Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A56632
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A commentary upon the fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers by ... Symon, Lord Bishop of Ely.
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing P774; ESTC R2078
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399,193
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690
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order the Judges to assemble and call before them such as were suspected and having examined the Fact accordingly proceed against them and punish such as had offended Thus the Samaritan Copy reads it expresly and so Onkelos and the Paraphrast called Vzielides and the Hierusalem Targum and the Arabick Translation of Saadia Gaon and both the Talmudists and Karaites agree in this sence as Mr. Selden shows at large Lib. II. de Synedriis cap. 1. n. 10. And Joh. Coch upon the Gemara of the Sanhedrim cap. 4. sect 4. where he observes that Aben-Ezra and Solomon Jarchi thus interpret it and takes the meaning to be certain that the Heads of the People should divide themselves into several Courts of Judgment and examine who had committed Idolatry and after Conviction cause them to be hang'd For there is great reason to think the Constitution of Judges by Jethro's advice continued all the time they were in the Wilderness who might easily find out the Guilty in their several Divisions Before the LORD i. e. Before the Sanctuary as Men who had forsaken the Worship of their God and by his Sentence were adjudged to die Against the Sun Openly that all the People might see and fear to Sin So both R. Solomon and Aben-Ezra expound it For this was a peculiar mark of the Divine Displeasure against Idolaters and Blasphemers that they should be hanged up and publickly exposed after they had suffered death For none were hang'd alive among the Hebrews but first stoned which was the common Punishment of the fore-named Offenders and then hanged up in the eyes of all as R. Solomon expounds this Phrase against the Sun That the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned from Israel By their Zeal to vindicate the Divine Honour Verse 5 Ver. 5. And Moses said unto the Judges of Israel Some take these for the LXX Elders mentioned XI 25. Slay ye By hanging them up as some understand it But the Hebrew word imports killing with the Sword which they commanded their Officers to do with the assistance of such as abhorred the wickedness of their Neighbours Every one his Man The LXX Elders being appointed to be coadjutors to Moses in the Government made a division of the People it is most likely into so many districts and each of them having the charge of one all the People therein are called his Men of whom he was to give an account That were joyned unto Baal-Peor Who were so well known that there was no danger of slaying the innocent Verse 6 Ver. 6. And behold This which follows is the more wonderful if the Judges had already begun to execute the foregoing command and argues Zimri to have been very impudently wicked who thought himself so great a Man that no Judge durst meddle with him One of the Children of Israel came and brought unto his Brethren In the Camp of Israel or into the Tent where his own Family dwelt A Midianitish Woman By which it appears that both Nations Moab and Midian were in this Plot against Israel In the sight of Moses A high contempt of his Authority and of God's also whose Servant Moses was And in the sight of all the Congregation of the Children of Israel This seems to be a further aggravation of his Sin that he was not content to go to the Women who invited them v. 2. but brought one of them along with him into the Camp of Israel and this he did before the face of all the People as well as of Moses and that when they were mourning for this Sin as it here follows Who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation This shows that though there were great numbers ingaged in this Defection yet the generality of the People clave unto the LORD and bewailed the Wickedness of their Brethren most earnestly imploring God's Mercy towards them Ver. 7. And when Phineas the Son of Eleazar the Son Verse 7 of Aaron the Priest c. A Man of great Authority being next to the High-Priest whom he succeeded in his Office as he did Joshua if we may believe some Writers in the Government of all Israel He rose up His Spirit as St. Luke speaks of St. Paul was stirred in him and being inspired with an holy Zeal was moved to do what follows From among the Congregation Who were weeping at the Door of the Tabernacle or rather from among the Judges with whom he was assembled being one of them So Jonathan he rose up from the midst of the Sanhedrin For as Bonav Cornel. Bertramus thinks Eleazar after the death of Aaron appointed his Son Phineas to be Prince of the Levites Which he thinks appears not only from his rising up here from the midst of the Judges of Israel but from the Embassy wherein he was employed by Joshua unto the Reubenites c. beyond Jordan XXII Josh 14. and from 1 Chron. IX 20. where he is said to be Ruler over the Korahites Which signifies he thinks such a preheminence as Eleazar himself had over the Levites while his Father Aaron lived De Repub. Jud. c. 15. And indeed the Psalmist saith that Phineas stood up and executed Judgment CVI. 39. Which seems to import that he acted as a Judge but by an extraordinary motion which made him kill the Offenders with his own Hands without a Judicial Process against them And took a Javelin in his hand Or a Sword as Josephus calls it which he snatcht out of the hand of Moses as the tradition is in Pirke Elieser cap. 47. Verse 8 Ver. 8. And he went after the Man of Israel into the Tent. It is an unusual word in the Hebrew which we translate Tent importing a private secret place like a Cave as Kubba or Kobba is thought to signifie which the Arabians call Alcobba From whence comes the word Alcove which signifies as Bochart observes conclave camerati operis quo lectus circumdatur A Room of arched Work which incloses a Bed in it See his Hierozoicon Pars I. p. ult And thrust both of them through the Man of Israel and the Woman This he did saith Philo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the command of Moses But should rather have said by a Divine Instigation which he followed when the rest of the Judges were afraid as some conceive to meddle with so great a Man as Zimri was And upon this Fact the Jews ground that which they call the Judgment of Zeal which authorized them who were full of Zeal to punish such as blasphemed God or prophaned the Temple c. in the presence of ten Men of Israel without a formal Process against them Thus Matthias killed a Jew who sacrificed after the manner of the Greeks 1 Maccab. II. 24. and three hundred others were killed by their Country-men as is related in the Book commonly called the Third Book of Maccabees And upon the pretence of such Zeal St. Stephen was stoned and St. Paul intended to be killed c. as Grotius
observes in the place before-mentioned Who in the next Chapter cap. XIII gives an example drawn up by Maimonides of such a Succession out of the holy Scriptures Amram had two Sons Aaron and Moses as we read VI Exod. 20. If they had both died without Issue Miriam their Sister had inherited And if she had died in like manner the Inheritance of the Family would have reverted to Kohath the Father of Amram Or he being dead to his three Sons the Brethren of Amram viz. Izhar Hebron and Vzziel as the Heirs of Kohath And there would have been no consideration of Primogeniture both because none of them was the First-born and because the Inheritance was not in the Possession of their Father at the time of his Death c. And it shall be unto the Children of Israel a Statute of judgment c. A Law whereby to determine such Matters in future times and to be observed inviolably So that no Father should have power to make any other Settlement but if either by Word or Writing he declared his will to be that his Son should not inherit his Act was null and void As the Jewish Lawyers resolve from these very words a Statute or Decree of Judgment i. e. as I said a Rule whereby to Judge of Succession into Inheritances If therefore a Man made a Will wherein he declared his Daughter or Brethren c. should not inherit in case he had no Son it was void because contrary to this Law See Selden de Successionibus cap. 24. Ver. 12. And the LORD said unto Moses get thee up into this Mountain Abarim Either these words were spoken after all that follows here and in the Verse 12 Book of Deuteronomy or they were repeated again when he had repeated his Laws and inforced them by many excellent Discourses and taught them that famous Song XXXII Deut. where in the conclusion of it v. 49. it is said that very day he bad him go up this Mount Abarim And there we learn also that Abarim was a long Tract of Mountains one of which was called Nebo and the very top of it called Pisgah See XXXIV Deut. 1. And see the Land which I have given to the Children of Israel Take a full view of it as he did from that high neighbouring Mountain III Deut. 17. XXXIV 1 2 3 4. Verse 13 Ver. 13. And when thou hast seen it thou also shalt be gathered unto thy People as Aaron thy Brother was gathered Upon Mount Hor as we read in this Book XX. 23 24. Verse 14 Ver. 14. For ye rebelled against my Commandment in the Desert of Zin c. See Chap. XX. 1 12 24. where all this verse is explained Verse 15 Ver. 15. And Moses spake unto the LORD saying He did not speak those words which follow immediately after God bad him go up Mount Abarim and die but first desired he might be permitted to go over Jordan c. III Deut. 24 25 26. Unless we can think that he made the Prayer there mentioned as soon as the Sentence was passed upon him at the Waters of Meribah which doth not seem so likely Verse 16 Ver. 16. Let the LORD the God of the Spirits of all Flesh c. As soon as he found that God was resolved he should not conduct the People into Canaan he was concerned for nothing but for a fitting Person to take that Charge upon him For he had a most generous publick Spirit wholly intent upon the good of this People The God of the Spirits of all Flesh Who hast not only made the Souls of all Men but knowest their Dispositions See XVI 22. and understandest who are fit for this weighty Employment Set a Man over the Congregation To be chief Ruler and Governour of the People in my place Ver. 17. Which may go out before them and which Verse 17 may come in Before them and which may lead them out and which may bring them in If the latter part of these words be not a mere repetition of the former as is usual then the one relates to their Conduct in War and the other to the management of all their Civil Affairs And both of them seem to be a Metaphor from Shepherds watching over their Flocks That the Congregation of the LORD be not as Sheep which have no Shepherd Having none to govern and take care of them This is a description of the most miserable condition a People can be in and became a Proverb among the Hebrews 1 Kings 22.17 X Zachariah 2. XIII 7. IX Matth. 36. Ver. 18. And the LORD said unto Moses take thee Verse 18 Joshua the Son of Nun. Who had been a long time Servant unto Moses and attended upon his Person XXIV Exod. 13. well known to Moses and perfectly acquainted with his administration A Man in whom is the Spirit Of Courage and Prudence and the fear of God with all other Gifts necessary in an excellent Governour Among which Onkelos reckons the Spirit of Prophecy which is not unlikely And lay thine hand upon him Which was a Ceremony usual in Blessing XLVIII Gen. 14 c. and in setting Men apart and Consecrating them to an Office VIII 10. Upon which followed a more abundant measure of the Spirit as appears from XXXIV Deut. 9. Verse 19 Ver. 19. And set him before Eleazar the Priest and before all the Congregation Being all assembled for this purpose that all might acknowledge him for the designed Successor of Moses and be Witnesses of all that Moses commanded him And give him a charge in their sight He told him before them all what God expected from him and bad him not be afraid to execute it See XXXI Deut. 7 8. Where he sets down the words of this Charge unto which God presently after added one of his own v. 14 15 23. Verse 20 Ver. 20. And thou shalt put some of thy honour upon him Communicate some of thy Authority to him at present and not let him be any longer as thy Minister but as an associate in the Government The word we translate honour being glory in the Hebrew it made Onkelos and other Hebrew Doctors imagine these words have respect to that Splendor which shone in Moses his Face after he came down from the Mount Some of which they suppose was imparted unto Joshua to make him appear more venerable in the Eyes of the People And R. Menachem observes that it is not said impart thy glory but of thy glory to him From whence came that ancient saying the Face of Moses shone like the Sun but Joshua's only like the Moon This might have passed for Truth or at least that hereby was meant some great increase of illustrious Gifts of Mind which procured him such reverence as Moses had if it had been said that God put some of Moses his glory upon him whereas Moses is commanded to do it which makes the first sence most reasonable That all the Congregation of Israel may be obedient