understood of his Vnction also which was to be by day and not by night and to be repeated seven times And by the same reason the Sacrifices were also to be repeated though if he ministred before they were offered the Doctors held it not to be illegitimate as he shows in the end of that Chapter When he cometh into the Tabernacle of the Congreation to minister in the holy place At this entrance into the Tabernacle he was to put them on for seven days together before he could go to minister in the Sanctuary Ver. 31. And thou shalt take the Ram of the Consecration That is all the rest of the Flesh which was not burnt on the Altar nor given to Moses Who having had their share v. 22 26. the Remainder as the manner was in Peace-offerings belonged to those that brought the Sacrifice And seethe his flesh in the holy place At the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation as we read expresly VIII Lev. 31. and as it is explained in the next Verse that there they should eat it Fire was taken from the Altar to boil it Ver. 32. And Aaron and his Sons shall cat the flesh of the Ram. That is Feast with God in his own House as Persons now compleatly qualified to minister unto him And the bread that is in the basket All the remaining Bread and Cakes which were presented unto God after that which was burnt upon the Altar as his part v. 23 24 c. By the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Hence it appears that this Sacrifice had something in it peculiar from other Peace-offerings which might be carried home and eaten there after God and the Priests had had their parts But this was to be eaten in God's own House where they were Ministers as a thing more holy and therefore Aaron and his Sons and Daughters could not eat of it as all the Family did of other Sacrifices of this kind Ver. 33. And they shall eat those things Aaron and his Sons alone were to eat them and no Body else with them Wherewith the atonement was made The atonement was not made by these things but by the Bullock which was offered in the first place which made them fit to have their hands filled with these things as the Hebrew phrase is for Consecrating v. 23 24. to compleat their Sanctification And therefore the words should be thus translated They shall eat those things for whom the atonement or expiation was made To consecrate and to sanctifie them Their Consecration and Sanctification began by the Sacrifice for Sin and was compleated by this now mentioned But a stranger shall not eat thereof None that are not of the Family of Aaron to whom alone this holy Food belonged Nor were all his Domesticks allowed to eat of it though they might eat of other Peace-offerings but only Aaron and his Sons who being consecrated Persons were to eat these things which had a special holiness in them being part of the Sacrifice of Consecration and therefore appertained only to such Persons as had been consecrated Because they are holy Had a special holiness as I said in them which made it fit only for such Persons to eat them Ver. 34. And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations or of the bread remain unto the morning He and his Sons being not able to eat it all Then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire This is a further argument that there was a peculiar holiness in this Sacrifice of which only Aaron and his Sons might eat for if this had been like to the flesh of other Peace-offerings it might according to the following Law have been kept two days before it was eaten VII Lev. 15 16 c. It shall not be eaten Upon the second day Because it is holy Is of a more than ordinary Sanctity being offered to make Men holy to God and therefore the greatest care was taken it should not be in danger to be in the least corrupted Ver. 35. And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron and unto his Sons according to all things which I have commanded thee This is the sum of what I have to command thee concerning the Consecration of Aaron and of his Sons Seven days shalt thou consecrate them They shall not be made compleat Priests in less time than I have appointed Which no doubt was to make them sensible of the weight of their Office Ver. 36. And thou shalt offer every day a Bullock for a Sin-offering for atonement Lest he should think that only the Ram of Consecration should be offered seven days together he here expresly directs the Bullock for a Sin-offering should be so often repeated The reason of it follows because it was for atonement Which appears by the next words to signifie that it was not only for the atonement of the Priest but of the Altar it self which was by this Sacrifice made fit for God's Service And that 's the reason perhaps why he saith in the Plural Number it was for atonements So the Hebrew Text. And thou shalt cleanse the Altar when thou hast made an atonement for it The Altar was not capable of any guilt therefore this word atonement is here used improperly to signifie that by these repeated Sacrifices it was set apart to be a place where Expiations should be made Or simply this Expiation of the Altar was no more but of a common making it a sacred Place or as Fortunatus Scacchus understands it it was purified by these Rites from that desilement it must be supposed to have contracted by the hands of the Workmen that made it for all Vessels in the sense of the Law were looked upon as made unclean by the touch of any unclean Person And therefore perhaps the Altar was also washed with Water as the Priests were which is here called its cleansing And thou shalt anoint it to sanctifie it To perfect its Sanctification or Separation from common use it was anointed with the holy Oyl mentioned in the next Chapter as Aaron and his Sons were For as by the Blood of the Bullock it was Expiated so by this anointing it was Consecrated which is meant by sanctifying it Ver. 37. Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the Altar and sanctifie it Many think that these were not distinct seven days from those in which the Priests were expiated and consecrated as the Bullock for the Cleansing of the Altar was not a distinct Bullock from that for the Priests but the same Sacrifice served for both This Opinion I shall consider in the conclusion of this Book XL. 17 18. and now only observe that thus not only the Priests among the Heathen but their Altars also were dedicated by their Taurobolia and Criobolia which I mentioned v. 20. for we find an ancient Inscription wherein one is said to have set up PETRAM TAVROBOLIATAM an Altar consecrated by besmearing it with the Blood of those Sacrifices as Fortunatus Scacchus interprets it
aut fossulas angulares c. such little deep holes as resemble those that are in one of the Stomachs of those Animals that chew the Cud called Reticulum See L. I. de Vestitu Sacerd. Hebraeorum c. 17. And thou shalt make the Mitre of Linen See v. 37. where the Mitre is mentioned And thou shalt make the girdle of needle-work It is mentioned before v. 4. under the name of Abanet or Abnet which no doubt signifies a Girdle or Belt yet not like our common Girdles but like that which we call a Schash being made of twined Linen and Worsted of divers colours as we find XXXIX 29. where blue and purple and scarlet signifies Wooll or Worsted-yarn of these colours Such were the Girdles of all the Priests which they wore all the year the High Priest as well as the rest except upon one day that of Expiation when he had on a Girdle of fine Linen only not mixed with Woollen These Girdles were of such a length that they might go round the Body more than once as Josephus tells us L. III. Antiq. c. 8. For if we may believe him they were Two and thirty Ells long and four Fingers broad being hollow within When they were not in the Act of Ministration both ends of them hung down to their very feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. as the same Josephus speaks for comeliness sake that they might appear more goodly to the beholders which agrees to what Moses saith in the next Verse that they as all the Priestly Garments v. 2. were made for glory and beauty But when they went about any holy work belonging to their Office they threw them over their left shoulder that they might not be an hindrance to them The use of this Girdle was to girt their Coat close to them which they tuckt up also in the Girdle when they went about their Ministry to the middle of their Leggs that it might not incumber them in their Service Of needle-work This was a different sort of work from Taschbetz which we translate broidered v. 4. and from Choscheb which we translate cunning v. 6 15. and is here called Rokem Which signifies the same with Choscheb as to the variety of Colours and Figures in the Work but Choscheb as the Hebrew Doctors tell us was done by weaving and Rokem with a Needle as we rightly take it Of the two Choscheb was the most artificial as the word seems to intimate being wrought on both sides with the same Figures whereas Rokem was only on one side This they gather from XXVI 31. where the Vail is ordered to be made of the Work called Choscheb which it's probable was glorious on both sides both within and without the most Holy Place Josephus saith this Girdle was wrought with Flowers of the several Colours mentioned XXXIX 29. Ver. 40. And for Aarons sons thou shalt make Coats The Coats of all the Priests as well as of the High Priest were embroidered as Maimonides expresly affirms And it seems to be the sense of v. 4. where he is commanded to make Garments not only for Aaron but for his Sons i. e. all the rest of the Priests among which the broidered Coat may well be thought to belong to them See XXXIX 27. And thou shalt make for them girdles The Girdles of the inferiour Priests were the very same with that of the High Priest as well as their Tunicks or Coats being to bind their Coats to their Body And bonnets How these differed from the Mitre of the High Priest in their Form not in their Matter see v. 37. For glory and for beauty The Garments of all the Priests were contrived to make them appear in a splendid and comly manner when they ministred to the glorious Majesty of God being of sine Linen which was worn by the greatest Persons made with great Art especially their Coats and Girdles which were finely adorned as I have shown in the Verses foregoing with elegant Figures and rich Colours for blue or sky-colour purple and scarlet belonged to Kings and Persons of Honour But the Garments of the High Priest were above all the rest most glorious and design◠so to be v. 2. For besides those common to him with all the Priests which were very costly he had others far more precious particularly the Ephod and its Girdle the Breast-plate set with Stones of great value the Robe and the Crown of Gold The two Stones also on the shoulders of the Ephod were not only precious in their kind but for their bigness being so large that Twelve Names were engraven in them containing Six and thirty Letters All which considered Philo had reason to say L. de Sacerd. Hon. it is manifest the Law drest up their Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the venerableness and honour of a King For the Priesthood in old time was so honourable that Kings themselves discharged it which is the reason that in Scripture Princes and Priests have the same Name of Cohenim To all which I may add That they took such care all their Garments should be for glory and beauty that when they were foul they did not wash them nor repair them when they had any breach in them but new ones were bought and the old imployed about the Lamps in the Feast of Tabernacles See Mr. Selden L. III. de Synedr c. 11. p. 142. Ver. 41. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother and his sons with him As we read he did VIII Lev. 6 7 c. 13. and this was part of Aaron's Consecration v. 3. of this Chapter And shalt anoint them He anointed Aaron by pouring the holy Oyl upon his Head VIII Lev. 12. but he anointed his Sons only by sprinkling some of it upon their Garments as he did upon his also with the Blood of the Sacrifice XXIX 21. VIII Lev. 30. And consecrate them By the Sacrifice of a Ram called the Ram of Consecration the Blood of which he put upon the tip of their right ear c. XXIX 20. VIII Lev. 22 23 c. and by the Wave-offering which he put into their hands that they might wave them before the LORD XXIX 24. VIII Lev. 27. From whence the phrase for consecrate here in this place is in Hebrew fill their hand And sanctifie them By the foregoing Ceremonies For they were set apart to the Divine Service by putting on their Garments anointing them and offering the Sacrifice of Consecration and by washing them with Water as appears from VIII Lev. 6 7 12. where it is said he anointed Aaron to sanctifie him and v. 30. having sprinkled their Garments it is said he sanctified Aaron and his Garments and upon his Sons and upon his Sons Garments with him Ver. 42. And thou shalt make them linen breeches Though these are mentioned in the last place yet they were put on the first of all the Priests Garments after them the Coat which being girt about with the Girdle the Bonnet
blemish There were several things to be done before this though this was the chief For they were to be washed and robed with their Priestly Garments and anointed and then they were compleated by peculiar Sacrifices which are directed and described v. 10 11 c. and put in execution VIII Lev. 1 2 c. Ver. 2. And unleavened bread c. Together with the foregoing Sacrifices which it will appear hereafter were of several sorts there was a Mincha to be offered Bread being necessary at a Table together with Flesh And this consisted of three parts unleavened Bread unleavened Cakes tempered with Oyl and unleavened Wafers or thin Cakes like to our Pan-cakes anointed with Oyl before they were put into the Pan to be fried All these were to be made of wheaten flour and the two last were accounted a delicious Bread among the Greeks as Athenaeus tells us L. III. Deipnosoph Ver. 3. And thou shalt put them into one basket c. All these making but one Meat-offering were to be put into one Basket and so brought to the door of the Tabernacle to be presented there to God together with the Bullock and Rams v. 23. Ver. 4. And Aaron and his Sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the Tabernacle To be presented unto God together with their Sacrifice And shalt wash them with water This was the first thing that was done for the hallowing them v. 1. as we read VIII Lev. 6. and was performed some think at the Laver which is directed to be made in the next Chapter XXX 18 19. where they were to repeat this washing every time they went in to minister unto God But now I take it to be more likely at their first Consecration Water was brought from thence to wash them at the Door of the Tabernacle before they were permitted to enter into it Whether their whole Bodies were now washed is not said but we may probably gather that they were for they were now looked on as wholly unclean being unhallowed and therefore were to be washed all over though being once cleansed they needed not do more when they went to minister but only wash their hands and their feet Which agrees with our Saviour's words XIII Joh. 10. Such washings every Body knows were in use among the Gentiles before they offered Sacrifice Ver. 5. And thou shalt take the Garments Their Bodies being washed they were next of all robed with those Garments prescribed in the foregoing Chapter And put upon Aaron the coat and the robe of the Ephod and the Ephod c. The order wherein these Garments were put on according to the Talmudists was this First the Breeches were put on by the Priest himself and that privately which is the reason perhaps they are not here mentioned They being tied about his Loins Moses put upon him the close Coat which came down to his Ankles Then this being bound to him by the Girdle which was round several times about him under the Arm-holes he put upon him his Bonnet This was the manner of habiting an ordinary Priest But when the High Priest was consecrated after the Girdle before named was put on the Robe with the Ephod and Breast-plate and then his Mitre to which was added the Golden-plate tied with a blue Riband upon his forehead See Selden de Succession ad Pontif. L. II. c. 8. Ver. 6. And put the holy Crown upon his head By this Crown is meant nothing else but the Golden-plate on which was written Holiness to the LORD XXVIII 36. Which is expresly called by the name of a Crown XXXIX 30. VIII Lev. 9. being bound upon the forehead with a blue Riband like a Diadem Josephus seems to call the Mitre by the name of a Crown L. VI. Halos c. 15. but then he immediately adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. about which there was another Golden Crown having holy Letters written in it c. Vide Selden L. II. de Succession c. 7. Ver. 7. And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl The next thing that was done for the Consecration of Aaron was anointing him with that Oyl which God ordered to be made XXX 31 32 c. And pour it upon his head and anoint him The Jews seem to think these two distinct things pouring Oyl on his head and then anointing him The manner of which they say was thus The Oyl being poured upon his head which ran down to his face he that anointed him drew with his Finger the figure of the Greek Letter Chi or St. Andrew's Cross upon his forehead between his Eye-brows This was done Aben-Ezra thinks before his Mitre was put upon his head But that is contrary to the order here set down which prescribes the putting on all his Priestly Garments of which this was one before the anointing And he was therefore to be anointed in all his Habiliments because he was anointed to minister unto God which he could not do without all the holy Garments XXVIII 43. particularly this it being unlawful to appear before God with the Head uncovered as it was also among the Gentiles Other of the Jewish Doctors therefore think that when his Head was wrapt about with the Mitre a place was left bare upon his Crown for the pouring the Oyl upon it Certain it is that it was so poured on his Head as to run down upon his Beard CXXXIII Psal 2. And the Jew says the form of the Letter Chi was drawn upon his forehead to distinguish his anointing from that of their Kings who were anointed in the sorm of a Circle or Crown See Selden de Succession L. II. c. 9. Where he observes also that there being no holy Oyl all the time of the second Temple after the Captivity they made High Priests only by putting on their holy Garments Which that they might have compleat they made an imitation of Vrim and Thummim though they had not the Oracle it self that none of the eight Garments might be wanting So Maimonides The only remaining difficulty is Whether all Aaron's Sons were anointed as well as himself And Mr. Selden in the place before-named thinks they were at the first but not in future times though all Aaron's Successors in the High Priesthood were consecrated by anointing as long as the holy Oyl lasted that is to the Captivity of Babylon or as some say fifty years before when it was hid and no more found And there is a place in the next Chapter which seems to favour this Opinion XXX 30. But as we read of no Command for their anointing as there is here for Aaron's so when this Command came to be executed it is said expresly that Moses poured Oyl on Aaron's Head but that upon his Sons he only put the holy Garments VIII Lev. 12 13. And therefore he is peculiarly called The High Priest from among his Brethren upon whose Head the anointing Oyl was poured XXI Lev. 10. The anointing therefore of his Sons XXX 30. is only meant of that
Unction which is here mentioned v. 21. of this Chapter where a mixture is ordered to be made of the Blood of the Sacrifice and of the anointing Oyl which was order'd to be sprinkled both upon Aaron and his Sons and upon their Garments and was a part of their Consecration For it was done accordingly at that time as we read VIII Lev. 30. So that Aaron himself had a double Unction one proper to him alone as High Priest upon whose Head the holy Oyl was poured another common to him with his Sons as he was a Priest whose Garments were sprinkled with the Oyl and Blood mingled together Ver. 8. And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them The High Priest was first habited and then his Sons in the order I have described v. 5. Ver. 9. And thou shalt gird them with girdles c. See v. 5. And the Priests office shall be theirs c. That is as long as the holy Garments were upon them the Priesthood was upon them but if they were not upon them neither was the Priesthood upon them They are the words of Maimonides in Celi Hammikdash c. 10. Or the meaning may be they shall enjoy in perpetual Succession the Office of Priests as their Father and his Successors the Office of High Priests And thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons Thus doing they shall be compleatly consecrated For in the Hebrew the phrase is Shall fill the hand of Aaron c. which was done after the manner prescribed v. 22 23 24 c. Which shows that this was the principal part of their Consecration or at least the consummation of it And there was besides this a peculiar Offering which both Aaron and his Sons are commanded to offer in the day of their anointing VI Lâ—â— 20 21. Ver. 10. And thou shalt cause a bullock The young bullock he commanded him to take v. 1. To be brought before the Tabernacle of the Congregation In order to its being offered to God for in this and in the following Verses the Sacrifices are prescribed which were to be made at the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons which were three The first is this here mentioned which was an Offering for Sin as appears from v. 14. For till their Sins were expiated they were not fit to offer any thing to God much less to offer for the Sins of others The next was an Holocaust or whole Burnt-offering as a Gift or Present whereby they were recommended to God And the third was a Peace-offering on which they made a Feast and by that were initiated into God's Family And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock This was the form in all Sacrifices both Burnt-offerings I Lev. 4. and Peace-Offerings III Lev. 2 8. by which they devoted the Sacrifice to be the LORD's But in Sin-offerings there being a Solemn Confession of Sins made XVI Lev. 21. he that laid his hands on the Beast seemed thereby to have transferred the Guilt from himself unto the Sacrifice desiring it might be accepted for him Ver. 11. And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD Though Moses was never Consecrated after the manner of Aaron yet he was made a Priest for this peculiar purpose by an extraordinary Commission from God By the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Where the Altar of Burnt-offering was placed at the crection of the Tabernacle XL. 6 29. Ver. 12. And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock and put it upon the horns of the Altar with thy finger Some have fancied that he means upon the horns of the Altar of Incense because when a Priest offered a Sin-offering for himself he was so to do IV Lev. 7. But it is to be considered that Aaron and his Sons for whom this Sacrifice was offered were not yet Priests but common Men who by this Sacrifice were to be made Priests Whose blood therefore was to be put upon the horns of the Altar of Burnt-offering as is expresly required in other Sin-offerings IV Lev. 25 30. And pour all the blood All the rest of the blood Beside the bottom of the Altar This shows he speaks of the Altar of Burnt-offering at the bottom of which there was a Trench into which they poured the Blood of the Sacrifice as I shall show hereafter Ver. 13. And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards He means that part of the Beast which is called the Omentum in which all the Bowels are wrapped which in IX Lev. 19. is simply called that which covereth This hath a great deal of fat upon it to keep the Bowels warm and was much used in ancient Sacrifices both among the Greeks and Romans who herein followed the Jews Nay the Persians also offered to the Gods nothing but the Omentum or a part of it as Bochartus observes out of Strabo See Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 45. And from the Condition and Situation of the Omentum the Heathen Diviners made their Conjectures insomuch that some think it had the name of Omentum because they made their good or bad Omens from thence And the Caul that is above the Liver Our Interpreters take this for the Diaphragm or the Midriff upon which the Liver hangs But Bochartus hath demonstrated I think that it signifies the greatest lobe of the Liver upon which the Bladder of Gall lies L. II. Hierozoic P. I. c. 45. The only Argument against it is that this Jothereth as the Hebrews call it is said here to be above the Liver and therefore must signifie the Diophragm upon which the Liver depends But the Particle Al signifies upon as well as above and is to be here so translated upon or by the Liver And the reason why this lobe of the Liver was peculiar to the Altar was because of the fat that is upon it And the two Kidneys c. For the same reason the Kidneys were appropriated to God which had one of their names from the fat that is upon them which Homer as the same Bochartus there observes calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 14. And the flesh of the bullock and his skin c. The Burnt-offering being flead the skin of it was given to the Priest VII Lev. 8. But in Sin-offerings the skin was burnt and the Flesh also in some cases and that also without the Camp not at the Altar IV Lev. 11 12. VIII 17. The Heathen sometimes burnt the skin even of their Holocausts as Bochart shews P. I. Hierozoic L. II. c. 34. Shalt thou burn with fire c. The Hebrew word here for burn is quite different from that in the foregoing Verse which is used concerning the burning of Incense which soon vanished into smoke as the fat there mentioned did But the flesh and the skin and the dung were burnt with a stronger fire and were longer before they were consumed and therefore burnt without the Camp where the Ashes were poured out
as a thing abominable It is a Sin-offering The Priest might eat of any Sin-offering whose Blood was not brought into the Sanctuary or rather it was his Duty so to do X Lev. 17. because it argued that the Peoples Sin was born and taken away by the Priest It may seem strange then that Moses who was in the place of a Priest is ordered to burn all this Sin-offering and not permitted to eat of it though Aaron and his Sons could not because they were not yet Priests The best reason I have found of it is that it was to signifie the imperfection of the Legal Dispensation since the Sins of the Priests themselves could not be taken away by the Priests of the Law or their Sacrifices but were to expect a better Sacrifice or a better High Priest as Dr. Jackson's words are in his Consecration of the Son of God c. 26. n. 2. Ver. 15. And thou shalt also take one ram One of the Rams mentioned above v. 1. Aaron and his Sons shall put their hands upon the head of the Ram. See concerning this v. 10. Ver. 16. And thou shalt slay the Ram. Where the Bullock was killed by the Door of the Tabernacle v. 11. And thou shalt take his blood and sprinkle it round about upon the Altar It was a different Sacrifice from the other and therefore had different Ceremonies belonging to it some of the Blood of the Bullock being only put on the Horns of the Altar v. 12. How the Blood was sprinkled round about upon the Altar will be explained I Lev. 11. Ver. 17. And thou shalt cut the Ram in pieces That the Parts might the more easily be burnt upon the Altar And wash the inwards of him c. Upon which there was a great deal of fat which being put upon the pieces and the Head made them consume the sooner by nourishing the flame Thus Homer represents the Sacrifice of the Greeks as Bochart observes when they offered to Jupiter They cut the Thighs in pieces and then covered them over with fat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad 2. v. 423. Vid. Hieroz Pars I. Lib. II. 2. c. 45. p. 472. Ver. 18. And thou shalt burn the whole Ram upon the Altar it is a Burnt-offering unto the LORD c. By this it appears that as the former was a Sin-offering so this was an Holocaust or Burnt-offering which would not be received till their Sins were expiated by the foregoing Sacrifice Nothing of which was offered at the Altar but some of the fat only because as R. Levi ben Gerson observes the Offerers were not yet worthy that God should accept any Offering from them Ver. 19. And thou shalt take the other Ram. Mentioned v. 1. And Aaron and his Sons shall put their hands upon the head of the Ram. See v. 10. This it will appear afterward v. 28 32. was a Peace-offering upon which being now reconciled to God and received into his favour they feasted with him at his Table Ver. 20. Then shalt thou kill the Ram. Where the Bullock was killed which was first offered v. 11. And take of his blood Which was received in a Bason And put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and his Sons c. This being peculiarly called the Ram of Consecration v. 22 31. the Blood of it was not put upon the Horns of the Altar as in this first Sacrifice v. 12. nor meerly sprinkled round about the Altar as in the second v. 16. but put upon Aaron and his Sons And first upon the tip of their ears to signifie that they should hearken to the Divine Prescriptions and then upon their Thumbs and great Toes in which lye the strength of the Hands and Feet to denote their ready and strenuous performance of every thing required of them And being put upon the tip of their right ear and the Thumb of their right hand and the great Toe of their right foot it may well be thought to signifie the most exact and perfect obedience the right hand being every where represented as the most excellent and strongest to do any Execution To this purpose Abarbinel discourses on this place whose words are these All this tended to make the Priest understand that he ought to apply himself diligently to the study of the Law and to imploy his hands with the same diligence in his Sacred Ministry and to walk in the way of God's Precepts c. Some of the Jews consider these things so scrupulously as to say the Priests might not use their left hand in their Ministry no more than Minister with unwashen hands And sprinkle the blood upon the Altar round about i. e. The remainder of the Blood It is no improbable conjecture of Fortunatus Scacchus that from hence the Heathens learnt their Taurobolia and Criobolia which in process of time they disguised with Infernal Rites and Ceremonies For a deep hole being made in the Ground the Priest to be conserrated was put into it and then Planks being laid over it with a great many holes in them the Bullock or the Ram was slain over them and their Blood running down into the hole the Priest received it on his Eyes his Ears his Nose his Mouth nay he besmeared his Body with it And this was accounted the highest Consecration of a Priest the virtue of which lasted Twenty years before it was renewed and he that was thus consecrated was had in the greatest Honour and Veneration Thus filthily did the Devil pervert the most simple and cleanest Rites which Moses prescribed of putting a little Blood with a fragrant Oyl on the tip of one of their Ears Thumbs and Toes Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism c. 77. Ver. 21. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the Altar Some of that which was sprinkled as the foregoing Verse directs round about the Altar Or perhaps some of the Blood was left in the Bason upon the Altar for that use And of the anointing Oyl Which is afterward ordered to be made XXX 23 c. And sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his Garments and upon his Sons and upon the Garments of his Sons with him By which sprinkling both they and their Garments were separated to an holy use as it follows in the next words And he shall be hallowed and his Garments c. See upon v. 7. This may be lookt upon as a lively Representation of our Purification by the Blood of Jesus Christ and by his Holy Spirit Ver. 22. And thou shalt take of the Ram the fat All the Fat in general was to be the LORD's III Lev. 3. The Rump Here he seems to reckon up the particulars And the Rump of a Sheep was the principal in those Eastern Countries where their Tails are of a prodigious bigness and exceeding fat as Bochartus observes P. I. Hieroz L. II. c. 45. and Job Ludolphus in his Histor Aethiop L. I. c. 10. n. 16. and in his Comment in Histor L. I. c.
10. n. 76. And that covereth the inwards c. See v. 13. where these and the following words are explained And the right shouldor In Peace-offerings this belonged to the Priest VII Lev. 32. and so it is here ordained v. 27 28. But now it was to be burnt upon the Altar v. 25. because they were not yet Priests as the following words tell us which give the reason why this shoulder was burnt For it is a Ram of Consecration Whereby they were consecrated and made Priests but not yet compleated and therefore could not eat of that shoulder Ver. 23. And one loaf of bread and one cake of oyled bread c. Of that Bread and those Cakes mentioned v. 2. of this Chapter That is before the LORD Which had been presented unto God v. 3. for this by the Law was to accompany their other Sacrifices XV Numb 4. Ver. 24. And thou shalt put all Both Bread and Cakes and Fat and right Shoulder before-mentioned In the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his Sons Thence this Sacrifice was called Milluim that is filling of the hands which we translate Consecration And their hands were thus filled to show that Aaron and his Sons did not usurp this dignity or take it upon themselves as we speak but were called unto it by God who ordered these things to be put into their hands that they might present them to him R. Solomon will have this Ram called the Ram of sillings or impletions because by this Sacrifice they were compleated and absolutely made Priests nothing remaining to be done after this And shalt wave them When such holy things were put into the Heads of the Offerers by the Priest then the Priest put his hands under theirs and they were lifted up and then waved about on all sides For a Wave-offering The Hebrew word Tenuphah signifies agitation or shaking to and fro which Abarbinel saith was performed upward and downward and then round about to all quarters of the World to signifie that the Earth is the LORD's and the fulness thereof or rather that he is the possessor of Heaven and of Earth Others of them speak to the same purpose Before the LORD Standing with their Faces towards the Sanctuary Ver. 25. And thou shalt receive them from their hands c. After they had waved them they delivered them into the hands of Moses who as the Priest at this time laid them upon the Altar and burnt them For a Burnt-offering It is certain this was not an whole Burnt-offering but a Peace-offering as appears from v. 28 31 32. yet some of it being burnt on the Altar that part is called a Burnt-offering It is an Offering made by fire So the Burnt-offerings are called I Lev. 9 13 c. but this was so only in part as I said not in the whole and may be interpreted by III Lev. 5. where all that was to be burnt of the Peace-offerings is commanded to be burnt upon the Burnt-Sacrifice and in that regard might be called a Burnt-offering See v. 27. Ver. 26. And thou shalt take the Breast of the Ram of Aarons consecrations Of the Consecration of him and of his Sons And wave it for a Wave-offering before the LORD and it shall be thy part Being a Peace-offering the Priest who offered the Sacrifice was to have his share of it and therefore the Breast is here given to Moses after he had acknowledged it to be God's by waving it about and that he had it only as his Minister Ver. 27. And thou shalt sanctifie the breast of the Wave-offering and the shoulder of the Heave-offering Upon this occasion he makes a general Law to be always observed hereafter That though in this peculiar Case the right shoulder of this Sacrifice was burnt being for Aaron's Consecration and called a Burnt-offering v. 25. yet in all future times both the Breast and this Shoulder should belong unto the Priest Therefore the word sanctifie here signifies as much as declare them to be sanctified or set apart for the Priests use as they were again by an express Law VII Lev. 31 32 33 34. Which is waved and which is heaved up There is no difference that I can find between Terumah which we translate Heave-offering and Tenuphah which we translate Wave-offering but the former was only lifted up and so waved and the other was waved all manner of ways up and down East West North and South to signifie that he to whom it was offered was Lord of the whole World and all that therein is Ver. 28. And it shall be Aarons and his Sons by a statute for ever So it is called VII Lev. 34. and it is again repeated for greater confirmation XVIII Deut. 3. For it is an Heave-offering It is consecrated to God to whom it belongs and he bestows it upon his Ministers And it shall be an Heave-offering of the Sacrifice of their Peace-offerings c. And it shall always in future times be presented unto God as his part of the Peace-offerings who constitutes the Priests to eat it in his stead As the former Ram was a Burnt-offering so this it is plain was a Peace-offering in token that now they were in a state of perfect Friendship with God Which was procured by their Sin-offering v. 14. which was offered first whereby their Present to God v. 18. was made acceptable as now their Persons were declared by this Sacrifice of Peace-offering Ver. 29. And the holy Garments of Aaron shall be his Sons after him to be anointed therein c. Upon this occasion also God makes another general Law That all the Successors of Aaron in the High Priesthood should be set apart to that Office in such Garments and by such an Unction and such Sacrifices as he was consecrated withal And it appears by XX Numb 28. that Aaron's Son was invested with the very same Garments which Aaron wore for those which peculiarly belonged to the High Priest did not decay as the Tunick and Breeches did and therefore went from one to another Ver. 30. And that Son which is Priest in his stead shall put them on seven days This was to be done seven days one after another that a Sabbath might pass over him For no Man could be a compleat High Priest as the Jews imagine till a Sabbath had gone over his head But the principal intention of this was that he might be made a Priest with great Solemnity and Deliberation and put on his Habit so often that he may learn how to appear in them after a decent or rather magnificent manner before he undertook to Minister Yet the Jews say that if he did offer Sacrifice before the seven days end it was not accounted unlawful provided he had been anointed and had put them on once So Maimonides who adds that he was to put them on by day and not by Night See Selden de Successionibus L. II. c. 8. Where he shows cap. 9. this is to be
not come to attend upon the daily Sacrifice which was offered for them and so to meet with God here and yet it was a Maxim among them That no Man's Sacrifice was accepted unless he was present at it therefore there were certain select Persons chosen to wait upon God in the Name of all the rest and there were XXIV Classes of them as of the Priests in David's time called by the Jews Stationary men who never missed when their Course came to attend upon the Divine Majesty at the Tabernacle as the Representatives of all their Brethren Concerning which see Pet Cunaeus L. II. de Repub. Jud. cap. 10. and our Learned Dr. Lightfoot in his Temple Service Chap. 7. Sect. 3. I will sanctifie both Aaron and his Sons to minister to me in the Priests Office He declared them to be sanctified to be his Priests by the appearance of his glory at their first Sacrifice after their Solemn Consecration and by Fire coming from Heaven to consume their Burnt-offering IX Lev. 23 24. Ver. 45. And I will dwell among the Children of Israel The Chaldee renders it I will place my Divinity i.e. the SCHECHINAH among them In the Hebrew it is in the midst of them for the Tabernacle was situated in the very middle of their Camp while they were in the Wilderness II Numb 17. And will be their God Bestow special Blessings upon them such as he did not vouchsafe to other People Ver. 46. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God that brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt that I may dwell among them By his special Favours toward them it was evidently manifested to them that he brought them out of the Slavery of Egypt to make them a select People unto himself among whom he setled his Habitation and appeared by a most glorious Symbol of his Presence to be in the midst of them I am the LORD their God How could they doubt of it when they remembred in what a wonderful manner he had brought them out of Egypt and what they had heard him declare from his own mouth at Mount Sinai XX. 2. CHAP. XXX Verse 1. AND thou shalt make an Altar to burn Incense upon This is commonly called the golden Altar upon which sweet Incense was as constantly burnt every day as the Morning and Evening Sacrifice of a Lamb before-mentioned XXIX 38 39. was offered at the Brazen Altar Of Shittim-wood shalt thou make it See XXV 5. Ver. 2. A Cubit shall be the length thereof and a Cubit the breadth thereof foursquare shall it be It was a Square of not much more than half a yard because it served only to offer Incence upon twice a day and had no other use And two Cubits shall be the height thereof It was a high again as it was broad that the Priest might minister there without stooping The Horns thereof shall be of the same At each corner there was a Spire rising out of the same piece with the corner Post See XXVII 2. Ver. 3. And thou shalt overlay it with pure Gold c. The top of it and the Frame on all sides with the Horns were to be covered with Plates of Gold as the Table was XXV 24. The top thereof The Vulgar Latin translating the Hebrew word gag by craticula hath led many into a a conceit that there was a Grate upon this Altar as there was upon the other But as the word for that is quite different viz. michar so there is not the least mention here made of cleansing this Altar from the Ashes or of any thing to receive them and therefore Fortunatus Scacchus ingenuously acknowledges there was no Grate on this Altar but a golden Pan or Dish was set upon the top of it as we translate it rightly with Coals therein when Incense was to be burnt and taken away with the Coals when that was done And thou shalt make unto it a Crown of Gold round about A border of Gold which went about the brim or edge of it See there XXV 24. This seems to have been made of massy Gold not of Shittim-wood overlaid with Gold Ver. 4. And two golden Rings shalt thou make to it under the Crown of it The golden Crown arose upward above the Table and these Rings were fixed below it By the two corners thereof upon the two sides thereof shalt thou make them On each side of the Altar near the Corners of it were these golden Rings annexed at each of the four corners one And they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal This shows the use of the Rings Ver. 5. And thou shalt make the staves of Shittim-wood and overlay them with Gold Just like the Staves for the carriage of the Ark and the Table XXV 13 28. Ver. 6. And thou shalt put it before the Vail In the midst of the House between the Candlestick and the Table though not just between but something higher towards the Vail where it was placed directly before the most Holy Place That is by the Ark of the Testimony See 25.22 Before the Mercy-seat Towards which the Priest looked when he offered Incense recommending to God the People and their Prayers which they were making without while he burnt Incense within There is no ground to think that this Altar stood in the most Holy Place as St. Austin and some others have conceived for these words are a plain demonstration to the contrary See Cunaeus L. II. de Repub. Jud. c. 5. That is over the Testimony That is the Ark which is here simply called the Testimony as it is v. 36. because it was the principal thing in the Ark XL. 20. See XXV 22. Where I will meet with thee Though Aaron and his Sons might go no further than the Holy Place except only once a year when Aaron alone went into the most Holy to offer Incense before the Mercy-seat yet Moses had the priviledge to consult the Divine Majesty in the most Holy Place where the Divine Glory shined as these words and XXV 22. VII Numb ult seem to intimate For since he was admitted into the Mount as P. Cunaeas argues in the place before-mentioned to speak with God face to face for many days together it is not unreasonable to think that he was admitted to speak with him upon occasion in the most holy place in the Tabernacle Ver. 7. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet Incense He did it at first but afterwards his Sons in their courses performed this Service as appears from I Luke 8 9. where Zacharias who was not High Priest offered the Incense when it came to his turn according to the custom of the Priest's Office Sweet Incense For it was a compound of several Spices which were very fragrant as appears by the latter end of this Chapter Every morning when he dresseth the Lamps At the rising of the Sun the Priests went in to look after the Lamps which they had lighted in the
such applause presently Consecrated it by building an Altar offering Sacrifices and keeping a solemn Feast in its honour And Aaron made proclamation Caused it to be publickly proclaimed throughout the Host that every one might have notice of the Solemnity And said to morrow is a Feast Which was a part of Worship ordained by his Authority To the LORD Not to this Ox but to the Creator of the World whom they worshipped in this Image Notwithstanding which this was no better than an Idol VII Acts 41. and they gross Idolaters CVI Psal 19 20. 1 Cor. X. 7. Some think indeed that Moses being gone and as they imagined either burnt up or famished they desired this Representation of God to go before them and direct them as a kind of Teraphim but God allowed no such visible sign to be made of his Presence with them which he knew would in a short time have their Adoration Ver. 6. And they rose up early on the morrow The next day which was the XVIth of our July they kept their Festival And to show their Devotion they began betime in the Morning and seem not to have staid for Aaron but as it follows offered Sacrifices themselves And offered Burnt-offerings Which always preceded others See XVIII 12. XXIV 5. where I observed that whole Burnt-offerings were intirely consumed on the Altar being wholly Gods And brought Peace-offerings This intimates that some Persons received what they brought and perhaps they were the young men mentioned XXIV 5. where I noted also that of Peace-offerings the People that brought them had a share that they might Feast with God and they invited their Friends likewise to Feast with them There is no mention either here or in the other places of Sin-offerings whereof the Priests had a part but not the People And the People sat down to eat and to drink Upon the Sacrifices of Peace-offerings whereof the People as I said had their part and by partaking of it had fellowship with the Idol to whom they were offered as the Apostle shows 1 Cor. X. 20 21. Thus the Egyptians kept a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the Feast of Apis in imitation rather of the Israelites than otherwise It may be fit here to note That this Custom of Sacrificing and also of feasting on the Sacrifice in token of their Communion with him to whom the Sacrifice was offered was so very ancient that it is not easie to believe the observation of St. Chrysostom to be true That God gave no Commandment about Sacrifices till after this Sin of worshipping the golden Calf When seeing their proneness to offer such Sacrifices he thought sit to ordain them himself and direct them to their right Object Much less is it true that before this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we not find any where the Name of Sacrifice as he speaks Homil. XVII upon Acts VII no not with the qualification of Grotius who says upon XV Exod. 26. that there was no Law about Sacrifices except that of the Passover till after they had committed Idolatry For besides that there is an order how to make an Altar on which to Sacrifice their Burnt-offerings XX. 24. which supposes God's intention about them and the building of an Altar and actual Sacrifice upon it at the Sealing of the Covenant between God and Israel XXIV 4 5 c. which surely was not without God's command there is an whole Chapter in this Book about Sacrifices at the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons before this sin was committed Chap. XXIX and particular Directions given in the 38th and 39th Verses of that Chapter about the daily Burnt-offering I omit what might be said concerning the Oblation of Sacrifices from the beginning of the World which it is hard to believe was without a Divine Institution St. Hierom's words therefore are also too large who saith in his Commentaries upon XX Ezek. that the Israelites received only the Decalogue before this Offence of the Calf after which God gave them multiplices Legis Ceremonias abundance of Legal Ceremonies All that can be justly said in this matter is That Moses had not yet delivered to them the Commands before-mentioned which God had given him and that they had received but a few Commands about Sacrifices till after this sin when the Precepts were multiplied that they might upon all occasions offer Sacrifice to God and not to Daemons as they were inclined to do The daily Burnt-offerings were appointed before as I said though not delivered to them and so was the Sin-offering for the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons and the Altar XXIX 36 c. But the Sin-offering for particular Persons and for the whole Congregation of Israel and the great variety of Sacrifices with the manner of them were not yet prescribed and perhaps were ordained upon this occasion to preserve them from Idolatry though not meerly for that there being respect in them to the great Sacrifice of Christ especially in that Sacrifice upon the Day of Expiation But in general it may be reasonably thought that if they had not been perverse they might have been left more at liberty to do these things at pleasure according to the Law of Nature and they might perhaps have been permitted to offer Sacrifices every where as the Patriarchs did though there is no certainty of such Speculations And rose up to play So God commanded at their Festivities and when they offered solemn Sacrifices to rejoyce before him XII Deut. 6 7. XVI 11. as David did before the Ark after he had sacrificed Oxen and Fatlings 2 Sam. VI. 13 14 15 16. Thus they now expressed their Joy by Musick and Dancing and Songs and such like tokens of Mirth which was wont to be very great upon their Feasts See v. 18. There are those who think that after they had eaten of the Sacrifices to the Idol and drunk liberally they committed Fornication after the manner of Heathen Worshippers Thus Tertullian expounds this Phrase L. de Jejunio cap. 6. Intellige Scripturae verecundiam the Scripture modestly expresses their lewd filthiness And so this very word which we translate here play is used by Potipher's Wife XXXIX Gen. 17. the Hebrew Servant came in to mock me i. e. to violate my Chastity So that the Israelites did now as they did afterwards when they worshipped Peor XXV Numb 1 2. And the truth is these Sacrifical Feasts were turned among the Gentiles into Drunkenness and Lasciviousness which are wont to be Companions insomuch that the ancient Greeks even Aristotle himself as Athenaeus tells us L. II. derived the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be drunk from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the Sacrifice when they were wont to drink very largely And it is also true that nothing inticed Men to Idolatry more than these filthy Pleasures which were a part of that Worship yet I think it is not credible that the Israelites at the very Dedication of their Idol when they pretended much Religion
this Book 11. Or the word Tabernacle may be thought to signifie the inward part of this House as Tent the outward part which covered the inward See v. 17 19 29. Why it is called Ohel moed the Tent of the Congregation see XXIX 44. Ver. 3. And thou shalt put therein the Ark of the Testimony This was the principal end of building this House that God as was said before might dwell among them and his Residence was over this Ark. Which therefore is ordered in the first place to be brought into the Holy of Holies prepared for it as soon as the House was erected Why called the Ark of the Testimony see XXVI 20 21. And cover the Ark with the vail Which hung before it that no Body not the Priests themselves might see it XXVI 33. Ver. 4. And thou shalt bring in the Table c. When the Ark was placed in the Holiest of all then the Table with all belonging unto it and the Candlestick whose Lamps were to be lighted are ordered to be set in the Sanctuary which was divided by the Vail from the other XXVI 35. Ver. 5. And thou shalt set the Altar of Gold for the Incense before the Ark of the Testimony See XXX 6. And put the hangings of the door to the Tabernacle XXVI 36 37. This is ordered to be hung up when the Table Candlestick and Altar of Incense were put into the Holy Place because there were no more things but these three to be there Ver. 6. And thou shalt set the Altar of Burnt-offering c. In this and the two following Verses he is ordered to place the Altar of Burnt-offering and the Laver as he had been before directed XXX 18. and to set up the outward Court and the Hanging at the Gate of it in order to place the Altar and the Laver there XXVII 9 c. Ver. 9. And thou shalt take the anointing Oyl Mentioned in the XXX 23 c. Every thing being disposed in its proper place now follows their Consecration For they were not Consecrated separately before the House was erected and its Furniture brought in but after every thing was set in the order which God appointed And anoint the Tabernacle and all that is therein c. As was before directed and now ordered to be put in execution XXX 26 27 28 29. where this and the two following Verses are explained Ver. 12. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his Sons to the door of the Tabernacle The Laver being sanctified v. 11. many think that the Sanctification of Aaron and his Sons i. e. their Separation to their Office began in their being washed with Water But I look upon this as a Mistake there being a washing prescribed before the Laver was ordered XXIX 4. where they were to wash only when they went in to Minister XXX 19 20 21. Ver. 13. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy Garments Mentioned in the XXVIIIth Chapter And anoint and sanctifie him c. XXX 30 31. Ver. 14. And thou shalt bring his Sons and clothe them with Coats See XXVII 40 41. Ver. 15. And thou shalt anoint them as thou didst their Father See concerning this XXIX 7. where both their anointing and their Fathers is explained For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting Priesthood c. Not only consecrate them to the Priest's Office as long as they live but consecrate their Posterity also who shall need no other anointing in succeeding Generations but Minister to God by vertue of this anointing as long as that Priesthood lasted So the Hebrews interpret it None of them needed in after times saith R. Levi ben Gersom upon 1 Kings 1. to be anointed but only the High-Priest whose Successors were to be anointed as they gather from VI Levit 22. The Priest of his Sons who shall be anointed in his stead c. See Selden de Succession in Pontisicat L. II. c. 9. Ver. 16. Thus did Moses according to all that the LORD commanded him so did he He took the same care in erecting the Tabernacle and disposing every thing in its place that the Workmen had done in making all things according to God's mind XXXIX 43. Ver. 17 18 c. And it came to pass in the first month c. This and the following Verses to Verse 34. give an account of the Execution of what God commanded in the foregoing part of this Chapter But it is not easie to resolve whether every thing was executed at this very time or no. For full understanding of which it will be necessary to mark diligently the order wherein God requires all the foregoing Commands to be performed And first he bids him set up the Tabernacle and put every thing belonging to it in its place v. 2 3. and so forward to v. 9. And next to consecrate it and all the Vessels thereof with the Altar of Burnt-offerings and its Vessels c. v. 9 10 11. And then to proceed to consecrate Aaron and his Sons v. 12 13 14 15. Now it is expresly here affirmed that Moses did perform the first of these that is set up the Tabernacle and put every thing appertaining to it in its right place on the first day of the first month of the second year after their coming out of Egypt At which time we must suppose also he began to consecrate it and spent seven days in the Consecration of it and of the Altar of Burnt-offering as is appointed XXIX 37. But the difficulty is to determine when he consecrated Aaron and his Sons as he is here required in which seven days were also spent as we read VIII Lev. Some think there were but seven days in all set apart for this work and consequently they were consecrated together So Torniellus in his Annals and Abulensis before him who follow Seder Olam and other Jewish Writers who are of this Opinion The ground of which is that the Tabernacle being erected on the first day of the month before-mentioned and its Consecration finished on the eighth there was a Solemn Passover kept upon the fifteenth IX Numb 1 2 c. which could not be held they suppose unless there were Priests to offer the Passover who therefore were consecrated at the same time with the Tabernacle because on the eighth day another business began which was the offering made by the Princes of the Tribes every one in their day VII Numb 1. But the principal ground is that in VIII Lev. 10 11 c. Moses speaks of the anointing i. e. Consecrating the Altar and of Consecrating Aaron and his Sons as done both at the same time But there is a weighty Objection against all this which is that in the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons there were three Sacrifices offered upon the Altar one for a Sin-offering another for a Burnt-offering and the Ram of Consecration for a Peace-offering VIII Lev. 4.18 22. None of which could be acceptable for their Sanctification till the Altar it self was made
holy And therefore the seven days appointed for that purpose were ended before the Consecration of the Priests began which continued seven days more and then the next day was the Feast of unleavened Bread Which was famous on a double account first because it was the first day of unleavened Bread and then it was the Octaves of the Consecration And this appears more plainly from I Lev. 1. where we find the following Commands were given to Moses out of the Tabernacle by the Divine Majesty who therefore dwelt there when he commanded the Priests to be consecrated which he did not till the Tabernacle was solemnly consecrated to be his Habitation There the Priests also are commanded to abide during the seven days of their Consecration VIII Lev. 33. which shows that all things belonging to its Sanctification were finished before their Consecration began As to that which is alledged from VIII Lev. 10 11 c. I shall consider it there Ver. 19. And he spread abroad the Tent over the Tabernacle The Ohel which we translate Tent sometimes signifies the whole House of God See v. 19. but here only the external part of it which covered that which was properly called Mischchan the Tabernacle Which Moses having erected with all its Sockets Boards Bars and Pillars v. 18. and hung it we must suppose with the inward Hangings which were the richest he spread abroad over them the Curtains of Goats-hair called the Tent XXVI 11. to be a covering over the Tabernacle XXVI 7. XXXVI 14 19. So the Tabernacle was an House within an House inclosed with strong Walls as we call them to secure it from the injury of the Weather And put the covering of the Tent upon it Mentioned in XXVI 14. Ver. 20. And he took and put the Testimony into the Ark. The two Tables of Stone as he had been commanded XXV 16. which he mentions again in the repetition of the Law X Deut. 5. Hence the Ark is called the Ark of the Covenant or Testimony in the next Verse and v. 3. of this Chapter Ver. 21. And he brought the Ark into the Tabernacle It is probable that he had placed the Ark after it was made in his own Tent which for the present was called the Tabernacle of the Congregation and had the Glory of the LORD in it XXXIII 7 9. but now he brought it into this Tabernacle which by God's order was prepared for it And set up the Vail of the Covering c. See v. 3. Ver. 22. And he put the Table in the Tent of the Congregation Here the whole House is called the Ohel or Tent as I observed upon Verse 19. But immediately the word Mischchan which we translate Tabernacle is used as the most proper expression for the inside of the House as the other most properly denotes the outside of it All is made more clear in the 34th Verse where we read that the Cloud covered the Tent of the Congregation that is the outside of the House and the Glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle within Though afterward v. 38. the Cloud is said to be upon the Tabernacle as v. 36. it is said to be over the Tabernacle because it was over the Tent which covered it Ver. 25. And he lighted the Lamps before the LORD c. In this and all that follows of burning sweet Incense v. 27. offering the Burnt-offering and Meat-offering v. 29. Moses acted as a Priest appointed by an extraordinary Commission from God only for this time that he might Consecrate the House of God and the Priests that were to minister therein which being done his Priesthood ceased And he did all that is mentioned in these Verses when the Tabernacle was Consecrated and the Glory of the LORD had filled it testifying the Divine Presence to be there Ver. 31. And Moses and Aaron and his Sons washed their hands c. This shows that Moses acted now as a Priest and therefore washed himself before he went to Sacrifice at the Altar as the Priest afterwards were always bound to do XXX 19 20 21. But it must be understood that neither this washing here spoken of nor his offering Sacrifice mentioned v. 29. was till some days after this See v. 17. Ver. 33. So Moses finished the work And then anointed the Tabernacle and all contained in it according to God's order v. 9 10 11. the execution of which though now not here mentioned in so many words is expresly said to be on the same day that he had compleatly set up the Tabernacle VII Numb 1. Ver. 34. Then a Cloud or then the Cloud covered the Tent of the Congregation After it was anointed and sanctified for the Divine Residence and the Princes perhaps had also finished that large Offering which we read VII Numb was made on this day God was pleased to fill this place with his glorious Presence For the cloudy Pillar which descended upon Moses his Tent and stood there before the door of it XXXIII 9. removed now from thence and came hither not standing at the door of it in the form of a Pillar but spreading it self all over the outside of the Tabernacle so that it was covered with it as we read also IX Numb 15. And the Glory of the LORD filled the Tabernacle See v. 22. What God promised XXV 8 22. he now performed notwithstanding their Revolt from him by worshipping the Golden Calf Which made him withdraw himself from them XXXIII 7 c. till upon Moses's earnest Intercession for them and their Repentance he graciously consented to return to them and abide among them v. 14 15 c. As now he did by setling his glorious Presence in this Tabernacle which was set up in the midst of them For whereas the other Tabernacle of Moses was removed a Mile or two from their Camp XXXIII 7. this Tabernacle was pitched a month after this I Numb 1. in the midst of their Camps as we read II Numb 2 17. Ver. 35. And Moses was not able to enter into the Tent of the Congregation For the Glory of the LORD shone so bright and so strong beyond all that it had ever done that no Eye could look upon it And it filled not only the most holy Place but the whole Body of the Tabernacle so that he durst not adventure to come within it tell he was called I Lev. 1. After which time he seems to have had liberty to go in unto God when he pleased VII Numb 89. IX 8 9. For after this great day the Glory of the LORD retired into the most holy Place within the Vail and resided constantly there over the Ark of the Testimony from whence he spake to Moses when he came to consult him in the holy Place See the fore-mentioned VII Numb 89. Whence he is said to dwell between the Cherubims though on some occasion this Glory appeared without upon the Tabernacle but over the Ark it is likely XVI Numb 42. And so perhaps it did XI
she bore him Nadab and Abihu These two perished in the very first Sacrifice which their Father offered because they did not take Fire from the Altar but offered with strange Fire X Lev. 1 2. Eleazar Who succeeded his Father in the Priesthood Numb XX. 25 c. and assisted Joshua in the Division of the Land of Canaan XIV Josh 1. XIX 51. XXI 1. From him sprung Zadok and the following High-Priests till the Destruction of Jerusalem 1 Chron. VI. 4 c. And Ithamar From whom came Eli and Ahimelech and Abiathar in the time of David in whom this Family was Extinct Ver. 24. And the Sons of Korah c. Though he himself perished in his Rebellion against Moses who was his Cosin-German yet his Family remained XXVI Numb 58. and were famous in the days of David being often mentioned in the Book of Psalms Ver. 25. And Eleazar took one of the Daughters of Putiel to Wife Who this Putiel was is not certain Dr. Lightfoot thinks he was an Egyptian Convert whose Daughter Eleazar married But I see no good ground for this Opinion but rather think it more likely Eleazar would marry one of the race of Abraham being Son to the High-Priest He was married indeed before his Father was promoted to that Dignity yet Aaron was so great a Man in his own Tribe See IV. 14. and married into so honourable a Family in Israel v. 23. that it is not probable he would suffer his Son to match with an Egyptian Proselyte These are the Heads of the Fathers of the Levites c. The great Persons from whom sprung the principal Families among the Levites He saith nothing of the other Tribes because his intention was only to derive his own Pedigree and his Brother Aaron's from Israel Ver. 26. These are that Moses and Aaron to whom the Lord said bring out the Children of Israel c. These are the two Persons to whom God gave Commission to be the Deliverers of their Nation out of the Egyptian Bondage He had mentioned just before their Genealogy the Charge God gave them both to the Children of Israel and unto Pharaoh v. 13. And now he goes on to show that they were the Men who were peculiarly chosen by God to discharge that Office first by going to the Children of Israel which he mentions here and then to Pharaoh which he mentions in the next Verse Bring out the Children of Israel from the Land of Egypt Assure them of their Deliverance notwithstanding the Pressures under which they groan According to their Armies Not by a disorderly Flight but every Family in such good order as an Army keeps XII Exod. 41 51. XIII 18. Ver. 27. These are they that spake to Pharaoh c. Who carried the Message from God to Pharaoh requiring him to let Israel go out of Egypt V. 1 2 c. VI. 13. These are that Moses and Aaron He repeats it again that all Generations might mark who were the Men that God imployed in this great and hazardous Work of Demanding the Liberty of the Children of Israel from Pharaoh's Servitude and effecting it in such manner as is afterward related in this Book There have been Critical Wits who made this an Argument that Moses was not the Author of these Books because it is not likely they imagine he would write thus of himself But no Body but these Criticks can see any Absurdity in it that he and his Brother being the Instruments in Gods hand of effecting such wonderful things should not let Posterity be ignorant of it but take care not only to Record it but to set a special Note upon it that none might rob them of the Honour God bestowed on them and He by whose direction this was written might have the glory of working such mighty things by such inept Instruments as Moses often acknowledges himself to have been Nor is this more than Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel say concerning themselves and St. John may as well be denied to be the Authour of the Gospel which bears his Name because he saith This is the Disciple that testifieth these things c. XXI 24. And besides this the History of succeeding Ages show us the necessity of this which Moses hath said of himself For if he had not told us what his Progeny was we see by what we read in Justin and Corn. Tacitus and such like Authours what false Accounts we should have of him for Justin from Trogus Pompeius makes him as I observed before the Son of Joseph Nay the Jewish Writers have been so fabulous that we should have learnt as little Truth from them if Moses had not told it us himself Ver. 28. And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses c. Having finished the Account he thought fit to give of himself and of his Brother whom God was pleased to imploy in this great Embassy he resumes the Relation of it which he broke off at the end of v. 13. Ver. 29. That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD c. This and the next Verse seem to be a Recapitulation of what God said in his last Appearances to him v. 2 10 c. and of his desire to be excused from the Employment on which he was sent urged by two Arguments v. 12 13. where they are related something more largely than they are here in the last Verse of this Chapter In which he mentions them again that there might be a clearer connexion with what God further added for his Encouragement when he gave him the forenamed Charge v. 13. to deliver a new Message unto Pharaoh Ver. 30. And Moses said before the LORD We read the very same v. 12. which makes me think this is not a new Objection but meerly a Recital of what he had objected there See what I have said on the foregoing Verse Behold I am of uncircumcised Lips c. See v. 12. CHAP. VII Verse 1. AND the LORD said unto Moses He received new Orders from the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty before whom he stood VI. 12 30. See Mark what I say in answer to all thy Objections I have made thee a God to Pharaoh Therefore why shouldest thou fear to appear before him who is but a Man Moses is not called absolutely a God but only a God unto Pharaoh Which denotes that he had only the Authority and Power of God over him or rather he was God's Ambassadour to speak to him in his Name with a Power ready to Execute all that he desired for the Humbling of Pharaoh and Punishing his Disobedience to his Message And Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet Let therefore the Vncircumcision of thy Lips be no longer an Objection for he shall interpret thy Mind as Prophets declare the Mind of God Some slight Wits have from this place also drawn an Argument that this Book was not written by Moses but by some other Authour long after his time Because the word
years And from his Families coming into Egypt till their departure was just as many more Which agrees perfectly with what the Apostle saith that the Promise made by God to Abraham and his Seed could not be made void by the Law which was four hundred and thirty years after III Galat. 16 17. How the first Promise made to Abraham was when God bad him go to Canaan XII Gen. 3. See XV Gen. 13. There are some indeed that reckon their stay in Egypt to have been only two hundred and ten years and then they took in the five years Abraham stay'd at Charran after he left Vr of the Chaldees to make up these four hundred and thirty years of which Opinion is Drusius in the place above mentioned But Josephus saith expresly that they departed out of Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two hundred and fifty years after Jacob came into it L. II. Antiq. c. 5. All the Difficulties that have been raised by Commentators in the Exposition of these words are avoided by this Interpretation If we admit that is only these two Synechdoche's the figure of part for the whole first that under the Name of the Children of Israel is comprehended Israel himself with his Father and Grandfather and secondly that their sojourning comprehends the whole time that this Nation dwelt in a Land that was not theirs half of which time at least was spent in Egypt See Guil. Vorstius in his Notes upon Tzemach David p. 200. 205. Ludov. Capellus Chron. Sacra p. 135. But especially our most Learned Primate Vsher Chron. Sacr. c. 8. where he largely confutes the contrary Opinion which if any one desire to see defended I know none that hath done it better than Gerhardus J. Vossius in his Isagogue Chronologica Dissert VII c. 1 c. where he fairly represents the Arguments on both sides but inclines himself to think the Children of Israel dwelt CCCCXXX years in Egypt and indeavours to answer those who assert that Interpretation which I have given Cap. 12. But acknowledges ingenuously Cap. 6. that it is the sense not only of the ancient Jews but of the ancient Christians such as Eusebius Epiphanius and St. Chrysostom among the Greeks and St. Hierom St. Austin c. among the Latines and of a vast number of later Writers Ver. 41. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years These years says St. Hierom in III Galat. are to be computed ab eo tempore quo Deus ad Abrahamum locutus est c. from the time when God said to Abraham In thy Seed shall all Nations be blessed i. e. when he went first to Canaan Even the self same day it came to pass They all went out on one day or they went out that very day four hundred and thirty years after Abraham came to Canaan So faithful was God in his Promise to his faithful Servant That all the Hosts of the LORD c. So they are called for the LORD was become their King as I observed III. 10. and now led them forth as their Captain General And this word Hosts imports that they went out not confusedly but in good order See XIII 18. which is the more wonderful there being such a vast number of them v. 37 38. that one would think they could not so soon get together especially in any order But Josephus hath well resolved this That Moses having notice of God's Intentions some days before See v. 1. had disposed them for their Departure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and distributing them into several Companies had appointed them the place of general Rendevouz as we now speak or at least directed who should march first and what order they should observe that they might not hinder one another in their March Ver. 42. It is a Night to be much observed In the Hebrew as the Margin notes a Night of Observations That is a very remarkable Night or a Night in which there were many Precepts to be observed as some will have it Or as Conradus Pellicanus a Night in which the LORD after a special manner watched over the Children of Israel For which reason the Jews expect their Messiah to come in this Night foolishly imagining he will then find them all most ready to follow him to Jerusalem For they have now corrupted an ancient Tradition which I observed before v. 6. was remarkably fulfilled in our Saviour's suffering that very Evening when the Paschal Lamb was killed and the Children of Israel redeemed from the Egyptian Bondage Vnto the LORD In honour of him who had graciously begun to fulfil his Promise made to their Fore-fathers VI. 2 3 4. This is that Night of the LORD c. Which God hath commanded to be observed because they came out at that Season XVI Dent. 6. under his Conduct from the Egyptian Bondage Or it may be called that Night of the LORD because his Power and Mercy and Faithfulness to his Promises so signally appeared that Night Ver. 43. And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron At the same time I suppose that he instituted the Passover v. 1. he added this Caution about it This is the Ordinance of the Passover A further Rule to be observed at this Feast There shall no Stranger eat thereof Several of the Jewish Doctors by the Son of a Stranger understand an Apostate from the Religion of Israel to strange Worship i. e. Idolatry as Mr. Selden observes L. I. de Synedr c. 12. p. 479. But it is not to be so restrained as appears from the next Verse which is a further Explication of this Wherein he ordains that no Man who did not embrace their Faith and Religion should eat of the Passover though he was a Proselyte so far as to be permitted to live among them For this being a Commemoration of the great Deliverance bestowed upon the Israelites none but they were to partake of it unless they would be Circumcised and thereby come into the Covenant made with Abraham Which gave them a title to all the Priviledges of his Children and obliged them as well as the Natural Israelites to give Publick Thanks for this Work of their Redemption from Egyptian Bondage to Worship and Serve their God according as he directed Ver. 44. And every Man-servant that is bought for money As many were in those Times and Countries who became their Masters proper Goods as much as their Cattle When thou hast Circumcised him then shall he eat thereof He was not to be Circumcised against his Will but if he refused after a years trial as Maimonides expounds it to receive Circumcision his Master was to sell him again For it is very unreasonable to think that he was to be compelled to be Circumcised as those Hebrew Doctors seem to understand it who say That both Master and Servant were forbid to eat of it till the Servant was Circumcised See Selden L. II. de Synedr c. 1. Where he shows at large
that according to the Hebrew Doctors no Man was to be admitted a Proselyte to partake of the Paschal Lamb unless his whole Family was Circumcised with him both Children and Servants Ver. 45. A Foreigner The Hebrew word Toschab literally signifies a Dweller or Inhabitant by which Name those pious Gentiles were called who renounced Idolatry though they did not embrace the Jewish Religion because they were permitted to settle among them and dwell in their Country which was not allowed to other Foreigners who continued Idolaters See Selden L. II. de Jure N. G. c. 3. c. 5. Where he observes Maimonides makes this Exception That no such Persons might dwell in Jerusalem because of the singular Holiness of that City but any where else they might with the Profession of Judaism And no hired Servant Some of them were Servants to the Jews and so dwelt in the same House with them and were called Hirelings when they bound themselves to serve their Masters for three years as the Jews gather from XVI Isa 14. Ver. 46. In one House shall it be eaten c. In the first Night wherein this Sacrifice was slain they were enjoyned not to stir out of Doors v. 22. and therefore not to carry forth ought of the Flesh abroad into another House Besides they were in such haste that they had no time to send Messengers from one House to another which Maimonides makes the ground of this Precept More Nev. P. III. c. 46. In after-times also that Law being in force v. 4. that lesser Housholds who had not Company enough to eat the Lamb up should joyn with some other it is here explain'd that for maintenance of Friendly Society they should not divide the Lamb and carry half of it to another House but all meet together in one and feast upon it Which the ancient Fathers looked upon as a Figure of the Unity of the Church of Christ This seems to be the most natural Interpretation that it should be eaten under one Roof But R. Simeon saith That God only bound them to eat in one Company or Society not in two but it was lawful for that Family or Society to eat it in two places if they pleased Halicoth Olam P. IV. Sect. 3. Neither shall ye break a Bone thereof The Jews fancy this Law doth not speak of the lesser Bones but only of those in which there was some Marrow So Maimonides in his Treatise on this Subject c. 10. sect 1. And indeed being eaten in haste they could not have time to break the Bones and suck out the Marrow which in the place before-named in his More Nevochim he makes the Foundation of this Precept Which was exactly fulfilled in the true Paschal Lamb of which this was a Figure when he was offered for us as St. John observes XIX 33 36. Ver. 47. All the Congregation of Israel shall keep it Women and Children as well as Men. In after times indeed only Men were bound to come up at the three Feasts XXIII 17. XXXIV 23. XVI Deut. 16. But devout People were wont to carry up their Wives and Children with them as appears by Elkanah 1 Sam. I. 3 4. and by Joseph who went up with the Blessed Virgin II Luke 41. And that place in Samuel informs us that their Sons and Daughters did eat of the Sacrifice Ver. 48. When a Stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passover c. See v. 43 44. No uncircumcised Person shall eat thereof Which is the reason some have thought why they observed no Passover as far as we can sind after that in the very next year that followed their coming out of Egypt because they were generally Uncircumcised But this seems to relate to Men of another Nation who though they were not admitted to eat of the Lamb unless they received Circumcision yet having renounced Idolatry the Jews say they might eat of the unleavened Bread and of the bitter Herbs Ver. 49. One Law shall be to him that is home-born c. Nothing could be more equal than this that no Man should enjoy this Priviledge who was not of their Religion but whosoever embraced it should partake of the same Benefits Ver. 50. Thus did all the Children of Israel They kept this Passover and afterwards another by a special direction IX Numb but afterward during their stay in the Wilderness they seem to have omitted it because they omitted Circumcision without which v. 48. they were not capable to partake of it As the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron so did they Observed it according to all the Rites here enjoyned though in future Ages several of them were omitted as peculiar to this time Ver. 51. And it came to pass the self same day c. On the day after they celebrated the Passover they began their March out of Egypt Which was a thing so notorious that the memory of it was preserved in Nations far distant from them though the Story was much corrupted for want of the Knowledge of these Sacred Records For Strabo mentions it to name no more but saith the Report was that the Jews were descended from the Egyptians which might be believed by Strangers because they dwelt so long in that Country and that Moses was an Egyptian Priest who had a certain part of that Country but being dissatissied with the present state of things forsook it and many Worshippers of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followed him For he affirmed and taught that the Egyptians had not right Conceptions who likened God to wild Beasts and Cattle nor did the Asricans or Greeks conceive of him better who represented him like to Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there is but this one only God that which comprehends us all and the Earth and the Sea which we call Heaven and the World c. In which words he makes Moses not so foolish as the Egyptians and other Nations but attributes a sensless Opinion to him that the World which we see is God if this be the right reading of his words But I rather think the place is corrupted and it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For this is Moses his true Opinion with which he begins his Books that he only is God who made the Heaven and the Earth And this perfectly agrees with what follows in Strabo That no Image can be made of this God and therefore a Temple without any Image must be erected to him c. Which is not true if we take the visible World to be God for the Image of the Heaven and the Earth may be made as well as of a Man or a Beast However it is true which he adds That Moses perswaded many good Men and brought them into that Country where Jerusalem is the chief City where they lived a long time happily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doing justly and being sincerely Religious Which is a notable Testimony from a Pagan to be noted aureis literis with Letters
do because Asses being so plentiful in that Country they might not be worth so much as a Lamb. It is no improbable Conjecture of Mr. Selden that from this Law of redeeming Asses the Gentiles took up a fancy which was common among them that the Jews worshipped an Asses Head See L. II. de Jure Nat. Gent. c. 1. Which was one of their Calumnies also of Christians whom they took to be the same with the Jews as we read in Minutius Faelix Tertullian and others All the First-born of Man among thy Children shalt thou redeem See v. 11. Humane Sacrifices were not acceptable to God For though he once commanded Abraham to offer his Son yet it was not actually done and here he declares he did not approve of such Sacrifices by commanding them not to offer their First-born to him as they did the Firstlings of clean Beasts but to redeem them For the way of the Gentile World even in those days was to offer their Children to Moloch as appears from XX Lev. 2. where he orders him to be put to death who gives any of his Seed to Moloch The very same Phrase which is used as I observed v. 12. concerning Sacrificing the Firstlings of their Oxen c. And in the XVIII Lev. 21. he uses both Phrases saying Thou shalt not give any of thy Seed to pass through to Moloch or to pass over to Moloch The very same word which we here translate v. 13. set apart And it was but necessary to give such Precepts for notwithstanding these Prohibitions the Israelites fell into this barbarous way of Worship as we read CVI Psalm 37 38. Now this Redemption of their First-born was not long after ordered by God himself who took the Levites instead of them as we read Numb III. where a certain Sum of Money was paid for all the rest of the First-born that were above the number of the Levites Which Sum they who were born after that time paid to the Priest Nor was this a thing unknown to the Gentiles For Paulus Venetus saith L. I. c. 45. that the Inhabitants of that Region in India called Tanguth redeemed their Sons with a Ram which they offered after the manner of the Hebrews which makes it probable that this Law of Moses had reached them there being several Remainders of the Hebrew Language upon those Coasts as Huetius observes in his Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 6. Ver. 14. When thy Son asketh thee in time to come What is this Desires to know the meaning of this or whence this Custom of Offering or Redeeming the First-born Males is derived That thou shalt say unto him Great care was taken for the Instruction of Children in the Rites of their Religion it appears by this and by v. 8. where they are commanded to teach them the reason of eating unleavened Bread as here of their Consecrating the First-born That by strength of hand c. See III. 19. Ver. 15. And it came to pass when Pharaoh would hardly let us go Obstinately persisted in his Resolutions to keep us in slavery or hardned his heart as it may be translated by adding the word libbo against all the Monitions had been given him and the Plagues inflicted on him That the LORD slew all the First-born in the Land of Egypt c. Which struck such a terrour into him that immediately he dismissed us XII 30 31 c. Therefore I sacrifice unto the LORD all that openeth the Womb c. Because when he slew all their First-born he spared ours XII 13 23 27. Ver. 16. And it shall be for a token upon thine hand By this means there was a perpetual remembrance preserved of God's gracious Deliverance of them when the First-born of Egypt were slain For nothing else can be meant by these words but that they should indeavour by Consecrating their First-born to keep that Divine Benefit in mind as carefully as if they had put a Sign upon their Hand or bound it upon their Forehead before their Eyes to help their Memory For it is a plain allusion to those who having frail Memories are wont to tie a Thrid or some such thing upon their Finger that they may not forget what they desire to remember That which is upon their Hand being continually in view and so not easily forgotten And for frontlets between thine eyes Whatsoever be the Original of the Hebrew word Totaphot which we translate Frontlets it is certain it signifies no more than Zicaron in the ninth Verse a Memorial or Monument as the Vulgar translates it And so Aben Ezna expounds it kenu Zicaron as it were a Memorial and that immoveable as the LXX take it Yet from hence the Talmudists have extracted their Phylacteries or pieces of Parchment wherein this and other Texts were written which they fancied were a kind of Amulets to defend them from dangers For so they are said to be in the Gemara Schabath and therefore used in their Prayers to drive away Evil Spirits as J. Braunius and many others have observed I shall only note further that this word is found but three times in the Law and yet the Vulgar translates it three several ways which shows how little the Original of it is understood though the Sense of it is plain and certain See Petitus his Var. Lectiones c. 20. For by strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt This hath been often mentioned in this very Chapter v. 3 9 14. and now here repeated again to make them very sensible both that they owed their Deliverance intirely to God and that nothing was too hard for him to accomplish Ver. 17. God led them not through the way of the Land of the Philistines c. That was the nearest way from Egypt to Canaan by the Mediterranean to the River of Egypt as the Scripture calls it and so to Azotus and Gaza which was a Journey of not above three days as Philo says others say of ten But certainly it was no great way for the Sons of Jacob went it often to and fro XLII XLIII c. Gen. Lest peradventure the People repent when they see war c. The Philistines being a very warlike People would in all likelyhood have opposed their Passage and God knew the temper of the Israelites to be so timorous that they would run away and rather return to Egypt than sight their way to Canaan For all People grow cowardly by being kept long in slavery which breaks their Spirits and sinks them as low as their Condition They fought indeed about forty days after this with Amalek but it was only one Battle and then they were provided with Arms which they had not now from the Egyptians whom they found dead on the Sea-shore But their base temper appeared too plainly the next year when they heard the Report of the Spies concerning the Inhabitants of Canaan which put the whole Congregation into a fit of Despair and made them think of
be the ancient grudge of the Seed of Esau to those of Israel For Amalek was descended from the eldest Son of Esau by a Concubine XXXVI Gen. 12. But it may very fairly also be supposed that there was some League between the Amalekites and the People of Canaan of mutual Defence which might move the Amalekites to oppose the passage of the Israelites and indeavour to hinder their Settlement in Canaan unto which perhaps they imagined their own pretences to be as good though the Israelites challenged the promise of it belong'd to them alone Then came These words import that the Amalekites were the Aggressors without any provocation If they fancied the Israelites would Invade them they might have prepared to defend themselves but it was no ground for Assaulting them Unto which perhaps they were moved as for other Reasons so out of greediness of Prey hearing the Israelites were loaded with the Spoils of the Egyptians And fought with Israel They came out of their own Country to sight with them in the Wilderness Or we may suppose that they attacked their Rear as they were upon their march from Rephidim to Horeb and cut off some Straglers or such as lagg'd behind through faintness and weariness as Moses relates XXV Deut. 18. The Author of Dibre Hajamim makes the Army of Amalek to have consisted of an incredible Number all exercising Divinations and Inchantments Ver. 9. And Moses said unto Joshua Who it seems was an eminent Person at their first coming out of Egypt Chuse us out men Whom he knew to be as valiant as himself And go out and sight with Amalek Meet them and give them Battle To morrow I will stand on the top of the Hill To pray to God who had lately appeared to him there v. 6. With the Rod of God in my hand This he said to encourage Joshua to hope God would not fail to deliver them though a Miracle was required to bring it to pass Ver. 10. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him c. Nothing but a strong confidence in God could have animated Men unexperienced in the Arts of War to encounter such mighty Enemies And Moses Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the Hill The Jews do but conjecture who this Hur was But we may be certain he was a Person of great Eminence for Wisdom and Piety otherwise he would not have been joyned with the Leaders of God's People Moses and Aaron We read indeed 1 Chron. II. 19. of one Hur who was the Son of Caleb and Grandfather of the famous Bezaleel who was of the Tribe of Judah But there is nothing to perswade us that he was the Person here spoken of nor that he was the Son of Moses his Sister as some of the Jews tell us See Pirke Elieser c. 45. where strange Stories are told of him But it is more probable that he was Miriam's Husband as Josephus affirms L. III. Antiq. c. 2. though we cannot tell whence he himself was descended Ver. 11. When Moses held up his hand Lifting up the hands was a posture of Prayer and imploring the Divine Aid as we find in many places particularly III Lament 40. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens And it implies great Earnestness in Prayer as doth also listing up the eyes and listing up the soul XXV Psal 1. CXXI 1 c. But though this be true and no doubt Moses and his Companions prayed to God most earnestly yet this was not the occasion of his lifting up his hand which was to advance the Rod of God which he held in his hand and lifted up as their Standard or Banner to which they should look and hope for help from the mighty Power of God who had done such Wonders by that Rod. That Israel prevailed The sight of the Rod of God inspired them with such Courage that their Enemies could not stand before them And when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed Their Spirits flagged when they did not see the Rod and they began to give ground imagining perhaps that Moses despaired of Victory who the Fight being long was not able alway to keep his hand erect Ver. 12. But Moses his hands were heavy Through weariness by long holding them out upon the stretch And they took a stone and put it under him and he sate thereon It seems he had been standing before which gave them the greater advantage of seeing the Rod but made him the more weary And Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands Were his Supporters which it is probable was in this manner Sometimes Moses held up the Rod in his right hand and sometimes in his left for v. 11. he speaks only of one hand which was lifted up or let down and Aaron stood on one side of him suppose his right hand and Hur stood on the other Who by that means helpt by turns to uphold his hands in that posture for if they had done it both together they might have been as weary as he And his hands were steady c. Were kept up stretched out without falling down till Sun-set Ver. 13. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his People c. Routed their whole Army One would think the name of their Kings was Amalek as the Kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh because he mentions Amalek and his People Otherwise if Amalek signifies collectively the Amalekites then his People must signifie those who were confederate with them Ver. 14. And the LORD said unto Moses He appeared it 's likely to him again in this place as he had done v. 6. and gave him this order Write this for a Memorial in a Book Make a Record of it as he did both here and XXV Deut. 17. c. And no Body was so sit to do it as he who saw all that fell out in this Fight and was the undoubted Author of what we read in this Book which was written by himself And rehearse it in the ears of Joshua That he who was to be the Leader of God's People after Moses might never enter into any League with the Amalekites For his Prosperity depended upon the Observation of the Commands given by God to Moses which therefore were carefully written in a Book and delivered to him that they might not be forgotten See I Josh 7 8. where there is a plain proof that the Laws delivered by Moses were written before Joshua entred into the Land of Canaan For I will utterly put out the Name of Amalek from under Heaven Have a perpetual quarrel with them till they be quite extinct as they were partly by Saul 1 Sam. XV. and partly by David 1 Sam. XXX 17. and partly by the Children of Simeon 1 Chron. IV. 43. Balaam also prophecied of their utter Destruction XXIV Numb 20. Which may seem a hard Sentence but it was as Maimonides observes to terrifie others from the like Malice For as particular Persons are sometimes punished very severely for an
world accounted Gods For he did not acknowledge any more Divine Powers than One but he speaks according to the common opinion Men had in those days of other Gods besides the most High This is a common acknowledgment of good Men in after times LXXXVI Psal 8 10. CXXXV 5. For in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them If we refer this to what immediately goes before viz. all Gods the meaning is that the LORD appeared superiour to all the Egyptian Gods who insolently attempted by the Magicians to equal him in his wonderful Works but were baffled and exposed to contempt and at last thrown down in their Images VIII 19. IX 11. XII 12. But it is commonly thought to relate to the Egyptians and Pharaoh mention'd in the foregoing Verse and then the meaning is That the LORD confounded them that proudly contemned his Authority saying Who is the LORD c. V. 2. whom he forced to beg his pardon IX 27. and at last drowned him and his Host in the Red Sea when they said in an haughty boasting manner I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them c. XV. 9. And to this purpose the Chaldee expounds it In that very thing wherein they thought to judge i. e. to punish or destroy the Israelites they were judged themselves i. e. drowned in the Sea as they intended to drown all their Male Children Ver. 12. And Jethro Moses Father-in-law He is constantly thus described v. 1 2 5 6 7 8. and every where else but v. 9 10. to distinguish him from any other Jethro to whom these things might possibly be thought to belong Took a Burnt-offering Which was to be wholly consumed upon the Altar and nothing of it eaten by any body I Lev. 9. This now may be thought to have been done after the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai which Moses here mentions because he would put together all that belongs to Jethro's story though not all done at the very same time just as I said he did what belonged to the History of the Manna XVI 33 35. See there And Sacrifices i. e. Peace-offerings of which the People as well as the Priests were to be partakers VII Lev. 34. XXVI Deut. 7. And regularly there never was any Burnt-offerings made which were wholly consumed upon the Altar but Peace-offerings attended upon them if they were not Offerings for the whole Congregation but for particular Persons that so they who brought them might Feast also with God upon the Sacrifices For feasting upon Sacrisices was an Appendix unto all Sacrifices whatsoever one way or other if not by themselves yet by the Priests who eat of the Sin-offerings as the Proxies of the People Of this there are numerous Instances not only among the Jews after the Law was given but among other People who had this Custom antecedent to it As appears from XXV Numb 2. where the Midianites invite the Israelites to the Sacrifices of their Gods and the People did eat c. Which they did not learn from Moses but derived from higher Antiquity it is probable even from Abraham himself For God To be offered unto God Who offered them we are not told but it should seem by the word took that Jethro himself who was a Priest was permitted to perform this Office in token that they owned him to be a faithful Servant and Minister of the most High God as Melchizedeck was And accordingly it follows that Aaron was invited with the Elders of Israel to come and Feast with him upon these Sacrifices And Aaron came This seems to signifie that Aaron was but a Guest and had not been the Priest who offered the Sacrifice For though we suppose the Law to have been now given yet it is likely Aaron and his Sons were not yet consecrated nor the Service of God as yet ordered according to the Law that had been delivered no more then Judicatures were erected as after this they were by the advice of Jethro But of these things we can have no absolute certainty but only make probable conjectures And all the Elders of Israel See III. 16. To eat Bread To partake of the Sacrifices that had been offered for this comprehends the whole Meal XLIII Gen. 25. Before God Before the Tabernacle where God dwelt Or if that was not yet set up in the place where God appeared in an extraordinary manner which it is likely was in the Tent of Moses XXXIII 7. Ver. 13. And it came to pass on the morrow The next day after this Solemn Sacrifice which the Jews I observed above say was on the XIth day of Tisri So Sepher Mechilta and others from thence as Mr. Selden hath noted L. II. de Synedr c. 2. p. 75. That Moses sate That was the posture of Judges To judge the People To hear Causes and determine them And the People stood by Moses c. That was the posture both of the Plaintiff and the Defendant And there were now so may Causes brought before him that they took up the whole day so that he had not time to eat and refresh himself Ver. 14. And when Moses Father-in-law saw all that he did to the People He either was present and observed himself or was informed by others what insupportable pains he took He said what is this thing that thou dost to the People What a burden is this to judge the Causes of a whole Nation Why sittest thou thy self alone Takest more upon thee than any one Person is able to bear And all the People stand by thee from morning to the even Till both thou and they are tired Ver. 15. Because the People come unto me to enquire of God I cannot refuse to do Justice and there is none but my self to declare what the Law of God is in such Cases as are brought before me To enquire of God Doth not signifie here to desire him to consult the Divine Majesty for them but to decide their Controversies according to the mind of God declared in the Laws he had given him So the LXX to seek for judgment from God and the Vulgar to seek God's Sentence For what was determined according to God's Law was the Judgment of God and so it is called by Moses See Mr. Selden L. I. de Synedr c. 15. p. 610. Ver. 16. When they have matter Of Controversie They come to me That I may decide it And I judge between one and another Determine where the right lyes And I do make them know the Statutes of God and his Laws This explains what is meant by enquiring of God i. e. what was the Law of God in the Case brought before him From which we may probable gather that the Law was already given from Mount Sinai and all the other Laws and Statutes which follow Chap. XXI XXII XXIII before this hapned Unless we will say as some do that Moses was directed upon the spot as we speak by
Rephidim toward that part of the Mountain called Horeb upon their murmuring for want of Water XVII 5 6. But seem to have returned thither to fight with Amalek v. 8. And then they were led by God to this other side of the Mountain which is called the Wilderness of Sinai There Israel encamped before the Mount For the glorious Cloud having led them hither rested upon the Mount as appears from the words following Ver. 3. And Moses went up unto God Whose glorious Majesty appeared upon the Mount And the LORD called unto him out of the Mountain Or rather for the LORD called to him out of the Mountain where the Divine Glory rested unto which he would not have presumed to go if the LORD had not called to him to come up thither Which was upon the second day of the third Month. Thus shalt thou say to the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israel There was some reason sure for calling them by these two names the House of Jacob and the Children of Israel which perhaps was to put them in mind that they who had lately been as low as Jacob when he went to Padan-Aram were now grown as great as God made him when he came from thence and was called Israel Ver. 4. You have seen There needs no proof for you your selves are witnesses What I did unto the Egyptians Smote them with divers sore Plagues and at last drowned them and their Chariots in the Red Sea And how I bare you on Eagles wings Kept you so safe and placed you so far out of the reach of your Enemies as if you had been borne up on high by an Eagle Which are observed to carry their young ones not in their feet as other Birds were wont to do but on their Wings and to soar so high and with so swift a motion that none can pursue them much less touch them Bochartus hath observed all the Properties ascribed to the Eagle with respect to which Interpreters have thought God's care of his People to be here compared with that Bird Hierozoic P. II. L. II. c. 5. But after all he judiciously concludes that Moses best explains his own meaning in his famous Song XXXII Deut. 11. where the Eagles fluttering about her Nest and making a noise to stir up her young ones to leave their dirty Nest and try their Wings represents the many means God had used to rouze up the drooping Spirits of the Israelites when they lay miserably oppressed under a cruel Servitude and incourage them to aspire after Liberty and to obey those whom he sent to deliver them And brought you unto my self And by that means brought you hither to live under my Government For this was the very Foundation of his peculiar Empire over them that he had ransom'd and redeemed them out of Slvery by a mighty Hand and stretched out Arm as he speaks XIII 3. IV Deut. 34. so as he had not delivered any other Nation and thereby by made them his own after an extraordinary manner peculiar to them alone This Joshua also recals to their mind when he was near his Death and renewed this Covenant of God with them XXIV 5 6 c. Ver. 5. Now therefore Having wonderfully delivered them and supported them in a miraculous manner by Bread from Heaven and Water out of a Rock he now proceeds to instruct them in their Duty as Greg. Nyssen observes L. de Vita Mosis p. 172. If you will obey my voice indeed c. If you will sincerely obey me as your King and Governour and keep the Covenant I intend to make with you then you shall be mine above all the People of the Earth whose LORD I am as well as yours but you shall be my peculiar Inheritance in which I will establish my Kingdom and Priesthood with such Laws as shall not only distinguish you from all other Nations but make you to excel them This is the sense of this verse and the following A peculiar treasure unto me i. e. Very dear to me and consequently I will take a singular care of you as Kings do of those things which they lay up in their Treasury So the Hebrew word Segullah signifies Which Origen proves they really were notwithstanding all the Calumnies of Celsus their Laws being so profitable and they being so early taught to know God to believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Rewards and Punishments in the Life to come and bred up to a contempt of Divination with which Mankind had been abused as proceeding rather from wicked Daemons than from any Excellent Nature and to seek for the knowledge of future things in Souls which by an extraordinary degree of Purity were rendred capable to receive the Spirit of God L. V. contra Celsum p. 260. And this the Author of Sepher Cosri happily expresses when he saith Our peculiar Blessings consist in the conjunction of Minds with God by Prophecy and that which is annexed to it that is as Muscatus explains it the Gift of the Spirit of God And therefore he doth not say in the Law if you will obey my voice I will bring you after Death into Gardens of Pleasure but ye shall be to me a People and I will be to you a God Pars I. Sect. 109. For all the Earth is mine Which made it the greater honour that he bare such a special love to them Ver. 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests An honourable or a Divine Kingdom not like worldly Kingdoms which are defended by Arms but supported by Piety Or a Princely People that should rule over their Enemies For the same word signifies both Priests and Princes and in the first times of the World none was thought fit to be a Priest but he who was a King or the Chief of the Family as we see in Melchizedek and Jethro That God was peculiarly the King of this People I observed above III. 10. and here he expresly owns this peculiar Dominion over them by saying Ye shall be to me a Kingdom And one reason perhaps why he saith they shall be a Kingdom of Priests is because they were governed while they continued a Theocracy by the High Priest as the prime Minister under God who in all weighty Causes consulted God what was to be done and accordingly they ordered their Affairs XXVIII 30. XXVIII Numb 21. Which is the reason why God commands Moses to make such Garments for Aaron as should be for glory and beauty or for honour and glory as we read v. 2. of that Chapter i.e. to make him appear great like a Prince for they were really Royal Garments And for his Sons also he was to make Bonnets of the like kind for honour and glory v. 40. they being in the form of the Tiarae which Kings wore and are joyned in Scripture with Crowns XXIX Job 14. III Isa 23 c. Whence Philo says in his Book de Sacerd. Honoribus that the Law manifestly
dressed up the High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the liberty and freedom also wherein they were instated I doubt not is signified by these words Kings and Priests as Onkelos translates them and as it is expressed in the New Testament I Revel 6. V. 10. and the Syriac also Kingdom and Priesthood for Kings and Priests were of all other Men freed from Oppression And thus I sind our Mr. Thorndike a most Learned man glosses upon thess words Review of the Rights of the Church p. 132. God calls them Kings because redeemed from the Servitude of Strangers to be a People Lords of themselves and Priests because redeemed to spend their time in Sacrificing and feasting upon their Sacrifices under which Figure he afterwards represents the happy estate of his Church LXI Isa 6. though they Sacrificed not in Person but by their Priests appointed in their stead by imposition of the Elders hands VIII Numb 10. An holy Nation A People separated to God from all other Nations and from their Idolatry to serve God in an acceptable manner These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the Children of Israel The sum of what he was to say to them comprehending both their Duty and their high Priviledge Ver. 7. And Moses came Down from the Mount where he had been with God v. 3. And called for the Elders of the People The principal Persons in the several Tribes See III. 16. which he seems to have done in the Evening of the second day of the Month. And laid before their faces all these words c. Plainly declared to them what God had given him in charge which they went and propounded to the People of the several Tribes whom they represented Ver. 8. And all the People answered together and said All with one consent declared as here follows All that the LORD hath spoken we will do They consented to have the LORD for their King and promised to be obedient to his Will And Moses returned the words of the People unto the LORD This seems to have been done the next day which was the third day of the third Month. Upon which Report made to God of the Peoples Consent he proceeds after a few days preparation to declare the Laws by which they should be governed Chap. XX XXI XXII XXIII and then in the XXIVth Chapter these Laws pass into a Covenant between God and them Here Moses plainly acted as a Mediator between God and the People Ver. 9. And the LORD said unto Moses lo I will come unto thee Appear upon the Mount In a thick Cloud In a darker Cloud than that which had hitherto gone before them to conduct them so that they should see nothing but Flashes of Lightning which came out of it in a very frightful manner v. 16 18. For that there was sire in it appears from IV Dent. 11. V. 22 23. though at first perhaps only a thick Cloud appeared as a token of his approach That the People may hear when I speak with thee Though they saw no Similitude yet they plainly heard a voice speaking unto Moses and declaring their Duty Maimonides indeed thinks that the words were directed only unto Moses and that the Israelites heard meerly the sound of the words but did not distinctly understand them More Nevoch P. II. c. 33. Which is directly against what Moses says IV Deut. 12. The LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the sire c. and V. 4 5. The LORD talked with you face to face in the Mount c. saying I am the LORD thy God c. which words are plainly directed to all the People And believe thee for ever They had been staggered in their Belief after they had professed it at the Red Sea XV. ult but after this it might be expected they would never question his Authority any more And Moses told the words of the People unto the LORD Or rather for Moses had told c. Upon which account God was pleased to make the foregoing Declaration Till they had owned him for the LORD their God i.e. their King and Governour he did not speak unto them at all but only unto Moses But now that they had consented to be his he resolves to speak audibly to them and henceforth to dwell among them and in order to it six his Tabernacle with them For which he gives order Chap. XXV c. immediately after they had entred into Covenant to do as they had promised Or these words which seem to be a needless repetition may relate to that which follows and be translated thus Moses having told the words of the People unto the LORD the LORD said unto Moses Go unto the People and sanctifie them c. Ver. 10. Go unto the People and sanctifie them to day and to morrow This shows that Moses was sent down early on the fourth day to prepare them for the Appearance of the Divine Majesty among them by sanctifying them that is separating them from all Uncleanness or rather from all common and ordinary Imployments that they might give themselves to Fasting and Prayer and Abstinence from otherwise lawful Pleasures For Pirke Elieser takes Abstinence from their Wives mentioned v. 15. as a part of this Sanctification cap. 41. And so doth Gregory Nyssen in his Book de Vita Mosis p. 178. And Maimonides observes that Separation from Wine and strong Drink is called Holiness in the Law of the Nazarites VI Numb 5. and therefore may be thought part of the Sanctification here required More Nevoch P. I. c. 33. And let them wash their Clothes The Hebrews understand it of washing their whole Bodies For thus Aaron and his Sons were to be consecrated to their Office XXIX 4. XL. 12. and therefore thus the People were now to be made a holy People unto the LORD and made sit for the Presence of the Divine Majesty Under whose Wings as they speak none were received in future times i.e. made Proselytes but by Baptism or washing of their whole Body which was taken from this pattern And accordingly where we read in the Law of particular Purifications by washing their Clothes in case of any Uncleanness as XI Lev. 25 28 40. XIV 8 47. where Moses speaks of cleansing a Leprous Person XXXI Numb 24. where he speaks of cleansing Soldiers and many other Cases they understand it in the very same manner In some cases indeed it is expresly prescribed XV Lev. 5 6 7. XVI 26 c. and they expound all other where Clothes only are mentioned by the same Rule as Mr. Selden shows I. I. de Synedr c. 3. where he observes that in the Pagan Language pure Garments signifie the washing of the whole Body See p. 29. Ver. 11. And be ready against the third day He doth not mean the third day of the Month but the third day after this command to Sanctifie themselves In which they were bound to spend two intire days and then the LORD promised to
And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai It is said before that the LORD descended upon it v. 18. therefore the meaning here is that the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty setled there to speak unto the People On the top of the Mount On the highest part of it that there might be the greatest distance between him and the People who stood at the foot of it And the LORD called up Moses c. He stood lower before though not so low as the People but now is called up higher even to the very place where God was And consequently entred into the midst of the fire and smoke wherein the Mountain was wrapped v. 18. upon God's Appearance there From which in all probability the Persians who had heard or read what is here related framed the story of their Zoroaster Who wandring in Desert places was carried up to Heaven and saw God incompassed with Flames which he could not behold with his own eyes the splendour of them was so great but with eyes which the Angels lent him and there he received from him a Book of the Law c. See Huetius Demonstr Evang. Propos IV. c. 5. n. 2. Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses go down and charge the People c. It seems that upon Moses's going up some of the People thought of approaching nearer out of Curiosity to see if they could discover more of the Divine Majesty And therefore God sends him down again immediately to bid them remember the Charge he had given them and not dare to come nearer than they were And many of them perish As many as were so presumptuous Many sometimes signifies all and here all that should adventure to go beyond their bounds Ver. 22. And let the Priests also Who these were is much disputed for Aaron and his Sons were not yet Consecrated The Jews it is commonly known readily answer they were the First-born whose Prerogative it was to Minister to God as his Priests till the Law of Moses ordered things otherwise But I have often observed this not to be true being confuted by several Examples of others who sacrificed and were not the First-born And lately there is a Learned Man who in a just Discourse hath overthrown this Opinion See Campeg Vitringa Observ Sacrae L. II. c. 23. which was called in question and briefly censured some time before by a very Learned Friend of mine Dr. Outram de Sacrificiis L. I. c. 4. Conradus Pellicanus in the beginning of the Reformation seems to have given a better account of the Priests here mentioned which were the prime and most honourable Persons in the several Tribes the Elders and such as administred the Government under Moses among which there might be some of the First-born nay it is possible many of them but not by any special right which they had to this Office Which came near unto the LORD To perform Divine Services By which one would think he speaks of those who had been already imployed in this Office for having before this built an Altar XVII 15. some think it probable Sacrifice was offered upon it But if it were only a Monument and no Sacrifices were to be offered till they came to the Mount of God who was to appoint them then Moses pickt out the most excellent Persons as I said before to perform this Service when they came there XXIV 5. Sanctifie themselves Nothing was said before of their Sanctification which is here injoyned by it self because their high Office required a peculiar Separation to prepare them for it Lest the LORD break forth upon them Lest when they come near to Sacrifice God should be offended with their Uncleanness and destroy them This supposes they might go nearer than the People Ver. 23. And Moses said unto the LORD the People cannot come up to Mount Sinai c. He thought it was needless to go down to restrain the People having given them the Charge which God commanded him v. 11 12. and set bounds about the Mount as it here follows by drawing a Line perhaps beyond which they should not pass and thereby separating the Mount from them which he calls sanctifying it Ver. 24. And the LORD Or but the LORD Said unto him away get thee down He knew the Peoples inclinations better than Moses did and therefore commanded him to make no delay for fear they should grow more bold than he imagined And thou shalt come up and Aaron with thee After he had delivered this new Charge to them Which was the more necessary because Aaron being also called up they might think likewise of sharing in this Priviledge And Aaron with thee Unto whom God did this great honour because he was to be called shortly to the dignity of the High Priest and would be the more respected by the People when they saw him admitted far nearer unto God than they were But let not the Priests and the People break through c. But let not any body else as they love their lives presume to press beyond their Line no not the Priests on whom I have bestowed the honour of coming nearer to me than other Men v. 22. Ver. 25. So Moses went down unto the People and spake unto them Delivered the Message to them and to the Priests as he was directed And then as he was also ordered returned unto the Mount and his Brother with him but not to the top of the Mount where he was before v. 20. as appears from the nineteenth Verse of the next Chapter which shows that Moses was there where the People might speak to him and therefore if he went up now to the top of the Mount he came down again when the LORD spake audibly to them and stood in a place where he might be a Mediator between them So he himself saith V Dent. 4 5. that when the LORD talked with them face to face in the Mount he stood between the LORD and them And accordingly it follows v. 23. of that Chapter that when they heard the voice out of the midst of the Darkness they came near to Moses and said c. which shows he was not far off from them though nearer to God than they But perhaps Moses and Aaron did not come up into the Mount till after the Ten words or Commandments were spoken when Moses we read XX. 21. drew near unto the thick darkness where God was though we read nothing of Aaron there Which inclines me to think the foregoing account of this matter to be the truer CHAP. XX. Verse 1. AND God spake all these words saying After the Trumpet had summoned them all to attend and sounded a long time louder and louder there came a Voice from the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty out of the midst of the Fire as we read IV Deut. 12. V. 4 22. that is of the Angelical Host which incircled him and appeared like Flames of Fire Which made the Apostle say the Law was ordained by Angels III Gal.
this was and have been pleased to fancy that some Book which Moses wrote is lost When this plainly refers to what is said v. 4. where we read that Moses wrote all the words of the LORD that is the Commandments and Judgments mentioned in the four foregoing Chapters Which though they made no great Volume yet might be called a Book in their Language for even the Bill of Divorcement which they gave their Wives and was very short is called by this Name of Sepher a Book XXIV Deut. 1. Of the Covenant That they might remember upon what terms he would bestow upon them the fore-named Blessings he engages them in a Solemn Covenant to observe the Commandments and Judgments contained in this Book Ver. 8. And Moses took the blood That half of it which was in the Basons v. 6. And sprinkled it on the people As he had sprinkled one half on the Altar in token God was a Party in the Covenant so he sprinkled the other half on the XII Pillars which represented the Children of Israel in token that they were the other Party engaged in the same Covenant Thus our fore-named Primate and several others understand it and it carries some show of probability in it Yet I cannot think it unlikely that it was sprinkled upon the LXX Elders by whom the People consented if not upon all the People who stood next to the Altar and are here expresly mentioned The Apostle to the Hebrews IX 19. saith he sprinkled the Book as well as the People which is not here mentioned but supposed For when he went to sprinkle the Blood we must conceive he laid down the Book that he might be at more liberty for this other action And perhaps he laid it on one of the Pillars where it was sprinkled as they were together with the People whom they represented And said Behold the Blood of the Covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words Look upon your selves as obliged by this Blood to observe all the Commands which I have delivered to you in the words you have heard For there were two ways of making Covenants anciently both which were here used The first was after a Sacrifice had been offered to sprinkle the Blood of it upon both Parties who were to be Confederates which was done here v. 6 8. And secondly the Confederates thereupon proceeded to eat together some part of the Sacrifice which follows v. 11. where we find the Elders of Israel who represented the People did eat and drink in the Presence of God Ver. 9. Then went up Moses and Aaron Nadab and Abihu and LXX of the Elders of Israel These things being done they went up into the Mount as they were ordered v. 1. i. e. they went up to that part of the Mount where Aaron and his Sons and the Elders were appointed to come but no further Ver. 10. And they saw the God of Israel When Moses is commanded to come near unto the LORD v. 2. Maimonides acknowledges it may be understood of his local approach to the place where the Light or Glory of God then appeared More Nevoch P. I. c. 18. And therefore it is something strange that he expounds the Elders seeing God of their apprehension of him by their Understanding and not rather of their beholding some glimpse of that visible Majesty which was on the Top of the Mount For that I doubt not is the meaning as appears by what follows And so the Chaldee expounds it They saw the Glory of the God of Israel surrounded we may well suppose with an heavenly Host of Angels attending upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty as it was also called And there was under his feet This hath made some conceive that this visible Glory appeared in the form of a Man with his Back towards them standing upon a shining Pavement But this is contrary to IV Deut. 15. For though that be spoken of another time and place viz. the Giving of the Law which all the People heard but saw no Similitude yet if the Elders had afterward seen a Similitude it would have spoiled Moses his Argument they being the Representatives of the People This glorious Light therefore far surpassing all other had no form nor could be described by any Art and consequently by its feet is meant only the lower part of it which rested as it were upon a most glorious Pavement And thus the Divine Majesty is said to have had a Foot-stool which was the cover of the Ark though it had no Human shape As it were a paved work of Saphire stone The glorious Majesty of God was represented as having under it a Pavement sutable to it self very bright and shineing For there is a sort of Saphire called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spotted with little points or pricks of Gold which shine like Stars interspersed in the Body of it See Salmasius in Solinum p. 131 203. Such was this Pavement as we may gather from the following words And as it were the body of Heaven in its clearness As clear as the purest and serenest Sky when it is all spangled with Stars All which signifies as I take it that the Glory of the LORD appeared far above the Glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness upon a Pavement sparkling like the Stars in the Heaven when it is most clear The LXX instead of the words saw the God of Israel have saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of the God of Israel As if they saw a Throne upon which there was a visible Majesty beyond all description And if this be admitted then this Throne may well be said to have feet standing upon such a glorious Pavement And so they translate it in the next Verse where this is repeated Ver. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel i. e. The Elders before-mentioned v. 1 9. called here Atzilim to signifie that they were the prime and choicest Persons among the Israelites For Atzal signisies to separate and consequently atzilim imports Men distinguished from others either by their Birth Office or some excellent qualities He laid not his hand Did not hurt them Whereas it was the common Opinion That they who saw God though it was by one of his Angels should presently die The splendour of that glorious Light was so dazling that it was a singular favour it did not put out their Eyes as the Light wherein St. Paul saw our Saviour did his We are told v. 17. The sight of the Glory of the LORD was like devouring fire Which might put them in fear perhaps they had been scorched by it when it flasht out upon them but they found not the least hurt by it Thus Jonathan saith in his Paraphrase upon the XXXII Chapter that when Moses delayed to come down from the Mount the People fancied him to be burnt up by the fire which shone from the Presence of God which there appeared This sight of God which he vouchsafed to
Sacrifices were slain and offered Of Shittim-wood What sort of Wood this was see XXV 5. Five Cubits long and five Cubits broad c. It was two yards and an half square according to the common notion of a Cubit at the top and bottom of it And the height thereof shall be three Cubits Being a yard and half in height from the ground the Priest as Fortunatus Scacchus observes who ministred at it was half a yard above it the common stature of a Man being four Cubits i. e. two yards Sacr. Elaeo Myroth 2. c. 65. It is not said how thick the Wood was of which this frame as I may call it was made but it 's certain that it was hollow within that the Grate mentioned v. 4. might hang in the midst of it Ver. 2. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof The Hebrew word kerem which properly signifies an horn signifies also an eminent or High Place as in V Isa 1. God saith he had planted a Vineyard in a fruitful Hill where the words in the Hebrew are in a horn of the Son of Oil. From whence it signifies a Pinacle or Spire rising up from any Building as these Horns did from the Altar for the Ornament of it Some will have it that they were useful also to tye the Sacrifices to it which they gather from CXVIII Psalm 27. and that they were of the fashion of Oxen or Rams-horns Fortunatus Scacchus contends earnestly for this in his Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism c. 65. such Horns being much in use in the ancient Religion as appears he observes from the Altars of the Gentiles And yet he confesses in the LXIX Chapter of the same Book that such kind of straight Pinacles as I mentioned before after the manner of Obelisks as his words are were more convenient for the putting of the Blood of the Sacrifices round about them as is required XVI Lev. 18. His horns shall be of the same These Spires seem to have been wrought out of the same piece of Wood with the Corners of the Altar And thou shalt overlay it with brass Some think it was overlaid with Brass not only without but within that the fire which burnt in the Grate might not take hold of the Wood. To prevent which others fancy it was lined within with unhewn Stone but there is no mention of any such thing and it was unnecessary if the Brass be supposed to have been of such a thickness as to secure the wooden frame of the Altar Ver. 3. And thou shalt make his pans The Hebrew word Siroth signifies Pots as well as Pans but there is determined to the latter sense by the use of them which here follows To receive his ashes Or rather to carry out the ashes which fell from the Altar upon the Earth and being taken up were put into these Pans to be carried into a a clean place IV Lev. 12. Fortunatus Scacchus hath adventured to delineate the form of them in the Book before-mentioned cap. 73. And his shovels The Hebrew word Hajahim properly signifies Beesoms or Brooms but here is rightly translated Shovels by which being made of Brass the Ashes under the Altar were scraped together on an heap and then thrown into the Pans And his basons The principal use of these Vessels was to receive the Blood of the Sacrifices which was to be sprinkled as the Law directed For the Hebrew word Mizrakoth carries this signification in it Besides which Fort. Scacchus thinks they served for the mixture of the Oyl with sine Flour and Frankincense which were to be burnt on the Altar For when any Man offered a Meat-offering the Priest was to take an handful of the Flour and of the Oyl with all the Frankincense as Gods part to be consumed on the Altar and therefore we must suppose some Vessel wherein these were brought to the Priest as the Law requires II Lev. 1 2. And his flesh-hooks Or Forks as the word Mizlegoth may be translated which Fort. Scacchus thinks were in the form of a Trident. With which they stirred up the Fire and also ordered the pieces of the Sacrifice if any chanced to lye out of it and put them into it that every bit might be surely consumed And his fire-pans These are commonly taken for Dishes or Censers in which the Priest carried burning Coals from this Altar into the Sanctuary to offer Incense upon the Golden Altar But the above-named Fort. Scacchus thinks they did not Minister in the Holy Place with brazen Censers and therefore takes these Fire-pans for a larger sort of Vessel wherein the Sacred Fire which came down from Heaven was kept burning whilst they cleansed the Altar and the Grate from the Coals and Ashes and when this Altar was to be carried from one place to another as it was often in the Wilderness Myrothec 2. Sacr. Elaeochrism c. 73. Ver. 4. And thou shalt make for a grate This was the principal part of the Altar the Wood being laid here and the Sacrifices burnt in it Whence the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the Name the Heathen gave to the Fire-place upon their Altars as we learn from Jul. Pollux The figure of it was round as Fort. Scacchus gathers from the very Name in Hebrew for Michbar signifies a Scive but grew less and less till at the bottom it ended like a Top in a point So he describes it in the fore-named Book cap. 71. Of Net-work It was made full of holes like a Scive or Net and thence called simply the Net in the latter end of this Verse and in the next that the Ashes might fall through them to the bottom of the Altar where there was a Door on the East-side to open and take out the Ashes Of brass The Motal of which all the fore-named things were made and the Altar it self was overlaid And upon the Net i. e. the Grate full of holes as was said before Thou shalt make four brazen rings The use of which was double first that by them it might be hung upon the Altar and then when it was to be cleansed or removed in their Travels it might by them be taken off In the four corners thereof This seems to overthrow what I now said of its Circular Figure But it is to be observed that Moses doth not use the same word here which he doth when he speaks of the four Corners of the Altar which he calls Pinoth v. 2. but calls these only Ketzoth which may be better translated the extremities of it as the said Fort. Scacchus hath noted Ver. 5. And thou shalt put it under the compass of the Altar beneath Some have fancied that this Grate was placed only at the top of the Altar but that doth not agree with these directions which only place it beneath in the hollow part of the Altar called in the Hebrew Carcob which signifies as R. Solomon saith any thing that is round and
Cubits which was the breadth of this East-end of the Court as well as of the West v. 12 13. Of blue and purple and scarlet c. Concerning all this see XXV 5. and here only observe that the Hangings of the Gate were far richer than of the rest of the Court which were meerly of fine twined Linen v. 9. but these of several other beautiful Colours and adorned with that work which they called Rokem which we translate Needle-work What that was see XXXVIII 39. And their pillars shall be four and their sockets four Proportionable to those on each side of the Gate which were three for Hangings of fifteen Cubits v. 14 15. as these were four for Hangings of twenty Ver. 17. All the Pillars round about the Court shall be filletted with silver Those at the East and West-end as well as those on the South and North-sides Their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of brass As was before directed v. 10 11. Ver. 18. The length of the Court c. Here all the Dimensions of the Court are put together the length and breadth of which might be inferred from the Hangings v. 9 12 c. but here are expresly determined together with the height which was not at all intimated before and now appointed to be five Cubits l. e. two yards and an half of larger measure than ours So that the Tabernacle might be plainly seen by the People for it was as high again as the Walls if I may so call them that incompassed it Of twined Linen and their sockets of brass This seems to be a brief repetition of what was said before concerning the Hangings and the Pillars which stood on Bases of Brass Ver. 19. All the Vessels of the Tabernacle in all the service thereof This is also a repetition in general of what was said before particularly v. 3. for all the Vessels belonging to the Tabernacle it self were of Gold as we read in the XXVth Chapter And all the pins thereof The Tabernacle had nothing of Brass in the Fabrick of it but the Bases of the Pillars at the Entrance XXVI 37. and therefore these Pins I suppose belong to them whereby the Pillars were fastned in their Sockets And all the pins of the Court shall be of brass These brazen Pins were struck into the ground as Dr. Lightfoot understands it that the Hangings which were tied to them by Cords might be kept from flying up at the bottom Ver. 20. And thou shalt command the Children of Israel that they bring thee pure Oyl-olive beaten Not squeezed out by a Press or by a Mill for such was full of Sediment and Dregs but which run freely from the Olives being bruised with a Pestel For the light In the golden Candlestick XXV 37. To cause the Lamp to burn always Sufficient to keep the Lamp always burning Some imagine that it did not burn day and night but being lighted every Evening went out in the Morning And there are some places which seem to favour this Opinion particularly 1 Sam. III. 3. where mention is made of the Lamp going out viz. in the Morning See also 2 Chron. XIII 11. where we read of setting the Lamps to burn every Evening which seems to signisie that they did not burn in the Day But Josephus who was a Priest and could not but know and had no reason to tell a lie saith they burnt Day and Night And indeed it was but necessary for otherwise the Priests must have ministred in the dark at the Altar of Incense before the Divine Majesty Who kept a Table in the Sanctuary which required light for no Body feasts in darkness And therefore R. Levi of Barcelona Praecept XCVIII saith God commanded a Lamp should always burn in the Sanctuary for the Honour and Majesty of it there being no Light conveyed to it otherways But it is highly probable there were not so many of the Lamps burning in the Day as in the Night when all the seven Lamps were lighted some of which were put out in the Morning and lighted again in the Evening So Josephus saith expresly L. III. Antiq. c. 9. Three burnt all Day before the LORD and the rest were lighted in the Evening Ver. 21. In the Tabernacle of the Congregation without the Vail That is the second Vail which was before the most Holy Place Which is before the Testimony That is the Ark of the Testimony See XXV 21 22. Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD As direction is more fully given XXX 7 8. It shall be a Statute for over c. See XXXVIII 43. CHAP. XXVIII Verse 1. AND take thou Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the Children of Israel Here Aaron and his Sons are designed to the Priests Office and afterward XXXII 19. the whole Tribe of Levi were Consecrated to the LORD by a noble Act of Zeal which they performed And at last I Numb 51. and many other places it was made Capital for any one else to officiate at the Tabernacle but they only That he may minister unto me Attend on me as my Servant in my Court. For Cohen signifies one that serves in ministerio honorabili in an honourable Office as appears from XII Job 19. Therefore David's Sons are called by this Name 2 Sam. VIII 18. and it was given to the Priests quatenus fuerunt primarij Dei Ministri as they were the principal Ministers of God as Junius observes upon XLI Gen. 45. In the Priests Office Wheresoever there hath been any Religion there have been Priests whose Office it peculiarly was to Minister unto God in the Service belonging to him But this is the first time we read of any Constituted in Israel by a Divine appointment at least the Priesthood was not confined to the particular Family of Aaron who was made High Priest and his Sons Priests of a lower Order Some Heathens imitated this by continuing the Priesthood in a certain Family For Plato says there were in some places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of Men and Women which in the founding of a City he would not have a Law-giver alter but where there was no such Constitution he would have annual Priests and none but grave Men of 60 years of Age put into the Office L. VI. de Leg. p. 759. Even Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons sons These were all the Males in this Family at present whose Descendants in future Ages were all Priests Ver. 2. And thou shalt make holy Garments for Aarou thy brother If very good Authors did not affirm it we should scarce think it credible that the Priests among some of the ancient Heathens offered Sacrifices to their Gods naked Particularly the old Arabians as Hottinger observes in his Histor. Orientalis L. I. c. 7. But such filthiness was abhorred by most People whose Priests were not only Clothed but performed their Service at the Altar in a peculiar Habit.
So that there is scarce any Author who treats of the Sacrifices and the Priests of the Heathens that doth not speak of their Garments also As Moses here in the first Institution of the Priesthood among the Jews to offer peculiar Sacrifices at God's House takes a special care by the Divine direction about their Vestments Which the Hebrew Doctors think so inseparable from the Priesthood that they fancy Adam Abel and Cain did not Sacrifice without them See III Gen. 22. They are called holy because they might be worn by none but them and by them only when they ministred unto God For Aaron thy brother The High Priest had some Garments peculiar to himself which none of the other Priests might wear They were four the Breast-plate the Robe the Ephod and the Plate of Gold There were four more he also wore but they were common to him with the other Priests viz. the Coat the Drawers the Girdle and the Bonnet Their Bonnets indeed and his Miter were of a different form yet they are not considered by the Jews as distinct Vestments being both Coverings of the Head And they make account the High Priest never wore at one time above eight sorts of Garments nor the lower above four This is the universal sense of the Hebrew Writers and I cannot give any account why Grotius mentions only seven Garments of the High Priest reckoning the golden Plate for one which he will have to answer unto the seven Lamps in the Candlestick For it is evident by this very Chapter he wore eight viz. the Ephod v. 8. the Brest-plate v. 15. the Robe v. 31. the Plate of Gold v. 36. the embroidered Coat the Girdle and the Mitre v. 39. which are all ordered for Aaron the High Priest and afterward v. 42 43. Breeches are ordered for him as well as his Sons which make up the number of eight For glory and for beauty To make their Office more respected and strike Men with an awful sense of the Divine-Majesty whose Ministers they saw appear in such grandeur For this and the foregoing Precepts as Maimonides observes were given to render the Sanctuary of God more august and magnificent for which end he magnified the Dignity of those who Ministred there and not only separated them from other Men but ordered them to be clothed in beautiful and precious Garments that they might appear there like Men of Honour More Nevoch L. III. c. 45. unto which R. Levi of Barcelona well adds Praecept XCIX that by these glorious Garments the Priests were put in mind of their Dignity and admonished to perform the Divine Service with a Spirit suitable to the greatness of him unto whom they were Consecrated It may be sit for me also to add That there being two sorts of Garments which the High Priest wore those they called white and these they called golden both of them were very rich and made him look gloriously whether the Materials or the Colours or the Art wherewith they were made be regarded as will appear in the particular account which is given of them in this Chapter See v. 40. Ver. 3. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted So the Hebrews call those who had extraordinary skill in any Art according to the ancient Opinion which made the Heart the Seat of the Mind Whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom Indued with singular skill For the word ruaeh in Scripture sometimes signifies a Gift of God whereby they who had it performed what they undertook excellently And Mechanical Arts are called Wisdom as well as higher Sciences So St. Paul calls himself a wise Master-builder Which was the ancient Language of the World before the time of Pythagoras as Cuperus observes in his Apotheosis Homeri p. 119. out of Georgius Diaconus his Preface to Aristotle's Logick and out of Nichomachus Gerasinus whose words are very remarkable When all before Pythagoras were called by the common Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even Builders of Houses and Curriers of Leather and Pilots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in general every one that was skilful in any Art or publick Work that Philosopher denied this Name to them Notwithstanding which some Authors in after times still observed the ancient use insomuch that Aelian calls Fishermen who understood their Art well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. I. de Animal c. 2. and Lucian calls Perilaus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise Brasier and Aristotle himself observes that Phidias was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise Stone-cutter L. V. Moral ad Eudemum Nor were the Latines Strangers to this Language as Cuperus shows in the same place which is here used by Moses whose intire sense in these words is this That the Men here spoken of hoing very skilful of themselves in their several Arts their skill was so increased by God's special Gift that they became marvellous Artists That they may make Aarons Garments They were first employed in making Garments for Aaron which were the most costly and required most care in the work about them The principal of these excellent Artists were Bezaleel and Aholiab XXXI 1 2 c. To consecrate him To be put on at his Consecration XXIX 5 6 c. That he may minister to me in the Priests office For without these Garments he might not minister Whence that common saying in the Talmud concerning the Priests While they are clothed in their Garments they are Priests when they want them they are not Priests Which Maimonides expresses thus When they are clothed in their Garments their Priesthood is upon them when they are not clothed with them their Priesthood is not upon them That is they might no more perform Divine Service than meer Lay-men Whence it was that under the second Temple when they wanted the holy Oyl to anoint him the High Priest was made meerly by clothing him with the fore-named eight Garments And as they might not minister without these so they might not add any other to them If they did their ministry was unlawful For which reason they might not wear Gloves on their Hands or Shoes on their feet for from their Knees to which their Breeches reached to their feet they were naked only their Coats in some sort covered their Legs But they stood barefoot in the Sanctuary while they ministred We do not find indeed that God any where forbid them to minister in Shoes but they being not commanded when God orders other Vestments particularly Bonnets for their Heads and saith here expresly these are the Garments thou shalt make that Aaron may minister to me in the Priests Office the Jews thence concluded that God intended they should use no other and not so much as any thing on their Feet in the Sanctuary And this out of Reverence to that holy Place as Moses was commanded to put off his Shoes because of the Presence of God in that Ground where he stood Which to me is an Argument that Moses did
not intend to come as near to the Egyptian Rites as he might with safety but rather to oppose them For their Priests had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on their Feet as Herodotus tells us L. II. c. 7. And so the Priests of several other Nations ministred in Shoes of several kinds though others it is certain ministred barefoot particularly the Priests of Diana at Castobala as Strabo tells us L. XII And nothing is more known than that saying of Pythagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacricrifice and worship unshod The People as well as the Priests putting off their Shoes when they came to the Temple as the Jews did Ver. 4. And these are the Garments which thou shalt make c. These which follow were the principal Garments wherewith the High Priest was clothed besides which there was a Plate of Gold and also Breeches common to him and all the rest of the Priests And they shall make The skilful Men before-mentioned were to make them by his order and direction Holy Garments Which none should wear but they See v. 2. For Aaron thy brother and his sons Some of these were peculiar to Aaron others of them common to him and to his Sons as will appear in the particular account which is given of them afterward That they may minister unto me in the Priests office See v. 3. These Garments were only to be used in the time of their Ministration at other times they never wore them but were then habited like other Men as Mr. Selden proves L. II. de Succession c. 7. and at large confirms L. III. de Synedr c. 11. n. 3. c. Ver. 5. And they i. e. The skilful Workmen before-mentioned Shall take gold c. This Verse directs to the Materials of which the Priest's Garments were to be made For though these five words denote so many colours yet the first word and the last viz. Gold and sine Linen show the Matter also is included from which Colour cannot be separated And as for the Matter of their Garments they were made either of Woollen or Linen nothing of Hair or Silk being used in their Contexture For as to Gold and Jewels they were rather for Ornament than for the making the Substance of the Garments So all the Hebrew Doctors whose Maxim is this The Priests are not clothed in their Ministry at the Temple but in Wollen and Linnen The Matter of them indeed is not here expressed in this Chapter save only of their Breeches which are ordered to be made of Linen v. 42. But in XXXIX 27 c. all the Garments of Aaron's Sons are expresly said to be made of fine Linen except the Girdle which was partly of Linen partly of Woollen The Garments of the High Priest which the Jews call white Garments were certainly made of Linen and his Girdle also was of the same without any mixture of Woollen when he wore those Garments on the great Day of Expiation as Braunius shows L. I. de Vestitu Sac. Hebr. c. 7. Gold The Hebrews say there was seven sorts of Gold which was diversified either by its colour or the place from which it came or its goodness But that which was used about these Garments they conclude was the Gold they called tahor which we translate pure Gold v. 22 37. i. e. the sinest and of the brightest colour between a yellow and red And blue and purple and scarlet Of these Colours see XXV 4. And fine Linen The Hebrew word Schesch signifies a pure kind of sine Linen not Silk as some have imagined for there was no such thing known in Moses his days It was of a shining white Colour and therefore all the Inferiour Priests were clothed in white their Garments being made of this And such were all the Garments wherewith the High Priest entred into the most holy Place on the great Day of Expiation And wheresoever the Scripture speaks of sine Linen and mentions no Colour we are to understand white Ver. 6. And they shall make the Ephod We retain the Hebrew word which doth not express the form of this Garment but the next Verse teaches us something of it that it was a short Garment which hung behind upon the Shoulders down to the Buttocks and came down before upon the Breast and the Belly It consisted of three parts that which covered the Breast and the Back which the Hebrews take to be properly called the Ephod than the two Shoulder pieces which came up from the Arm-holes to the Shoulders mentioned in the next Verse and then the Girdle belonging to it v. 8. Of gold of blue and of purple See the foregoing Verse And fine twined Linen Here is another word added to Schesch or sine Linen which is Maschzar Which is never joyned with any thing but Schesch in all the Scripture and only once found without Schesch which is to be understood XXXIX 24. It is thought by Maimonides and other Hebrew Doctors to signifie Linen of six threds Some will have it that where it is mentioned alone it signifies eight thredded Linen With cunning work The Hebrew word Choscheb which we translate cunning signifies the most artificial or ingenious sort of Work which consisted in the great variety of Figures and Colours that were in it like that which is sometimes made of divers Birds feathers as J. Braunius shows L. I. de Vest. Sacr. Hebr. c. 17. Ver. 7. It shall have the two shoulder-pieces thereof They are so called because they covered the Shoulders from whence the LXX call the whole Ephod by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Jews think they were woven by themselves and then sewed to the back and breast-pieces with a Needle So the next words seem to them to signifie Joyned at the two edges thereof Which Abarbinel interprets in this manner The Ephod shall have two Shoulder-pieces which being made by themselves separate from it were afterwards sewed to the two Extremities of the Ephod But the Hebrew words if they be examined import no such thing but run thus It shall have two shoulder-pieces joyned at the two ends of it Now they might be joyned in the very weaving of it and not by a Needle afterward and so they were in all probability as Braunius hath endeavoured to demonstrate And so it shall be joyned together In the Hebrew the words are no more but these and it shall be joyned together which may be understood of the coherence of the fore-part and hinder-part by the two golden Buttons set with Onyx stones which joyned them together on the Shoulders Ver. 8. And the curious girdle of the Ephod The word Chosheb which we translate curious Girdles signifies it was of such artificial Work as the Ephod it self was And it seems to have been two strings as we may call them which went out of each side of it and tied it to their Bodies under their Arm-holes about the heart So the High Priest had two Girdles that Belt
a Surplice and from the Tunick or Coat the hole of which at the top was round whereas this was oblong as they speak It shall have a binding This was both for handsomness and for strength that it might not be further slit Josephus mentions the former as a reason for this binding or border that there might appear no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his word is no deformity about the Priest and the Text it self in the end of the Verse mentions the latter that it be not rent This binding Abarbinel thinks on the former account was on the inside for decorum sake that nothing might be seen but the Robe Of woven work It was not to be sewed to it but woven with it of one entire piece which could not be done without a great deal of Art So Abarbinel the opening or hole was not to be cut with Scissars and then sewed with a Needle but it was woven with the very Garment As it were the hole of an Habergeon The ancient Habergions or Corslets being made of Leather and Linen needed a Limbus about the Neck to keep the parts firm and tight But whether the binding had hooks and eyes as we call them like those which are in Corslets to fasten the parts together is uncertain Abarbinel affirms it but without any Authority That it be not rent That is the Robe be not rent in putting it on or by the Ephod and Breast-plate that were upon it for that had rendred it contemptible a Rent among us saith R. Levi Barzelonita being dishonourable Praecept CIII Ver. 33. And beneath upon the hem of it Or upon its skirts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Josephus towards the bottom where it touched the feet Thou shalt make Pomegranates So the Hebrew word Rimmonim undoubtedly signifies as Maimonides and other learned Jews affirm Jarchi saith they were to be of the bigness of an Hens egg Of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof Though the Robe it self was of one simple colour yet the skirts of it were very much adorned by variety of Colours in the Pomegranates which were made of Yarn dyed blue purple and scarlet of these see XXV 4. and the LXX add of sine Linen For so we read they were made XXXIX 24. And bells of gold between them round about The Targum upon VI Esth 10. makes the Kings of Persia to have worn such kind of Garments For he represents Ahasuerus as saying to Haman Go to my Wardrobe and take one of my best purple Cloaks and of the best silk Vests with Gems at the four corners of it and golden Bells and Pomegranates hanging round about And no doubt they were intended partly as an Ornament to the High Priest their Matter being of Gold but what their Form was we are not told There were round Bells in use amongst them like those which we commonly see upon the Collars of our Horses Necks but Maimonides saith these were of a Pyramidal Figure open at the bottom with Clappers in them like our little hand Bells Ver. 34. A golden bell and a pomegranate a golden bell and a pomegranate upon the bottom c. So there was a Bell as the Jews explain it between every two Pomegranates and a Pomegranate between every two Bells But how many of each there was is uncertain though the Jews commonly say there were LXXII Which if it was true and the Pomegranates were of such a bigness as was said before this Robe would have been so wide at the bottom as to have been cumbersom especially with so many Pomegranates and Bells hanging upon it Ver. 35. And it shall be unto Aaron to minister He was never to appear before God without this Garment nor to wear it but when he Ministred The same is said of all the Priestly Garments both of his and of his Sons v. 3 4. And his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD That the People upon this notice might fall to their Prayers while he was offering Incense which represented their going up to Heaven And when he cometh out That they might then dispose themselves to be dismissed with his Blessing That he die not For neglecting to appear before God in this solemn manner as he required For it is the common Maxim among the Jews That when the Priests were clothed with their Garments they were held to be Priests when they were not so clothed they were not Priests That is if they presumed to minister without this Attire it was an illegal act and unacceptable to God See v. ult Ver. 36. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold The Hebrew word Zitz is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the LXX which signifies a leaf expanded And such was this Plate as we render it a thin piece of Gold two fingers broad as Jarchi tells us and so long as to reach from one Ear to the other being bound to the forehead with a string which was tied behind the head and thence is called a Crown XXXIX 30. as all things are which compass the forehead And Crowns being anciently made of Flowers or Leaves which we call Garlands Josephus saith this Crown was adorned with the Figures of that Flower which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which there were three rows L. III. Antiq. c. 8. And indeed the Hebrew word Zitz signifies a a Flower which hath made some think this Plate had its Name from the Flowers which were wrought in it to make it look more beautiful See XXIX 6. And grave upon it like the engravings of a signet Not by cutting the Letter deep in the Plate but by making them protuberant like those which are made by a Seal upon Wax See v. 22. HOLINESS TO THE LORD The ancient Crowns perhaps had some image or other in them for in later times Domitian had a golden Crown with the Effigies of Jupiter and Minerva as Suetonius tells us instead of which God commands his own great Name to be engraven on Aaron's Crown in these words which signifie that he was Separated to the Service of the most High It is but a frivolous question which the Jews make Whether these words were engraven in one Line or in two one above another For there is no reason to make us think they were not in one Line as they are here written Ver. 37. And thou shalt put it on a blue Lace It hung on a Riband of blue by which it was fastned upon the Mitre as it follows in the next words The Talmudists fancy there were three Ribands one at each ear and one in the middle which is this here mentioned But this one was sufficient for the purpose as will appear when the next words are rightly understood That it may be upon the Mitre There was an order before for making a Mitre among other Vestments but we have not been told hitherto of what it was made which is mentioned
was put upon the Priest's head The High Priest in like manner having put on his Breeches Coat and Girdle which were common to all Priests was clothed with his Robe and next with the Ephod and Breast-plate which were inseparable and last of all with his Mitre and the golden Crown To which order Nature it self directed them the inward Garments being always put on before the outward Now as to these Miknese which we truly render Breeches the Matter of them was Linen as we are here informed and not ordinary Linen but that which the Hebrews call Schesch which was fine Linen and more than that they were of twined or six-threded Linen as we read XXXIX 28. They were made with great Art being woven of one piece and not sewed together as Maimonides tells us The Form of them was like our Breeches or Drawers which may be the reason why Moses here uses a word of the dual Number because they had two parts which covered each Thigh distinctly To cover their nakedness This was opposed as Maimonides thinks to the idolatrous Worship of Peor which if we may believe him was so beastly that it was performed by discovery of their Nakedness More Nevoch Part. III. c. 45. From the Loins even to the Thighs they shall reach They were bound about the Loins with Strings which ran through the top of them that they might be drawn straiter or looser as they pleased and came down the Thighs as far as to their Knees There were some Breeches anciently which covered the Leggs also and came down to the Feet such as Sailers use in cold Countries but these did not come down so low the intention of them being only to cover those Parts as it goes before which ought not to be exposed For though they had a Coat over their whole Body yet that being loose and wide below by some accident or other those Parts might have been seen which ought to be secret if that had not been prevented by these Drawers which so covered the lower Parts that nothing could possibly be seen For in this they differed from our Drawers that they had no opening either behind or before Some think before this time there were no such thing as Breeches in use among the Hebrews nor after this among any other Men but the Priests in their Ministration But in latter Ages they came in use as appears from III Dan. 21. Ver. 43. And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they come in unto the Tabernacle or when they come near unto the Altar to minister in the holy place They could not be permitted so much as to appear in the Tabernacle much less to minister especially in the Holy Place without their holy Vestments Which they wore there only but in no other place for at home or abroad or in the Sanhedrim and all other places out of the Temple they wore common Garments such as other Men did Insomuch that St. Paul could not distinguish the High Priest when he sate in the Court by his Habit from other Judges XXIII Acts 5. And accordingly we read XLII Ezek. 14. XLIV 17 18 19. an express Precept for putting off the Priests Garments and laying them up in the Chambers appointed for that purpose when they went out of the Court where they ministred The High Priest as Maimonides informs us had a Chamber or Vestry peculiar to himself where his Garments were laid up when he put them off as the Robes of Kings are in their Wardrobe Of this one cannot reasonably doubt that they being not only precious but sacred things were kept safe in the Temple which was an holy place And so were the Garments of the Inferiour Priests as we may learn from Ezra and Nehemiah who among other things put into the Treasury mention a certain number of Priests Garments II Ezra 69. VII Nehem. 70. In their Vestries also there were peculiar Chests where every sort of Vestment were kept by themselves All the Breeches for instance which had this Inscription Miknese i. e. Breeches In like manner all the Coats and the Bonnets had two distinct Chests with this Inscription Ketonoth and Migbaoth and so had the rest as we are told in the Misna Tamid c. 5. But while they were in the Temple they might keep on their holy Garments only not sleep in them there even at those hours when they did not minister Which this Text seems to suppose when it saith they shall be upon them when they come into the Tabernacle as well as when they come near unto the Altar to minister Thus the Talmudists In the Temple they might keep on their Garments whether in the time of their Ministration or out of it But this they understand only of their Breeches their Coat and Bonnet for their Girdle they were bound to lay aside as soon as they had done Ministring That they bear not iniquity and die That God do not punish them with Death for being so prophane as to appear before him without their holy Garments which he appointed to preserve his Service from contempt It shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him That is as long as there shall be any Priests of the Order of Aaron they shall appear before God in these Garments But that Priesthood being abolished by the true eternal Priesthood of Christ there is no longer any use of them no more than of the Sacrifices those Priests offered which are compleated in the Sacrifice of Christ As for the Jewish sense of these words it is manifest that it hath been long confuted there having been no Priesthood nor holy Garments nor Sacrifices no nor Temple among them for above Sixteen hundred years Nay before the coming of our Saviour some of the Priestly Ornaments and those the chief of all were gone viz. the Vrim and the Thummim in the Breast-plate which they generally confess were not in the second Temple and it may be a question whether they continued to the end of the first But the truth is there was the Breast-plate and the Ephod and consequently the Vrim and Thummim as to its Matter and Form though it had lost its use there being no Answers from God given by it and accordingly all the rest of the Priestly Garments remained as long as there was any Priesthood which is the full sense of these words a statute for ever to him and his seed after him CHAP. XXIX Verse 1. AND this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them Having ordered Aaron and his Sons to be set apart to attend upon him in his House as his Ministers he now directs how they should be hallowed or made holy that is separated to his Service in the Priests Office To minister unto me in the Priests Office This was the design of their Separation from other Men as was often said before XXVIII 1 3 4 41 43. Take one young bullock and two rams without
and such like Uses Lib. II. de Jure N. G. c. 8. And he shows L. IV. c. 5. out of the Misna in the Title Siklim and other Authorities That on the first day of the Month Adar men were appointed to sit in every City of Judea to receive this Payment Which is the Tribute mentioned by Titus in his Oration to the Jews wherein he puts them in mind how kind he had been to them in permitting them to take Tribute and to gather Gifts for God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Josephus L. VI. Halos c. 34. Ver. 14. Every one that passeth among them that are numbred from twenty years old and above shall give an offering unto the LORD Every Man was bound to offer whether Priest or Levite Israelite or Stranger except Women Servants and such as were under Age. Yet if any one of these did make a voluntary offering it was accepted only from a Gentile who was an Idolater they would not accept it as Maimonides tells us See Selden L. III. de Jure N. G. c. 4. p. 291. Ver. 15. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel They were all equally concerned in this Tax being for the support of the daily weekly monthly and annual Sacrifices and for the providing Salt and Wood and the Shew-bread c. whereby all Israel came to have an interest in whatsoever was done at the House of God all the year long The Priestly Garments also were provided out of this Money and other things belonging to the Divine Service and to the Reparations of the House of God See Mr. Selden L. III. de Synedr c. 10. n. 2 3 4. Where he shows That if any thing remained in the end of the year after all these Charges defrayed it was spent in extraordinary Burnt-offerings which were called the second Sacrifices of the Altar When they give an offering unto the LORD to make an atonement for your souls Whence this Money is called in the next Verse Keseph Hakippurim the Money of Expiations Which made every Man though never so poor endeavour to raise it though he sold his Clothes to get it And he that failed to pay this Tribute was separated from the Congregation and not comprehended in the Expiation as R. Levi of Barcelona speaks Praecept CV that is was not partaker of the benefit of the Expiatory Sacrifices Ver. 16. And thou shalt take the atonement-money of the Children of Israel and shalt appoint it for the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation See the Verse foregoing and X Nehem. 32 33. where we read of Ordinances made to charge themselves with the third part of a shekel for the fore-mentioned uses because the Expences were then so great that half a Shekel was not sufficient to maintain them That it may be a memorial for the Children of Israel before the LORD to make an atonement for their souls A Testimony of their Gratitude to God who graciously accepted this Acknowledgment of him and spared their Lives which by their Sins they had forfeited this being a Propitiation for them because it purchased Propitiatory Sacrifices to be offered on their behalf Ver. 17. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying See v. 11. Ver. 18. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass There is nothing said either here or XXXVIII 8. concerning the form or the bigness of it But we may probably think that though Solomon made a Sea of Brass much bigger than this Vessel which was to be carried about with them in their Travels in the Wilderness yet he made it of the same form and that was Circular as we read 2 Chron. IV. 2 3 c. And after their return from the Captivity of Babylon the Laver was restored as L'Empereur observes out of Maimonides in his Annotations on Codex Midoth c. 3. sect 6. but there is nothing to be found in the Talmudists concerning its Dimensions And his foot also of brass The Basis of it was so contrived as to receive the Water which run out of the Laver at certain Spouts To wash withal At those Spouts the Priests washed their hands and their feet before they entred upon their Ministration For if they had put their hands and feet into the Laver the Water in it would have been defiled by the first Man that washed therein And the Sea of Brass made by Solomon was so high that they could not put their feet into it And thou shalt put it between the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the Altar It stood according to the Talmudists between the Porch of the Temple and the Altar and consequently in the Tabernacle at the entrance of it but a little on the South-side and not just before the Altar That is it was placed like our Fonts which stand at the lower end of our Churches towards the Door So that the Priests coming into the Court immediately went to the Laver and there washed and then ascended to the Altar And thou shalt put water therein The Heathens were so Superstitious as to think there was a greater virtue in some Waters than in others for their lustration particularly the Greeks as Fort. Scacchus observes would admit of no other Water in some of their greatest Solemnities but that from the Fountain Calliroho But the Divine Institution was more simple requiring meerly Spring-water for all manner of Purifications only this Water here mentioned was put into a Vessel sanctified by a solemn Unction XL. 11. Ver. 19. For Aaron and his Sons shall wash their hands and their feet therein Which that it might be done more conveniently the Talmudists tell us there were twelve Spouts or Cocks in the form of a Womans Breast whence they call them Paps or Dugs to let the Water out of the Laver so that the twelve Priests who attended upon the daily Sacrifice might wash there all together See L'Empereur in the place above-named where he treats at large of this and of the Conveyance of Water into the Laver which in the Tabernacle at least while they were in the Wilderness was brought thither every day in other Vessels and put into it according to the Direction in the Conclusion of the foregoing Verse Every one knows that the Gentiles took great care of washing their hands before they sacrificed as appears by many places in Homer to name no other Authors who in the first Book of his Iliads speaking of the great Sacrifice that was preparing to be offered for the appeasing of Apollo saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon which words Eustathius observes it was the ancient custom before they sacrificed to wash their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for none but those who were clean and pure might meddle with sacred things And again in the third Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They poured Water upon the hands of the Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Eustathius as being about to Sacrifice But I do not find in any Author that
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the preparation of Ointments Odours being better preserved in Oyl than in any other Liquor as Pliny observes L. XIII c. 2. And this Oyl no doubt was the purest they could get such as they brought for the light of the Tabernacle XXVII 20. which would best imbibe the Tincture After the art of the Apothecary Or Ointment-maker of whose Art Theophrastus and Dioscorides give an account But the manner of making this Ointment as Maimonides describes it was thus The Spices were beaten severally he should have excepted the Myrrhe which was liquid and then they were mixt together and macerated in pure Water till all the virtue of them was extracted Which being done the Hin of Oyl was poured upon them and all was boiled upon the fire till the Water was evaporated and the Oyl alone remained See Guil. Schickard in his Mischpat hamelek c. 1. p. 24. It shall be an holy anointing Oyl Wherewith none were to be anointed but Sacred Persons and Things Ver. 26. And thou shalt anoint the Tabernacle of the Congregation therewith c. This and the following Verses show the use of the holy Oyl which was to consecrate or set apart every thing hereafter mentioned to the Service of God Whereby the Majesty of God's House as the Jews speak was set forth for anointing belonging only to Kings and Princes this Ceremony begat in Peoples minds a greater fear and reverence towards God himself as Maimonides his words are More Nevoch P. III. c. 45. Ver. 27. And the Table and all his Vessels c. Here being such a particular mention of every thing that was in the Sanctuary he only saith when it was erected XL. 9. Thou shalt take the anointing Oyl and anoint the Tabernacle and all that is therein c. Ver. 28. And the Altar of Burnt-offering c. In this Verse he mentions all that was without the Sanctuary in the Court of the LORD's House of the Unction whereof he also gives a particular charge XL. 10 11. And accordingly when he gives an account of the Consecration of Aaron and his Sons he also tells us how he executed these Commands of anointing the Tabernacle and all that was in it but more especially this Altar which he sprinkled seven times with the holy Oyl VIII Lev. 10 11. See there Ver. 29. And thou shalt sanctifie them Separate all the fore-named things from common uses to the Service of God alone by anointing them with this holy Oyl That they may be most holy They were made hereby most holy because as it here follows they made other things to be holy Whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy As the Gift was made holy by the Altar upon which it was laid See XXIX 37. Ver. 30. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons c. See XXIX 7 8. Ver. 31. This shall be an holy anointing Oyl unto me throughout your Generations The Jews understand this as if it were meant of this individual Oyl now made by Moses which lasted till the Captivity or till the time of Josiah But this seems to be as fabulous as that Josiah hid it so that it could never be found after his death For there were so many things to be anointed with it at present and in future times all the High Priests being anointed not with a drop or two but with such a plentiful effusion of it that it ran down to their Beards nay the Skirts of their Garment CXXXIII Psal and their Kings also when there was any doubt of their Title that this Oyl could not last so long much less retain its Scent for so many Generations without a Miracle of which there was no need For though there was near half an hundred weight of the Spices yet there was but five or six quarts of Oyl and therefore the Ointment could not be more the odours of these Spices being only extracted by infusion and the Substance left behind And such a quantity as this one may well suppose was near spent in the anointing of so many Things and Persons as are here mentioned and therefore it was upon occasion to be made again as the Perfume was which follows here v. 34. Yet it must be confessed that there hath been a very ancient Opinion among the Jews That in the second Temple there was no holy Oyl for which one can see no reason but that they did not think it lawful to make this Composition and therefore consecrated their High Priest only by putting on their Robes How they came to fancy it unlawful doth not appear but the omission of this Unction after their return from their Captivity seemed to foretel that there should be another and better kind of Unction which was by the Holy Ghost the variety of whose Gifts might perhaps be fore-shadowed by these several Spices An holy anointing Oyl unto me There was no Rite or Ceremony ordained whereby this Oyl became holy but it was consecrated by this Divine Institution which appropriated it unto God alone in these words unto me Which separated it to God's Uses and Service and made it unlawful for any Body to employ it to other purposes Ver. 32. Vpon mans flesh shall it not be poured Here follow two Prohibitions to breed in the People the greater Reverence to this holy Ointment The first is this that it should not be poured on mans flesh i. e. on common Men who were not Priests or were not appointed by God to be anointed with it It is well known that in the Eastern Countries whom the Greeks and Romans also imitated Men were wont to anoint their Heads and Faces and that with very precious Ointments especially at their Feasts and when they would make a splendid Appearance and therefore they are here forbidden to make use of this Oyl for such Uses Neither shall ye make any other like it after the composition of it This is a second Prohibition not to make any Ointment of these Spices for private and common use It is holy It is set apart for my use alone And shall be holy unto you And therefore you shall not imploy it to any other Ver. 33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger c. That is if any Man broke either of the foregoing Prohibitions by making the like Compostion or putting any of this upon one who was not a Priest he was liable to be cut off from Israel What that is see XVII Gen. 14. The reason of these Prohibitions is manifest as Maimonides excellently Discourses More Nevoch P. III. c. 45. which was That this sweet Odour being smelt no where else Men might be more in love with it in the Sanctuary And that none by being anointed with the like might fancy themselves better than others from whence great Dissentions and Mischiefs might have arose The same may be said concerning the Perfume v. 37 38. Kings indeed are said to have been anointed with this very Oyl at least
together unto Aaron They applyed themselves to him as being left by Moses to be the chief Director and Governour of Affairs together with Hur during his absence XXIV 14. And according to the Computation made concerning the time of his going up into the Mount See XXIV 18. this hapned upon the fifteenth of our July which Month the Hebrews call Tamuz And said unto him Vp One cannot think that they spake thus to him at the very first word but other Discourse passed before this unto which Aaron in all probability making some difficulty to consent and perswading them not to persist in their Demand they would not be denied any longer but said in a seditious manner Vp make no further delay for we will have what we desire Make us Gods Or rather make us a God for so Nehemiah expresses it in the Singular Number IX 18. and so Elohim is often translated XX Gen. 13. XXXV 7 c. For their meaning was Make us a sacred Symbol or Sign as other Nations have that may represent God in a visible manner to us So the Jews expound it in Pirke Elieser c. 45. They said to Aaron the Egyptians extol their Gods they sing and chant before them for they behold them with their eyes Make us such Gods as theirs are that we may see them before us And so R. Jehudah in the Book Cosri P. I. Sect. 97. They desired a sensible Object of Divine Worship to be set before them not with an intention to deny God who brought them out of Egypt but that something in the place of God might stand before them when they declared his wonderful Works Such no doubt was their meaning for they could not be so sensless as to imagine the true God could be made by a Man or that an Image could go before them as it here follows which may have feet but cannot walk as the Psalmist speaks And therefore Eben-Ezra judiciously interprets it Some Corporeal Image in which God may reside Which shall go before us Conduct us through the Wilderness God himself in a Pillar of Cloud and Fire hitherto went before them but that Cloud now covering the Mount where Moses was and not stirring at all from thence they imagined perhaps that Moses being lost it would no longer lead them as it had done For as for this Moses c. This doth not seem to be the Language of those who had any regard to him We wot not what is become of him They thought perhaps that he was consumed in the Mount by the Fire which shone from the Face of God as Jonathan paraphrases it Greg. Nyssens Reflexion upon this Demand of the People is very natural That they were like School-boys who in the absence of their Master were carried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with sensless impetuous Motions into Rudeness and Disorder p. 183. de Vita Mosis For there were many among them who were infected with the Egyptian Idolatry as we learn from XXIV Josh 14. XX Ezek. 7 8. XXIII 3 8. And therefore hankering after that way of Worship by Images which they had learnt there they took this opportunity to desire a visible Representation of God among them as the Egyptians had And so St. Stephen looks upon this as a turning back in their hearts unto Egypt VII Acts 39 c. Ver. 2. And Aaron said unto them break off the golden ear-rings c. This confirms what I said that there was some debate about this matter before they spake those words to him v. 1. Vp make us Gods c. For it is not credible that Aaron would immediately consent to so foul a Fact as this without the least Argument against it Which is so unlikely that the Jews have devised this Tale That Hur rebuked them in his Presence the People fell upon him and killed him which affrighted Aaron into a speedy Compliance The golden ear-rings These it is probable were some of the Jewels which they borrowed of the Egyptians XII 35. and possibly might have worn superstitiously as I observed XXXV Gen. 5. they did very anciently There are those who think Aaron hoped they would not have easily parted with these and so their Design might have been broken From the ears of your Wives of your Sons and your Daughters Men wore these Ornaments in the Eastern Countries as well as Women as we find in the story of the Ishmaelite and Midianite Souldiers VIII Judg. 24. and Pliny L. XI c. 31. In Oriente quidem viris aurum eo loci c. In the East it is esteemed an Ornament for Men to wear Gold in that place speaking of their Ears See Bochart Hierozoic P. I. L. I. c. 34. Ver. 3. And all the People All that were engaged in this Design who were so many as I said v. 1. that the rest it 's likely durst not oppose it Broke off the golden ear-rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron So zealous is Superstition which prevails over Pride and Covetousness Ver. 4. And he received them at their hands They seem to have presented them as an Offering towards the making of a Representation of God wherein every one of them might have an Interest and accordingly Aaron accepted them And fashioned it with a graving tool The Hebrew word cheret which we translate graving Tool is used for a writing Pen VIII Isa 1. and for a crisping Pin which Women used about their Hair III Isa 22. And therefore Interpreters take it here for an Instrument of Engraving And some think that Aaron made such marks with it in this Calf as there were in the Egyptian Apis which was a Cow that had a Spot on her right side like a Crescent as some Writers say though Herodotus say otherwise and the marks are variously reported See Pignorius in his Mensa Isiaca p. 18 c. and a square white spot in the forehead But others think it more likely that the Calf coming rough out of the Mould Aaron only polished it with a proper Tool For though Apis was in great honour among the Egyptians yet it was a living Cow and not the Image of one which they had in such Veneration Therefore Mr. Selden in his Syntagma I. de Diis Syris c. 4. takes it to be more probable that this golden Calf or Ox or Bullock for so the Psalmist differently calls it CVI. 19 20. was made in imitation of that golden Ox that represented Osiris which was very famous among the Egyptians Who had a mighty Veneration for the River Nile called in Hebrew Sichor from whence came Siris and for the Dog-star called Siris likewise at whose rising that River began to swell and for the Sun which was principally meant by this Name to whom both the Bull at Heliopolis and the Ox at Memphis were Consecrated as Macrobius tells us L. I. Saturnal c. 21. But though all this be very ingenious yet the truth of it may be well questioned as I shall show
painted in the Roman Church Which perhaps came from the ancient Custom among the Heathen who thus represented their Gods as Tho. Bartholinus observes de Morbis Biblicis cap. 5. out of Lucian de Dea Syria where he saith she did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry Beams upon her Head Whence it was that the Roman Emperours who were raised so much above the rest of Mankind that they honoured them as a sort of Deities were thus represented as appears by many Testimonies particularly Pliny who in his Panegyrick to Trajan laughs and jeers at the radiatum Domitiani caput While he talked with him While he conversed so famaliarly with the Divine Majesty and both saw his Glory and heard him proclaim his Name v. 5 6 7. At his first being in the Mount there was no such Brightness left upon his Countenance for he did not see the Divine Majesty in so great a Splendour as he did now when the LORD upon his Petition vouchsafed him such a sight of his Glory as he could bear XXXIII 18 23. Which was so exceeding piercing that it altered the very Skin of Moses his Face and made it luminous Of which Moses doth not seem to have been sensible till some time after he came down from the Mount when Aaron as well as others were afraid to come nigh him having his Thoughts wholly possessed with the far more transcendent Glory of the Divine Majesty of which he had a Glimpse From this familiar Conference which Moses had with God it is likely the Heathen took occasion to invent the like Stories of their Zamolxis who pretended to receive his Laws from Vesta and Minos and Lycurgus who said they received theirs from Jupiter and Apollo with several others mentioned by Diodorus Siculus L. I. who then adds Moses had his from the God Jao so they pronounced the Name Jehovah But they had no such Testimony as this of their Communication with the Divine Majesty much less were their Laws confirmed by such Miracles as lasted for the space of XL. years under the Conduct of Moses in the sight of all People Ver. 30. And when Aaron and all the Children of Israel saw Moses behold the skin of his face shone This highly established his Authority and bred in them a Reverence to the Laws he brought that they were all Witnesses of the brightness or glory of his Countenance as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. III. 7. which demonstrated he had been with God as he affirmed and had beheld the Glory of his Majesty and received from him the Tables of Testimony By all the Children of Israel in this Verse seems to be meant all the Rulers of the Congregregation mentioned in the next And they were afraid to come nigh him The Light which shone from his Countenance was so great that it dazled the Eyes of Beholders even of Aaron himself who did not know whether it would be safe to approach him This was an illustrious Testimony that he had been with God who dwells as the Apostle speaks in light inaccessible Ver. 31. And Moses called unto them Invited them to come near him and not to fear any hurt And Aaron and all the Rulers of the Congregation returned unto him Viz. After he had put a Vail upon his Face till which they could not steadfastly look upon it as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. III. 7. the Light of it being so strong that it hurt their Eyes if they fixed them there And Moses talked with them Acquainted them with what he had seen and heard Ver. 32. And afterward all the Children of Israel came â—igh c. There was a general Assembly of all the Tribes summoned that he might deliver to them all that which he had received from God See XXXV 1. And he gave them in Commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai All the Orders he had given about the Building of the Tabernacle and the rest contained in the XXV XXVI Chapters and those that follow to the XXXII For at his first coming from the Mount finding them in an Apostacy from God he said nothing to them about these matters but in abhorrence of their foul Idolatry broke the Tables of Testimony which God had given him to deliver to them Ver. 33. And till Moses had done speaking with them he put a vail on his face This seems to belong as well to v. 31. as to the 32d and accordingly I have interpreted it Though there are those who think he perswaded Aaron and the Rulers to approach without a Vail but put it on when he spake to the People who were less able to bear it But there seems to be the same reason for both Aaron being no less afraid than any of them And the Majesty of his Countenance appeared sufficiently even when it was vailed for the brightness was not quite obscured though very much shaded by it Ver. 34. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him he took the vail off till he came out He went into the Tabernacle where he spake with him face to face as a Man speaks to his Friend XXXIII 9 10 11. And he came out and spake unto the Children of Israel that which he was commanded This seems to relate unto the frequent occasions Moses had to go and consult with God in difficult Cases whose Mind he declared to them when he had received it Ver. 35. And the Children of Israel saw the face of Moses that the skin of Moses face shone c. Some great Men have thought that the brightness continued on Moses's Face till his death so that he spake to them with a Vail on his Face from this time as long as he lived Of which we cannot be certain though thus much is evident from this and the foregoing Verse that the Splendour of his Countenance did remain for some time after he came down from God's Presence in the Mount During which as oft as he went in to speak with God he took off his Vail and when he came out to speak with them he put it on until he went in to speak with God again as this Verse concludes How long it was before it vanished none can resolve Perhaps not till he had set up the Tabernacle and consecrated Aaron and his Sons and delivered all the Laws he had received about the Service of God which are recorded in the Book of Leviticus That is all the time they stayed near Mount Sinai from whence they removed a little more than half a year after this X Numb 11 12. CHAP. XXXV Verse 1. AND Moses gathered all the Congregation of the Children of Israel together Having told them what orders he had received from the LORD and sufficiently convinced them of his Authority XXXIV 32 33. he now proceeds to put them in Execution And in order to it he gathered Col-hadath all the Congregation which sometimes signifies all the Elders and Judges c. the prime Governours of
the People and sometimes the whole Body of the People as Corn. Bon. Bertram observes de Repub. Jud. cap. 6. It seems here to be used in the first Sense for he could not speak these words to the whole Body of the People but to the principal Persons of the several Tribes by whom what he said was communicated to all Israel These are the words which the LORD hath commanded â—hat ye should do them Before they entred upon the work he admonishes them that none of it must be done upon the Sabbath Ver. 2. Six days shall work be done but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy Sabbath c. This Commandment was particularly repeated to Moses at the end of all the directions about the building of the Tabernacle See XXXI 13 14 15. and now repeated to them as it was at his late renewing his Covenant with them XXXIV 21. that they might not imagine any of the work here commanded to be done about the Tabernacle c. would licence them to break the Sabbath The observation of which being the great Preservative of Religion that 's the reason it is so often enjoyned and particular care taken to secure it And it is not to be omitted that to show of what great concern it is he calls it here as he did XXXI 15. where the end and use of it is set down the Sabbath of Sabbaths that is the great Sabbath or Rest Ver. 3. Ye shall kindle no fire in your Habitations upon the Sabbath-day To dress their Meat or for any other work otherwise they might kindle a Fire to warm themselves in cold Weather This is sufficiently comprehended under the general Command Thou shalt not do any work XX. 10. Therefore the meaning is Thou shalt not so much as kindle a fire for any such purpose For that 's the Rule they give in Halicoth Olam cap. 2. that such particular Prohibitions forbid the whole kind i. e. all manner of work whatsoever which is here mentioned to show they might not kindle a fire for this work of the Tabernacle Ver. 4. And spake unto all the Congregation c. See v. 1. This is the Thing which the LORD commanded Having secured the observation of the Sabbath according to the Direction given just before he came down from the Mount the first time XXXI 13 14 15. he now relates to them what Commands he received from God concerning all that follows Ver. 5. Take ye from amongst you an offering unto the LORD And first he makes a motion to them from the LORD that they would make a free Oblation of Materials for the Building of the Tabernacle and all other things which the LORD commanded to be made v. 10 c. Take ye is as much as bring ye and so we translate it XXV 2. See there Where it appears that this was the very first thing God said to him concerning a voluntary Offering which was the Foundation of all the rest and therefore is first propounded to the People by him Whosoever is of a willing heart c. See there XXV 2. Ver. 6 7 8 9. All these have been explained in the XXV Chapter v. 3 4 5 c. Ver. 10. Every wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that the LORD hath commanded Every skilful Person in the Art of making the things following The same is said of the Women v. 25. The Hebrew word Cochmah which we translate Wisdom is used variously as Maimonides observes sometimes for the understanding of Divine things sometimes for Moral Vertue and sometimes for skill in aâ—â— Art of which he alledges this place as an instance and sometimes for Craft and Subtilty See More Nevochim P. III. c. 54. The word leb or heart is used here according to the Vulgar opinion of those days that the Heart is the Seat of the Understanding And thus I observed before upon Chap. XXV that excellent Artists are by the Heathen called Wise-men Since which I have observed that this is the Language of Homer himself whose Verses concerning Margites are quoted by Aristotle in more places than one L. VI. Moral ad Nicomach c. 7. L. V. Moral ad Endemum c. 7. where he saith he was so foolish that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gods neither made him a Ditcher nor a Plough-man nor any other sort of Wise-man Upon which Aristotle notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ascribe Wisdom in Arts to those who excel in them and then he instances in Phidias a Stone-Cutter and Pobycletus a Statuary Ver. 11. The Tabernacle This signifies sometimes the whole Structure of the House of God but here only the fine inward Curtains mentioned XXVI 1 2 c. His Tent. This signifies the Curtains of Goats-hair which were laid over the other XXVI 7 c. His Covering Of Rams-skins and Badger-skins which were thrown over the other two XXVI 14. His Taches and his Boards his Bars his Pillars and his Sockets All these are explained in that Chapter Ver. 12. The Ark and his Staves with the Mercy-seat See XXV 10 13 17. And the Vail of the Covering Whereby the Holy was separated from the most Holy Place Which is here fitly mentioned between the Mercy-seat which was within and the Table c. which were without this Vail Ver. 13. The Table and his Staves and all his Vessels See all these explained XXV 23 24 c. And the Shew-bread This is a short Expression one word as is usual being cut off viz. the Dishes in which the Shew-bread was set For Moses had not order to make the Bread it self but the Dishes as I said on which the Loaves were laid XXV 29. Ver. 14. The Candlestick also for the light and his Furniture and his Lamps See XXVI 31 32 c. With the Oyl for the Light See XXVII 20 21. Ver. 15. And the Incense Altar and the Staves See XXXI 1 2 c. And the anointing Oyl XXXI 23 24 c. And the sweet Incense XXXI 34 c. He mentioned before the Materials for them v. 8. and now the things themselves And the hanging for the door at the entring in of the Tabernacle Of this see XXVI 36. Ver. 16. And the Altar of Burnt-offering with his brazen Grate his Staves These are explained XXVII 1 2 4 5 6 7. And all his Vessels See there v. 3. The Laver and his foot See XXIX 17 18. Ver. 17. The hangings of the Court his Pillars and their Sockets See XXVII 9 10 c. And the hangings for the door of the Court See there v. 16. Ver. 18. The Pins of the Tabernacle c. XXVII 19. Ver. 19. The Clothes of the Service to do Service in the holy place the holy Garments for Aaron the Priest and his Sons c. Of which there is an account in the whole XXVIIIth Chapter And Moses here makes this large enumeration of all the things which God had commanded v. 10. that they might be
to Israel under the figure of a most loving Husband who denies his Wife nothing though never so costly saith he shod her with Thacas which I since sind translated by an Anonymous Authour with purple shoes CHAP. XXXVII IN this Chapter Moses gives an Account of the making of all the Furniture of the Tabernacle with such exactness as he describes the making of the Tabernacle it self in the foregoing Chapter To show that God's directions about the making every thing was punctually observed nothing being omitted or added but all made according to the Pattern in the Mount XXV 9 40. In which Chapter most of the things here mentioned are explained and there needs little to be added here Ver. 1. And Bezaleel made the Ark of Shittim-wood c. Abarbinel fancies that though other things were made by inferiour Artificers whom Bezaleel directed yet the Ark because of its dignity and preheminence above all other things was made by him without the help of any other And so Rambam also from whence the Jews commonly called it as Buxtorf observes the Ark of Bezaleel But this hath no good foundation for he is said to have made also every thing else in the Tabernacle the Table and all its Vessels in short every thing mentioned in this Chapter and in the next also and in the foregoing v. 10 11 c. He therefore is said to have made the Ark c. because he gave directions to the under Workmen and saw them make it Ver. 10. And he made the Table of Shittim-wood c. Next to the Ark the Mercy-seat and the Cherubims which belong to it the Table and the Vessels appertaining to it were the principal things within the Tabernacle See XXV 23 c. where all the things mentioned between this Verse and the Seventeenth are explained Ver. 17. And he made the Candlestick c. The orders which Moses received for the making this the Branches and the Lamps thereof and every thing appertaining to it are set down XXV 31 32 c. which Bezaleel exactly followed Ver. 25. He made the Incense Altar c. This and all that follows in the three next Verses see explained XXX 1 c. Ver. 29. And he made the holy anointing Oyl c. See XXX 31 c. And the pure Incense c. XXX 34 c. CHAP. XXXVIII Verse 1. AND he made the Altar of Burnt-offering c. Having given an Account of the making of all the Furniture of the House he proceeds to show how all things were made without doors with the same exactness according to the Divine Prescriptions All which Bezaleel could not make with his own hands but he was chief Director in these things as well as the rest of the Work Five Cubits was the length thereof c. See XXVII 1 2 c. where this and the six following Verses are explained Ver. 8. And he made the Laver of brass c. See XXX 18. where order is given for the making of this Laver and its situation directed but neither there nor here are we told the figure or dimensions of it but have a particular remark in this place concerning the Materials out of which it was made in the following words Of the Looking glasses So we interpret the Hebrew word Maroth because now such things are commonly made of Glass but anciently of polished Brass which they lookt upon as far better than Silver for that made a weaker reflection as Vitruvius informs us L. VII c. 3. And the best of these Specula were among the ancient Romans made at Brundusium of Brass and Tin mixed together as Pliny tells us L. XXXIII 9. XXXIV 17. This shows the Laver was made of the finest and most pure Brass Of the Women assembling which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation The Hebrew word Hattzobeoth signifies that they came by Troops to make this Present to the LORD And the LXX and Chaldee understanding it of such Women as came together to serve God by Fasting and Prayer for there is the same word used in 1 Sam. II. 22. most Interpreters think they that made this Oblation were very devout Women who were wont to spend much time at the Tabernacle where the Presence of God was For Moses his Tent served instead of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and was so called till this Tabernacle was built XXXIII 7 c. Thus Aben-Ezra also observes upon these words That these Women making a Free-will Offering of the Looking-glasses wherein they were wont to behold the Beauty of their Faces and to dress and adorn their Heads it seems to argue their very Religious Mind despising the Vanity of the World and delighting far more in the Service of God Ver. 9. And he made the Court c. All that follows from this place to v. 21. is explained in the XXVII Chapter from v. 9. to v. 20. except two or three words which I shall here take notice of Ver. 17. The Chapiters of Silver There is no mention of Rashim Chapiters in the XXVII Chapter but only of Vauim or hooks which were of Silver v. 10. 17. But this Verse shows that those hooks were in the Chapiters or Heads of the Pillars out of which those arose as an Ornament to them Ver. 18. And the heighth in the breadth c. This is an Hebrew Phrase signifying the height of the Hanging it self whose breadth when it lay along was called its height when it was hung up And that was five Cubits proportionable to the Hangings of the Court which was five Cubits high XXVII 18. Ver. 21. This is the sum of the Tabernacle even of the Tabernacle of the Testimony c. Some will have this relate to the fore-named things mentioned in this and in the fore-going Chapters But I take it rather to be a Preface to the Account which Moses ordered to be taken of all the Gold Silver and Brass that was employed in building of the Tabernacle Which being summed up amounted to so many Talents as are mentioned v. 24 c. For the Service of the Levites Rather By the Ministry of the Levites whom Moses appointed to take the Account of all the Expences By the hand of Ithamar Son to Aaron the Priest Under the Conduct of Ithamar the youngest Son of Aaron whom he appointed to preside over the Levites in taking this account Ver. 22. And Bezaleel the Son of Uri made all that the LORD commanded Moses Which Gold Silver and Brass was committed into the hands of Bezaleel though in the Presence of all the rest of the Workmen XXXVI 2 3. as the principal Person who was to see it employed in making every thing which the LORD commanded Moses Ver. 23. And with him was Aholiab c. Unto whom God joyned Aholiab as his Associate in so great an Undertaking who made use of several others whom they taught in those Arts which God by an extraordinary Inspiration had made them to understand XXXV
one Thred of Wire of Gold and joyned it with six Threds of blue and twisted all seven into one And so they mingled the like Thred of Gold with six of purple and another with six of scarlet and another with six of fine linen So that there were twenty eight Threds in all Which R. Solomon Jarchi expresses thus upon XXVIII 8. These five kinds blue purple scarlet fine linen and gold were twisted into one Thred For the Gold being stretched into a thin Plate and Threds cut out of it they weaved a Thred of Gold with six Threds of Blue and so they did with the rest after which they twisted all these Threds into one See Joh. Braunius de Vestitu Sacerd. Hebr. L. I. c. 17. n. 26. Cunning-work See XXVIII 6. Ver. 4 5. See XXVIII 7 8. Ver. 6. They wrought Onyx-stones See XXVIII 9. Ver. 7. For a memorial See XXVIII 12. Ver. 8. He made the breast-plate c. See this explained and all that follows to v. 22. in XXVIII 15 16 c. only observe that there is not a word here said of his making Vrim and Thummim which confirms what I said there that they were not distinct things from the precious Stones in the Breast-plate Ver. 22. And they made the robe of the Ephod c. See this and the two following Verses explained XXVIII 31 32 33. Ver. 24. And twined Linen In the Hebrew there is only the word twined but the Masora rightly observes that Schesch is to be understood which we have therefore justly supplyed in the word Linen And so the LXX Ver. 25. Bells of pure Gold c. See XXVIII 33 34. where this and the next Verse are explained Ver. 27. And they made Coats of fine Linen Coats were ordered to be made for Aaron and his Sons XXVIII 40. but the matter of them not mentioned which is here therefore ordered to be of fine Linen For white Garments being pure bright unmixed and also splendid and stately for anciently the greatest Persons were so clothed as appears by Joseph when he was honourably arrayed by Pharaoh XLI Gen. 42. were used by all Nations in the Service of God And what was most sutable to nature God thought fit to continue in his Service though used perhaps by Idolaters before this time Only his Priests wore these Garments no where but in the Sanctuary whereas the Priests of Isis for instance went every where clothed in white Of woven work Not sowed with a Needle for such Coats may be made without any Seame and Braunius hath shown the manner of weaving them L. I. de Vestitu Sacerdot Hebr. c. 16. Ver. 28. Mitre of fine Linen XXVIII 39. and of Bonnets and Breeches See there v. 40 42. Ver. 29. And a girdle of fine twined Linen c. XXVIII 39. Ver. 30. And they made the Plate of the holy Crown See XXVIII 36. To which I shall only add That the Priests both Men and Women among the Gentiles had ordinarily the Epithete of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Crowns they wore upon their Heads which were sometimes of Gold sometimes of Lawrel See Cuperus in his Harpocrates p. 137. Ver. 31. A Lace of blue c. See XXVIII 37. Ver. 32. Thus was all the work of the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congregation finished c. Every thing belonging to the House of God which he commanded Moses to make was compleated exactly according to his directions though they were not yet set in their place which God orders in the next Chapter Tabernacle of the Tent c. See XL. 2. And all the Children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so did they This hath a more particular respect to the Workmen yet all the Materials being brought by the Body of the People they are also comprehended in this Expression Ver. 33. And they brought the Tabernacle unto Moses the Tent and all its Furniture c. In this and the following Verses he makes a recapitulation of all the particulars mentioned in the foregoing Chapters which they brought to Moses that he might see whether they were made according to his order It is probable that the whole Congregation or the Heads of them accompanied Bezaleel and the other Artificers when they brought these things to Moses for his approbation Ver. 34. And the covering of the Rams-skins c. Of this Covering and of the next see XXVI 14. XXXVI 19. And the vail of the covering See XXVI 36. Ver. 37. The pure Candlestick Of pure Gold as we read XXV 31. XXXVII 17. Ver. 42. So the Children of Israel made all the work Here again the whole Body of the People are said to have made all the work fore-mentioned see v. 37. because they contributed to it and also helpt to prepare some Materials for the Workmen XXXV 25. XXXVI 6. Ver. 43. And Moses did look upon all the work Took a solemn view of it and examined it carefully whether it was performed according to the order they had received And behold they had done it as the LORD commanded This is the tenth time that Moses in this one Chapter saith all was done as the LORD commanded v. 1 5 7 21 26 29 31 32 42. and here in this last Verse to show how exact they were in their obedience and that nothing was done according to their own Reason and Opinion but all according to the Divince Precept without Addition or Detraction They are the words of the Authour Sepher Cosri Pars III. n. 23. who well observes that all was done and brought to perfection by two things which are the Pillars of the Law the one is That the Law is from God and the other that it be accepted by the Church with a faithful heart And thus was the Tabernacle ordered by the Divine Precept and it was made by the whole Church or Congregation XXV 2. And Moses blessed them Both the Workmen who had done their work faithfully and the Children of Israel who had contributed the Materials and also now together with Bezaleel and the rest of the Artificers presented the whole to him CHAP. XL. Verse 1. AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying After he had taken a Survey of all the Work before-mentioned God gave him the following Command in the latter end it is probable of the twelfth Month. Ver. 2. On the first day of the first month Of the second year after their coming out of Egypt v. 17. which was a compleat year within fourteen days after that great Deliverance Shalt thou set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of the Congregation This is a full description of the place which was made for an Habitation of the Divine Majesty XXV 8. and therefore called Mischcan which we translate Tabernacle but properly signifies a dwelling But was a moveable House to be set up and taken down as there was occasion and therefore called Ohel a Tent such as Shepherds dwell in IV Gen. 24. See XXIX of