the Priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the Ram. The left Shoulder which he was to take out of the Pot as it was boiling for the right Shoulder which is called the Heave-shoulder in the next Verse was the Priest's Portion by a Law made before this VII Lev. 32 33. And one unleavened Cake out of the Basket and one unleavened Wafer The Basket of unleavened Bread was ordered to be offered before v. 17. and now he orders one of the Cakes and one of the Wafers mentioned with the Bread v. 15. to be put into the Hands of the Nazarite the rest being burnt I suppose upon the Altar And shall put them into the hands of the Nazarite That he might give them to the Priest in token of his Thankfulness to him for his pains After the Hair of his Separation is shaved And his Vow in a manner compleated as it was immediately after these things were presented unto God Ver. 20. And the Priest shall wave them Both Verse 20 the sodden Shoulder and the Cake and Wafer For a Wave-offering before the LORD See VII Lev. 30 31. This is holy for the Priest with the Wave-Breast and Heave-shoulder These two were the Priests Portion out of all Peace-offerings as I observed before from VII Lev. 34. but in this Peace-offering he had moreover the other Soulder as a special Token of the Nazarite's Gratitude for his Cleansing And after that the Nazarite may drink Wine He was restored to his former Freedom to live as other Men did Ver. 21. This is the Law of the Nazarite who hath Verse 21 vowed and of his Offering to the LORD for his Separation All these things he was bound to perform betore he could be freed from his Vow though he was never so poor Besides that that his hand shall get Besides which he might add if he pleased according to his Ability According to the Vow which he vowed so must he do after the Law of his Separation There was a necessity that he should perform what his Vow obliged him unto according to the Law of Nazariteship though he might voluntarily offer what he thought good over and above his Oblation now that he was executing his Vow His Friends also might joyn with him in the Expense he was at for so many Sacrifices as he was enjoyned to offer or in providing voluntary Offerings beyond his Oblation Thus we read in XXI Acts 23 24. that St. Paul by the advice of St. James and the Elders Jerusalem was at charges with certain Men that had this Vow upon them and purified himself with them Which was agreeable to the Custom among the Jews as Petitus and others have observed out of Maimonides who says others might help the Nazarites to fulfil their Vow and partake with them in it by abstaining from Wine c. for some time as they did Verse 22 Ver. 22. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The Tabernacle having been lately erected to which the People were all to resort they are invited to it by the Directions here given how they should be dismissed when they came to Worship Which was in such a manner that they might not doubt as R. Menachem glosses but the Divine Benediction would come down upon them from his Celestial Habitation when they devoutly frequented his House here on Earth Verse 23 Ver. 23. Speak unto Aaron and unto his Sons saying Whose proper Office it was to bless the People as it was to offer their Sacrifices and burn Incense XXI Deut. 5. On this wise he shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them Standing so that they might be seen with their Hands lifted up and spread speaking with a loud voice with their Faces towards the People See IX Lev. 22. Verse 24 Ver. 24. The LORD bless thee and keep thee Give thee all good things and preserve thee from all evil Ver. 25. The LORD make his Face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee Be favourable unto thee and pardon all thy Sins Ver. 26. The LORD lift up his Countanance upon Verse 25 thee and give thee Peace Be always with thee to Verse 26 protect and defend thee and give thee perfect Happiness When this Benediction was said in the Sanctuary if we may believe the Jews it was but one and pronounced without any Pause The People keeping a profound Silence but out of the Sanctuary in their Synagogues they made three of it the Priest pausing at the end of every Verse and the People saying Amen to each of them In the Sanctuary also they pronounced the name JEHOVAH which is here thrice repeated but in their Synagogues they used some other name instead of it So the Mischna Sotae Cap. VII Sect. 6. The Repetition of this Name three times in these three Verses and that with a different Accent in each of them as R. Menachem observes hath made the Jews themselves think there is some Mystery in it Which we understand though they do not For it may well be lookt upon by us as having respect to the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity who are one God from whom all Blessings slow unto us 2 Corinth XIII 14. This Mystery as Luther wisely expresses it upon Psalm V. is here occultè insinuatum secretly insinuated though not plainly revealed And it is not hard to show if this were a place for it how properly God the Father may be said to bless and keep us and God the Son to be gracious unto us and God the Holy Ghost to give us Peace Ver. 27. And they shall put my Name upon the Children of Israel To put God's Name upon them was to commend them to his Almighty Goodness or to bless them by calling upon the LORD and beseeching him to bestow all that they desired upon them And I will bless them The Jews from hence observe that God's Blessing in some sort depends upon the Blessing of the Priest Which they thought so necessary that such Priests as were admitted to no other Service might perform this for fear the People should at any time want it So Chaskuin upon XXI Deut. 5. and Jalkut as Wagenseil observes upon the Gemara Sotae Cap. VII Sect. 26. whose words are these The Blessing pronounced by a Priest who hath some blemish in his Body ought to be accounted legitimate Jonathan here paraphrases these words in this manner I will bless them in my WORD or by my WORD Which is the Apostolical Doctrine that God the Father hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in or by Christ 1 Ephes 3. Who with the Holy Ghost is most high in the Glory of God the Father And it is observable that the Jews think it utterly unlawful to add a fourth Benediction to these three though they find one in the
1 Deut. II. The LORD God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many mo as you are and bless you as he hath promised you CHAP. VII Chapter VII Ver. 1. AND it came to pass on the day that Moses Verse 1 had fully set up the Tabernacle Which he did upon the first Day of the first Month of the second Year after they came out of Egypt XL Exod. 17 18. And had anointed it and sanctified it c. See VIII Levit. 10 11. where it is said he anointed also as it here likewise follows all belonging to it Which being seven days in doing as appears from v. 35. of that Chapter it is evident that the word Day doth not here precisely denote the very Day on which the Tabernacle was erected but more largely at or about that time as it must necessarily signifie v. 84. of this Chapter after he had set up the Tabernacle and not only sanctified and anointed it but received Orders about Sacrifices and anointed the Priests with the rest mentioned in the Book of Leviticus and also had numbred the People ordered their Encampment and the Encampment of the Levites and given them their Charge about the Tabernacle In short when Moses had done all the things mentioned hitherto in this Book then followed this Dedication of the Altar And whosoever will compare this Chapter with the second may easily be convinced that this Offering of the Princes was not made till the Camp was formed and the Tribes ranged under their several Standards For the Princes Offer held in the same Order and Method that they are disposed there Ver. 2. That the Princes of Israel heads of the House of their Fathers Mentioned Chap. I. 5 16. And were over them that were numbred This evidently Verse 2 shows that this Offering of the Princes was after the numbring of the People Offered In the Order that is set down in this Chapter Verse 3 Ver. 3. And they brought their Offering The LXX translate the Hebrew word Korbanam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Gift or their Present which they made to God Which consisted of several things for divers uses Before the LORD i. e. At the Door of the Tabernacle as it is explained in the end of the Verse Six covered Wagons and twelve Oxen. In the first place they made a Present for the Service of the Tabernacle it self That such parts of it as were most cumbersome might be more conveniently carried and that they might be free from Dust Rain or Hail The Wagons were covered being not ordinary Carriages but such as were used by great Persons So the LXX understood it who translate the Hebrew word Tzabbim by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the LXVI Isa 20. and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now as Pollux reckons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Wagons and Chariots then used So Hesychius tells us as Learned Men have observed it signifies such Wagons as illustrious Men and Women used and that they were covered above A Wagon for two of the Princes This shows plainly enough that they were sumptuous and had perhaps rich Coverings in that two of the great Men joyned in the Present of one Wagon And for each one an Ox. That there might be a Pair of Oxen to draw each Wagon And it is probable those Oxen were yoked together which were offered by those two Princes who joined in offering one Wagon And they brought them before the Tabernacle Set them before the entrance of it Ver. 4. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Verse 4 It seems Moses did not accept these Presents till he had Orders from the LORD in the next words Ver. 5. Take it of them Receive their Present as Verse 5 acceptable to me That they may be to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation He directs their use which was to carry the Tabernacle when they removed from one place to another And thou shalt give them to the Levites In order to which he directs him to bestow them upon the Levites who had the charge of that Carriage To every Man according to his Service In such Proportions as the things they had to carry required Ver. 6. And Moses took the Wagons and Oxen and Verse 6 gave them to the Levites In such Proportions as follow in the next two Verses Ver. 7. Two Wagons and four Oxen to the Sons of Verse 7 Gershon according to their Service As they were fewest in number that could do Service so they had less burdensome things to carry than the Sons of Merari IV. 25 40. and therefore had fewer Carriages allowed them Ver. 8. And four Wagons and eight Oxen he gave unto the Sons of Merari according to their Service They were the most numerous but had the greatest Verse 8 burden and therefore had allowance of more Carriages and Oxen IV. 31 32 48. Vnder the hand of Ithamar the Son of Aaron the Priest Who had the Inspection and Care both of the Gershonites and Merarites IV. 28 33. Verse 9 Ver. 9. But unto the Sons of Kohath he gave none For the reason that follows Because the Service of the Sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their Shoulders The LXX translate it more exactly because they had the Service of the holy thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Ark is called IV. 4. they shall carry it on their Shoulders Which was for the greater Honour and Dignity of the Ark and of the Law contained in it as Maimonides R. Levi ben Gersem and others observe And that the Form and Structure of the Ark might not be discomposed as Maimonides adds More Nevochim P. III. Cap. XLV nor the Ephod and the Breast-plate rufled as they might have been by the shaking of a Wagon Yet they all observe this was not so peculiar to the Sons of Kohath but that the Priests the Sons of Aaron upon some special occasion carried the Ark particularly when they went over Jordan III Josh 3. and at the Siege of Jericho at both which times a great Miracle was to be wrought And when Zadok and Abiathar carried it back to Jerusalem 2 Sam. XV. 29. though that I observed before may be otherways interpreted and there seems no reason why they should carry it back when the Levites brought it ver 24. and when Solomon's Temple was built 1 Kings VIII 6. for the Levites might not go into the Holy Place and therefore it was then carried by the Priests Ver. 10. And the Princes offered They brought the Offerings which they desired might be presented Verse 10 unto God For the dedicating of the Altar The Hebrew word Chanac which in one place of the Pentateuch signifies simply to begin to use or enjoy an House XX Deut. 6. here and several other places signifies the first Application and Addiction of any thing to Sacred Uses or to the Divine Service to which it had been designed and consecrated And this was done with some certain solemn
was kindled Or When the LORD heard it he demonstrated he was highly offended by sending a Fire among them And the Fire of the LORD burnt among them Some take this Phrase Fire of the LORD to signifie a great Fire as Mountains of the LORD are high Mountains Which came either from Heaven like Lightning as in 2 Kings I. 12. or from the Pillar of Cloud and Fire over the Tabernacle where the Glory of the LORD appeared some times like unto Fire And consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camps Where the mixt Multitude were as I observed X. 25. who came out of Egypt and may well be supposed to have stirred up the Israelites to complain of their tedious Journey which had not yet brought them near to the Land of Cannan And perhaps some of them lagged behind on purpose that they might complain of Weariness as some take it or rather of want of stronger Food But Bochartus hath demonstrated that this word which we translate the uttermost parts signifies in all or throughout Of which he gives many Instances out of Lud. de Dieu upon XXXIII Ezek. 1. See XIX Gen. 4. XLVII 2 c. Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. cap. 34. And therefore so it should be here rendred Consumed some in every part of the Camp where they began to make Complaints one to another of their being still in a Wilderness Ver. 2. And the People cried unto Moses Of whose Verse 2 power with God they had great Experience but had reason to distrust their own Interest in him because of their murmuring Humour For it is like they are the same People that cried now to Moses who before complained v. 1. And when Moses prayed unto the LORD As they begg'd he would The Fire was quenched Went out and no signs of it appeared So the Hebrew Phrase signifies it sunk What number of them was burnt we are not told it is likely nor many because the terrour of it instantly made them deprecate God's Displeasure by Moses their Intercessor which put a stop to it Ver. 3. And he called the name of the place Taberah Which for another reason was also called Kibroth-hattaavah v. 34. They are mentioned indeed in IX Deut. 22. as if they were two distinct places but Verse 3 it is plain by the story that the things which occasioned both these Names hapned in one and the same station And therefore they were only different Names for the same Place unless we suppose Kibroth-hattaavah to have been the name of that particular piece of Ground in that place where the Lusters were buried Because the Fire of the LORD burnt amâ—ng them This is the reason of the Name of Taberah which signifies a burning which was imposed on this place to preserve the Memory both of God's Judgments and of his Mercy Verse 4 Ver. 4. And the mixt Multitude that was among them The Hebrew word hasaphsuph is well translated by Bochartus Populi colluvies undecunque colâ—cta the Dregs or Scum of the People gathered together from all parts For the doubling of words increases their sense in the Hebrew Language and makes the same with the Superlative Degree in other Tongues Of which he gives many Instances in his Hierozoicon P. II. Lib. V. cap. 6. See XIII Lev. 19. where Adamdameth signifies exceeding red as hasaphsuph here doth a very great collection of all sorts of People both Egyptians and other Neighbouring Nations who were invited by their wonderful Deliverance out of Egypt to joyn themselves to the Israelites as Proselytes to their Religion See XII Exod. 38. The Jews in Tanchuma say there were Forty thousand of them and Jannes and Jambres at the Head of them Fell a lusting He doth not say for what and the Jews have taken the liberty to fancy what they please Some of them say that they lusted after such Women as Moses had lately forbidden them to marry So the Paraphrase of Vzielides Moses heard the People weeping because those that were near of kin to them were forbidden in Marriage And he makes as if these Proselytes petitioned Moses to abrogate those Laws about Incest Such Conceits others have indulged to themselves as Mr. Selden shows Lib. II. de Synedr Cap. IV. p. 202. when the words in the end of this Verse and v. 13 18. plainly show they lusted for Flesh to eat And the Children of Israel also Though the mixt multitude were the first Fomentors of this Discontent yet it run among the Children of Israel throughout the whole Camp And rose so high that they fell into a great Passion Wept again They had shed some Tears it seems before when they complained verse 1. but now they wept aloud out of Anger Vexation and Grief Or else this weeping again refers to their first Murmuring a Year ago like unto this XVI Exod. 3. And said They could not refrain from bursting out into such discontented Language as argued they were extreamly angry or rather inraged Who shall give us flesh to eat It is an Expression of a vehement impatient Desire mixed with Despair after flesh-Meat Which they needed not to have wanted if they would have killed their Cattel which they brought with them out of Egypt in great abundance XII Exod. 38. but they preserved them for breed when they came to Canaan and if they killed them daily they would not have lasted long to suffice Six hundred thousand People besides Women and Children See v. 21 22. Besides this while they continued in the Wilderness they were not permitted to eat any Flesh but only their share of the Peace-offerings that were offered at the Altar XVII Levit. 3 4 5. Which lasted the Jews think till they came to the Land of Canaan when this Restraint was taken off XII Deut. 15 16. And indeed the Wilderness was so barren a place that they could there have no great increase of Cattel scarce sufficient for Sacrifice They were angry therefore that they were not yet brought to a Country where they might have had all sorts of Flesh without killing their own Cattel and have taken their fill of that and all other Food as appears by the next Verse at as easie rates as they had done in Egypt Whereas now they despaired as I said of getting any such Food for so such Questions as this signifie CXIII Psal 5. LIII Isa 8. VIII Joh. 16. Verse 5 Ver. 5. We remember the fish This shows that all kind of Food is comprehended under Flesh for which they longed particularly this which is one sort of Flesh 1 Corinth XV. 39. Which we did eat in Egypt freely Or for nothing For they could easily catch them in the River of Egypt which abounded with them XIX Isa 8. and in the Sea also which was not far from them wherein was exceeding great plenty of excellent Fish The Cucumbers and the Melons c. None of which grew here in the Wilderness but were there in such Plenty and Perfection that they were the
Proselyte that sojourned for a time or were settled among them And will offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD Any of the fore-mentioned Offerings which could be offered as is here directed by none but one that was subject to their Law For though another Proselyte who worshipped the true God but was not Circumcised might bring a Burnt-offering yet they say it was without a Meat-offering and Drink-offering and no Peace-offerings were accepted from him As ye do so he shall do Offer according to the Rules above given which is farther explained in the following Verses Verse 15 Ver. 15. One Ordinance Viz. About Sacrifices Shall be both for you of the Congregation i. e. For you Israelites And also for the Stranger that sojourneth with you Here the LXX translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proselytes that are added or joyned to you or are juris vestri participes as Mr. Selden expounds it L. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 2. p. 147. An Ordinance for ever c. Never to be repealed as long as your Religion lasts As ye are so shall the Stranger be before the LORD in Matters of Religion and Divine Worship though not in all Civil Things For no Proselyte they think could be chosen a Member of the Sanhedrim or great Council at Jerusalem The Jews extend these words to the way and manner of being made Proselytes by Circumcision Baptism and Sprinkling of Blood as the Jews were originally they say initiated into their Religion Selden Lib. I. de Synedriis cap. 3. p. 34. Ver. 16. One Law and one manner shall be for you Verse 16 and for the Stranger that sojourneth with you This general Rule was made to invite and incourage Strangers to become Proselytes to the Jewish Religion and to engage the Jews to be kind to them they being admitted to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo calls it an equal Priviledge with those who were born Jews Yet this the Jews say is to be received with some distinctions For the Laws of Moses either concerning the Duties they owed to God and one to another or concerning Magistracy and Marriages they say those of the first sort belonged to Proselytes as much as to original Jews yet with some temperament as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. But in those of the second sort they had not an equal priviledge for they were not to have any sort of Command either Civil or Military and though they might marry with the Jews yet not with the Priests and some Marriages were permitted to them which were forbidden to the Israelites See there p. 167. Ver. 17. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Verse 17 These Commands were given in all likelyhood at the same time with the foregoing Ver. 18. Speak unto the Children of Israel and say Verse 28 unto them See v. 2. When ye come into the Land whither I bring you See there also only add this That the Jews acknowledge such kind of Offerings as here follow and First-fruits were due by the Law only from the Corn c. that grew in the Land of Canaan but by the Decree of their wise Men they were to bring them out of Syria and out of the Land of Og and Sihon as Maimonides saith in his Treatise called Biccurim cap. 2. Verse 19 Ver. 19. When ye eat i. e. When it is ready to be eaten for they offered it before they ate of it Of the Bread of the Land So Corn is called CIV Psalm 14. and the meaning seems to be that when they made Bread of the new Corn of the Land they should out of the Dough first make a Cake and offer it to the LORD before they baked Bread for their own use Ye shall offer up an Heave-offering unto the LORD This is explained in the next verse of offering a Cake out of the first Dough whether it were of Wheat or Barley or Rye or Oats or that which they call Cusemim which they describe to be a kind of Wheat or Barley different from that which is commonly known by those names For of these five kinds of Grain the Talmudists say this Cake was to be offered and that out of the Gleanings and the Sheaf left in the Field and out of the Corners of the Field Verse 20 Ver. 20. Ye shall offer up a Cake of the first of your Dough for an Heave-offering Not upon the Altar but it was given to the Priests on whom God bestowed all their Heave-offerings XVIII 8. yet they are said to be offered unto the LORD because they were heaved or lifted up to him as the Creator of Heaven and of Earth and then given to his Ministers who had it in his right As ye do the Heave-offering of the Threshing-floor so shall ye heave it That is as the First-fruits of the Harvest were given to the Priests and not offered upon the Altar so should this be given them XXIII Lev. 16 17. And so was the First-fruits of their Oyl and their Wine c. XVIII Numb 12 13. All which the Jews call the great Terumah or Heave-offering Ver. 21. Of the first of your Dough shall ye give unto Verse 21 the LORD an Heave-offering in your Generations This being a new Law not given before he repeats it that they might be the more observant of it As we may see they were by this that it was one of the things which rendred a Woman infamous though not so as to give her the bitter Water if she did not separate this Cake from the first Dough of the new Corn to be presented to God but either made her Husband believe she had done it when she had not or ate it her self as Mr. Selden observes L. III. Vxor Hebr. cap. 17. And therefore at this very day the Jews are so nice in this point that they take enough to make a Cake as soon as the Meal is mingled with Water The proportion is not mentioned in the Law but their wise Men say it was to be the forty fourth part of the whole Dough. See Buxtorf Synagog Jud. cap. 34. The Cabbalists observing that this verse begins with the Letter Mem and ends with Mem conclude after their way that therefore they were to give the fortieth part because Mem is the numeral Letter for forty Ver. 22. And if ye have erred and not observed all Verse 22 these Commandments which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses Which have been now given concerning Sacrifices for to such Commandments these words seem to have respect Maimonides in his Treatise of the Worship of the Planets and the Jews generally saith this concerns Idolatry Ver. 23. Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses That is all the Commandments in the Book of Leviticus about such Matters Verse 23 of God's Worship and Service From the day that the LORD commanded Moses The word Moses is not in the Hebrew and the
great a difference between the Children of two Brothers who were of equal Deserts Nay Aben-Ezra thinks that he wholly disliked the late Exchange of the First-born for the Levites And besides it may be thought that he stomacht the late Preferment of Elizaphan the Son of Vzziel who was the youngest Son of Kohath to be chief of the Family of the Kohathites III. 30. which he thought rather belonged to himself who was the Son of the second Son of Kohath And finding himself too weak to make an Insurrection alone he perswaded Dathan and Abiram of the Tribe of Reuben and those in whom they had an interest to joyn with him upon another pretence that they were descended from the eldest Son of Israel to whom the chief Authority in the Nation belonged which Moses had taken upon himself and likewise preferred the Tribe of Judah to the principal place in their encampment II. 3. and also the LXX Elders to be his Assistants without their Advice and leaving them out of the number Such as these may be thought to be the grounds upon which they proceeded Korah seeking the Priesthood and the Sons of Reuben the Civil Dignity But it seems to me that the ground of the Quarrel was wholly upon the account of the Priesthood as I shall show upon the next verse and that they struck at Moses only as advancing his Brother and his Family by his own Authority and not as they pretended by God's direction For as Dathan and Abiram did not appear openly when they had formed this Faction for we find them in their Tents v. 12. and refusing to come to Moses when he sent for them so in the next verse they seem to speak of nothing but the Priesthood And so Moses understood their meaning v. 5 10 15. Before Moses In an open defiance of his Authority who they pretended had no power to make such Alterations as he had done With certain of the Children of Israel It is not said out of what Tribe but it is likely out of several if not some out of every Tribe in whom they had any interest Two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly c. The LXX divide their Character into three parts First That they were Princes of the Assembly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of Thousands and Rulers of Hundreds c. And Secondly Famous in the Congregation Which they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who used to be called to Publick Consultations when they were to deliberate about weighty Affairs And so several both ancient and modern Translations as Mr. Selden hath shown L. II. de Synedriis cap. 4. n. 10. where he saith they were called maxime puto si non solum deliberandi causa chiefly if not only to have their Advice And then lastly Men of renown Such who had got a great Name that is Fame and Credit among the People upon these or other accounts This made the Insurrection the more dangerous that such great Persons were engaged and appeared in it Verse 3 Ver. 3. And they gathered themselves together The fore-named Company came in a Body Against Moses As an arbitrary Disposer of all Preferment And against Aaron Who was promoted by Moses to the Office of High-Priest which he himself had discharged before Aaron's Consecration which perhaps they made a ground of their Quarrel And said unto them Ye take too much upon you In the Hebrew the words are Rab-lachem it is sufficient for you That is you have domineered long enough resign your Places to others for all of us nay every Man in Israel is as good as you Seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them Here seems to be the Root of the Quarrel Before Moses's time every one might offer Sacrifice in his own Family as I have often observed which Custom these Men would have had still continued being angry that this high Office was confined to one Family alone who were to enjoy all the Benefits of it which were exceeding great For the Priests had a large share in most Offerings and some things wholly to themselves This is the more probable because it was so very hard to convince the People that God had settled this Dignity and all the Profits belonging to it in Aaron's Family For though God did a new thing never heard of before to demonstrate these People that rose against Moses and Aaron to be Seditious yet it was necessary still to do more For after the Earth had swallowed up Dathan and Abiram and Fire consumed Korah and his Company and a Plague destroyed many more of them the LORD did another Miracle XVII 8. in making Aaron's Rod blossom and bud and bring forth Almonds in one Nights time when all the rest of the Rods remained dry Sticks Which makes it probable as I said before there were some in all the Tribes who were engaged in this Sedition and were so deeply infected with the false Notions of Korah that it was necessary to give them all this Satisfaction And the LORD is among them The People need no other Governour but him who dwells among them in his Tabernacle where they can present their Sacrifices to him themselves without your Assistance Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the LORD Since God owns us all for his special and peculiar People why do you take upon you such high Places and Dignity above us all For Moses disposed and ordered all things and Aaron by his order took upon him to be solely God's chief Minister in his Sanctuary Verse 4 Ver. 4. And when Moses heard it he fell upon his face With Aaron also it is likely as they did lately XIV 5. And for the same end See there to deprecate God's displeasure which they might justly think would now rise higher than ever and to beg his direction what to do in such a dangerous state of things Verse 5 Ver. 5. And he spake unto Korah and unto all his Company This shows that Korah was the Head of this Faction and Dathan and Abiram did not at the first I guess from hence appear with him Saying Being risen up from Prayer he made this Answer to the Seditious People by order from God who no doubt directed him to this way of suppressing them Even to morrow the LORD will show c. In the Hebrew the words are To morrow or in the Morning and the LORD will show c. That is stay but till to Morrow and it shall appear without any further delay whether you or we be in the right He would keep them in suspense no longer and yet gave them so much time to consider better and repent Some observe that the Morning was the time of executing Justice and therefore here appointed Will the LORD show By some visible Token Who are his Or Who appertain to him viz. As his Ministers And who is holy Separated and solemnly Consecrated by his appointment to the Sacred Office of Priesthood And will
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
the Head of the House of their Fathers should bring these Rods. Their Names we have in the first Chapter of this Book v. 5 6. and VII 2 12 c. Twelve Rods. Besides Aaron's for so many Tribes there were besides that of Levi. And too great a number of every Tribe in all likelyhood had joyned with Korah in their discontended Murmurings at the confinement of the Priesthood unto Aaron's Family alone to which they all fansied they had as much right as he Which is the reason of taking a Rod from every Tribe that they might all be convinced that none of them but he and his Family alone were owned by God for his Priests See XVI 3. Write thou every Man's name upon his Rod. Either by an Incision into the very Wood or with such Ink as they wrote withal in those days V. 22. This he did in the Presence of the Princes that they might not afterward suspect any Fraud when they came to take their Rods again but be satisfied they were the very same which they saw noted with their Names Ver. 3. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the Verse 3 Rod of Levi. Because God had made him the Prince of that Tribe by giving him the High-Priesthood And he would have them see that as no other Person in any of the Twelve Tribes so no other Levite ought to pretend unto that high Office which he had invested him withal and him alone For one Rod shall be for the Head of the House of their Fathers One Rod was sufficient because the Head of the Tribe comprehended the whole Tribe Who were all excluded from the Priesthood by the Exclusion of him who represented them Verse 4 Ver. 4. And thou shalt lay them up in the Tabernacle In the most Holy Place Before the Testimony i. e. Before the Ark called in many Places the Ark of the Testimony XL Exod. 3. because therein Moses put the Testimony or two Tables of Stone and the Mercy Seat above it v. 20 21. where the Divine Glory resided Therefore to lay the Rods before the Testimony was to lay them before the Divine Majesty who intended by them finally to determine the present Controversie Where I will meet with you There he promised to meet with Moses XXV Exod. 22. by whom he communicated his Mind unto the People For he neither met with them nor with Aaron there any other way but by Moses And therefore the Vulgar Latin here translates it minding the sence rather than the words Where I will speak to them And so the LXX By which I will be made known to thee there And indeed meeting with them here is nothing but declaring or making known his Mind to them all by what was done there upon Aaron's Rod. So it follows in the next verse And for this reason the Tabernacle of the LORD is called OHEL MOED the Tabernacle of Meeting not of Mens meeting there as is commonly supposed by our translating it The Tabernacle of the Congregation but of God's meeting there with Men. For so the LORD himself gives the reason of the Name both here and in XXIX Exod. 42. XXX 36. where I have noted the same out of Mr. Mede Ver. 5. And it shall come to pass that the Man's Rod whom I shall choose shall blossom The Rods being laid before me I will tell you whom I have chosen to minister to me in the Priesthood by making the Verse 5 Rod upon which his Name is written to blossom when all the rest remain as they were before without any Alteration This was a kind of new choice as the words import whereby God confirmed the choice he had formerly made of Aaron to be High-Priest And I will make to cease from me the Murmurings of the Children of Israel whereby they murmur against you And hereby stop all their Mouths from murmuring any more about this matter unless they will oppose me directly who declare before-hand how I intend to give Judgment in this Case and put an end to this Dispute Ver. 6. And Moses spake unto the Children of Israel Verse 6 Told them what God had said that they might be all consenting to this way of Decision And every one of their Princes gave him a Rod apiece For they could not refuse such a fair Proposal For each Prince one according to their Fathers Houses even twelve Rods. Observing herein the Commands of Moses who wrote no doubt every Man's Name upon his Rod as he was also commanded v. 2. And the Rod of Aaron was among their Rods. Not one of the twelve as the Jews fancy but besides the twelve Rods for the twelve Tribes as was directed v. 2. and obeyed by them as the foregoing words tell us his Rod was put among them with his Name upon it as their Names were upon their Rods. And therefore the Vulgar translates it having regard to the sence only There were twelve Rods besides the Rod of Aaron Which the LXX intended in their Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Rod of Aaron in the midst of their Rods. And if it were cut from the very same Tree with theirs the Miracle became the more remarkable Verse 7 Ver. 7. And Moses laid up the Rods before the LORD Who was by them to declare his choice v. 5. In the Tabernacle of Witness In that part of the Tabernacle where the Ark was which had in it the Witness or Testimony which God gave Moses XXV Exod. 21. who alone could go into that place Verse 8 Ver. 8. And it came to pass that on the morrow It is likely God told him he would â—orthwith show whom he had chosen Moses went into the Tabernacle of Witness The most Holy Place where the Rods were laid up by God's order And behold the Rod of Aaron Which had his Name written on it For the House of Levi. Or To the House of Levi i. e. whom God had made Head of the Levites Was budded and brought forth Buds and blossomed Blossoms and yielded Almonds In some places of the Rod I suppose there was an appearance of Buds coming forth in others the Buds were fully thrust out and in others they were opened and shot forth into Blossoms and those Blossoms in other parts knotted and grown into Almonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as Gregory Nyssen speaks in the Life of Moses p. 185. The greatest Miracle even in the judgment of Unbelievers who now acknowledged that which before they opposed v. 12 13. For that in one Night a dry Stick as some suppose them all to have been should produce Buds and Flowers and Fruit when all the rest which perhaps were cut from the same Tree were as dry as they were before could not but be very amazing and unless they would shut their eyes make them see the distinction which the LORD made between Aaron whose Name that Rod bare and all the rest of the Children of Israel whom the other Rods represented The Heathen did
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
it fell into the Hands of the Moabites again as may be gathered from XLVIII Jerem. 32. And they took the Villages thereof As well as the City it self And drove out the Amorites that dwelt there If it had not been possessed by them they would not have meddled with it Ver. 33. And they turned Or returned as the LXX have it from Jaazer And went up by the way of Bashan A famous Verse 33 Mountain LXVIII Psal 15. lying more Northerly than the Country of Sihon and belonging also to the Amorites where was very rich Pasture and an excellent Breed of Cattle XXXII Deut. 14. XXII Psal 12. and stately Oaks XXVII Ezek. 6. And Og the King of Bashan The whole Country of which he was King had its Name from that Mountain and was called the Kingdom of Og in Bashan III Deut. 10. where he is said as well as Sihon to be a King of the Amorites v. 8. and v. 11. that he was of the Remnant of the Giants or of the Rephaim who were a mighty People in that Country of Bashan See XIV Gen. 5. which in after Ages was called Batanaea Went out against them To oppose their Passage He and all his People With all the Men of War in his Country To the Battle at Edrei A City near that Country afterward called Adara as St. Hierom tells us in his Book de Locis Hebraicis He offered the Israelites Battle which by God's order they accepted Verse 34 Ver. 34. And the LORD said unto Moses That he might report it to the People Fear him not They had reason to be courageous and not affrighted because he was a Giant having lately overcome a mightier King than he of which God puts them in mind in the end of this verse For I have delivered him into thy hand and all his People c. For their greater incouragement he adds his Promise on which he bids them rely as if they saw it already done that he would give them the Victory over Og and all his Forces and bestow upon them his Country This History Moses reports more at large III Deut. 1 2 3 c. Ver. 35. So they smote him and his Sons and all his Verse 35 People until there was none left him alive After they had overthrown him and his Army they pursued the Victory till they had destroyed all the People of the Country Some part of which held out longer than the rest as appears from XXXII 39 c. but at length was wholly subdued by Jair the Son of Manasseh who had all the Region of Argob given him for his pains XXXII 41. III Deut. 14. And they possessed his Land Wherein were sixty walled Cities besides a great many small Towns III Deut. 4 5. XIII Josh 30. All which was given to the half Tribe of Manasseh III Deut. 13. XIII Josh 29 30. 1 Kings IV. 13. CHAP. XXII Chapter XXII Ver. 1. AND the Children of Israel set forward Verse 1 In what Month of the fortieth Year this which follows fell out we cannot tell but it is likely in the seventh when they removed from the Mountains of Abarim XXI 20. XXXIII 48. And pithed in the plains of Moab Which had formerly belonged to the Moabites from whom it took its name but had been taken from them by the Amorites and now was in the possession of the Israelites On this side Jordan Unto which River this Plain extended and they pitched near to it from Beth-Jesimoth unto Abel-Shittim XXXIII 49. where they stayed till under the Conduct of Joshua they came to Jordan and passed over it III Josh 1. By Jericho Rather against Jericho as the LXX translate it For Jericho was on the other side of Jordan directly opposite to the place where they now pitched And therefore the Vulgar Latin translates or rather paraphrases it Where Jericho is situated beyond Jordan i. e. passing the Ford they came directly to Jericho Verse 2 Ver. 2. And Balak the Son of Zippor Who was King of the Moabites at this time and descended it is likely from the ancient Kings of that Country XXI 26. Saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites To Sihon and Og the two Kings of the Amorites as they are called III Deut. 8. who were such near Neighbours to Balak that he not only saw but considered as the word implies what a speedy Conquest the Israelites had made of their Country Verse 3 Ver. 3. And Moab was sore afraid of the People Lest they should expel them out of their Country as they had done the Amorites for they knew nothing of God's Command to the Israelites not to disturb them in their Possessions Some imagine but I see no good ground for it that they were afraid the Israelites should get possession of the Land of Canaan unto which they thought themselves perhaps to have a better Title being descended from the eldest Daughter of Lot who was the Son of Abraham's elder Brother for Abraham was the youngest Son of Terah But no Body can see any Right that this Descent gave Lot or his Children there being no Promise made of it by God to any Person but Abraham and his Posterity Because they were many Too strong for the Moabites to deal withal having conquered those who had been too hard for them and taken a great Territory from them XXI 26. And Moab was distressed because of the Children of Israel As Moses in his Song after they had passed the Red Sea foretold they would be XV Exod. 15. Ver. 4. And Moab said By Messengers which Verse 4 were sent it is most likely by the King and the Princes of the Country Vnto the Elders of Midian Who were their Neighbours and Confederates The Title of Elders it appears by this was given in other Nations as well as among the Israelites to the greatest Persons in their Countries or the Israelites after their manner so called Men every where who were in high Authority For these Persons who are here called Elders are called Kings XXXI 8. and Princes XIII Josh 21. In like manner they who in the seventh verse of this Chapter are called the Elders of Moab are in the next verse called the Princes of Moab Which it is evident was the ancient Language among the Egyptians L Gen. 7. unless we suppose Moses as I said to have spoken in the Language of the Jews and it is very likely was also the ancient Language of Phoenicia and the Countries thereabouts and perhaps in much remote parts For it is a known Story That when the Phoenicians fled before Joshua and forsook the Land of Canaan they fixed in Asrick where they left this name of Elders among the Carthaginians See Mr. Selden Lib. I. de Synedr cap. 14. p. 587 c. Midian This is not the Country wherein Jethro was a Prince for that was not far from Mount Sinai as appears from III Exod. 1. whereas this was remote from that place adjoyning to the Moabites and near
LORD would come to meet him or no v. 3. but now he confidently expects it though he endeavoured it appears from XXIV 1. still to compass his bad ends by his Enchantments Verse 16 Ver. 16. And the LORD met Balaam This is never said before but only that God met him by his Angel as the Jews interpret it which I take to be much short of what is here said that the LORD himself now met him That is there was a glorious Appearance of the SCHECHINAH to him though not in such lustre I suppose as when it appeared to Moses which so amazed him that after this he never went so much as to enquire what he should say or do For though he doubted perhaps of what the Angel said yet now he was fully assured the Israelites must be blessed And he put a word in his mouth Instructed him what he should say to Balak And said go again unto Balak and say thus Viz. All that we read v. 18 19 20 c. which is a great deal more than he had said before Verse 17 Ver. 17. And when he came to him behold he stood by his Burnt-offering and the Princes of Moab with him See v. 6. And Balak said unto him what hath the LORD spoken He was more solicitous to know his doom than he was before when he askt no such question and plainly demonstrated that he believed Balaam went to enquire of the LORD Ver. 18. And he took up his Parable See v. 7. And said rise up Balak and hear If this word Verse 18 rise up hath respect to the outward Reverence which was wont to be shown to all Messages brought from God which was expressed by rising up to receive them as appears from the story of another King of Moab III Judges 20. then after the Sacrifice was ended at which they stood Balak sat down until Balaam could be ready to acquaint him with the Mind of God But it may have respect only to the Mind and signifie stir up thy self to attend awaken thy thoughts and listen to what I say And hearken unto me thou Son of Zippor The same thing repeated with more earnestness For to give ear as the word is in the Hebrew imports something more than merely to hear viz. diligent and earnest attention of Mind to what is spoken Ver. 19. God is not a man that he should lie Do Verse 19 not imagine that God is like to one of us He can by no Sacrifices or Prayers or other Means be induced to break his word And therefore it is in vain for me any longer to importune him to curse Israel when he hath said he will bless them Neither the Son of Man An usual variation of the Expression of the same thing VIII Psal 4. That he should repent Alter his Mind when he hath absolutely resolved any thing Balak seems to have fancied that by the change of the place where he sacrificed v. 13. he might procure a change of the Divine Counsels Hath he said and shall he not do it What should hinder for he wants no power to execute his Will and he cannot be moved to revoke his Word by better Information nor can any thing happen which he did not foresee to make him do otherwise than he intended Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good This is the same with the former after the Prophetical manner of speaking Omnia perjuga repetendo as Conradus â—ellicanus glosses ad exagerationem Only the foregoing words may be thought to refer to his Threatnings and these to his Promises Verse 20 Ver. 20. Behold I have received commandment to bless and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it In these words he applies the general Proposition in the foregoing verse to his particular Case God hath ordered me to pronounce a Blessing upon Israel for he himself hath blessed them and I can neither reverse that Blessing nor go against his Order Verse 21 Ver. 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel Both the word aven which we translate iniquity and the word amal which we translate perverseness signifie frequently in Scripture the highest wickedness viz. Idolatry And so Onkelos here understood it when he thus paraphrased these words I see that there are none who worship Idols in the House of Jacob nor any Servants of Trouble and Vanity so they called Idols in Israel And accordingly the Vulgar Latin expresly translates this verse thus There is no Idol in Jacob nor is there any Image seen in Israel Which seemed so clear a truth to Johannes Forsterus a famous Professor of the Hebrew Tongue in the beginning of the Reformation that in his Explication of both these words in his Lexicon he saith From this place all the Prophets borrowed these Phrases and translated them to express Impiety i. e. Idolatrous Worship devised according to Mens own humours and desires and by the Instinct of the Devil For Moses was the Fountain of all the Prophets Thus he writes upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he repeats it again upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that this is the reason Balaam gives why God had blessed and he could not curse them because they were free from Idolatry unto which unless they could be seduced there was no hope that God would deliver them unto the power of their Enemies For which reason Balaam afterwards counselled this Prince to entice them to this Sin by beautiful Women as the only way to move God to be angry with them There are indeed a great many that take these words in the common sence for all manner of Sin which God is said not to see in this People i. e. so as to mark it out for Punishment For though they were many ways great Offenders yet he had such an indulgent Kindness to them that he would not correct them for every Sin which they committed But this returns to the former Exposition that they were safe as long as they kept themselves from the great Transgression that is Idolatry The LORD his God is with him They worshipping God alone were therefore under his special Care and Protection Onkelos renders it the WORD of the LORD his God is his help And so the Hiâ—rosol Targum And the shout of a King is among them God being their King he prophesies that they should always triumph over their Enemies For he alludes to the Shouts which are made when a King or great Captain returns victorious with the Spoils of those he hath vanquished So the meaning of the whole verse is this in brief Since they do not worship Idols but cleave to the LORD their God and serve him alone he is present with them not only to preserve them from their Enemies but to give them glorious Victories over them Verse 22 Ver. 22. God brought them out of Egypt That they might be his Worshippers and Servants which if they continue he will not
to deliver what follows Verse 14 Ver. 14. And now behold I go to my People And now I will obey thee as well as God and be gone to my own Country Come therefore and I will advertise thee c. But before I go permit me to give thee some Advice So the Hebrew word Jaatz constantly signifies to give Counsel And so the Vulgar here translates it but took it for the wicked Advice which we read in the next Chapter was executed after Balaam's departure and of which he was certainly the Author XXXI 16. and therefore thus translates the next words What thy People shall do unto this People But the Hebrew Text and the LXX are directly contrary unto this being as we translate the words What this People shall do to thy People Therefore Onkelos to take in the foregoing sence without altering the latter part of the verse puts in one word and makes the whole run thus I will give thee counsel what to do and will show thee what this People shall do to thy People in the latter days And the Hierusalem Targum more largely and plainly I wll advise thee what thou shalt do to this People make them to sin Otherwise thou shalt not have dominion over them but this People shall domineer over thy People in the latter end of days In the latter days In future Ages This shows the foregoing words do not speak of what Moab should do to Israel by his Advice for that was done as soon as he was gone Ver. 15. And he took up his Parable and said Balaam Verse 15 the Son of Beor hath said c. This was the Preface to his foregoing Prophecy See v. 3. Ver. 16. He hath said who heard the words of God Verse 16 c. This verse also is the same with the fourth only a few words added And knew the knowledge of the most High Which he adds to show his intimate acquaintance with the Supreme LORD of the World For he speaks of God in the very same stile which Moses doth calling him both El and Schaddai and Eljon and Jehovah Which demonstrates that he was not a Stranger to the true God though corrupted with bad Affections and addicted also to foul Superstitions Verse 17 Ver. 17. I shall see him Or I do see him for the Future Tense is often used for the Present that is he saw the Person of whom he was going to speak represented to him in a Vision But not now He saw him not as in being now at present but to come in future times I shall behold him but not nigh The same thing in other words but more plainly telling them they must not expect this Person in their time nor in the next Generation but in remoter Ages There shall come a Star out of Jacob. A Star denotes a great Person and being understood to be spoken of Christ it denotes his Caelestial Original And both Onkelos and Jonathan and the Hierusalem Targum take the Messiah to be here meant and so doth R. Moses Haddarsan and Bereschith Rabbath and a great many Christian Interpreters as Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos VII sect 9. particularly Eusebius and Cyril of Alexandria Who in his VIIIth Book against Julian confutes his Exposition of these words which is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this belongs to David and to his Successors is sufficiently manifest To which St. Cyril replies That if Balaam had spoken of David and the Kings of Israel he would have said There shall arise Stars out of Jacob c. whereas he speaks of one alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as very illustrious among the Stars which it is evident can be none but Christ Unto which I shall add the words of a later Writer of the Jewish Nation R. Isaac in his Illumin Fidei set forth not long ago by the learned Wagenseil Where he argues this cannot be understood of David or any other King of Israel because none of them ever reigned over all the Earth i. e. over all the Children of Seth whom none of them destroyed but it is meant he concludes of the MESSIAH who is compared to a Star because of the perennity of his Kingdom and the splendor of his Dominion and his great Acts throughout the World p. 72 and 80. Where he makes this a Prophecy of one Kingdom alone to be in the World viz. that of the Israelites who are called the People of the Saints of the most High VII Dan. 27. Which is true enough if he had understood the right meaning of Israelites who are those not after the Flesh but after the Spirit It is not fit to conclude this without one Observation more that so long ago as the time of the Emperour Adrian this was understood by the generality of the Jews to be a Prophecy of the Messiah For they followed one whose Name was Chocab i. e. a Star to whom the famous R. Akiba a Doctor who they say had Four and twenty thousand Scholars applied these words of Balaam and calling him Barchoceb i. e. the Son of a Star anointed him their King and carried a Sword before him crying Behold the very King Messiah This is reported by the Jews themselves in Tzenach David and several other Books All which I think doth not hinder but that King David may be hereby signified in the first sence though as a Type of the MESSIAH the great Son of David in whom it was compleated And a Scepter shall rise out of Israel This some think may first have a respect to David and then to the MESSIAH the King of Israel But the Chaldee paraphrast refers the whole to Christ whose words are these A King shall arise out of the House of Jacob and the Messiah shall be anointed of the House of Israel Nor is it any wonder that Balaam should prophesie of him so many years before he was born and so plainly that Moses himself doth not speak in plainer terms but it is to be lookt upon as the effect of God's infinite Goodness who would not have those that were not of the Seed of Abraham to be wholly ignorant of what he intended to do for all Mankind And this was necessary to be plainly told them because otherwise they would not have understood it And shall smite the Corners of Moab The latter part of this Prophecy Huetius thinks belongs to David as the former part to Christ. Which was the opinion of Maimonides who divided the Prophecy between them And this was indeed literally fulfilled in David who subdued the Moabites intirely as we read 2 Sam. VIII 8. LX Psal 8. CVIII 9. Some translate these words He shall smite through the Princes of Moab So the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not alter the sence And it is no unusual thing with the Prophets when they intend to speak of something nearer to them to be transported by the Spirit of God to speak of things a great deal more
remote As Balaam here foretelling a great Ruler should come out of Jacob first speaks of the greatest of all above Fourteen hundred years after his time and then of David who reigned about Four hundred years after this And destroy all the Children of Sheth They who interpret this of David take Sheth to have been some great Person in that Country or some Place of great note the Inhabitants of which are here threatned to be destroyed But these are mere conjectures which have no foundation in History whereas if we understand it of Christ and translate the first word not he shall destroy but as Castalio and others do he shall rule over the sence is very remarkable It being a Prophecy that in the times of the MESSIAH there shall be no longer such a distinction as God now made between the Israelites and other Nations by the peculiar Laws he gave them at their entrance into Canaan but all Mankind who are equally descended from Seth shall be united under his Government And thus not only Lyranus and Abulensis and others interpret it but Onkelos also whose words are He shall have dominion over all the Sons of Men. For he thought it reasonable by the Children of Seth to understand all Mankind who were propagated from him who succeeded in the place of Abel that was killed all the Seed of Cain perishing in the Flood Ver. 18. And Edom shall be a possession So it was Verse 18 in the days of David 2 Sam VIII 14. And Seir shall be a possession This was a famous Mount in the Country of Edom XXXVI Gen. 8. and being the strongest part of the Country may signifie here that no place should be able to hold out though never so strongly fortified by Nature or Art And so we read they all became David's Servants 2 Sam. VIII 14. 1 Chron. XVIII 13. For his Enemies i. e. For the Israelites And Israel shall do valiantly For they subdued in those days many other Countries as we read in the forenamed Chapters 2 Sam. VIII I Chron. XVIII Verse 19 Ver. 19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion This may relate to Christ as well as to David in whom it was literally fulfilled And so Baal-Hatturim observes that v. 16. it is said of Balaam that he knew the Mind of the most High for he prophesied of the Messiah when he said Out of Jacob shall one come that shall have dominion The word jerd as the Masora notes is used only here and in LXXII Psal 8. where the Psalmist describes the Universal Kingdom of Christ in these words He shall have dominion from Sea to Sea and from the Rivers unto the end of the Earth And shall destroy him that remains in the City Not only rout them in the Field but take their defenced Cities And it is likely he particularly aims at some great City and best fortified which was the Metropolis and the strongest hold in the Kingdom Such a one there was in Edom as the Psalmist suggests LX. 9. Verse 20 Ver. 20. And when he looked on Amalek On the Country which the Amalekites inhabited He took up his Parable and said See v. 3. Amalek was the first of the Nations The most eminent among the neighbouring Nations or one of the most noble as Bochart renders it Gens una è nobilissimis But his latter end shall be that he perish for ever This God commanded Saul to execute 1 Sam. XV. 3. according to the doom passed upon them after their fight with Israel XVII Exod. 14 16. and he lost his Kingdom for doing his Work imperfectly Which the Vulgar Latin takes to be the meaning of the seventh verse of this Chapter Onkelos paraphrases the whole verse in this manner Amalek was the beginning of the Wars with Israel therefore his end shall be to perish for ever The Targum Hieros more plainly The Amalekites were the first People that made War against Israel and in the latter days they shall make War against them c. Ver. 21. And he looked on the Kenites He standing Verse 21 now upon the top of Peor which was it is likely the highest place of the Country for which reason Balak brought him thither after he had tried other high places XXIII 28. might see a great way and possibly behold the very Rocks wherein the Kenites dwelt But what People are meant by this name is not clearly evident For there were a People called Kenites who were a part of the Nations that inhabited the Land of Canaan XV Gen. 19. these cannot be here intended for they were too far off from this place And as for the Kenites mentioned in I Judges 16. IV. 11. who dwelt among the Israelites when they came into Canaan they had as yet no fixed state but were with them in the Wilderness Therefore it is likely they were some of the Kindred of Jethro originally derived from the same Family that he was of who remained in Midian and adjoyned so close to the Country of the Amalekites that they are said to dwell among them 1 Sam. XV. 6. For it is plain the word Keni in Hebrew is the Name of a People not of a particular Person and there might be a great many of them some in Canaan others in Midian and of these latter some went with the Israelites into Canaan when they conquered it and others remained still in their own Country They seem all to have been descended from one Ken or Kain mentioned IV Judges 11. as Scaliger conjectures in his Elenchus Trihaeres cap. 23. Jethro's Posterity being but one Family of this People Strong is thy dwelling-place They were but a small People who dwelt upon steep Mountains And puttest thy Nest in a Rock This is but a further description of their Country in other words For Nest signifies their Habitation only it seems to import that their dwelling was little in craggy Mountains where they lookt upon themselves as very safe and secure the access to them being very difficult And from hence I suppose they were called Shelamites as both the Hierus Targum and Onkelos here term them instead of Kenites i. e. peaceable People because no body medled with them nor they with any body Verse 22 Ver. 22. And the Kenite shall be wasted By little and little diminished Vntil Ashur shall carry thee away captive Till at last they were all carried away by the Assyrians when they over-ran Syria 2 Kings XVI 9. Verse 23 Ver. 23. And he took up his Parable and said Having rested a while he sighed and said aloud See v. 3. Alas who shall live when God doth this What miserable times will those be when the Assyrians shall over-run a great part of the World How few will escape their Devastations Or who would not desire rather to die than live in those days But some I observe refer this not to what goes before but to what follows which relates to the Desolations made by the following
to an holy Life But since through the vehemence of their Affections and Passions many Women are prone to act unadvisedly if Vows were wholly in their power great Inconveniences Dissentions and Confusions might arise in Families whilst this sort of Meat is lawful to the Husband but not to the Wife this permitted to the Daughter but prohibited to the Mother For which reason saith he this Authority was given to the Governours of Families in all things to order them as they saw would be for their profit or detriment Verse 14 Ver. 14. But if her husband Or For if her Husband Altogether hold his peace at her from day to day When he knew what she had vowed as it follows in the end of the verse He establisheth all her vows c. His silence was to be interpreted a Consent to allow what she vowed There was no need to add the contrary which is here to be understood that if he said he did not allow them then they should not bind her Ver. 15. But if he shall any ways make them void Verse 15 after he hath heard them Hinder her from performing her Vow after he had given his consent by saying nothing against it when he heard her make the Vow Then he shall bear her iniquity God will punish him not her for not performing the Vow Paulus Fagius thinks the meaning is that if the first day he heard of her vow he did not disannul it but attempted to do it the next day or the third day after he should bear the blame if the Vow was not made good Ver. 16. These are the Statutes which the LORD Verse 16 commanded Moses between a Man and his Wife between the Father and his Daughter being yet in her youth in her Fathers House It is likely some differences arose in some Families about these Matters and therefore these Laws were made for the settling the power of Husbands over their Wives and Parents over their Children while they were young and continued a part of their Family CHAP. XXXI Chapter XXXI Verse 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying Not long before his death as appears from the next verse Verse 2 Ver. 2. Avenge the Children of Israel of the Midianites This had been commanded before but no time set for it which now is determined The Moabites are not mentioned because the Midianites seem to have been the first or chief Contrivers of that Mischief which befel the Israelites by the enticements of their Women See XXV 17 18. Afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy People When he had given a few other Directions concerning their possessing the Countries already conquered and the Land of Canaan XXXII XXXIV XXXV and providing for the Levites there XXXVI God had warned him to prepare for his death before this XXVII 12. but he first let him have the satisfaction of seeing the Midianites punished and gave him some time to settle the Publick Affairs and to make also a long Exhortation to the Israelites to observe all that he had commanded them Verse 3 Ver. 3. And Moses spake unto the People saying He speedily put this Command in Execution which might possibly be in the ninth Month of the fortieth Year Arm some of your selves unto the War He doth not at first determine the number but as many as pleased might offer themselves voluntarily to be ready to obey him And let them go against the Midianites and avenge the LORD of Midian The LORD bad him avenge the Children of Israel v. 2. but Moses bids them avenge the LORD for they had the same interest and were both injured at the same time and by the same means And as God was so gracious as to resent the evil done to Israel so Moses in duty and gratitude to God thought himself bound rather to consider the dishonour that was done to him Whose War this was not only because undertaken by his command but in his quarrel with those who had drawn the Israelites to Idolatry and for the sake of his People Ver. 4. Of every Tribe a thousand throughout all the Verse 4 Tribes of Israel shall ye send to the War When a great many perhaps all the People appeared ready to go to War he ordered that only a select number should be sent of a Thousand out of each of the Twelve Tribes Ver. 5. So there were delivered out of the Thousands Verse 5 of Israel a Thousand of every Tribe Their Officers pickt out this number from among the rest or they were chosen by lot for this Service or they stept out and offered themselves Voluntiers as we speak which the 27th verse may seem to countenance where they are called those that took the War upon them Twelve Thousand armed for war This was but a small number compared with the whole Nation of the Midianites who had five Kings v. 8. But God would have them rely more upon him than upon the multitude of an Host and let them see by their Success against this People that they needed not fear the Conquest of Canaan Ver. 6. And Moses sent them to the war a Thousand of every Tribe He gave them their Commission to fight the Midianites Verse 6 Them and Phinehas the Son of Eleazar the Priest Who was not their Commander in Chief or their General as we now speak for it did not belong to the Priestly Office to conduct Armies and it is said expresly in the words following he went with the holy Instruments c. to be ready to perform all such Sacred Offices as should be required by the General who it is most likely was Joshua It is true indeed that Phineas was a Man of great Courage and had lately performed a singular piece of Service which had won him great Reputation This hath made some think he was the fitter to go and to avenge the LORD of Midian as he had begun to do XXV 8. In after times also in the days of the Maccabees who were of the Family of the Priests the Armies of Israel were led by them against their Enemies But then it must be considered that they were also the Supream Governours of the People and there were no other With the holy Instruments By which Jonathan understands the Vrim and Thummim which some think Phineas carried along with him wherewith to consult the Divine Majesty in case of any difficulty that might arise about the management of the War And to make out this they suppose Eleazar to be old and crazy or labouring under some Infirmity which was the reason that Phineas his Son was substituted in his room to perform this Office See our very learned Dr. Spencer Dissert de Vrim Thummim cap. 6. sect 2. But this may be justly doubted whether Phineas being only the Son of the High-Priest and not yet capable of that Office could be substituted to perform this great Charge which belonged to the High-Priest alone Nor do we find any warrant for consulting the
erected See XXI 9. Ver. 42. And they departed from Zalmonah and Verse 42 pitched in Punon Where Bochartus rather thinks the brazen Serpent was set up because after Moses hath given us the History of that he saith they set forward and pitched in Oboth XXI 10. which was the place of their abode next to Punon as it here follows Hierozoic P. I. Lib. III. cap. 12. in the latter end of it Ver. 43. And they departed from Punon and pitched Verse 43 in Oboth See XXI 10. Ver. 44. And they departed from Oboth and pitched Verse 44 in Jie-abarim in the border of Moab See XXI 11. This name is translated in the Margin heaps of Abarim which may possibly signifie many heaps of Stones which lay not far from the Mountains of Abarim v. 47. Ver. 45. And they departed from Jim and pitched Verse 45 in Dibon-gad Here half the name of the first place is omitted as is usual when the names are long This may seem not to agree with XXI 12. where it is said they removed from thence and pitched in the Valley of Zered near unto which in all probability was this Dibon-gad See what I have noted there Verse 46 Ver. 46. And they removed from Dibon-gad and encamped in Almon-Diblathaim See XXI 13. Verse 47 Ver. 47. And they removed from Almon-diblathaim and pitched in the Mountains of Abarim before Nebo We read no where when they came to this Mansion but it is plain they were not far from it when God bid Moses go into one of these Mountains and take a view of Canaan See XXVII 12. But this followed their last Mansion and therefore it is most likely this is the place mentioned XXI 20. See there Where I have observed other places mentioned v. 18 19. of which there is no notice taken in this Catalogue But they seem to have been placed where they only touched and made no encampment in them which is the thing of which Moses here gives an account Verse 48 Ver. 48. And they departed from the Mountains of Abarim and pitched in the plains of Moab c. See Chap. XXII 1. Verse 49 Ver. 49. And they pitched by Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth A place where there was a Temple in all likelyhood to some Deity For so Beth denotes in many Compositions as Beth-Peor the House or Temple of Baal on the top of Peor Beth-Astaroth and Beth-Baal-berith IX Judg. 4. And Beth-Shemesh is often mentioned where the Sun was worshipped And possibly Jeshimoth may be the same with Jeshimon XXI 20. Even unto Abel-Shittim c. Called simply Shittim XXV 1. which some fancy had the name of Abel added to it which signifies mourning because of that Lamentation which was made there by some for the grievous Sin there committed and by others for the heavy Punishment inflicted in that place But it seems to have been anciently Abel-Shittim before this time See there Ver. 50. And the LORD spake unto Moses in the Verse 50 Plains of Moab c. After he had prepared them for their entrance into Canaan he ordered the first and principal work they should there undertake Ver. 51. Speak unto the Children of Israel and say Verse 51 unto them when ye are passed over Jordan into the Land of Canaan Accordingly Moses did deliver this command unto them VII Deut. 1 2. Ver. 52. Then ye shall drive out all the Inhabitants Verse 52 of the Land from before you Not suffer them to dwell in the Land any longer but either destroy or expel them because they were abominable Idolaters devoted to extermination XXIII Exod. 33. XX Deut. 16 17 18. by whom the Israelites would have been in danger to be corrupted if they were not rooted out And destroy all their Pictures Or their Temples or Houses of Worship as Onkelos interprets it But others particularly the Hierusalem Targum understand it of the Idols or Statues set up in those Temples or some Representations of their Gods See concerning the Hebrew word Maskith XXV Lev. 1. And destroy their molten Images XXIII Exod. 24. XXXIV 13. for if they suffered them to remain they might be inticed to worship them These were Idols perhaps in publick places or private Houses out of their Temples And quite pluck down all their High-places They could not throw down the Mountains upon which the People of Canaan worshipped but the meaning is that they should cut down the Groves which were there planted and demolish all the Altars that stood in them For there were no other Temples at first but these Groves upon Mountains where the ancient Heathen worshipped the Sun Moon and Stars unto which they thought the Mountains approached nearer than the rest of the Earth and therefore their Sacrifices there would be most prevalent But of this I have said enough elsewhere Verse 53 Ver. 53. And ye shall dispossess the Inhabitants of the Land and dwell therein for I have given you the Land to possess it Yet he did not intend they should dispossess the old Inhabitants all at once but by degrees as he himself saith in XXIII Exod. 29 30. VII Deut. 22. Verse 54 Ver. 54. And ye shall divide the Land by lot for an Inheritance among your Families Follow the directions I have already given for the dividing of the Land after the old Inhabitants are expelled XXVI 53 55. And to the mo ye shall give the more Inheritance and to the fewer the less c. See XXVI 54 56. Verse 55 Ver. 55. And if ye will not drive out the Inhabitants of the Land from before you At the first they could not drive them all out nor was it God's design as I before observed Therefore Joshua would not attempt it while he lived but left several Nations or part of them unsubdued II Judges 21 23. Of which he himself takes notice a little before he died XXIII Josh 4 7. where he warns them to have nothing to do with them promising them that God would in time expel them quite v. 5. But when the Israelites grew slothful and cowardly and negligently suffered the People of Canaan to dwell among them and made Friendship with them as they did after Joshua and all that Generation were dead then followed what is here threatned in the next words Then it shall come to pass that those which ye let remain of them Voluntarily permit to live among you without indeavouring to dispossess them Shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides Bring very sore Calamities upon you as grievous and as mischievous as a wound made in the Eye which is a most tender part or in the side when a thorn sticks and festers in it Some are so curious as by the first part of these words pricks in your eyes to understand their being stimulated to Idolatry by beholding their Rites of Religion and Manner of Worship And the next they take to signifie the Effect of it in sharp Punishments which should befal them for their forsaking God Joshua
threatned the same before he died XXIII 13. Of which an Angel or Messenger of the LORD minded them II Judges 3. And so it came to pass as we read there v. 14. and throughout that whole Book And shall vex you in the Land wherein ye dwell Make you very uneasie nay sigh and groan in the good Land which God gives you by reason of their oppression II Judg. 18. IV. 3. VI. 6 c. Ver. 56. Moreover I will do unto you as I thought Verse 56 to do unto them As I purposed to do unto them i. e. make you their Slaves as they were to several People whom they served many years III Judg. 8 14. VI. 2. and many other places Or make you flee before them and at last expel you from the Land I give you CHAP. XXXIV Chapter XXXIV Verse 1 Ver. 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying In the same place where they were when he last spake to him for they made no other Removals till they marched for Canaan Verse 2 Ver. 2. Command the Children of Israel Charge them to take notice of this And say unto them when ye come into the Land of Canaan this is the Land that shall fall unto you for your Inheritance Having spoken to them concerning their dispossessing the Canaanites and dividing their Land among their Tribes it was fit to describe the Bounds of their Country that they might know whom they were to destroy and into whose Possessions they were to enter Even the Land of Canaan and the Coasts thereof The Land beyond Jordan and the Limits or Bounds thereof Verse 3 Ver. 3. Then your South quarter shall be from the Wilderness of Zin Mentioned in the foregoing Chapter v. 36. Along by the Coast of Edom. Which bordered upon this Wilderness XX. 1 14. And your South border shall be the utmost Coast of the Salt Sea From the very tongue of it as it is expressed XV Josh 2. where it appears this was the Portion of the Tribe of Judah The Salt-Sea is that which is called sometimes the Dead-Sea and in other Authors Lacus Asphaltites See XIV Gen. 3. The Hebrews call all great Lakes by the Name of Seas and this is called the Salt-Sea because the Water of it is very Salt or as some express it bitter and the Dead-Sea propter aquae immobilitatem as Justin speaks Lib. XXXVI because of the immoveableness of the Water which is never stirred by the greatest Winds See Vossius de Orig. Progr Idolal Lib. II. cap. 68. Eastward Where the Eastern and the Southern Border meet Ver. 4. And your Border That is this South Verse 4 Border Shall turn Not go on in a strait Line but bending toward the West From the South to the ascent of Akrabbim Or to Maale-Akrabbim a Mountain on the South-end of the Dead-Sea XV Josh 3. I Judg. 36. So called as Bochartus conjectures from the vast multitude of Scorpions found here From which Mountain also it is probable the Region called Acrabatena near to Idumaea had its name 1 Maccab. V. 3. See Hierozoicon P. II. Lib. IV. cap. 29. And pass on to Zin Either to a place called Zin or part of the Wilderness of Zin which lay on the South of the Land of Canaan XIII 21. And the going forth thereof shall be from the South That is still on towards the South as appears from what goes before and follows after To Kadesh-barnea From whence the Spies were sent to search out the Land and are said expresly to have gone up by the South XIII 22 26. And shall go on to Hazar-Addar Or to the Village of Addar as the Vulgar Latin renders it which seems to be justified by XV Josh 3. where it is simply called Addar There is indeed a place called Hezron joyned with it which may be thought to be the same with Hazar But so is another place also called Karkaa both which may as well be thought to be here omitted for brevities sake And pass on to Azmon A place lying on the west-West-end of the Mount of Edom. Verse 5 Ver. 5. And the border shall fetch a compass There shall be a greater turn than that mentioned v. 4. bending still more Westward From Azmon unto the River of Egypt By the River of Egypt is properly understood Nile and so Jonathan here renders the Hebrew word Nahal River by Nilus Which may seem to have taken its name from the word Nahal which the Ancients did not pronounce as we now do but called it Neel as we find in Epiphanius From whence Nilus was very easily made as Bochartus observes Hierozoic P. II. Lib. V. cap. 15. But if Nile be here meant it must be the more Northerly mouth of it where Pelusium stood See XV Gen. 18. And the goings out of it shall be at the Sea This Border ended at the Sea called the Great Sea in the next verse Verse 6 Ver. 6. And as for the Western border ye shall have even the great Sea That is the Mediterranean or midland Sea which lay on the West of Judaea And is called by the Hebrews the Great Sea in comparison with the Lake of Genesaret and Aspaltites which they also called Seas For your border On the West as it here follows This shall be your Western border From the River of Egypt as far as Zidon which was a part of the promised Land as appears from XIII Josh 6. I Judg. 31. All the Cities indeed on the shore of this Sea were held by the Philistines and others till the time of David but the Israelites had a right to them And the famous Rabbi Juda understands these words as if they should have the Western Ocean it self for their Portion as well as the Land adjacent to it For so he expounds these words as if Moses had said this shall be your Western Border viz. The Border of the Sea and the Isles near unto it And the Hierusalem Targum more plainly And let the great Sea be your Border i. e. the Ocean and the Isles thereof and the Cities and the Ships with the ancient Waters that are in the midst of it See Selden in his Mare Clausum Lib. I. cap. 6. where he alledges this as a proof that Men anciently thought they might have a Dominion over the Sea as well as the Land Ver. 7. And this shall be your Northern border from Verse 7 the great Sea From the Mediterranean which lay on the West Ye shall point out for you Mark out for your Direction Mount Hor. Not that Mount where Aaron died for that was on the South of the Land of Canaan towards Edom but this was diametrically opposite on the North of it And therefore must in all likelyhood be some part of Mount Libanus which with Antilibanus more towards the great Sea bounded the promised Land on the North. But there were several parts of Mount Libanus which were called by several Names and probably one of them was called Hor because of