25. which the Misna in Joma says was the Fat of the inwards only Ver. 28. Verse 28 And he that burneth them The Vulgar Latin I think rightly translates it Quicunque combusserit whosoever burneth them for there was more than one as I said before imployed in this business Shall wash his clothes c. Being defiled by touching the Sacrifices which were charged with so many sins as he that carried away the Scape-goat was v. 26. where there is the very same order in the same words Now when all this was done the Misna saith cap. 7. Joma sect 4. the High-Priest washed himself again and put on his white Robes which were proper to this day and went into the most holy place to fetch out the Censer with the Dish or Cup which he carrried in when he went to burn Incense v. 12 13. And when he came out from thence he washt and put on his golden Garments and offered Incense upon the golden Altar and trimmed the Lamps Which being done they brought him his own Garments which he wore constantly and when he had put them on they accompanied him to his House where he entertained his Friends with a Feast being come out of the Sanctuary in peace that is safe and in health For by shifting his Garments and washing so often he was in danger to catch Cold as we speak and they did sometimes fall into various Diseases upon this occasion as P. Cunaeus observes out of Maimonides L. II. de Repub. Hebr. cap. 14. and some died in the holy place not having performed the Service duly Which made it very reasonable that he and his Friends should rejoyce when he returned in health and safety Ver. 29. Verse 29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you Till the coming of Christ in whom all that these Sacrifices signified was accomplished who put an end therefore to this Legal Dispensation See XII Exod. 14. That in the seventh month When they had gathered in all the Fruits of the Earth and thereby had the more liberty to attend such a solemn Service Which was the reason perhaps why there were more Solemnities appointed in this Month than in any other Month in the Year as appears from XXIII of this Book It had been anciently also the first Month of the year being the Month it 's likely wherein the World was created But upon the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt the Month Abib by God's special command was ordered to be the first Yet not absolutely but only in respect of that which was most eminent viz. for the Ecclesiastical Account For as to their Civil or Temporal Affairs the seventh Month Tisri still retained the precedence On the tenth day of the month The Arabians imitated this calling the Fast of the Tenth day of the Month Moharram by the name of Ashura which is exactly the Ashor tenth day here mentioned by Moses from whom these People derived it before the appearance of Mahomet Who finding the Jews when he came to Medina fasting upon this day Ashura askt them the reason of it who told him as the Mahometan Writers report it was in remembrance of Pharaoh's being then drowned in the Red Sea whereupon he said I have more to do with Moses than you and thereupon commanded his Followers to fast on this day See Dr. Pocock upon Abal-Farajius concerning the Manners of the Arabians p. 309 310. But this is plainly an idle Tale invented by him or his Followers for the Jews would rather have feasted than fasted upon the day of such a Deliverance But it shows that this Day was remarkable among the Jews and solemnly observed by them wheresoever they were and was chosen by God rather than any other Day of the Month if we may believe Maimonides More Nevoch P. III. cap. 43. because it was the day on which Moses came down from the Mount with the second Tables in his hand and proclaimed to the People the Remission of their great Sin in worshipping the golden Calf in memory of which it was ordered to be intirely a Day of Repentance and of Divine Worship Ye shall afflict your souls By Fasting and Abstinence not only from all Meat and Drink but from all other Pleasure whatsoever Insomuch that they might not wash their Faces much less anoint their Heads nor wear their Shoes nor use the Marriage Bed nor read if their Doctors say true any portion of the Law which would give them delight For example the story of their coming out of Egypt and leading them through the Red Sea c. so far is the Mahometan story from having any colour of truth It is likely also that to increase their Grief they rent their Clothes as they did in other Fasts in after times put on Sackcloth girded it close to their Flesh sprinkled Ashes on their heads c. Which were all intended no doubt to work in them an inward sorrow for all their sins with an hearty abhorrence of them and resolution to mortifie and abstain from them For though the word Soul be generally expounded the sensitive part of us which is afflicted by fasting as the Prophet Isaiah expounds this Phrase LVIII 3 5. yet it is absurd to think that God was pleased with this alone without that inward Compunction of Mind which made them break off their sins by righteousness which the Prophet there declares was the only acceptable Fast to the LORD The Hebrew Doctors here observe that they did not afflict little Children on this day by making them fast from all Food till they were of the Age of Eleven years But only taught them what they were to do when they came of Age that they might be accustomed to the Precept See Joma cap. 8. sect 4. And do no work at all Not only abstain from all Pleasure but from all Labour whatsoever nothing being to be done upon this day but Confessing of Sins and Repentance as Maimonides expresses it in the place before-mentioned Whether it be one of your own Country or a Stranger that sojourneth among you The Hebrew word Ezrach is extant only here and XXIII 42. which signifies as much as one that had his original among them being born an Israelite as it is there expressed The opposite to which is gher a Stranger we translate it one that was of another Nation but had embraced the Jewish Religion and lived among them who in the New Testament is called a Proselyte Ver. 30. Verse 30 For on that day shall the Priest make an atonement for you If upon this day they afflicted and humbled their Souls as Conr. Pellicanus glosses with fasting and prayer and anguish for their sins with alms also beseeching God's mercy with tears and sighs in sackcloth and ashes resting from all servile works and devoted wholly to the LORD To cleanse you From all the Transgressions and Sins mentioned v. 16. from which both the High-Priest and his Family and all the People were to be purged on this
by doing such things as were not perhaps directly against the Law yet made him lose all his Authority See Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. juxta Disc Hebr. cap. 10. But I will be hallowed among the Children of Israel Either by the observation of his Laws or by punishing those who transgressed them For so this phrase is used X. 3. I am the LORD which hallow you Have separated you to my self as a special People from all others by Laws different from theirs and more excellent Ver. 33. Verse 33 That brought you out of the Land of Egypt to be your God And moreover distinguished you from all others by singular Benefits particularly by delivering you from the most grievous Slavery that I might make you a happy People I am the LORD When you remember my benefits remember I am your Soveraign who expect your Obedience CHAP. XXIII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying All the Laws in this Chapter were delivered at one time not long after the former Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel Who were highly concerned to observe all the Solemnities enjoyned in this Chapter in such a manner as God required And say unto them concerning the Feasts of the LORD It hath been anciently observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Syrians were great lovers of Feasts Which made it the more reasonable if they were so in Moses his days that the Israelites who were to be their Neighbours in the Land of Canaan should have so many Feasts appointed them weekly monthly and yearly all in honour of their God From whence they are called Feasts of the LORD But this word MOED which we translate a Feast properly signifies an Assembly And so Mr. Thorndike would have it here translated because the name of Feasts is proper to those Solemnities which are to be celebrated with joy and chearfulness whereas under this general word Moed is comprehended the Day of Atonement which is one of the Assemblies here named v. 27. but was no Feast being to be observed with the greatest Humiliation and Affliction that could be expressed He therefore exactly translates these words in this manner The Assemblies of the LORD for the word concerning is not in the Hebrew which ye shall proclaim for holy Convocations these are my Assemblies See Religious Assemblies Chap. II. All that can be said for our Translation is That the Day of Atonement being a Day of Rest from all Labour it may go under the Name of a Feast in opposition to working days Which ye shall proclaim Or call by the sound of the Trumpet which the Priests were to blow upon these days X Numb 10. To be holy Convocations The same Hebrew Mikra which here signifies a Convocation signifies also reading VIII Nehem. 8. For on these days they were called to Assemble together to hear the Law read to them as well as to offer Sacrifice and make their Prayers to God with Thanksgivings for his Benefits Even these are my Feasts Or my Assemblies as I said before the first of which was the Sabbath then the Passover Pentecost the beginning of the New Year the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles which are all contained under the general word Moed and none besides Ver. 3. Verse 3 Six days shall work be done They were allowed all these for any sort of business wherein they pleased to employ themselves But the seventh day is the sabbath of rest See XX Exod. 9 10. XXXI 15. This was the greatest of all Solemnities appointed for Assemblies returning once every week and therefore is set in the head of all the rest from which it seems to be distinguished v. 37 38. And accordingly in the next Verse having here mentioned this as a day by it self he begins to reckon the Feasts or Assemblies of the LORD And the reason why this day was made a Sabbath of Rest was because God himself then rested from his Works In memory of which they were to keep this Day free from all Labour that the belief of the Creation of the World might be fixed in their Minds or as Maimonides phrases it More Nevoch P. II. cap. 113. A belief that nothing is coevous with God Whence that saying of theirs mentioned by Aben-Ezra whosoever doth any work upon the Sabbath-day denies the work of the Creation Ye shall do no work therein They were commanded so to rest on this day from all bodily labour as not to kindle a fire to dress the meat they eat upon it which is not required upon any other day but only this and the great Day of Expiation v. 28 30. Concerning these two days alone it is said Thou shalt do no work upon it but of the days of other Assemblies no more is said but this Thou shalt do no servile work therein v. 7 8 c. that is only such work as they were wont to put their Slaves to do was prohibited For though they might not bake nor boil their Meat on the Sabbath-day XVI Exod. 23. nor on the day of Expiation v. 28. of this Chapter yet on other Solemn days they might make provision for their Tables XII Exod. 16. where Aben-Ezra notes of none of the solemn Assemblies besides the Sabbath and the day of Atonement it is said NO MANNER OF WORK only of the Passover he saith it and addeth an exception of the Meat of the Soul that is what was requisite for the Sustenance of Nature As our Mr. Thorndike observes in the place before quoted It is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwelings To be kept holy in honour of the LORD by every man wheresoever he dwelt For they had Synagogues for Worship in all their Towns though most of the other Assemblies could be held only in the place where the Sanctuary and afterwards the Temple was whither all their Males went up thrice a year at the great Festivals Aben-Ezra therefore thus glosses upon these words IN ALL YOUR DWELLINGS in your Land and out of your Land at home and upon the way To show that the Command XXXV Exod. 3. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitation upon the Sabbath-day was to be observed not only whilst they lived upon Manna in the Wilderness when God gave them a double portion on the sixth day that they might prepare it against the Sabbath XVI Exod. 5.29 but in all places wheresoever they dwelt afterwards Ver. 4. Verse 4 These are Feasts of the LORD Now follow the Solemn Assemblies which are to be kept by this Ordinance of mine besides that of the Seventh day which was celebrated from the beginning This looks like a Title to all that insues Even for holy Convocations Solemn Mettings of the People who were called together to celebrate the Mercies of God with Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and Publick Rejoycings Such there were in all Nations who had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeks called them general Assemblies of all
his Temple Service Chap. XIV sect 2. Dr. Owtram de Sacrificiis Lib. I. cap. 8. n. 6. And J. Wagenseil upon Sota cap. 2. Annot. 11. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD They did not offer the Corn green in the Ears as I observed in the foregoing Verse but parcht dried ground and searsed and then they waved a Tenth-deal of the Flour which came from the Sheaf as a present to the LORD of the whole Earth To be accepted for you To procure God's Blessing upon the rest of the Harvest and that they might have liberty to use the Corn it produced which it was not lawful for them to do till the First-fruits were given to God On the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it We are not to understand by the Sabbath the Seventh days Rest which was the Opinion of the Sadducees as R. Levi ben Gersom tells upon the fifth of Joshua but the day here mentioned v. 7. which was a kind of Sabbath because no Servile work might be done therein And therefore this morrow after the Sabbath was the sixteenth day of Nisan or the next day to the first of Unleavened Bread So the LXX translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the morrow after the first and Josephus more plainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. on the second day of Vnleavened Bread which is the sixteenth day of the Month c. Lib. III. Antiq. cap. 10. This was the first of the fifty days which they reckoned till Pentecost v. 15. and was the day on which Manna ceased when they came into Canaan because then they eat of the Fruits of that Country V Josh 10 11 12. And indeed it was not lawful for them as I said before to eat of the Fruits of the Earth till after the Passover because then the Sheaf of the First fruits was waved which consecrated the rest of the Corn. And so God continued Manna to them till they had other Food to eat Ver. 12. Verse 12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he-lamb without blemish c. Though this day was not so holy as the first day of Unleavened Bread yet it was a part of the Festival and was called Moed katon a lesser Solemnity as all the rest of the days were between the first and the seventh And therefore a special Offering is here ordered upon this day besides the daily Burnt-Sacrifice and besides the Sacrifice which was appointed v. 8. to be offered upon every one of the seven days Ver. 13. Verse 13 And the Meat-offering thereof shall be two Tenth-deals of fine flour c. I observed before upon the second Chapter v. 1. that all sorts of Bread might be offered to God as being a very ancient Sacrifice and commonly used at every Table for which reason Wine also is here ordered but it was to be simple Wine not mixed as was the Heathenish Custom Salt also was added II. 13. as common at all Tables but no Honey nor Leaven which Mens Superstition had introduced and therefore expresly forbidden in that place v. 11. as it did also Milk and Herbs and Leaves of Trees not a word of which is to be found in the Law of Moses But here it is observable that he commands two Tenth-deals of fine Flour to be offered whereas one Tenth was the common Meat-offering XXIX Exod. 40. Because as one of them was a necessary attendant on the Lamb mentioned before v. 12. so the other was in honour of the day which was a lesser kind of Festival And the Drink-offering thereof shall be of wine the fourth part of a hin Here is not a double proportion of Wine ordered but the usual quantity because perhaps this was a Thanksgiving only for their Corn not for their Vintage which came afterwards Ver. 14. Verse 14 And ye shall eat neither bread nor parched corn nor green ears until the self same day that ye have brought an offering to your God It was not lawful for them to reap and therefore not to eat any of the Fruits of the Earth till the forenamed First-fruits were offered as an acknowledgment to the Donor of them For nothing was more just and equal all Men thought than to give some part to him who gave to them all they had and in the first place to give him his due before they took any thing to themselves The Romans in this expressed the sense of all Mankind who as Pliny tells us Lib. XVIII cap. 2. Ne gustabant quidem novas fruges aut vina antequam Sacerdotes primitias tibassent did not so much as taste of their Corn or Wine till the Priests had offered the First-fruits It shall be a statute for ever c. As long as their Polity lasted In all your dwellings Throughout the whole Land of Canaan Ver. 15. Verse 15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath From the sixteenth day of Nisan or the second day of Unleavened Bread which was the morrow after the Sabbath v. 11. From the day that ye brought the sheaf of the Wave-offering This is added only as a fuller description of the time from which they were to count Seven Sabbaths shall be compleat Seven whole Weeks reckoning that day from which the account begun for the first day of the first of those Weeks which made XLIX days in all Maimonides thinks it was for the honour of this great Day of Pentecost that they were to count the days till it came just like a Man saith he who expects his best Friend is wont to tell the days and hours till he arrive More Nevoch P. III. c. 43. And therefore the present Jews begin this Supputation with a solemn Prayer saying Blessed art thou O LORD our God the LORD of the World who hast sanctified us with thy Precepts and commandest us to number the days of Harvest and this is the first day And thus they go on to pray till the seventh day when they add Now there is one Week and so they proceed in the same Prayers to the Evening of Pentecost Which Feast they not being able now to keep as the Law appoints they pray to God every day after they have done counting that he would restore Jerusalem and the Temple and then they promise to do all that is here prescribed And this counting in some places is performed publickly in their Synagogues yet so that every Master of a Family is bound every Night to do it at home See Buxtorf Synag Judaica cap. 20. Ver. 16. Verse 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days The next day after the seventh Sabbath or Week made just fifty days from which this Feast was called Pentecost and in the Old Testament the Feast of Weeks because it began the next day after the seven Weeks before-mentioned XXXIV Exod. 22. And ye shall offer a new Meat-offering to the LORD Viz.
c. subjoyning these words Blessed be God who hath hitherto preserved us in life and brought us unto this time When all was ended the People said with a loud voice these words of the Psalmist LXXXIX Psal 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O LORD in the light of thy countenance See Buxtorf Synag Jud. cap. 24. Such blowing with Trumpets was used by the Gentiles particularly in the Solemnities they observed in honour of the Mother of the Gods One whole day which was the second being spent in blowing of Trumpets as Julian tells us in his fifth Oration upon this Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 168. Ver. 25. Verse 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein It was a very Solemn Day like the Day of Pentecost v. 21. and others before noted on which they might only make provision for their Meals XII Exod. 16. which were wont to be very liberal upon this day And among other Dishes they serve up to the Table a Ram's head in the memory of that Ram which was sacrificed in the room of Isaac which they fancy was upon this day But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD About which Directions are given afterwards XXIX Numb 2 c. For it was not to be a Day of Rest meerly but of Religion Ver. 26. Verse 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The following Precept is of great moment which makes this Preface to be set before it Ver. 27. Verse 27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement This hath been explained XVI 29 30 31. It shall be an holy convocation to you On which they were to assemble to humble themselves before God as it here follows And ye shall afflict your souls See Chapter XVI I shall only add That the Jews fancy this Solemn day of Fasting was appointed partly to avert those Diseases which were wont to be rife in the Autumnal Season and this day chosen rather than any other that they might express their Grief at that time when the Sin of the Golden Calf was committed And offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD A Burnt-offering about which Directions are given in XXIX Numb 8. Ver. 28. Verse 28 And ye shall do no work on that same day See v. 3. and XVI 31. For it is a day of atonement Set apart wholly for this work which is at large described in the XVIth Chapter To make an atonement for you before the LORD your God First the Priest made an Atonement for himself and his Family XVI 6 c. and then for the People and for the holy place c. v. 15 16 33. Ver. 29. Verse 29 For whatsoever soul he be that shall not be afflicted on that day he shall be cut off from among his people The Affliction here spoken of consisted chiefly in abstaining from all manner of Food as the Jews make account from one Evening to the next In which time if any Man eat to satisfie his Appetite that is above the quantity of a Date he was in danger to be cut off by the hand of God I suppose So they say in Joma cap. 8. n. 2. Besides which there were four other Mortifications for no Man was to put on his Shoes nor anoint himself nor wash his Face nor enjoy his Wife See Buxtorf Synad Jud. cap. 26. Ver. 30. Verse 30 And whatsoever soul he be that doth any work in that same day the same soul will I destroy from among his people The two great things required on this day being to Afflict themselves and to rest from Labour they who transgressed either of these Commands are threatned to be cut off and that by God himself as this Verse teaches us to Expound the foregoing Ver. 31. Verse 31 Ye shall do no manner of work It shall be a statute for ever c. This is repeated again because it was a thing of such high importance that they should wholly attend to the business of this great Day which was a Day of Humiliation and Repentance and making their Peace with God And as the Jews themselves observe there was no Man so good but he had offended in some thing or other and besides they were to Afflict themselves for the Sins of the whole Body of the Nation Ver. 32. Verse 32 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest As the weekly Sabbath was v. 3. when they did not meerly rest from Labour but imployed themselves in the Divine Service as v. 8. I observed they did on other Sabbaths of lesser strictness And this the Heathens themselves could discern that the design of their Festivals which were Days of Ease and remission of Labours was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to withdraw the Mind from Human Imployments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so a Man may have leisure to turn his Mind towards God Which is a most Divine saying of Strabo which I think I have noted before but cannot be too oft repeated Lib. X. Geograph p. 467. And ye shall afflict your souls in the ninth day of the month at even They kept the High-Priest on the Even of the Day of Expiation from eating much because it would make him sleepy as they tell us in Joma cap. 1. n. 4. Where our learned Sheringham observes that the Evening before is called the Even of the Day of Expiation because they began the Fast before the setting of the Sun so that the whole Evening belonged to the following Sabbath By which these two places XVI 29. where it is said they shall Afflict their Souls on the tenth day and this Verse which saith on the ninth day which seem to clash one with another may be easily reconciled For they began to afflict themselves in the conclusion of the ninth day and ended the Fast in the conclusion of the tenth See Menasseh ben Israel Quest 4. ad Lev. From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath This justifies what was just now said That this Day began in the Even of the ninth day and continued till the Even of the tenth Your Sabbath So this day was called because no manner of work might be done on this day no more then on the Seventh or weekly Sabbath v. 31. And so it is called by the Prophet LVIII Isaiah 13. Ver. 33. Verse 33 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The same Preface is prefixed to this as to the rest because it was one of the three greatest Solemnities appointed by God in remembrance of his Benefits See v. 39. Ver. 34. Verse 34 The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD It was to begin on the fifteenth day and continue seven days as the Feast of Unleavened Bread did The design of this Feast is thus expressed by Maimonides who compares it with the Passover Which served saith he More Nevoch P. III. c. 43.
but such only as were without blemish nor any other Sacrifices be offered but such as were every way perfect and only such Feasts observed as are mentioned in the foregoing Chapter he proceeds now to give order for the daily Service of God in the Sanctuary which was not yet settled till the Princes had all made their Offerings c. VII Numb 1 2 c. VIII 1. Ver. 2. Verse 2 Command the Children of Israel that they bring unto thee The daily Sacrifices were to be maintained at the publick Charge and so were the Incense and the Lamps and therefore it was proper to speak to all the People in whose name the Priests performed all these things to take care they should be furnished with them See XXX Exod. 13 c. Pure Oil-olive beaten for the light to cause the Lamps to burn continually All this hath been explained XXVII Exod. 20. where this order was first given and now is commanded to be put in execution It is not improbable that the Oil to make it more pure and free from all Dregs passed through two Strainers into the Lamps as Fortunatus Scacchus indeavours to make out Myrothec I. Elaiochris Sacr. 10. Ver. 3. Verse 3 Without the vail of the Testimony c. This is a short expression which in XXVII Exod. 21. is delivered more fully without the Vail which is before the Testimony that is before the Ark. Shall Aaron order it He or his Sons as it is explained in XXVII Exod. 21. From the evening unto the morning The Hebrew word Boker properly signifies that part of the Morning which is from break of day till Sun-rise and the other word Arvaim the Evening after Sun-set till it be dark Therefore very early in the Morning and late at Night the Priests were to look after the Lamps Before the LORD continually For the Lamps burnt on one side of the Sanctuary as the Table stood on the other side with the Shew-bread on it and both of them before the LORD i. e. before the Ark of the Testimony where the Divine Majesty dwelt XXV Exod. 30. XXVI 35. It shall be a statute for ever c. XXVII Exod. 21. Ver. 4. Verse 4 He shall order the Lamps upon the pure Candlestick The Candlestick was made of pure Gold XXV Exod. 31. XXXVII 17. and thence seems to be called the pure Candlestick XXXI Exod. 8. But here it is possible Moses may have respect to the making it clean every day before the Lamps were lighted Before the LORD continually See XXX Exod. 7 8. Ver. 5. Verse 5 And thou shalt take fine flour Of the best Wheat And bake twelve Cakes These are called the Bread of the Presence which we translate Shew-bread in the place now named XXV Exod. 30. where see what I have noted They were prepared by the Levites 1 Chron. 9.32 XXIII 29. and were in number XII to represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel as continually before God i. e. under the care of his gracious Providence Nor was this number diminished after the Apostacy of Ten Tribes from the Worship of God at the Tabernacle but still Twelve Cakes were set before the LORD because there were a remnant of true Israelites among them 1 Kings XXX 18. and this was a constant Testimony against those Apostates and served to turn them back to the right Worship of God at that place where they were assured they and their Sacrifices would be acceptable and no where else Which made Abijah mention this to Jeroboam and the Ten Tribes among other things that should induce them to repent of their forsaking God and his dwelling place where he tells them The Priests the. Sons of Aaron minister and the Levites wait on their business And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening Burnt-sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also set they in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of Gold with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening c. See 2 Chron. XIII v. 9 10 11 c. Two tenth deals shall be in one Cake That is two Omers for an Omer was the tenth part of an Ephah XVI Exod. 36. Where we likewise read v. 22. that every Israelite while they were in the Wilderness gathered just his his quantity against every Sabbath On which day these Cakes being set upon God's Table as it here follows v. 8. Dr. Lightfoot thinks both the Measure and the Time were designed to put the Israelites in mind of their Sustenance in their Wilderness Ver. 6. Verse 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows c. One upon another as the Hebrew Writers expound it Who say also that they were set length-wise cross over the breadth of the Table and that they were ten hand-breadths long and five broad and seven fingers thick See Dr. Lightfoot's Temple Service Chap. 14. sect 5. Vpon the pure Table It was called pure because it was overlaid with pure Gold XXV Exod. 24. and we may be sure was kept very clean and bright Before the LORD Who dwelt in the most holy place before which the Bread was set Ver. 7. Verse 7 And thou shalt put pure Frankincense The best that could be got unmixed with any thing else And there was no better in the World than their neighbouring Countries afforded Vpon each row On the top of each row of Cakes there was set a golden Dish with an handful of Frankincense therein That it may be on the bread Or for the bread That is offered unto God instead of the Bread which was to be given to the Priests who waited on him at his Table for their portion For a memorial For an Acknowledgment of God and of his Soveraignty over them and to beseech him to be always gracious to them See Chap. 2. v. 2. and to represent also as Conradus Pellicanus understands it that God was ever mindful of his People and had a great love to them for the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous and his ears open to their prayers Even an offering made by fire unto the LORD The Frankincense being set upon the Bread they seem to be considered as one thing part of which was to be offered unto God and the rest to be given to his Ministers Now instead of the Bread which was the principal the Frankincense was burnt every Week unto the LORD when the Bread was eaten by the Priests Which Bread it is evident v. 9. is called one of the Offerings of the LORD made by fire because this Frankincense which stood upon it all the Week was burnt as an Oblation to him Ver. 8. Verse 8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually The Shew-bread was prepared the Evening before and then on the Sabbath four Priests went in to fetch away the old Loaves and Frankincense that had stood there all the Week before and other four followed after them to carry new ones and Frankincense in their stead For two of
â—hen they were all carried Captive they only numbred the rest of every seventh year without any Jubile It shall be a Jubile unto you Whence this year hath the name of Jobel there are so many Opinions that Bochartus himself scarce knew which to follow Josephus saith it signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberty and the LXX and Aquila translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remission having a regard to the thing rather than to the import of the word Jobel which never signifies any thing of that nature D. Kimchi tell us that R. Akiba when he was in Arabia heard them call a Ram by this name of Jobel and thence some fancy this year was so called because it was proclaimed with Trumpets of Rams-horns But what if there were no such Trumpets as Bochart thinks there were not these Horns being not hollow See Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 43. p. 425 c. where several other Opinions are confuted The most probable that I meet withal is that it was called Jobel from the peculiar sound which was made with the Trumpet when this year was proclaimed For the Trumpet blowing for several purposes viz. to call their Assemblies together to give notice of the moving of their Camps to excite Souldiers to fight and to proclaim this year there was a distinct sound for all these ends that People might not be confounded but have a certain notice what the Trumpet sounded for And this sound mentioned before v. 9. was peculiarly called Jobel as Hottinger thinks who considers a great many other Opinions in his Analecta Dissert III. wherein he follows Joh. Forsterus who near an hundred years before observed that Jobel which we commonly translate Trumpet XIX Exod. 13. and other places doth not signifie the Instrument it self but the sound that it made And when it is used absolutely alone it signifies this year which was called Jobel from that sound which was then made as the Feast of Unleavened Bread was called Pesach from the Angel passing over them when he slew the Egyptians The Opinions of the Hebrew Writers about it are collected and largely represented by Josephus de Voisin Lib. I. de Jubilaeo cap. 1. And ye shall return every man unto his possession Unto his Field or his House which his Poverty had forced him to sell but now was restored to him without any price because they were not sold absolutely but only till this year By which means the Estates of the Israelites were so fixed that no Family could ruin it self or grow too rich For this Law provided against such Changes revoking once in fifty years all Alienations and setting every one in the same Condition wherein they were at the first By which means Ambition was retrenched and every Man applied himself with affection to the improvement of his Inheritance knowing it could never go out of his Family And this application was the more diligent because it was a religious duty founded upon this Law of God And ye shall return every man unto his family From which he had been estranged by being sold to another Family either by himself or by his Father or by the Court of Judgment So here are two parts of the liberty fore-named more expresly declared Their Land which was alienated returned to the first Owner and such as were sold for Servants into another Family came home again to their own Family being freed from their Servitude Which was a figure of that acceptable year of the LORD as St. Luke calls it IV. 19. in the Prophet Isaiah's Language wherein our blessed Saviour preached Deliverance to all Mankind The Jews themselves are not so stupid as to thinâ— nothing further was intended but only freedom from bodily Servitude in this year of Jubile for Abarbanel himself in this very Verse indeavours to discover something of a Spiritual Happiness For the former part of the words now mentioned Ye shall return every man to his possession he saith belong to the Body but the latter part And every man unto his family belongs to the Soul and its return to God So several others whom J. de Voisin produces in the forenamed Book cap. 2. And if our Dr. Lightfoot hath made a right Computation the last year of the Life of our Saviour who by his Death wrought an Eternal Redemption and restored us to our heavenly Inheritance fell in the year of Jubile the very last that was ever kept For if we count from the end of the Wars of Canaan which was seven years after they came into it and I do not know why we should not think they began to number then and not seven years after as Maimonides would have it there were just fourteen hundred years to the thirty third of Jesus Christ that is just XXVIII Jubiles And it is the Confession of the old Book called Zohar as he observes That the Divine Glory should be freedom and redemption in a year of Jubile See Harmony of the New Testament sect 59. And Vsserij Chronologia Sacra cap. 13. Ver. 11. Verse 11 A Jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you It is a question whether the year of Jubile was the year following the forty ninth year or the forty ninth year was the Jubile which reckoning the foregoing Jubile for one was the fiftieth year Josephus Scaliger in his fifth Book de Emend Temporum and several other great Men are of this last opinion to avoid a great inconvenience which otherwise would ensue viz. That the forty ninth year being the Sabbatical year in which the Land was to rest if the next year to that had been the Jubile two Sabbatical years would have come immediately one after another for the Land was to rest in the year of Jubile as it here follows One would have expected therefore that in the forty eighth year there should have been a special Promise that the Land should bring forth Fruit for four years and not for three only as the Blessing is promised every sixth year v. 21. Thus Jacobus Capellus reasons in his Historia Sacra Exotica ad A. M. 2549. But others think this Objection not to be so great as to make them depart from the letter of this Law which saith v. 10. Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and here in this Verse A Jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you Though a very learned Man P. Cunaeus thinks this is of no great moment either way for it is usual in common speech Septimanam octidum appellare and Hospinian in like manner we call a Week octiduum eight days because we reckon utramque Dominicam both the LORD's days And the greatest Writers anciently called an Olympiad which contained but the space of four compleat years by the name of Quinquennium See Lib. I. de Republ. Judaeorum cap. 6. Yet besides the express words of the Law the Consent of the Jews sways very much the other way for they accurately distinguish between the Schemitta or Year of
A COMMENTARY UPON THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS BY The Right Reverend Father in GOD SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCVIII A COMMENTARY UPON LEVITICUS THE Third Book of MOSES CALLED LEVITICUS CHAP. I. THE Greeks and Latins give it this Name of LEVITICUS not because it Treats of the Ministry of the Levites properly so called of which the Book of NUMBERS gives a fuller account than this Book doth but because it contains the Laws about the Religion of the Jews consisting principally in various Sacrifices the charge of which was committed to Aaron the LEVITE as he is called IV Exod. 14. and to his Sons who alone had the Office of Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi Which the Apostle therefore calls a Levitical Priesthood VII Hebr. 11. Verse 1. Verse 1 And the LORD called unto Moses That is bad him draw near and not be afraid because of the Glory of that Light which was in the Tabernacle XL Exod. 35. For this is a word of love as the Hebrew Doctors speak who observe that God is not said to call the Prophets of the Gentiles but we only read that God jikar met Balaam not jikra called to him as he did here to Moses Who as Procopius Gazaeus hath well observed upon this word appointed no Service of God in his House which he had lately erected without his order whereas the Worship performed in the honour of Daemons was without any Authority from him Nay there were Magical Operations in it and Invocation of Daemons and certain tacit Obligations which their Priests contracted with them For which he produces Porphyry as a Witness And spake unto him but of the Tabernacle Hitherto he had spoken to him out of Heaven or out of the Cloud but now out of his own House Into which it is not here said he bad him come as he did afterwards when the Glory of the LORD dwelt only in the inner part of the House over the Ark but he stood it is likely without the Door of the Tabernacle till the Sacrifices were appointed as it here follows and the High Priest entred into it with the Blood of Expiation I can find no time in which this can so probably be supposed to have been done as immediately after the Consecration of the Tabernacle as soon as the Glory of the LORD entred into it And so I find Hesychius understood it who observing this Book to begin with the word And which is a Conjunction used to joyn what follows with that which goes before thence concludes that the beginning of this Book is knit to the conclusion of the last and consequently what is here related was spoken to Moses on the same day he had set up the Tabernacle and the Glory of the LORD filled it When Moses might well think as the Hierusalem Targum explains it that if Mount Sinai was so exalted by the Divine Presence there for a short space that it was not safe for him to approach it much less come up into it till God commanded him he had much more reason not to go into the Tabernacle which was sanctified to be God's dwelling place for ever till God called to him by a Voice from his Presence nay he durst not so much as come near the Door where I suppose he now stood without a particular Direction from the Divine Majesty Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them The Tabernacle being erected it was fit in the next place to appoint the Service that should be performed in it which consisted in such Sacrifices as are here mentioned in the beginning of this Book There could not be a more Natural order in setting down the Laws delivered by Moses than this which is here observed If any man of you bring It is the Observation of Kimchi that in the very beginning of the Laws about Sacrifices God doth not require them to offer any but only supposes they would having been long accustomed to it as all the World then was To this he applys the words of Jeremiah VII 21. and takes it for an Indication that otherwise God would not have given so many Laws concerning Sacrifices but only in compliance with the usage of the World which could not then have been quite broken without the hazard of a Revolt from him And therefore they are directed to the right Object the Eternal God and limited to such things as were most agreeable to Humane Nature An offering unto the LORD The Hebrew word Korban which we translate an Offering and the Greeks translate a Gift is larger than Zebach which we translate a Sacrifice For as Abarbinel observes in his Preface to this Book though every Sacrifice was an Offering yet every Offering was not a Sacrifice A Sacrifice being an Offering that was slain but there were several Offerings of inanimate things as those mentioned in the beginning of the second Chapter of this Book which therefore were not properly Sacrifices but were accepted of God as much as the Offering of Beasts when they had nothing better to give And therefore the same Abarbinel will have the Name of Korban to be given to these Offerings because thereby Men approached to God For it is derived from a word which signifies to draw near from whence he thinks those words in Deuteronomy IV. 7. What Nation is there that hath God so nigh unto them c. Ye shall bring He speaks in the Plural Number say some of the Hebrew Doctors who have accurately considered these things to show that two Men might joyn together to offer one thing Your offering of the Cattle I do not know what ground Maimonides had to assert in his More Nevochim Pars III. cap. 46. that the Heathen in those days had brute Beasts in great veneration and would not kill them for it is no Argument there was such a Superstition in Moses his time because there were People in the days of Maimonides as there are now who were possessed with such Opinions But he thinks God intended to destroy this false Perswasion by requiring the Jews to offer such Beasts as are here mentioned that what the Heathen thought it a great sin to kill might be offered to God and thereby Mens sins be expiated By this means saith he Mens evil Opinions which are the Diseases and Ulcers of the Mind were cured as Bodily Diseases are by their contraries Yet in the XXXII Chapter of that Book he saith God ordered Sacrifices to be offered that he might not wholly alter the Customs of Mankind who built Temples and offered Sacrifices every where taking care it may be added at the same time that they should be offered only to himself at one certain place and after such a manner as to preserve his People from all Idolatrous Rites Which if they had considered who contemned this Book of LEVITICUS as Procopius Gazaeus tells us some did
sorts before they were two He shall offer it of his own voluntary will In this Translation we follow the Opinion of the Jews who refer this to the Persons that brought this Offering which they might do when they pleased The like expressions we read XIX 5. XXII 19. But the LXX thought it hath respect to God and so the Phrase may be interpreted he shall bring it for his acceptation i. e. that he may find a favourable acceptance with God At the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where the Altar of Burnt-offering was placed XL Exod 6 29. And this was so necessary that it is required upon pain of death to be brought hither and offered in no other place XVII 3 4 c. For which cause it is likely the Door of the Tabernacle is here mentioned rather than the Altar that it might be understood to be unlawful to offer at any other Altar but that which stood at the door of the Tabernacle Before the LORD With their Faces towards that holy place where the Divine Majesty dwelt unto whom the Sacrifice was brought and at the door of the Tabernacle received by the Priest from the hand of the Offerer Ver. 4. Verse 4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the Burnt-offering Both his hands as some gather from XVI 21. and as Maimonides saith he was to do it with all his might This was a Rite belonging to Peace-offerings as well as to Burnt-offerings III. 2. and to Sin-offerings also IV. 4. The meaning of which in this sort of Offerings seems to have been that he who brought the Sacrifice renounced all his Interest in it and transferred it wholly to God unto whose Service he intirely devoted it It being like to the old Ceremony among the Romans who laid their hands upon their Servants when they gave them their Liberty and abdicated their own Right in them saying Hunc hominem liberum esse volo I will that this Man be free which was called Manumission In other Offerings it had another meaning as I shall observe in due place and it was imitated by the Gentiles though not without the addition of impious Superstitions For they wreathed back the Head of the Beast upward when they sacrificed to the Gods above and thrust down its Head towards the Ground when they sacrificed to their Infernal Deities as J. Brentius hath observed in his Preface to this Book And it shall be accepted for him to make an atonement for him It shall be so acceptable as to recommend him to the favour of the Divine Majesty For so the Hebrew word Capher seems here to signifie not properly to make an Atonement which was the business of a Sin-offering but to own him to be in a state of Reconciliation with God unto whom he was supposed to give up himself wholly as he did this Beast The Jews indeed who stick to the literal signification of the word fancy that these Burnt-offerings expiated evil Thoughts and Desires but there is no ground for this in Scripture and the most that can be made of it is that God accepted his Prayers which he made in general for the forgiveness of all his sins when he laid his Hand upon the Head of this Sacrifice For it must be here observed that Laying on of Hands was always accompanied with Prayer as appears by Jacob's laying them on the Head of Manasseh and Ephraim XLVIII Gen. 14 16 20. and the High-Priest laying them on the Scape-goat XVIth of this Book 21. Insomuch that laying on of hands signifies sometimes in the New Testament to pray XIX Matth. 15. V Mark 23. and other places But if a Man had committed any sin there are other Sacrifices peculiarly appointed by the Law for their Expiation which he was bound to offer with confession of sin and prayer to God for pardon Ver. 5. Verse 5 And he shall kill the Bullock That is the Man himself who brought it as Rasi interprets it or one of the Levites as others understand it For they killed the Paschal Lamb at that great Passover mentioned 2 Chron. XXX 17. as Bochart observes But he should have added the reason of it which Rasi there gives that a great many of the Congregation having not sanctified themselves as we read in that place therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passover for every one that was not clean to sanctifie them unto the LORD Otherwise every Man might kill his own Passover XII Exod. 6. as they might do all their other Sacrifices For certain it is this was none of the works of Priests as Maimonides shows in a passage mentioned by Dr. Cudworth in his Book concerning the Lord's Supper p. 27. out of Biath Hammik-dath Where he quotes this very place to prove That the killing of the holy things might lawfully be done by a Stranger yea of the most holy things whether they were the holy things of private Persons or of the whole Congregation The common Objection to this is That none might come into the Court where the Altar was but the Priests To which the Answer is plain That upon this occasion other Persons might come so far within the Court be cause it was indispensably necessary that the Man who brought the Sacrifice should lay his hand upon the Head of it which was to be done at the Altar when it was to be slain Before the LORD See v. 3. And the Priests Aarons sons shall bring the blood Now begins the work of the Priests the receiving of the Blood and that which immediately followed belonging to their Office They received it in a Bason XXIV Exod. 6. as the manner also was among the Heathen which our learned Sheringham observes upon Codex Joma p. 85. out of Homer's Odyss L. III. where Thrasymedes is represented as cutting the Ox asunder with a Cleaver and Perseus as receiving the Blood in a Bason which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A word used in Crete as Eustathius notes for such kind of Vessels which some think was originally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the receiving of the Blood And sprinkle the blood round about upon the Altar c. That this might be done readily one Priest received the Blood and another took it from him and sprinkled it about the Altar or as the Jews understand it on every side of the Altar which they performed by two sprinklings at the opposite Corners of it Which was a Rite also used in Peace-offerings and Trespass-offerings but in Sin-offerings the Blood was poured out at the foot of the Altar See VII 2. Thus the Heathen also themselves took care the Blood of their Sacrifices should not run upon the ground but be received as I said in Vessels prepared for that purpose and then poured upon their Altars and so offered and consecrated to their Gods So Lucian in his Book of Sacrifices represents the Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as pouring the Blood upon the
Altar See Dilheirus Disput Philolog Tom. 2. p. 253. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And he shall flay the Burnt-offering Next followed the taking off the Skin which God ordered to be given to the Priests VII 8. Though the Heathen burnt Skin and all in some places as Bochart observes out of Plutarch and Lucian in the fore-named place Hieroz P. I. L. II. p. 324. But whose work it was to flay the Beast is not here expressed The Jews say it belonged not to the Priests to do this but to the Man himself who brought the Beast to be offered For to show in brief what belonged to the owners of the Sacrifice and what to the Priests it may be fit to note out of Abarbanel that each of them had five things to do The Owner of the Sacrifice laid his hand upon it killed flayed cut it up and washt the inwards And then the Priest received the Blood in a Vessel sprinkled the Blood put fire on the Altar ordered the Wood on the fire and ordered the pieces of the Sacrifice upon the Wood. And that the Beast might more easily be flayed there were eight Stone Pillars as the Jews tells us in Middoth cap. 3. and Beams laid over them in each of which there were three Iron hooks fixed That the greater Beasts might hang upon the highest the lesser upon the middlemost and the least of all on the lowest and so be more commodiously stript of their Skins Concerning this Excoriation both Homer and Virgil speak as the afore-named Dilheirus hath observed in the same Book p. 255. And cut it into pieces This followed the Excoriation among the Gentiles also as the same Author shows And it was done with such accuracy that Homer saith they dissected the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence some great Men have thought St. Paul borrowed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to express the Care the Ministers of the Gospel should have in dividing rightly the Word of Truth 2 Tim. II. 15. These pieces were not the very same in Bullocks and Goats that they were in Sheep as will appear afterwards and therefore the greater care was to be used in the cutting of them especially when besides those parts which were offered to God the Priests and the People were to have their share also Ver. 7. Verse 7 And the sons of Aaron the Priest shall put fire upon the Altar This as I said before was one of the works of the Priests who did not put fire daily upon the Altar for being once kindled they were to keep it always burning VI. 13. but stirred it up and blowed the Coals Which is meant by giving fire as the Phrase is in the Hebrew that is disposing it so that it might burn quick Yet if the fire was taken off from the Altar as when they removed the Camp IV Numb 14. none might lay it on again but the Priest Or if it were extinct as it was in the days of Ahaz who shut up the door of the House of God which was not opened till Hezekiah reigned 2 Chron. XXVIII 24. XXIX 34. none but they might kindle it again And lay the wood in order upon the fire This the Priests did every Morning and every Night that the fire might be preserved from going out And when the time of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice came they brought new Wood and laid it in such order upon the fire that it might the better consume the parts of the Sacrifice that were laid thereon Ver. 8. Verse 8 And the Priests Aarons sons shall lay the parts the head and the fat The Hebrew word Peder doth not simply signifie the Fat for which they have another word cheleb but that Fat which is separated from the rest of the Flesh So it is to be understood here and in III. 9. IV. 35. Which being gathered together and thrown into the fire fed the flame and made it burn more fiercely by which means the other parts into which the Sacrifice was divided were the more easily and the sooner consumed Particularly St. Hierom takes it for that Fat which adhered to the Liver and both Solomon Jarchi and David Kimchi observe that this Peder was thrown upon the Head of the Sacrifice when it was cast into the fire just in the place where the Head was cut off from the Body because otherwise the Gore which issued from it might have extinguished the flame See XXIX Exod. 17. In order upon the wood c. That they might lye upon the Wood so as to have the same situation in the Altar that they had in the Beast when it was alive So Maimonides in Maase Korban cap. 6. Verse 9. Verse 9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water These Parts were not to be burnt upon the Altar till they were well cleansed by washing them in Water For which end there was a private Room afterward in the Court of the Temple as now it is likely there was in the Tabernacle called the Washing Room as we find in Codex Middoth cap. 5. sect 2. There they having washed them privately and freed the Inwards from their filth they brought them into the Court where there were new Marble Tables between the Pillars before-mentioned v. 6. and there they were washed more exactly as we read in the same Book cap. 3. sect 5. Where Const. l'Empereur observes out of R. Hobadia the reason why they used to lay the Flesh upon such Tables was Because Marble made it cold and stiff and preserved it from stinking in very hot weather And the Priest shall burn all on the Altar From whence this Sacrifice is called ischeh an Offering made by fire from isch which signifies fire because it was altogether consumed in the fire and no part of it left so much as for the Priest to eat of it Of a sweet savour unto the LORD i. e. Most acceptable For it is a form of Speech taken from Men who are delighted with the good Scent and Taste of Meat and Drink But none can reasonably imagine it was the meer Sacrifice that was pleasing unto God but as Conrad Pellicanus well notes the Devotion Faith Obedience and Sincerity of their Minds who made the Oblation Ver. 10. Verse 10 And if his offering be of the flocks namely of the sheep or of the goats c. If a Man were not able to bring a Bullock for a Burnt-sacrifice which could not be so well spared being of great use in Agriculture he might bring one of these Creatures which were of less value only perfect in their kind as it here follows He shall bring it a male without blemish See XII Exod 5. What the Blemishes were that made any Animal unfit to be offered on the Altar Moses tells us in this Book XXII 22 23 24. where he mentions twelve which shall be there considered Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he shall kill it on the side of the Altar
different from the Oblation of First-fruits mentioned v. 12. For there they are called Resith which signifies the First-fruits at Harvest time but here Bichurim which properly imports the first ripe fruits before the rest were ready And therefore the manner of their Oblation was different from the former which follows in the Conclusion of this Verse And first he describes what he means by the First-fruits which he calls Abib i. e. full Ears of Corn but as yet green and moist which he saith therefore in the next place must be dried by the fire and then bruised and beaten in a Mortar or with a Mill and they were to be brought out of the richest or fattest of their Fields for so the last words seem to signifie Geresh Carmel which we translate Corn beaten out of full Ears for Carmel sometimes signifies a fruitful Field XXXII Isa 15. and therefore may very well be thought in this place to import the largest Ears of tender Corn. And the intention of its Contusion seems to have been that it might be reduced into Flour as it might easily be after it had been dried by the fire And therefore differed from that Meat-offering mentioned v. 1. only in this that the former was Flour of old Corn this of new and that was fine Flour sifted from the Bran this had nothing taken out of it but remained as it came from the Mortar or the Mill. And so the LXX seem to have understood it There are those indeed who think it was only thrashed out of the Husk and so offered and fancy also that from this word Geresh the Goddess called Ceres had her Name among the Gentiles Which last Conceit is the stranger since they endeavour to have it thought that the Jews derived this Custom of offering First-fruits from the Gentiles and not the Gentiles from the Jews Whereas the Gentiles had no such Custom that I can find as this to offer the First-fruits of Green Corn but only the First-fruits of their Harvest which they called Novas fruges of which the Romans thought it unlawful to taste antequam Sacerdotes primitias libassent before the Priests had offered the First-fruits as Pliny tells us Lib. XVIII cap. 2. and Censorinus saith the same cap. 1. de Die Natali Or if they did offer any First-fruits before Corn was ripe they boiled them in a Pot but did not rost them in the fire as is here directed For so Hesychius seems to say that in the Feast called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was in the Month that Answers to our April they offered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First-fruits that appeared out of the Ground which they carried about i. e. in Pots as other Authors tell us And Hesychius himself saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified a Pot full of Sacred Decoction Ver. 15. Verse 15 And thou shalt put oil upon it c. See v. 1. And the Priest shall burn the memorial of it part of the beaten corn thereof and part of the oil and all the frankincense All the rest that was not burnt was the Priests portion except the Frankincense which is here ordered to be intirely offered to God See v. 2. and made this and such like Offerings be called an Offering of a sweet savour unto the LORD v. 2.9 12. It is an offering made by fire unto the LORD See upon v. 9. CHAP. III. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace-offering Having given orders about whole Burnt-offerings in the first Chapter and Meat-offerings which had something of that Nature in them in the second he proceeds to Peace-offerings which in the Hebrew are called Schelamim from the word Schalam either as it signifies Retribution or Peace and Concord They that take it in the first sence think the reason of the name to be from this That God the Offerer and the Priest had each of them their portion assigned to them of this Sacrifice And they that follow the second sence do not much differ when they say That these Sacrifices were Symbols of Friendship between God and the Priests and those that brought them for all these feasted at a Common Table as R. Levi ben Gersom expresses it For part being offered on the Altar and the Priest having taken his share the rest was given to him that offered the Sacrifice So that it was called a Peace-offering saith Abarbanel in his Preface to this Book because it made Peace or rather declared Peace between the Altar the Priest and the Owner But they seem to me to have given the best account of this who because Peace in their Language signifies Prosperity and Happiness think these were called Peace-offerings because they were principally thankful Acknowledgments of Mercies received from God's Bounty For there being three sorts of them mentioned VII 15 16. that of Thanksgiving is the first called Totheh Acknowledgment of some Benefit received The Gentiles called such Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as appears from many places of Dionys Halicarn L. VI. L. VIII where there are these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particularly in the Life of Agesilaus where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a perfect Description of such Sacrifices as are here appointed with part of which they entertain'd their Friends They are also called by those Writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially when they had respect to any great Danger they had escaped for which they offered these thankful Acknowledgments The LXX calls such Sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If he offer it of the herd whether it be a male or female A whole Burnt-offering was to be only of a Male for being wholly Gods and offered purely for his Honour it was to be of the very best I. 3. But Peace-offerings being also for the profit of him that offered them who had the greatest share of them it was at his liberty whether he would offer a Male or a Female Directly contrary to the Egyptian Customs if they were the same now that they were in the time of Herodotus who saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not lawful among them to sacrifice Females L. II. cap. 41. He shall offer it without blemish c. See I. 3. Ver. 2. Verse 2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering The Man who brought the Offering was to lay his hand upon the Head of it as was ordered in the whole Burnt-offering and Sin-offering See Ch. I. v. 4. It might not be done by a Deputy unless he was Heir to one that had vowed this Sacrifice and died before he had performed it in which case the Heir was to do what the Man himself should have done if he had been alive as Maimonides observes In this Sacrifice laying on of hands seems to have been done not only with Prayer to God that he would accept the Oblation which the Jews say always accompanied this
Action but with acknowledgment of those Mercies which were the occasion of it So Conradus Pellicanus well glosses upon I. 4. which may be best applied to the use of this Rite in Peace-offerings Laying on of Hands signifies Devotion and Faith with acknowledgment of the Divine Benefits for which we cannot offer any thing of our own but rather return and restore to him what we have received that we may understand giving of Thanks to be the greatest of our Sacrifices And kill it See ch I. v. 5. At the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation These being the lesser holy things as the Jews call them were not offered as the whole Burnt-offerings and Sin-offerings were on the North-side of the Altar See ch I. v. 11. but any where else near to the Entrance of the Tabernacle which was in the East where the others were thrown out and therefore a less holy place Only in laying on of hands every Man was bound wheresoever the Sacrifice was killed to turn his Face Westward toward the Sanctuary because then as I said he made certain Prayers and Acknowledgments to the Divine Majesty which was always to be done in that posture And Aarons sons the Priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the Altar round about See ch I. v. 5. Ver. 3. Verse 3 And he shall offer One of the Priests then in waiting at the Altar Of the sacrifice of the peace-offerings c. After the Sacrifice was flayed and cut up as is directed I. 6. The fat that covereth the inwards That is the Omentum as the Latins call it and hath much fat in it See XXIX Exod. 13. And all the fat that is upon the inwards All the Fat which adheres to the Mesentery and other Entrails Ver. 4. Verse 4 And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them The Kidneys are noted by Aristotle to have more Fat about them than any of the other Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. III. de Animal cap. 9. Being so covered with it that in dissecting of a Body the Kidneys at first sight are not to be perceived as Anatomists observe particularly our own Country-man Dr. Highmore Which is by the flanks The Hebrew word Cesilim signifies the Loyns as Bochart hath demonstrated in his Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. c. 45. which have collops of fat upon them as Eliphaz speaks XV Job 27. and thence are easily inflamed XXXVIII Psal 7. And the caul above the liver The Hebrew word jothereth signifies the greatest Lobe of the Liver See XXIX Exod. 13. It shall he take away Separate from the rest of the Flesh to be offered on the Altar For all the Fat here mentioned was God's portion of the Sacrifice the Priest had the Breast and the right Shoulder and he that brought the Offering had the rest as will appear more fully VII 15 c. 31. 32 c. Ver. 5. Verse 5 And Aarons sons Some of those that Minister that day Shall burn it on the Altar upon the burnt-sacrifice By the Burnt-sacrifice seems here to be meant the daily Sacrifice which was burnt every Morning after which this was to be offered but not before it Which is upon the wood that is on the fire The same wood upon which the Burnt-sacrifice had been offered would serve to burn this Fat Which being intirely consumed as the Holocausts were it is called in the following words an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD See ch 1. v. 9. That is God was pleased graciously to accept of their pious Acknowledgments the Offerings of these Inwards being as if he that brought them had said I will pour out my Soul unto the LORD in Thanks and Praise for the Benefits he had received So Abarbanel explains it in his Preface to this Book Ver. 6. Verse 6 And if his offering c. be of the flock i.e. Of Sheep or Goats which are both comprehended under the word Flock as was noted before ch 1. v. 2. Male or Female See v. 1. Where I observed a difference between these Sacrifices and whole Burnt-offerings in this respect that either Male or Female were accepted for Peace-offerings but Male alone for the other To which may be added that Birds were allowed for whole Burnt-offerings I. 14 15 c. but not for Peace-offerings which were only of the Herd or Flock i. e. of Bullocks Sheep or Goats The reason seems to be plain because Peace-offerings being to be divided between God the Priest and him that brought them the portion of each would have been so small that it would have made the Feast upon it so very meagre and jejune that it would have been contemptible He shall offer it without blemish It was at his choice whether he would bring it from the Herd or the Flock but in its kind it was to be perfect See chap. I. 3 9. Ver. 7. Verse 7 If he offer a lamb for his offering Though a Bird was not accepted for a Peace-offering yet a Lamb was though not of such value as a fat Sheep or a Goat Then shall he offer it before the LORD This seems to be meant of the Man's presenting it to be offered at the Altar Ver. 8. Verse 8 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering c. This whole Verse is only a direction to do with a Peace-offering of a Lamb or Sheep as they were to do with that of a Bullock v. 2. Ver. 9. Verse 9 And he shall offer of the Sacrifice of the Peace-offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD As was directed in the Offering of a Bullock v. 3. The fat thereof and the whole rump The whole Fat being to be offered as was ordered also before he enumerates the particulars because in this was more Fat than in other Sacrifices of this kind For the whole Rump of a Sheep was to be offered to God though not of a Bullock nor a Goat And the reason was because in those Countries the Tails of their Sheep are so vastly big that as Golius and others assure us the least of them weigh ten or twelve pound and some exceed forty pound weight and they are so very fat that they melt the Fat and keep it to butter their Rice and for other uses as Bochartus observes in his Hierozoicon P. I. L. II. cap. 45. It shall he take off hard by the back-bone The Hebrew word Atzah which we translate the Back-bone denotes that part which is next to the Tail or Rump and therefore must signifie that which Galen calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is a Bone at the extremity of the broad Bone called Os Sacrum confisting of three Cartalaginous parts as he describes it And the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards See v. 3. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them c. This Verse is explained above v. 4. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the
Priest shall burn it upon the Altar As he did the Fat of the Bullock v. 5. It is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD That which was offered upon the Altar was accounted God's Mess as appears from I Malachai 12. where the Altar is called his Table and the Sacrifice upon it his Meat as here it is called his Bread or Food To represent in a lively manner to them that God dwelt and as we say kept House among them and that they who partaked of these Sacrifices feasted with him upon his Provision See upon XXV Exod. 8 30. Ver. 12. Verse 12 And if his offering be a Goat c. The Law concerning this Sacrifice is the very same with the former except what is ordered about the Rump of a Sheep and this and the following Verses 13 14 15. need no farther Explication Ver. 16. Verse 16 And the Priest shall burn it upon the Altar it is the food of the offering c. See before v. 11. All the fat is the LORDS That is all the Fat before-mentioned which may more properly be translated the Suet. For that Fat which was a part of the Flesh might be eaten as appears from many places particularly XXXII Deut. 14. but not that which only lay upon it and might be separated from it which was burnt upon the Altar when they sacrificed either Bullock Sheep or Goat And when they killed any of these or other clean Creatures for their Food at home still they were to forbear to eat the Suet partly out of reverence to God whose portion it was at the Altar and partly because it was heavy and too strong a Food as Maimonides takes it More Nevochim P. III. cap. 48. And it seems therefore to have been offered upon the Altar because it was so unctuous that it would easily burn and make the Flesh also consume the sooner But from its being God's part it came thence to signifie the very best and most excellent of any kind of thing As the best of the Tithe is called the Fat of the Tithe XVIII Numb 17. and the best Corn is called the Fat of the Wheat LXXXI Psal 16. and rich and powerful Men are called the Fat upon Earth as the chief and principal part of the People XXII Psal 29. Ver. 17. Verse 17 It shall be a perpetual statute In force as long as this Law about Sacrifices shall last For your generations For their Posterity as well as them who received this Law in all succeeding Ages Throughout all your dwellings that ye eat neither fat nor blood This confirms what was said before that they might not eat such Fat as is before-mentioned at home as their ordinary Food because it is said throughout all your dwellings ye shall eat no fat And Fat being joyned with Blood is another argument that they might no more eat the Suet of Beasts that were killed at home for common use than the Blood of such Beasts From which they intirely abstained for the foregoing reasons as Maimonides observes in the Book fore-named and for another also which he mentions in the XLVIth Chapter of it Where he saith The ancient Idolaters called Zabij were wont to eat the blood of their Sacrifices because they imagined this to be the Food of their Gods with whom they thought they had such Communion by eating of their Meat that they revealed to them things to come And in this R. Moses bar Nachman concurs with him as Dr. Cudworth observes in the conclusion of his Treatise of the Right Notion of the Lord's Supper For though he saith that Blood was forbidden because it served for Expiation in which he differs from Maimonides yet he adds also that it was used superstitiously by the Heathen in their Idolatrous Worship where they partaked of the Blood with their Daemons as being their Guests and invited to eat with them at their Table And so were joyned in faederal Society with them and by this kind of Communion enabled to prophecy and foretel things to come CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying Having directed him about whole Burnt-offerings and Meat-offerings which constantly attended some of them and Peace-offerings which supposed Men to be in a state of favour with God he now proceeds to give order about the Expiation of their Sins when they had offended him by doing contrary to his Commands which he continues to the 14th Verse of the Vth Chapter And this Law about Sin-offerings seems to have been delivered to Moses at a different time from the former being about a different matter but by a Voice speaking to him out of the Tabernacle as before ch I. 1. Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto the Children of Israel saying If a soul shall sin through ignorance c. There are three Conditions expressed in this Verse of the Sin for which the following Sacrifice was admitted First It was to be committed ignorantly not wittingly and presumptuously Secondly It was for Sin against a negative Precept as the Jews call them i.e. such a Commandment as forbad something to be done So it is said here expresly Concerning things which ought not to be done As for the omission of such things as were commanded to be done they might be performed some other time when Men had better bethought themselves which was much more acceptable to God than offering Sacrifice for the omission And thirdly It was for Facts committed not for Words or Thoughts so the last words are and shall do against any of them As for the sins which Men might imprudently commit in word and in thought they were so many that the whole Flocks and Herds would not have sufficed for their Expiation nor the Altar contained all such Sacrifices The Jews add a fourth Condition That the Sacrifice here appointed was for such Facts as if they had been committed wittingly a Cereth i. e. cutting off was threatned to them by the Law which they gather from XV Numb 30. But that phrase with an high hand seems not to signifie any sort of sin but a certain manner of sinning as when a Man despised God's Commandments and brought Contempt upon the Law by his sins as a very learned Friend of mine now with God hath observed And therefore it is probable all sins committed ignorantly were expiated by the following Sacrifices save only those which are appointed to be expiated by other Sacrifices or after another manner See Dr. Owtram de Sacrificiis L. I. cap. 12. n. 2 3 4. Ver. 3. Verse 3 If the Priest that is anointed do sin And first he prescribes the Sacrifice which he who was to make the great Expiation for all the People should offer for himself viz. the High-Priest who only of all the Priests was constantly anointed at the entrance of his Office And if after he was put out of his Office he committed any such sin as is here mentioned he was to make this Offering for his Expiation
peace-offerings that pertain unto the LORD By these last words it appears that the whole Offering was the LORD's whose Bounty entertained him and his Friends to whom he gave the greatest part of it Having his uncleanness upon him c. In this Verse and in the next every one that had any legal defilement upon him is prohibited under a severe Penalty to eat of the Peace-offerings And they might be made unclean either by impurity in their own Body or by the contact of unclean things of the former of which he speaks in this Verse and of the other in the next Both were to be punished with cutting off which hath been explained elsewhere XVII Gen. 14. From whence it was that the Jews were so very careful not to go into the Judgment-Hall when our Saviour was condemned lest they should be defiled but that they might eat the Passover XVIII John 28. at which Feast Peace-offerings were offered together with the Paschal Lamb. See more of this XXII 2 3 4. Ver. 21. Verse 21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing as the uncleanness of man or any unclean beast or any abominable unclean thing All these several sorts of Uncleanness contracted by touching things unclean we shall find in the following Chapters XI c. And shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings which pertain unto the LORD even that soul shall be cut off c. The intention of such Precepts was that the greater Reverence as Maimonides speaks P. III. More Nevoch cap. 41. might be maintained towards the Sacrifices which were offered unto God Upon which account Julian highly commends Moses who he saith as St. Cyril quotes his words Lib. IX contra Julian was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly religious about the eating of holy things which he proves from these very words of Moses But his conclusion from thence was very frigid as St. Cyril calls it That Christians were therefore to blame because they would not partake of such Sacrifices for we abstain not from them saith that Father as unclean things but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we rather make a progress as from Types unto the Truth Ver. 22. Verse 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying At the same time that all these Precepts were ordered to be delivered to the Priests he takes occasion to repeat several Precepts he had before given which concern all the People because it was of great moment to have them observed Ver. 23. Verse 32 Speak unto the children of Israel saying ye shall eat no manner of fat Because this was God's part and therefore not to be eaten by any one but burnt on his Altar See III. 16 17. And the reason Maimonides gives why it was reserved for him alone was because it was very delicious to the Taste More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. Of Ox or of Sheep or of Goat The Jews restrain this Precept to these three sorts of Creatures which were the only Beasts that were offered at the Altar taking the Fat of all other Beasts to be lawful So R. Levi before-mentioned Praecept CXLIX Ver. 24. Verse 24 And the fat of the beast Of any of the fore-named Beasts which alone were allowed in Sacrifices That dieth of it self and the fat of that which is torn with Beasts may be used in any other use c. Though the Flesh of such Beasts was unclean yet they might apply the Fat when separated from the Body to any use only they might not eat it Ver. 25. Verse 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD This seems to justifie the Opinion of those Jews who restrain the eating of Fat only to the three sorts of Creatures mentioned v. 23. as was there observed Even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people If he did it presumptuously but if through inanimadvertence he was to be scourged as the Jewish Doctors affirm Yet if he did it a third time scourging did not suffice but they shut him up in a little Cave where he could not stand upright nor had room to sit down and there fed him with the Bread and Water of Affliction till his Bowels were sorely pinched c. as Maimonides describes this punishment See Schickard's Mischpat Hammeleck and Carpzovius his Annot. on him cap. 2. Theorer VII Ver. 26. Verse 26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood whether it be of fowl or of beast See III. 17. Men were very prone to this in those times as Maimonides thinks whereby they ran into Idolatrous Worship Which was the reason God restrained them from it by threatning cutting off v. 27. to those who were guilty of it More Nevoch P. III. cap. 41. In any of your dwellings This is added to signifie that they might no more eat of the Blood of those Beasts which they killed at home than of those slain at the Altar Ver. 27. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood even that soul shall be cut off c. The reason of it is given XVII 10 11. But the Jews here distinguish particularly R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CXLVIII between the Blood of the Soul or the Life as they speak and the Blood of a Member The former which run out freely when the Beast was killed in which was the Life of the Beast is that which is here meant as Moses more fully explains it in the place before-mentioned The other which remained in the several parts of the Beast they lookt upon as belonging to the Flesh and therefore might be eaten with it Ver. 28. Verse 28 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying He delivered at the same time some other Rules to be observed by the People in these Matters See v. 22. Ver. 29. Verse 29 Speak unto the children of Israel saying He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings The meaning may be no more than this that before he and his Friends feasted together as is directed v. 15 c. he was to take care to bring his Oblation unto the LORD that is to see that God had his part of the Peace-offering for till that was offered none could meddle with the rest But if the import of the Hebrew words be well observed they seem to have a further meaning which is that whensoever any Man brought the Sacrifice which in the Hebrew is here called Zebach of his Peace-offerings he should also bring his Oblation which in distinction from the other is called Korban that is a Mincha or Meat-offering together with it that the Feast which was to be made might be compleatly furnished with Bread and Wine as well as the Flesh of the Sacrifice Ver. 30. Verse 30 His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire the fat with the breast it shall he bring The Sacrifice being
slain and divided the Priest was to put what belonged unto the LORD into the Man 's own hands viz. the Fat with the Breast and the Shoulder that he might present it himself unto the Divine Majesty That the breast may be waved for a wave-offering before the LORD This is the manner wherein it was to be presented the Man was to lift it up over his head and wave it to and fro his hands being supported and guided by the Priest See XXIX Exod. 24. and VI Numb 19 20. Maimonides describes the order of it in this manner first the Priest put into the Man's hands the Fat and then laid upon it the Breast and the Shoulder and after that one of the pieces of the Cakes for the Meat-offering upon them all which he waved about Ver. 31. Verse 31 And the Priest shall burn the fat upon the Altar but the breast shall be Aarons and his sons When that part which belonged to God's Altar viz. the Fat had been burnt there the Priests had the Breast and the Shoulder to their own use as Servants have what comes from their Master's Table For it was all offered unto God v. 29 30. who taking only the Fat for himself bad them take the rest viz. the Breast and the Shoulder which had been presented unto God by waving them to and fro as a Sacrifice to the LORD of the World but by him bestowed upon his Ministers for their maintenance in his Service This is more fully expressed in the three next Verses in which there is no difficulty and therefore I shall but lightly touch them Ver. 32. Verse 32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the Priests c. This is only a more particular declaration what belonged to the Priest who was to have not only the Breast before-mentioned but also the right Shoulder Ver. 33. Verse 33 He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings and the fat shall have the right shoulder for his part This is still a more special direction providing for the incouragement of that Priest who on that day ministred at the Altar unto whom the right Shoulder was appropriated as a reward of his pains in offering the Sacrifice Ver. 34. Verse 34 For the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifice of their peace-offerings and have given them to Aaron and his sons c. This doth not contradict what I observed just before for when he saith he hath given these to Aaron the Priest and his Sons the meaning must be to those of his Sons who at the time when these were offered sprinkled the Blood and burnt the fat Ver. 35. Verse 35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron and of the anointing of his sons c. In the Hebrew the words are This is the anointing of Aaron c. That is this they have in right of their Unction to the Priest's Office which intitles them to all before-mentioned In the day The Hebrew word Bejom may both here and in the next Verse be translated as I observed before VI. 20. from the day and ever after When he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the Priests office Made them draw near to attend upon him at his Altar Ver. 36. Verse 36 Which the LORD commanded to be given them in the day that he anointed them c. By virtue of a Grant from God when they were made Priests to enjoy this benefit in all future Ages By a statute for ever c. As long as this Law of Sacrifices and this Priesthood shall last See VI. 22. Ver. 37. Verse 37 This is the law of the burnt-offering of the meat-offering and of the sin-offering and of the trespass-offering c. This Verse contains a Summary of what he had commanded Aaron and his Sons from the ninth Verse of the sixth Chapter unto this place And of the Consecrations The whole order of their Consecration is not here directed but in XXIX Exod. only something belonging to that matter VI. 20 c. Ver. 38. Verse 38 Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai In that mountainous Country which lay near to Mount Sinai as Maimonides truly expounds it For he was come down from Mount Sinai and had delivered to them all that he received there XXXIV Exod. 29 32. before these Commands were given but they still continued near unto it and so the word behar may be translated by mount Sinai For as the last words of this Verse tells us they were still in the Wilderness of Sinai that is in that part of the Wilderness which took its name from its nearness to Mount Sinai In the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD c. This doth not precisely signifie that he commanded Aaron and his Sons VI. 9 c. all these things on the very same day that he commanded the Children of Israel what Oblations to bring Chapt. I. 2 c. but they were delivered all at the same time immediately after the other without any other Commandments intervening CHAP. VIII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying See IV. 1. Ver. 2. Verse 2 Take Aaron and his sons with him Having delivered the Laws and Rules about Sacrifices and the Rites belonging to them he now prepares the Priests to offer them as had been commanded And there is not much said in this Chapter but what hath been explained in XXIâ— Exod. and other neighbouring Chapters where he relates the Orders he received in Mount Sinai about those things which were now performed And the garments XXVIII Exod. 2 4. And the anointing oil XXX Exod. 24 c. And a bullock for the sin-offering and two rams and a basket of unleavened bread See XXIX Exod. 1 2 3 c. These were in their kind the very best of the legal Sacrifices as appears in part from that Expression of the Psalmist LXIX Psalm 30 31. where he prefers Thanksgiving and Praise before a Bullock that hath Horns and Hoofs a young Bullock which began to spread its Horns and Hoofs that is before the very best of all their bloody Sacrifices Ver. 3. Verse 3 And gather thou all the Congregation together c. All the Elders of the People with the great Officers who were set over Thousands and Hundreds c. For these are frequently called by the Name of Col ha Edah which we translate all the Congregation particularly in XXV Numb 7. XXXV 12. XX Josh 6. XXI Judg. 10 13 16. where the Elders of the Congregation and the Congregation and all the Congregation are plainly the same thing Which is further confirmed from the next Chapter of this Book v. 1. where it is said expresly Moses called Aaron and his Sons and the Elders of Israel Ver. 4. Verse 4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded Summoned them to appear before the LORD And the assembly
was gathered together The word we translate Assembly is the same with that in the foregoing Verse which we translate Congregation that is as I said the Assembly of the Elders Vnto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation That they might be Witnesses of what was done and satisfie all the People that Aaron and his Sons did not intrude themselves into this Office but were solemnly called and consecrated to it by Moses the Servant of the LORD It is likely also that as many of the People as the place would conveniently hold met together to be Spectators of this Solemnity Ver. 5. Verse 5 And Moses said unto the Congregation this is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done I am now about to execute what God hath formerly commanded when I was with him in the holy Mount XXIX Exod. 4. At what time this was executed is a question among learned Men. And our great Primate of Ireland places this Consecration of Aaron and his Sons together with the Tabernacle and all things belonging to it in the second Month of the second Year after they came out of Egypt moved thereunto I suppose by what is said in VII Numb 1 2. So that according to his Opinion the numbring of the People and the separation of the Levites to God's Service preceded this Action But I do not see any reason why we should not think all things were done in the order wherein they are here related And then this Consecration was performed in the first month of that year after the Tabernacle had been erected and set apart for the Habitation of the Divine Majesty See XL Exod. 17 18. Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons To the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation as he had been directed XXIX Exod. 4. And washed them with water As is there also directed having first likewise washed himself XL. 31. Ver. 7. Verse 7 And he put upon him the Coat and girded him with the girdle c. Moses by an extraordinary Commission from God performed the Office of an High-Priest on this day and the six days following And put Aaron in possession of this Office by cloathing him with the Garments here mentioned according to the orders which had been given XXIX Exod. 5 c. which was thought sufficient for the Consecration of an High-Priest after the Captivity of Babylon when they wanted the holy Oil as hath been before observed Whence Philo often calls Moses by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. High-Priest And in Schemoth Rabba the Tradition is that he continued High-Priest all the time they continued in the Wilderness though others they confess are of opinion which is the truth that he officiated only the seven days of the Consecration after which this Office was settled in Aaron See Selden L. I. de Succession in Pontificatum cap. 1. Ver. 8. Verse 8 And he put the breast-plate upon him also he put in the breast-plate the Vrim and the Thummim See XXVIII Exod. 30. It is observable that he saith nothing here in this place of the precious Stones but only mentions Vrim and Thummim as in XXXIX Exod. 10. where he describes the same thing he makes mention only of the four rows of Stones but saith not one word of Vrim and Thummim which I look upon as a proof that they were all one Ver. 9. Verse 9 And he put the Mitre upon his head and upon the Mitre the golden Plate the holy Crown c. According as God commanded him in XXVIII Exod. 36 37 c. XXIX 6. Ver. 10. Verse 10 And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the Tabernacle and all that was therein See XXIX Exod. 26 c. and XL Exod. 9 10 11. There being several ways of anointing a Thing or Person either by pouring Oil upon them or by putting it upon them with the finger or by sprinkling it is not an improbable Conjecture of Fortunatus Scacchus that Moses anointed the Tabernacle and its Utensils by dipping his finger in the Oil and putting it upon them For though the word Maschah which he useth for anointing be general yet the Vulgar expressing it by linivit and the LXX by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which import this particular sort of anointing and there being different words used to express the anointing of the Altar and of Aaron it may well incline one to his Opinion Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism cap. 70. And sanctified them Set them apart by this unction for the holy use for which they were designed Ver. 11. Verse 11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the Altar seven times and anointed the Altar and all its vessels c. We do not find this expresly before directed but the intention of anointing the Altar being to make it most holy because it was to sanctifie all that was laid upon it XXX Exod. 29. XL. 10. it was very fit it should be both sprinkled seven times with Oil and also anointed in token of its extraordinary Sanctity which was put upon it by this very solemn Rite For here are two distinct words about this anointing the first is jaz he sprinkled of the Oil upon it and then jimshach he anointed it by putting some of the Oil on it whereas it is said of the Tabernacle and of the things there only jimshach he anointed them without any sprinkling Some think that the Altar being mentioned twice in this Verse he speaks of the Altar of Incense as well as of the Altar of Burnt-offerings But it is plain by those places in Exodus it was the Altar of Burnt-offerings which was thus sanctified and here the Laver and its foot which stood in the same Court is said to be sanctified with it As for the Altar of Incense it is included in what is said in the foregoing Verse that he anointed the Tabernacle and all therein Both the laver and his foot to sanctifie them It may be thought that he sprinkled with Oil the Laver and its Foot as well as anointed them which is the opinion of the fore-named Fort. Scacchus But the Hebrew words will not warrant it for they only signifie that they were anointed as the Altar was after its aspersion Ver. 12. Verse 12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aarons head Here now is a third word distinct from the two former viz. jitzok which signifies there was more done to Aaron than to any of the holy things to sanctifie him to his office For the holy Oil was poured on his Head And anointed him Perhaps he drew the Oil with his finger upon his Forehead after it was poured on his Head as the Jews think he did See XXIX Exod 7 8. XXX 30. XL. 13. To sanctifie him i. e. Set him apart to this Sacred Office Now this Consecration of Aaron and his Sons being mentioned here together with the Consecration of the Tabernacle and all belonging to it it hath made some conclude that both were done at
others by making Expiation for them when they deserved to perish For so I am commanded These Orders as hath been already observed he received in the holy Mount So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses This was necessary to be added that all Generations might be assured whatsoever was performed by their Ministry would be effectual to the end for which it was appointed they being exactly Consecrated to God's Service without the least omission of any thing that he had required In like manner our great High-Priest was Consecrated to his Eternal Priesthood by fulfilling all the Will of God and that in a far more Solemn and Publick way than Aaron's was it being performed by Suffering such things as nothing but a perfect Filial Obedience to his heavenly Father could have moved him to admit because it was accomplished by shedding his own Blood in a lingring Death CHAP. IX Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND it came to pass on the eighth day He doth not mean on the eighth day of the Month but on the next day after their Consecration which was seven days in doing VIII 33 35. Then it was that the Fire fell down from Heaven and consumed the Sacrifice which Aaron offered and this seems also to have been the first day of unleavened Bread which fell upon the fifteenth day of this Month for on the fourteenth in the Even which was the last day of the Consecration of the Priests the Passover was kept IX Numb 2 5. That Moses called Aaron and his sons and the Elders of Israel Just as he had done before VIII 2 3. that the Rulers and as many of the People as could meet together to behold what was done might see the Glory of the LORD which appeared at this time v. 6. Ver. 2. Verse 2 And he said unto Aaron take thee a young Calf This is the first Sacrifice that was offered to God by the Priests of the Order of Aaron It differed from that which was offered by Moses for Aaron and his Sons as Egel a young Calf doth from Par a young Bullock by which his Sin was expiated at his Consecration And Maimonides saith that the former signifies a Calf of one year old the latter one of two Others say a Calf was called Egel till his Horns budded and then it was called Par. For a sin-offering For his sins in general not for any determinate Offence like that IV. 3. which therefore was something different from this The Jews fancy that a young Calf was appointed for the first Sin-offering to put Aaron and the People in mind of the Golden Calf which they worshipped So Maimonides reports the Opinion of their Wise men in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. Where he also hath this conceit that it was to expiate that Sin And a Ram for a burnt-offering For none but Males were accepted for Burnt-offerings I. 10. There is no Peace-offering ordered for him as there is afterward for the People v. 4. because it was not fit he should have all the Sacrifice as he must have had according to the Law of such Sacrifices being both the Priest and the Offerer between whom and the Priest after the Fat was burnt all was to be shared Ver. 3. Verse 3 And unto the Children of Israel thou shalt speak saying Unto all the Elders v. 1. who were to bring the following Offerings in the Name of all the People of Israel and that by Aaron's direction who was now to act as God's High-Priest and gave out this Order Take ye a Kid of the Goats for a sin-offering The Hebrew word Seir signifies a He-goat Concerning which Maimonides in his Book concerning Sacrifices delivers this opinion That all Sacrifices for sin whether of private Persons or the whole Congregation at their three principal Feasts New Moons and the Day of Expiation were He-goats For this reason because the greatest Sin and Rebellion of those times was that they sacrificed to Daemons who were wont to appear in that form For which he quotes XVII 7. They shall no more offer their Sacrifices lasseirim which we translate unto Devils but the word Seirim is but the Plural Number of the word Seir which signifies a Goat And further he adds That their Wise men think the Sin of the whole Congregation was therefore expiated by this Kid of a Goat because all the Family of Israel sinned about a Goat when they fold Joseph into Egypt XXXVII Gen. 31. And such reasons saith he as these should not seem trifles for the end and scope of all these Actions was to imprint and ingrave on the Mind of Sinners the Offences they had committed that they might never forget them According to that of David LI Psal 5. My sin is ever before me This Sin-offering was different from that IV. 14. being not for any particular Sin as that was but in general for all the Offences that the High-Priest might have committed A Calf and a Lamb both of the first year c. When they were in their prime Ver. 4. Verse 4 Also a Bullock and a Ram. These also were no doubt to be without blemish as is prescribed in the two foregoing Offerings And the Hebrew word Sor which we translate a Bullock often signifies a well grown Ox as in XXI Exod. 28. XXV Deut. 8. As Ajil a Ram the Hebrews say signifies a Sheep of above a year old These made very large Peace-offerings and consequently a liberal Feast upon them For peace-offerings The very same order is here observed that was at Aaron's Consecration First Sin-offerings then a Burnt-offering and then a Peace-offering was offered to the LORD VIII 14 18 22. And a meat-offering mingled with oil Which was to compleat the Peace-offerings on which they were to feast that Meat might not be without Bread to it For to day the LORD will appear to you Give you an illustrious Token of his Presence by sending Fire from Heaven or from the Brightness of his GLORY to consume the Sacrifice v. 23 24. Whereby they were all assured that both the Institution of this Priesthood and the Sacrifices offered by it were acceptable to the Divine Majesty Ver. 5. Verse 5 And they brought that which Moses commanded Both Aaron v. 2. and all the Congregation v. 3. brought all the Offerings which Moses required Before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where these Sacrifices were to be offered And all the Congregation drew near and stood before the LORD Approached to the door of the Tabernacle and stood there by their Sacrifices looking towards the Holy Place and worshipped the LORD Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses said Unto the Congregation This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do I require this of you by the commandment of God who will demonstrate by a visible Token his Presence among you And the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you That Glory which filled the Tabernacle when it was erected
here by devoured them took away their Breath in a moment From which Expression the Hebrew Doctors conclude that when any body was condemned to be burnt it was not to be consumed to Ashes but only exanimated by the Fire because this is called devouring or burning here in this place See Gamera Sanhedrim cap. 7. n. 1. And they died before the LORD Fell down dead in the House of God Which may seem too great a Severity till it be considered how reasonable and necessary it was to inflict a heavy Punishment upon the first Transgressors of a Law concerning a Matter of great moment to deter others from the like Offence Many instances of which there are in Scripture Some observed by St. Chrysostom upon VI Psal 2. where he gives this account why the Man who gathered a few sticks upon the Sabbath-day was adjudged to be stoned as Blasphemers were because it was a very heinous thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as soon as a Law was enacted immediately to break it which made it necessary it should be thus severely punished to strike such a Terror into others that they might not dare to do the like Which was the reason he observes of the sudden Death of Ananias and Sapphira mentioned Acts V. Isidore of Peleusium hath made the same observation Lib. I. Epist. 181 and goes so far back as to our first Parents who were dreadfully punished for a seemingly small Offence because they were the first Transgressors The same others have observed of the punishment of Cain who committed the first Murder of the filthiness of Sodom of the Idolatry of the Golden Calf the Covetousness and Sacriledge of Achan the Disobedience of Saul the first King of Israel the sudden Death of Vzzah who was the first that presumed to touch the Ark of God Ver. 3. Verse 3 And Moses said unto Aaron To satisfie him in the Justice and Wisdom of this dreadful stroke at which he could not but be extreamly afflicted This is that the LORD spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me To come nigh unto God is in the holy Language to perform the Office of a Priest XIX Exod. 22. XVI Numb 5. who having the honour of attending upon the Service of the Divine Majesty were bound to approach into his Presence with the greatest Reverence We do not read indeed those very words which Moses here recites in the foregoing Books But as many things were spoken to them which are not recorded so the sense of these words are in the place forenamed XIX Exod. 22. and the reason of them in XXIX Exod. 43 44. where the Tabernacle being said to be sanctified by the Divine Glory and the Priests being sanctified to minister unto him therein which was seven days a doing as we read here VIII 35. they were plainly taught to draw nigh to God with a holy Fear and to do nothing rashly nor without order from him For God being peculiarly known by the Name of the Holy One i. e. who hath incomparable Perfections such as no other Being hath he justly required to be accordingly worshipped sutable to his most surpassing Greatness by peculiar Rites of his own prescribing in a different manner from all other Beings It was for instance below his Emenency or rather Supereminent Majesty to have common Fire such as they imployed in their Kitchins used for the burning Sacrifice upon his Altar And in like manner all other parts of his Service were in reason to be performed after such a fashion as might signifie their sense of the peculiar Excellencies of the Divine Nature who therefore sent Fire from Heaven as only fit to burn perpetually upon his Altar And before all the people will I be glorified This may be thought to be but a solemn Repetition of what was spoken before as the manner is in these Books to deliver the same thing twice in different words Or the meaning is if they who draw nigh to me will not sanctifie me I will vindicate my own honour by such Punishments as shall openly declare to all that I am the Holy One. Thus God is said to be honoured upon Pharaoh by drowning him in the Red-sea XIV Exod. 4. And Aaron held his peace Silently adored the Justice of the Holy One and did not complain of his Severity For this doth not seem to be the effect meerly of great Grief but of great Reverence to the Divine Majesty Ver. 4. Verse 4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron It appears from VI Exod. 18. that Vzziel the Father of Mishael and Elzaphan v. 22. was the younger Brother of Amram the Father of Aaron and consequently Aaron's Uncle And said unto them Come near and carry your brethren All near Kindred are called Brethren in Scripture And these Cosin Germans of theirs are appointed to carry them out because Aaron's other Sons were now attending upon God in their Ministration upon the Day of their Consecration But without this special order these two Persons could not have been admitted to come near into the very Sanctuary being not of the Family of Priests though of Kin to him From before the Sanctuary See v. 2. Out of the Camp For anciently they buried not in their Cities but in the Fields adjacent to them XXIII Gen. 9 17. and so they did in after times XXVII Matth. 7. and VIII Luke 27. where the Tombs are plainly intimated to be without the City Ver. 5. Verse 5 So they went near There being two Accents upon the Hebrew word for draw near the Cabbalists from thence observe I know not upon what grounds that these Men did not come into the very Sanctuary where the dead Bodies lay but drew them out with long Poles and those of Iron being afraid of the Fire wherewith Nadab and Abihu had been killed or rather fearing to go into the Sanctuary or too near it See Hackspan's Cabala Judaica n. 58. And carried them out in their Coats c. Their Linen Vestments wherein they ministred which having touched dead Bodies were no more fit to be used in the Divine Service As Moses had said As he had directed in his order which he gave them Ver. 6. Verse 6 And Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar his sons These two were all the Sons that Aaron had now remaining from whom came two great Families of the Priests which in the days of David we find very numerous though more of the House of Eleazar than of the other when they were by him divided into XXIV Classes and had their Courses of waiting appointed them 1 Chron. XXIV 4 c. Vncover not your heads The Hebrew Doctors interpret it quite contrary Let not the head of your hair grow so long that is as to cover their Faces which was the custom of Mourners 2 Sam. XV. 30. XIX 4. and many other places And thus Onkelos and the Arabick Version set forth by
Divine Presence no more than the Mother till the days above-mentioned were accomplished Ver. 8. Verse 8 And if she be not able to bring a Lamb then she shall bring two Turtles and two young Pigeons c. This was a merciful provision for the poorer sort as in other cases V. 7 11. And from this very place we may learn in how mean a Condition the Mother of our LORD was who for her Purification did not bring a Lamb unto which her Piety no doubt would have prompted her if she had been able but only this lower sort of Offering as we read II Luke 24. And the Priest shall make an atonement for her and she shall be clean This Sacrifice was as available as the other to restore her to Communion with God's People The Greeks imitated this among whom the fortieth day was insignis as Censorinus speaks famous or remarkable upon more accounts than one For Women with Child did not go to the Temple ante diem quadragesimum before the fortieth day and after their Delivery commonly they were not fit to go out till forty days more his words are quadraginta diebus pleraeque foetae graviores sunt nec sanguinem interdum continent during which time their little ones were sickly never smiled nor were out of danger Which is observed by that great Physician Celsus Lib. II. cap. 1. Maxime omnis pueritia primum circa quadragesimum diem periclitatur And therefore when this day was past they were wont to keep a Feast as Censorinus there tells us cap. 11. de Die Natali which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at which time it is likely they offered Sacrifices also as the Jewish Women did CHAP. XIII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying Here God speaks to Aaron again as well as unto Moses See XI 1. because he and his Posterity were peculiarly concerned in the following Laws about the Leprosie both in judging and cleansing of it Ver. 2. Verse 2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh For there this Disease lay and shewed it self A rising a scab or a bright spot The Leprosie appeared in one of these three forms either as a tumor or swelling or a scab or a bright spot in the skin And it shall be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of Leprosie There were some Swellings and Scabs and Spots which were not the Leprosie but only like it And therefore Moses here teaches the Priests how to discern between a true Leprosie and the resemblance of it that accordingly they might either pronounce a Person clean or unclean shut him up or let him have his liberty shave him or let his Hair grow Plague of Leprosie If we may believe Pliny Lib. XXVI cap. 1. this Disease was peculiar to Egypt which he calls genetrix talium vitiorum And if Artapanus in Eusebius saith true Lib. IX Praepar Evang. cap. 27. Pharaoh who sought to kill Moses was the first who was struck with this Disease and died of it So false is the story of Manetho who to hide the true cause of the Israelites departure out of Egypt saith that they cast out a company of leprous People of whom Moses was the Captain Out of Egypt it is likely this Disease spread into Syria which is noted likewise to have been much infested with such foul irruptions in the Skin which have as many various names as there are Risings or Breakin gs out or Spots there and are commonly all comprehended under the name of Leprosie as P. Cunaeus observes L. II. de Republ. Judaeorum cap. ult But Moses here distinguishes them and seems to instruct the Israelites that the Leprosie which he speaks of was no common Disease but inflicted by the Hand of Heaven So the Hebrew Doctors understand it particularly R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CLXVIII a leprous Man ought not to look upon his disease as a casual thing but seriously consider and acknowledge that some grievous sin is the cause of it Which made the knowledge of their Priests so admirable as the Author of the Book Cosri speaks P. II. sect 58. that they were able to understand what was divine in the Leprosie and what was from natural temper For that there was something Divine in it is confirmed by the story of Naaman 2 Kings V. 7. where the King of Israel plainly declares none but God could cure a Leper whom therefore they lookt upon as smitten by God and thence called the Disease the Plague or stroke of Leprosie and sometimes simply the Plague or Stroke v. 3 5 17 22. of this Chapter For they could not understand how such a Pestilent Disease as infected not meerly Mens bodies but the very Walls of their Houses and Garments should proceed meerly from ordinary Causes and therefore they thought there was an extraordinary hand of God in it Then he shall be brought to Aaron the Priest or unto one of his sons the Priests Not to the Physicians but to the Priests who were the only Judges whether it was a true Leprosie or no And if it were could best direct him to his cure by Repentance and Prayer to God and cleanse him when he was cured But they might resort to any Priest whatsoever as Mr. Selden observes out of the Talmud where there is a large Treatise of this matter though he was maimed in any part of his Body and so unfit to minister at the Altar provided his eyes still continued good Lib. II. de Synedr cap. 14. num 5. Ver. 3. Verse 3 And the Priest shall look on the plague in the skin of his flesh When there is a suspicion that it is the Leprosie The same great Man observes that this inspection might be made upon any day of the Week but the Sabbath or Festivals Yet not in the night nor in any hour of the day but the IVth Vth VIIIth and IXth For they accounted the morning evening and noon not such proper times to make this inspection Which they say also might be made by any Israelite though none but the Priest could pronounce one clean or unclean For though perhaps the Priest was ignorant and stood in need to be informed by wiser Persons than himself yet that Man who was not a Priest could only direct him what to judge but not give the Judgment According to that Law XXI Deut. 5. Out of their mouth or by their word shall every stroke be tried which particularly relates to the Leprosie XXIV 8. And when the hair in the plague is turned white c. He begins with the last of the three Indications of a Leprosie viz. the bright Spot In which if the very Hair was turned white and it was not only a superficial whiteness but the Spot seemed to have eaten deeper into the very Flesh then it was to be judged a true Leprosie R. Levi Barcelon expresses it thus when there was one or more places so white that their whiteness was
Hair of his head and his beard and his eye-brows And he shall wash his clothes This seems to be a second washing after the first at the end of seven days And the Hebrew Doctors note that the killing of the Bird the shaving and the sprinkling were all to be done in the day time the rest might be done either by day or by night Also he shall wash his flesh in water His whole Body For which end such a measure is prescribed by the Hebrew Tradition as would cover it intirely And he shall be clean So as to be not only restored to his Tent but admitted to go to the Tabernacle of the Congregation and offer the Sacrifices appointed in the following part of this Chapter for his compleat Purification Till which time he was called Mechussar Kapparah one that needed Expiation and was not permitted to eat of the holy things Ver. 10. Verse 10 And on the eighth day If we may believe the Hebrew Tradition he washed himself again on this day in the Court of the Women where there was a Room called the Chamber of the Lepers provided for that purpose So Maimonides Which great Caution was imitated by the primitive Christians who would not receive great Sinners into their Communion again till they had made a long trial of the Truth of their Repentance He shall take two he-lambs without blemish and one ewe-lamb without blemish There were three kinds of Sacrifices to be offered upon this occasion viz. a Trespass-offering a Sin-offering and a Burnt-offering for which these three Lambs were to be provided Of the first year Such were all the Lambs to be both Male and Female And three tenth deals of fine flour for a Meat-offering To each of these Sacrifices there was a Meat-offering appointed consisting of a tenth part of an Ephah of fine Flour i. e. an Omer See XVI Exod. 36. Which is a thing unusual for we read of no Meat-offerings ordered in the IV. and Vth Chapters of this Book which treat of them to accompany either Trespass-offerings or Sin-offerings But there were peculiar Rites belonging to the cleansing of a Leper different from the common Usages to make him sensible how great a Mercy he had received from God who alone could cure this Disease which his hand had inflicted Mingled with oil As the manner was in Meat-offerings See Chap. II. v. 1. And one log of oil Which served to another purpose mentioned v. 15 16. of this Chapter And Oil being of an healing vertue may be thought to denote the perfect Health and Soundness to which the Leper was now restored as the fragrancy of it put him in mind of the Happiness he now enjoyed A Log was the smallest Measure among the Jews containing about half a Pint of our Measure as a very learned Prelate of our own Dr. Cumberland hath computed in his Scripture Weights and Measures p. 86. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And the Priest that maketh him clean Who performeth this office of declaring the Leper perfectly clean Shall present the man that is to be made clean and those things before the LORD at the door c. He set the Man in the first place at the East-gate of the Court of the Israelites which in after times was called the Gate of Nicanor with his face towards the Sanctuary For here all those who needed Expiation stood it being unlawful for them to enter into the Court of the Israelites until the Expiation was made So Maimonides observes in his Treatise called Mechussare Kapparah sect 4. Ver. 12. Verse 12 And the Priest shall take one he-lamb and offer him Next he was to bring one of the Lambs to the same place and present him to the LORD as is directed in the end of the Verse For that 's meant here by offering him the slaying of him following in the next Verse For a Trespass-offering After the manner that the Trespass-offerings were offered of which see Chap. VII that he might beg pardon of God as Abarbanel understands it for such sins as he had ignorantly committed And the log of oil Which was presented at the same time with the Lamb. And wave them Both the Lamb and the Log of Oil. For a wave-offering before the LORD Which was done by waving them to and fro up and down and turning towards all the four quarters of the World as was noted before But Maimonides saith this was waved towards the East and if he waved them both together or separated one from the other the Lamb first and afterward the Log of Oil it made no difference Ver. 13. Verse 13 And he shall slay the Lamb. The Lamb was brought saith the same Author in the fore-named Treatise to the Door of the Court where the leprous Man stood who stretcht out his hands into the Court and laid them upon his Sacrifice after which it was killed as is here directed In the place where he shall kill the sin-offering and the burnt-offering See VI. 25. In the holy place In the Court of the Tabernacle at the North-side of the Altar of Burnt-offering Chap. I. 11. which was a place more holy than the Entrance or East-end of the Court where the Peace-offerings were to be killed III. 2. For as the sin-offering is the Priests so is the trespass-offering See VII 7. Both of them were to be eaten by the Priests in the Court of God's House and therefore were equally holy It is most holy See II. 3. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And the Priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass-offering There stood two Priests as Maimonides represents it in his Treatise before-mentioned sect 4. ready to receive the Blood of the Lamb one in an holy Vessel with which he sprinkled the Altar the other in his right hand which he poured into his left And then with the fore-finger of his right hand put it upon the right Ear c. of him that was to be cleansed And the Priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is cleansed and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot The Priest standing within the Court at the Entrance of it and the Man standing still without the Man thrust his Head within the Gate and the Priest put some of the Blood which he held in his hand upon the tip of his right Ear. After which the Man stretcht out his right Arm and the Priest put some of the same Blood upon the Thumb of his right Hand and next his right Leg on the great Toe of which he likewise put some more Blood Thus Maimonides in the same place Where he saith If the Priest had put the Blood upon the left Ear Thumb or Toe all had been of no effect And he adds sect 5. that the Blood was put upon half of the flap of his Ear and upon the whole breadth of the top of his Thumb and great Toe for if he put it on the sides
or any Metal provided one of them was not bigger than the other nor one of Gold the other of Silver c. but both every way equal as the Goats were to be Upon one of these Lots was written the name of the Goat which was for the LORD and on the other that which was for Azazel And then the Priest shaking the Urn and putting in both his hands as it there follows in Joma cap. 4. took up a Lot in each And if he brought up God's Lot in his right hand the Sagan who stood there said My Lord lift up thy right hand If in his left hand the Head of the Fathers said Lift up thy left hand And so the Priest let the right hand Lot fall upon the Goat that stood on the right hand and his left hand lot upon the other One lot for the LORD To be offered unto the LORD at the Altar The other lot for the scape-goat Or as it is in the Hebrew for Azazel as some have anciently translated it Now why a Goat was offered in Sacrifice and another Goat let go free laden with their sins rather than any other Creature may be understood perhaps from the inclination of the Heathen World in those days when they worshipped Daemons in the form of a Goat The Egyptians were famous for this and the Israelites themselves it appears from the XVIIth Chapter of this Book v. 7. were prone to offer Sacrifices le Seirim which signifies Daemons in that form And therefore to take them off from such Idolatrous Practises God ordained these Creatures themselves to be sacrificed and slain to whom they had offered Sacrifice And the young ones he appointed for this purpose for so Seirim signifies which the Egyptians most of all honoured and abhorred to offer or kill So Juvenal Nefas illic foetum jugulare Capellae Satyr XV. V. II. Now from hence perhaps it was that some fancied Azazel signified the Devil as R. Menachem and R. Eliezer among the Jews Julian among the Heathen and some great Men lately among us Who conceive that as the other Goat was offered to God at the Altar so this was sent among the Daemons which delight to frequent desert places and there appeared often in the shape of this Creature But this will not agree with the Hebrew Text which says this Goat was for Azazel as the other was for the LORD Now none sure will be so prophane as to imagine that both these Goats being set before the LORD and presented to him as equally Consecrated to him he would then order one of them to be for himself and the other for the Devil We must therefore be content with our own Translation which derives the word Azazel from Ez a Goat and azal to go away and fitly calls it the Scape-goat So Paulus Fagius and a great many others against which I see nothing objected but that Ez signifies a she Goat not a he Which made Bochartus fetch this word from the Arabick in which Language Azala signifies to remove or to separate And this agrees well enough with the name of this Goat according as the ancient Translators understood it some of which as Symmachus render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Goat going away others as Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Goat let loose and the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which they had no thought of the notion of this word among the Greeks who called those Daemons by this name who were esteemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as J. Pollux speaks averters of evil things from them But simply meant as Theodoret interprets it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Goat sent away into the Wilderness And so St. Hierom expounds it Hircus emissarius which agrees with the notion which Bochartus puts upon the word out of the Arabick Tongue This Goat being sent away into remote places there to remain separate from the Flock to which he belong'd and that upon a Mountain as the Jews fancy in the Wilderness of Sinai which from this Goat was called Azazel But I see no ground for this Ver. 9. Verse 9 And Aaron shall bring the Goat upon which the LORDS lot fell In the Hebrew the word is went up For he first took it up out of the Urn and then let it fall upon the Goat And offer him for a sin-offering Devote him to God to be a Sacrifice for their Sins beseeching him to accept of this Sacrifice for that end So the word offer I observe signifies v. 6. order being given afterwards for the killing of the Goat v. 15. Ver. 10. Verse 10 But the Goat on which the lot fell to be the Scape-goat shall be presented alive before the LORD This shows that the Scape-goat was equally consecrated and devoted to God as the other was though not to be killed but sent away alive after the other had been offered in Sacrifice To make an atonement with him For this was a Sin-offering though not slain no less than the other as appears from v. 5. which shows these two Goats made but one Sin-offering Which was partly slain at the Altar and partly let go as it here follows to run whether he would the more perfectly to represent the taking away of their Sins and removing their iniquity as the Prophet speaks III Zach. 9. by vertue of this Offering for them Some indeed have thought that this Goat was not sacrificed but only presented alive before God and so let go lest it should be thought God could not forgive their Sins unless he was appeased by some slain Beast which imagination was destroyed by letting this Sin-offering be left alive at full liberty to run quite away But I can see no ground for such a Construction because these were not two but one Sin-offering as I said before which being slain in part established that opinion in them of the impossibility of obtaining reconciliation without a bloody Sacrifice Certain it is that the whole Law supposes this that without shedding of blood is no remission as the Apostle observes IX Hebr. 22. And therefore it will be more agreeable to the Holy Scriptures if we think as some do That the first Goat represented our LORD in his Sufferings and this other in his Resurrection whereby he was freed from the Bands of Death both his Death and his Resurrection being for our Deliverance as the Apostle shows IV Rom. ult And let him go free Whether he pleased For so the Hebrew word Schalac send him away or dismiss him signifies in Scripture intire liberty such as God demanded for the Israelites from Pharaoh IV Exod. 23. V. 1. For a Scape-goat Into remote places Into the Wilderness In token their sins were quite carried away to be found no more for the Goat was not meerly sent into the Wilderness but into the most desert places of it as appears from v. 22. Ver. 11. Verse 11 And Aaron shall bring the Bullock of the sin-offering
there But the Expiation of the High-Priest himself who was to make the Expiation of the Sanctuary preceded all the rest as is apparent from v. 11. Ver. 34. Verse 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute The repetition of this the third time See v. 29 31. shows of how great importance it was that this annual Solemnity should be observed Vnto you The High-Priests before-mentioned of whom he speaks in the Plural Number because none of them could continue always as I observed v. 32. but enjoyed the Office successively upon the death of their Predecessors To make an atonement for the Children of Israel for all their sins once a year This is only a repetition of what was said v. 30. that it should be incumbent on the High-Priest by a perpetual Obligation to make an Atonement for the Peoples sins on this day as it was incumbent on the People v. 29. to afflict their Souls upon this day And he did as the LORD commanded Moses The Service of this day was immediately performed by Aaron according to the fore-named order CHAP. XVII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying After he had ordered the great Anniversary Sacrifice in the foregoing Chapter he gives some Directions about other Sacrifices for which there would be occasion every day Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto Aaron and his Sons and all the Children of Israel Who were all concerned in what follows and therefore this Command is directed to the whole house of Israel v. 3. to whom this was delivered it is likely by their Elders or else Moses himself went from Tribe to Tribe and spake to their several Families And say unto them This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded Enjoyned by a Special Law Ver. 3. Verse 3 Whatsoever man there be of the House of Israel that killeth an Ox or Lamb or Goat viz. For a Sacrifice or Offering as it follows v. 4. these being the only Creatures of the Herd and the Flock that were permitted to be brought to God's Altar There are those indeed who think Moses speaks of killing these Creatures for common use which it was lawful for them to do any where after they came to the Land of Canaan XII Deut. 15. but now they were not to kill them for their food unless they brought them to the door of the Tabernacle and there first sacrificed some part of them to the LORD before they tasted of them themselves By which their sacrificing to Daemons was prevented to which they were prone v. 7. and they also constantly feasted with God while they dwelt in the Wilderness But this is better founded upon XII Deut. 20 21. where it is supposed that they had thus done while they remained in the Wilderness and were so near to the House of God that they might easily bring thither every Beast they killed for ordinary use But they were dispensed withal as to this when they came into Canaan and could not possibly when they had a mind to eat Flesh go so far as to the Tabernacle or Temple which was many Miles from some of them Instead whereof they were bound to come at the three great Festivals and appear before God at his House wheresoever they dwelt In the Camp or that killeth it out of the Camp This seems to show that he doth not speak of killing these Beasts ad usum vescendi as St. Austin's words are for the use of eating for that they did not do out of the Camp but in their Tents but de Sacrificiis he speaks concerning Sacrifices For he prohibits as he goes on private Sacrifices lest every Man should take upon him to be a Priest c. Ver. 4. Verse 4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation to offer an offering unto the LORD In ancient time every Man had performed the Office of a Priest in his own Family But now that liberty is taken away because they had abused it to Idolatry and every Man was bound to bring his Sacrifice to the House of God where none but the Sons of Aaron could officiate and had the most sacred Obligations on them to offer only to the LORD The very Heathens themselves in future times found it necessary to enact the very same as appears by Plato in the latter end of his Tenth Book of Laws where he hath these memorable words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let this be a Law imposed absolutely upon all that no Man whatsoever have a sacred place in private Houses but when he hath a mind to offer Sacrifice let him go to the publick Temples and deliver his Sacrifice to the Priests whether Men or Women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose business it is to take care that these things be performed in an holy manner By which it appears that these were two established Principles of Religion in wise Mens minds to Sacrifice publickly and to bring their Sacrifices to the Priests who were to take care to offer them purely Unto which Moses adds one thing more that their publick Sacrifices should be offered only at one place which was a most efficacious preservative from all strange Worship nothing being done but under the Eye of the Ministers of Religion and the Governours of the People Insomuch that St. Chrysostom as our learned Dr. Spencer observes Lib. I. de Rit Leg. Hebr. L. I. cap. 4. sect 1. calls Jerusalem which was afterwards established to be this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of bond or knot whereby the whole Nation were tied fast to the Judaical Religion Before the Tabernacle of the LORD Before the Divine Majesty which dwelt in the Tabernacle round about which they all inhabited and were so near it while they travelled in the Wilderness that as there was no trouble in bringing all their Sacrifices thither so they knew certainly whether to go And thus the Hebrew Doctors observe it was when they came into Canaan where while the Tabernacle was fixed in Shilo none might Sacrifice any where else But when it wandred uncertainly after Shilo was destroyed being sometimes in Mispeh sometimes at Gilgal and at Nob and Gibeon and the House of Obed-Edom they fancy it was lawful to Sacrifice in other places For so we find Samuel did 1. Sam. VII 9. IX 13. where he sacrificed in an high place XI 15. XVI 2. and David 2 Sam. XXIV 18. and Elias 1 Kings XVIII 23. But these may be thought extraordinary acts done by an immediate warrant from God for none of these Persons were Priests but Prophets guided by Divine Inspirations See Dr. Owtram Lib. I. de Sacrific cap. 2. Blood shall be imputed unto that man he hath shed blood He was to be punished as a Murderer that is die for it For to have Blood imputed to a Man in the Hebrew phrase or to be guilty of Blood is to be liable to have his Blood shed or to lose his Life Which as of old it was
those to whom they were given such as those about Meats and Garments and Leprosie c. Against which lest any one should object it is here added I am the LORD your God I am the LORD your God I who am your Soveraign LORD and by redeeming you from the Egyptian Bondage am become in a special manner your God have ordained these things Therefore let no Man dispute them or make a question of them as the forenamed Gemara expounds these words See Selden Lib. I. de Jure N. G. cap. 10. p. 122. where he observes that the Laws called Statutes are in their Language such as depend only on the Royal Authority Ver. 5. Verse 5 Ye shall therefore keep my Statutes and my Judgments Observe the Laws before-mentioned For the word we here translate Statutes is the same with that translated Ordinances in the foregoing Verse Which if a man do he shall live in them Not be cut off but live long and happily in the enjoyment of all the Blessings which God promised in his Covenant with them I am the LORD Who will faithfully keep my Covenant and fulfil my Promises VI Exod. 3. Ver. 6. Verse 6 None of you In the Hebrew the words being isch isch as much as to say Man Man that is no Man the Talmudists take it as if he had said neither Jew nor Gentile For all Mankind they say are comprehended under these Laws about Incest Nay the very Karaites or those who adhere only to the Scripture and reject all Talmudical Expositions are of this mind as Mr. Selden observes Lib. I. de Vxore Hebr. cap. 5. But the Talmudists themselves do not all understand this matter alike For some of them think all the Gentiles at lest those who were under the Dominion of the Israelites were bound to refrain from all incestuous Marriages to which Death is threatned by the Law But others of them think they were concerned only in those six things which were unlawful before the Law of Moses was given See Selden Lib. V. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 1. and cap. 11. p. 596 c. But the ancient Hebrews give a good reason for all these Laws as Grotius observes Lib. II. de Jure Belli Pacis cap. 5. sect 13. n. 2. Shall approach Some of the Jews have been so rigorous as to expound this word as if it bound them not to have any familiarity with the Persons after named R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CLXXXVIII which is against all Reason and natural Affection The plain sense is they should not approach or come near to them for the end afterward mentioned viz. to uncover their Nakedness Nay this very phrase is used for the same thing XX Gen. 4. without the addition of uncovering their Nakedness Any that is near of kin to him It must be confessed that these words near of kin do not sufficiently express the full sense of the Hebrew phrase nor are they of a determinate signification for a Man maybe near of kin to a Woman who is not the remainder of his flesh as the Hebrew phrase is that is so near of kin to him that nothing comes between them This is properly the nearness of flesh here spoken of she that is immediately born of the same Flesh that a Man is or she out of whose Flesh he is born or she that is born out of his Flesh that is in plainer words a Man's Sister Mother or Daughter These are a Man 's own immediate Relations which the Karaites call the Foundation and Root of all that is here forbidden as Selden notes Lib. I. Vx Hebr. cap. 2. For the sake of whom the rest here mentioned are prohibited having a nearness of flesh to them viz. his Father or Mother's Sister his Grand-daughter and his Niece For the best Explication of this Phrase is the express Particulars mentioned by God himself in this place To uncover their nakedness To have Carnal knowledge of her as the Scripture modestly speaks in other places For nakedness in the holy Language signifies the Secret Parts which natural Modesty teaches all civilized People to cover and not to reveal them to any but those whom they marry Therefore not to uncover the nakedness of the Persons here named is properly not to take them in Marriage and much less to have Knowledge of them without Marriage Answerable to this is the Name of a Virgin whom the Hebrews call Alma which is as much as covered clothed or veiled because those parts were never exposed to any one but those to whom they were espoused and joyned in Marriage I am the LORD By my Authority who am your Soveraign and the Soveraign of the World these Laws are enacted and I will punish those that break them Ver. 7. Verse 7 The nakedness of thy father or the nakedness of thy mother thou shalt not discover It is commonly thought by Interpreters that the Particle we translate or is here as much as that is for so it signifies in some places particularly 1 Sam. XXVIII 3. So that the latter part of the Verse is only an Explication of the former and makes them but one Prohibition against a Man's marrying his Mother And this indeed the next words seem to imply she is thy Mother who bare thee and therefore not to be taken to be thy Wife much less to be otherwise known by thee But we may as well think that the nakedness of the Father and of the Mother are both here mentioned to show neither the Daughter might marry her Father nor the Son his Mother and consequently that in all the following Particulars Women were concerned just as Men were though the Men be only mentioned And under the Name of Father and Mother are comprehended Grandfather or Grandmother or other Progenitors before them She is thy mother thou shalt not uncover her nakedness This is the very first Prohibition it being a going back in Nature for a Man to marry his Mother Which though it was practised in those days by the Canaanites and Egyptians and by the Persians also in after times and some other Eastern Countries yet in the Western part of the World as Mr. Selden observes such Marriages were nunquam non execranda execrable in all Ages Lib. V. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 11. p. 601 c. Such were the Marriages of Oedipus with Jocasta of Nero with Agrippina Pelopeja and Thyestes her Father of whom Aegistus was born which every Body detested See Grotius de Jure Belli Pacis Lib. II. cap. 5. sect 2. For the Law of Nature was against such Marriages notwithstanding the practice of Persons nay whole Nations whom God gave up to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul shows dishonourable affections for their other sins especially for their forsaking him and falling to Idolatry Maimonides gives this as the general reason of prohibiting this and all the following Marriages because the Persons here forbidden to be so joyned together are all in
Governours CHAP. XIX Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying The following Precepts which contain in a manner all their Duty seem to have been delivered to Moses immediately after the former being in great part a Repetition of some principal things which had been already commanded Ver. 2. Verse 2 Speak unto all the Congregation of the Children of Israel It is uncertain whether he delivered these Precepts only to their Elders and Heads of their Tribes to be communicated by them to the People or at several times he called every Family of every Tribe and spake these words to them himself And say unto them Ye shall be holy for I the LORD your God am holy This very thing was said to them before with respect to several Meats which are forbidden them XI 44. See there And now is repeated with a peculiar respect as Maimonides thinks More Nevoch P. III. cap. 47. to the filthy Marriages and abominable Idolatries mentioned in the foregoing Chapter as it is repeated again in the next Chapter XX. 7 26. with respect to some other things It being a general reason why they should be separated from all other People by the observation of peculiar Laws which is the meaning of being holy because they were the Worshippers of him whose most excellent Nature transcended all other Beings not only in Purity but in all other Perfections Ver. 3. Verse 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father This Duty is called Honour in the fifth Commandment XX Exod. 12. and the Father there put before the Mother which being here called fear and the Mother put before the Father it shows saith Maimonides that honour and fear are equally due to both without any difference And the proper Expressions of Fear and Reverence are according to those Doctors not to sit in their Seat nor to contradict them in any thing they say much less to cavil against them nor to call them by their proper names but to add the Title of Sir c. as we speak or the like And the Expressions of Honour are not to sit down in their Presence and to provide them with Necessaries if they fall into Poverty c. See Selden Lib. II. de Synedriis oap 13. p. 557 c. and R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept XXVII And keep my Sabbaths Obedience as well as Reverence is included in the word Fear but if Parents commanded them to break the Sabbath-day or to profane any other day consecrated to God's Service they were not to be obeyed I am the LORD your God I rested on the Sabbath-day who am your Soveraign and therefore have power to require you to rest on any other days Particularly on the great Day of Atonement XVI 31. when I am so gracious as to accept of an Expiation for all your sins This is repeated v. 30. and XXIII 3. Ver. 4. Verse 4 Turn ye not unto Idols Not so much as to look upon them no nor to think of them as R. Levi Barcelonita expounds it Praecept CCXXV. much less to enquire after what manner the Gentiles worshipped them which is expresly forbidden XII Deut. 30. for by this means they might be allured to Idolatry The word we here translate Idols is a word of contempt signifying a thing of nought Or as some of the Jews will have it this word Elilim is compounded of the Particle al signifying not and El i. e. God As much as to say which are not gods and therefore called in Scripture Vanities which can do neither good nor hurt Nor make to your selves molten gods This seems to have respect to the Golden Calf which they made to worship and is called a molten Calf XXXII Exod. 4. But all graven Images are no less forbidden for if to look towards an Idol was a sin much more was it to make an Image of any sort to worship it The Jews are something curious in their observations upon this Precept For in the Book Siphra they say that they might not make molten Gods for others much less for themselves Whence that saying He that makes to himself an Idol violates a double Precept first in making it and then in making it to himself See R. Levi before-mentioned Praecept CCXXVI I am the LORD your God The same reason is given in the foregoing Verse for the observation of their Sabbaths and that of the seventh day every Week was ordained in memory of the Creation of the World and consequently intended as a Preservative from Idolatry as I observed upon Exod. XX. 8. which perhaps makes these two Precepts be here put together But it is evident Moses doth not observe the order wherein these Precepts were first delivered but rather inverts it beginning with the fifth Commandment and so going back to the fourth and here to the two first Ver. 5. Verse 5 And if ye offer a Sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD As they were to avoid all Idolatry so they were to be careful to perform the Service due to the true God in a right manner Peace-offerings are only mentioned because they were the most common Sacrifices being of three sorts See VII 11 c. XVII 5. Ye shall offer it at your own will Either of the Herd or of the Flock Male or Female III. 1 6. Or rather as the Vulgar Latin and the LXX understand it they were to offer it so that it might be acceptable to the LORD according to the Rules prescribed in the seventh Chapter Ver. 6. Verse 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it and on the morrow This shows he speaks particularly of those Peace-offerings which were a Vow or a voluntary Offering VII 16. for Sacrifices of Thanksgiving might not be kept till the morrow but were to be eaten on the same day v. 15. of that Chapter See the reason of this XXIII Exod. 18. the latter end And if ought remain till the third day it shall be burnt with fire See VII 17. Ver. 7. Verse 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day it is abominable See VII 18. It shall not be accepted See there This seems to justifie the sense which the Vulgar puts upon those words v. 5. which we translate according to thy will Ver. 8. Verse 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity See VII 18. Because he hath profaned the hallowed things of the LORD By keeping them till they were in danger to stink or to be corrupted That soul shall be cut off from his People By the Judges if the thing was known otherwise by the Hand of God Ver. 9. Verse 9 And when ye reap the harvest of your Land Which was a time of great joy when they offered its likely many Peace-offerings of that sort before-mentioned Thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field But leave a sixtieth part as their wise Men have determined it and that in the extream part of the Field rather than any other place
CCLII against Gluttony and Drunkenness such as the rebellious Son was guilty of XXI Deut. 18 c. which made Men prone to shed blood for so he understands this Precept Thou shalt not eat upon blood i. e. eat till thou art excited to shed blood unto which he applied XXXII Deut. 15. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked But this is a very forced Interpretation and our Translation is not exact for he doth not say Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood but ye shall not eat upon the blood or at the blood Which Oleaster very sagaciously suspected to be a piece of Superstition unknown to him And so did the LXX when they translated it Ye shall not eat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Mountains which was an Idolatrous Custom mentioned in IV Hosea 13. and here forbidden as Procopius and Hesychius imagine But the Hebrew word haddam no where signifies a Mountain but Blood as the Vulgar here truly translates it There is a Greek Scholion which renders these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall not eat on the house top Which in all likelyhood as some have conjectured was a mistake of the Transcriber for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the blood which is the litteral Translation of the Hebrew phrase and imports something more than is prohibited XVII 12. where he simply saith No soul of you shall eat blood But here warns them against an Idolatrous Practise of the Zabij who to enter into the Society of Daemons and obtain their favour were wont to gather the blood of their Sacrifices into a Vessel or a little Hole digg'd in the Earth and then sitting about it to eat the Flesh of the Sacrifices imagining that by eating as it were of the same food for they thought the Daemons fed upon the blood as their Worshippers did upon the flesh they contracted a Friendship and Familiarity with them So Maimonides relates in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. For the prevention of which Idolatrous Custom God ordered their Sacrifices to be offered only at one place where his own House was and there the Priests sprinkling the blood and they eating the flesh of their Peace-offerings God and they feasted together upon them Nachmanides is wont to oppose Maimonides in his Notions yet this was so plain that he confesses as Dr. Cudworth hath observed in his Treatise of the Right Notion of the Lord's Supper Chap. ult that blood it self was forbidden in the Law upon the account of the Heathens performing their Superstitious Worship in this manner by gathering together blood for their Daemons and then coming themselves and eating of it with them whereby they were their Daemon's guests and by this kind of Communion with them were enabled to prophesie and foretel things to come And this Interpretation is the more probable that they hoped by eating of the blood of the Sacrifices or the flesh or both to have such familiarity with them as to receive Revelations from them and be inspired with the Knowledge of secret things if we consider the two other Prohibitions in this Verse that are joyned with this of not eating upon blood which show that it was a Rite of Divination Neither shall ye use inchantment In the Hebrew the words are lo tenakashu which all agree signifie some Superstitious observation or other whereby they made omens and guessed what should happen to them either from Men's sneezing or the breaking of a Shoes Latchet or the name of a Man they met withal or some Creatures crossing their way or passing upon their right hand or their left And most following the LXX and the Vulgar Latin take it for Divination by the flying or crying or pecking of Birds But the word Nachash signifying a Serpent and having no relation at all to Birds the famous Bochartus thinks tenachashu which seems to be derived from thence to relate rather to the ancient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divination by Serpents than to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divination by Birds For it was very much in use among the Gentiles in old time as appears from Homer in his VIIth Iliad where Chalcas seeing a Serpent devour eight Sparrows with their Dam divined how long the Trojan War would last And many such instances he heaps up together in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. I. cap. 3. R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCLIII refers this to any kind of Divination by their Staff falling out of their hand by a Serpent creeping on their right hand or a Fox going by their left c. which made them forbear any work they were about but he thinks withal it may signifie as we translate it Inchantment to cure Wounds for instance by reading a Verse of the Law or laying the Book of the Law or a Phylactery upon a Child's head to procure sleep which are such Superstitions as are now in use among some Christians who hang the first Verse of St. John's Gospel about Peoples Necks to cure an Ague But such things could not be meant by Moses who had not yet delivered them a Copy of his Laws nor can we certainly fix upon any other in particular which were then in use See J. Coch upon the Title Sanhedrim cap. 7. n. 18. and Maimonides de Idololatria cap. 11. sect 4 5 6 c. where he gives a great number of instances of such Superstitious Observations as were in use among the Heathen some of which are mentioned by Theophrastus in his Characters of Superstition and by Plutarch in his Book on the same subject and are derided by Terence in his Phormio Act. IV. Scen. 4. With which Superstitions the greatest Persons were anciently very much infected and they were so settled in Mens minds that when they became Christians they could not presently shake them off as appears by the frequent Reprehensions which St. Chrysostom and others give to those who continued to be governed by them Particularly in his VIII Homily upon the Colossians he chides his People severely for contemning the Cross of Christ and calling in old drunken Women with their Salt their Ashes and Soot to free those that were bewitcht And more especially in his VI Hom. against the Jews he sharply rebukes those that used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charms and things hung about the Neck to cure Agues whereby they got a worse disease in their Souls and wounded their Consciences c. And in other places he Reprehends their observing of Omens good and bad some of which which were very strange See Tom. VI. p. 610 611. Edit Savil. Nor observe times Take no notice of days according to the Precepts of Astrologers who made some to be lucky others unlucky For the Jews generally think something of this nature is here forbidden the Hebrew word teonenu being derived they imagine from Onah which signifies time as R. Levi before-mentioned saith Praecept CCLIV such an hour being thought by Superstitious People to be fit for business but another very cross to it Which
and become more one with them than they were with the Egyptians but was of great force to procure kindness to those who did not live by their Laws I am the LORD your God Who have done so much for you when you were meer Strangers that you should not stick to be kind to those who are in the like Condition Ver. 35. Verse 35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment The Hebrews refer this word judgment to all the following particulars and think that Moses uses it here to show of what moment this Law is which he calls doing judgment So that he who measures or weighs hath the Office of a Judge and if he commit any fraud in his Measures or Weights he is a corrupter of Judgment and is called wicked abominable accursed They are the words of R. Levi Barcelonita Praecept CCLX where he adds that such Men are the cause of five Mischiefs which are imputed to unjust Judges who defile the Land prophane the Name of God remove the Presence of the Divine Majesty bring a Sword upon the People and at last carry them captive out of their own Country And therefore great Punishments have been enacted in all Countries against this Crime as destructive to Human Society Particularly Justinian ordained that such Offenders should be beaten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorely as impious People In mete-yard By which they measured Lands Cloath and such like things for Middah as Fosterus observes is the Measure of continued quantity viz. in things dry In weight By which they paid and received Money in those days and sold Brass and Iron and things of like nature Or in measure The Hebrew word Mesurah from whence seems to come the Latin Mensura and our English word Measure denotes the Measure of Discrete Quantity as we speak as of Corn and of all continued Fluid Quantity as of Wine and Oil. And the forenamed R. Levi will have it to signifie the very least of such Measures about which saith he the Law concerns it self that Men should be exact in them as well as in the greatest And so Hesychius here notes that Moses provides against all Injustice in small things as well as in great for what the possession of a Field or a House is to a wealthy Man that the measure of Wine or Corn or the weight of Bread is to the Poor who have daily need of such things for the support of their Life Ver. 36. Verse 36 Just balances just weights This Verse only positively requires strict justice in those things wherein the former Verse forbad all deceit And these two words refer to things sold by weight A just Ephah and a just Hin shall ye have These two words Ephah and Hin comprehend all sorts of Measures of things whether wet or dry And that they might have such just Weights and Measures among them the Standard of them was kept in the Sanctuary by which all were to be governed as appears from 1 Chron. XXIII 29. See XXX Exod. 13. The Jewish Doctors also say that it was a Constitution of their wise Men for the preventing all Fraud in these matters that no Weights Balances or Measures should be made of any Metal as of Iron Lead Tin c. which were obnoxious to rust or might be bent or easily impaired but of Marble Stone or Glass which were less liable to be abused For these Constitutions Moses was so famous that his Name was celebrated on the account of them in other Nations Nay Lucius Ampelius a rude kind of Writer but who had collected much out of better Authors saith that Mochus was the Inventer of Scales and Weights and that his memory is preserved in the Constellation called Libra Now if for Mochus we read Moschos it is the very name of Moses in Hebrew viz. Moscheh who is called so by other Authors as the learned Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. cap. 7. n. 16. I am the LORD your God which brought you out of the Land of Egypt This is the general reason for their Obedience which is repeated in this Chapter above a dozen times Sometimes more briefly I am the LORD and sometimes a little larger I am the LORD your God and here with this addition which brought you out of the Land of Egypt Whereby he in a special manner demonstrates himself both to be their LORD faithful to his promise VI Exod. 3. and their God who obliged them to his Service by the most singular benefit Ver. 37. Verse 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes and all my judgments and do them These words Statutes and Judgments comprehend all the Laws of God some of which were Prohibitions which they were to mark and observe diligently so as to abstain from such things and others Precepts or Commands which they were to practise and do according to them I am the LORD No more need be said to engage your Obedience in every thing than this that I am your Soveraign and the Soveraign of the whole World CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying Sometime after the delivery of the Laws mentioned in the two foregoing Chapters the chief of them were inforced with the addition of Penalties which are set down in this Chapter Ver. 2. Verse 2 Again thou shalt say to the Children of Israel Repeat what I said before XVIII 21. and add this which follows unto it Whosoever he be of the Children of Israel or of the stranger that sojourneth among you The Proselytes who had embraced their Religion were no less concerned in this Law than the Native Israelites See XVII 8 10 c. That giveth any of his seed unto Molech This looks like the Prohibition before given XVIII 21. and R. Levi gives this reason of its repitition because it was a piece of Idolatrous Worship so usual in those days when the Law was delivered that there needed great indeavours to preserve them from it Praecept CCVIII And Maimonides also observes as I noted upon XVIII 21. that Idolaters used to fright People into this Worship by telling them their Children would dye if they did not make them pass through the fire and thereby devote them to their Gods But upon due consideration of these words it may appear probable that there is something more in them than in the former importing a higher degree of this sin For to give their Children to Molech seems to be no less than to offer them in Sacrifices So Christ giving himself for us constantly signifies in the New Testament which was a more horrid thing than meerly making them pass through the fire which did them no hurt And therefore this Crime is here forbidden under the Penalty of Death whereas in the XVIIIth Chapter no punishment is threatned Certain it is Children were really burnt upon the Altars of the ancient Pagans especially in times of great Distress when they hoped to pacisie the Anger of their Gods by offering to
between Crown and anointing Oil and so make two reasons why he should distinguish himself from all other Men. First because the holy Crown as it is called XXIX Exod. 6. which had holiness to the LORD ingraven on it XXVIII Exod. 36. was set upon his Head and his Head also was anointed with the holy Oil XXX Exod. 25 30. whereby he was in a special manner consecrated to the Service of the most High But there is no need of this for the anointing Oil it self was that which sanctified him to his Office and was poured on him after the holy Crown was set on his head VIII Lev. 9 12. And so these words may be translated The Consecration for so the Hebrew word Nezer signifies of the anointing Oil of his God is upon him That is he must remember he is solemnly devoted unto my Ministry by that anointing and therefore must not leave it to attend any other I am the LORD Whose Servant he is by a peculiar Obligation Ver. 13. Verse 13 And he shall take a Wife From the word Wife in the singular number the Talmudists generally conclude that Polygamy was not allowed to the High-Priest who was to have but one Wife at a time though other Men were permitted to have more See Selden Lib. II. de Successione in Pontif. cap. 2. p. 207. and Vxor Hebraica Lib. I. cap. 8. If he did take another he was to give a Bill of Divorce to one of them before the great Day of Expiation or else he was uncapable to perform the Offices of it as P. Cunaeus observes in the place fore-named out of Joma But if his Wife died it was not unlawful for him to marry again as Tertullian fancied from this very place Lib. de de Monogam cap. 7. and Exhort ad Cast cap. 7. In her virginity And not so much as espoused to any other Person Nor was any sort of Virgin thought fit for his Wife but only one that was newly come out of her minority and had not yet attained to her full puberty as Maimonides explains the sense of their ancient Doctors See Selden Lib. I. Vxor Hebr. cap. 7. where he observes also that this is to be understood of the High-Priest after he was in his Office for if he had married a Widow before he was High-Priest he was to keep her and not put her away when he was advanced to it But there are those who imagine this Law obliged all the common Priests who were to marry none but Virgins as they are perswaded from XLIV Ezek. 22. And no less Man than Hugo Grotius seems to be of this opinion both here and in his Book de Jure Belli Pacis Lib. II. cap. 5. n. 9. in his Annotata to that Section But the Hebrew Doctors are all of a contrary mind and so are Josephus and Philo as Mr. Selden observes in his Addenda to the seventh Chapter of his first Book Vxor Hebr. and Lib. II. de Success in Pontif. cap. 2. p. 208. And so Cunaeus also in the place fore-named speaking of this very Law Non enim Sacerdotibus posita eadem Lex fuit Quippe viduam illi rite duxerunt c. But above all a later most learned Writer Joh. Wagenseil hath largely confuted this opinion in which he hath shown Grotius was singular For besides that Ezekiel there supposes they might marry the Widow of a Priest it is evident both from Jewish and Christian Interpreters that the state of things under the Law is not to be measured by what the Prophet Ezekiel saith concerning the future Temple and Priests But as Kimchi himself saith upon this place If this Verse must be expounded of every Priest it relates to the greater sanctity of the future Temple for the Law at first undoubtedly was that none but the High-Priest was confined to marry a Virgin What Grotius alledges out of Josephus to prove his affection he hath shown with due respect to so great a Man doth him no Service See his Annotata ad Mischna Sota cap. 4. p. 557 c. Ver. 14. Verse 14 A Widow This was peculiar to the High-Priest that besides other Women which no Priest might marry he alone is forbidden to marry a Widow as the same learned Person there shows is the sense of all the Hebrew Writers And Moses Kotzensis observes that by a Widow is to be understood not only a Woman that had been married but if she had been meerly espoused it was unlawful for the High-Priest to take her for his Wife And by the High-Priest he saith is to be understood not only the Successor of Aaron but he also that was anointed to the War Which seems to be a stretching of the word beyond its meaning though the word Widow may be allowed to comprehend one only espoused whom he might not marry though she had been espoused to his Predecessor Or a divorced woman No nor the Wife of his Brother that died without Issue which others were bound to marry but he was not Or profane The word Chalalah was explained before v. 7. which according to the Jews signifies a Woman born of such a Person as a Priest is prohibited to marry As if the High-Priest had taken a Widow and had a Daughter by her that Child was profane and might not be married though a Virgin by a succeeding High-Priest And so of the rest See Buxtorf de Sponsal Divort. p. 37 38. Or a harlot See v. 7. But he shall take a virgin of his own people He was commanded before to marry none but a Virgin and now he is further limited to a Virgin of Israel For he doth not mean one of his own Tribe there being instances to the contrary of a High-Priest marrying into the Royal Tribe 2 Chron. XXII 11. Ver. 15. Verse 15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people Many think this refers to what goes before that he should not debase his Family by such mixtures as have been mentioned But I rather think it to be a new Precept as the Vulgar Latin takes it that as he might marry none but of his own People i. e. an Israelite so among his People he should not match with a vulgar Person but with one nobly born For that was the way to preserve the dignity of the Priestly Office at which all these Precepts aim For I the LORD do sanctifie him I have separated him to my self for a special and most holy Service For which reason he was to distinguish himself from other Men even in his marriage to make them the more reverence the LORD whom he served Upon this account it was that many Constitutions were made by the Elders forbidding him what was allowed to other People whereby they intended to advance his honour For instance he was forbidden to go into the Publick Baths or to Feasts If he would visit any that mourned he was to be attended by other Priests He was obliged to cut his hair every Week but
Hierozoicon P. II. Lib. V. cap. 9. But this spot did not make a Priest uncapable to minister as Selden observes in the place above-mentioned unless it was a little prominent which made the blemish more apparent Or be scurvy or scabbed One of these words signifies a dry scurf or scab the other a purulent Or hath his stones broken Is bursten or hath a rupture as some expound it The LXX translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which Procopius Gazaeus understands an Hermophrodite Ver. 21. Verse 21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh c. This seems to confirm what was observed before v. 17. that any other blemish besides these here particularly mentioned made a Man uncapable to officiate at the Altar And in the first place the Hebrew Doctors reckon five in the Ears besides the want of them An Example of which Josephus gives in the Story of Hyrcanus the High-Priest whose Ears Antigonus cut off that if he should return again he might not resume his Office Lib. I. de Bello Jud. cap. 11. He hath a blemish This general repetition is a farther confirmation that all apparent Blemishes of the same kind with these here particularly named excluded them from ministring at the Altar And there being some of them that were permanent or perpetual as they speak and others that were transient which remained but for a time no Man that had a Blemish though only of the latter sort was to minister at the Altar till it was gone He shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God i. e. The Offerings made by Fire before-mentioned which are here plainly represented as the Meat that was served up to his Table See v. 6. If any of them did presume to offer at the Altar there were different Effects of their Contumacy according to the different sorts of their Blemishes which the Hebrew Doctors divide into three Classes as I observed v. 17. If any Man having a Blemish of the first sort ministred it profaned the very Sacrifice which he offered and he was to be scourged The second sort did not vitiate the Sacrifice but the Priest was to undergo the forenamed punishment The third sort was so inconsiderable that neither of these Effects followed upon his ministring who was blemished by them as Mr. Selden observes Lib. II. de Success in Pontif. cap. 5. p. 234. Ver. 22. Verse 22 He shall eat of the bread of his God But though such a Priest might not offer any Sacrifice yet he might eat with his Brethren of that part of the Sacrifices which was given to them for their portion which no Man in his Uncleanness might do Therefore these natural Infirmities were not Legal Impurities but only Incapacities as we speak which disabled them for their Office Here again the Sacrifices are represented as the Provision made for the Divine Majesty See v. 6 21. Both of the most holy Such were the Meat-offerings II. 3. VI. 17. the Sin-offerings VI. 25 26. and the Trespass-offerings VII 1. See XIV 13. The Shew-bread also was a most holy thing and all such were to be eaten only by the Males of the Priests Family in the holy place XVIII Numb 9 10 11 c. And of the holy Such were the Wave-breast and the Heave-shoulder of the Peace-offerings VII 35. X. 14. and the First-fruits and the Tythes But though the Peace-offerings of particular Persons were among the less holy things yet the Peace-offerings of the whole Congregation were most holy See XXIII 20. Ver. 23. Verse 23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail He was not to enter into the Sanctuary to burn Incense or to trim the Lamps c. Nor come nigh unto the Altar No nor go to the Altar of Burnt-offering which was in the Court of the LORD's House but he was to sit in the Wood-room where he was imployed in picking out all the Wood which had any Worms in it that it might be laid aside and not carried to the Altar as Maimonides and others relate He had also another imployment See XIII 2. If any Man were so presumptuous or so forgetful as to minister notwithstanding the manifest Blemish which was upon him he fell under Censure and was punished according to the degree of his Fault as I observed before v. 21. out of Mr. Selden who hath in the place there mentioned handled this more accurately than I thought it needful for me to do That he profane not my Sanctuary That he might not make others think meanly of the Service of God and consequently of God himself who would have Men in their greatest perfection minister unto him to preserve in Peoples minds a sense of his most excellent Being unto whom they ministred For which reason all the foregoing Prohibitions were given against marrying such Persons as had been vitiated c. and against mourning for the dead that they might not profane the name of their God v. 6. by doing as vulgar People did or making themselves uncapable to minister unto God as they were when they were defiled And thus Maimonides discourses upon this Subject More Nevoch P. III. cap. 45. God commanded his Ministers should wear precious Apparel and that none should be admitted to the Ministry who had any defect in his Body nay they who were deformed and ill-favoured were excluded because the Vulgar do not judge according to Mens true worth or beauty which lies in the Soul but according to their outward appearance in the comliness of their Bodies and the richness of their Garments And therefore the end of all these things was that God's House might be had in due honour and reverence My Sanctuaries This word in the Plural Number relates to the two parts of the Sanctuary the Court where the Altar of Burnt-offering stood which was an holy place and that which was properly called the Sanctuary wherein the Altar of Incense was Into neither of which a Priest that had any Blemish might enter as was said before For I the LORD do sanctifie them I have set apart both those places for my Service and therefore no Man with a blemish shall be admitted into them to perform any holy Office there Yet they might come into the Court to eat with their Brethren of holy things but not in their Priestly Garments which it was not lawful for them to use Ver. 24. Verse 24 And Moses told it unto Aaron and to his Sons and unto all the Children of Israel They were all acquainted with these Laws because they were all concerned the Service of God should be administred acceptably unto him CHAP. XXII Ver. 1. Verse 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying These Commands that follow were delivered at the same time with the foregoing belonging to the same matter For though the Priests who had a blemish might eat of the holy things yet he would have them know that neither they nor such as were unblemished
such a part of their Family that they left them to their Children who succeeded them And therefore they also were allowed to eat of the Meat of the Priest Ver. 12. Verse 12 If a Priests daughter also be married unto a stranger Unto one that is not of the Family of the Priests She may not eat of an offering of the holy things She lost her right to eat of those holy things which she did partake of while she remained a part of her Father's Family For that intitled Persons to this Priviledge insomuch that a Priest taking a Wife out of another Family she might eat of them because she was one with him and therefore had more right than a Servant But for the same reason a Priest's Daughter married to a Stranger might not eat of them because she was gone out of his into another Family Ver. 13. Verse 13 But if the Priests daughter be a widow or divorced and have no child If she had any Children they and she made another Family and they being begotten by a Father who was not a Priest had no right to eat of the Priest's meat But if she was left without Children then she was accounted still one of her Father's Family provided she returned as it follows to live with him And is returned to her fathers house as in her youth To be a part of his Family as she was before she married X. 14. She shall eat of her fathers meat Have the same priviledge she had when she was a Virgin But there shall no stranger eat thereof This seems as I said particularly to relate unto her Children if she had any who being begotten by one of another Family were lookt upon as Strangers See v. 10. Ver. 14. Verse 14 And if a man Who hath no right to them Eat of the holy thing unwittingly Not knowing it to be an holy thing Then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it Besides his Sacrifice which he was bound to offer for his Trespass See V. 15. And shall give it unto the Priest with the holy thing He could not give the Priest the holy thing which he had eaten but the meaning is that he should make satisfaction to the Priest for the Damage done to him by paying him the true worth of the thing and the fifth part more of its value See V. 16. Ver. 15. Verse 15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the Children of Israel which they offer unto the LORD This seems to refer to the Persons before-named none of which should presume to profane Sacred things by eating them when they did not belong to them The Priests seem also to be concerned in it who were not to suffer them to eat such holy things as it follows in the next Verse Or if it intirely relate to the Priests the meaning is they should not profane holy things by eating them in their uncleanness v. 9. And one reason was because the Children of Israel whose Offerings these were might be discouraged from bringing them to the LORD when they saw them so prophaned Ver. 16. Verse 16 Or suffer them i.e. The People To bear the iniquity of trespass c. To fall under the punishment which God will inflict for their Trespass in eating things which do not appertain to them The Marginal Translation refers this also wholly to the Priests in this manner Or lade themselves with the iniquity of Trespass in their eating holy things viz. in their Uncleanness and with such Persons it may be added as ought not to eat of them For I the LORD do sanctifie them These words seem to justifie this last Interpretation See v. 9. Ver. 17. Verse 17 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying The following Laws no doubt were delivered at the same time with the former because they still concern the same matter Ver. 18. Verse 18 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons and unto all the Children of Israel For they were all concerned in the perfection of the Sacrifices as they were in the perfection of the Priests that offered them See XXI 24. And say unto them whosoever he be The Hebrew Doctors say that the phrase isch isch Man Man i. e. any Man is here used as it was XVIII 6. to show that Gentiles are comprehended under this Law as well as Jews as Mr. Selden observes out of the Gemara Babylon Tit. Cholin See Lib. III. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. 4. p. 289. Of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel They understand by strangers in Israel such as they called Proselytes of the Gate who were not Circumcised but had renounced Idolatry and joyned themselves to the God of Israel R. Levi ben Gersom takes perfect Proselytes to be here meant whom they called Proselytes of Righteousness yet not excluding the other That will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his free-will-offerings See VII 16. Which they will offer unto the LORD for a Burnt-offering If a Gentile brought a Peace-offering to the LORD it was offered as a Burnt-offering and no Meat-offering was permitted to be offered with it as Maimonides observes See Selden in the place before-named and v. 25. of this Chapter And Dr. Lightfoot gives a large account of it in his Temple Service chap. 8. sect 4. Ver. 19. Verse 19 Ye shall offer at your own will So these words are commonly understood that the Sacrifices both of Jew and Gentile should be spontaneous as well as without blemish though they will bear another sense as I observed Chap. I. v. 3. A male without blemish of the beeves and of the sheep and of the goats See Chap. I. v. 3 10. All Burnt-offerings were to be Males though Peace-offerings might be Females III. 1 6. and so might Sin-offerings also IV. 32. but all without blemish For as God accepted only some kind of Creatures viz. Beeves Sheep and Goats and no other of the Herd so he would have a choice to be made out of them of the very best as had been often before directed Ver. 20. Verse 20 But whatsoever hath a blemish that shall ye not offer This general Rule is here repeated because he is going to specifie what Creatures they should account blemished For it shall not be acceptable for you This seems to justifie the Exposition which I said might be given of that phrase in the foregoing Verse at your own will or for your acceptation See upon I. 3. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And whosoever offereth a Sacrifice of Peace-offerings unto the LORD Which were either to obtain blessings or to give thanks for them when they were obtained To accomplish his vow It was usual to make such Vows for procuring from God what they desired when they undertook a Journey or went to Sea or were sick or in any danger c. An example of which we have in I Jonah 16. where we read the Mariners in a Storm offered a Sacrifice to the LORD and made
Vows i. e. they vowed a Sacrifice to God for they could not Sacrifice on Ship-board when he had brought them to a safe Port. And so Cicero speaks of certain Mariners who being tossed in a Tempest vowed if they gained their Haven Ei Deo qui ibi esset se vitulum immolaturos They would offer a Calf to the God of that place And Homer in like manner brings in the Mother of Telemachus vowing perfect Hecatombs unto all the Gods if she might obtain her desire Odyss XVII v. 59. Or a free-will-offering This also was a Peace-offering for obtaining Blessings not when they were in distress I suppose but in general to procure God's favour to them and theirs In Beeves or Sheep And likewise Goats for all these were allowed in Peace-offerings III. 1 6 12. It shall be perfect to be accepted That was accounted perfect which wanted none of its parts nor had any defect in any of them The Heathen themselves did not think any other would be accepted and therefore made a careful choice of their Sacrifices as appears by those words of Virgil Lib. IV. AEneid v. 57. Mactant lectas de more bidentes Which he calls elsewhere eximij singled out as most excellent Lib. IV. Georg. v. 550. Quatuor eximios praestanti corpore tauros And that they might be such there was probatio victimarum a proof made of Sacrifices as Pliny speaks Lib. VIII cap. 45. where he saith such as were lame or had one leg shorter than the other were rejected Which probation was to be made by those that brought the Sacrifices but if they did not do their duty the Priest upon examination refused to admit them to be offered There shall be no blemish therein This is an explication of what he means by perfect Which Solon who seems to have taken the Rites of Religion from Moses called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the explication of which word Hesychius after several other expressions concludes with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which neither hath any part more or less than it should have Julius Pollux who reports this of Solon hath a great number of other words to express the perfection required in Sacrifices which were to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. I. cap. 1. some of which are of the same signification and serve only to show how compleat their Sacrifices were to be Ver. 22. Verse 22 Blind or broken c. In this and the following Verses he mentions XII blemishes which render any Beast unfit for Sacrifice And the first is blind under which the Hebrews comprehend that which the Latins call Cocles a Beast that hath but one eye Or broken In the Bones of the Thighs or the Legs Or maimed Most take it for that which the Latins call mutilum that which lacketh any part The LXX took it more particularly for that which had its Tongue cut out The Hebrew Doctors for that whose Eye-brows or Lips were slit or cut off Which is nearer to the Hebrew word charuts than the Vulgar which translates it only a Scar. Or having a wen. The Hebrews generally understand by the word jabbeleth that which the Latins call Verruca a Wart or hard Knob rising in the flesh which is better than the Vulgar who translates it papulas which properly signifies Pimples Pushes or Wheals But I think our Translation cannot be mended a Wen being a more manifest deformity and more common in Beasts than the other Or Scurvy This is that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Itch. Or scabbed Some take this word to signifie the same with the Latin impetigo i. e. a Ring-worm or Tetter which spreads in the skin with a dry Scab though others take it for that which they call Porrigo for which I know no English word unless it be the mangy The Hebrews take it for the Porrigo AEgyptiaca as Bochart observes a Scabby Disease of this kind frequent among the Egyptians Ye shall not offer these unto the LORD Not so much as present them to be offered in Sacrifice Nor make an offering by fire of them upon the Altar unto the LORD Much less burn them upon the Altar for the LORD will not accept such Sacrifices Ver. 23. Verse 23 Either a Bullock or a Lamb that hath any thing superfluous This word we had before which we translate superfluous XXI 18. but it properly signifies the inequality and disproportion that there is between those parts that are pairs as the Eyes or Legs and particularly when one of them exceeds its just bigness ex gr when one Leg is longer than it should be Or lacking in his parts This word signifies just the quite contrary to the other when one part is less and more contracted than it should be one Leg supposed shorter than ordinary So all the Hebrews understand these words particularly Onkelos and Jonathan That mayest thou offer for a free-will-offering A very learned Person of our own takes these words for an Exception to the foregoing general Rule that such defects as these two should not hinder the acceptation of a Beast for a Free-will-offering though not for a Vow And it must be acknowledged that is the most plain and simple sense But the Jews as he observes particularly R. Solomon Jarchi expound them otherwise and will not have this Offering to signifie the Sacrifice of such things at the Altar but the giving them to the Priest for some Sacred use to be sold for instance for the reparation of the Temple for which they were accepted See Dr. Owtram Lib. I. de Sacrificiis cap. 9. n. 2. But for a vow it shall not be accepted Free-will-offerings were much different from Vows there being no obligation upon them to offer the former as there was to offer the latter and a less perfect Creature would be accepted in the one case though not in the other Ver. 24. Verse 24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised or crushed or broken or cut That is as the Hebrews interpret it and so do the LXX and the Vulgar any Beast whose Testicles were compressed or bruised c. For these four ways they used to castrate a Lamb for instance and make it a Wether and so they did with Kids and Calves as Bochart observes out of Aristotle and others in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 46. Neither shall you make any offering thereof in your land The word Offering is not in the Hebrew and this passage may be thus exactly translated Neither in your Land shall ye make or do So the LXX the sense of which the Vulgar expresses by adding the word this i.e. the fore-named castration either by compression or contusion or any other way For Josephus saith it was unlawful among them to geld any Creature which was prohibited to keep them from doing so with Men which they were taught to be abominable And these words suggested as much being thus translated Neither in your Land shall it be done
day had no relation to this is apparent for they did not dwell in Tabernacles on the eighth day of this Feast but only on the seven preceding Which being ended they returned to their Houses and kept this day there to another purpose here named for so it is expresly said v. 42. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days Which being over a great Solemnity continued to another purpose and was kept after another manner not in Booths but in their Houses So Maimonides in his More Nevoch P. III. cap. 43. That we go from the Feast of Tabernacles to another Solemnity on the eighth day it tends to make our joys perfect which could not be done in Tabernacles but in large and spacious Houses and Palaces Where they made still greater Feasts as well as sung the Praises of God at the Temple with Trumpets and Instruments of Musick In which Service some say those three Psalms were used which have the Title of Al-hagittith viz. VIII LXXXI and LXXXV For Gath signifies a Wine-press and therefore they think these Psalms were sung in the time of the Vintage Certain it is that the two last named were sung at some great Solemnity wherein they celebrated God's wonderful Providence over them And that they used to sing and shout at their Vintage is clear from IX Judg. 27. XVI Isa 9 10. XLVIII Jer. 33. II Hosea 15. Which the Gentiles imitated who when they pressed their Grapes sung a Song to Bacchus which was thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Song of the Wine-press See Scaliger Lib. I. Poet. cap. 55. Now this being a time of such great Rejoycing in both respects it led Plutarch into a fancy that the Jews celebrated two Feasts unto Bacchus at this time For he writes in his Symposiaes Lib. IV. Probl. 3. That in the midst of Vintage the Jews spread Tables furnished with all manner of Fruit and lived in Tabernacles made especially of Palms and Ivy wreathed together and call the day which goes before the Feast The Day of Tabernacles And then a few days after saith he they keep another Festivity which openly shows it was dedicated to Bacchus for they carried Boughs of Palms in their hands c. with which they went into the Temple the Levites who he fancies were called so from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the name of Bacchus going before with Instruments of Musick c. All which may very well incline us to think that the Gentiles corrupted this holy Festivity as they did other Sacred Institutions and turned it into the prophane Bacchanalia which is no improbable conjecture of Jo. Mich. Dilherrus in his Dissert de Cacozel Gentil cap. 3. Ver. 40. Verse 40 And ye shall take you on the first day Then they began to build their Booths that they might dwell in them the rest of the Feast Boughs of goodly Trees c. Some fancy that this is not a direction for the building of Booths with these Branches but for the carrying them in their hands as Josephus tells us Lib. III. Antiq. cap. 10. And they say these Branches were called Hosanna's because they sung those words of the Psalmist as they marcht along with these Boughs in their hands Save now in the Hebrew the word is Hosan-na O LORD O LORD send now prosperity CXVIII 25. And this is so riveted in the Minds of the Jews that Aben-Ezra makes it the Opinion of the Sadducees to hold that they were for any other use But it is evident from VIII Nehem 15. that they cut these Branches to make Booths and not to carry in their hands though it is likely that this might also be thought a fitting Expression of Joy in after times especially after they were expelled out of their own Land It is not unlikely also that they celebrated this Festival by singing of Hosanna's among other tokens of Rejoycing praying for a happy new year whose Feast went a little before on the first of this Month. Whence the Rabbins call this Feast of Tabernacles by the name of Hosanna and the last day of it they call Hosanna Rabba And they repeat this often in their Prayers at that time as they tell us in their Minhagim or Books of Rituals saying For thy sake O our Creator Hosanna For thy sake O our Redeemer Hosanna For thy sake O our seeker Hosanna As if they beseeched the blessed Trinity to save them and send help to them In short they call the Prayers they say at this Feast by the name of Hosanna's as Joh. Michael Dilherrus hath observed Lib. II. Electorum cap. 20. Boughs The Hebrew word Pri signifies Fruit as is noted in the Margin of our Bibles From whence some have gathered that they were to be the Boughs of Fruit-bearing-trees nay the Jews fancy they were to be Boughs with their Fruit as well as Leaves on them But Buxtorf made no doubt in his XVIth Chapter of Synag Judaica that the word is rightly translated a Bough whether without Fruit or with it though in later Editions of that Book this passage be lest out Goodly Trees The Hebrew word hadar doth not meerly signifie that which is beautiful and goodly but that which is large and well spread as is observed by Hottinger in his Smegma Orientale Lib. I. cap. 7. where he thinks these words may be thus exactly translated Take to you the Boughs of Trees with broad Leaves such as the Branches of Palm-trees So that hadar is a general word and Branches of Palm-trees a special instance of a Tree with spacious Leaves which were the fittest to be used because they were best able to defend them either from heat or cold or rain Maimonides takes this word to signifie the Boughs of a particular Tree which he will have to be a Citron And the Jews are so possessed with this opinion that at this day they fancy the Feast cannot be celebrated without such Branches And therefore the Jews now in Germany send into Spain and endeavour to get one every year with the Pome-citrons on it And after the Feast they offer the Citrons to their Friends as a great present Hottinger saith he had one presented to him at Heidelberg that very year he wrote his Book now mentioned See Dr. Lightfoot in his Temple Service chap. 6. sect 3. and Buxturf Synag Jud. cap. 21. Branches of Palm-trees With which Judea abounded and was so noted for them that in the ancient Coins a Palm-tree represented that Country And the boughs of thick Trees Which were shady and afforded a good shelter The Jews take these for Myrtles which have very thick Leaves and Boughs close one to another though the Leaves be small And Willows of the Brook If this Translation be right it 's likely they served only to twine about the rest and bind them together And therefore in Nehemiah VIII 15. no mention is made of them their Tabernacles not consisting of such Boughs which were used only for the compacting and tying
a plain Law that whosoever cursed his Father or Mother should die XXI Exod. 17. from whence they might justly infer he was to be so punished who cursed his heavenly Father there being also another Law against those that reviled the Judges and Rulers XXII Exod. 28. And therefore I take it they only doubted what kind of death he should die about which Moses consulted the Divine Majesty Ver. 13. Verse 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying It 's likely Moses went into the Sanctuary to enquire of God who from the Mercy-seat pronounced the following Sentence against him and also made a perpetual Law about this Case with some others Ver. 14. Verse 14 Bring forth him that cursed without the Camp This is the Sentence pronounced by the mouth of God from whom they expected it And first he orders the Criminal to be carried forth out of the Camp as an unclean V Numb 2 3. nay an accursed thing VII Josh 24. And let all that heard him Next he orders the Witnesses to be produced who heard him speak the blasphemous words Lay their hands upon his head This was a peculiar thing in this Case Hands being laid upon no Man's head condemned by the Sanhedrim but only upon a Blasphemer By which Ceremony they solemnly declared that they had given a true testimony against him and thought him worthy of the Death he was condemned to suffer And perhaps prayed God that all the punishment of this Sin might fall upon this Man and not upon them nor the rest of the People And so the Jews tell us their manner was to say Let thy blood be upon thy own head which thou hast brought on thy self by thy own guilt And let all the Congregation stone him This was the last part of the Sentence that when they that heard him Curse had taken off their hands all the Congregation should stone him Which is the same Punishment the Law inflicted on him that cursed his Father or his Mother XX. 9. See there Ver. 15. Verse 15 And thou shalt speak unto the Children of Israel saying Upon this occasion a new Law is made in express terms against Blasphemy Whosoever curseth his God Some of the Hebrews understand this of a Gentile who lived among them and was not yet solemnly made a Proselyte of the Gate that if he cursed the God which was worshipped in his Country he should die for it See Selden Lib. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. cap. ult And Procopius Gazaeus extends the words to such Persons as cursed the God they worshipped though he were a false God Which is according to the common Rule of the Talmudists that where we find these words isch isch man man which we well translate whosoever they comprehend Gentiles as well as Jews But no doubt this Law particularly concerned the People of Israel whom God intended by this Law to preserve from such horrid impiety as is here mentioned Shall bear his sin Be stoned See XX. 9. If the word curseth be understood in the proper sense Procopius well observes that nothing could be more sensless than this Sin and upon that account deserved stoning for he that curseth his God upon what God will he call to confirm his curse But the Hebrew words seems to import only speaking contemptuously of God Ver. 16. Verse 16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death c. It is uncertain whether this be an higher degree of the Sin mentioned in the foregoing Verse or only a repetition of the same Law with a more express declaration of the punishment he should bear for his sin The Jews unreasonably understand it of him alone that expressed the Name i. e. the most holy Name of God as they say in Sanhedrim cap. 7. num 5. where Joh. Ã Coch observes out of the Hierusalem Targum on XXXII Deut. that it is thus explained Wo unto those that in their Execrations use the holy Name which is not lawful for the highest Angel to express But this is a piece of their Superstition the meaning undoubtedly is That if any Man reproached the most High he should die for it but the meer pronouncing his holy Name could be no Crime when Men might swear by it though not take it in vain VI Deut. 13. XX Exod. 7. All the Congregation shall certainly stone him As they were ordered to do with the present Offender v. 14. As well the stranger as he that is born in the Land c. By Stranger may be meant a Proselyte like the Egyptian whose Offence was the occasion of this Law But the Jews extend it to Samaritans and Gentiles only they say such were to be punished by the Sword and not by Stoning Ver. 17. Verse 17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death This Law was given before XXI Exod 12. And it is not easie to give an account why it is here repeated after the Case of a Blasphemer Perhaps it was upon the occasion of the last words in the foregoing Verse As well the stranger as he that is born in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death For after the following Laws they are repeated again as a general Rule v. 22. that no Man might think it hard a Stranger should be punished for Blasphemy as much as an Israelite when in other Cases the same Judgment passed upon them both Procopius Gazaeus thinks a Murderer is joyned with a Blasphemer because they have the same mind and intention the one desiring to destroy God if it were possible as the other doth his Neighbour Therefore the Law puts them together just as on the contrary when it commands the love of God it couples with it the love of our Neighbour So he Ver. 18. Verse 18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good beast for beast It was not incongruous as the same Procopius speaks to annex unto the Law against Murder a Law against other Injuries And concerning this see XXI Exod. 33 34. For the Hebrew word Behemah here used signifies such domesticktame Beasts as are there mentioned Ver. 19 20. Verse 19 20. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it be done to him c. This Law concerns only free Persons not their Slaves and hath been explained XXI Exod. 24 25. Ver. 21. Verse 21 And he that killeth a beast he shall restore it and he that killeth a man he shall be put to death This is a short repetition of the two first Laws here mentioned v. 17 18. to make them the more regarded Ver. 22. Verse 22 Ye shall have one manner of law as well for the stranger as for one of your own Country In these and in all other Cases as well as Blasphemy v. 16. you and the Stranger shall be judged by one and the same Law For I am the LORD your God Who will neither favour
expressed by hickethi I will smite or punish you v. 24. Seven times for your sins If we should by a litteral account multiply the number of Plagues mentioned v. 24. seven times the threatning here would amount to this That their Rebellion not amended by so many Plagues but continued still from Age to Age notwithstanding all the Corrections inflicted on them for their Reformation v. 23. should in conclusion be punished one thousand one hundred ninety seven times more severely than at first v. 18. But the simple sense is That their obstinate contempt of his Laws should be punished with new and more grievous Plagues Which was fulfilled as our Dr. Jackson observes Book I on the Creed chap. 22. in their Captivity in the days of Manasseh Jehojachim and Zedediah and again in the time of Ptolomy the first under Antiochus Epiphanes For these later Calamities were at least seven times greater both for extent and durance than the former Persecutions which they suffered from the Philistines Moabites Ammonites and Syrians By all which and by what follows it plainly appears that these Threatnings were a kind of Prediction For Moses evidently foresaw they would not prove so obedient as he desired XXXI Deut. 27 29. and consequently that these Threatnings in case of Disobedience would turn into Prophecies Unto every one of which their History exactly answers as the Book of Deuteronomy will give me occasion to show more fully Ver. 29. Verse 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat This is the very utmost Calamity that could come upon a People and yet as Conradus Pellicanus observes it is put before the throwing down of their High-places and Images c. As if the devouring of their Children such was their incredible Lust after Idols would seem a less Evil to them than the loss of their Images This was fulfilled among the Israelites in the Siege of Samaria 2 Kings VI. 29. and among the Jews in the Siege of Jerusalem before the Babylonian Captivity IV Lament 10. and in the last Siege by Titus as Josephus relates Lib. VII de Bello Judaico cap. 8. Ver. 30. Verse 30 And I will destroy your high places Where they were wont to worship their Idols according to the manner of the Heathen who built Temples and Altars and offered Sacrifices to their Gods upon Mountains and high Hills especially such as were shaded with Trees Insomuch that the Indians in Philostratus call the high Mountain Caucasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the House of the Gods And the ancient Persians as Herodotus saith in his Clio cap. 131. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 going up to the top of the highest Mountains there offered Sacrifices unto Jupiter calling the whole Circle of the Heavens by that name And in the Island Naxus the highest Mountain was also consecrated to him as from his worship on Mount Athos he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hesychius They that would see more of this matter may look into Cuperus his Apotheosis Homeri p. 15 16 c. And the reason of their choosing these places for their Worship was because they thought their Sacrifices would be more acceptable there than in Valleys For as Lucian himself saith they thought themselves in such High-places to be nearer to their Gods and so should more easily obtain Audience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. de De◠Syr. and Tacitus saith the same in the last Book of his Annals How much the Israelites were inclined to follow the Nations of the World in this appears too plainly by their History which shows that High-places were frequented in the Reigns of their good Kings as well as of their bad Yea they were so fond of them that when they could not go to them they offered upon the tops of their Houses XIX Jerem. 13. XXXII 29. I Zephan 5. And cut down their Images The Hebrew word Chammanecem which we translate your Images properly signifies Temples erected for the worship of the Sun as Aben-Ezra says upon this place For it is certain that the Hebrews call the Sun Chamma from whence comes the word Chamman the Temple of the Sun whom the ancient Phoenicians took to be the Lord of Heaven So Sanchoniathon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the Sun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though it is very probable that as Superstition increased the name of Chammanim was given to other Temples as well as those of the Sun See Bochart in his Canaan Lib. II. cap. 17. Others take this word to signifie what the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Temples of the Fire which being worshipped by the Eastern People Temples were erected in honour of it But this is not much different from the former the Persians worshipt the Sun in the Fire which was the Symbol and Representative of the Sun See Selden Syntagma II. de Diis Syris cap. 8. And cast your carcases upon the carcases of your Idols Which were both burnt together as some imagine However this expresses the utmost Contempt both of them and of their Idols who were alike detestable Their fondness of them also when they were alive seems to be represented by throwing them upon them when they were dead And the Hebrew word gillulim which we barely translate Idols importing something belonging to the Dunghil is taken by some to signifie the Images of Baal-peor who was worshipped as the Jews say after a most beastly manner These Idols whatsoever they were though dressed up finely yet were no better then dead Carcases without any Life or Soul in them And we might think if that Superstition were so old that Moses alludes to the little Images of Isis which were made of Plaister and Clay and are found frequently in the Sepulchres of Egyptians at this day Unto which Christoph Arnoldus in his Epistle to Wagenseil thinks the Talmudists allude when they say that Pharaoh's Daugher becoming a Proselyte to the Jewish Religion washed her self in the River Megullile from these dunghil Idols as some render it of her Father's House Excerp Gemarae in Sota cap. 1. sect 40. The Dutch Interpreters translate it Dreck-goden not meerly for the matter as Arnoldus thinks but also for the form of a Beetle which lives in dung For so they represented Isis as Plutarch tells us in his Book de Isid Offic. See Wagenseil Sota p. 1176. And my soul shall abhor you As so offensive to me that I can bear with you no longer This is directly opposite to his promise if they would be obedient v. 11. My soul shall not abhor you Ver. 31. Verse 31 And I will make your Cities waste Their Walls being thrown down and their Houses burnt And bring your Sanctuaries unto desolation They had but one Sanctuary and therefore some think their Synagogues are comprehended under this name for they are sometimes called Sanctuaries as I observed before But the Sanctuary properly so
called having several parts which were all holy Moses may be thought to speak of it here in the Plural Number As Jeremiah represents the Jews saying The Temple of the LORD the Temple of the LORD the Temple of the LORD are these VII 4. That is both these Courts wherein we stand as well as that of the Priests and the most Holy Place are all the LORD's Temple Or the word your is to be applied to such places of Worship as they themselves had consecrated in opposition to God's Sanctuary And I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours This seems to determine the meaning of Sanctuaries to God's own House where sweet odours of Incense made of several sweet Spices were daily offered unto him Which being a representation of their Prayers sent up to him he here declares that he will not be appeased by them nor by any Sacrifices they could offer to him but utterly reject them Ver. 32. Verse 32 And I will bring the Land into desolation The People being carried captive or forced to flee into strange Countries v. 33. And your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it They that possess this Country out of which you are expelled shall be amazed when they reflect upon the Calamities that are fall'n upon you Which Jeremiah describes as very dreadful VII 20. And often mentions the Astonishment wherewith they were struck who beheld them XVIII 16. XIX 8. XXV 9 11. and see 2 Chron. XXIX 8 9. which shows this began before Jeremiah's time Ver. 33. Verse 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen Some fled into one strange Country and others into another according as they could find means and opportunity insomuch that there were no known places where they were not dispersed So Jeremiah threatens XIII 24. XV. 4. And I will draw a sword after you So Jeremiah threatens those that would go into Egypt for safety that the sword which they feared should overtake them there XLII 16 17 18. And your Land shall be desolate and your Cities waste For they that were left there and their Enemies to whom the Country was given were now enow to cultivate the Land and build their Cities By all this as well as by what follows it appears that here is a plain Prediction of the Miseries that came upon Israel by Tiglath-Pileser and Salmanasar and upon Judah by Nebuchadnezzar who laid their Cities waste destroyed the Sanctuaries despoil'd them of their Goods drove them into strange Countries and as it here follows made their Land keep its Sabbaths Ver. 34. Verse 34 Then shall the Land enjoy her Sabbaths as long as it lyeth desolate and ye be in your enemies Land c. This is a most bitter reproach to them for their ingratitude to God and inhumanity to their Brethren in not keeping the Sabbatical year mentioned in the foregoing Chapter Dr. Hammond hath another notion of the word which we translate enjoy See Note g. upon Psal 102. p. 504. Ver. 35. Verse 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest Lye untilled as it ought to have done every seventh year And it lay thus seventy years because as some think they had neglected to keep so many Sabbatical years Which we cannot think to be true without supposing that they kept none for half the time from their entrance into Canaan till they were expelled out of it by the Captivity of Babylon Because it did not rest in your Sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it For in these four hundred and ninety years says Procopius Gazaeus when they were under the Government of Kings there were seventy years to be kept as Sabbaths which that the Land might enjoy its Sabbaths were spent in the Captivity of Babylon We do not expresly read indeed of this profane neglect while they dwelt in their Land but Jeremiah complains that they did not in his time give their Servants Liberty in the seventh year XXXIV 17. and he gives this as one reason why God delivered them up to Slavery for so I understand those words I Lament 3. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude And from thence we may conclude that the same covetous humour and distrust of God's Providence made them not suffer their Land to rest in that year Especially since the Author of the second Book of Chronicles expresly mentions this as a reason of their Captivity to fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah the Prophet until the Land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath to fulfil threescore and ten years 2 Chron. XXXVI 21. Now their Punishment in this was made the more remarkable if it be true that both the Kingdom of Samaria and the Kingdom of Judah were destroyed in a Sabbatical year and that immediately after a Jubile the City and Temple were destroyed by Titus according to Scaliger's Computation And so I observed before Maimonides makes account XXV 8. that the year when they were carried captive to Babylon and the first Temple destroyed was in the expiration of a Sabbatical year Schemitta ve Jobel cap. 10. sect 3. Ver. 36. Verse 36 And upon them that are left alive of you This imports that the Body of the People should be destroyed I will send a faintness into your hearts in the Lands of their Enemies Where their Spirits Sunk under their present Miseries And the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them And yet they were condemned to live in continual dread of more Miseries For the Hebrew word we translate faintness signifies softness which could not support the weight of their Affliction And this last Phrase imports such a timourness as should make their Life always uneasie to them and such a cowardise as should render them vile and despicable And so they are noted at this day to be mean spirited and faint hearted it being scarce ever heard that a Jew listed himself for a Soldier or ingaged in the defence of the Country where he lives And they shall flee as flecing from a Sword and fall when none pursueth Fancy they hear the sound of Trumpets or clashing of Arms which made them start and run away any fall into a swoon when there was no danger Such Terrors the Heathen themselves have observed in Men of an evil Conscience who were afraid of their own Shadow as they say of Orestes Ver. 37. Verse 37 And they shall fall one upon another As people are wont to do when they make too much haste and run confusedly or the formost hinder the flight of those that follow XLVI Jerem. 16. As it were before a Sword c. For fear of the Sword as this Hebrew Phrase certainly signifies and is so translated in the Margin of our Bibles XXI Isa 15. XXXI 8. See Bochartus in his Hierozoicon P. I. Lib. II. cap. 8. And ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies Being so timorous as to
day For which reason the greatest care was to be used to see it rightly observed because all their happiness depended upon it For the Land of Canaan was promised them upon condition that they kept the Law offering all the Sacrifices therein prescribed especially this great Sacrifice which was to cleanse them from the guilt of all their Neglects or Breaches of this Law Which should teach us Christians to conclude That as the Inheritance of that good Land was assigned the Jews in consideration of their Sacrifices as the condition of that Covenant by which they were prescribed so the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over to us by the Covenant of Grace in consideration of the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ Jesus of which they were a Figure For it is his Blood that cleanseth us from all unrighteousness as St. John speaks and secures our Claim to the heavenly Inheritance That ye may be clean from all your sins If a Man was bound to offer Sacrifice for any sin that was certain he was not excused from it by this Sacrifice on the Day of Expiation but was bound to make that other Sacrifice also But the Day of Expiation freed those who were bound to offer Sacrifices for dubious Offences So Maimonides saith in his Treatise of Offences committed through Error cap. 3. sect 9. that those sins which were known to none but God were taken away by this solemn Day of Expiation without any other Sacrifice But the Misna in the last Section of Joma acknowledges very honestly that the Day of Expiation did not purge Men from the guilt of the Offences they had committed against their Neighbour unless they first gave him Satisfaction Before the LORD Who dwelt among them and would continue to do so if they observed his Laws and took care to be thus cleansed from all their sins But least any Man should mistake this matter it may be here fit to observe that there were no Sacrifices at all appointed by the Law of Moses for Capital Offences and therefore when he speaks here of making them clean from all their sins upon this day such as these for instance Murder Adultery Idolatry c. are not included for this great Sacrifice could not obtain a Pardon for them but only for Offences committed against the Ritual Laws contained in this Book and that also when they were committed through Error or Ignorance for if they were done presumptuously cutting off was threatned to them See XV Numb from v. 22. to v. 32. And this appears plainly from the Sacrifices themselves that are here appointed which had no vertue in them from their own worth and value but only from God's Institution to make Expiation for any Sin For the death of a Bullock or a Goat was not of such account with God that it could prevail for the taking away of guilt unless he had given it such a power And that power which he was pleased to allow unto them was neither infinite nor could it be so For the guilt that they were principally designed to abolish was not of such a nature as to require such an Expiation It arising from things which were neither good nor evil in themselves and therefore could not create such a guilt Such were all the uncleannesses from certain natural Fluxes from touching a dead Body and innumerable other such like Impurities which depending wholly upon the will of God who by a positive Law made such things to bring Men under a guilt by the same Will he appointed a proportionable Expiation of it by these Sacrifices whose power to cleanse depended also purely upon his pleasure And if they had any vertue to purge Men from the real guilt of sins committed against the Eternal Laws of God this they had not of themselves but from the most gracious Will of God who was pleased to apply to this purpose the future Satisfaction of the immaculate Lamb of God of which these Sacrifices were a Shadow and Type For a Body being prepared for the Son of God and he offering himself for us that was a Sacrifice of such infinite value in its own nature that it expiated all manner of sins of all Men. To this effect that excellent Person Joh. Wagenseil discourses in his Confutation of R. Lipman's Carmen Memoriale p. 488. Ver. 31. Verse 31 It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you In the Hebrew the words are a Sabbath of Sabbaths i. e. a great or perfect Sabbath like that of the Seventh day in every Week on which they might do no manner of Work And so the Seventh day is called just as this is a Sabbath of Rest or Sabbath of Sabbaths See XXXI Exod. 15. XXXV 2. which gave occasion to those jeers we meet withal in Martial and others at the Jews fasting on their Sabbath days For reading Moses his Books carelesly they fancied the Jews observed as strict a Fast upon every Sabbath day as they did on this which was but once a year And ye shall afflict your Souls by a statute for ever See v. 29. Ver. 32. Verse 32 And the Priest whom he shall anoint c. The High-Priest who should be anointed and consecrated in his Father's stead when he was dead is here ordered to make this Atonement yearly That is what was now done by Aaron was to be done by every High-Priest successively when he was legally put into his Office by vesting him with the Priestly Garments anointing him and offering the Sacrifices of Consecration VIII 7 10 22. This Statute confined the sacred work of this day to the High-Priest who alone could perform it But it shows withal as the Apostle observes the great imperfection of this Legal Priesthood which could not by reason of death continue always in one Person but there were many Priests succeeding one another in the Office which became often vacant Whereas our great High-Priest because he continueth for ever i. e. never dies hath an unchangeable Priesthood and therefore is able to save to the uttermost or evermore those that come to God by him VII Hebr. 23 24 25. And shall put on the linen clothes even the holy garments He was to take a special care not to officiate on this day in any other Garments but those mentioned v. 4. which were peculiarly appropriated to this Service and called the white Garments which were a Figure perhaps of the perfect Purity of our great High-Priest who as it there immediately follows VII Hebr. 26. is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Ver. 33. Verse 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy Sanctuary c. In this Verse he only sums up the whole duty of the day in which a general Atonement was made for all Things and for all Persons The only thing to be observed is That the Expiation of the Sanctuary the Tabernacle and the Altar preceded the Expiation of the Priests and of the People who were to be expiated by the Sacrifices offered
Of new Corn made into Loaves as it follows in the next Verse which was the First-fruits of Wheat-harvest as the place before-mentioned tells us XXXIV Exod. 22. This day the Samaritans take to have been the first day of the Week after the very Letter of this Law which is thus made out by the great Primate of Ireland Our blessed LORD being slain at the Feast of the Passover the whole Sabbath following which was the first day of Unleavened Bread he rested in his Grave The next day after that Sabbath the Sheaf or Omer of the First-fruits of the Barley-harvest was offered to the LORD when Christ rose from the dead and became the First-fruits of them that slept From this day was the account taken of the seven Sabbaths or Weeks and upon the morrow after the Seventh that is upon our Lord's Day was celebrated the Feast of Weeks which is called the day of the First-fruits XXVIII Numb 26. because then were offered the First-fruits of their second or Wheat-Harvest and therefore called the Feast of 〈◊〉 XXIII Exod. 16. because then was the principal and the Conclusion of the whole Harvest of the year Upon which day the Apostles having themselves received the First-fruits of the Spirit begat three thousand Souls through the Word of Truth and presented them as the First-fruits of the Christian Church unto God and unto the Lamb. Now the matter being so ordered by God that in the observation of the Feast of Weeks the Seventh day of the Week the Jewish Sabbath was purposely passed over and that great Solemnity kept upon the first day of the Week no wonder the Christian Church hath appropriated that day instead of the Seventh for the Service of God Ver. 17. Verse 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations These Oblations seem to have been offered at a common charge in the name of the whole Nation which is the reason of this phrase Out of your habitations For to affirm as some do that two Loaves were to be brought out of every House or at least out of every Town is absurd for they may as well say seven Lambs as it follows which were offered with this Bread were to be furnished in like manner out of every Family or Town Two Wave-loaves of two Tenth-deals A double proportion as before v. 13. which was presented to God the LORD of the whole World by waving them to all quarters Each Loaf did not contain two Tenth-deals but there was one in each Loaf They shall be of fine flour Of Wheat They shall be baken with leaven And therefore were not burnt upon the Altar for that was unlawful II Lev. 11 12. but wholly given to the Priests Whence it was as the Jews observe that the Bread accompanying their Peace-offerings of Thanksgiving were leavened VII 13. and not burnt on the Altar but intirely given to the Priests the Servants of God who attended at his Altar that they might Feast together with him They are the first-fruits unto the LORD Other First-fruits are mentioned v. 10. but these were the principal being the First-fruits of Wheat-harvest which with all the rest are exactly enumerated by Nehemiah X. 35 36 37. And that place of Pliny mentioned v. 14. seems to prove that the Heathen offered both the first of their Fruits before they brought them out of their Fields and Vineyards and also the first of what was made of them after they were brought home Which they did partly out of gratitude to God to thank him for making the year fruitful and partly to pray him to grant fruitful Seasons for the future Ver. 18. Verse 18 And ye shall offer with the Bread seven Lambs without blemish c. This being a great day and Burnt-offerings being the noblest sort of Sacrifice purely in honour of God a greater number both of Lambs and other Creatures are required upon this Solemnity And one young Bullock and two Rams In XXVIII Numb 27. it is said Two young Bullocks and one Ram besides the seven Lambs Perhaps they were left to their liberty either to bring one young Bullock and two Rams or one Ram and two young Bullocks Or else those mentioned in Numbers were distinct Sacrifices besides those here mentioned and so Josephus saith Lib. III. Antiq. cap. 10. that there were offered upon this day three young Bullocks two Rams it should be three Rams and fourteen Lambs All which were offered besides the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of every day They shall be a Burnt-offering to the LORD with their Meat-offering c. There being all sorts of Sacrifices prescribed for the great Solemnity of this Day he mentions the Burnt-offering in the first place because it was the principal and offered next to the two Loaves Ver. 19. Verse 19 Then shall ye Sacrifice one Kid of the Goats for a Sin-offering Next followed the Sin-offering Which for a particular sin of the Congregation was a Bullock 18.14 but for the sins of the Nation in general only a Kid of the Goats For as Maimonides observes More Nevoch P. III. cap. 46. the more grievous the Sin was the viler the Sacrifice there being no greater Sin than Idolatry nor viler Sacrifice than a She-goat and yet this was the Expiation of that Sin as they interpret IV. 27. XV Numb 17. And two Lambs of the first year for a Sacrifice of Peace-offerings Double the number to what was commonly offered For this being an high day all sorts of Sacrifices as I said before were offered Burnt-offerings Sin-offerings and Peace-offerings upon it and in greater proportions except the Sin-offering then on other days And these were the only Peace-offerings of the whole Congregation of Israel offered only at this one time of the year and never else Ver. 20. Verse 20 And the Priest shall wave them with the Bread of the First-fruits for a Wave-offering before the LORD These Sacrifices with the Trespass-offering for a Leper XIV 12 24. were the only Offerings that were waved about towards all the corners of the World So Abarbinel upon this place The waving was performed by the Priest who reached them out upward and downward this way and that way towards the six quarters of the World to show that the Earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof Or as R. Levi ben Gersom speaks that they might understand the Providence of God is every where above and beneath in every corner of the World With the two Lambs This seems to signifie the forenamed Burnt-offering and Sin-offering were thus waved as well as these Peace-offerings That is some part of them all in the name of the rest for the Priest could not wave the whole Body of them they were so heavy They shall be holy to the LORD for the Priest Who had not only the Breast and the Shoulder as was usual but all the flesh of these Peace-offerings their Blood being sprinkled and their Inwards burnt was given unto him to be eaten by the Males among the Priests